Uveal melanoma(UM)is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults and arises predominantly from the choroid. Mitochondria, as essential organelles, not only fuel energy metabolism, but also orchestrate signal transduction and apoptosis. Recent studies have progressively uncovered the multifaceted roles of mitochondria in UM, including mitochondrial DNA copy-number alterations, reprogramming of mitochondria-related metabolic genes, and mitochondria-dependent autophagy. Moreover, mitochondria modulate UM progression partly through the PI3K/AKT axis. Natural compounds and small-molecule drugs that impair mitochondrial function have also shown promising activity in inducing UM cell dysfunction. These findings provide new insights into UM pathogenesis and highlight mitochondria as potential therapeutic targets.

OBJECTIVE To explore and evaluate the machine learning model for prediction of bacterial bloodstream infections established based on routine test data.METHODS By means of retrospective survey,a total of 5 421 pa-tients who were hospitalized in 3 medical institutions from Jan.2015 to Dec.2022 were recruited as the research subjects,1 914 of whom were assigned as the bloodstream infection group,and 3 507 were assigned as the non-bloodstream infection group.The baseline data including gender and age and the results of routine laboratory tests were collected from the enrolled patients.The 3 types of machine learning algorithms,logistic regression,support vector machine and random forest,were respectively used for the screening of the optimal prediction model;the contribution of feature variables to the predictive capability of the model was interpreted through SHAP.The fea-ture variables of the model were optimized by using recursive feature elimination method,and the predictive effi-ciency of the model was evaluated by the area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.RESULTS Totally 26 variables involving age,gender and blood routine test indexes were included.The random forest was chosen as the optimal machine learning algorithm for the establishment of prediction model for bloodstream infections,and the accuracy of the model was 0.709,with the AUC 0.706.The result of SHAP ex-planation indicated that the age,hematokrit and erythrocyte volume distribution width-CV had remarkable effect on the model's making right decisions.17 variables of the prediction model showed more remarkable effect than 26 variable on distinguishing from the gram-positive bacteria bloodstream infections from the gram-negative bacteria bloodstream infections,with the AUC 0.715,the sensitivity 0.701,the specificity 0.632.CONCLUSIONS The prediction model that is established based on the blood routine test indexes by machine learning algorithm can pre-dict the bacterial bloodstream infection.Meanwhile,the feature selection strategy can further improve the predic-tive efficiency of the model on basis of lowering the dimensionality.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response triggered by infection and often leads to acute kidney injury(AKI).The pathogenesis of sepsis-associated AKI is complex,involving multiple factors such as renal ischemia,inflammation and oxidative stress.In recent years,pyroptosis,a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death,has gradually attracted the attention of researchers.Pyroptosis is activated by inflammasomes(e.g.,the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-related protein 3 inflammasome,NLRP3 inflammasome),accompanied by Gas-dermin D(GSDMD)-mediated formation of cell membrane pores and release of cellular contents,which leads to exacerbation of local and systemic inflammatory responses.The mechanism of pyroptosis in sepsis-associated AKI has not been fully elucidated,but AKI is directly involved in the process of renal functional impairment by indu-cing the death of renal tubular epithelial cells and exacerbating the local inflammatory response.Blockade of key molecules in the pyroptosis pathway,such as GSDMD or NLRP3 inflammasome,can significantly alleviate renal injury,suggesting that the pyroptosis pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for sepsis-associated AKI.This review summarizes the recent research progress on pyroptosis in sepsis-associated AKI,and discuss its cen-tral role in the pathogenesis,particularly focusing on the inflammasome and GSDMD pathways.Additionally,this paper analyzes the potential of focal death inhibition as a therapeutic strategy and proposes future research direc-tions with the expectation of providing references for the treatment of sepsis-related AKI.

Opium is obtained by air-drying the milky latex extracted from the unripe capsules of the opium poppy(Papaver somniferum).This latex is rich in benzylisoquinoline alkaloids(BIA),with major active compounds in-cluding morphine,codeine,thebaine,papaverine,and noscapine.Compound licorice oral solution and compound licorice tablets are derivative drugs containing opium.Initially classified as over-the-counter(OTC)medications,both formulations were later reclassified as prescription drugs by the National Medical Products Administration(NMPA),restricting their purchase without proper authorization.Although the national pharmacopeia standards specify the morphine content in the opium raw materials used for compound licorice oral solution and tablets,they lack mandatory requirements for the detection and quantification of the other four major alkaloids.Given the unique nature of opium raw materials and the stringent regulatory requirements for such drugs,it is imperative to enhance and refine simultaneous detection and control methods for all alkaloid components in these products.Furthermore,the establishment of scientific and reasonable detection and control standards for preservatives in compound licorice formulations is crucial to improving overall product quality management and ensuring drug safety and efficacy.This study analyzes and discusses the quality standards,detection methods,and research progress for opium and com-pound licorice preparations,aiming to explore the potential for technological innovation and ensure the safe use of these medications.

Objective Based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory of"simultaneous regulation of the liver and kidney,"this study integrated network pharmacology prediction,molecular docking,and animal experimental validation to analyze the multi-target regulatory network of Duzhong Xionghua(the male flower of Eucommia ulmoides)-Sanqi Hua(Sanchi flower)herb pair(hereinafter called"herb pair")in modulating glucolipid metabolic disorders in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),thereby elucidating its underlying molecular mechanism.Methods Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals,and Wanfang Data were used to obtain the active ingredients of the male flower of Eucommia ulmoides and Sanchi flower.PubChem Compound,SwissTargetPrediction,and SuperPred were used to screen and predict the targets of the drugs;The Human Gene Database,The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man,and Therapeutic Target Database were used to screen the key gene targets of T2DM.A"component-target-pathway"network diagram was constructed using Cytoscape software,and Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were employed to identify the functions of the relevant target genes and pathways.Molecular docking was used to verify the binding activities of the core components and the key targets.For animal experiments,spontaneous T2DM model mice were used,in which the normal group consisted of six mice(wild type)from the same litter,and the 24 successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model,metformin(0.26 g/kg),high-dose herb pair(2.6 g/kg),and low-dose herb pair groups(1.3 g/kg)according to the blood glucose levels and body weights,with six mice per group.The drugs were administered by gavage daily for six consecutive weeks.The body weight and fasting blood glucose(FBG)levels were measured weekly,and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed in the fifth week.At the end of drug administration,body weight,naso-anal length,liver and bilateral epididymal adipose mass were measured;pathological changes in the liver were observed using HE staining;serum levels of aspartate transaminase(AST),alanine amino-transferase(ALT),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were detected using colorimetric assay;and liver tissue phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β)signaling pathway protein expressions were determined using Western blotting.Results Network pharmacology screening identified 38 active components and 669 potential targets of the herb pair.Intersection analysis with 1,275 T2DM-related targets yielded 185 common targets.Protein-protein interaction network analysis and pathway enrichment revealed the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway as a key mechanism.Molecular docking confirmed the strong binding affinity of the core components to key targets such as AKT1,suggesting that the herb pair may activate the PI3K/AKT pathway and inhibit GSK-3β activity via beta-sitosterol etc.Animal experiments demonstrated that,compared with the model group,the metformin group exhibited reduced FBG,AST,and ALT levels(P<0.01),but failed to improve body weight,Lee's index,or epididymal fat coefficient.Both herb pair doses significantly lowered Lee's index,hepatic index,and the epididymal fat coefficient(P<0.01),with the low-dose herb pair group showing attenuated body weight gain in mice.In contrast,the high-dose herb pair group exhibited decreased FBG,improved glucose tolerance,reduced TC,TG,and LDL-C levels,and increased HDL-C level(all P<0.01).HE staining revealed that all metformin and the herb pair markedly restored hepatic structure and alleviated steatosis in model mice,with more pronounced effects in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group.Western blotting result indicated that in the low-dose herb pair group,phospho-PI3K(p-PI3K),AKT,and phospho-GSK-3β(p-GSK-3β)protein expressions significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),whereas GSK-3β decreased(P<0.05).The high-dose group exhibited enhanced PI3K,p-PI3K,AKT,phospho-AKT,and p-GSK-3β protein expressions(all P<0.01),accompanied by reduced GSK-3β expression(P<0.01).Conclusion The male flower of Eucommia ulmoides-Sanchi flower herb pair may ameliorate T2DM-related glucolipid metabolic disorders by modulating the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway.

Objective:To investigate the relation between temporal expression changes of proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 ( PRRT2) gene and clinical progression of PRRT2-related paroxysmal disorders (PRPDs). Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed; 19 patients with PRPDs admitted to Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from July 2021 to July 2024 were enrolled; their clinical data, including onset age and disease progression, were collected. Using Bgee database, the PRRT2 gene expressions in different age groups were analyzed to explore their relations with clinical progression. Results:Among the 19 patients, 8 were diagnosed as having infantile convulsion with choreoathetosis (ICCA), 1 patient as having infantile convulsion, and 10 as having paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD). Among patients with ICCA, the disease course was divided into two stages: in infantile period, it manifested as infantile convulsions at the onset, with an onset age of (5.75±1.03) months, ranged 4-7 months; in early childhood, no seizures were noted, enjoying a silent period and lasting for a period ranged 7-15 years; subsequently, the disease relapsed during adolescent, presenting as dyskinesia, with an onset age of (11.75±3.11) years, ranged 8-16 years. Among patients with PKD, onset age was (10.40±3.17) years, ranged 5-17 years. PRRT2 expression peaked before 1 year old, declined to the lowest level at 10 years old, and then gradually increased, reaching a second peak at 17 years old; PRRT2 expression demonstrated bimodal peaks during early childhood and adolescence. Conclusion:PRPDs progression shows a certain consistency with the temporal change of PRRT2 gene expression.

Objective To explore the application value of microwave ablation under ultrasound-magnetic resonance imaging(US-MRI)in the treatment of small liver cancer.Methods A total of 94 patients with small liver cancer were selected and randomly divided into observation group and control group using a random number table method,with 47 patients in each group.The observation group underwent microwave ablation under US-MRI,while the control group received surgical resection.The tumor control rate,periopera-tive indicators,liver function indicators[total bilirubin(TBIL),albumin(ALB),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and alanine amin-otransferase(ALT)],postoperative complications,and 6-month follow-up status were compared between the two groups.Results There was no significant difference in tumor control rate between the two groups(P>0.05).In the observation group,the proportion of patients with smaller intraoperative blood loss,shorter operative time and postoperative performance status(PS)score of 0-1 was higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the levels of TBIL,AST and ALT were lower and the level of ALB was higher,and the incidence of complications was lower in the observation group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences between the two groups in residual lesion and recurrence(P>0.05).Conclusion The short-term efficacy of microwave ablation under US-MRI in the treatment of small liver cancer is similar to that of surgical treatment,and the microwave ablation under US-MRI can also reduce liver function injury,reduce intraoperative blood loss and shorten operation time.

Objective Based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory of"simultaneous regulation of the liver and kidney,"this study integrated network pharmacology prediction,molecular docking,and animal experimental validation to analyze the multi-target regulatory network of Duzhong Xionghua(the male flower of Eucommia ulmoides)-Sanqi Hua(Sanchi flower)herb pair(hereinafter called"herb pair")in modulating glucolipid metabolic disorders in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),thereby elucidating its underlying molecular mechanism.Methods Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals,and Wanfang Data were used to obtain the active ingredients of the male flower of Eucommia ulmoides and Sanchi flower.PubChem Compound,SwissTargetPrediction,and SuperPred were used to screen and predict the targets of the drugs;The Human Gene Database,The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man,and Therapeutic Target Database were used to screen the key gene targets of T2DM.A"component-target-pathway"network diagram was constructed using Cytoscape software,and Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were employed to identify the functions of the relevant target genes and pathways.Molecular docking was used to verify the binding activities of the core components and the key targets.For animal experiments,spontaneous T2DM model mice were used,in which the normal group consisted of six mice(wild type)from the same litter,and the 24 successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model,metformin(0.26 g/kg),high-dose herb pair(2.6 g/kg),and low-dose herb pair groups(1.3 g/kg)according to the blood glucose levels and body weights,with six mice per group.The drugs were administered by gavage daily for six consecutive weeks.The body weight and fasting blood glucose(FBG)levels were measured weekly,and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed in the fifth week.At the end of drug administration,body weight,naso-anal length,liver and bilateral epididymal adipose mass were measured;pathological changes in the liver were observed using HE staining;serum levels of aspartate transaminase(AST),alanine amino-transferase(ALT),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were detected using colorimetric assay;and liver tissue phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β)signaling pathway protein expressions were determined using Western blotting.Results Network pharmacology screening identified 38 active components and 669 potential targets of the herb pair.Intersection analysis with 1,275 T2DM-related targets yielded 185 common targets.Protein-protein interaction network analysis and pathway enrichment revealed the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway as a key mechanism.Molecular docking confirmed the strong binding affinity of the core components to key targets such as AKT1,suggesting that the herb pair may activate the PI3K/AKT pathway and inhibit GSK-3β activity via beta-sitosterol etc.Animal experiments demonstrated that,compared with the model group,the metformin group exhibited reduced FBG,AST,and ALT levels(P<0.01),but failed to improve body weight,Lee's index,or epididymal fat coefficient.Both herb pair doses significantly lowered Lee's index,hepatic index,and the epididymal fat coefficient(P<0.01),with the low-dose herb pair group showing attenuated body weight gain in mice.In contrast,the high-dose herb pair group exhibited decreased FBG,improved glucose tolerance,reduced TC,TG,and LDL-C levels,and increased HDL-C level(all P<0.01).HE staining revealed that all metformin and the herb pair markedly restored hepatic structure and alleviated steatosis in model mice,with more pronounced effects in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group.Western blotting result indicated that in the low-dose herb pair group,phospho-PI3K(p-PI3K),AKT,and phospho-GSK-3β(p-GSK-3β)protein expressions significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),whereas GSK-3β decreased(P<0.05).The high-dose group exhibited enhanced PI3K,p-PI3K,AKT,phospho-AKT,and p-GSK-3β protein expressions(all P<0.01),accompanied by reduced GSK-3β expression(P<0.01).Conclusion The male flower of Eucommia ulmoides-Sanchi flower herb pair may ameliorate T2DM-related glucolipid metabolic disorders by modulating the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway.

Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy of pasteurization-inactivated tumor bone replantation combined with intramedullary vascularized fibula for reconstructing bone defects after surgery for malignant bone tumors in children and adolescents.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 54 patients who underwent pasteurization-inactivated tumor bone replantation combined with intramedullary vascularized fibula reconstruction for bone defects after surgery for malignant bone tumors at the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Treatment Center of Peking University People's Hospital from September 2015 to September 2023. There were 39 males and 15 females, with an age of 12.4±5.6 years (range, 4 to 23 years). The tumor types included 33 cases of osteosarcoma, 19 cases of Ewing sarcoma, and 2 cases of soft tissue sarcoma. All cases were at Enneking stage IIB. The tumor locations were 30 cases in the femur, 19 cases in the tibia, 4 cases in the ilium, and 1 case in the humerus. The survival rate, bone healing time, tumor recurrence, and metastasis were observed. The limb function was evaluated using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS)-93 score.Results:All patients successfully completed the surgery and were followed up, with a follow-up time of 44.6±27.1 months (range, 12 to 96 months). The operation time was 527±132 min (range, 150 to 730 min), and the blood loss was 730±591 ml (range, 300 to 2,800 ml). The length of inactivated tumor bone was 16.5±4.5 cm (range, 9.1 to 24.0 cm), the defect length accounted for 43.4%±12.2% of the total length of the affected bone (range, 23.8% to 75.5%), the proximal osteotomy of the long bones in the extremities was 14.1±8.3 cm from the articular surface (range, 1.9 to 31.1 cm), the distal osteotomy was 9.4±6.2 cm from the articular surface (range, 1.7 to 22.9 cm), and the length of the harvested vascularized fibula was 18.0±4.0 cm (range, 11.0 to 26.4 cm). At the last follow-up, 51 patients were alive, including 47 with no evidence of tumor and 4 with tumor; 3 patients died of tumor progression. Local recurrence occurred in 5 patients, including 4 with soft tissue recurrence in the surgical area (3 underwent surgical resection and 1 received radiotherapy) and 1 with recurrence at the site of inactivated bone. Distant metastasis occurred in 11 patients, including 5 with lung metastasis only, 2 with bone metastasis only, and 4 with combined lung and bone metastasis. Among the 5 patients with lung metastasis only, lung metastases were resected, with 3 surviving with tumor, 2 surviving without tumor; the 2 patients with bone metastasis only underwent surgical resection of bone metastases, both surviving without tumor. Among the 4 patients with combined lung and bone metastasis, 3 died of tumor progression and 1 survived with tumor. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed a 5-year survival rate of 90.8%±6.2% and a 5-year recurrence-free and metastasis-free survival rate of 68.7%±7.9%. The osteotomy healing time at the diaphysis was 8.4±2.3 months (range, 4 to 13 months), the osteotomy healing time at the metaphysis was 5.9±1.7 months (range, 3 to 10 months), and the healing time between inactivated tumor bone and fibula was 6.4±2.0 months (range, 4 to 11 months). No nonunion occurred. The MSTS-93 score at the last follow-up was 94.4%±4.8% (range, 80% to 100%).Conclusion:Pasteurization-inactivated tumor bone replantation combined with intramedullary vascularized fibula reconstruction for bone defects after surgery for malignant bone tumors in children and adolescents has satisfactory clinical efficacy, high bone healing rate, and low rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis.

Objective:To evaluate the preliminary clinical efficacy of minimally invasive extendable prostheses in limb-salvage treatment for distal femoral osteosarcoma in children.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 36 children who underwent reconstruction of bone defects after distal femoral osteosarcoma resection with minimally invasive extendable prostheses at Peking University People's Hospital between December 2021 and December 2023. The cohort included 22 males and 14 females, with a mean age of 10.1±2.7 years (range: 4.3-14.3 years). Among them, 27 cases were primary tumor resections with post-resection bone defects of 17.4±3.2 cm (range: 13.5-25.0 cm), and 9 cases were revision surgeries. Preoperatively, femoral limb length discrepancy (LLD) was 29.6±14.3 mm (range: -1.2-55.0 mm), tibial LLD was 16.0±11.3 mm (range: -4.8-30.0 mm), and total lower limb LLD was 45.1±23.6 mm (range: -5.5-77.0 mm). The prosthesis was modular and compatible with existing tumor prosthesis components via taper connections. Lengthening was achieved by axial screw manual expansion through a 3-4 cm parapatellar arc incision, using a specialized wrench for adjustment. X-rays were performed pre-implantation, before and after each lengthening, and at the last follow-up to assess femoral, tibial, and total lower limb LLD, as well as extension length. At the final follow-up, limb function was assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS)-93 score, and extension-related complications were analyzed.Results:All 36 children successfully underwent implantation and subsequent extension when indicated. The mean follow-up was 14.9±8.1 months (range: 6-31 months). Eleven patients underwent 16 lengthening procedures, with a mean of 1.5±0.8 per case (range: 1-3) and an average extension of 21.1±8.3 mm (range: 9.2-42.8 mm), achieving a total mean recovery of 31.0±16.1 mm (range: 10.4-61.7 mm). Two patients reached the maximum 5 cm extension capacity and underwent minor procedures to retract the extension device and secure the prosthesis. The remaining 25 patients did not require extension as their LLD was <2 cm. At the last follow-up, femoral, tibial, and total lower limb LLDs were 10.6±11.4 mm (range: -8.6-41.4 mm), 9.1±12.7 mm (range: -9.5-39.5 mm), and 20.1±21.0 mm (range: -10.4-72.5 mm), respectively. The mean MSTS-93 score for the 11 extended patients was 90.0%±12.7% (range: 80.0%-96.7%). Complications included two cases of aseptic loosening requiring revision, one transient peroneal nerve palsy after fixed-length filling, and three cases of prosthesis segment retraction due to excessive exercise. Retractions occurred at 9.1±3.3 months (range: 5.3-11.3 months) and were corrected during subsequent extensions without revision.Conclusions:Minimally invasive extendable prostheses allow individualized limb lengthening through small parapatellar incisions based on LLD and soft tissue tension. The extension mechanism is stable, and functional recovery is favorable.