Objective To assess the clinical value of a novel surgical technique—Tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in the resection of anterior mediastinal masses. Methods Patients who underwent tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in anterior mediastinal masses process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from March to April 2025 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 4 patients were included, with 2 males and 2 females, aged 58-75 years. The diameter of the tumor was 2.5-3.0 cm. The operation time was 60.0-150.0 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-10 mL, pain score on the 3rd day after surgery was 0 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 2-3 days. All patients achieved complete resection of the masses and thymus without perioperative complications. Conclusion The tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device technique optimizes surgical visualization and instrument maneuverability while avoiding complications related to conventional anesthesia and tubing, thereby markedly enhancing the minimally invasive profile of anterior mediastinal masses resections. In addition to maintaining procedural safety, this approach effectively reduces postoperative pain and accelerates patient recovery, highlighting its potential for widespread clinical adoption.

Objective:To prepare a novel 68Ga-labeled bicyclic peptide targeting poliovirus receptor related protein 4 (PVRL4, Nectin-4), and evaluate its feasibility for breast cancer imaging via in vitro and in vivo experiments. Methods:A Biotin-modified bicyclic peptide targeting Nectin-4, Biotin-BMIC, was synthesized, and its targeting properties were preliminarily evaluated by in vitro cell staining experiments. BMIC was modified by 1, 4, 7-triazonane-1, 4-diacetic acid (NODA) and the labeling precursor NODA-BMIC was prepared. A potential PET probe targeting Nectin-4, 68Ga-NODA-BMIC was prepared by one-step labeling strategy. The imaging properties of the probe were investigated by in vivo microPET imaging and in vitro experiments in mice bearing breast tumors. Data were analyzed by independent-sample t test and repeated measures analysis of variance. Results:Fluorescence staining of the cells showed that the fluorescently labeled bicyclic peptide, Biotin-BMIC, was highly aggregated in Nectin-4 positive BT474 breast cancer cells compared to those in Nectin-4 negative MDA-MB-231 cells. The uncorrected yield of 68Ga-NODA-BMIC was (71.5±2.2)% and the radiochemical purity was greater than 95%. The specific activity was greater than 3 GBq/μmol. After incubation 10, 30, 60 and 120 min, higher radioactivity uptakes were found in BT474 breast cancer cells compared to those in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells respectively ( F=1 302.00, P<0.001). MicroPET imaging showed that the BT474 xenograft tumors were clearly visible with favorable contrast. A significant statistical difference in uptakes between BT474 and MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumor uptake at 10, 30, 60, and 120 min after probe injection respectively was existed ( F=1 826.00, P<0.001). At 60 min postinjection, the uptake value of BT474 tumors was (5.03±0.14) percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g), which was significantly higher than that of MDA-MB-231 tumors ((0.19±0.04) %ID/g; t=79.40, P<0.001). Meanwhile, the tumor-to-muscle ratios in the former were also greater than those in the latter ( F=222.00, P<0.001). At 60 min postinjection, the tumor-to-muscle ratio in the former was significantly higher than that in the latter (24.75±3.10 vs 1.30±0.15; t=14.31, P=0.002). The results were consistent with the immunohistochemistry staining. Conclusions:A novel bicyclic peptide PET probe targeting Nectin-4, 68Ga-NODA-BMIC, is easy to be synthesized and owns satisfactory labeling yield and radiological purity. The imaging performance is good and the target tissues could be visualized. It may play a unique role in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Extreme temperature events, including extreme cold, are becoming more frequent worldwide, which might be harmful to pregnant women and cause adverse birth outcomes. We aimed to investigate the association between exposure to low ambient temperature in pregnant women and adverse birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth, and to summarize the evidence herein. METHODS: Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase electronic databases until November 2021. Studies involving low ambient temperature, preterm birth, birth weight, and stillbirth were included. The guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses were followed to conduct this study risk of bias and methods for data synthesis. RESULTS: A total of 34 studies were included. First, pregnant women exposed to low ambient temperature had an increased risk of preterm birth (risk ratio [RR] 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.13). Subgroup analyses revealed that exposure during late pregnancy was more likely to induce preterm birth. In addition, only pregnant women exposed to <1st percentile of the mean temperature suffered increased risk of preterm birth. Moreover, pregnant women living in medium or hot areas were more prone to have preterm births than those in cold areas when exposed to low ambient temperatures. Asians and Blacks were more susceptible to low ambient temperatures than Caucasians. Second, pregnant women exposed to low ambient temperature had an increased risk of low birth weight (RR 1.07; 95% CI 1.03-1.12). Third, pregnant women had an increased risk of stillbirth while exposed to low ambient temperature during the entire pregnancy (RR 4.63; 95% CI 3.99-5.38). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to low ambient temperature during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse birth outcomes. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to extremely low ambient temperature (<1st percentile of the mean temperature), especially in their late pregnancy. This study could provide clues for preventing adverse outcomes from meteorological factors. REGISTRATION No. CRD42021259776 at PROSPERO ( https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ ).
Pregnancy ; Infant, Newborn ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Premature Birth/epidemiology* ; Stillbirth/epidemiology* ; Temperature ; Pregnancy Complications

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mediated macrophages regulate the protective immune response to infectious microorganisms, but the aberrant activation of macrophages often leads to pathological inflammation, including tissue damage. In this study, we identified antagonists of TLR2 by screening 2100 natural products and subsequently identified Taspine, an aporphine alkaloid, as an excellent candidate. Furthermore, analysis of the 10 steps chemical synthesis route and structural optimization yielded the Taspine derivative SMU-Y6, which has higher activity, better solubility, and improved drug-feasible property. Mechanistic studies and seq-RNA analysis revealed that SMU-Y6 inhibited TLR2 over other TLRs, hindered the formation of TLR2/MyD88 complex, and blocked the downstream NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway, thus suppressing the release of inflammatory cytokines. SMU-Y6 could stabilize TLR2 and bind to TLR2 protein with a K_d of 0.18 μmol/L. Additionally, SMU-Y6 could efficiently reverse the M1 phenotype macrophage polarization, reduce the production of cytokines as well as infiltration of neutrophiles and alleviate the local inflammation in mice with acute paw edema and colitis. Collectively, we reported the first aporphine alkaloid derivative that selectively inhibits TLR2 with high binding affinity and superior drug-feasible property, thus providing an urgently-needed molecular probe and potential drug candidate for inflammatory and autoimmune disease therapy.

Objective:To explore the applicability of the distance between facial marks classification in evaluating the severity of androgenic alopecia in men.Methods:From June to December 2019, the male Chinese with diagnosis of androgenic alopecia were evaluated in the specific clinic of alopecia of Hangzhou First People’s Hospital according to the distance between facial marks and BASP(basic and specific) classification. The classification based on the distance between facial marks measures the distance from the facial marks of the anterior hairline to the horizontal line of the eyebrow and the longest radius of hair loss in the hair rotation center, the hair recession of the patient’s forehead (F), temporal (M) and vertex (V) parts. The hair loss in each region is rated as 0-3 grade from light to heavy, and the final hair loss grading is expressed as FnMnVn, such as F1M2V0. The highest grade of hair loss in F, M and V is the overall grade of hair loss. SPSS 25.0 software was used to statistically analyze the general data of patients, and Kappa test was used to evaluate the consistency between the results of the distance classification and BASP classification. The repeatability of the distance classification was tested by the repetition rate of three hair loss specialists. When two or more specialists gave the same evaluation among the three hair loss specialists, the result was regarded as the standard result. The ease of use of the distance between facial marks classification was tested by the consistency rate between the grading results of two temporary trained general doctors and the standard results.Results:A total of 150 male patients, aged (32.8±7.9) years (19-58 years), were included, of which 99 patients were 24-35 years old, accounting for 66.00%. It can be observed that the onset age was earlier. As assessed in this classification, the patients who participated in the study were graded as mild in 65 cases(43.33%), severe in 58 cases(38.67%), and moderate, which was consistency with the results obtained by BASP classification ( κ=0.573, P<0.001). Three experienced alopecia specialists evaluated 150 patients through the distance between facial marks. The results showed that the repetition rates of frontal, temporal and parietal classification results were 98.00%(147/150), 97.33%(146/150) and 96.00%(144/150), respectively. The repetition rate of the final alopecia classification was 92.00%(138/150), and the repetition rate of the overall alopecia classification was 98.00%(147/150). The consistency rate between the overall alopecia classification results of two temporary trained general doctors and the standard results was 95.92%(141/147) and 96.60%(142/147), respectively, and the consistency rate of the other results was higher than 90.00% except for one general doctor who was 89.86%(124/138) in the final classification. Conclusion:The distance between facial marks classification is a comparatively accurate and easy-to-learn grading method designed for Chinese male androgenic hair loss patients based on objective measurement data.

Objective:To explore the applicability of the distance between facial marks classification in evaluating the severity of androgenic alopecia in men.Methods:From June to December 2019, the male Chinese with diagnosis of androgenic alopecia were evaluated in the specific clinic of alopecia of Hangzhou First People’s Hospital according to the distance between facial marks and BASP(basic and specific) classification. The classification based on the distance between facial marks measures the distance from the facial marks of the anterior hairline to the horizontal line of the eyebrow and the longest radius of hair loss in the hair rotation center, the hair recession of the patient’s forehead (F), temporal (M) and vertex (V) parts. The hair loss in each region is rated as 0-3 grade from light to heavy, and the final hair loss grading is expressed as FnMnVn, such as F1M2V0. The highest grade of hair loss in F, M and V is the overall grade of hair loss. SPSS 25.0 software was used to statistically analyze the general data of patients, and Kappa test was used to evaluate the consistency between the results of the distance classification and BASP classification. The repeatability of the distance classification was tested by the repetition rate of three hair loss specialists. When two or more specialists gave the same evaluation among the three hair loss specialists, the result was regarded as the standard result. The ease of use of the distance between facial marks classification was tested by the consistency rate between the grading results of two temporary trained general doctors and the standard results.Results:A total of 150 male patients, aged (32.8±7.9) years (19-58 years), were included, of which 99 patients were 24-35 years old, accounting for 66.00%. It can be observed that the onset age was earlier. As assessed in this classification, the patients who participated in the study were graded as mild in 65 cases(43.33%), severe in 58 cases(38.67%), and moderate, which was consistency with the results obtained by BASP classification ( κ=0.573, P<0.001). Three experienced alopecia specialists evaluated 150 patients through the distance between facial marks. The results showed that the repetition rates of frontal, temporal and parietal classification results were 98.00%(147/150), 97.33%(146/150) and 96.00%(144/150), respectively. The repetition rate of the final alopecia classification was 92.00%(138/150), and the repetition rate of the overall alopecia classification was 98.00%(147/150). The consistency rate between the overall alopecia classification results of two temporary trained general doctors and the standard results was 95.92%(141/147) and 96.60%(142/147), respectively, and the consistency rate of the other results was higher than 90.00% except for one general doctor who was 89.86%(124/138) in the final classification. Conclusion:The distance between facial marks classification is a comparatively accurate and easy-to-learn grading method designed for Chinese male androgenic hair loss patients based on objective measurement data.

Objective:To report embryonic testicular regression syndrome(ETRS) caused by DHX37 heterozygous variant for the first time in China and summarize the clinical manifestations of ETRS as to improve the understanding of doctors for this disease.Methods:The clinical data and whole exome sequencing results of five cases of ETRS from Shenzhen Children′s Hospital were collected. The reported cases of DHX37 heterozygous variant were reviewed.Results:Five patients with ETRS visited the doctors at the age of 2 months to 5 years and 5 months. Three patients raised as males came to hospital due to virilition and 2 female patients visited a doctor due to clitoral hypertrophy. No uterus was detected by ultrasound in all patients. The gonadal pathologies from 4 cases displayed no testicular tissue or gonadal dysgenesis, complicated with gonadoblastoma in one case. The genetic testing revealed that the heterozygous variant(c.923G>A, p. R308Q) in DHX37 was found in 2 cases, without variant in other 3 cases. According to the review, ETRS and 46, XY gonadal dysgenesis due to DHX37 herozygous variant was firstly reported in 2019. A total of 40 cases, including 21 cases of ETRS, presented with the virilition or female phenotype, with the disappearance of testicular tissue as the main pathologies. There is no report in China.Conclusion:The article summarized the clinical manifestations and whole exome sequencing results of 5 patients with ETRS, among which two cases were caused by DHX37 variants and one was complicated with gonadoblastoma.

Background::Sepsis, a serious condition with high mortality, usually causes sepsis associated encephalopathy (SAE) that involves neuronal cell death. However, the cell death programs involved and their underlying mechanisms are not clear. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanisms of different cell death programs in SAE.Methods::A neonatal rat model of SAE was established by cecal ligation and perforation. Survival rate and vital signs (mean arterial pressure and heart rate) were monitored, nerve reflexes were evaluated, and cortical pathological changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis (PANoptosis)-related proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and its upstream regulator toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) were detected. The expression of TLR9 in neurons was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The ultrastructure of neurons was observed by transmission electron microscope.Results::First, PANoptosis was found in cortical nerve cells of the SAE rats. Meanwhile, the subunits of MAPKs, p38 MAPK, Jun N-terminal kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were activated. After pharmacologically inhibiting each of the subunits, only p38 MAPK was found to be associated with PANoptosis. Furthermore, blocking the p38 MAPK signaling pathway activated necroptosis but inhibited apoptosis and pyroptosis. When necroptosis was pharmacologically inhibited, apoptosis and pyroptosis were reactivated. Finally, we found that the expression of TLR9, a regulator of MAPKs, was significantly increased in this model. After down-regulation of TLR9, p38 MAPK, and ERK signaling pathways were inhibited, which led to the inhibition of PANoptosis. Further analysis found that down-regulation of TLR9 improved the survival rate and reduced the pathological changes in SAE rats.Conclusions::Our study showed that the programs comprising PANoptosis are activated simultaneously in SAE rats. TLR9 activated PANoptosis through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. TLR9 may work as a potential target for SAE treatment.

"The Expert Group on Tumor Ablation Therapy of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, The Tumor Ablation Committee of Chinese College of Interventionalists, The Society of Tumor Ablation Therapy of Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and The Ablation Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology" have organized multidisciplinary experts to formulate the consensus for thermal ablation of pulmonary subsolid nodules or ground-glass nodule (GGN). The expert consensus reviews current literatures and provides clinical practices for thermal ablation of GGN. The main contents include: (1) clinical evaluation of GGN, (2) procedures, indications, contraindications, outcomes evaluation and related complications of thermal ablation for GGN and (3) future development directions.
.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of CT- and bronchoscopy-guided 125I seed implantation in the treatment of central lung cancer complicated with atelectasis. Methods:Retrospective analysis was conducted on twenty-nine patients who were treated from May 2016 to Oct 2019 in the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University for central non-small-cell lung carcinoma complicated with pulmonary atelectasis that was inoperable due to medical reasons. 125I seeds were implanted into the trachea under the guidance of bronchoscopy first.The 125I seeds were then implanted into the hilum of the lungs by percutaneous puncture under the guidance of the CT and template.The seed activity was 18.5-29.6 MBq, and the prescription dose was 120 Gy.TPS planning and quality verification were performed before and after the operations.The rate of atelectasis recanalization, the satisfactory rate of dose verification, the improvement of dyspnea index, the survival time, and the adverse events during and after operation were observed. Results:All 29 patients with lung cancer complicated with atelectasis successfully completed the seed implantation, and the satisfactory rate of quality verification was 93.1%.The rate of atelectasis recanalization at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months was 93.1%, 89.7%, 78.6%, 76.2%, and 60%, respectively.Their dyspnea and anoxia symptoms were significantly relieved in 5-28 months after treatment.The results showed that the patients′ dyspnea index was 2.8-0.8 before treatment and 1.4-0.9 after treatment.The median follow-up period was 20 months and median survival was 21 months.Adverse events associated with the radiation therapy included pneumothorax, hemoptysis, cough, fever, and particle displacement.No level-3 or more serious adverse events occurred.Conclusions:The CT- and bronchoscopy-guided 125I seed implantation is a safe and effective therapy option for the treatment of central non-small-cell lung carcinoma associated with atelectasis.It contributes to a high rate of local recanalization, and can rapidly improve clinical conditions and quality of life of the patients with few adverse reactions.