ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects and safety of the optimized new Shengmai Powder （优化新生脉散方） on exercise tolerance in patients with chronic heart failure （CHF） of qi deficiency， blood stasis， and fluid retention syndrome. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled trial was conducted. A total of 78 CHF patients with qi deficiency， blood stasis， and fluid retention syndrome were recruited and randomly assigned to a treatment group （39 cases） and a control group （39 cases）. On the basis of conventional western medical therapy， patients in the treatment group additionally received the optimized new Shengmai Powder granules， while the control group was given an oral placebo of optimized new Shengmai Powder granules. Patients in both groups took 30.6 g each time， twice a day， mixed with water for administration， with a total treatment course of 4 weeks. The primary outcomes were 6-minute walk distance （6MWD） and peak oxygen uptake （Peak VO₂） measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Secondary outcomes included New York Heart Association （NYHA） functional classification， B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） levels， cardiac function indexes including left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventri-cular end-systolic diameter （LVESD） and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ） scores， and scores of four diagnostic information of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. All indicators were assessed once before and after treatment respectively. Safety indicators were evaluated， and adverse events during the trial were recorded. ResultsAll patients in both groups were included in the full ana-lysis set （FAS） and safety set （SS）. Compared with baseline， the 6MWD and Peak VO₂ of cardiopulmonary exercise test in the treatment group significantly increased after treatment， while the MLHFQ scores， serum BNP levels and scores of TCM four diagnostic information significantly decreased， and the NYHA cardiac function grade significantly improved （P＜0.01）. After treatment， the 6MWD and Peak VO₂ of cardiopulmonary exercise test， as well as their changes from baseline in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group； the MLHFQ scores， serum BNP levels and scores of TCM four diagnostic information in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group； and the improvement of NYHA cardiac function grade in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group （P＜0.01）. There was no statistically significant differences in all indicators after treatment in the control group （P＞0.05）. The incidence of adverse events was 5.1% （2/39） in the treatment group and 2.6% （1/39） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference between groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine treatment， the addition of the optimized new Shengmai Powder can further improve exercise tolerance， cardiac function and quality of life in patients with CHF of qi deficiency， blood stasis and fluid retention syndrome， and show good safety.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the influential factors for all-cause mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria （CR-GNB） treated with polymyxin B. METHODS PubMed， Embase， the Cochrane Library， Web of Science， Wanfang Data， VIP， CBM and CNKI were searched to collect clinical studies on all-cause death within 30 days or 28 days after treatment with polymyxin B in patients with CR-GNB infection from database establishment to July 2025. After literature screening， data extraction and evaluation of literature quality， meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS A total of 12 studies were included， involving 1 326 patients， among whom 529 patients died， with a mortality rate of 39.89%. Meta-analysis results showed that combined with cardiovascular disease [OR＝2.06， 95%CI （1.37， 3.09）， P ＝0.005 ] ， increased Sequential Organ Failure Assessment （SOFA） score [OR＝1.20， 95%CI （1.07， 1.35）， P ＝0.003 ] ， mechanical ventilation [OR＝2.35， 95%CI （1.65， 3.34）， P ＜0.001 ] ， continuous renal replacement therapy （CRRT） [OR＝2.58， 95%CI （1.67， 3.97）， P ＜0.001 ] ， bloodstream infection [OR＝3.24， 95%CI （2.19， 4.78）， P ＜0.001 ] ， multiple-site infection [OR＝1.51， 95%CI （1.03， 2.20）， P ＝0.03 ] ， septic shock [OR＝3.19， 95%CI （1.94， 5.24）， P ＜0.001 ] ， use of vasoactive drugs [OR＝2.90， 95%CI （1.97， 4.27）， P ＜0.001 ] ， and the occurrence of acute kidney injury （AKI） [OR＝2.17， 95%CI （1.41， 3.36）， P ＜0.001 ] were risk factors for all-cause mortality in patients with CR-GNB infection treated with polymyxin B. Conversely， an extended duration of polymy xin B treatment [OR＝0.92， 95%CI （0.86， 0.99）， P ＝0.03 ] and early administration after CR-GNB infection [OR＝0.47， 95%CI （0.25， 0.85）， P ＝0.01 ] were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS Patients with cardiovascular disease， receiving mechanical ventilation or CRRT， having bloodstream infection， multiple-site infection or septic shock， combining with vasoactive drugs， with AKI and increased SOFA scores have a higher risk of all-cause mortality. Conversely， extending the duration of polymyxin B treatment （beyond 7 days） and early administration within 48 hours after confirmed CR-GNB infection can significantly reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）， as the sixth most common malignant tumor worldwide， poses a serious threat to human health due to its insidious onset and high mortality rate. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms and intervention strategies of gut microbiota （GM） homeostasis in the development and progression of HCC， in order to provide new ideas for the intervention and treatment of HCC. Studies have shown that GM dysbiosis， intestinal leakage， microbial-associated molecular pattern， bacterial translocation， and metabolic products play key roles in the progression of HCC. GM imbalance may lead to immune escape， thereby promoting tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. This article elaborates on the association between GM and HCC， deeply analyzes the mechanism of action of GM in the development and progression of HCC， investigates the role of bile acid-related metabolites， short-chain fatty acid-related metabolites， and other metabolites in HCC， and explores the strategies for targeting GM in the treatment of HCC， including probiotics， prebiotics， antibiotics， Toll-like receptor 4 antagonists， and fecal microbiota transplantation. This article emphasizes that maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier and GM homeostasis is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of HCC， which provides a direction for developing new diagnosis and treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the influential factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in the treatment of severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria （MDR-GNB）. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed， Embase， The Cochrane Library， CNKI database， Wanfang database and VIP database， the studies about the influential factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in the treatment of adult patients with severe infections caused by MDR-GNB from the database construction to April 30， 2025. After screening literature， extracting data and evaluating the quality of literature， systematic review was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS A total of 14 studies involving 2 033 patients were included， of which 1 355 patients showed effective treatment outcomes. The meta-analysis results showed that Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation （APACHE）-Ⅱ ＞ 20 [OR＝4.50， 95%CI （2.28， 8.85）， P＜0.001]， malignant tumor [OR＝1.96， 95%CI （1.41， 2.72）， P＜0.001]， hemodialysis [OR＝2.09， 95%CI （1.40， 3.12）， P＜0.001]， septic shock [OR＝3.07， 95%CI （2.00， 4.72）， P＜0.001]， mechanical ventilation [OR＝2.31， 95%CI （1.57， 3.39）， P＜0.001]， coagulation dysfunction [OR＝ 3.03， 95%CI （2.09， 4.37）， P＜0.001]， glucocorticoids use＞3 days [OR＝2.26， 95%CI （1.14， 4.45）， P＝0.020]， and longer hospitalization time before using tigecycline [OR＝3.33， 95%CI （1.34， 8.30）， P＝0.010] were risk factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in treatment of severe infections caused by MDR-GNB. Tigecycline initial double-dose regimen [OR＝0.23， 95%CI （0.13， 0.42）， P＜0.001]， combination therapy [OR＝0.15， 95%CI （0.05， 0.48）， P＝0.001]， and prolonged treatment course [OR＝0.91， 95%CI （0.88， 0.95）， P＜0.001] were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS There are many influential factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in the treatment of severe infections caused by MDR-GNB， among which APACHE-Ⅱ score＞20， malignant tumor， hemodialysis， septic shock， mechanical ventilation， coagulation dysfunction， glucocorticoids＞3 d and longer hospitalization time before using tigecycline before tigecycline （No.20251606） use are risk factors； tigecycline double dose， combined medication and longer treatment course are protective factors.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the association of the expression of WW domain-containing ubiquitin E3 ligase 1 (WWP1) with immune infiltration in tumor microenvironment (TME) of ovarian cancer. METHODS: Ovarian cancer patient data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used to analyze the association of WWP1 expression with patient prognosis. TISCH2 was utilized to analyze the changes in immune cell subtypes in TME of metastatic tumor and after chemotherapy. The impact of WWP1 on immune cell infiltration, somatic copy number alterations of WWP1 and evolution of immune cell subtypes was evaluated using TIMER and TIGER pseudo-time analysis. A deep learning model was used to analyze TCGA pathological images to investigate the effect of WWP1 on TME of ovarian cancer. RNA-seq analysis was conducted to identify the differentially expressed genes in WWP1-overexpressing SKOV3 cells and validate immune infiltration. Multicolor immunofluorescence assay was used to analyze the immune markers in SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cell xenografts in nude mice. RESULTS: The patients with high WWP1 expression levels had significantly lower overall survival rate (P=0.0012). High WWP1 expression levels and Stage IV disease were both associated with a poor prognosis (P<0.05). In metastatic ovarian cancer or after chemotherapy, the percentages of malignant tumor cells and tumor-associated fibroblasts increased in the TME, accompanied by elevated WWP1 levels. WWP1 expression level was positively correlated with pro-tumorigenic immunosuppressive cells (r=0.1323-0.3955, P<0.05) and negatively with tumor-inhibiting immune cells (r=-0.1949- -0.1333, P<0.05). Specific copy number alterations of WWP1 also influenced CD8⁺ T cell percentage and neutrophil infiltration levels in the TME. RNA-seq analysis of WWP1-overexpressing SKOV3 cells and immunofluorescence assay of the tumor-bearing mice yielded findings consistent with those of bioinformatics analysis. CONCLUSIONS WWP1 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and a potential target for immune regulation in the TME of ovarian cancer.
Female ; Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics* ; Humans ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism* ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Animals ; Mice ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Mice, Nude ; Prognosis ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting women worldwide, with its incidence rate continuously increasing. As a result, treatment strategies for this disease have received considerable attention. Research has highlighted the crucial role of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway in the initiation and progression of BC, particularly in promoting tumor growth and metastasis. Therefore, molecular targets within this pathway represent promising opportunities for the development of novel BC therapies. This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic mechanisms by which natural compounds modulate the Hh signaling pathway in BC. By conducting a comprehensive review of various natural compounds, including polyphenols, terpenes, and alkaloids, we reveal both common and unique regulatory mechanisms that influence this pathway. This investigation represents the first comprehensive analysis of five distinct mechanisms through which natural compounds modulate key molecules within the Hh pathway and their impact on the aggressive behaviors of BC. Furthermore, by exploring the structure-activity relationships between these compounds and their molecular targets, we shed light on the specific structural features that enable natural compounds to interact with various components of the Hh pathway. These novel insights contribute to advancing the development and clinical application of natural compound-based therapeutics. Our thorough review not only lays the groundwork for exploring innovative BC treatments but also opens new avenues for leveraging natural compounds in cancer therapy.

Objective:To determine the prevalence of self-reported food allergies among children in the grasslands of North China and to analyze its associated risk factors.Methods:In this study, a cross-sectional epidemiological survey method was used to select children under 14 years old by multi-stage, stratified and random cluster sampling in the grassland ecological area of Zhangbei County, Hebei Province, China from May to July 2018. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered to gather food allergy-related information from the participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors associated with self-reported food allergy.Results:A total of 2 086 children completed the survey. The prevalence of self-reported food allergies was 22.0%(459/2 086). The prevalence of multiple food allergies (≥3 types) was 3.1%(64/2 086) versus 16.3% (341/2 086) for a single food allergy among all children. Mango allergy (6.1%, 127/2 086) was the most common, followed by peach allergy (4.1%, 85/2 086). Children who reported food allergies had a significantly higher prevalence of all 4 atopic disorders (eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis than those without food allergies(35.73% vs. 20.65%, 5.88% vs. 2.77%, 17.86% vs. 7.38%, 16.78% vs. 10.45%, χ2 =44.663 1, 10.434 3, 45.038 3, 13.728 4, all P<0.001).Significantly associated risk factors of food allergy were found to be pollen allergy ( OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.80-2.92) and drug allergy ( OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.12-2.09). Conclusions:The prevalence of self-reported food allergies among children in the Zhangbei County area of the North China Grassland was relatively high. Pollen allergy and drug allergy are major risk factors.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and therapeutic effect of perioral myoclonia with absences (PMA), in order to improve the clinicians′ understanding of the disease.Methods:The clinical manifestations during seizures, as well as interictal and ictal electroencephalogram (EEG) features of 3 PMA patients admitted to the Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University from May to October 2024 were analyzed. The clinical manifestations, EEG characteristics, differential diagnosis, treatment experience of PMA patients were summarized by retrospective analysis combined with previous literature review.Results:The onset age of these 3 PMA cases was 15, 15, and 7 years, respectively. The prominent manifestation of seizure was perioral myoclonus without disturbance of consciousness. The duration of seizures was brief, less than 10 seconds. PMA can occur several times a day and was prone to present as continuous state of perioral myoclonus. Three patients had rare generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS). The seizures could be controlled by sodium valproate, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, or combined treatment. Fifteen literatures about PMA were retrieved (4 in Chinese and 11 in English). A total of 31 patients (including these 3 patients) were included in the study, of whom 17 were males and 14 were females. The onset age was from 9 months to 34 [7.63 (2.19, 11.00)] years. Perioral myoclonus with varying degrees of disturbance of consciousness was the main seizure type, and 12 patients exhibited continuous state of perioral myoclonus, 24 patients had GTCS. Eight patients had a history of fever convulsion, 6 patients had mental or learning disabilities, and 11 patients had a family history of epilepsy or febrile convulsion. The ictal EEG showed around 3 Hz generalized spike-wave/multiple spike-wave discharges accompanied with synchronous myoelectric bursts. There were no specific abnormalities in physical examination of nervous system and cranial imaging in all the patients. Ten patients were initially diagnosed as focal epilepsy. Nine patients′ seizures were increased or worsened due to improper medication. Valproate, lamotrigine and levetiracetam were the main treatments of PMA, and the seizures of 21 patients were effectively controlled.Conclusions:PMA is clinically characterized by perioral myoclonia with varying degrees of disturbance of consciousness and is easy to be misdiagnosed as focal epilepsy, so it is necessary to use video EEG combined with synchronous electromyography to confirm the diagnosis. PMA should be treated with broad-spectrum antiseizure drugs.

Colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R)-related leukoencephalopathy (CSF1R-L) is a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the CSF1R gene. It is typically characterized by rapidly progressive cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and psychiatric or behavioral abnormalities, leading to significant disability and early mortality. More than 100 mutations of CSF1R have been identified in CSF1R-L, but the clinical-genotype relationship is unclear. This report describes a case of CSF1R-L that initially presented with atypical symptoms of left lower limb pain, numbness, and weakness. Despite the non-specific presentation, comprehensive imaging data were available throughout the disease course. Genetic testing identified a heterozygous missense mutation in exon 18 of the CSF1R gene (c.2508CA, p.Ser836Arg), a novel variant not previously reported in the literature. This case offers valuable insights into the dynamic progression of cranial MRI changes in CSF1R-L, broadens the genetic spectrum of this disease, enhances awareness among clinicians, and provides crucial information for the early diagnosis of this condition.

Objective:To develop a Problematic Short Video Use Scale(PSVUS)and evaluate its validity and reliability.Methods:Through literature review and interviews,and with reference to the Diagnostic and Statisti-cal Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition(DSM-5)diagnostic guidelines for internet gaming disorder,the items were compiled.Initially,979 individuals(aged 14-74 years)participated in the survey,and 362 of them were re-tested after two weeks.The Perceived Stress Scale(PSS-4),UCLA Loneliness Scale(ULS-8),Brief Self-Control Scale(BSCS),and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)were used to test the criterion-related validi-ty.Multiple classification methods were used to determine the cut-off value.Additionally,a 9-item brief version of the scale(PSVUS-9)was developed.Results:The PSVUS consists of 27 items organized into 9 dimensions(preoc-cupation,with drawal,tolerance,unsuccessful attempts,escape,continuation despite harm,deception,loss of inter-est,and functional impairment),explaining 78.71％of the total variance,with item factor loadings ranging from 0.62 to 0.95.The nine-factor structure exhibited good fit(x2/df=2.00,CFI=0.97,RMSEA=0.05).The scores of the dimensions were correlated with the scores of the PSS-4,ULS-8,BSCS and HADS(ICC=|0.21|-|0.68|,Ps＜0.05).The Cronbach's α coefficient of the PSVUS was 0.95,and the test-retest reliability was 0.83.The cut-off score for problematic use was determineded to be 70 or above.The PSVUS-9 score was correlated with the scores of the criterion measures(ICC=|0.39|-|0.68|,Ps＜0.01).The Cronbach's α coefficient of PSVUS-9 was 0.86 and the test-retest reliability was 0.80.A score of 24 or higher on the PSVUS-9 was indicative of problematic use.Conclusion:The Problematic Short Video Use Scale(PSVUS)and its brief version demonstrate good validity and reliability,and could be used to measure and screen for problematic short video use.