ObjectiveTo investigate the association between noninvasive liver fibrosis markers and carotid plaque （CP） in patients with lean metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD）， and to provide a basis for screening high-risk populations. MethodsA total of 957 patients with lean MAFLD who underwent physical examination in Subei People’s Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 was enrolled as the observation cohort， with the presence or absence of CP as the outcome， and fibrosis-4 （FIB-4） index and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score （NFS） were used to assess liver fibrosis degree. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis， the restricted cubic spline analysis， the receiver operating characteristic curve， and the mediation effect analysis were used to investigate the association between liver fibrosis degree and CP. ResultsThe prevalence rate of CP was 36.6% in the lean MAFLD population. Compared with the non-CP group（n=607）， the CP group （n=350） had a significantly higher proportion of male patients， a significantly higher proportion of patients with smoking/diabetes/hypertension， and significantly higher levels of age， creatinine， blood urea nitrogen， triglycerides， fasting blood glucose， aspartate aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio， NFS， and FIB-4 index， as well as significantly lower levels of platelet count and albumin （all P<0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for confounding factors， FIB-4 index （odds ratio［OR］=2.979， 95% confidence interval［CI］：2.141 — 4.219， P<0.001） and NFS （OR=1.747， 95%CI： 1.499 — 2.046， P<0.001） were positively correlated with CP. Both FIB-4 index and NFS had a good value in predicting CP. Hypertension had a significant indirect effect on the prevalence rate of CP through its impact on liver fibrosis markers， and its mediating effect accounted for 39.5% — 40.8% of the total effect （P<0.001）. ConclusionIn patients with lean MAFLD， NFS and FIB-4 index are significantly positively correlated with the prevalence rate of CP， and they can be used as potential epidemiological predictive indicators. Liver fibrosis markers may play a mediating role in the association between hypertension and CP. Interventions targeting hypertension and liver fibrosis markers may help to prevent and delay the progression of CP.

ObjectiveTo analyze the research hotspots and development trends in the field of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for spinal cord injury (SCI). MethodsLiterature about SCS for SCI was retrieve from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database, with a time range from January, 1999 to July, 2025. VOSviewer 1.6.20 and CiteSpace 6.4.R2 were used to analyze the annual publication volume, countries, authors, institutions, journals and keywords. ResultsA total of 636 literatures were included. From 1999 to 2025, the overall publication trend in this field showed an upward trajectory, with recent years fluctuating but tending to stabilize. The country with the most publications was the United States (429 papers), followed by Russia (98 papers) and China (70 papers). The institution with the highest number of publications was the University of California, Los Angeles (76 papers), the author with the most publications was V. Reggie Edgerton (70 papers), and the journal with the most publications was Journal of Clinical Medicine (31 papers). The most frequently cited study focused on exploring the combination of epidural spinal cord stimulation with task-specific training to restore motor function in patients with complete SCI. Keyword analysis showed that the research hotspots in this field were mainly focused on neuroregulation mechanisms, recovery of motor and autonomic nervous dysfunction, artificial intelligence, closed-loop stimulation and brain-computer interface technology innovations. In recent years, the research focus gradually shifted from basic mechanisms to personalized and precise multifunctional rehabilitation strategies. ConclusionThe field of SCS for SCI has undergone phases of basic mechanism exploration and clinical application expansion. Current research hotspots and future trends focus primarily on the development of new stimulation paradigms and combined innovative technologies.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of oral sodium butyrate on skeletal muscle atrophy in CT26 tumor mice through the gut microbiota-skeletal muscle axis and its potential mechanism. MethodsSixty SPF BALB/c male mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into a normal control group (NC, n=18) and a ABX-depleted group (ABX, n=42). The ABX mice were pretreated with a quadruple antibiotic cocktail via oral gavage (0.2 ml per administration, once daily, 6 d per week, for 2 weeks), whereas NC received an equal volume of sterile water. The quadruple antibiotic cocktail consisted of metronidazole (1 g/L), vancomycin (0.5 g/L), ampicillin (1 g/L), and gentamicin (1 g/L). Following successful pretreatment, six mice from each group were randomly selected for gut microbiota sequencing analysis and designated as the Abx group and the NC0 group, respectively. Theremaining mice in ABX were subcutaneously inoculated in the dorsum with 0.2 ml of CT26 cell suspension (at a cell density of 1×10⁷/ml). Then these mice were randomly allocated into three subgroups: a control tumor bearing model group (0_NaB, n=12), a tumor-bearing model group receiving low-dose oral sodium butyrate (L_NaB, n=12), a tumor-bearing model group receiving high-dose oral sodium butyrate (H_NaB, n=12). And mice in NC were inoculated at the same site with 0.2 ml of normal saline. The administration dose for L_NaB was 0.3 g/(kg·d), that for H_NaB was 0.5 g/(kg·d), while NC and 0_NaB were given the same volume of normal saline (0.2ml per time, once daily, 6 d per week, for 4 weeks). The general condition of mice was monitored, and forelimb grip strength gastrocnemius muscle mass and its muscle fiber cross-sectional area were measured for each group. The structural changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing of cecal contents. Pathological alterations in the intestinal wall were examined via HE staining. Serum and gastrocnemius muscle levels of TNF‑α, IL-6, IL-1β, and LPS were quantified using ELISA. The protein expression of ZO-1 and occludin in the small intestine, as well as proteins associated with the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in the gastrocnemius muscle, were detected by Western blot analysis. Results(1) The alpha-diversity in Abx was significantly lower than that in NC0 (P<0.01), a significant decrease of the mass and muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius (P<0.01), with the majority of gut microbiota being effectively depleted. (2) Compared with NC, the subcutaneous tumors of mice in 0_NaB were prominent, a significant increase of the mass and muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius, accompanied by a significant decrease in body weight at the end of the 3th and 4th week (P<0.05), and a significant weakening of the forelimb grasping strength at the 5th and 6th week (P<0.01). Compared with 0_NaB, the tumor mass of mice in L_NaB and H_NaB showed a significant decreasing trend, and the grip strength of the forelimbs significantly increased at the 5th and 6th week (P<0.05, P<0.01). (3) Compared with 0_NaB, the Shannon and Observed species indices in α diversity of L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly increased (P<0.05). At the genus level, compared with 0_NaB, L_NaB exhibited a significant decrease in the relative abundance of Parasutterella (P< 0.01), while H_NaB showed significant reductions in the relative abundances of both Escherichia-Shigella and Parasutterella (P < 0.01). (4) Compared with 0_NaB, the small intestinal tissue structure in L_NaB and H_NaB was more intact, the infiltration of inflammatory cells was significantly reduced, and the capillaries were slightly dilated. The expression levels of ZO-1 and occludin proteins in L_NaB were significantly increased (P<0.01). (5) The LPS concentration in the gastrocnemius muscle and the protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, p-IκBα, and p-NF‑κB p65 in L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly lower than those in 0_NaB (P<0.05). The serum TNF‑α concentration in H_NaB and TNF-α concentration in the gastrocnemius muscle of the L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly lower than those in 0_NaB (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.01). ConclusionOral administration of NaB can improve gut microbiota α diversity, adjusting its composition, improving intestinal mucosal barrier function, reducing the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory response, and delaying skeletal muscle atrophy. The underlying mechanism may involve down regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling in skeletal muscle.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of liver fibrosis scores and inflammation markers with gallstones in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD）， as well as the mediating role of liver fibrosis scores in the relationship between inflammation markers and gallstones. MethodsA total of 14 567 patients who received physical examination and were diagnosed with MAFLD in Subei People’s Hospital from January 2014 to June 2023 were enrolled in this study， and according to the results of abdominal color Doppler ultrasound， they were divided into gallstone group with 1 724 patients and non-gallstone group with 12 843 patients. Related clinical data were collected from all patients， including demographic data， medical history， family history， physical examination， Color Doppler ultrasound， and biochemical parameters. The biomarkers associated with metabolic disorders and insulin resistance included triglyceride-glucose index （TyG）， TyG-body mass index （BMI） index， atherogenic index of plasma （AIP）， and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio （NHHR）； the biomarkers associated with inflammation and nutritional status included neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio （NLR）， neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio （NPAR）， and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio （MLR）； the biomarkers for assessing liver fibrosis degree and liver function included albumin-bilirubin （ALBI） score， NAFLD fibrosis score （NFS）， fibrosis-4 （FIB-4） index， and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （APRI）. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis， restricted cubic spline analysis， and mediating effect analysis were used to assess the association of liver fibrosis markers and inflammation markers with the risk of gallstones. ResultsThe prevalence rate of gallstones was 11.8% among the MAFLD patients. There were significant differences between the gallstone group and the non-gallstone group in sex， age， smoking history， diabetes， hypertension， lymphocytes， platelets， glucose， albumin， serum uric acid， alanine aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase， red blood cell， NLR， NPAR， MLR， NFS， FIB-4 index， and ALBI score （all P<0.05）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR （odds ratio ［OR］=1.091， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.028　—　1.160， P<0.05）， NPAR （OR=1.073， 95%CI： 1.042　—　1.105， P<0.05）， MLR （OR=1.142， 95%CI： 1.057　—　1.232， P<0.05）， NFS （OR=1.239， 95%CI： 1.190　—　1.291， P<0.05）， and FIB-4 index （OR=1.326， 95%CI： 1.241　—　1.417， P<0.05） were influencing factors for the prevalence rate of gallstones. The restricted cubic spline analysis showed a significant non-linear association between NFS/FIB-4 index and the risk of gallstone （non-linear P<0.05）. The mediating effect analysis further showed that the association of NLR， MLR， and NPAR with gallstones was partially mediated by NFS or FIB-4 index， with a mediating effect accounting for 36.79%、28.09%、29.67% and 18.31%、17.70、11.57%， respectively. ConclusionNFS and FIB-4 index have a non-linear association with the prevalence rate of gallstones in MAFLD patients， and they also mediate the association of NLR， NPAR， and MLR with the risk of gallstone.

Objective: To examine the relationship between self-management behaviors and time perspective among patients with comorbid diabetes, so as to provide the evidence for improving self-management behaviors among patients with comorbid diabetes. Methods: The patients with comorbid diabetes who were registered in the chronic disease health management system of Minhang District, Shanghai Municipality in 2021, followed up regularly, and lived in Meilong Town were recruited. Demographic information and family history of diabetes were collected through questionnaire surveys. Time perspective and self-management behaviors were assessed using the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory and Diabetes Self-Management Behavior Scale, respectively. The relationship between self-management behaviors and time perspective was analyzed using a multivariable ordinal logistic regression model. Results: A total of 907 patients with comorbid diabetes were enrolled, including 472 males (52.04%) and 435 females (47.96%). There were 652 cases aged 65 years and above, accounting for 71.89%. In terms of the types of time perspective, 280 patients were future-oriented (30.87%), 236 were balanced (26.02%), 162 were sensation-seeking (17.86%), 123 were fatalistic (13.56%), and 106 were negative (11.69%). In terms of the self-management behaviors, 46 patients were good (5.07%), 643 were moderate (70.89%), and 218 were poor (24.04%). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, gender, educational level, marital status, occupation status, monthly income, and family history of diabetes, the patients with comorbid diabetes who had a future-oriented time perspective had better self-management behaviors (OR=1.874, 95%CI: 1.204-2.915). Conclusion The self-management behaviors among patients with comorbid diabetes are moderate to poor, and patients with a future-oriented time perspective can better engage in self-management behaviors.

Liposomes serve as critical carriers for drugs and vaccines,with their biological effects influenced by their size.The microfluidic method,renowned for its precise control,reproducibility,and scalability,has been widely employed for liposome preparation.Although some studies have explored factors affecting liposomal size in microfluidic processes,most focus on small-sized liposomes,predominantly through experimental data analysis.However,the production of larger liposomes,which are equally significant,remains underexplored.In this work,we thoroughly investigate multiple variables influencing liposome size during microfluidic preparation and develop a machine learning(ML)model capable of accurately predicting liposomal size.Experimental validation was conducted using a staggered herringbone micromixer(SHM)chip.Our findings reveal that most investigated variables significantly influence liposomal size,often interrelating in complex ways.We evaluated the predictive performance of several widely-used ML algorithms,including ensemble methods,through cross-validation(CV)for both lipo-some size and polydispersity index(PDI).A standalone dataset was experimentally validated to assess the accuracy of the ML predictions,with results indicating that ensemble algorithms provided the most reliable predictions.Specifically,gradient boosting was selected for size prediction,while random forest was employed for PDI prediction.We successfully produced uniform large(600 nm)and small(100 nm)liposomes using the optimised experimental conditions derived from the ML models.In conclusion,this study presents a robust methodology that enables precise control over liposome size distribution,of-fering valuable insights for medicinal research applications.

OBJECTIVE To explore the intervention mechanism of Shangke Lengtongtie on cold hyperalgesia in KOA mice based on the HMGB1/CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis.METHODS Monosodium iodoacetate(MIA)was used for the intra-articular injec-tion into the knee joint to establish mice model of knee osteoarthritis(KOA).Peripheral blood monocytes were extracted from mice,cultured,and then reinfused into the tail vein of the mice.Subsequently,in vivo animal imaging was used to observe the recruitment sites of these monocytes.The cold hyperalgesia threshold was measured at various time points in each group of mice.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was used to evaluate the level of synovial pathological changes.ELISA was employed to detect the expression of in-flammatory factors IL-1β,TNF-α,and pain mediators CGRP and Substance P in mouse serum.Western blot and qPCR methods were used to detect the protein and gene expression of cold hyperalgesia-related indicators such as TRPA1,TRPM8,HMGB1,CXCL12,CXCR4,Collagen Ⅰ,and Netrin-1 in synovial tissue,as well as DCC in dorsal root ganglia(DRG)tissue.RESULTS In vivo ima-ging showed that after the monocytes were reinfused into KOA mice,they were recruited to the knee joint area,with the HMGB1 group exhibiting a greater recruitment of circulating monocytes at the knee joint.Additionally,compared to the control group,the KOA group and HMGB1 group showed inflammatory pathological changes in the synovium,increased expression of serum inflammatory factors and pain mediators,reduced cold hyperalgesia threshold,and upregulated protein and gene expression of cold hyperalgesia-related indica-tors in synovial and DRG tissues.The changes were more significant in the HMGB1 group compared to the KOA group(P<0.05).Af-ter treatment with Shangke Lengtongtie or GL intervention,synovial inflammation was alleviated,serum inflammatory factors and pain mediators decreased,cold hyperalgesia threshold increased,and the upregulation of cold hyperalgesia-related indicator protein and gene expression levels was significantly reversed(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Shangke Lengtongtie exerts a beneficial effect on the mitigation of synovitis and cold hyperalgesia in KOA mice,a therapeutic mechanism that possibly mediated through the inhibition of the HMGB1/CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis.

Objective:To report the surveillance results of the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical isolates in Anhui province.Methods:Surveillance data from 94 members of the Anhui Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network（HuiNet）from October 2023 to September 2024 were collected，the major drug-resistant bacteria and the resistance to commonly used antibiotics were analyzed. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software were used for data analysis.Results:Among 240 339 clinical strains，Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 75.0%（180 153 strains）. The detected bacteria mainly include Escherichia coli（ n=53 587，22.3%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（ n=39 774，16.5%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（ n=25 505，10.6%）， Staphylococus aureus（ n=19 438，8.1%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（ n=14 239，5.9%），and so on. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus aureus（MRCNS）were 37.7%（7 112/18 853）and 73.9%（13 221/17 895），respectively. No vancomycin- and teicolanin-resistant Staphylococcus were detected. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.9%（971/51 991）and 12.3%（4 864/39 414），respectively. The resistance rate of CRKP to tigecycline and polycolistin B was 7.7% and 7.9%，respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex and Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）were 57.9%（8 222/14 198）and 18.2%（4 569/25 052），respectively，with low resistance to polycolistin B（2.0% and 7.2%，respectively）. The detection rates of MRSA，MRCNS，CRAB complex，third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli（3GC-R-EC）and quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli（QREC）in northern Anhui were the highest（46.8%，77.1%，65.6%，57.6% and 55.5%，respectively），which were higher than those in central and southern Anhui（ χ2=107.858 and 566.202，5.950 and 142.223，39.254 and 289.137，135.402 and 449.114，39.142 and 185.114， P<0.05 or <0.01），and the detection rates in central Anhui were higher than those in southern Anhui（ χ2=272.031，102.717，162.409，118.891 and 66.889，all P<0.001）. The detection rates of CRKP，CRPA and thirdgeneration cephalosporinresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（3GC-R-KP）in central Anhui were the highest（16.7%，21.7% and 32.0%，respectively），which were higher than those in northern and southern Anhui（ χ2=229.656 and 439.377，156.599 and 65.818，77.386 and 232.568，all P<0.001）. The detection rates of CREC，3GC-R-EC and QREC were the highest in the elderly（2.2%，54.0% and 56.4%，respectively），which were higher than those in children and adults（ χ2=8.034 and 13.150，17.032 and 103.437，438.353 and 183.099，all P<0.01）. The detection rates of CRKP and 3GC-R-KP in neonates were the highest（20.6% and 56.9%，respectively），which were significantly higher than those in children，adults and the elderly（ χ2=38.869，8.337 and 7.921；65.517，55.525 and 49.214，all P<0.01），and the detection rate of 3GC-R-KP in the elderly was higher than that in children and adults（ χ2=14.122 and 7.501，both P<0.01）. The detection rates of CRAB complex，CRPA，CREC，CRKP and 3GC-R-KP in tertiary hospitals were higher than those in secondary hospitals（ χ2=25.606，16.501，5.820，33.116 and 117.086， P<0.05 or <0.01）. Except for MRSA，vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and QREC，the detection rates of major drug-resistant bacteria in intensive care unit（ICU）were the highest（all P<0.001）. From 2019 to 2024，the detection rates of MRSA，MRCNS，CRKP，CRAB complex and CRPA all showed a slow decreasing trend（ χ2=42.319，122.779，340.381，83.512 and 81.668，all P<0.001）. Conclusions:The situation of antimicrobial resistance in Anhui province shows a downward trend，but it is still serious，especially in northern and central Anhui. It is necessary to pay attention to the bacterial resistance particularly for the elderly，newborns，children and ICU.

Malignant tumor is a major health problem plaguing the world. It metastasizes to the bone through complex ways, leading to a series of complications. In recent years, with the continuous progress of radiotherapy technology, the importance of radiotherapy has been ever strengthened. In this article, the application effect of radiotherapy in the treatment of bone metastases was evaluated by illustrating the types, metastasis principle and clinical manifestations of bone metastases, and different advantages of external irradiation, stereotactic radiotherapy and radionuclide therapy were elucidated, aiming to provide reference for comparing the differences in response to radiotherapy among different types of bone metastases and achieve the optimal treatment effect.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effectiveness and possible mechanism of Shangke Lengtong Patch in treating knee osteo-arthritis with cold-dampness arthralgia obstruction.METHODS A total of 70 patients who met the inclusion criteria of knee osteoar-thritis with cold-dampness arthralgia obstruction in the Orthopedics Department of Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from November to December 2024 were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group,with 35 cases in each group.During the treatment,1 case dropped out of the experimental group,3 cases dropped out of the control group,and 1 case was discontinued.The experimental group was treated with Shangke Lengtong Patch,and the control group was treated with Compound Nanxing Zhitong Ointment.The WOMAC scores and TCM syndrome scores of the two groups before and after treatment were compared to comprehensively evaluate the clinical efficacy.The changes in the expression levels of CGRP,substance P,HMGB1,IL-1β,CX-CL12,and CXCR4 in the serum of the two groups were detected by ELISA.RESULTS After 3,7,and 14 d of treatment,the WOMAC scores and TCM syndrome scores of the two groups were significantly reduced(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the score of aggrava-ted cold in the experimental group was better than that in the control group at 7 d of treatment(P<0.05);after 14 d of treatment,the expression levels of CGRP,substance P,HMGB1,IL-1β,CXCL12,and CXCR4 in the serum of the two groups were significantly re-duced(P<0.05),and there was no statistical difference between the two groups.CONCLUSION Shangke Lengtong Patch can sig-nificantly relieve the pain symptoms of knee osteoarthritis patients with cold-dampness arthralgia obstruction and improve the joint func-tion of patients.It may improve synovial inflammation by inhibiting the HMGB1/CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway,thereby exerting a thera-peutic effect.