BACKGROUND To evaluate the association between early albumin infusion and 28-day mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with septic shock and concurrent hypoalbuminemia. METHODS This study analyzed data from the MIMIC-IV database and admission records from the university-affiliated teaching hospital ICU. Patients with septic shock and concurrent hypoalbuminemia were categorized into early albumin infusion (within 72 h of ICU admission) and late albumin infusion (after 72 h of ICU admission), regardless of dosage or colloid osmotic pressure. The primary outcome was the 28-day mortality rate. RESULTS In the MIMIC-IV cohort, 1,216 patients received an albumin infusion, including 546 with early infusion and 670 with late infusion (odds ratios [ORs]=1.556, 95% confidence intervals [95% CIs]: 1.193-2.030). Early albumin infusion was associated with significantly higher 28-day mortality compared to late or no infusion. Subgroup analysis showed a survival benefit in patients with severe hypoalbuminaemia, but worse outcomes in those with mild-to-moderate hypoalbuminaemia. These findings were partially validated in an independent cohort from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (n=1,233), where similar trends were observed. Early infusion was associated with increased mortality, and albumin use in mild-to-moderate hypoalbuminaemia was associated with worse survival. CONCLUSION Early albumin infusion for patients with septic shock did not demonstrate a clear clinical benefit regarding 28-day mortality. Late infusion, however, appeared to be associated with improved survival outcomes. Among patients with septic shock and severe hypoalbuminemia, albumin infusion was associated with higher 28-day survival. In contrast, for those with mild-to-moderate hypoalbuminemia, albumin infusion did not offer a significant survival advantage.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing（mNGS） in patients with sepsis admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit（EICU），evaluate its role in guiding precision antimicrobial therapy， and to identify key factors influencing mNGS positivity and patient prognosis. MethodsThis retrospective study analyzed clinical data from 524 patients with sepsis admitted to the EICU of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital， Sun Yat-sen University， from November 2020 to October 2024. The positive detection rate， pathogen spectrum， and concordance between mNGS and conventional culture were compared. Factors including infection site， underlying diseases， and immune status associated with mNGS positivity were evaluated. The impact of adjusting antimicrobial therapy based on mNGS results on patient prognosis was also analyzed. ResultsThe positive detection rate of mNGS was significantly higher than that of conventional culture （85.11% vs. 47.14%， P ＜ 0.001）. mNGS enabled rapid identification of rare pathogens and mixed infections， with higher positivity observed in immunosuppressed patients and those with hematological disorders （P ＜ 0.05）. Adjustment of antimicrobial therapy based on mNGS results showed no significant difference in short-term clinical response； however， 28-day mortality differed significantly among groups （adjusted group 39.1%， non-adjusted group 76.3%， supportive group 31.4%； χ²= 22.44， P ＜ 0.001）. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age and mechanical ventilation as independent factors associated with pathogen positivity. Age， coronary heart disease， SOFA score， bilirubin level， and the use of mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality， whereas platelet count and renal function showed protective associations. Patients whose antimicrobial therapy was adjusted based on mNGS results demonstrated a trend toward clinical improvement， shorter antibiotic duration， faster fever resolution， and lower 28-day case fatality rate. ConclusionmNGS demonstrates high sensitivity and broad pathogen coverage for etiological diagnosis in EICU sepsis patients and provides critical support for precision antimicrobial therapy. Patient age， underlying diseases， disease severity， and organ function are key determinants of pathogen detection and short-term prognosis， offering valuable guidance for risk stratification and optimization of therapeutic strategies.

Ketosis is an energy metabolism disorder occurring frequently in periparturient dairy cows,primarily attributed to elevated non-esterified fatty acid(NEFA)levels resulting from nega-tive energy balance(NEB).Excessive NEFA will be incompletely oxidated into large amounts of ketone bodies or be re-esterified and deposit in the liver as a consequence of hepatic limited oxida-tive capacity,ultimately leading to ketosis and fatty liver.Hypoxic microenvironments are com-monly found during the progression of various liver diseases.Hypoxia inducible factor-2 alpha(HIF-2 alpha)has been identified as a crucial regulator of lipid metabolism.However,it is still un-clear the association between HIF-2α and disrupted lipid metabolism in the livers of in ketotic cows.This study aims to investigate the effect of high concentrations of NEFA on HIF-2α expres-sion and cellular oxygen homeostasis through bovine liver tissue and primary hepatocytes.In vivo,hepatic triglyceride(TAG)content was assessed to determine the extent of hepatic lipid accumula-tion,and HIF-2α protein and mRNA levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining,Western blot and qRT-PCR assay in liver tissue samples from dairy cows;in vitro,bovine primary hepatocytes were treated with different concentrations of NEFA.Oil Red O staining and TAG con-tent assay were performed to determine hepatocellular steatosis extent,and immunofluorescence staining.Western blot,and qRT-PCR were performed to analyze HIF-2α expression,in addition,lu-minescent oxygen sensor[Ru(dpp)3]Cl2 was added to indicate intracellular oxygen levels.These results showed a significant increase in TAG content and elevated HIF-2α expression in the liver tissue of ketotic cows,and high concentrations of NEFA induced lipid accumulation,upregulation of HIF-2α expression,and intracellular hypoxia in bovine primary hepatocytes.These findings sug-gested that HIF-2α was significantly"activated"in the liver of ketotic cows and high concentration of NEFA-induced bovine primary hepatocytes,and that high concentrations of NEFA induced in-tracellular hypoxia in vitro.This study provides a potential molecular target for further investiga-tion of the mechanism underlying hepatic lipid metabolism disorders in ketotic cows.

Ketosis is an energy metabolism disorder occurring frequently in periparturient dairy cows,primarily attributed to elevated non-esterified fatty acid(NEFA)levels resulting from nega-tive energy balance(NEB).Excessive NEFA will be incompletely oxidated into large amounts of ketone bodies or be re-esterified and deposit in the liver as a consequence of hepatic limited oxida-tive capacity,ultimately leading to ketosis and fatty liver.Hypoxic microenvironments are com-monly found during the progression of various liver diseases.Hypoxia inducible factor-2 alpha(HIF-2 alpha)has been identified as a crucial regulator of lipid metabolism.However,it is still un-clear the association between HIF-2α and disrupted lipid metabolism in the livers of in ketotic cows.This study aims to investigate the effect of high concentrations of NEFA on HIF-2α expres-sion and cellular oxygen homeostasis through bovine liver tissue and primary hepatocytes.In vivo,hepatic triglyceride(TAG)content was assessed to determine the extent of hepatic lipid accumula-tion,and HIF-2α protein and mRNA levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining,Western blot and qRT-PCR assay in liver tissue samples from dairy cows;in vitro,bovine primary hepatocytes were treated with different concentrations of NEFA.Oil Red O staining and TAG con-tent assay were performed to determine hepatocellular steatosis extent,and immunofluorescence staining.Western blot,and qRT-PCR were performed to analyze HIF-2α expression,in addition,lu-minescent oxygen sensor[Ru(dpp)3]Cl2 was added to indicate intracellular oxygen levels.These results showed a significant increase in TAG content and elevated HIF-2α expression in the liver tissue of ketotic cows,and high concentrations of NEFA induced lipid accumulation,upregulation of HIF-2α expression,and intracellular hypoxia in bovine primary hepatocytes.These findings sug-gested that HIF-2α was significantly"activated"in the liver of ketotic cows and high concentration of NEFA-induced bovine primary hepatocytes,and that high concentrations of NEFA induced in-tracellular hypoxia in vitro.This study provides a potential molecular target for further investiga-tion of the mechanism underlying hepatic lipid metabolism disorders in ketotic cows.

Objective To analyze the literature on the application of infrared technology in acupuncture and moxibustion at home and abroad by using bibliometrics and visualization software,discuss the research status,main forces,frontier hotspots and dynamic trends,and provide reference for promoting the cross fusion application of infrared technology in acupuncture and moxibustion research.Methods In this study,CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to analyze the number of articles,authors,institutions and keywords of 478 articles screened from CNKI and 188 articles screened from Web of Science Core Collection database in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion,drawing the visual map of authors,institutions and keywords.Cluster,co-occurrence and time superposition analysis of keywords were made at the same time.Results The research on the application of infrared technology in acupuncture and moxibustion started earlier in China,while the international research started later.Xu Jinxin,Shen Xueyong,Pan Xiaohua and Ding Guanghong have done a lot of work in the cross research of infrared technology and acupuncture and moxibustion.Internationally,Litscher gerhard,Shen xueyong and Yoo ho-ryong are the main authors.The Fujian Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have the highest number of papers;Internationally,Med Univ Graz,Daejeon Univ and Korea Inst Oriental Med are the main research institutions.The hot spots of visualization discovery are the application of infrared thermal imaging technology to diagnose and evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture related therapies,the assistance of infrared therapeutic effects in acupuncture and moxibustion to enhance the clinical efficacy and product transformation development,the exploration of the meridian along the line development phenomenon,the infrared spectral characteristics of meridians and acupoints to assist in disease diagnosis,the study of infrared radiation spectral characteristics of moxibustion,and the functional near-infrared spectral imaging study of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.Conclusion The cross fusion of infrared technology and acupuncture covers both diagnosis and clinical aspects,involving theoretical research and applied research.At present,it is mainly carried out around six hot spots.The application research of infrared technology in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion has great development potential,which is worthy of more in-depth cross fusion research and cooperation between multiple institutions and personnel;In the future,infrared meridian and acupoint diagnostic equipment,the introduction of new infrared technology and the molecular mechanism of acupuncture meridian specific infrared phenomenon will have broad prospects.

OBJECTIVETo perform a bibliometrics analysis on patent literature regarding diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture in China, aiming to provide references for the development of diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture.

METHODSBased on SooPAT, a patent database, the patent literature regarding diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture in China was collected. With bibliometrics methods, the annual distribution of type, quantity, classification and content of diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture were analyzed.

RESULTSThe number of acupuncture diagnosis and treatment devices reached its peak in 2012 and 2013 in China. The A61N in patent and utility model patent were the most, which were mainly related to electrotherapy, magnetic therapy, radioactive therapy and ultrasound therapy, etc. The main content was acupuncture treatment devices and meridian treatment devices. The 24-01 in design patent was the most, involving fixation devices used by doctors, hospitals and laboratories, etc.

CONCLUSIONSCurrently the majority of diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture is therapeutic apparatus, while the acupuncture diagnosis devices are needed.

Apoptosis refers to the programmed death process of cells modulated by genes. It plays an important role in promoting the evolution of organisms, regulating the development of multiple systems, and maintaining the stability of internal environment. The major apoptosis pathways include mitochondrial pathways, death receptor pathways, and endoplasmic reticulum pathways. With the rapid development of the scientific research on acupuncture, it’s revealed that cell apoptosis should be closely related to the action of acupuncture. So far, the major apoptosis factors involved in relevant researches are P53, Bcl-2 family, Cyt-C, Caspase, Fas/Fasl, TNFR1/TNF-?, and FADD-Caspase8, and PERK, etc. Via influencing these apoptosis factors or genes, acupuncture can produce various effects in improving tissue ischemia, protecting neural cells, reducing inflammation, and correcting endocrine disorders. This article summarized and reviewed the apoptosis pathways and key factors related to the action of acupuncture, to provide some beneficial references for future studies.

ObjectiveTo illustrate the biocompatibility of rapamycin-batroxobin eluting stent(RBES). MethodsStent made with rapamycin-batroxobin and polymer were implanted in the coronary artery of experimental group and the rapamycin with the polymer in the control group, which including 8 miniature pigs in each group. Coronary arteriographies were taken before, exactly after implanting the stent and before sacrificed the pigs. The whole blood cell counts, biochemical indexes, blood pressures, heart rates, body weights before implantation and sacrifice, together with the behavior states during the observation were analyzed. The coronary arteries of the implantation segment were observed under the scanning electron microscope and histologically. Lungs, stomachs, intestines, bowels, livers, kidneys and the ventricular walls which infused by the stents supported arteries were also observed histologically. ResultsBone marrow suppression, hemolysis, liver and kidney disfunction had not been found in the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in heart rate, blood pressure and body weight between 2 groups. Behavior was not influenced. All stents were implanted successfully. And there was no stenosis in coronary artery in both group during the 28-day period. There were no significant differences in endothelium square and the ratio of endothelium square to tunica media square. No definite inflammatory cell was found. There were no pathological damages related to RBES in lungs, stomachs, intestines, bowels, livers, kidneys and the ventricular walls infused by the stent supported arteries.ConclusionThe blood compatibility and histocompatibility were good after RBES were implanted in coronary arteries of miniature pigs.