Sepsis remains a challenge in critical care worldwide，with intestinal microbiome dysbiosis implicated in its onset，progression，and organ dysfunction. Germ-free （GF） and human microbiota-colonized animals，by eliminating confounding from resident microbiota and combining induction methods such as CLP/LPS/live-bacterial challenge with fecal microbiota transplantation （FMT） and mono- or combined colonization，enable causal tests and dissection of microbiota-host interactions and drug mechanisms. This review summarizes the application of GF and related models in sepsis research. At the immune level，TLR-related signaling and pathogen community-induced suppression of IRF3-dependent defense affect innate immunity and pathogen clearance. At the barrier level，reprogramming of tight junction proteins and increased permeability drive gut-derived amplification. At the metabolic level，short-chain fatty acids and bile acids function as metabolic valves influencing GPR/HDAC signaling. At the epigenetic level，EZH2 and histone deacetylation emerge as druggable targets. We further synthesize anti-sepsis evidence for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM），mainly from conventional animals and clinical studies，discussing how formulae （e.g.，Xuebijing，Shenfu，and Huanglian Jiedu Tang） and active constituents （e.g.，berberine，luteolin，ginsenosides，and resveratrol） may act through microbiota-related and direct host pathways，with FMT/metabolite replenishment enabling further causal testing. Finally，we propose a closed-loop GF-humanized-clinical stratification paradigm for integrated evaluation of microecology，epigenetics，immunity，and organ outcomes，providing a translational path for precision prevention and treatment based on TCM and the microbiome.

Addressing the enduring challenge of evaluating traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the integrated evidence chain-based effectiveness evaluation of TCMs (Eff-iEC) has emerged. This paper explored its capacity through a demonstration study that evaluated the effectiveness evidence of six commonly used anti-hepatic fibrosis Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), including Biejiajian Pill (BP), Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DZP), Biejia Ruangan Compound (BRC), Fuzheng Huayu Capsule (FHC), Anluo Huaxian Pill (AHP), and Heluo Shugan Capsule (HSC), using both Eff-iEC and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The recognition of these CPMs within the TCM academic community was also assessed through their inclusion in relevant medical documents. Results showed that the evidence of BRC and FHC received higher assessments in both Eff-iEC and GRADE system, while the assessments for others varied. Analysis of community recognition revealed that Eff-iEC more accurately reflects the clinical value of these CPMs, exhibiting superior evaluative capabilities. By breaking through the conventional pattern of TCMs effectiveness evaluation, Eff-iEC offers a novel epistemology that better aligns with the clinical realities and reasoning of TCMs, providing a coherent methodology for clinical decision-making, new drug evaluations, and health policy formulation.

Objective:To explore the clinicopathological features of serum alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) and its subtype hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach (HAS), and to analyze the related factors affecting the prognosis of AFPGC and HAS patients.Methods:The clinical data of 91 patients with AFPGC who were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from February, 2010 to February, 2021 were retrospectively collected. According to the results of hepatoid differentiation, the patients were divided into HAS group (26 cases) and non-HAS group (65 cases). Meanwhile, 130 patients with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) negative gastric cancer at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University were selected by stratified sampling method as common gastric cancer group. The clinicopathological data of patients in the HAS group, non-HAS group and common gastric cancer group were compared and all the patients were followed up for 3 years. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted, and log-rank test was used to analyze the median survival time. Multivariate Cox regression was performed to analyze the independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients. Chi-square test was used for statistical comparison.Results:The proportion of patients with poorly differentiated tumor in the HAS group was higher than that in the non-HAS group (84.6%(22/26) vs. 55.4%(36/65)), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=7.02, P=0.030). The proportions of patients with age < 60 years old, abnormal level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), vascular tumor thrombus, liver metastasis, poor differentiated tumor, and postoperative chemotherapy in the HAS group were higher than those in the common gastric cancer group (34.6% (9/26) vs. 13.8% (18/130), 26.9% (7/26) vs. 7.7% (10/130), 73.1% (19/26) vs. 51.5% (67/130), 30.8% (8/26) vs. 11.5% (15/130), 84.6% (22/26) vs. 37.7% (49/130), and 69.2% (18/26) vs. 27.7% (36/130), respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant ( χ2=5.16, 6.39, 4.06, 4.94, 18.73, and 16.52; all P<0.05). The proportion of male patients in the non-HAS group was lower than that in the common gastric cancer group (58.5%(38/65) vs. 73.1%(95/130)), while the proportions of patients with age < 60 years old, abnormal levels of carbohydrate antigen (CA)15-3, CA19-9, CA242, and CEA in the non-HAS group were higher than those in the common gastric cancer group (40.0% (26/65) vs. 13.8%(18/130), 7.7%(5/65) vs. 0, 23.1%(15/65) vs. 10.0%(13/130), 18.5%(12/65) vs. 7.7%(10/130), and 23.1%(15/65) vs. 7.7%(10/130), respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant ( χ2=4.27, 16.69, 11.25, 6.03, 5.02, and 9.18; all P<0.05). The proportion of patients with maximum diameter of tumor ≥ 5 cm, clinical stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ, lymph node metastasis, extrahepatic metastasis, and postoperative chemotherapy in the non-HAS group were all higher than those in the common gastric cancer group (58.5% (38/65) vs. 42.3% (55/130), 64.6% (42/65) vs. 46.2% (60/130), 83.1% (54/65) vs. 54.6% (71/130), 47.7% (31/65) vs. 15.4% (20/130), and 75.4% (49/65) vs. 27.7% (36/130), respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant ( χ2=4.53, 10.80, 15.26, 23.41, and 40.08; all P<0.05). The incidence of liver metastasis in patients with AFP >100 μg/L was higher than that in patients with AFP ≤100 μg/L (47.6%(10/21) vs. 17.1%(12/70)), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=8.18, P=0.004). The results of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the median survival time of patients in the HAS group, non-HAS group and common gastric cancer group was 13, 28, and 54 months, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (log-rank test, χ2=20.33, P<0.001). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that CA19-9 ( HR=5.803, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.545 to 21.794, P<0.001) and extrahepatic metastasis ( HR=2.747, 95% CI: 1.243 to 6.068, P=0.012) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients in the non-HAS group. CA15-3 ( HR=84.163, 95% CI: 5.085 to 1 392.920, P=0.002), CA125 ( HR=0.038, 95% CI: 0.006 to 0.257, P=0.001), and the degree of tumor differentiation ( HR=2.284, 95% CI: 1.101 to 36.677, P=0.039) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients in the HAS group. Conclusions:Compared to common gastric cancer, AFPGC is characterized by advanced clinical stages, with higher propensity for lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, extrahepatic metastasis and poor prognosis. The higher the AFP level before surgery, the more possibility of liver metastasis after surgery. Serum CA15-3 and CA125 might be tumor markers in predicting the prognosis of HAS patients.

Objective:To explore the clinicopathological features of serum alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) and its subtype hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach (HAS), and to analyze the related factors affecting the prognosis of AFPGC and HAS patients.Methods:The clinical data of 91 patients with AFPGC who were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from February, 2010 to February, 2021 were retrospectively collected. According to the results of hepatoid differentiation, the patients were divided into HAS group (26 cases) and non-HAS group (65 cases). Meanwhile, 130 patients with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) negative gastric cancer at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University were selected by stratified sampling method as common gastric cancer group. The clinicopathological data of patients in the HAS group, non-HAS group and common gastric cancer group were compared and all the patients were followed up for 3 years. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted, and log-rank test was used to analyze the median survival time. Multivariate Cox regression was performed to analyze the independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients. Chi-square test was used for statistical comparison.Results:The proportion of patients with poorly differentiated tumor in the HAS group was higher than that in the non-HAS group (84.6%(22/26) vs. 55.4%(36/65)), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=7.02, P=0.030). The proportions of patients with age < 60 years old, abnormal level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), vascular tumor thrombus, liver metastasis, poor differentiated tumor, and postoperative chemotherapy in the HAS group were higher than those in the common gastric cancer group (34.6% (9/26) vs. 13.8% (18/130), 26.9% (7/26) vs. 7.7% (10/130), 73.1% (19/26) vs. 51.5% (67/130), 30.8% (8/26) vs. 11.5% (15/130), 84.6% (22/26) vs. 37.7% (49/130), and 69.2% (18/26) vs. 27.7% (36/130), respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant ( χ2=5.16, 6.39, 4.06, 4.94, 18.73, and 16.52; all P<0.05). The proportion of male patients in the non-HAS group was lower than that in the common gastric cancer group (58.5%(38/65) vs. 73.1%(95/130)), while the proportions of patients with age < 60 years old, abnormal levels of carbohydrate antigen (CA)15-3, CA19-9, CA242, and CEA in the non-HAS group were higher than those in the common gastric cancer group (40.0% (26/65) vs. 13.8%(18/130), 7.7%(5/65) vs. 0, 23.1%(15/65) vs. 10.0%(13/130), 18.5%(12/65) vs. 7.7%(10/130), and 23.1%(15/65) vs. 7.7%(10/130), respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant ( χ2=4.27, 16.69, 11.25, 6.03, 5.02, and 9.18; all P<0.05). The proportion of patients with maximum diameter of tumor ≥ 5 cm, clinical stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ, lymph node metastasis, extrahepatic metastasis, and postoperative chemotherapy in the non-HAS group were all higher than those in the common gastric cancer group (58.5% (38/65) vs. 42.3% (55/130), 64.6% (42/65) vs. 46.2% (60/130), 83.1% (54/65) vs. 54.6% (71/130), 47.7% (31/65) vs. 15.4% (20/130), and 75.4% (49/65) vs. 27.7% (36/130), respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant ( χ2=4.53, 10.80, 15.26, 23.41, and 40.08; all P<0.05). The incidence of liver metastasis in patients with AFP >100 μg/L was higher than that in patients with AFP ≤100 μg/L (47.6%(10/21) vs. 17.1%(12/70)), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=8.18, P=0.004). The results of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the median survival time of patients in the HAS group, non-HAS group and common gastric cancer group was 13, 28, and 54 months, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (log-rank test, χ2=20.33, P<0.001). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that CA19-9 ( HR=5.803, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.545 to 21.794, P<0.001) and extrahepatic metastasis ( HR=2.747, 95% CI: 1.243 to 6.068, P=0.012) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients in the non-HAS group. CA15-3 ( HR=84.163, 95% CI: 5.085 to 1 392.920, P=0.002), CA125 ( HR=0.038, 95% CI: 0.006 to 0.257, P=0.001), and the degree of tumor differentiation ( HR=2.284, 95% CI: 1.101 to 36.677, P=0.039) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients in the HAS group. Conclusions:Compared to common gastric cancer, AFPGC is characterized by advanced clinical stages, with higher propensity for lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, extrahepatic metastasis and poor prognosis. The higher the AFP level before surgery, the more possibility of liver metastasis after surgery. Serum CA15-3 and CA125 might be tumor markers in predicting the prognosis of HAS patients.

Patients with acute heart failure (AHF) often experience dyspnea, and monitoring and quantifying their breathing patterns can provide reference information for disease and prognosis assessment. In this study, 39 AHF patients and 24 healthy subjects were included. Nighttime chest-abdominal respiratory signals were collected using wearable devices, and the differences in nocturnal breathing patterns between the two groups were quantitatively analyzed. Compared with the healthy group, the AHF group showed a higher mean breathing rate (BR_mean) [(21.03 ± 3.84) beat/min vs. (15.95 ± 3.08) beat/min, P < 0.001], and larger R_RSBI_cv [70.96% (54.34%-104.28)% vs. 58.48% (45.34%-65.95)%, P = 0.005], greater AB_ratio_cv [(22.52 ± 7.14)% vs. (17.10 ± 6.83)%, P = 0.004], and smaller SampEn (0.67 ± 0.37 vs. 1.01 ± 0.29, P < 0.001). Additionally, the mean inspiratory time (TI_mean) and expiration time (TE_mean) were shorter, TI_cv and TE_cv were greater. Furthermore, the LBI_cv was greater, while SD1 and SD2 on the Poincare plot were larger in the AHF group, all of which showed statistically significant differences. Logistic regression calibration revealed that the TI_mean reduction was a risk factor for AHF. The BR_ mean demonstrated the strongest ability to distinguish between the two groups, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.846. Parameters such as breathing period, amplitude, coordination, and nonlinear parameters effectively quantify abnormal breathing patterns in AHF patients. Specifically, the reduction in TI_mean serves as a risk factor for AHF, while the BR_mean distinguishes between the two groups. These findings have the potential to provide new information for the assessment of AHF patients.
Humans ; Heart Failure/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Respiration ; Wearable Electronic Devices ; Acute Disease

Objective:To compare the efficacies of robot-assisted unilateral and manual unilateral/bilateral puncture kyphoplasty (PKP) for the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture (OTLF).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 64 OTLF patients admitted to First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from April 2021 to May 2022. The patients included 28 males and 36 females, aged 57-88 years [(74.5±5.6)years]. Fracture segments were 12 patients from T 1-T 9, 32 from T 10-L 2, and 20 from L 3-L 5. All the patients were treated with PKP. Among them, 25 patients underwent manual unilateral puncture (manual unilateral group), 18 patients underwent manual bilateral puncture (manual bilateral group), and 21 patients underwent robot-assisted unilateral puncture (robot-assisted unilateral group). The operation time, channel establishment time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, bone cement injection volume, and bone cement spatial distribution score were compared among the three groups. The visual analogue score (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and Cobb angle of kyphosis were compared among the three groups before operation, at 3 days and 3 months after operation, and at the last follow-up. The incidence of complications was compared. Results:All the patients were followed up for 6-10 months [(7.0±0.9)months]. The operation time of the manual unilateral group was (30.2±6.1)minutes, which was shorter than (37.9±8.9)minutes of the robot-assisted unilateral group and (49.0±10.2)minutes of the manual bilateral group; the operation time of the robot-assisted unilateral group was markedly shorter than that of the manual bilateral group (all P<0.05). The channel establishment time of the robot-assisted unilateral group was (4.7±1.4)minutes, which was markedly shorter than (10.4±4.4)minutes of the manual unilateral group and (21.7±6.2)minutes of the manual bilateral group (all P<0.05). The intraoperative blood loss of the robot-assisted unilateral group was (23.8±7.2)ml, which was less than (34.3±7.7)ml of the manual unilateral group and (55.9±18.7)ml of the manual bilateral group (all P<0.05). The number of intraoperative fluoroscopy of the robot-assisted unilateral group was (12.1±2.5)times, which was markedly less than (21.2±5.9)times of the manual unilateral group and (39.6±9.5)times of the manual bilateral group (all P<0.05). The channel establishment time, intraoperative blood loss and intraoperative fluoroscopy times of the manual unilateral group were markedly shorter or less than those of the manual bilateral group (all P<0.05). The bone cement injection volume and bone cement distribution score of the robot-assisted unilateral group were (4.7±1.3)ml and (7.9±1.2)points, which were not statistically different from (5.7±1.3)ml and (8.7±1.1)points of the manual bilateral group (all P>0.05), but were markedly higher than (3.0±1.3)ml and (5.1±1.8)points of the manual unilateral group (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in VAS, ODI and Cobb angle among the three groups at 3 days, 3 months after operation and at the last follow-up (all P>0.05), but which were all lower than those before surgery (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in VAS, ODI and Cobb angle among three groups before operation, at 3 days, 3 months after surgery and at the last follow-up (all P>0.05). The complication rate was 4.8% (1/21) of the robot-assisted unilateral group, 32.0% (8/25) of the manual unilateral group, and 33.3% (6/18) of the manual bilateral group, with no significant difference between the manual unilateral group and the manual bilateral group ( P>0.05), but both of which was markedly higher than that of the robot-assisted unilateral group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Robot-assisted unilateral puncture and manual unilateral/bilateral puncture PKP can both achieve satisfactory results for the treatment of OTLF, but robot-assisted unilateral puncture has shorter channel establishment time, less intraoperative blood loss and intraoperative fluoroscopy times, and lower complication rate.

The significant clinical feature of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is the exposure of the necrotic jaw. Other clinical manifestations include jaw pain, swelling, abscess, and skin fistula, which seriously affect the patients' life, and there is no radical cure. Thus, new methods need to be found to prevent the occurrence of BRONJ. Here, a novel nanoparticle, tFNA-KLT, was successfully synthesized by us, in which the nanoparticle tetrahedral framework nucleic acid (tFNA) was used for carrying angiogenic peptide, KLT, and then further enhanced angiogenesis. TFNA-KLT possessed the same characteristics as tFNA, such as simple synthesis, stable structure, and good biocompatibility. Meanwhile, tFNA enhanced the stability of KLT and carried more KLT to interact with endothelial cells. First, it was confirmed that tFNA-KLT had the superior angiogenic ability to tFNA and KLT both in vitro and in vivo. Then we apply tFNA-KLT to the prevention of BRONJ. The results showed that tFNA-KLT can effectively prevent the occurrence of BRONJ by accelerating angiogenesis. In summary, the prepared novel nanoparticle, tFNA-KLT, was firstly synthesized by us. It was also firstly confirmed by us that tFNA-KLT significantly enhanced angiogenesis and can effectively prevent the occurrence of BRONJ by accelerating angiogenesis, thus providing a new avenue for the prevention of BRONJ and a new choice for therapeutic angiogenesis.
Angiogenic Proteins/therapeutic use* ; Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/prevention & control* ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; Nucleic Acids/therapeutic use*

【Objective】 To explore the recruitment and retention strategy of blood donors by investigating the age composition of blood donors in some areas of China, so as to promote blood donation and enhance clinical blood supply. 【Methods】 Through the working platform of Practice Comparison Working Group of China’s Mainland Blood Collection and Supply Institutions, the average age and age composition of blood donors from 22 blood centers were collected, and statistical analysis was conducted after eliminating invalid data. 【Results】 The median average age of blood donors during the survey year was 30.02.The median age in 2.89% of the blood centers was lower than 25. The average age of different genders was statistically significant only in 2018(P<0.05). Fot first-time blood donors, the median constituent ratio of donors <25 and ≥25 years old was 54.53% and 44.28%, with median retention rate at 10.30% and 9.61%, respectively. The median overall participation rate of blood donors was 2.7%, with median participation rate of blood donors <25 years old at 5.1%. 【Conclusion】 The recruitment and retention of blood donor is crucial to enhance clinical blood supply. Blood donors <25 years old, with a longer period for future donation, should be the main target of blood donation recruitment. Meanwhile, the revision of upper age limit for blood donation is another important initiative to grow the blood donor pool.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common physiological or pathological process, and pathological cardiac hypertrophy can lead to heart failure, sudden death, etc. The role of microRNA (miRNA or MIR) in myocardial hypertrophy has gradually attracted public attention. miR-1 plays a certain protective role in the occurrence of cardiac hypertrophy. miR-133 is a key factor in the establishment of mast gene program, which is very important for the development of myocardial hypertrophy. Carvedilol and other drugs can regulate the expression of miR-133. miR-208a plays an important physiological role in the cardiovascular system, and its expression level changes dynamically in a variety of cardiovascular diseases such as cardiac hypertrophy, which is closely related to the progression and prognosis of the disease. The expression of miR-199a is up-regulated in pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy, and it is found that miR-199a can inhibit autophagy of cardiomyocytes and induce the occurrence of cardiac hypertrophy. miR-200c can protect cardiomyocytes through a variety of pathways. miRNA may become an important biomarker or drug therapeutic target for cardiac hypertrophy. With the deepening of the research on non-coding RNAs including miRNA, its regulation on the occurrence of cardiac hypertrophy and the pathological process of heart failure will be further revealed.

【Objective】 To optimize the purification conditions of heparin affinity chromatography in the purification of human coagulation factor Ⅸ by response surface method and establish the optimal chromatography process parameters. 【Methods】 The effect of sample loading temperature on purification efficiency was analyzed through single factor test. Three-factor three-level response surface method was used to optimize the chromatographic elution conditions. The Folin phenol method and the automatic hemagglutination analyzer were used to determine the total protein content and human coagulation factor Ⅸ titer, respectively. The purification effect was evaluated by activity index and process recovery rate. 【Results】 The optimized optimal chromatographic conditions were loading at 5 ℃, washing 4 CV, eluent formulation of sodium citrate 20 mmol/L, arginine hydrochloride 18.7 mmol/L, NaCl 611.6 mmol/L and pH 7.5; under this optimal setting, the recovery rate of the chromatographic process was (46.6±2.9) %, titer of factor Ⅸ rated to (68.4±4.7) IU/mL and specific activity was (62.8±3.3) IU/mg. 【Conclusion】 The optimized parameters of heparin affinity chromatography process by response surface method can produce better purification effect on human coagulation factor Ⅸ.