Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of time-dependent diffusion MRI (t d-dMRI)-derived microstructural parameters for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) and their associations with the pathological grade of prostate cancer(PCa) based on the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grades. Methods:This cross-sectional study prospectively enrolled 196 patients suspected of PCa from March 2023 to March 2024 at the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University. All patients underwent multiparametric MRI and t d-dMRI to obtain microstructural parameters, including cell diameter (d), intracellular volume fraction (f in), extracellular diffusion coefficient (D ex), cellularity, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value at oscillation frequencies of 33 Hz, 17 Hz, 0 Hz (ADC 33, ADC 17, and ADC 0). Pathologically, 95 cases were classified as csPCa (ISUP 2-5), and the rest 101 cases were classified as non-csPCa (benign or ISUP 1). Comparison of these microstructural metrics was made between csPCa and non-csPCa groups by independent t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors. A combined diagnostic model was then constructed based on the independent predictors. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Finally, in PCa, the correlation between microstructural parameters and ISUP grades was investigated by Spearman correlation. Results:The t d-dMRI measurements, including d, f in, cellularity, ADC 33,ADC 17 and ADC 0, were significantly different between csPCa and non-csPCa groups (All P<0.05). But D ex was not significantly different between the two groups ( Z=-1.27, P=0.204). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for diagnosing csPCa were 0.701 (95% CI 0.628-0.775) for d, 0.869 (95% CI 0.819-0.920) for f in, 0.884 (95% CI 0.835-0.932) for cellularity, 0.777 (95% CI 0.712-0.842) for ADC 33, 0.852 (95% CI 0.799-0.905) for ADC 17, and 0.840 (95% CI 0.786-0.894) for ADC 0. Cellularity ( OR=6.142, 95% CI 2.920-12.929, P<0.001) and ADC 17 ( OR=0.108, 95% CI 0.027-0.429, P=0.002) were identified as the independent predictors, and their combined model achieved an AUC of 0.896 (95% CI 0.852-0.941). In PCa f in and cellularity were positively correlated with ISUP grades ( r=0.490 and 0.397, P<0.001), while ADC 33, ADC 17, and ADC 0 were negatively correlated with ISUP grades ( r=-0.198, -0.345, -0.360; P=0.041,<0.001,<0.001). d and D ex were not correlated with ISUP grades ( P>0.05). Conclusion:t d-dMRI based microstructural mapping correlates with ISUP grades of PCa and may be useful for the differential diagnosis of csPCa.

Objective:To investigate intraoperative pathological findings and the interventional effects of "deep cervical lymphaticovenous anastomosis+" (dcLVA+) on deep cervical lymphatic drainage as well as the blood flow of carotid artery and jugular vein in elderly patients with cognitive impairment, and to put forward the thoughts based on the findings from the surgery.Methods:Between May 2024 and December 2024, retrospective analysis of Microsurgery Hospital, Fengcheng Hospital, Xi'an Medical College performed dcLVA+ between the deep cervical lymphatics or lymph nodes and jugular veins in 50 elderly patients with cognitive impairment (19 males and 31 females, aged 55-88 years with 69.94 years in average). Nine patients were found with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score at 1 (mild), 7 with CDR score at 2 (moderate) and 34 with CDR score at 3 (severe). Intraoperative observations based on literature reviews had identified anatomical relationships between the lymphatic sacs containing cervical lymphatic chain and the carotid sheath. The lymph node count, size, distribution, thickness of fat tissue and conditions of lymphatic vessels were documented. Ultrasound was used to compare the blood flow of carotid artery and jugular vein as well as the cross-sectional areas at the planes of hyoid and cricoid cartilage before and after the closure of incisions under anaesthesia in 39 patients. Correlation analyses for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Agitation behavior score before and 1 week after surgery were performed using Spearman's correlation and Wilcoxon paired tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Postoperative follow-ups were conducted via the visit of outpatient clinic and WeChat and telephone interviews. Results:In surgery, the cervical lymphatic chain was found running within an almost enclosed sac surrounding the carotid sheath. There were enlarged lymph nodes, increased fat deposition, lymphatic dilation or fibrosis in the sac. The preoperative blood flow in the carotid artery at the planes of hyoid and cricoid cartilage in the 39 patients was recorded at 150.52 ml/min±40.33 ml/min and 358.29 ml/min±129.30 ml/min, while that in the jugular vein was at 172.50 ml/min±63.94 ml/min and 317.00 ml/min±105.21 ml/min, respectively, both were far lower than the normal blood flow. There were statistically significant differences in the blood flow of carotid artery and jugular vein before and after surgery ( P<0.01). It was found that the preoperative blood flow of the internal carotid artery at the plane of hyoid was positively correlated with the preoperative scores of MMSE ( P<0.01), MoCa ( P<0.05) and ADL ( P<0.01). The blood flow of the common carotid artery at the plane of cricoid cartilage was found significantly and positively correlated with the preoperative scores of MMSE ( P<0.05). It was also noted that the blood flow of the internal carotid artery at the plane of hyoid was significantly and positively correlated with the postoperative ADL ( P<0.01) but negatively correlated with the Agitation behavior score ( P<0.05). The blood flow of the common carotid artery at the plane of cricoid cartilage was significantly and positively correlated with the postoperative scores of MMSE and MoCa ( P<0.05). The blood flow of the internal jugular vein at the plane of hyoid was negatively correlated with the Agitation behavior score ( P<0.01). The cross-sectional area of carotid artery at the plane of left hyoid was significantly and positively correlated with the MMSE score ( P<0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed in MMSE, MoCa, ADL and Agitation behavior score before and after surgery ( P<0.01). Conclusion:dcLVA+ shows a certain therapeutic benefit to the elderly patients with cognitive impairment. The intraoperatively observed pathological changes in cervical lymphatic sacs affect deep cervical lymphatic drainage and the blood flow of carotid artery and jugular vein. Further studies are necessary to find out whether the findings from this study would be the specific pathological changes and the morbidity mechanisms among the elderly patients with cognitive impairment.

Objective:To evaluate the sample preparation proficiency and storage proficiency of 11 clinical biobanks in Beijing through simulated experiments, and to establish an assessment method for the quality comparability of biological samples.Methods:An exploratory research design was adopted. In November 2023, artificial composite serum quality control materials containing six recombinant human protein markers—recombinant human alanine aminotransferase (rhALT), recombinant human aspartate aminotransferase (rhAST), recombinant human creatine kinase (rhCK), recombinant human creatine kinase-MB (rhCK-MB), recombinant human B-type natriuretic peptide (rhBNP), and recombinant human troponin I (rhTNI)—were distributed to 11 clinical biobanks in Beijing City. Sample preparation and storage followed the standardized operating procedures. Proficiency differences were assessed through statistical analysis.Results:Three-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed all six protein markers showed a declining trend over storage time in ultra-low-temperature environments ( F values 11.68-4 179.66, all P<0.01). However, neither long-term/temporary refrigerator types ( F values 0.01-1.23, all P>0.05)nor placement locations within refrigerators significantly affected the stability of these six proteins ( F valus 0.03-1.47, all P>0.05). The biases in detection results for rhALT, rhAST, rhTNI, and rhBNP at different storage time points were within the allowable bias limits for each item, supporting their use as markers for protein stability in biobank samples. All 11 institutions passed the storage proficiency assessment. In the preparation proficiency assessment, deviations were observed in post-preparation sample results, with a notably high out-of-control rate for rhCK (36.36%). Conclusion:Sample preparation proficiency can serve as a quality control metric for clinical biobanks. Future external quality assessment systems for biobanks should focus on sample preparation rather than storage processes.

Objective:To investigate the changes in and correlations between melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and androgen levels in the serum of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), aiming to provide a novel research perspective for its diagnosis.Methods:A cross-sectional study. A total of 307 subjects were enrolled from the physical examination center and endocrinology clinic of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from June 2023 to June 2024. The cohort comprised 114 healthy controls and 193 patients with PCOS, diagnosed according to the Rotterdam criteria. The patients were grouped into four phenotypes: Phenotype A (hyperandrogenemia [HA]+ovulatory dysfunction [OA]+polycystic ovarian morphology [PCOM], n=44), Phenotype B (HA+OA, n=50), Phenotype C (HA+PCOM, n=46), and Phenotype D (OA+PCOM, n=53). Clinical data were collected for all subjects. Serum MCH levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between MCH and androgen-related risk factors for PCOS was analyzed using Spearman partial correlation analysis and stepwise multiple linear hierarchical regression. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing PCOS onset. The diagnostic value of MCH for PCOS was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:There were no significant differences in age and height between the healthy control group and the PCOS phenotypic groups (both P>0.05). MCH levels [17.63 (12.69, 22.00), 17.31 (11.05, 20.09), 17.82 (11.47, 19.40), 16.50 (11.14, 19.41) μg/L vs. 12.14 (9.78, 15.05) μg/L], homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum lisulin, body mass index, and weight were significantly higher across all four PCOS phenotypes (A, B, C, and D) than in healthy controls (all P<0.05), whereas sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) contents were significantly lower ( P<0.05). Free androgen index (FAI), total testosterone (TES) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels were significantly higher in PCOS phenotypes A, B, and C than in the control group and PCOS phenotype D (all P<0.05). Spearman partial correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between MCH and TES, DHEA, or FAI in healthy controls and patients with non-HA PCOS (all P>0.05). However, in PCOS patients with HA, MCH showed a significant positive correlation with TES and DHEA ( r=0.227 and 0.196, respectively; both P<0.05), but not FAI ( P>0.05). Stepwise multiple linear hierarchical regression analysis showed that MCH was positively correlated with TES, DHEA and luteinizing hormone and negatively correlated with SHBG (all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression indicated that an increase in MCH may be a potential risk factor for PCOS occurrence ( OR=1.113, 95% CI 1.012-1.224, P=0.028). ROC analysis showed that MCH has diagnostic value for PCOS ( P<0.05), with an area under the curve of 0.713. Conclusion:Serum MCH is closely related to FAI, TES, and DHEA levels in PCOS patients and may play an important role in the etiology and progression of the syndrome.

To address the problem of data silos in dental specialties caused by equipment heterogeneity, this study developed an Intelligent Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled dental chair platform (hereinafter referred to as the intelligent platform) based on the concept of medical-engineering integration. The platform adopts a three-tier chair-domain interconnection architecture: the bottom tier integrates multi-source sensors and standardized interfaces for automated data acquisition and linkage with hospital information systems; the middle tier provides clinic-level management and remote teaching collaboration; and the top tier employs a blockchain-based secure cloud database for resource allocation and data management. Clinical validation at The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University demonstrated that, compared with a control group from the same period in 2023, the trial group achieved a 38.0% increase in average daily patient visits (80.6±6.8 vs. 58.4±5.2, t=15.16, P<0.001), a 24.6% reduction in average treatment time [(36.1±6.3) min vs. (47.9±8.5) min, t=7.72, P<0.001], a 39.2% reduction in waiting time [23.3 (16.5, 30.1) min vs. 38.3 (28.3, 48.3) min, U=32.00, P<0.001], a 30.4% reduction in equipment idle rate [8.7% (5.1%, 12.3%) vs. 12.5% (7.4%, 17.6%), U=251.00, P=0.003], and an increase in patient satisfaction from 88.2% (1 519/1 723) to 94.3% (2 186/2 318) ( t=7.26, P<0.001). User research confirmed that the functions most favored by clinicians and patients were "dental chair parameter updating and clinical data integration" [74.7% (80/107)] and "chairside display of diagnostic images" [76.8% (119/155)], respectively. Looking forward, the intelligent platform has the potential to integrate artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and 5G-enabled multicenter collaboration to further expand its clinical applications and accelerate the digital transformation of dental healthcare.

Ulcerative colitis （UC）， a chronic， non-specific inflammatory bowel disease with typical symptoms such as abdominal pain， diarrhea， and bloody stools， demonstrates a high relapse rate and difficulty in curing. Sishenwan， first recorded in Internal Medicine Abstract （Nei Ke Zhai Yao）， are a classic prescription for treating diarrhea caused by deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. The core therapeutic principle of Sishenwan is warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney， and astringing the intestine and stopping diarrhea. In recent years， Sishenwan have demonstrated distinct advantages in the clinical treatment of UC. The pathogenesis of UC involves multiple factors， including immune dysregulation and gut microbiota imbalance. Although Western medicine is effective in the short term， its side effects， high relapse rate， and resistance associated with long-term use pose substantial challenges. Sishenwan have shown excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Modern clinical studies indicate that Sishenwan， used alone or in combination with Western medicine or other Chinese medicine compound prescriptions， significantly improve the clinical efficacy in treating UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Sishenwan effectively alleviate core symptoms such as mucus， pus， and blood in stools， and persistent abdominal pain， reduce Mayo scores and the relapse rate， and improve patients' quality of life. Research on the material basis reveals that Sishenwan contain multiple active ingredients such as psoralen， isopsoralen， and evodiamine. Mechanism studies indicate that Sishenwan inhibit the inflammatory cascade reactions by regulating the signal network through multiple targets. Sishenwan regulate cellular immunity and restore intestinal immune homeostasis. At the microecological level， Sishenwan promote the intestinal barrier repair through the "microbiota-metabolism-immunity" axis. The current research still needs to be deepened in aspects such as the mining of specific biomarkers for syndromes and the exploration of the collaborative mechanism of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In the future， a full-chain system covering syndrome differentiation， targeting， and monitoring needs to be constructed for promoting the paradigm transformation of Sishenwan into precision drugs. This review systematically explains the treatment mechanism of Sishenwan regarding the combination of disease and syndrome and its multi-target regulatory characteristics， providing a theoretical basis and transformation direction for the treatment of UC with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Ulcerative colitis （UC）， a chronic， non-specific inflammatory bowel disease with typical symptoms such as abdominal pain， diarrhea， and bloody stools， demonstrates a high relapse rate and difficulty in curing. Sishenwan， first recorded in Internal Medicine Abstract （Nei Ke Zhai Yao）， are a classic prescription for treating diarrhea caused by deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. The core therapeutic principle of Sishenwan is warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney， and astringing the intestine and stopping diarrhea. In recent years， Sishenwan have demonstrated distinct advantages in the clinical treatment of UC. The pathogenesis of UC involves multiple factors， including immune dysregulation and gut microbiota imbalance. Although Western medicine is effective in the short term， its side effects， high relapse rate， and resistance associated with long-term use pose substantial challenges. Sishenwan have shown excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Modern clinical studies indicate that Sishenwan， used alone or in combination with Western medicine or other Chinese medicine compound prescriptions， significantly improve the clinical efficacy in treating UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Sishenwan effectively alleviate core symptoms such as mucus， pus， and blood in stools， and persistent abdominal pain， reduce Mayo scores and the relapse rate， and improve patients' quality of life. Research on the material basis reveals that Sishenwan contain multiple active ingredients such as psoralen， isopsoralen， and evodiamine. Mechanism studies indicate that Sishenwan inhibit the inflammatory cascade reactions by regulating the signal network through multiple targets. Sishenwan regulate cellular immunity and restore intestinal immune homeostasis. At the microecological level， Sishenwan promote the intestinal barrier repair through the "microbiota-metabolism-immunity" axis. The current research still needs to be deepened in aspects such as the mining of specific biomarkers for syndromes and the exploration of the collaborative mechanism of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In the future， a full-chain system covering syndrome differentiation， targeting， and monitoring needs to be constructed for promoting the paradigm transformation of Sishenwan into precision drugs. This review systematically explains the treatment mechanism of Sishenwan regarding the combination of disease and syndrome and its multi-target regulatory characteristics， providing a theoretical basis and transformation direction for the treatment of UC with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Aim To investigate the role of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase(TDO2)in cisplatin-acute kidney in-jury(Cis-AKI)and to explore the mechanism of TDO2 in relation to apoptosis in tubular epithelial cells(TECs)to investigate the mechanism of TDO2 associ-ated with apoptosis.Methods An AKI model was es-tablished by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin(Cis).Colorimetric assay was used to detect CRE and BUN levels,and PAS staining was employed to observe renal injury in mice.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect TDO2 protein expression and distribution and macrophage(F4/80+)infiltration;immunofluores-cence was used to detect the co-localization of TDO2 with the tubular marker LTL;TUNEL staining was used to detect apoptosis in mouse kidney;flow cytome-try was used to detect overexpression of human renal cortical proximal tubular epithelial cells(HK2)and apoptosis after administration of the TDO2 inhibitor 680C91;Western blot was used to detect TDO2 and NF-κB pathway protein levels in HK2 cells after over-expression and inhibition of TDO2.Results In the o-verall animal experiments,Cis-AKI mice showed signif-icantly higher levels of CRE and BUN and obvious tu-bular damage compared with the control group;at the same time,the renal tissues of Cis-AKI mice showed increased expression of F4/80,and the proportion of apoptotic cells in kidney cells was increased.Immuno-histochemistry and immunofluorescence showed that the expression of TDO2 increased,mainly localized in TECs.In cellular experiments,HK2 cells overexpress-ing TDO2 increased the proportion of apoptosis,and the expression of TDO2,p-IKBα,and p-p65 proteins was elevated,and p-IKBα/IκBα and p-p65/p65 were ele-vated;furthermore,the proportion of apoptosis was re-duced by the administration of 680C91,and the expres-sion of p-IκBα,and p-p65 proteins decreased,and the expression of p-IKBα/IKBα,and p-p65/p65 de-creased.Conclusions Elevated TDO2 in TECs is in-volved in the pathological mechanism of Cis-AKI,which may be related to its induction of apoptosis in TECs and activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and consequently renal injury.