Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of vericiguat combined with the new"Quadruple Therapy"for treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF)and to explore its impact on left ventricular reverse remodeling(LVRR)in patients with different baseline characteristics.Methods A total of 87 patients with chronic heart failure treated with vericiguat at the Department of Cardiology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from June 2022 to March 2024,were consecutively enrolled as the observation group.These patients were matched at 1:1 by age,sex,and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)with 87 patients who received the standard quadruple therapy without vericiguat as the control group.Propensity score matching was used to further balance confounding factors,resulting in 64 patients in each group for final analysis.Changes in echocardiographic parameters,liver and kidney function,electrolyte levels,and blood pressure were analyzed at baseline and during the 6-month follow-up to assess the efficacy and safety of vericiguat.The primary efficacy endpoint was the occurrence of LVRR.Subgroup analyses were conducted based on baseline characteristics such as age and sex.Interaction analysis was utilized to evaluate the heterogeneity of vericiguat's efficacy.Results After 6 months of treatment,the vericiguat group showed significant improvements in cardiac structure and function compared to the control group.The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced[-0.43(-1.00,-0.10)mm vs.-0.22(-0.53,0.02)mm,P=0.002],and the LVEF was significantly increased[8.45％(1.40％,16.50％)vs.2.75％(0,11.00％),P=0.002].The percentage of patients in the vericiguat group who achieved LVRR was significantly larger than in the control group(46.4％vs.27.4％,P=0.011).Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the combination of vericiguat was an independent predictor of LVRR(Model 2:OR=2.54,95％CI:1.29～5.01,P=0.007).The reverse remodeling effect remained consistent across different subgroups and was not significantly influenced by specific baseline characteristics(Pinteraction>0.05).Vericiguat did not affect blood pressure,liver and kidney function,or electrolyte levels,achieving satisfactory safety,despite its significantly higher incidence of gastrointestinal reactions(16.1％vs.5.7％,P<0.001).Conclusion The addition of vericiguat to the quadruple therapy significantly improves cardiac function and promotes left ventricular reverse remodeling in HFrEF patients while maintaining a favorable safety profile.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of vericiguat combined with the new"Quadruple Therapy"for treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF)and to explore its impact on left ventricular reverse remodeling(LVRR)in patients with different baseline characteristics.Methods A total of 87 patients with chronic heart failure treated with vericiguat at the Department of Cardiology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from June 2022 to March 2024,were consecutively enrolled as the observation group.These patients were matched at 1:1 by age,sex,and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)with 87 patients who received the standard quadruple therapy without vericiguat as the control group.Propensity score matching was used to further balance confounding factors,resulting in 64 patients in each group for final analysis.Changes in echocardiographic parameters,liver and kidney function,electrolyte levels,and blood pressure were analyzed at baseline and during the 6-month follow-up to assess the efficacy and safety of vericiguat.The primary efficacy endpoint was the occurrence of LVRR.Subgroup analyses were conducted based on baseline characteristics such as age and sex.Interaction analysis was utilized to evaluate the heterogeneity of vericiguat's efficacy.Results After 6 months of treatment,the vericiguat group showed significant improvements in cardiac structure and function compared to the control group.The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced[-0.43(-1.00,-0.10)mm vs.-0.22(-0.53,0.02)mm,P=0.002],and the LVEF was significantly increased[8.45％(1.40％,16.50％)vs.2.75％(0,11.00％),P=0.002].The percentage of patients in the vericiguat group who achieved LVRR was significantly larger than in the control group(46.4％vs.27.4％,P=0.011).Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the combination of vericiguat was an independent predictor of LVRR(Model 2:OR=2.54,95％CI:1.29～5.01,P=0.007).The reverse remodeling effect remained consistent across different subgroups and was not significantly influenced by specific baseline characteristics(Pinteraction>0.05).Vericiguat did not affect blood pressure,liver and kidney function,or electrolyte levels,achieving satisfactory safety,despite its significantly higher incidence of gastrointestinal reactions(16.1％vs.5.7％,P<0.001).Conclusion The addition of vericiguat to the quadruple therapy significantly improves cardiac function and promotes left ventricular reverse remodeling in HFrEF patients while maintaining a favorable safety profile.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of sequential immunotherapy with radiotherapy on survival time and immune function in patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a real-world study.Methods:Data of 84 patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC who were treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2021 to December 2022 (retrospective cohort) and from January 2023 to December 2023 (prospective cohort) were collected. The patients were divided into the combination group ( n=40) and radiotherapy group ( n=44) based on whether they received sequential immunotherapy or not. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between two groups were compared using standardized mortality ratio weighting (SMRW). Univariate Cox proportional hazards model, multivariate regression analysis, multi-model comparison of propensity score matching and subgroup analysis were emploed to analyze the robustness of clinical efficacy between two groups. E-value analysis was used to analyze the sensitivity of unmeasured confounding factors in observational studies. Additionally, the percentage of CD4 +T cells, CD8 +T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, and CD4 +/CD8 + T cell ratio before and after treatment between two groups were compared using analysis of covariance. Results:Among 84 patients, 77 (92%) cases were male and 7 (8%) were female. Among them, 42 (50%) were aged 65 years or older. The variables showed high homogeneity after SMRW, with a standardized mean difference of less than 0.1. In the combination group, the median PFS [17.0 months vs. 7.0 months, HR=0.260, 95% CI: 0.130-0.490, P<0.001] and OS [not reached vs. 24.0 months, HR=0.210, 95% CI: 0.070-0.590, P=0.002] were significantly longer compared to that in the radiotherapy group, with statistically significant differences. The study results were confirmed by robustness and sensitivity analyses. After treatment, patients in the combination group showed a statistically significant increase in the percentage of CD4 + T cells and NK cells, and CD4 +/CD8 + T cell ratio, as well as a decrease in the percentage of CD8 + T cells compared to those in the radiotherapy group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Sequential immunotherapy following radiotherapy can significantly improve survival and prognosis of unresectable stage III NSCLC patients. The survival benefit is even greater when combined with chemotherapy. The main mechanism of the survival benefit may be the improvement of anti-tumor immune function.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of sequential immunotherapy with radiotherapy on survival time and immune function in patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a real-world study.Methods:Data of 84 patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC who were treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2021 to December 2022 (retrospective cohort) and from January 2023 to December 2023 (prospective cohort) were collected. The patients were divided into the combination group ( n=40) and radiotherapy group ( n=44) based on whether they received sequential immunotherapy or not. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between two groups were compared using standardized mortality ratio weighting (SMRW). Univariate Cox proportional hazards model, multivariate regression analysis, multi-model comparison of propensity score matching and subgroup analysis were emploed to analyze the robustness of clinical efficacy between two groups. E-value analysis was used to analyze the sensitivity of unmeasured confounding factors in observational studies. Additionally, the percentage of CD4 +T cells, CD8 +T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, and CD4 +/CD8 + T cell ratio before and after treatment between two groups were compared using analysis of covariance. Results:Among 84 patients, 77 (92%) cases were male and 7 (8%) were female. Among them, 42 (50%) were aged 65 years or older. The variables showed high homogeneity after SMRW, with a standardized mean difference of less than 0.1. In the combination group, the median PFS [17.0 months vs. 7.0 months, HR=0.260, 95% CI: 0.130-0.490, P<0.001] and OS [not reached vs. 24.0 months, HR=0.210, 95% CI: 0.070-0.590, P=0.002] were significantly longer compared to that in the radiotherapy group, with statistically significant differences. The study results were confirmed by robustness and sensitivity analyses. After treatment, patients in the combination group showed a statistically significant increase in the percentage of CD4 + T cells and NK cells, and CD4 +/CD8 + T cell ratio, as well as a decrease in the percentage of CD8 + T cells compared to those in the radiotherapy group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Sequential immunotherapy following radiotherapy can significantly improve survival and prognosis of unresectable stage III NSCLC patients. The survival benefit is even greater when combined with chemotherapy. The main mechanism of the survival benefit may be the improvement of anti-tumor immune function.

Objective:To investigate the improvement of radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction and its preliminary mechanism by Ilex pubescens var.kwangsiensis.Methods:SPF grade male Kunming mice were randomly divided into control group(Control),Ilex pubescens var.kwangsiensis(IP),radiation group(Rad)and radiation+Ilex pubescens var.kwangsiensiss group(Rad+IP),with 10 mice in each group.Morris water maze test and dark avoidance test were used to detect the changes in cognitive function of mice before and after drug intervention.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and electron microscopy were used to observe the changes of brain histopathology and ultrastructure in the hip-pocampus of mice.The expressions of nuclear factor E2-associated factor 2(Nrf2),heme oxygenase 1(HO-1),man-ganese superoxide dismutase(MnSOD),B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2(Bcl-2)and Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax)were detected by immunohistochemical assay.Results:The expressions of MnSOD and Bcl-2 in hippocampal tissue of mice in Rad group were significantly decreased,the expressions of Nrf2,Bax and HO-1 were significantly increased,and the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 was also significantly increased.After intervention,he expressions of MnSOD,Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased,and the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased.Conclusion:Ilex pu-bescens var.kwangsiensis improved cognitive dysfunction in mice after radiation,and the mechanism may be related to Nrf2 activation and regulation of HO-1 transcription and expression,reducing oxidative stress damage.

Osteoporotic proximal humeral fracture (OPHF) is one of the common osteoporotic fractures in the aged, with an incidence only lower than vertebral compression fracture, hip fracture, and distal radius fracture. OPHF, secondary to osteoporosis and characterized by poor bone quality, comminuted fracture pattern, slow healing, and severely impaired shoulder joint function, poses a big challenge to the current clinical diagnosis and treatment. In the field of diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of OPHF, traditional Chinese and Western medicine have accumulated rich experience and evidence from evidence-based medicine and achieved favorable outcomes. However, there is still a lack of guidance from a relevant consensus as to how to integrate the advantages of the two medical systems and achieve the integrated diagnosis and treatment. To promote the diagnosis and treatment of OPHF with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, relevant experts from Orthopedic Expert Committee of Geriatric Branch of Chinese Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Youth Osteoporosis Group of Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Osteoporosis Group of Orthopedic Surgeon Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and Osteoporosis Committee of Shanghai Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine have been organized to formulate Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic proximal humeral fracture with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine ( version 2024) by searching related literatures and based on the evidences from evidence-based medicine. This consensus consists of 13 recommendations about the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of OPHF with integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, aimed at standardizing, systematizing, and personalizing the diagnosis and treatment of OPHF with integrated traditional Chinse and Western medicine to improve the patients ′ function.

Objective: To analyze the correlation between refractive errors and physical development indicators among primary school students aged 6 to 9, so as to provide a scientific basis for the development of effective prevention and control measures. Methods: A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to recruit 2 833 elementary school students aged 6 to 9 from Guangdong Province for vision screening, ocular biometry, and physical examinations in Octorber, 2020. The Chi square test, t-test, and ANOVA were employed to compare myopia rates and indicator values across different groups. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the correlations between height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) with refractive development indicators. Results: The screening myopia rate among primary school students aged 6 to 9 was 16.7%, and the myopia rate increased with age ( χ 2= 51.58 , P <0.01). The height and weight of the myopic group [(126.96±7.41)cm, (26.59±6.45)kg] were higher than those of the non myopic group [(124.76±7.77)cm, (25.42±5.87)kg] ( t =5.84, 3.65, P <0.01). The mean values of spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and AL/corneal curvature radius (CR) ratio for students aged 6 to 9 were (-0.17±1.04)D, (22.96±0.78)mm, (3.38±0.24)mm, and (2.95±0.08), respectively, with statistically significant differences across different age and myopia severity groups ( t =37.08, 119.20, 41.54, 133.60; 935.30, 184.10, 73.95, 498.50, P < 0.01). After adjusting for gender, age, and residence, the multiple linear regression model showed that height was positively correlated with AL and CR, weight was positively correlated with ACD, and BMI was positively correlated with AL and ACD ( β = 0.191 , 0.070, 0.035, 0.013, 0.007, P <0.05). When stratified by myopia status, results for the non-myopic group were similar to the overall results, whereas in the myopic group, the correlations between height, BMI, and AL were not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). Conclusions Among primary school students aged 6 to 9, height and BMI are positively correlated with AL in the non myopic group but no similar correlation is observed in the myopic group, indicating that factors other than physical development, such as environmental and behavioral factors, should be considered for their impact on refractive development.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Purpose: This retrospective study aimed to re-evaluate the effect of concurrent chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the era of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Materials and Methods: A total of 498 patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) or IMRT were retrospectively reviewed. The distribution of baseline characteristics was balanced using propensity score matching. Additionally, the results of NCT+IMRT and NCT+CCRT were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and differences in survival rates were analyzed using the log rank test. Results: There were no significant differences in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and local progression-free survival (LRFS) between the two groups. Patients were further categorized into risk subgroups based on pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA cutoff values using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in OS, PFS, DMFS, and LRFS between patients who received NCT+CCRT and NCT+IMRT in the high-risk group. In the low-risk group, although there were no differences between NCT+CCRT and NCT+IMRT in OS, PFS, and LRFS, patients who received NCT+CCRT had better DMFS than those who received NCT+IMRT. Conclusion Pretreatment EBV DNA level can be used to individualize concurrent chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced NPC. Patients with low pretreatment EBV DNA levels may benefit from concurrent chemotherapy, whereas those with high levels may not. Other treatment modalities need to be explored for high-risk patients to improve their prognosis.

Objective:To evaluate the association between periodontitis and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and explore the potential local oral risk factors for MCI.Methods:The study included 70 middle-aged and elderly subjects (44 females and 26 males) with periodontal disease who were first diagnosed by the Department of Periodontology or referred by the Department of Geriatrics in Shanghai Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2021 to January 2022. In this study, the control group consisted of periodontal disease patients without cognitive impairment, and the case group (MCI group) consisted of those diagnosed with MCI referred by the geriatrics specialists. Full-mouth periodontal examinations of all subjects were performed and periodontal indicators were recorded by periodontists, while digital panoramic radiographs were taken. The severity of periodontitis was defined according to the 1999 classification, and the staging and grading of periodontitis were defined according to the 2018 American Academy of Periodontology and European Federation of Periodontology classification. The mini-mental state examination scale was chosen by geriatricians to evaluate the cognitive function of the included subjects. The cubital venous blood was drawn to detect the expression levels of inflammatory factors such as hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in serum. Independent-samples t test and chi-square test were used to analyze the differences in population factors, periodontal-related indexes and serum inflammatory factors between the two groups (α=0.05). Odds ratios ( OR) for MCI according to the severity of periodontitis and main periodontal clinical indexes were calculated by binary Logistic analysis. Results:Thirty-nine subjects were included in the control group and thirty-one in the MCI group. The age of the study population was (58.3±6.2) years (range: 45-70 years). The comparison between two groups showed that the control group was with higher educational background (χ2=9.45, P=0.024) and 2.6 years younger than the MCI group [(57.1±6.0) years vs. (59.7±6.3) years, t=-1.24, P=0.082]. The number and proportion of moderate to severe periodontitis in control group were significantly lower compared to those in MCI group (17 cases with 43.6% vs. 23 cases with 74.2%, χ2=6.61, P=0.010), and the OR of moderate to severe periodontitis adjusted by age and educational background was 3.00 (95 %CI: 1.01-8.86, P=0.048). Compared with the grading (χ2=5.56, P=0.062) of periodontitis, staging had a greater impact on MCI (χ2=7.69, P=0.041), moreover the proportion of MCI in stage Ⅰ grade A periodontitis was significantly lower than any other type of periodontitis (χ2=13.86, P=0.036). In addition, less presence of deep periodontal pockets [probing depth (PD)≥6 mm] (17.9% vs. 41.9%, χ2=4.87, P=0.027), fewer number of PD≥4 mm (6.48±6.70 vs. 11.03±8.91, t=-2.44, P=0.017), lower plaque index (1.42±0.56 vs. 1.68±0.57, t=-1.91, P=0.059) and gingival index (1.68±0.29 vs. 1.96±0.30, t=-3.93, P<0.001) were in the control group than in the MCI group. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the levels of serum inflammatory factors, such as hs-CRP, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α ( P>0.05). Conclusions:It appears a strong correlation between moderate to severe periodontitis and the incidence of MCI in middle-aged and elderly people. Moreover, deep and increased number of periodontal pockets, poor oral hygiene, and severe gingival inflammation can be potentially associated risk factors for MCI.