Chronic heart failure is the terminal stage of various cardiovascular diseases， and cardiomyocyte apoptosis is the turning point of decompensation. Studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） could regulate apoptosis-related signaling pathways and factors and inhibit or up-regulate the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Thus， TCM can reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis， protect the myocardial tissue and improve the cardiac function， demonstrating remarkable clinical effects. In recent years， the research on the treatment of chronic heart failure based on the inhibition of cardiomyocyte apoptosis is increasing and becomes the current research hotspot. On the basis of literature review， this paper discovers that TCM regulates apoptosis factors and multiple signaling pathways to inhibit apoptosis and inflammation and delay the progression of chronic heart failure through classical pathways such as the death receptor pathway， the mitochondrial pathway， and the endoplasmic reticulum pathway. At the same time， the studies in this field have the following problems： Repeated studies with shallow， simple， and fragmented contents， treating animal models with TCM prescriptions without syndrome differentiation， treating diseases with drugs at only one concentration which is insufficient to indicate efficacy， and lacking comprehensive， holistic， and systematic studies on the relationships of apoptosis with inflammatory responses， pyroptosis， ferroptosis， and autophagy. In the future， more scientific， reasonable， comprehensive， and feasible experimental schemes should be designed on the basis of comprehensively mastering the research progress in this field， and the communication and cooperation between researchers in different disciplines should be strengthened. The specific pathological mechanism of cardiomyocyte apoptosis in chronic heart failure and the signaling pathways， active components， and action targets of TCM in inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis in chronic heart failure should be elucidated. Such efforts are expected to provide sufficient reference for the clinical treatment of chronic heart failure.

Objective To explore the difference in left ventricular reverse remodeling(LVRR)between coarctation of aorta(CoA)complicated by bicuspid aortic valve(BAV)and that by tricuspid aortic valve(TAV)after percutaneous intervention.Methods The clinical data on 47 patients undergoing percutaneous balloon dila-tion and stent implantation due to CoA in Fuwai Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2014 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the preoperative imaging data,there were 18 patients with BAVA and 29 with TAV.The results of echocardiography before and one year after the procedure were compared.Results CoA Vmax,CoA PG,LVEDd,LVEDdi,LVM and LVMI were significantly improved in CoA patients one year after percutaneous intervention,and 23.4%of the patients developed left ventricular reverse remodeling.AV Vmax,AV PG and LVEDdi in the patients with BAV were higher than those in the TAV group(P = 0.005 and P = 0.007;P = 0.03),and the rate of left ventricular reverse remodeling in BAV patients was lower than that in TAV patients,but there was no statistical significance.Multivariate analysis did not find any influence factors affecting left ventricular reverse remodeling one year after the procedure.Conclusions Part of the CoA patients develops left ventricular remodeling reversal one year after percutaneous intervention.LVRR in patients with BAV is lower than that in those with TAV,which still needs further clinical research.

We report a case of a male patient who developed persistent fever and central nervous system symptoms after eating raw snails for 10 days. The patient was diagnosed with Angiostrongyliasis depended on the clinical presentation, epidemiological history, and etiological results. The patient recovered after receiving albendazole anthelmintic and dexamethasone anti-inflammatory therapy. This article incorporates literature review to sort out the diagnosis and treatment of this patient, in order to provide feasible reference for clinicians.

Objective:The distribution characteristics of intrathecal drugs and the limitation of current catheterization techniques make traditional intrathecal analgesic treatment nearly useless for refractory craniofacial pain,such as trigemina neuralgia.This technical guideline aims to promote the widespread and standardize the application of intra-prepontine cisternal drug delivery via spinal puncture and catheterization. Methods:A modified Delphi approach was used to work for this guideline.On the issues related to the intra-prepontine cisternal targeted drug delivery technique,the working group consulted 10 experts from the field with 3 rounds of email feedback and 3 rounds of conference discussion. Results:For the efficacy and safety of the intra-prepontine cisternal targeted drug delivery technique,a consensus was formed on 7 topics(with an agreement rate of more than 80%),including the principles of the technique,indications and contraindications,patient preparation,surgical specifications for intra-prepontine cisternal catheter placement,analgesic dosage coordination,analgesic management,and prevention and treatment of complications. Conclusion:Utilizing the intra-prepontine cisternal drug infusion system to manage refractory craniofacial pain could provide advantages in terms of minimally invasive,secure,and effective treatment.This application can not only alleviate the suffering of individuals experiencing the prolonged pain but also support the maintenance of quality of life and dignity in their final moments,justifiing its widespread dissemination and standardized adoption in domestic and international professional fields.

Objective:To investigate the current situation of satisfaction with graduate education among recent medical graduates in China, and analyze the differences between different populations, and to propose countermeasures and suggestions.Methods:From June to July 2023, a self-made questionnaire was used to survey 16 903 medical graduates who had recently earned a post-graduate degree from 78 institutions about their satisfaction with curriculum sessions, practical sessions, research training, tutoring, and institutional management. The degrees of satisfaction with education among different populations were compared through the t test and analysis of variance with the use of SPSS 26.0. Results:The scores of satisfaction of the graduates with tutoring, curriculum sessions, practical sessions, institutional management, and research training were 4.44, 4.03, 4.02, 3.90, and 3.82, respectively. Satisfaction scores for individual dimensions were significantly higher for males, doctors, non-transfers, comprehensive universities, non-agricultural household registration, moderate-to-high annual household income per capita, parents with high educational levels, and parents with mid- or senior-level occupations ( P<0.05). Conclusions:There is room for improvement in students' satisfaction with medical graduate education. To improve the quality of medical graduate education, attention should be paid to key populations, education policies, school management, and tutoring to provide appropriate education for different students.

We report a case of a male patient who developed persistent fever and central nervous system symptoms after eating raw snails for 10 days. The patient was diagnosed with Angiostrongyliasis depended on the clinical presentation, epidemiological history, and etiological results. The patient recovered after receiving albendazole anthelmintic and dexamethasone anti-inflammatory therapy. This article incorporates literature review to sort out the diagnosis and treatment of this patient, in order to provide feasible reference for clinicians.

With the development of artificial intelligence(AI),AI ethics has become one of the core topics of discussion and research.Starting from the ethical issues and human crises that may be triggered by AI in the process of medical application,this paper discussed the significance of the interpersonal narrative connection between doctors and patients advocated by narrative medicine.It was proposed that to ensure the ethicality,deep humanity,and deep emotional connection of AI applications,AI should create a"life narrative database"based on the"human life database"in the process of basic database modelling.Meanwhile,it also revealed that Chinese narrative medicine helped to improve the professional narrative ability of medical doctors and realise deeply humanized medicine,while actively promoting human-machine value symbiosis and contributing narrative power to the deep humanisation of AI.Combining the concept of narrative medicine in China with the future development and application prospects of medical AI,on the one hand,aims to raise awareness among more people about the importance of interpersonal narrative connection and narrative data for medical quality,on the other hand,calls for active cultivation of clinical narrative thinking by both real doctors and future intelligent doctors to better realize the bioethical and humanistic values emphasized by big health.

Introduction::Observational studies have revealed an association between waist circumference (WC) and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is difficult to infer a causal relationship from observational studies because the observed associations could be confounded by unknown risk factors. Therefore, the causal role of WC in AF is unclear. This study was designed to investigate the causal association between WC and AF using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Methods::In our two-sample MR analysis, the genetic variation used as an instrumental variable for MR was acquired from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of WC (42 single nucleotide polymorphisms with a genetic significance of P <5 × 10 –8). The data of WC (from the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits consortium, containing 232,101 participants) and the data of AF (from the European Bioinformatics Institute database, containing 55,114 AF cases and 482,295 controls) were used to assess the causal role of WC on AF. Three different approaches (inverse variance weighted [IVW], MR–Egger, and weighted median regression) were used to ensure that our results more reliable. Results::All three MR analyses provided evidence of a positive causal association between high WC and AF. High WC was suggested to increase the risk of AF based on the IVW method (odds ratio [OR] = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–1.58, P = 2.51 × 10 -13). The results of MR–Egger and weighted median regression exhibited similar trends (MR–Egger OR = 1.40 [95% CI, 1.08–1.81], P = 1.61 × 10 -2; weighted median OR = 1.39 [95% CI, 1.21–1.61], P = 1.62 × 10 -6). MR–Egger intercepts and funnel plots showed no directional pleiotropic effects between high WC and AF. Conclusions::Our findings suggest that greater WC is associated with an increased risk of AF. Taking measures to reduce WC may help prevent the occurrence of AF.

[Objective]To observe and analyze the vitreoretinal interface changes in type 2 diabetic retinopathy(DR)by using ultra-wide field swept-source optical coherence tomography(UWF SS-OCT)/swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(SS-OCTA).[Methods]This study enrolled 143 patient with diabetic mellitus.We performed SS-OCT on 258 eyes and OCTA on 69 eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR),then analyzed the images to assess the relationship between posterior vitreous detachment(PVD)and DR severity,and to measure the growth of retinal neovascularization in PDR eyes with different stages of PVD.[Results]PVD stage was negatively correlated with DR severity(Gamma=-0.294,P<0.001),that is,the more extensive the vitreoretinal adhesion,the more severe the DR.The negative correlation between PVD stage and DR severity was more evident in patients with diabetes duration more than 10 years(Gamma=-0.620,P<0.001).Retinal neovascularization occurred more commonly in the area of vitreoretinal adhesion.[Conclusions]The degree of vitreoretinal adhesion is closely related to the DR severity.It is very important to use SS-OCT to evaluate the vitreoretinal interface in the management of DR patients.

Objective: To analyze the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis incidence in Xinjiang, and to provide reference for the prevention and control of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: The reported incidence numbers of tuberculosis and population data from various counties, cities(prefectures), and districts in Xinjiang from 2010 to 2022 were collected. Based on spatial-temporal scan statistics, standard deviational ellipse analysis, and centroid migration models, the clustering and migration trends of tuberculosis incidence were evaluated. Utilizing Kriging interpolation techniques, an interpolation analysis of the 2022 incidence rate was conducted on an annual scale, with the reported incidence rate in 2018 serving as a temporal control, to identify hotspots of the spatio-temporal distribution. ArcGIS software was employed to visualize the continuous spatial trends of incidence rate changes. Results: The annual reported incidence rate of tuberculosis in Xinjiang from 2010 to 2022 varied year by year, with fluctuations and increases prior to 2018, peaking in 2018, and then declining annually thereafter. The spatial distribution of the incidence rate exhibited a trend of initial clustering followed by diffusion, with the centroid of incidence shifting towards the northeast, yet the epicenter of the epidemic remained in Aksu Prefecture. The results of spatiotemporal scan statistics analysis revealed that the three-level aggregated areas of the epidemic encompassed a total of 41 prefectures, counties, and cities, with the tuberculosis incidence risk in the primary and secondary aggregated areas being significantly higher than that in other regions(P<0.01). The Kriging interpolation prediction map suggested that the four prefectures in southern Xinjiang continued to be high-risk regions for tuberculosis(incidence rate>300/100 000). The overall incidence rate in the northern region was relatively low, with the lowest rate observed in Urumqi, radiating outwards. Conclusion The incidence rate of tuberculosis in Xinjiang shows an upward trend before 2018, followed by a year-on-year decrease. The centroid of the incidence rate shifts towards the northeast. From 2010 to 2022, the tuberculosis epidemic in Xinjiang exhibits a notable spatiotemporal clustering, particularly prominent in the southwestern region, where the four prefectures constitute high-risk areas for tuberculosis. The prevention and control efforts of tuberculosis in Xinjiang should prioritize the regions with high tuberculosis incidence, intensifying prevention and control measures as well as policy support.