Stasis-heat is a pathological factor associated with numerous exogenous and internal injuries, representing a pivotal mechanism in disease progression. Its primary cause is fire-heat toxicity. Based on the theory of qi and the holistic perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, this concept emphasizes that the biochemistry of all natural phenomena relies on the dynamic movement of qi ascending, descending, exiting, and entering. Within six qi, "fire" includes sovereign and ministerial fires. While physiological ministerial fire is the source power of life, pathological ministerial fire manifests as violent, intense energy that readily interacts with blood, leading to the formation of stasis-heat. Therefore, this article examines the formation and treatment of stasis-heat resulting from ministerial fire dysfunction. From the perspectives of ministerial fire gasification, the shape and quality of meridians, and the elevation of ministerial fire, it elucidates why the "pericardium-sanjiao-gallbladder" axis is regarded as pivotal. Furthermore, when the "pericardium-sanjiao-gallbladder" ministerial fire axis is unfavorable, and the stagnation of ministerial fire elevation and blockage is crucial to stasis-heat formation. Additionally, the depletion of essence and blood in the liver and kidneys, preventing the proper storage of ministerial fire, forms the pathological foundation. Drawing upon The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor, this article explores therapeutic principles based on the rules of odor treatment: "when fires in the interior, the treatment of salty and cold, accompanied by bitter and pungent, acid to astringe, bitter to disperse." These principles are applied to achieve specific therapeutic goals: tempering the excess of ministerial fire to cool the nutritive level and transform stasis; adjusting the imbalance of elevation and depression to vent heat and unblock stasis; and restoring the misplaced fire by nourishing blood to expel stasis. Through these approaches, the article aims to reestablish the proper circulation of ministerial fire, dissipate blood stasis, and ultimately eliminate stasis-heat, thereby offering an integrated perspective on its pathogenesis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the impact of continuous nebulization therapy after lung transplantation on pulmonary function and related complications in lung transplant recipients. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the general data of 71 recipients who underwent allogeneic lung transplantation at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, from June 2013 to December 2024. Recipients were divided into observation group (those who continued nebulization therapy for more than 3 months after discharge) and control group (those who discontinued nebulization therapy on their own). The main observation indicators were pulmonary function indicators at 6 months after surgery, including forced expiratory volume in the first second as a percentage of predicted value (FEV₁% pred), forced vital capacity as a percentage of predicted value (FVC% pred), ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity as a percentage of predicted value (FEV₁/FVC% pred), forced expiratory flow at 25%, 50% and 75% of forced vital capacity as a percentage of predicted value, and the percentage of predicted value of corrected carbon monoxide diffusion capacity measured by single-breath method, as well as the ratio of corrected carbon monoxide diffusion capacity to alveolar volume as a percentage of predicted value. Additionally, the annual incidence of postoperative pulmonary infections, survival rate and the rate of no severe airway complications were analyzed. Results At 6 months after lung transplantation, the FEV₁% pred and FVC% pred of the observation group were better than those of the control group [FEV₁% pred was 76% (60%, 91%) vs. 67% (62%, 78%), FVC% pred was (75 ± 13)% vs. (69 ± 11)%, both P<0.05]. The observation group had a lower annual incidence of pulmonary infections compared to the control group (P = 0.023), with a risk of 0.485 times that of the control group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in median survival time and the rate of no severe airway complications (both P>0.05). Conclusions Continuous nebulization therapy after lung transplantation may effectively improve pulmonary function, reduce the annual incidence of pulmonary infections, and play a positive role in the long-term maintenance of pulmonary function.

Objective To investigate the imaging features of intestinal schwannoma(IS)in order to improve the diagnostic ability of the disease.Methods The clinical and imaging data of 14 patients with surgically and pathologically confirmed IS were retrospectively analyzed,including the location,size,morphology,nature,growth pattern,CT density,MRI signal,PET/CT metabolism and other characteristics of the tumors.Results Of the 14 IS cases,the lesions of 3 cases were located in the duodenum,2 cases in the cecum,8 cases in the colon and 1 case in the rectum.The lesions were all round or oval,with an average maximum diameter of(2.4±1.1)cm.The lesions were solid in 13 cases,extraluminal growth in 10 cases,cystic degeneration in 1 case and myxoid degeneration in 1 case.Chronic inflammatory lymph nodes were seen around the diseased intestines in 9 cases,and the short diameter of lymph nodes was greater than 5 mm in 6 cases.All 14 cases of IS showed low attenuation on plain CT scan,and progressive enhancement after contrast injection,including 1 case of mild enhancement,2 cases of moderate enhancement,and 11 cases of obvious enhancement.Two cases of IS showed low signal intensity on T1WI,slightly high signal intensity on T2WI,significantly high signal intensity on DWI,and obvious progressive enhancement after contrast injection on MRI.Two cases of IS showed high metabolism on 18F-FDG-PET/CT,and the SUVmax was 9.4 and 8.8,respectively.Conclusion The imaging findings of IS were characteristic to a certain extent.They mainly manifested as solid nodules or masses derived from the intestinal submucosa,with uniform attenuation or signal intensity,obvious progressive enhancement after contrast injection,obvious hypermetabolism on 18F-FDG-PET/CT,and slightly larger homogeneous lymph nodes were common around the lesions.

BACKGROUND:Arthroplasty is the primary treatment for displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly,and the choice of total hip arthroplasty versus hemiarthroplasty is currently the subject of considerable debate. OBJECTIVE:To compare the mid-and long-term survival status of total hip arthroplasty versus hemiarthroplasty under a direct anterior approach for displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly based on the propensity score matching method. METHODS:One hundred and forty-seven elderly patients(≥65 years of age)with displaced femoral neck fractures were admitted from January 2016 to January 2021,of whom 88 had total hip arthroplasty(total hip arthroplasty group)and 59 had artificial femoral head replacement(hemiarthroplasty group).For the patients'preoperative comorbidities,the age-corrected Charlson Comorbidity Scale was used to quantify the scores and calculate patient frailty.The propensity score matching method was used to match the two groups 1:1 and to compare the operation time,bleeding,postoperative hospitalization time,hospitalization cost,nutritional index,postoperative complications,and mortality between the two groups after matching.Postoperative survival time was determined by Kaplan-Meier Survival analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After propensity score matching,a total of 42 matched pairs were successful in both groups,and the preoperative data of patients in both groups were balanced and comparable after matching(P>0.05).(2)Compared with the hemiarthroplasty group,operation time(79.71 minutes vs.59.07 minutes,P<0.001),bleeding volume(839.64 mL vs.597.83 mL,P=0.001),and hospitalization cost(56 508.15 yuan vs.41 702.85 yuan,P<0.001)were significantly higher in the total hip arthroplasty group.However,the mortality rate was lower in the total hip arthroplasty group than in the hemiarthroplasty group(36%vs.57%,HR=0.44,95%CI:0.23-0.87,P=0.018),and the mean survival time was longer in the total hip arthroplasty group than in the hemiarthroplasty group(59.4 months vs.43.7 months,P=0.024).(3)There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative hospitalization time,preoperative and postoperative nutritional indicators,and overall postoperative complication rate between the two groups(P>0.05).However,in terms of postoperative pain,the incidence of pain was significantly higher in the hemiarthroplasty group than that in the total hip arthroplasty group(24%vs.7%,P=0.035).(4)Overall,total hip arthroplasty has a better prognosis for survival,while hemiarthroplasty is more appropriate for patients with poor physical fitness.At the same time,postoperative pain may largely affect the quality and survival time of patients after hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND:Transposition of the long head of biceps tendon is a commonly surgical method for massive rotator cuff tears.Currently,there are a few reports on the clinical efficacy of the transposition of the long head of biceps tendon and there is no consensus on the influencing factors for retearing. OBJECTIVE:To observe the outcome of arthroscopic long head of the biceps tendon in the treatment of massive rotator cuff tear. METHODS:The clinical data of 28 patients with massive rotator cuff tears,aged(61.79±10.50)years,admitted at Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from March 2019 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent arthroscopic long head of the biceps tendon.Patients were assessed for visual analog scale scores,University of California at Los Angeles scores,American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores,Constant-Murley scores,and shoulder range of motion before and 1 year after operation.MRI of the shoulder joint was performed for observing the integrity of the repaired structure at 1 year after operation.Twenty-three patients(5 of 28 lost to follow-up)were categorized into the intact tendon group(n=18)and the tendon retear group(n=5)according to the Sugaya typing at 1 year after operation;the patients were divided into the normal group(n=8),the degeneration group(n=9),and the partial tear group(n=6)according to the intraoperative quality of the long head of the biceps tendon.Differences in the above indexes were compared between groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:When followed up at 1 year after surgery,the range of motion,visual analog scale scores,University of California at Los Angeles scores,American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores,Constant-Murley scores of the shoulder were significantly improved compared with preoperative data(P＜0.05).There was a significant difference in Goutellier grading between intact tendon and tendon retear groups(P＜0.05),while no significant difference was observed in the other influencing factors(P＞0.05).There were no significant differences in visual analog scale scores,University of California at Los Angeles scores,American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores,Constant-Murley scores,and shoulder range of motion at 1 year after operation among the normal,degeneration,and partial tear groups(P＞0.05).MRI findings indicated that the sutured tendon healed well in 18 patients,with a healing rate of 78%.Arthroscopic long head of the biceps tendon for augmented repair can provide a reliable repair for massive rotator cuff tear that is refractory,significantly alleviate the pain of the shoulder joint,and restore the function of the shoulder joint.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of earthworm protein on the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （PI3K/Akt/Nrf2） pathway in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats （SHR） and explore mechanism of earthworm protein in treating hypertensive vascular endothelial dysfunction （VED）. MethodTen 10-week-old Wistar Kyoto （WKY） rats and fifty SHR rats were selected for a week of adaptive feeding. WKY rats were selected as the normal group， and fifty SHR rats were randomized according to body weight into model， valsartan （8×10^-3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （0.2， 0.1， 0.05 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） earthworm protein groups. The normal and model groups were administrated with equal volume of double distilled water by gavage. During the drug intervention period， the general situations of rats in each group were observed and their blood pressure was monitored at specific time points every other week before and after administration. After 8 weeks of drug intervention， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of angiotensin-Ⅱ （Ang-Ⅱ） and endothelin-1 （ET-1） in the serum of rats in each group. The corresponding kits were used to determine the levels of nitric oxide （NO）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione peroxidase （GPX）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and ferrous ion （Fe²⁺）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was employed to observe the changes in the intima of the aorta. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was employed to measure the mRNA levels of PI3K， Akt， Nrf2， heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）， and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） in the aortic tissue. Western blotting was used to determine the protein levels of p-PI3K （Tyr467/199）， PI3K， p-Akt （Ser473）， Akt， Nrf2， HO-1， and GPX4 in the thoracic aorta. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group had decreased body mass， increased irritability， severe endothelial damage， elevated blood pressure and serum levels of Ang-Ⅱ， ET1， MDA， and Fe²⁺ （P<0.01）， lowered NO level （P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of p-PI3K （Tyr467/199）， PI3K， p-Akt （Ser473）， Akt， Nrf2， HO-1， and GPX4 in the aortic tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， drug intervention caused no significant change in the body mass， calmed the rats， alleviated the endothelial damage， lowered blood pressure and serum levels of Ang-Ⅱ， ET1， MDA， and Fe²⁺ （P<0.01）， elevated the NO level （P<0.05）， and up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of p-PI3K （Tyr467/199）， PI3K， p-Akt （Ser473）， Akt， Nrf2， HO-1， and GPX4 （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe earthworm protein can exert antihypertensive effects by ameliorating VED in SHR. Specifically， it may regulate the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit oxidative stress and ferroptosis.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors and their warning effectiveness for meniscus tear secondary to delayed anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 114 patients (114 knees) with ACL injury, who were admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from December 2018 to December 2023, including 78 males and 36 females, aged 11-50 years [29(21, 35)years]. The patients were divided into tear group ( n=46) and non-tear group ( n=68) according to whether combined with meniscus tear or not during the surgery. Gender, age, duration of disease, smoking history, Body Mass Index (BMI), cause of injury, mechanism of injury, side of the injury, Beighton score, difference of KT-2000 examination, Tegner activity scale of the knee joint, anterior tibial translation sign, medial posterior tibial slope angle, lateral posterior tibial slope angle, and pivot shift grading of the patients in the two groups were recorded. Correlations between the above-mentioned indicators and occurrence of meniscus tear secondary to delayed ACL reconstruction were assessed. In the meantime, the independent risk factors were determined by univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the warning effectiveness of each risk factor for meniscal tear secondary to delayed ACL reconstruction. Results:Univariate analysis showed correlation of duration of disease, BMI, Tegner activity scale of the knee joint, medial posterior tibial slope angle, lateral posterior tibial slope angle and high-grade pivot shift with occurrence of meniscus tear secondary to delayed ACL reconstruction ( P<0.01). The results of multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of disease ≥14.5 weeks ( OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.05, 1.38, P<0.01), BMI≥26.9 kg/m 2 ( OR=1.36, 95% CI 1.03, 1.81, P<0.05), Tegner activity scale of the knee joint ≥4 points ( OR=2.29, 95% CI 1.18, 4.46, P<0.05), medial posterior tibial slope angle ≥11.2° ( OR=2.27, 95% CI 1.06, 4.89, P<0.05) and high-grade pivot shift ( OR=0.03, 95% CI 0.01, 0.03, P<0.05) were significantly correlated with occurrence of meniscus tear secondary to delayed ACL reconstruction. Results of ROC curve analysis showed that the medial posterior tibial slope angle (AUC=0.86, 95% CI 0.80, 0.93) and duration of disease (AUC=0.85, 95% CI 0.77, 0.92) had good warning value, BMI (AUC=0.78, 95% CI 0.69, 0.87) and Tegner activity scale of the knee joint (AUC=0.73, 95% CI 0.64, 0.83) had ordinary warning value, and the warning value of high-grade pivot shift (AUC=0.60, 95% CI 0.49, 0.71) was the lowest. The combination of the risk factors revealed superior warning effectiveness for meniscus tear second to delayed ACL reconstruction (AUC=0.97, 95% CI 0.96, 1.00). Conclusions:The duration of disease ≥14.5 weeks, BMI ≥26.9 kg/m 2, Tegner score ≥4 points, medial posterior tibial slope angle ≥11.2°and high-grade pivot shift are independent risk factors for meniscus tear secondary to delayed ACL reconstruction. The medial posterior tibial slope angle and duration of disease have good warning value, BMI and Tegner scores have ordinary warning value and high-grade pivot shift has the lowest warning value. The combination of the above risk factors has better warning effectiveness for meniscus tear secondary to delayed ACL reconstruction.

Objective:To explore the surgical technique and results of three-dimensional aortic valve anatomic repair for bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) with aortic regurgitation (AR).Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. From August 2021 to December 2023, 130 consecutive patients with BAV-AR underwent aortic valve anatomic repair at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,and the data were retrospectively analyzed. There were 115 males and 15 females, aged (38.6±11.7) years (range: 15 to 67 years). All patients received modified aortic root reconstruction, to do three-dimensional root remodeling, including the basal ring, sinus of Valsalva and sino-tubular junction simultaneously. Perioperative and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. Comparisons between groups were performed using independent samples t-test, Wilcoxon paired signed-rank test, or χ2 test. Results:No patient transferred to valve replacement during the operation. The cardiopulmonary bypass time ( M(IQR)) was 109(34) minutes (range:67 to 247 minutes), and the aortic cross-clamp time was 76(26) minutes (range: 32 to 158 minutes). Preoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed 123 patients (94.6%) presented with moderate or severe regurgitation. Immediately postoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed no regurgitation in 22 patients (16.9%), trace regurgitation in 81 patients (62.3%) and mild regurgitation in 27 patients (20.8%). Follow up was completed in all patients, with a follow-up of 5.5(9.4) months (range: 0.1 to 27.6 months). No mortality was observed during follow-up. Echocardiography was obtained in 112 patients at the latest follow-up, including no regurgitation in 4 patients (3.6%), trace regurgitation in 58 patients (51.8%), mild regurgitation in 45 patients (40.2%), moderate regurgitation in 4 patients (3.6%), and severe regurgitation in 1 patient (0.9%). Conclusion:For patients with BAV-AR who have good valve quality and no severe aortic sinus dilation, the recent outcomes of three-dimensional anatomical repair technique, focusing on overall remodeling of the aortic root, are satisfactory.

Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and related factors of pediatric flexible flatfoot (PFF) among 7-8 year old children in Changzhou, so as to provide a feasible basis for the prevention and treatment of PFF. Methods: From December 2023 to February 2024, a total of 1 685 children aged 7-8 from 10 primary schools in Changzhou were selected by stratified cluster random sampling method, and screened for PFF by using a foot optical assessment recording device. Information including sex, body mass index (BMI), diet, exercise and shoe wearing habits were collected. The valgus angle of the hindfoot was measured on the body surface by using an orthopedic measuring ruler in the standing position. Pain levels were evaluated by using visual analogue score (VAS) for children with flatfoot syndrome. Multivariate Logistic analysis was used to analyze related factors of PFF. Results: The overall detection rate of PFF was 27.4%, and there was a significant difference in the detection rate of PFF between boys and girls, with 30.3% and 24.1% respectively ( χ 2=7.96, P < 0.01 ). Most cases of PFF were mild flatfoot (60.8%) and bilateral ( 60.4% ). Approximately 13.2% of children with PFF had flatfoot syndrome, with a mean VAS of (2.86±0.73). About 56.1% of children with PFF had a normal valgus angle of the hindfoot. Sex, high BMI and preference for shoe last with front upturned shoe shape were positively correlated with the detection of PFF ( OR= 1.74, 1.54, 1.13, P <0.05). After stratified by sex, regular exercise in boys and age in girls were negatively correlated with the detection of PFF ( OR=0.40, 0.64, P <0.05). Conclusions The detection rate of PFF in 7-8 year old children is high. Additionally, PFF combined with flatfoot syndrome or valgus hindfoot is relatively rare and is likely to be underestimated, which emphasizes the importance of early detection and intervention for PFF.