Objective To analyze the influencing factors of death in the elderly with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods The case data of death caused by COVID-19 in West China Fourth Hospital from January 1 to July 8,2023 were collected,and surviving cases from the West China Elderly Health Cohort infected with COVID-19 during the same period were selected as the control.LASSO-Logistic regression was adopted to analyze the data after propensity score matching and the validity of the model was verified by drawing the receiver operating characteristic curve.Results A total of 3 239 COVID-19 survivors and 142 deaths with COVID-19 were included.The results of LASSO-Logistic regression showed that smoking(OR=3.33,95%CI=1.46-7.59,P=0.004),stroke(OR=3.55,95%CI=1.15-10.30,P=0.022),malignant tumors(OR=19.93, 95%CI=8.52-49.23, P<0.001),coronary heart disease(OR=7.68, 95%CI=3.52-17.07, P<0.001),fever(OR=0.51, 95%CI=0.26-0.96, P=0.042),difficulty breathing or asthma symptoms(OR=21.48, 95%CI=9.44-51.95, P<0.001),and vomiting(OR=8.19,95%CI=2.87-23.58, P<0.001)increased the risk of death with COVID-19.The prediction model constructed based on the influencing factors achieved an area under the curve of 0.889 in the test set.Conclusions Smoking,stroke,malignant tumors,coronary heart disease,fever,breathing difficulty or asthma symptoms,and vomiting were identified as key factors influencing the death risk in COVID-19.
Humans ; COVID-19/mortality* ; Aged ; Propensity Score ; China/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Logistic Models ; Smoking ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Male ; Female ; Stroke ; Neoplasms

Objective:To explore the choice willingness and related factors of peritoneal dialysis patients regarding automated peritoneal dialysis (APD), in order to provide a basis for future technological improvements and enhancing the application rate of APD.Methods:This was a single-center cross-sectional study. Patients newly initiated on peritoneal dialysis due to end-stage renal disease in the Renal Division, Peking University First Hospital between January 1, 2021 and May 30, 2023 were enrolled. Demographic characteristics, clinical information, and laboratory data were collected. After completing initial training on APD and providing hands-on experience, a self- designed semi-quantitative questionnaire survey was administered to assess patients' willingness to adopt APD and to evaluate potential barriers to its implementation. Factors associated with patients' choice of APD were further analyzed.Results:A total of 203 newly enrolled peritoneal dialysis patients were included in the study, with an age of (53.40±15.86) years, and 57.1% (116 patients) of the participants were male. Among them, 71 patients (35.0%) chose APD, while 132 (65.0%) did not. There were no significant differences in the clinical characteristics between the APD group and the non-APD group (all P>0.05). Compared with the non-APD group, the APD group had a higher proportion of individuals who frequently traveled for business ( χ2=11.442, P<0.001) and a higher proportion with smaller peritoneal cavity volumes ( χ2=5.639, P=0.018). Among patients in the two group, significant differences were observed in self-rated difficulty of APD operation ( χ2=22.291, P<0.001), availability of space for APD setup ( χ2=21.773, P<0.001), 8-hour nocturnal APD treatment ( χ2=17.540, P<0.001), learning difficulty of machine operation ( P<0.001), learning difficulty of machine setting ( P<0.001), impact of APD on sleep ( χ2=6.826, P=0.033), impact of APD on nocturnal urination ( χ2=19.428, P<0.001), and annual cost of APD equipment ( χ2=39.066, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that reimbursement for APD supplies ( OR=3.736, 95% CI 1.655-8.435, P=0.002), with smaller abdominal cavity volume ( OR=58.610, 95% CI 5.000-687.007, P=0.001), the acceptability of 8-hour nocturnal APD treatment ( OR=5.312, 95% CI 1.256-22.461, P=0.023), the low degree of difficulty in learning machine setting ( OR=29.299, 95% CI 2.025-423.812, P=0.013) and the annual cost of accessible APD equipment ( OR=3.643, 95% CI 1.348-9.842, P=0.011) were independent factors associated with patients' choice of APD treatment. Conclusion:Reimbursement for APD supplies, smaller abdominal cavity volume, the acceptability of 8-hour nocturnal APD treatment, the low degree of difficulty in learning machine setting, and the annual cost of accessible APD equipment are the main factors related patients' decision to choose APD treatment.

This study aims to comprehensively analyze the material basis of toad visceral oil(hereafter referred to as toad oil), and explore the pharmacological effect of toad oil on atopic dermatitis(AD). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) were employed to comprehensively identify the chemical components in toad oil. The animal model of AD was prepared by the hapten stimulation method. The modeled animals were respectively administrated with positive drug(0.1% hydrocortisone butyrate cream) and low-and high-doses(1%, 10%) of toad oil by gavage. The effect of toad oil on AD was evaluated with the AD score, ear swelling rate, spleen index, and pathological section results as indicators. A total of 99 components were identified by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS, including 14 bufadienolides, 7 fatty acids, 6 alkaloids, 10 ketones, 18 amides, and other compounds. After methylation of toad oil samples, a total of 20 compounds were identified by GC-MS. Compared with the model group, the low-and high-dose toad oil groups showed declined AD score, ear swelling rate, and spleen index, alleviated skin lesions, and reduced infiltrating mast cells. This study comprehensively analyzes the chemical composition and clarifies the material basis of toad oil. Meanwhile, this study proves that toad oil has a good therapeutic effect on AD and is a reserve resource of traditional Chinese medicine for external use in the treatment of AD.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic/immunology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Male ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Bufonidae ; Oils/administration & dosage* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

In order to compare the differences in growth and secondary metabolite accumulation of Panax quinquefolius between understory and field planting, growth indexes, photosynthetic characteristics, soil enzyme activities, secondary metabolite contents, and antioxidant activities of P. quinquefolius under different planting modes were examined and compared, and One-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) and correlation analyses were carried out by using the software SPSS 25.0 and GraphPad Prism 9.5. The Origin 2021 software was used for plotting. The results showed that compared with those under field planting, the plant height, leaf length, leaf width, photosynthetic rate, and chlorophyll content of P. quinquefolius under understory planting were significantly reduced, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) infestation rate and infestation intensity, ginsenoside content, and antioxidant activity were significantly increased. The activities of inter-root soil urease, sucrase, and catalase increased, while the activities of non-inter-root soil urease and alkaline phosphatase increased. Correlation analyses showed that the plant height and leaf length of P. quinquefolius plant were significantly positively correlated with net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, chlorophyll content, and electron transfer rate(P<0.05), while ginsenoside content was significantly negatively correlated with net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, and electron transfer rate(P<0.05) and significantly positively correlated with AMF infestation rate and infestation intensity(P<0.05). In addition, ginsenoside content was significantly positively correlated with the activities of inter-root soil sucrase, urease, and catalase(P<0.05). This study provides basic data for revealing the mechanism of secondary metabolite accumulation in P. quinquefolius under understory planting and for exploring and practicing the ecological mode of P. quinquefolius under understory planting.
Panax/microbiology* ; China ; Secondary Metabolism ; Soil/chemistry* ; Photosynthesis ; Plant Leaves/metabolism* ; Chlorophyll/metabolism* ; Mycorrhizae

Objective To explore the application of plasma 7 microRNA (miR7) testing in the differential diagnosis of very early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods This study is a multicenter real-world study. Patients with single hepatic lesion (maximum diameter≤2 cm) who underwent plasma miR7 testing at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital, and Peking University People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2024 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into very early-stage HCC group and non-HCC group, and the clinical pathological characteristics of the two groups were compared. The value of plasma miR7 levels, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) in the differential diagnosis of very early-stage HCC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC). In patients with both negative AFP and DCP (AFP＜20 ng/mL, DCP＜40 mAU/mL), the diagnostic value of plasma miR7 for very early-stage HCC was analyzed. Results A total of 64 528 patients from 4 hospitals underwent miR7 testing, and 1 682 were finally included, of which 1 073 were diagnosed with very early-stage HCC and 609 were diagnosed with non-HCC. The positive rate of miR7 in HCC patients was significantly higher than that in non-HCC patients (67.9% vs 24.3%, P＜0.001). ROC curves showed that the AUCs for miR7, AFP, and DCP in distinguishing HCC patients from the non-HCC individuals were 0.718, 0.682, and 0.642, respectively. The sensitivities were 67.85%, 43.71%, and 44.45%, and the specificities were 75.70%, 92.78%, and 83.91%, respectively. The pairwise comparison of AUCs showed that the diagnostic efficacy of plasma miR7 detection was significantly better than that of AFP or DCP (P＜0.05). Although its specificity was slightly lower than AFP and DCP, the sensitivity was significantly higher. Among patients negative for both AFP and DCP, miR7 maintained an AUC of 0.728 for diagnosing very early-stage HCC, with 67.82% sensitivity and 77.73% specificity. Conclusions Plasma miR7 testing is a potential molecular marker with high sensitivity and specificity for the differential diagnosis of small hepatic nodules. In patients with very early-stage HCC lacking effective molecular markers (negative for both AFP and DCP), miR7 can serve as a novel and effective molecular marker to assist diagnosis.

Objective:To screen the optimal machine learning model for predicting the recurrence condition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at different time points post-surgery, based on the cutoff value of the Ki67 positive proliferation index condition calculated from recurrence-free survival and combined with various clinical features.Methods:retrospective study included initially treated patients with solitary HCC who underwent radical surgery at the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2013 to March 2023. Data included general clinical data, preoperative laboratory parameters, and surgical pathology information about the subjects. The postoperative recurrence status was assessed by querying the medical record system or by telephone follow-up. The Ki67 positive index cutoff value was determined by the X-tile software based on the patient's recurrence-free survival status and time analysis. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival curves were plotted. The study population was randomly divided into training and testing groups in a 7:3 ratio using a computer-generated random number method. The minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) method was used for feature variable selection. Predictive models for postoperative HCC recurrence conditions in patients with HCC were constructed using random forest, support vector machine, logistic regression, and gradient boosting decision tree machine learning algorithms. Inter-group comparisons for continuous data were performed using the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Inter-group comparisons of enumeration data were performed using the Pearson χ2 test, continuity-corrected χ2 test, or Fisher's exact test. Results:The cutoff values for the Ki67 positivity index were 0.3 and 0.5 in 510 cases, with a follow-up time ranging from 1.2 to 11.4 years (median: 6.2 years). The recurrence-free survival time was between 1 and 135 months (median: 32 months), with recurrence-free survival rates post-surgery at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years were 87.5%, 77.1%, 61.2%, and 54.5%, respectively. The top five variables predicted HCC recurrence and non-recurrence conditions following surgical follow-up at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and beyond 2 years, in accordance with information obtained by the mRMR screen out. The Ki67 positivity index screened a successfully constructed machine learning model to predict HCC recurrence and non-recurrence conditions following surgical follow-up at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and beyond 2 years. The machine learning model based on the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm had the best prediction performance among them (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting HCC recurrence within six months in the training and validation sets were 0.996 and 0.946, and accuracies were 0.972 and 0.935, respectively).Conclusion:A machine learning model was successfully constructed using the Ki67 positivity index combined with four readily available clinical features to predict HCC recurrence. The machine learning model based on the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm demonstrated the best performance in terms of predicting HCC recurrence within six months after surgery.

Objective To describe the clinical features of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis(PSC)in China based on a nationwide multicenter patient cohort,and to investigate the risk factors for prognosis.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among the patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PSC based on the electronic medical record system of seven grade A tertiary hospitals across the country,and related data were extracted.The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate liver transplant-free survival,and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rate between PSC patients with different features.The Cox regression model was used to identify independent risk factors for the prognosis of PSC patients and the interactions between key factors.Results A total of 107 patients were enrolled,among whom 55.6%(55/99)had large-duct PSC and 29.0%(31/107)had comorbidity with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).The positivity rate of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(ANCA)was 32.9%(24/73),and 50.0%(40/80)of the patients had an increase in IgG/IgM.The median symptom-to-diagnosis interval was 1 year(<1-4.0),and 38.3%(41/107)of the patients had progressed to decompensated cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis.The median liver transplant-free survival time was 114 months(95%confidence interval[CI]:62-166),with a 5-year survival rate of 65.7%.The multivariate analysis showed that an increase in total bile acid(TBA)(hazard ratio[HR]=1.006,95%CI:1.002-1.010,P=0.001)and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval(HR=1.252,95%CI:1.059-1.480,P=0.009)were independent risk factors for prognosis.The interaction analysis showed that compared with the female patients with TBA<50 μmol/L,both male and female patients with TBA≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(male:HR=16.563,95%CI:2.103-130.449,P<0.001;female:HR=17.009,95%CI:2.113-136.934,P<0.001),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a TBA level of<50 μmol/L,the patients with an age of≥45 years and a TBA level of≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=10.729,95%CI:1.325-86.859,P=0.026).Compared with the female patients with an symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the male patients with a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.825,95%CI:1.725-13.644,P=0.003),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.983,95%CI:1.366-18.173,P=0.015).Conclusion Compared with the reports from Western countries,large-duct PSC is also the main type of PSC in China,but with a relatively low proportion,and there is also a relatively low proportion of patients with IBD or positive ANCA.An increase in TBA and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval are independent risk factors for prognosis,with significant interactions with age and sex.This suggests that early screening and intervention should be enhanced to improve prognosis.

Objective To investigate the effects of goal-directed fluid therapy(GDFT)combined with ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block(ESPB)on perioperative stress response and postoperative recovery in patients undergoing robot-assisted pedicle screw fixation surgery.Methods Eighty patients scheduled for elec-tive surgery were randomly divided into two groups:control(general anesthesia+conventional fluid management,n=40)and intervention(general anesthesia+GDFT+ESPB,n=40).Heart rate(HR),mean arterial pressure(MAP),serum cortisol(Cor),norepinephrine(NE),blood glucose(GLU)levels,and resting VAS scores were measured and compared between the two groups preoperatively(T?),at screw placement(T?),at end of surgery(T?),30 minutes after extubation(T?),at 24 hours(T?),and 48 hours(T?)postoperatively.Intraoperative fluid volume,remifentanil consumption,postoperative rescue analgesia frequency,time to first ambulation,length of stay,and complications(agitation,nausea and vomiting,respiratory depression)were recorded.Results There were no differences in baseline(T?)indicators between the two groups(P>0.05).The intervention group exhibited significantly lower levels of HR,MAP,Cor,NE,and GLU at T?,T?,and T? compared with the control group(P<0.05),with Cor,NE,and GLU reduced by>30%at T?(P<0.05).Intraoperative fluid volume and remi-fentanil dosage were significantly reduced(both P<0.05).VAS scores and the number of rescue analgesia requests were lower at T?,T?,and T?(P<0.01).Time to first ambulation time and postoperative hospital stay were shortened(both P<0.01).The incidence of agitation,nausea/vomiting and overall complications was lower in the interven-tion group(P<0.05),whereas respiratory depression rates did not differ(P>0.05).Conclusion GDFT plus ESPB can effectively suppress perioperative stress response in robot-assisted spinal surgery,significantly reduce intraoperative opioid dosage and fluid volume,optimize postoperative analgesia,enhance recovery,and lower complication risk.This combination provides an effective ERAS strategy for improving surgical safety and recovery quality.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Objective To investigate the effects of goal-directed fluid therapy(GDFT)combined with ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block(ESPB)on perioperative stress response and postoperative recovery in patients undergoing robot-assisted pedicle screw fixation surgery.Methods Eighty patients scheduled for elec-tive surgery were randomly divided into two groups:control(general anesthesia+conventional fluid management,n=40)and intervention(general anesthesia+GDFT+ESPB,n=40).Heart rate(HR),mean arterial pressure(MAP),serum cortisol(Cor),norepinephrine(NE),blood glucose(GLU)levels,and resting VAS scores were measured and compared between the two groups preoperatively(T?),at screw placement(T?),at end of surgery(T?),30 minutes after extubation(T?),at 24 hours(T?),and 48 hours(T?)postoperatively.Intraoperative fluid volume,remifentanil consumption,postoperative rescue analgesia frequency,time to first ambulation,length of stay,and complications(agitation,nausea and vomiting,respiratory depression)were recorded.Results There were no differences in baseline(T?)indicators between the two groups(P>0.05).The intervention group exhibited significantly lower levels of HR,MAP,Cor,NE,and GLU at T?,T?,and T? compared with the control group(P<0.05),with Cor,NE,and GLU reduced by>30%at T?(P<0.05).Intraoperative fluid volume and remi-fentanil dosage were significantly reduced(both P<0.05).VAS scores and the number of rescue analgesia requests were lower at T?,T?,and T?(P<0.01).Time to first ambulation time and postoperative hospital stay were shortened(both P<0.01).The incidence of agitation,nausea/vomiting and overall complications was lower in the interven-tion group(P<0.05),whereas respiratory depression rates did not differ(P>0.05).Conclusion GDFT plus ESPB can effectively suppress perioperative stress response in robot-assisted spinal surgery,significantly reduce intraoperative opioid dosage and fluid volume,optimize postoperative analgesia,enhance recovery,and lower complication risk.This combination provides an effective ERAS strategy for improving surgical safety and recovery quality.