Objective:To investigate the expression of erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte kinase receptor A10 (EphA10) in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues, and analyze its correlation with clinical features and prognosis.Methods:The clinical data of 112 patients with gastric cancer from January 2018 to December 2023 in Eastern Theater Command Air Force Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The expression of EphA10 in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues was detected by EnVision immunohistochemical staining. The relationship between EphA10 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn, and the comparison used the log-rank test. Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of the overall survival time in patients with gastric cancer.Results:The positive expression rate of EphA10 in gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues: 44.6% (50/112) vs. 0, and there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 64.37, P<0.01). In patients with gastric cancer, the positive expression of EphA10 in gastric cancer tissues was correlated with tumor long diameter, differentiation, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis ( P<0.01 or <0.05), but without age, gender and distant metastasis ( P>0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis result showed that the median overall survival time in patients with positive EphA10 expression was significantly lower than that in patients with negative EphA10 expression: 18 months vs. 48 months, and there was statistical difference (log-rank χ2 = 53.66, P<0.01). Multivariate Cox regression analysis result showed that tumor long diameter ≥3 cm, TNM stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ, lymph node metastasis and EphA10 positive expression were the independent risk factors of the overall survival time in patients with gastric cancer ( HR = 1.250, 1.515, 1.321 and 0.831; 95% CI 1.143 to 1.368, 1.267 to 1.813, 1.168 to 1.497 and 0.756 to 0.913; P<0.01 or <0.05). Conclusions:The expression level of EphA10 in gastric cancer tissues is up-regulated, and its expression level is correlated with the clinicopathological features. EphA10 can be used as one of the reference indicators for clinical prognosis evaluation in patients with gastric cancer.

Objective:To comprehensively assess the nutritional literacy among family caregivers of elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), so as to provide reference for developing clinical nutrition management strategies for elderly CHF patients.Methods:This study was a descriptive qualitative research. From February to March 2025, purposive sampling was used to select 17 family caregivers of elderly CHF patients at Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University as research subjects for semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using a directed content analysis approach.Results:Three themes and nine subthemes were identified, including functional nutrition literacy (lack of disease-related nutrition knowledge, difficulty in knowledge transformation and utilization, and barriers to voluntary nutritional adherence), interactive functional literacy (limited channels for accessing nutrition information, broken healthcare services, insufficient motivation for proactive communication, and demand for professional dietary guidance), and critical nutrition literacy (challenges in distinguishing information authenticity, reliance on inherent cognition for evaluation) .Conclusions:Family caregivers of elderly patients with CHF commonly lack relevant nutritional knowledge. Healthcare providers should attach importance to the education of nutrition knowledge and skills for family caregivers, establish a multidimensional nutrition education system, develop personalized nutrition guidance plans, and integrate the family-community-medical collaborative support network to systematically strengthen caregivers' understanding of disease nutrition management for elderly CHF patients and enhance their compliance with nutrition care practices.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the role of histone methyltransferase SET and MYND domain containing 2(SMYD2)in facilitating renal fibrosis through the macrophage-myofibroblast transition in diabetic kidney dis-ease(DKD).METHODS:(1)C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally administered 55 mg/kg of streptozotocin to induce diabetes mellitus(DM).The experimental groups were categorized as follows:normal control,DM(20 weeks),DM(28 weeks),and DM(36 weeks).Blood glucose(BG),serum creatinine(SCr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were determined using a biochemical analyzer.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Masson staining were performed to assess morphological and fibrotic changes in renal tissues.Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein levels of SMYD2,histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation(H3K4me3),arginase-1,matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),collagen type Ⅰ(Col Ⅰ)and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA).Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to examine the localization and expression of F4/80,α-SMA,SMYD2,CD86,CD206 and CD163.(2)Mouse monocyte/macrophage RAW264.7 cells were cultured in vitro and assigned to groups as follows:normal glucose(NG)+negative control siRNA(siNC),high glucose(HG)+siNC,NG+SMYD2 siRNA(siSMYD2),and HG+siSMYD2.Western blot analysis was used to assess the expression of relevant proteins.RESULTS:(1)Compared with normal control group,the levels of BG,SCr and BUN were significantly elevated in DM(28 weeks)and DM(36 weeks)groups(P＜0.05).Renal tissue exhibited tubular atro-phy,dilation,and collagen fiber deposition.The levels of H3K4me3,arginase-1,MMP9,Col Ⅰ and α-SMA proteins were up-regulated(P＜0.05).The CD86,CD206,CD163 and F4/80 were primarily localized in the interstitial macrophages of the renal tubules,α-SMA was predominantly detected in the renal interstitium,and SMYD2 was mainly expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells and the renal interstitium.(2)Compared with NG+siNC group,the protein levels of SMYD2,H3K4me3,arginase-1,CD163,Col Ⅰ,α-SMA,transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)and p-Smad3 in the cells of HG+siNC group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Knockdown of SMYD2 resulted in a reduction of these indicators(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:The SMYD2 protein appears to facilitate renal fibrosis in DKD by promoting the macrophage-myofibroblast transition,potentially through the modulation of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the expression of erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte kinase receptor A10 (EphA10) in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues, and analyze its correlation with clinical features and prognosis.Methods:The clinical data of 112 patients with gastric cancer from January 2018 to December 2023 in Eastern Theater Command Air Force Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The expression of EphA10 in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues was detected by EnVision immunohistochemical staining. The relationship between EphA10 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn, and the comparison used the log-rank test. Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of the overall survival time in patients with gastric cancer.Results:The positive expression rate of EphA10 in gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues: 44.6% (50/112) vs. 0, and there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 64.37, P<0.01). In patients with gastric cancer, the positive expression of EphA10 in gastric cancer tissues was correlated with tumor long diameter, differentiation, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis ( P<0.01 or <0.05), but without age, gender and distant metastasis ( P>0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis result showed that the median overall survival time in patients with positive EphA10 expression was significantly lower than that in patients with negative EphA10 expression: 18 months vs. 48 months, and there was statistical difference (log-rank χ2 = 53.66, P<0.01). Multivariate Cox regression analysis result showed that tumor long diameter ≥3 cm, TNM stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ, lymph node metastasis and EphA10 positive expression were the independent risk factors of the overall survival time in patients with gastric cancer ( HR = 1.250, 1.515, 1.321 and 0.831; 95% CI 1.143 to 1.368, 1.267 to 1.813, 1.168 to 1.497 and 0.756 to 0.913; P<0.01 or <0.05). Conclusions:The expression level of EphA10 in gastric cancer tissues is up-regulated, and its expression level is correlated with the clinicopathological features. EphA10 can be used as one of the reference indicators for clinical prognosis evaluation in patients with gastric cancer.

Objective:To comprehensively assess the nutritional literacy among family caregivers of elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), so as to provide reference for developing clinical nutrition management strategies for elderly CHF patients.Methods:This study was a descriptive qualitative research. From February to March 2025, purposive sampling was used to select 17 family caregivers of elderly CHF patients at Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University as research subjects for semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using a directed content analysis approach.Results:Three themes and nine subthemes were identified, including functional nutrition literacy (lack of disease-related nutrition knowledge, difficulty in knowledge transformation and utilization, and barriers to voluntary nutritional adherence), interactive functional literacy (limited channels for accessing nutrition information, broken healthcare services, insufficient motivation for proactive communication, and demand for professional dietary guidance), and critical nutrition literacy (challenges in distinguishing information authenticity, reliance on inherent cognition for evaluation) .Conclusions:Family caregivers of elderly patients with CHF commonly lack relevant nutritional knowledge. Healthcare providers should attach importance to the education of nutrition knowledge and skills for family caregivers, establish a multidimensional nutrition education system, develop personalized nutrition guidance plans, and integrate the family-community-medical collaborative support network to systematically strengthen caregivers' understanding of disease nutrition management for elderly CHF patients and enhance their compliance with nutrition care practices.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the role of histone methyltransferase SET and MYND domain containing 2(SMYD2)in facilitating renal fibrosis through the macrophage-myofibroblast transition in diabetic kidney dis-ease(DKD).METHODS:(1)C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally administered 55 mg/kg of streptozotocin to induce diabetes mellitus(DM).The experimental groups were categorized as follows:normal control,DM(20 weeks),DM(28 weeks),and DM(36 weeks).Blood glucose(BG),serum creatinine(SCr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were determined using a biochemical analyzer.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Masson staining were performed to assess morphological and fibrotic changes in renal tissues.Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein levels of SMYD2,histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation(H3K4me3),arginase-1,matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),collagen type Ⅰ(Col Ⅰ)and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA).Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to examine the localization and expression of F4/80,α-SMA,SMYD2,CD86,CD206 and CD163.(2)Mouse monocyte/macrophage RAW264.7 cells were cultured in vitro and assigned to groups as follows:normal glucose(NG)+negative control siRNA(siNC),high glucose(HG)+siNC,NG+SMYD2 siRNA(siSMYD2),and HG+siSMYD2.Western blot analysis was used to assess the expression of relevant proteins.RESULTS:(1)Compared with normal control group,the levels of BG,SCr and BUN were significantly elevated in DM(28 weeks)and DM(36 weeks)groups(P＜0.05).Renal tissue exhibited tubular atro-phy,dilation,and collagen fiber deposition.The levels of H3K4me3,arginase-1,MMP9,Col Ⅰ and α-SMA proteins were up-regulated(P＜0.05).The CD86,CD206,CD163 and F4/80 were primarily localized in the interstitial macrophages of the renal tubules,α-SMA was predominantly detected in the renal interstitium,and SMYD2 was mainly expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells and the renal interstitium.(2)Compared with NG+siNC group,the protein levels of SMYD2,H3K4me3,arginase-1,CD163,Col Ⅰ,α-SMA,transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)and p-Smad3 in the cells of HG+siNC group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Knockdown of SMYD2 resulted in a reduction of these indicators(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:The SMYD2 protein appears to facilitate renal fibrosis in DKD by promoting the macrophage-myofibroblast transition,potentially through the modulation of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the surgical outcomes of acetabular posterior wall fractures in patients aged 50 and above.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 67 patients with acetabular posterior wall fracture who had been treated through the Kocher-Langenbeck approach and fully followed up from August 2003 to November 2021. There were 54 males and 13 females, aged 59.0 (54.0, 63.0) years. The time from injury to surgery was 8.0 (5.0, 13.0) days. Open reduction and internal fixation was performed for 63 cases and hip arthroplasty for 4 cases by one stage. The operation time, intraoperative bleeding, quality of postoperative fracture reduction, recovery of hip function at the last follow-up, and incidence of complications during the follow-up period were recorded.Results:The operation time for the 67 patients was 90.0 (67.5, 101.3) min, and the intraoperative bleeding 350.0 (300.0, 450.0) mL. According to the Matta criteria, 63 patients with internal fixation achieved anatomical reduction. All the 67 patients were followed up for (112.8±62.4) months. According to the modified Merle d'Aubigné & Postel scoring system, the function of the affected hip was assessed at the last follow-up in the 63 patients with internal fixation as excellent in 56 cases, as good in 3 cases, as fair in 2 cases, and as poor in 2 cases, giving an excellent and good rate of 93.6% (59/63). The prostheses survived in all the 4 patients who underwent one-stage hip replacement, with hip Harris scores of 94, 92, 91, and 93, respectively. Complications included 15 cases (23.8%, 15/63) of heterotopic ossification and 1 case (1.6%, 1/63) of transient sciatic nerve palsy. Femoral head ischemic necrosis and traumatic arthritis occurred in 2 patients (3.2%, 2/63) who had to receive total hip arthroplasty 3 years after surgery.Conclusion:Open reduction and internal fixation is still the main treatment method for acetabular posterior wall fractures in patients aged 50 and above, because it can achieve good clinical outcomes and help the patients recover joint function and quality of life at an early stage.

Breast cancer surgery has been changing from radical mastectomy to modified radical mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery with less trauma and fewer complications. Breast conserving surgery has evolved into oncoplastic breast conserving surgery, which combines both breast conserving and plastic surgery. The application of autologous tissue flap is a research hotspot in oncoplastic breast conserving surgery. This article reviews the indications and contraindications of tissue flap technology in breast cancer, surgical methods and categories, application occasions of different types of tissue flaps, early and delayed postoperative complications, and the impact of different postoperative adjuvant treatments on tissue flaps, based on the latest research on oncoplastic breast conserving surgery both domestically and internationally.

Breast cancer surgery has been changing from radical mastectomy to modified radical mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery with less trauma and fewer complications. Breast conserving surgery has evolved into oncoplastic breast conserving surgery, which combines both breast conserving and plastic surgery. The application of autologous tissue flap is a research hotspot in oncoplastic breast conserving surgery. This article reviews the indications and contraindications of tissue flap technology in breast cancer, surgical methods and categories, application occasions of different types of tissue flaps, early and delayed postoperative complications, and the impact of different postoperative adjuvant treatments on tissue flaps, based on the latest research on oncoplastic breast conserving surgery both domestically and internationally.

Objective To investigate the effect of melanoma associated antigen D1 (Mage-D1)on mouse femoral bone mass and mineralization ability of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal cells (BMSCs)and its potential molecular mechanism.Methods Female Mage-D1 gene knockout heterozygous mice and male wild-type (WT)mice were subjected as parent mice to breed Mage-D1 gene knockout homozygous (Mage-D1 KO)mice.PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to identify male Mage-D1 knockout (Mage-D1 KO)mice and littermate male wild-type (WT)mice.Micro-CT scanning was performed to observe mouse femoral bone mass,and ELISA and chemical assay were employed to detect serum levels of calcium,phosphorus,calcitonin,and parathyroid hormone in mice.After primary cultured BMSCs were identified with flow cytometry,immunofluorescence staining was utilized to detect the expression of Mage-D1 in BMSCs.BMSCs were infected by Mage-D1 silencing lentivirus,and then the cells were divided into negative control group (sh-NC)and silencing group (sh-Mage-D1).Cell scratch assay was conducted to detect the migration ability of BMSCs,and flow cytometry and CCK-8 assay were conducted to detect the cycle change and proliferation ability of BMSCs.After mineralization induction,alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining were performed;RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to measure the expression levels of ALP,Runx2 and Col1.RT-qPCR was used to detect mineralization-related genes p75NTR and Msx1.Results Compared with the WT mice,the femoral cortical bone thickness,cortical bone mineral content,cancellous bone mineral content,trabecular number,and cancellous bone surface density were decreased,and trabecular separation was increased in the Mage-D1 knockout homozygous mice (P<0.05).There were no significant changes in the serum levels of calcium,phosphorus,calcitonin and parathyroid hormone in mice after Mage-D1 knockout.Mage-D1 was expressed in the whole BMSCs and was highly expressed in the nucleus and perinuclear regions.Compared with the sh-NC BMSCs,the sh-Mage-D1 group had decreased proliferation ability (P<0.01),enhanced migration ability (P<0.01),and decreased expression of ALP,Runx2 and Col1 genes (P<0.05)and protein (P<0.01)after mineralization induction,milder ALP and alizarin red stain,and lower expression levels of p75NTR and Msx1.Conclusion Mage-D1 knockout can significantly reduce femur bone mass in mice.It can promote the proliferation and inhibit migration of BMSCs,and positively regulate their mineralization in vitro,and the p75NTR-Dlx1/Msx1 signaling axis may be involved in the regulation of bone metabolism by Mage-D1.