T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

Objective:To explore the construction of abdominal aortocaval fistula (ACF) model in adenine-induced renal failure rats, and to provide a suitable animal model for subsequent mechanism and intervention researches.Methods:Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were fed with 0.75% adenine diet (renal failure group, n=60) and the same diet without adenine (control group, n=10) for 4 weeks, and the rats were randomly grouped by block randomization method with a ratio of 6∶1. Thirty rats in the renal failure group were randomly selected by block randomization method at a ratio of 1∶1 to undergo laparotomies to establish ACF models (renal failure+ACF group). The serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen detection and Masson staining were used to evaluate the establishment of renal failure model. Small animal ultrasound imaging system was applied to verify the successful construction of the ACF model. After 6 weeks of ACF observation, blood samples were collected from the heart of rats, and ACF-vascular tissues were collected for pathological study (HE staining). Results:At 4 weeks of feeding, compared with the control group, serum creatinine [(63.8±23.5) μmol/L vs. (33.0±3.8) μmol/L, Z=3.651, P<0.001] and blood urea nitrogen [(13.1±6.9) mmol/L vs. (5.3±0.6) mmol/L, Z=3.254, P=0.001] in the renal failure group were both higher. Masson staining showed renal tubulointerstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, renal tubular epithelial cell atrophy, interstitial fibrosis and vascular injury. Five rats sacrificed after ACF surgeries, and the survival rate was 83.3%. Doppler ultrasound showed turbulent blood flow of arterial to venous shunt at the anastomosis of open ACF (23/25) in the renal failure+ACF group. HE staining showed typical eccentric neointimal hyperplasia in the outflow tract of ACF vein in the renal failure+ACF group. Conclusions:The adenine-induced ACF rat model is successfully constructed, and ACF shows typical eccentric neointimal hyperplasia. The ACF construction would provide a reliable animal model to study the mechanism and intervention of neointimal hyperplasia for autologous arteriovenous fistula.

ObjectiveTo analyse the clinical characteristics of different traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in patients with heart failure based on information from electronic medical record. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to collect clinical data of all inpatients with heart failure in the Department of Cardiology， Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1， 2019 to December 31， 2020. A database of clinical TCM data was established to explore the characteristics of clinical data of basic information， syndromes and syndrome element types， and biochemical indexes. The distribution of TCM syndromes and syndrome elements in heart failure patients were also analysed， and the basic information and biochemical indexes of the patients with top 7 different TCM syndrome types were compared. ResultsA total of 1676 inpatients with heart fai-lure were included. The top 7 TCM syndromes of heart failure were syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis （477 cases， 28.46%）， syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis （439 cases， 26.19%）， syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention （274 cases， 16.35%）， syndrome of yang deficiency with water retention （145 cases， 8.65%）， syndrome of qi and yin deficiency （104 cases， 6.21%）， syndrome of qi and yin deficiency with blood stasis （80 cases， 4.77%）， syndrome of heart yang deficiency （59 cases， 3.52%）. Among the 1676 patients， 6 syndrome elements accounted for more than 5%. Blood stasis accounted for the highest proportion of TCM syndrome element type （1292 cases， 77.09%）， followed by qi deficiency （919 cases， 54.83%）， phlegm （498 cases， 29.71%）， water retention （434 cases， 25.89%）， yang deficiency （215 cases， 12.82%） and yin deficiency （191 cases， 11.40%）. Among the 1676 patients， 1308 cases of acute heart failure mainly showed syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis （386 cases， 29.51%）， and 368 of chronic heart fai-lure mainly showed syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis （118 cases， 32.07%）. Patients with syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis had the shortest disease duration of 0.3 months， while those with syndrome of heart yang deficiency had the longest disease duration of 15 months. The proportion of syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis was the highest in patients with heart failure combined with coronary artery disease， the proportion of syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention was the highest in patients with heart failure combined with atrial fibrillation， and the proportion of patients with syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention and syndrome of yang deficiency with water retention in those applying diuretics during the hospital stay was the highest with more than 86%. The different 7 TCM syndromes showed statistically difference in patients with complications including coronary artery disease， old myocardial infarction， atrial fibrillation， pre and post-admission medication usage including intravenous vasodilators， cardiac stimulants， diuretics， and level of blood chloride， blood urea， blood creatinine， blood bicarbonate， blood albumin， and blood total bilirubin （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe most common TCM syndromes in patients with heart failure are syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis and syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis. Different TCM syndromes have different characteristics in gender， disease complications， medication before and after admission， and blood indexes.

Objective:To investigate the long-term prognosis of liver transplantation (LT) recipients who received grafts from donors aged ≥80 years and the associated risk factors.Methods:Clinical and follow-up data of LT recipients from January 2002 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database. Donors were categorized into three groups : non-elderly donors (NED, age < 60 years), elderly donors (ED, age 60-79 years), and very elderly donors (VED, age ≥80 years). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce baseline selection bias among the groups. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences among the groups were compared using the Log-Rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for overall survival (OS) in the VED group. Recipients were further subdivided into three age groups (<50 years, 50-69 years, and ≥70 years) to compare survival outcomes among NED, ED, and VED groups.Results:A total of 115, 089 LT recipients were included, comprising 95, 973 (83.4%) in the NED group, 18, 520 (16.1 %) in the ED group, and 596 (0.5 %) in the VED group. After 3∶3∶1 PSM, each group included 1, 623 recipients for NED and ED, and 541 for VED, with no significant differences in baseline data. The 10-year OS rates for NED, ED, and VED groups were 61.8%, 55.9%, and 47.8%, respectively, and the 10-year graft survival (GS) rates were 61.3 %, 53.8%, and 45.9 %, respectively, with all comparisons showing statistical significance ( P< 0.001). In recipients aged <70 years, the VED group had significantly lower OS and GS rates (49.0% and 47.1 %, respectively ) compared to the NED (63.7 % and 61.8%) and ED (57.7% and 55.2 %) groups ( P< 0.001 ). For recipients aged ≥70 years, there were no significant differences in 10-year OS and GS among the NED (47.2% and 48.7 %), ED (47.0 % and 48.7 %), and VED (40.0 % and 39.2 %) groups ( P= 0.992 and P= 0.996, respectively). Cox regression analysis identified cold ischemia time ≥8 hours ( HR=1.447, 95% CI: 1.088-1.923, P=0.011), pre-transplant ICU dependence ( HR=1.803, 95% CI: 1.176–2.765, P=0.007), and hepatitis B/C virus infection ( HR =1.432, 95% CI: 1.057-1.941, P=0.020) as independent risk factors for OS in the VED group. Conclusions:Liver grafts from VED grafts significantly reduce long-term OS and GS in recipients, except in those aged ≥70 years where prognosis is comparable to recipients of NED and ED grafts.. For the VED group, factors such as cold ischemia time ≥8 hours, pre-transplant ICU dependence, and hepatitis B/C virus infection markedly influence the prognosis.

Objective In order to address the major issues in fixed assets management for public hospitals like"unclear management boundaries,poor management,improper utilization,and placing greater emphasis on purchasing rather than manage-ment"this paper delved into the management of fixed assets in public hospitals.Methods The Theory of Constraints(TOC)was used to guide the study.In conjunction with a current situation analysis,the key factors influencing fixed assets management in public hospitals were identified using a questionnaire survey as well as field investigation.Results By adopting a problem-sol-ving approach and focusing on the"five key elements"of refining institutional processes,optimizing system utilization,develo-ping team management,establishing effective performance evaluation,and implementing innovative work mechanisms,a lean management system for fixed assets in public hospitals was developed.This system ensured the efficient and standardized daily management of fixed assets,continual enhancement of institutional frameworks,initial formation of management teams,and the fundamental establishment of dynamic management practices.Conclusion Hospitals explore comprehensive life-cycle manage-ment of fixed assets,effectively elevating the level of refined management of fixed assets and ensuring the secure integrity and effi-cient utilization of state-owned assets.

Objective:To explore the correlation between frailty and carotid plaque stability in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. From May to December 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 360 patients with ischemic stroke in the Department of Neurology of Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University and underwent carotid artery color Doppler ultrasound examination as the study subject. Patients were surveyed using the General Information Questionnaire, Barthel Index and the Edmonton Frail Scale. Carotid artery color Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate the stability of carotid plaques in patients. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to explore the correlation between frailty and carotid plaque stability.Results:A total of 360 questionnaires were distributed, and 352 valid questionnaires were collected, with a valid response rate of 97.78%. The incidence of frailty in 352 ischemic stroke patients was 44.89% (158/352). Multivariate analysis showed that compared to stable plaques, unstable carotid plaques were an independent risk factor for frailty in patients with ischemic stroke ( OR=2.127, 95% confidence interval: 1.247-3.626) . Conclusions:Compared to stable plaques, unstable carotid plaques increase the risk of frailty in patients with ischemic stroke. Strengthening the assessment of carotid plaques in patients with ischemic stroke by nursing staff can early identify high-risk individuals for frailty, and timely carry out personalized interventions, thereby reducing the occurrence of adverse health events in patients.

Objective　To elucidate the molecular characteristics of two Acinetobacter baumannii strains producing NDM-1, OXA-23, and OXA-51 carbapenemases through whole genome sequencing technology, explore the mechanism of drug resistance, evolutionary pathways, and transmission potential, and provide data support for the formulation of clinical infection control strategies. Methods　Two strains of Acinetobacter baumannii producing class B and class D carbapenemases, sourced from the ICU environment of two hospitals in Shanghai, were selected as study subjects. Next-generation sequencing technology was used to obtain the whole genome sequences of the strains. The whole genome map of the strains was drawn based on GCskew and Prokka tools on the Proksee website. Drug susceptibility experiments and BacWGSTdb 2.0 online analysis platform were used to screen for drug resistance genes to analyze the drug resistance of strains. Virulence genes, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), capsule serotype, and plasmid migration were evaluated based on the VFDB database, PubMLST database, OriTfinder, Kptive, and other tools, and an evolutionary tree was drawn by Neighbor-Joining method. Results　Whole genome data showed that both strains belong to ST164_Pasteur/ST1418_Oxford-KL47/OCL5 type. All of them carry seven resistance genes (blaADC-25, blaCARB-5, blaCARB-16, blaCARB-49, blaNDM-1, blaOXA-23, blaOXA-91) and non-mobile plasmids. They possess 45 virulence genes related to outer membrane proteins and efflux pumps and are closely related to 5 strains from Malaysia and China (Changsha, Nanchang, and Hangzhou). Conclusions　For the first time, the coexistence of OXA-23, OXA-51, NDM-1 producing Acinetobacter baumannii has been detected in the ICU environment in Shanghai, potentially posing a serious threat to public health. It is necessary to strengthen the monitoring and research of such strains to develop effective prevention and control strategies.

ObjectiveTo compare the transcriptional levels of two cultivars （Mingui 1 and Mingui 2） with different stem and leaf colors. MethodThe fresh leaves with petioles and the upper stems from Angelica sinensis with two colors were selected as the material， and the hybrid sequencing strategy was used. The technology at the transcriptome was used to build the non-reference full-length transcript library of A. sinensis， and the RNA-seq technology was used to analyze differentially expressed genes of the two cultivars， reusing a public database for biology function annotation and fine classification of differentially expressed genes. The main candidate genes regulating color differences between stems and leaves of A. sinensis were screened out. ResultThe sequencing results of A. sinensis transcripts were good and the quality of the sequencing data was high. The 34 528 full-length transcripts were annotated into 33 947， 33 241， 29 150， and 22 601 in the Non-redundant Protein Sequence Database （NR）， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG）， SwissProt， and Clusters of Orthologous Groups for Eukaryotic Complete Genomes （KOG）， respectively. The 705 differentially expressed genes of the two cultivars with biological and molecular functions were divided into 11 categories， which were mainly enriched in the primary metabolism （17.87%）， stress response （14.47%）， and secondary metabolism （11.49%）. The differentially expressed genes related to colors were mainly concentrated in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. ConclusionThe main reason for the color differences of the stems and leaves in two cultivars of A. sinensis may be related to the expression differences of genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis， which lays a foundation for subsequent functional verification and further clarification of the relationship with the main pharmacodynamic components of A. sinensis.

With the continuous development of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， the requirement for the quality of Chinese medicines has become increasingly higher since they have been widely used in clinical practice. Chinese medicinal materials are the material basis for the inheritance and development of TCM， and their quality directly affects the clinical efficacy. Studying the quality of Chinese medicinal materials is the key to ensure the quality and realize the large-scale application. As one of rare Chinese medicinal materials， Cistanches Herba has the functions of tonifying kidney yang， invigorating blood and essence， moistening intestines to relieve constipation. High-quality Cistanches Herba is characterized by glossy appearance， high density， fleshy and soft texture， and sweet taste. With the reduction of wild resources， the products from cultivated Cistanche deserticola or C. tubulosa become dominant on the market of Cistanches Herba. The cultivation areas are widely distributed， mainly concentrated in Gansu， Inner Mongolia， and Xinjiang. However， the cultivated products have varied quality due to the differences in germplasm， producing region， cultivation method， harvesting， and processing. According to the theories of quality evaluation based on morphological characteristics and excellent appearance indicating high quality， this paper reviewed the literature on the quality evaluation， growth， development， and processing of Cistanches Herba in the last decade to explore the main factors （genetic characteristics， environmental conditions， and harvesting and processing factors） affecting the quality of Cistanches Herba. The review aims to explore the factors for the high quality and provide a reference for the producing region screening， directional cultivation， and production of Cistanches Herba.

Objective:To investigate the value of pulse oxygen saturation (SpO 2) monitoring in predicting children with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods:It was a retrospective study involving 341 children with snoring during nighttime sleep who had visited the Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from June 2017 to November 2020 and monitored for polysomnography (PSG) and SpO 2.The SpO 2 parameters mainly included oxygen desaturation index (ODI), oxygen desaturation index ≥3% (ODI3), oxygen desaturation index ≥4% (ODI4), mean pulse blood oxygen saturation (MSpO 2), lowest pulse blood oxygen saturation (LSpO 2), cumulative time spent with blood oxygen saturation below 95%, 92% and 90%(T95, T92 and T90). According to obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea index (OAHI), patients were divided into the snoring and mild OSA group (OAHI≤5 times/h) and moderate-to-severe OSA group (OAHI>5 times/h). Differences in SpO 2 parameters were compared between groups using the Chi- square test and Mann- Whitney U test. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between SpO 2 parameters and OAHI in all children.The SpO 2 parameters were included in the Logistic regression model.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficiency of SpO 2 parameters on moderate-to-severe OSA. Results:A total of 341 patients were recruited, including 206 male and 135 female patients with the mean age, body mass index (BMI) and OAHI of 6.0 (4.0, 7.5) years, 16.2 (15.1, 18.0) kg/m 2 and 0.6 (0.1, 3.0) times /h, respectively.There were 283(83.0%) and 58 (17.0%) patients in the snoring and mild OSA group and moderate-to-severe OSA group.The ODI3[0.7 (0.3, 1.4) times/h vs.7.7 (4.4, 12.8) times/h], ODI4[0.4 (0.1, 0.8) times/h vs.5.3 (2.7, 9.1) times/h], T95[1.4 (0.3, 5.3) min vs.13.7 (7.0, 33.5) min], T92[0.1 (0, 0.5) min vs.1.8 (0.9, 6.0) min] and T90[0 (0, 0.1) min vs.0.6 (0.2, 2.2) min] were significantly lower in the snoring and mild OSA group than those of moderate-to-severe group, while LSpO 2[91.0 (89.0, 93.0)% vs.86.5 (82.0, 88.0)%] and MSpO 2[ 97.0 (97.0, 98.0)% vs.96.0 (96.0, 97.0)%] were significantly higher(all P<0.001). All SpO 2 parameters were significantly correlated with OAHI (all P<0.001), and the correlation coefficient between ODI3 and OAHI was 0.660.ODI3 was an independent predictor of moderate-to-severe OSA ( OR=3.117, 95% CI: 1.635-5.945, P=0.001). The area under the ROC curve of ODI3 in predicting the moderate-to-severe OSA was 0.957, and the cut-off value of 3.45 times/h and specificity of 95.4%.MSpO 2 was an independent predictor of moderate-to-severe OSA ( OR=2.917, 95% CI: 1.589-5.354, P=0.001). Conclusions:ODI3 can be used to predict the moderate-to-severe OSA in children.