Objective To summarize the clinical features of infectious intracranial aneurysm (IIA) related to infective endocarditis (IE) and share our experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of IIA. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 554 patients who underwent cardiac surgery for IE at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from September 2018 to August 2023. Patients with secondary IIA were included and reviewed. Based on the treatment strategies, patients were stratified into two groups: an antibiotic-only group and an endovascular treatment group. Results The cohort comprised 21 males and 10 females, with a median age of 33 years (IQR 26-53). Fifteen (48.4%) patients showed no significant neurological symptoms before IIA diagnosis. Seven patients received antibiotic therapy alone, while 24 underwent additional endovascular embolization, achieving technical success in 23 (95.8%) patients. The median interval between endovascular embolization and cardiac surgery was 2 days (IQR 0-6), with 9 patients undergoing concurrent procedures. In the antibiotic-only group, 3 (42.9%) patients suffered fatal IIA rupture. In contrast, only 1 (4.2%) death due to aneurysm rupture occurred in the endovascular treatment group. All surviving patients recovered well without new neurological deficits. Conclusion Routine neuroimaging screening for IIA is critical in IE patients. For those requiring cardiac surgery, endovascular embolization combined with antimicrobial therapy represents a reasonable strategy to mitigate rupture risks and improve outcomes.

Objective:To verify the predictive value of the Second Revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS) in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent first-line autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in a new drug era in China.Methods:This multicenter retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with newly diagnosed MM from three centers in China (Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University) from June 2008 to June 2018. A total of 401 newly diagnosed patients with MM who were candidates for ASCT were enrolled in this cohort, all received proteasome inhibitor and/or immunomodulator-based induction chemotherapy followed by ASCT. Baseline and follow-up data were collected. The patients were regrouped using R2-ISS. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival curve and two survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between risk factors and survival.Results:The median age of the patients was 53 years (range 25-69 years) and 59.5% (240 cases) were men. Newly diagnosed patients with renal impairment accounted for 11.5% (46 cases). According to Revised-International Staging System (R-ISS), 74 patients (18.5 %) were diagnosed with stage Ⅰ, 259 patients (64.6%) with stage Ⅱ, and 68 patients (17.0%) with stage Ⅲ. According to the R2-ISS, the distribution of patients in each group was as follows: 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅰ, 95 patients (23.7%) in stage Ⅱ, 206 patients (51.4%) in stage Ⅲ, and 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅳ. The median follow-up time was 35.9 months (range, 6-119 months). According to the R2-ISS stage, the median PFS in each group was: 75.3 months for stage Ⅰ; 62.0 months for stage Ⅱ, 39.2 months for stage Ⅲ, and 30.3 months for stage Ⅳ; and the median OS was not reached, 86.6 months, 71.6 months, and 38.5 months, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in PFS and OS between different groups (both P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ of the R2-ISS were independent prognostic factors for PFS ( HR=2.37, 95% CI 1.30-4.30; HR=4.50, 95% CI 2.35-9.01) and OS ( HR=4.20, 95% CI 1.50-11.80; HR=9.53, 95% CI 3.21-28.29). Conclusions:The R2-ISS has significant predictive value for PFS and OS for transplant-eligible patients with MM in the new drug era. However, the universality of the R2-ISS still needs to be further verified in different populations.

Simmering method is one of the traditional processing methods of Chinese materia medica， which has been documented in the herbal literature and medical books of the past dynasties and has a great variety， but at present， there are not many specific varieties of Chinese materia medica involved， and there are few related researches. By reviewing the ancient and modern related information， the authors have organized and analyzed the historical evolution， processing purpose， modern representative Chinese materia medica（processing technology， quality evaluation， pharmacological research） of simmering method. After sorting out， it was found that the simmering method was widely used in ancient times， which was first seen in Huashi Zhongzangjing of the Eastern Han dynasty， and was enriched and developed through the Tang， Song， Jin， Yuan， Ming and Qing dynasties， and entered its heyday in Ming and Qing dynasties along with the economic prosperity and development of the Ming dynasty， involving as many as 159 varieties of Chinese materia medica， and gradually perfecting the processing theory of the simmering method. However， the number of varieties that still use the simmering method in modern times significantly decreased. The main purposes of using simmering method in modern Chinese materia medica are to reduce adverse reactions， moderate medicinal properties， enhance therapeutic effects， remove non-medicinal parts， and facilitate further processing， etc. This paper combed the key information of simmering methods for Chinese materia medica from ancient to modern times， which can provide a literature basis for the clinical application and modern research of simmered products of Chinese materia medica.

Objective To analyze the echinococcosis surveillance results in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from 2017 to 2022, so as to provide insights into formulation of echinococcosis control measures in the prefecture. Methods Villagers were randomly sampled using a multistage sampling method from class I and II echinococcosis endemic counties in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture from 2017 to 2022 for detection of human echinococcosis, while all patients undergoing ultrasound examinations in medical institutions in class III endemic counties received active echinococcosis screening. In addition, livestock in centralized slaughterhouses or slaughtering sites were screened for echinococcosis using the palpation and necropsy method, and fresh domestic dog feces samples were collected from randomly selected dog owners in each administrative village for detection of Echinococcus copro-antigen in domestic dogs. The trends in detection of human and livestock echinococcosis, detection of newly diagnosed human echinococcosis cases and detection of Echinococcus coproantigen in domestic dogs were analyzed in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture from 2017 to 2022. Results The mean detection rate of human echinococcosis was 0.13% (540/407 803) in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture from 2017 to 2022, which appeared a tendency towards a decline over years (χ²_trend = 1 217.21, P < 0.001), and the highest detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases was seen in Hejing County (0.28%, 191/67 865). The detection of livestock echinococcosis appeared a tendency towards a decline over years from 2017 to 2022 (χ²_trend = 147.02, P < 0.001), with the highest detection rate seen in Hejing County (3.44%, 86/2 500), and the detection of Echinococcus copro-antigen in domestic dogs appeared a tendency towards a decline over years from 2017 to 2022 (χ²_trend = 302.46, P < 0.001), with the highest detection rate in Qiemo County (2.74%, 118/4 313). Conclusions The detection of human and livestock echinococcosis and dog feces antigens Echinococcus copro-antigen in domestic dogs all appeared a tendency towards a decline in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from 2017 to 2022; however, there is still a high echinococcosis transmission risk in local areas. Sustainable integrated echinococcosis control is required in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture.

Background::The effect of bariatric surgery on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) control can be assessed based on predictive models of T2DM remission. Various models have been externally verified internationally. However, long-term validated results after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) surgery are lacking. The best model for the Chinese population is also unknown.Methods::We retrospectively analyzed Chinese population data 5 years after LSG at Beijing Shijitan Hospital in China between March 2009 and December 2016. The independent t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and chi-squared test were used to compare characteristics between T2DM remission and non-remission groups. We evaluated the predictive efficacy of each model for longterm T2DM remission after LSG by calculating the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and predicted-to-observed ratio, and performed calibration using Hosmer–Lemeshow test for 11 prediction models. Results::We enrolled 108 patients, including 44 (40.7%) men, with a mean age of 35.5 years. The mean body mass index was 40.3 ± 9.1 kg/m 2, the percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) was (75.9 ± 30.4)%, and the percentage of total weight loss (% TWL) was (29.1 ± 10.6)%. The mean glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level was (7.3 ± 1.8)% preoperatively and decreased to (5.9 ± 1.0)% 5 years after LSG. The 5-year postoperative complete and partial remission rates of T2DM were 50.9% [55/108] and 27.8% [30/108], respectively. Six models, i.e., "ABCD", individualized metabolic surgery (IMS), advanced-DiaRem, DiaBetter, Dixon et al’s regression model, and Panunzi et al’s regression model, showed a good discrimination ability (all AUC >0.8). The "ABCD" (sensitivity, 74%; specificity, 80%; AUC, 0.82 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74–0.89]), IMS (sensitivity, 78%; specificity, 84%; AUC, 0.82 [95% CI: 0.73–0.89]), and Panunzi et al’s regression models (sensitivity, 78%; specificity, 91%; AUC, 0.86 [95% CI: 0.78–0.92]) showed good discernibility. In the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, except for DiaRem ( P <0.01), DiaBetter ( P <0.01), Hayes et al ( P = 0.03), Park et al ( P = 0.02), and Ramos-Levi et al’s ( P <0.01) models, all models had a satifactory fit results ( P >0.05). The P values of calibration results of the "ABCD" and IMS were 0.07 and 0.14, respectively. The predicted-to-observed ratios of the "ABCD" and IMS were 0.87 and 0.89, respectively. Conclusion::The prediction model IMS was recommended for clinical use because of excellent predictive performance, good statistical test results, and simple and practical design features.

Objective:The effect and safety of etoposide combined with G-CSF were compared with those of cyclophosphamide combined with G-CSF in autologous peripheral blood mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) .Methods:Patients with MM who received autologous peripheral blood stem cell mobilization and collection in the Department of Hematology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2023 were included. A total of 134 patients were screened by propensity score matching technology according to a 1∶1 ratio. A total of 67 cases were each treated with ETO combined with G-CSF mobilization scheme (ETO group) and CTX combined with G-CSF mobilization scheme (CTX group). Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Results:①Collection results: the ETO and CTX groups [2 (1-3) d vs 2 (1-5) d; P<0.001] and CD34 + cells [7.62×10 6 (2.26×10 6-37.20×10 6) /kg vs 2.73×10 6 (0.53×10 6-9.85×10 6) /kg; P<0.001] were collected. The success rate of collection was 100.0% (67/67) versus 76.1% (51/67) ( P<0.001). Excellent rate of collection was 82.1% (55/67) versus 20.9% (14/67; P<0.001). Two patients in the ETO group switched protocols after 1 day of collection, and 11 patients in the CTX group switched protocols after 1-2 days of collection. ②Adverse reactions: granular deficiency with fever (21.5%[14/65] vs. 10.7%[6/56]; P=0.110), requiring platelet transfusion [10.7% (7/65) vs 1.8% (1/56) ; P=0.047]. ③Until the end of follow-up, 63 cases in the ETO group and 54 cases in the CTX group have undergone autologous transplantation. The median number of CD34 + cells infused in the two groups was 4.62×10 6 (2.14×10 6-19.89×10 6) /kg versus 2.62×10 6 (1.12×10 6-5.31×10 6) /kg ( P<0.001), neutrophil implantation time was 11 (9-14) d versus 11 (10-14) d ( P=0.049), and platelet implantation time was 11 (0-19) d vs. 12 (0-34) d ( P=0.035). One case in the CTX group experienced delayed platelet implantation. Conclusion:The mobilization scheme of etoposide combined with G-CSF requires relatively platelet transfusion, but the collection days are shortened. The collection success rate, excellent rate, and the number of CD34 + cells obtained are high, and the neutrophil and platelet engraftment is accelerated after transplantation.

Objective Based on the network pharmacology and animal experiments,to investigate the protective effect and possible molecular mechanism of ethanol extract from Atractylodes lancea on liver function in mice with liver fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation.Methods The main active ingredients atractylodin,atractylenolide Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅱ from Atractylodes lancea were selected,which had been verified by literature and experiments,and the targets of these active ingredients were obtained through the SwissTargetPrediction database.The liver fibrosis disease targets were obtained through On-line Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM),DisGeNET and GeneCards databases.The targets were added to the Wei Sheng Xin platform to find the intersection target for Atractylodes lancea in treating liver fibrosis.Cytoscape 3.10.1 was used to construct the "drug-component-target-disease" network diagram and protein-protein interaction core target network diagram.GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis were performed,and molecular docking was performed between active components and core targets.Liver fibrosis was induced in mice by bile duct ligation,and liver function markers were measured.Results A total of 91 corresponding targets of atractylodin,atractylenolide Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ and 9296 liver fibrosis disease targets were obtained,including 74 intersecting targets and 31 core targets.KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the main signaling pathways involved included inflammatory pathways such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt).Molecular docking results showed that the active ingredients had strong binding activity with the core target protein.The results of animal experiments showed that,compared with the sham surgery group,the model group displayed notable,the liver index,spleen index,activity of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST),degree of liver fibrosis,mRNA and protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and recombinant collagen type Ⅰ alpha 1 (COL1A1),and mRNA of recombinant collagen type Ⅳ alpha 2 (COL4A2) were significantly increased,and the thymus index was sigficantly decreased (P<0.05);compared with the model group,the liver injury of mice in the Atractylodes lancea administration group reduced liver injury,its liver index,spleen index,activity of serum ALT and AST,degree of liver fibrosis,mRNA and protein expression of α-SMA and COL1A1,and mRNA of COL4A2 were significantly decreased,and the thymus index was sigficantly increased (P<0.05).Conclusion Atractylodes lancea can improve liver function and alleviate tissue pathological damage in mice with liver fibrosis,which may be related to activating pathways such as PI3K/Akt,inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions,and intervening in liver fibrosis.

Objective:To present the surgical details of manual double-layer suturing in patients with obesity combined type 2 diabetes mellitus by three-incision laparoscopic single-anastomosis duodenal-jejunal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy .Methods:Clinical data and follow-up information of 52 obesity combined type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (BMI 27.59-43.71 kg/m2) who underwent three-incision laparoscopic single-anastomosis duodenal-jejunal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy from Jan 2019 to Jul 2022 at Beijing Shijitan hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The procedure was successful in all patients. The median operative time was 120 (90, 120) min, and the median intraoperative bleeding was 20.0 (10.0, 27.5) ml. No fistula or serious surgical complications were observed in the patients at 1 month postoperatively. Compared with the preoperative period, the patient's weight decreased [(93.22±15.21) kg vs. (69.97±11.06) kg, t=21.707, P<0.01], BMI decreased [(33.11±4.09) kg/m 2vs. (24.86±2.95) kg/m 2, t=23.224, P<0.01], and the patient's fasting glucose level decreased [9.52 (7.57, 12.96) mmol/L vs. 5.47 (4.66, 6.39) mmol/L, Z=6.11, P<0.01]. The remission rate of various obesity comorbidities was greatly improved. Conclusion:Under the condition of three-incision laparoscopy, the pure manual duodenal and jejunal double-layer suture method is safe, feasible, and effective for patients with obesity combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective To perform an epidemiological investigation on a case of visceral leishmaniasis reported from Shule County, Kashi Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 2021, so as to provide insights into differential diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The epidemiological history of this case was collected, and the case was diagnosed for Leishmania infection with the immunochromatographic (rK39) strip test, bone marrow smear microscopy and PCR assay. Results The patient had typical clinical symptoms of leishmaniasis, including irregular fever, hepatosplenomeg- aly, low serum albumin and elevated globulin. Bone marrow smear microscopy identified L. donovani amastigotes, and both rK39 strip test and PCR assay were positive, while the case was tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 was therefore excluded and visceral leishmaniasis was diagnosed. Standard full-dose treatment with sodium stibogluconate was given, and no Leishmania was found on blood smears during the reexamination. No recurrence was found during the followup after discharge for hospital. Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is recommended to increase the perception of differential diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis among first-contact doctors, and reinforce the capability of differential diagnosis and health education of visceral leishmaniasis among medical and healthcare institutions at all levels, to prevent missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.

Objective:To investigate whether the fluctuation of blood pressure variability (BPV) before carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is related to postoperative cerebral perfusion changes in patients with carotid artery stenosis.Methods:A prospective observational cohort study was performed. Forty-seven patients with carotid artery stenosis accepted CEA in Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University from January 2019 to December 2022 were chosen. Patients' blood pressure was closely monitored 3 d before surgery (4 times/d) to obtain their BPV (the maximum △, based on the maximum absolute differences between systolic or diastolic blood pressures measured continuously during the observation period). At the same time, the changes of cerebral perfusion 3 d after surgery were monitored (criteria of cerebral hyperperfusion: newly-appeared delirium and hyperactivity after anesthesia resuscitation or intracranial hemorrhage found by imaging examination; criteria of cerebral hypoperfusion: newly-appeared speech and motor function deficits or aggravation of original cerebral ischemia symptoms after anesthesia resuscitation, or new-found cerebral infarction by imaging examination). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of BPV before CEA in postoperative cerebral perfusion changes.Results:In these 47 patients, 9 patients (19.1%) had postoperative cerebral perfusion changes: 2 had neurological deficits due to postoperative cerebral infarction, and the other 7 had short-term postoperative delirium or focal neurological deficits (returned to normal after appropriate adjustment of blood pressure). Area under the ROC curve (AUC) of BPV before CEA in predicting postoperative cerebral perfusion changes was 0.876 ( P=0.001, 95% CI: 0.775-0.977). These 47 patients were divided into high BPV group ( n=16) and low BPV group ( n=31) according to the optimal index threshold (27.00), and the statistics showed that significant difference in incidence of cerebral perfusion changes after CEA was noted between the 2 groups ( P<0.05); incidence of postoperative cerebral perfusion changes in the high BPV group was 15.5 times higher than that in the low BPV group ( RR=15.500, P<0.001, 95% CI: 2.120-113.320). Conclusion:BPV before CEA in patients with carotid artery stenosis can well predict the occurrence of postoperative cerebral perfusion changes.