Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Objective:To establish a TaqMan-MGB probe-based method for detecting the polymorphic loci C677T and A1298C of the MTHFR gene.Methods:Specific primers and TaqMan-MGB probes targeting the C677T and A1298C polymorphic loci of the MTHFR gene were designed and optimized based on the gene sequence information.A real-time quantitative PCR detection system was established.Gradient dilution experiments were conducted to determine the limit of detection,and reproducibility experiments were performed to evaluate detection consistency.Specificity was validated using wild-type and mutant plasmid templates.The method was applied to detect 56 clinical samples,and its accuracy and practicality were assessed through comparison with traditional Sanger sequencing.Results:The TaqMan-MGB probe method demonstrated high specificity for detecting the C677T and A1298C loci,with no cross-reactivity between wild-type and mutant probes,enabling accurate genotype differentiation.Sensitivity experiments revealed detection limits of 1.13 × 103 copies/μL for C677T and 8.39 × 101 copies/μL for A1298C.Reproducibility experiments showed coefficients of variation below 1％,indicating stable and reliable results.Among the 56 clinical samples,the overall detection rate for the C677T locus was 86.99％,and for the A1298C locus,it was 97.92％.The TaqMan-MGB method exhibited good concordance with Sanger sequencing results.Conclusion:The TaqMan-MGB method exhibits high specificity,sensitivity,and excellent reproducibility in detecting the polymorphic loci C677T and A1298C of the MTHFR gene,making it suitable for rapid detection in large-scale clinical samples.This method provides an effective molecular diagnostic tool for the early diagnosis and prevention of folate-related diseases.

Objective To examine the changing prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Burkholderia cepacia in 52 hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were collected from 52 hospitals between January 1,2015 and December 31,2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility of the strains was tested using Kirby-Bauer method or automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems according to a unified protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released in the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)guidelines(2023 edition).Results A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were isolated from all age groups,especially elderly patients.The proportion was 11.1％(1 032 strains)in children,significantly lower than the proportion in adults.About half(46.5％,4 310/9 261)of the strains were isolated from patients at least 60 years old and 42.3％(3 919/9 261)of the strains were isolated from young adults.Most isolates(71.1％)were isolated from sputum and respiratory secretions,followed by urine(10.7％)and blood samples(8.1％).B.cepacia isolates were highly susceptible to the five antimicrobial agents recommended in the CLSI M100 document(33rd edition,2023).B.cepacia isolates showed relatively higher resistance rates to meropenem and levofloxacin.However,the resistance rates to ceftazidime,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,and minocycline remained below 8.1％.The percentage of B.cepacia strains resistant to levofloxacin was the highest compared to other antibiotics in any of the three age groups(from 12.4％in the patients＜18 years old to 20.6％in the patients aged 60 years or older).Conclusions B.cepacia is one of the clinically important non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria.Accurate and timely reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility test results and ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance are helpful for rational prescription of antimicrobial agents and proper prevention and control of nosocomial infections.

Lung cancer poses a serious threat to global public health security.Chemotherapy,as the main strategy for cancer treatment,faces challenges such as high toxicity and drug resistance.Anticancer peptides have the potential of being developed into new anticancer drugs due to their advantages of broad-spectrum anticancer activity,rapid action,and difficulty in generating drug resistance,but they also face shortcomings such as weak activity and strong toxic side effects.The weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors(pH 6.5-6.8)provides a good idea for the design of anticancer peptides of high-efficiency and low-toxicity.Previously,we designed the acid-sensitive antibacterial peptide pHly-1 using the wolf spider(Lycosa singoriensis)toxin Lycosin-Ⅰ as a template.In this study,we found that pHly-1 also had acid-sensitive anticancer activity.Further alanine scanning analysis of pHly-1 was carried out,and we ob-tained a mutant pHTP-2 with better acid sensitivity,whose IC50(half maximal inhibitory concentration)against A549 cells was 15.68 μmol/L at pH 6.6 and was greater than 100 μmol/L at pH 7.4.At pH 6.6,pHTP-2 could act on various lung cancer cell lines and induce the death of A549 cells by rapid ly-sis;at pH 7.4,500 μmol/L pHTP-2 had weak toxicity to red blood cells(the hemolysis rate was ap-proximately 38％)and primary myocardial cells(the inhibition rate was 49.7％,with P＜0.05).Analy-sis of its charge,particle size,morphology,and secondary structure showed that at pH 6.6,the histidine in the sequence of pHTP-2 was protonated,increasing the positive charge(P＜0.01),decreasing the hy-drated particle size(P＜0.05)and forming an α-helical structure to induce membrane lysis of A549 cells.At pH 7.4,it was deprotonated,the positive charge decreases,a β-sheet structure was formed and self-aggregation occurred,limiting its effect on the A549 cell membrane and showing weak activity.In summary,pHTP-2 could respond to the weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors to exert selective cyto-toxic activity,effectively overcoming the shortcomings of anticancer peptides such as low efficiency and high toxicity.Our findings suggest that it is a high-quality lead molecule for anticancer drugs.

Objective:To understand the potential characteristics of decision-making preparation in outpatient hypertensive patients based on latent profile analysis, to identify the influencing factors of different categories of decision-making preparation levels, and to explore the performance of different decision-making preparation types in facilitation of patients involvement in treatment decision-making.Methods:Through a cross-sectional study, 350 hypertensive patients attending outpatient clinics in five different types of healthcare institutions (general hospitals, specialised hospitals and community hospitals) in Tianjin during January to May 2024 who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected by the convenience sampling method as study subjects. General Information Questionnaires, Preparation for Decision Making Scale, and Facilitation of Patient Involvement Scale were used for investigation.Results:Totally 350 valid questionnaires [178 males and 172 females aged 25-89(57.24 ± 13.39)years old] were collected. The decision-making preparation score of outpatient hypertensive patients was (64.19 ± 18.69). The latent profile analysis results showed that the decision-making preparation of outpatient hypertensive patients could be divided into three potential categories: decision-making information scarcity type accounted for 20.0%(70/350), decision-making balance negotiation type accounted for 39.7%(139/350), and decision-making preparation adequacy type accounted for 40.3%(141/350). The results of multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that age, medical insurance type, occupation, and children′s condition were the influencing factors for the potential categories of decision-making preparation in outpatient hypertensive patients (all P<0.05). Age [less than 35 years old: OR(95% CI)=0.127(0.020-0.796)], occupation [on the job: OR(95% CI)=2.010 (1.034-3.906)], were the influencing factors of decision-making balance negotiation group (all P<0.05). Medical insurance type [basic medical insurance for urban employees: OR(95% CI)=0.372(0.193-0.720)], occupation [on the job: OR(95% CI)=2.500(1.270-4.920)], children′s condition[junior and senior high school: OR(95% CI)=0.391(0.190-0.802)] were the influencing factors of decision-making preparation adequacy group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The level of promoting patient participation among outpatients with hypertension is relatively high, and there are differences in the perceived degree of promoting patient participation among patients with different types of decision preparation.It is recommended that medical staff provide decision-making related information based on the characteristics of different decision-making preparation categories of patients, encourage patients to actively participate in decision-making, and construct targeted decision support plans.

Objective:To evaluate the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) and cost-effectiveness of fixed versus adjusted follicle-stimulation hormone (FSH) dosages in infertile women with different ovarian responses during their first assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycle.Methods:A retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted on 5 419 infertile women who underwent their first ART treatment at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2013 and December 2017. All patients received an individualized starting dosage of gonadotropin. Based on whether FSH dosages were adjusted during controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), patients were divided into fixed-dosage group ( n=2 061) and adjusted-dosage group ( n=3 358). Clinical outcomes and FSH cost-effectiveness were compared between the two groups across different ovarian response groups, with CLBR as the primary outcome. Propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable logistic regression were used to adjust for potential confounders. Results:FSH dosage adjustments were found in 62.0% (3 358/5 419) of cycles during COS. After PSM, baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05). After adjusting for confounders using multivariable logistic regression, FSH dosage adjustment was not significantly associated with CLBR ( OR=1.06, 95% CI: 0.94-1.20, P=0.332). Compared with the adjusted-dosage group, the fixed-dosage group showed no significant differences in CLBR in poor-, normal-, and high-responder groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) did not differ significantly between the two groups ( P>0.05). In poor-, normal-, and high-responder groups, the total FSH dosages in the fixed-dose group [1 350 (375, 1 825) U, 1 200 (375, 1 500) U and 525 (375, 1 128) U, respectively] were significantly lower than those in the adjusted-dose group [1 875 (1 425, 2 294) U, P=0.001; 1 425 (450, 1 875) U, P<0.001; 600 (375, 1 425) U, P=0.020]. Similarly, average FSH costs in different ovarian response groups in the fixed-dosage group [4 725.0 (1 312.5, 6 387.5) yuan, 4 200.0 (1 312.5, 5 250.0) yuan and 1 837.5 (1 312.5, 3 947.3) yuan, respectively] were significantly lower than those in the adjusted-dosage group [6 562.5 (4 987.5, 8 028.1) yuan, P=0.001; 4 987.5 (1 575.0, 6 562.5) yuan, P<0.001; 2 100.0 (1 312.5, 4 987.5) yuan, P=0.020]. For normal-responders, the FSH cost per high-quality embryo in the fixed-dosage group [1 365.0 (875.0, 2 537.5) yuan] was significantly lower than that in the adjusted-dosage group [2 056.3 (1 268.8, 3 412.5) yuan, P<0.001]. Conclusion:FSH dosage adjustment during COS is not associated with CLBR or the incidence of OHSS. However, the fixed-dose group exhibited lower total FSH dosages and costs across different ovarian response populations. In the context of ART being covered by medical insurance, fixed FSH dosage may represent a more cost-effective ovarian stimulation protocol.

Objective:To explore the effect of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide(rhBNP)combined with dopamine on cystatin C(CysC),homocysteine(Hcy)and cardiac function in patients with severe heart failure(HF).Methods:This randomized controlled study enrolled 110 severe HF patients admitted in Aerospace Center Hospital between December 2021 and December 2022.They were divided into control group(n=55,nitroglycerin combined dopamine)and combined treatment group(n=55,rhBNP combined dopamine).Each group received corresponding therapy based on basic treatment for one week.Therapeutic effect,levels of CysC,Hcy,left ventric-ular end-systolic diameter(LVESd),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDd),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between two groups.Results:Compared with patients in control group,those in combined treatment group had significant higher total effective rate(81.82％vs.58.18％)and LVEF[(54.68±4.59)％vs.(44.79±4.37)％],and significant lower CysC[(1.02±0.19)mg/L vs.(1.40±0.21)mg/L],Hcy[(15.98±2.17)μmol/L vs.(21.05±2.82)μmol/L],LVESd[(35.13±3.51)mm vs.(41.71±3.28)mm]and LVEDd[(41.33±4.26)mm vs.(50.51±4.37)mm](P＜0.01 all).There was no significant difference in total incidence of adverse reactions between two groups(16.36％vs.7.27％,P=0.180).Conclusion:rhBNP combined with dopamine could significantly improve the clinical therapeutic effect,im-prove levels of CysC,Hcy and cardiac function with good safety in the treatment of severe HF.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease(CJD)is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by prions,with certain infectivity and iatrogenic transmission risks.With the rapid progress and application of new dia-gnostic biomarkers and detection methods,as well as the construction and improvement of surveillance and reporting systems,the detection of CJD in patients domestically and internationally has shown an increasing trend year by year.Due to its long incubation period and heterogeneity of early symptoms,early identification and diagnosis of the disease is difficult,increasing the risk of transmission within medical institutions.Currently,there is a lack of con-sensus on the infection prevention and control of CJD.In order to timely identify and diagnose CJD as well as effec-tively block its transmission in medical institutions,this consensus summarizes 15 clinical concerns and formulates 24 specific recommendations based on the latest domestic and international research findings and clinical evidence,as well as combines with clinical practice,aiming to standardize healthcare-associated infection prevention and control measures for CJD and reduce its transmission risk in medical institutions.

Protein-protein interactions play an extremely important role in the biochemical functions of cells,and in-depth analysis of protein interactions is the key to understanding cellular life activities.In this study,we systematically mined the interacting proteins of Golgi protein 73(GP73)using classical immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry,and sought to further analyze the molecular func-tion of GP73.Hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was selected,and a stable cell line overexpress-ing GP73-3Flag was constructed using lentiviral infection technology.A total of 78 high-confidence GP73 interacting proteins were identified by immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry.Bioinformat-ics analyses suggested that GP73 interacted with nearly 40 cytosolic proteins and participated in the bio-logical processes of RNA transport,splicing,and translation.Further immunofluorescence and cytosolic protein isolation experiments confirmed the cytosolic localization of GP73 in a variety of tumor cells.Based on the 78 interacting proteins,we further screened protein interaction networks related to mRNA splicing and verified the existence of interactions between GP73 and seven proteins,including HNRN-PH3,SMN1,RBM14,andNCBP1,by co-immunoprecipitation experiments.In addition,minigene spli-cing assay results indicated that GP73 inhibited the splicing efficiency of pre-mRNA by cells.This study contributes to the expansion of knowledge regarding the function of GP73 and aids in elucidating its criti-cal role in cell biology and its potential association with diseases.