ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate alterations in white matter microstructure and spontaneous neural activity in male college smokers, and to further explore their associations with nicotine dependence. Given that adolescence and early adulthood represent critical periods for brain maturation, particularly for white matter development, understanding the neural correlates of smoking behavior during this stage is of substantial importance for both neuroscience and public health. MethodsA total of 115 male undergraduate students were initially recruited for this study. After quality control and exclusion procedures, 52 male college smokers and 42 demographically matched healthy non-smokers were included in the final analysis. All participants underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). White matter fiber tracts were reconstructed using the automated fiber quantification (AFQ) method, which enables precise identification and quantification of major fiber bundles. Eighteen major white matter tracts were segmented for each participant. Along the core trajectory of each tract, 100 equidistant nodes were sampled. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated at each node to assess white matter microstructural integrity, while amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was computed to evaluate spontaneous neural activity within white matter tracts. Between-group differences in FA and ALFF were assessed using two-sample t-tests, with appropriate corrections applied for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between imaging-derived metrics (FA and ALFF values in regions showing significant group differences) and nicotine dependence severity, as measured by the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND). ResultsCompared with healthy non-smokers, male college smokers exhibited significantly increased FA values in several white matter tracts, including the left thalamic radiation, right corticospinal tract, forceps major of the corpus callosum, left uncinate fasciculus, and right arcuate fasciculus. These findings suggest altered microstructural organization or increased directional coherence within these pathways. In addition, smokers demonstrated significantly elevated ALFF values in the forceps major, right uncinate fasciculus, and left arcuate fasciculus, indicating enhanced spontaneous neural activity in these white matter regions. Correlation analyses revealed that FA values in the left thalamic radiation and right corticospinal tract were negatively correlated with FTND scores, suggesting that higher levels of nicotine dependence were associated with reduced microstructural integrity or altered fiber organization in these regions. In contrast, ALFF values in the forceps major and right uncinate fasciculus were positively correlated with FTND scores, indicating that greater nicotine dependence was associated with increased spontaneous neural activity in specific white matter pathways. ConclusionThe present study provides evidence that male college smokers exhibit distinct alterations in both white matter microstructure and functional activity. These abnormalities are not uniformly distributed but rather localized to specific fiber tracts implicated in sensorimotor processing, interhemispheric communication, and higher-order cognitive and emotional regulation. Importantly, the observed associations between imaging metrics and nicotine dependence severity suggest that these structural and functional alterations may reflect neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction. The combination of AFQ-based tract profiling and multimodal MRI offers a sensitive approach for detecting subtle changes along white matter pathways, highlighting its potential utility in identifying neuroimaging biomarkers of nicotine dependence. Overall, these findings indicate that smoking during early adulthood may disrupt ongoing white matter maturation, potentially leading to long-term consequences for brain function. This study provides novel insights into the neural basis of nicotine dependence and underscores the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies targeting young smokers.

ObjectiveThe biosynthesis of heterophyllin B （HB）， a cyclopeptide from Pseudostellaria heterophylla， is regulated by various abiotic stresses. Elucidating the transcriptional regulatory mechanism underlying HB biosynthesis is of great guiding significance for the directional improvement of P. heterophylla varieties and the enhancement of HB content. MethodsBased on transcriptome data from different tissues of P. heterophylla， transcription factors （TFs） specifically upregulated and highly expressed in the phloem of tuberous roots were screened through a combination of Mfuzz time-series clustering， transcription factor family prediction， and correlation analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was employed to analyze expression patterns of candidate TFs under abscisic acid （ABA） induction， and the dual-luciferase reporter assay was applied to verify their regulatory effects on HB precursor genes. ResultsContent determination showed that HB accumulated at the highest in the phloem of P. heterophylla tuberous roots （34 μg·g^-1 fresh weight）. Transcriptome analysis identified 15 868 up-regulated differentially expressed genes （DEGs）， among which 4 375 were specifically up-regulated in the phloem. From these， 25 TFs highly expressed in the phloem were screened. Correlation analysis revealed that the expression level of WRKY70 was significantly positively correlated with HB content， the expression of precursor genes prePhHB， and PhPOP1. Additionally， WRKY70 expression was significantly upregulated under ABA induction. Dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that WRKY70 specifically activated the transcriptional activity of the prePhHB promoter （Pro-prePhHB）. ConclusionHB is mainly accumulated in the phloem of P. heterophylla tuberous roots. WRKY70 positively regulates HB biosynthesis by directly activating the promoter activity of prePhHB. This study clarifies the key role of WRKY70 in the regulation of HB biosynthesis and provides an important theoretical basis for the in-depth analysis of the molecular regulatory mechanism underlying HB biosynthesis.

Objective To analyze the efficacy, safety, and learning curve of the three-lobe holmium laser enucleation of the prostate(HoLEP)in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)in a county-level hospital.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 65 BPH patients who underwent the three-lobe HoLEP performed by a single surgeon at the Department of Urology, Yining County People's Hospital, during Dec.2023 and Jun.2024.The enucleation efficiency was calculated by dividing the weight of the enucleated prostatic tissue by the enucleation time.A case scatter diagram of enucleation efficiency was plotted according to the chronological order of the operations, and the learning curve was analyzed after fitting.Based on the inflection points of the learning curve, the learning process was divided into the initial learning, mastery, and proficiency phases.The basic clinical data, perioperative indicators, postoperative complications, and follow-up indicators were compared among the different learning phases.Results All 65 procedures were successfully completed.Marked by the enucleation efficiency reaching a plateau, cases 1-20 were defined as the initial learning phase, cases 21-40 as the mastery phase, and cases 41 onwards as the proficiency phase.The prostate volume in the proficiency phase was significantly larger than that in the initial learning and mastery phases(both P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in other baseline characteristics among the three groups(all P＞0.05).The operation time [(105.50±19.12)min vs.(85.25±26.92)min vs.(69.00±23.58)min] and enucleation time [(76.90±14.19)min vs.(63.70±22.24)min vs.(48.80±20.48)min] showed a decreasing trend across the three groups(all P＜0.05).The enucleation efficiency in both the mastery and proficiency phases was significantly higher than that in the initial learning phase [(1.16±0.44)g/min vs.(0.85 ±0.25)g/min, P＜0.05;(1.36±0.49)g/min vs.(0.85±0.25)g/min, P＜0.05].The enucleation efficiency in the proficiency phase was slightly higher than that in the mastery phase, but the difference was not statistically significant(P= 0.389).There was no significant difference in the incidence of perioperative complications among the three groups(all P＞0.05).At the 6-month follow-up, the international prostate symptom score(IPSS), post-void residual(PVR), and maximum urinary flow(Qmax)were significantly improved compared to preoperative values in all three groups(all P＜0.05);however, no significant differences were observed among the three groups(all P＞0.05).Conclusion The three-lobe HoLEP for the treatment of BPH is safe and effective in a county-level hospital setting.Surgeons with some experience in endoscopic surgery can preliminarily master this technique after a learning period of approximately 20 procedures.

Objective To investigate the etiology and treatment of dysuria shortly after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), so as to improve the therapeutic efficacy. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1361 BPH patients who received HoLEP at our hospital during Mar. 2018 and Mar. 2025. All patients underwent ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), urethral probing or radiography, cystourethroscopy, and urodynamic testing. The causes, treatments and prognosis of dysuria after operation were summarized. Results ninety-eight patients (7.2%) experienced dysuria within 3 months after surgery, and all patients received initial urethral dilation. Among the 62 cases with urethral stricture, 28 were treated with urethral dilation (average of 8 sessions), 16 underwent external urethral incision, 8 underwent anterior urethroplasty, and 10 underwent transurethral plasma incision for urethral stricture. Of the 12 cases with residual prostate tissue, 5 underwent urethral plasma prostatectomy and 7 received medication. All of the 12 cases with bladder neck contracture underwent transurethral plasma incision of the bladder neck and local drug injection. Five cases with intravesical blood clots underwent urethral blood clot irrigation, 2 of which developed active bleeding and then underwent electrocoagulation. Four cases with detrusor dysfunction had catheters re-indwelled for one week followed by medication. Two cases with stone and one case with tissue fragment impacted in the urethra underwent urethral holmium lithotripsy and cystoscopic removal. All patients underwent reoperation successfully and experienced complete resolution or significant improvement of urinary difficulties. Conclusion A certain proportion of patients experience dysuria after HoLEP, with diverse etiologies. The combination of prevention and treatment can reduce the incidence of dysuria.

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.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of neutrophil/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(NHR)combined with monocyte/lymphocyte ratio(MLR)for early rebleeding after endoscopic treatment in patients with cirrhosis complicated by acute esophagogastric variceal bleeding(AEVB).Methods A total of 228 patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB were included in this study.According to the occurrence of early rebleeding,patients were divided into the rebleeding group(96 cases)and the non-rebleeding group(132 cases).General information and laboratory indicators of both groups were collected,and the End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD)score,Child-Turcotte-Pugh(CTP)score,Fibrosis-4(FIB-4)index,NHR,and MLR were calculated.Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for early rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB.A nomogram model based on NHR and MLR was constructed to predict the risk of early rebleeding.The predictive performance and goodness of fit of the model were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,Hosmer-Lemeshow test,Net Reclassification Index(NRI)and Integrated Discrimination Improvement(IDI).Results Compared with the non-rebleeding group,systolic blood pressure,platelet count(PLT),albumin/globulin ratio(A/G)and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)were decreased in the rebleeding group,while total bile acids(TBA),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),total bilirubin(TBIL),activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),thrombin time(TT),international normalized ratio(INR),Fibrosis-4(FIB-4),NHR,MLR,MELD score and CTP score were increased(P＜0.05).NHR was positively correlated with AST,TBIL and INR(P＜0.05).MLR was negatively correlated with PLT,and positively correlated with AST,TBIL and FIB-4(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis results showed that prolonged TT,elevated NHR and MLR were independent risk factors for early rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB.The nomogram model based on NHR and MLR to predict early rebleeding had an area under the curve of 0.810(95%CI:0.754-0.866).The Hosmer-Lemeshow test suggested that the model fit well.IDI and NRI analyse showed that the combination of NHR and MLR had better predictive value for the early rebleeding than that of MELD score and CTP score.Conclusion NHR and MLR are effective indicators for predicting early rebleeding after endoscopic treatment in patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB.They are helpful in the early identification of high-risk patients and provide a reference for clinical intervention.

Objective To summarize the changing prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales based on the data of CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021 for improving antimicrobial treatment in clinical practice.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a commercial automated susceptibility testing system according to the unified CHINET protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 31st ed in 2021.Results Over the seven-year period(2015-2021),the overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)was 9.43％(62 342/661 235).The prevalence of CRE strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae,Citrobacter freundii,and Enterobacter cloacae was 22.38％,9.73％,and 8.47％,respectively.The prevalence of CRE strains in Escherichia coli was 1.99％.A few CRE strains were also identified in Salmonella and Shigella.The CRE strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.23±2.80)％,followed by blood(20.88±3.40)％and urine(18.40±3.45)％.Intensive care units(ICUs)were the major source of the CRE strains(27.43±5.20)％.CRE strains were resistant to all the β-lactam antibiotics tested and most non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents.The CRE strains were relatively susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxins with low resistance rates.Conclusions The prevalence of CRE strains was increasing from 2015 to 2021.CRE strains were highly resistant to most of the antibacterial drugs used in clinical practice.Clinicians should prescribe antimicrobial agents rationally.Hospitals should strengthen antibiotic stewardship in key clinical settings such as ICUs,and take effective infection control measures to curb CRE outbreak and epidemic in hospitals.

Objective To characterize the changing species distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of respiratory isolates in hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Commercial automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems and disk diffusion method were used to test the susceptibility of respiratory bacterial isolates to antimicrobial agents following the standardized technical protocol established by the CHINET program.Results A total of 589 746 respiratory isolates were collected from 2015 to 2021.Overall,82.6％of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria and 17.4％were Gram-positive bacteria.The bacterial isolates from outpatients and inpatients accounted for(6.0±0.9)％and(94.0±0.1)％,respectively.The top microorganisms were Klebsiella spp.,Acinetobacter spp.,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Haemophilus spp.,Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Escherichia coli,and Streptococcus pneumoniae.Each microorganism was isolated from significantly more males than from females(P＜0.05).The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)was 39.9％.The prevalence of penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was 1.4％.The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL)-producing E.coli and K.pneumoniae was 67.8％and 41.3％,respectively.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Enterobacter cloacae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and Acinetobacter baumannii was 3.7％,20.8％,9.4％,29.8％,and 73.3％,respectively.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 96.1％in Moraxella catarrhalis and 60.0％in Haemophilus influenzae.The H.influenzae isolates from children(＜18 years)showed significantly higher resistance rates to β-lactam antibiotics than the isolates from adults(P＜0.05).Conclusions Gram-negative bacteria are still predominant in respiratory isolates associated with serious antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be strengthened in clinical practice to support accurate etiological diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.

Objective To analyze the direct economic burden caused by surgical site infection(SSI)in orthopedics and joint surgery,and provide evidence-based support for intervention measures.Methods 3 348 hospitalized pa-tients in the department of orthopedics and joint surgery of a hospital from July 2021 to July 2023 were selected.They were divided into an infection group and a control group based on whether they had SSI.The propensity score matching(PSM)method was adopted to match the two groups of patients in a 1∶1 ratio.The length of hospital stay and various hospitalization expenses between patients with different types of SSI and control group were compared.Results Among 3 348 hospitalized patients,259 had SSI,with an incidence of 7.74％.Superficial incisional wound infection had the highest number of patients(n=177,68.34％),followed by deep incisional wound infection(n=65,25.10％),organ/space infection had the lowest number of patients(n=17,6.56％).After PSM matching,257 pairs were successfully matched,with a matching rate of 99.23％.Infection group extended length of hospital stay by 18 days compared with the control group(P＜0.001).The total hospitalization expenses and individual hos-pitalization expenses of infection group were all higher than those of the control group(all P＜0.001).Among the various expenses,difference in drug expense was the largest,with an increase of 5 067.83 Yuan in Western medi-cine(P＜0.001)and 957.30 Yuan in antimicrobial agents(P＜0.001).Patients with different types of SSI all had longer hospital stay compared with the control group.Patients with deep incisional wound infection,superficial inci-sional wound infection,and organ/space infection had an extended hospital stay of 26,18,and 13 days,respectively(all P＜0.05).The total hospitalization expenses,Western medicine expenses,and antimicrobial agent expenses of patients with different types of SSI were all higher than those of the control group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The occurrence of postoperative SSI in patients in the department of orthopedics and joint surgery can prolong the length of hospital stay,resulting in huge economic losses for the patient and the hospital.Effective control of healthcare-associated infection is of great significance for optimizing medical resources,improving medical quality,and ensuring patient safety.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of neutrophil/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(NHR)combined with monocyte/lymphocyte ratio(MLR)for early rebleeding after endoscopic treatment in patients with cirrhosis complicated by acute esophagogastric variceal bleeding(AEVB).Methods A total of 228 patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB were included in this study.According to the occurrence of early rebleeding,patients were divided into the rebleeding group(96 cases)and the non-rebleeding group(132 cases).General information and laboratory indicators of both groups were collected,and the End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD)score,Child-Turcotte-Pugh(CTP)score,Fibrosis-4(FIB-4)index,NHR,and MLR were calculated.Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for early rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB.A nomogram model based on NHR and MLR was constructed to predict the risk of early rebleeding.The predictive performance and goodness of fit of the model were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,Hosmer-Lemeshow test,Net Reclassification Index(NRI)and Integrated Discrimination Improvement(IDI).Results Compared with the non-rebleeding group,systolic blood pressure,platelet count(PLT),albumin/globulin ratio(A/G)and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)were decreased in the rebleeding group,while total bile acids(TBA),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),total bilirubin(TBIL),activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),thrombin time(TT),international normalized ratio(INR),Fibrosis-4(FIB-4),NHR,MLR,MELD score and CTP score were increased(P＜0.05).NHR was positively correlated with AST,TBIL and INR(P＜0.05).MLR was negatively correlated with PLT,and positively correlated with AST,TBIL and FIB-4(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis results showed that prolonged TT,elevated NHR and MLR were independent risk factors for early rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB.The nomogram model based on NHR and MLR to predict early rebleeding had an area under the curve of 0.810(95%CI:0.754-0.866).The Hosmer-Lemeshow test suggested that the model fit well.IDI and NRI analyse showed that the combination of NHR and MLR had better predictive value for the early rebleeding than that of MELD score and CTP score.Conclusion NHR and MLR are effective indicators for predicting early rebleeding after endoscopic treatment in patients with cirrhosis complicated by AEVB.They are helpful in the early identification of high-risk patients and provide a reference for clinical intervention.