Objective:To preliminarily evaluate the lumen gain of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) mediated by sinoporphyrin sodium at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites, and to assess whether concomitant statin use, lesion location, plaque echogenicity/type, and baseline stenosis severity modify the therapeutic response.Methods:This single-center, prospective, exploratory pilot clinical study enrolled patients with peripheral artery disease who attended the outpatient cardiology clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between February and September 2016. All enrolled patients received optimized oral medical therapy in combination with a single session of SDT. Vascular evaluation was performed using color Doppler ultrasound before treatment and 1 and 4 weeks after treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percent change from baseline in luminal diameter stenosis at the site of the atherosclerotic plaque (%Δ) at week 4, while the secondary efficacy endpoint was %Δ at week 1. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to prior statin use, plaque location, plaque characteristics, and baseline degree of luminal stenosis.Results:A total of 24 patients, aged (70.7±2.2) years were enrolled. There were 20 (83%) males. Compared to baseline, luminal diameter stenosis at the plaque site reduced by week 4 ((50.1±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001), %Δ was(12.32±1.05)%; and luminal diameter stenosis also reduced by week 1 ((51.7±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001)), %Δ was(9.61±0.85)%. In subgroup analyses, the treatment effect on diameter stenosis was independent of prior statin use; SDT reduced stenosis in both carotid and femoral plaques; with superior efficacy observed in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques; and efficacy was observed across mild, moderate, and severe baseline stenosis categories (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In this single-center pilot study, SDT demonstrates therapeutic efficacy across mild, moderate, and severe stenoses, as well as in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques, showing potential to rapidly promote luminal gain at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites.

Objective:To investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) on inflammation-related atrial fibrillation (AF) susceptibility.Methods:Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse and HL-1 mouse atrial myocyte models were used. (1) In vivo study: experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+SDT, and SDT groups, with 20 mice in each group. Atrial fibrillation inducibility and duration were assessed by electrical stimulation. Western blot was used to analyze atrial expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (CACNA1C) expression. (2) In vitro study: cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Western blot were used to determine the optimal and safe LPS concentration. The safe incubation condition for the sonosensitizer sinoporphyrin sodium was determined by CCK-8 and fluorometry. An LPS-induced inflammatory model in HL-1 atrial myocytes was used, with experimental groups including control, LPS, LPS+SDT, LPS+sinoporphyrin sodium, and LPS+ultrasound groups. NLRP3 was overexpressed using plasmid transfection, with experimental groups including control, NLRP3 plasmid, negative control plasmid, and NLRP3 plasmid+SDT groups. SDT was applied to LPS-stimulated or NLRP3-overexpressing HL-1 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to measure mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and CACNA1C. The NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 was used to validate the relationship of NLRP3 and CACNA1C. The experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+MCC950, and MCC950 groups. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using the probe DCFH-DA, and the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) was used to test if the effects of SDT was ROS-dependent.Results:(1) In vivo: The LPS+SDT group exhibited a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation induction and a shorter duration of atrial fibrillation compared to the LPS group(both P<0.05). Protein expression levels of NLRP3 and IL-1β were lower than those in the LPS group (all P<0.05), while the expression of CACNA1C subunit tended to increase relative to the LPS group ( P>0.05). (2) In vitro: The safe concentration of LPS for administration was ≤20 μg/ml, with an optimal pro-inflammatory concentration of 4 μg/ml. The safe concentration of sinoporphyrin sodium for administration was 0.4 μmol/L, with an optimal incubation time of 4 hours. Compared to the LPS group or NLRP3 plasmid group, the LPS+SDT group or NLRP3 plasmid+SDT group exhibited lower expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18, and higher mRNA and protein levels of CACNA1C (all P<0.05). The LPS+MCC950 group had higher CACNA1C protein expression than the LPS group ( P<0.05). SDT increased intracellular ROS levels, and NAC blocked the regulatory effects of SDT on NLRP3 and CACNA1C. Conclusion:SDT reduces atrial fibrillation susceptibility in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in atrial cardiomyocytes, thereby upregulating the L-type calcium channel subunit CACNA1C.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a key continuous extracorporeal life support technology that can partially or completely replace a patient's cardiopulmonary function, thereby winning valuable time for the diagnosis and treatment of the primary disease. With the widespread application of ECMO, the need for transport has increased. However, during transfers, the standard heater unit is often large and inconvenient to carry, while alternative warming measures tend to be ineffective. This frequently leads to complications such as hypothermia or the inability to maintain body temperature, which can seriously affect the patient's prognosis. In response to this challenge, the medical and nursing staff of the critical care medicine department at Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University jointly designed an insulation device for ECMO transport pipelines. The device was successfully granted a National Utility Model Patent of China (patent number: ZL 2021 2 0653569.3). It primarily consists of key components such as a heating pad, velcro straps, a cover layer, a backing layer, an electric heating layer, and a wiring plug. Its advantages include portability, the ability to effectively wrap around and warm the ECMO circuit during transit, and a reduction in the incidence of hypothermia-related complications. Furthermore, its transparent material design allows for real-time monitoring of the ECMO system's status, making it both economical and practical.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/instrumentation* ; Humans ; Equipment Design

Objective To investigate the relationship between non-high-density lipoprotein cho-lesterol(non-HDL-C)and cardiovascular disease(CVD)in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD)pa-tients.Methods A total of 124 MHD patients were enrolled and divided into CVD group(53 pa-tients)and non-CVD group(71 patients)based on the presence or absence of CVD.Clinical data be-tween the two groups were compared.Additionally,patients were divided into severe calcification group[coronary artery calcification score(C ACS)≥ 400,40 patients]and non-severe calcification group(CACS＜400,84 patients)based on CACS,and clinical data between these two groups were also compared.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the independent risk fac-tors for CVD in MHD patients,and the predictive performance of related indicators for CVD in MHD patients was assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results The levels of serum total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and non-HDL-C were higher,while the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)was lower in the CVD group compared with the non-CVD group(P＜0.05).The levels of serum total cholesterol,LDL-C,and non-HDL-C were higher,and the level of HDL-C was lower in the severe calcification group compared with the non-severe calcification group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of LDL-C and non-HDL-C were both independent risk factors for CVD in MHD patients(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve for predicting CVD in MHD patients were 0.858 and 0.723 for non-HDL-C and LDL-C,respectively,and non-HDL-C had high-er specificity and Youden index than LDL-C.Conclusion Elevated non-HDL-C level is an inde-pendent risk factor and has high predictive performance for CVD in MHD patients.

Objective:To investigate the mediating role of psychological capital between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses, and to provide insights for improving their work engagement.Methods:From December 2023 to February 2024, a total of 307 Operating Room nurses from four class ⅢGrade A hospitals in Beijing, Chongqing, Dalian, and Zhuhai were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, Work Engagement Scale, Decent Work Scale, and Nurses' Psychological Capital Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among psychological capital, perception of decent work, and work engagement. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were performed using AMOS 24.0 software.Results:A total of 307 questionnaires were distributed, and 301 valid responses were collected, with an effective response rate of 98.05%. The mean scores for work engagement, perception of decent work, and psychological capital were (41.01±10.76), (67.30±17.86), and (93.30±15.15), respectively. Work engagement was positively correlated with both the perception of decent work and psychological capital (all P<0.01), and the perception of decent work was positively correlated with psychological capital ( P<0.01). Psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between the perception of decent work and work engagement, with the mediating effect accounting for 62.63%. Conclusions:Psychological capital plays a partial mediating role between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses. Nursing managers can enhance nurses' work engagement by improving their perception of decent work and strengthening their psychological capital.

Objective:To investigate the mediating role of psychological capital between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses, and to provide insights for improving their work engagement.Methods:From December 2023 to February 2024, a total of 307 Operating Room nurses from four class ⅢGrade A hospitals in Beijing, Chongqing, Dalian, and Zhuhai were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, Work Engagement Scale, Decent Work Scale, and Nurses' Psychological Capital Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among psychological capital, perception of decent work, and work engagement. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were performed using AMOS 24.0 software.Results:A total of 307 questionnaires were distributed, and 301 valid responses were collected, with an effective response rate of 98.05%. The mean scores for work engagement, perception of decent work, and psychological capital were (41.01±10.76), (67.30±17.86), and (93.30±15.15), respectively. Work engagement was positively correlated with both the perception of decent work and psychological capital (all P<0.01), and the perception of decent work was positively correlated with psychological capital ( P<0.01). Psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between the perception of decent work and work engagement, with the mediating effect accounting for 62.63%. Conclusions:Psychological capital plays a partial mediating role between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses. Nursing managers can enhance nurses' work engagement by improving their perception of decent work and strengthening their psychological capital.

Objective:To preliminarily evaluate the lumen gain of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) mediated by sinoporphyrin sodium at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites, and to assess whether concomitant statin use, lesion location, plaque echogenicity/type, and baseline stenosis severity modify the therapeutic response.Methods:This single-center, prospective, exploratory pilot clinical study enrolled patients with peripheral artery disease who attended the outpatient cardiology clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between February and September 2016. All enrolled patients received optimized oral medical therapy in combination with a single session of SDT. Vascular evaluation was performed using color Doppler ultrasound before treatment and 1 and 4 weeks after treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percent change from baseline in luminal diameter stenosis at the site of the atherosclerotic plaque (%Δ) at week 4, while the secondary efficacy endpoint was %Δ at week 1. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to prior statin use, plaque location, plaque characteristics, and baseline degree of luminal stenosis.Results:A total of 24 patients, aged (70.7±2.2) years were enrolled. There were 20 (83%) males. Compared to baseline, luminal diameter stenosis at the plaque site reduced by week 4 ((50.1±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001), %Δ was(12.32±1.05)%; and luminal diameter stenosis also reduced by week 1 ((51.7±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001)), %Δ was(9.61±0.85)%. In subgroup analyses, the treatment effect on diameter stenosis was independent of prior statin use; SDT reduced stenosis in both carotid and femoral plaques; with superior efficacy observed in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques; and efficacy was observed across mild, moderate, and severe baseline stenosis categories (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In this single-center pilot study, SDT demonstrates therapeutic efficacy across mild, moderate, and severe stenoses, as well as in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques, showing potential to rapidly promote luminal gain at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites.

Objective:To investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) on inflammation-related atrial fibrillation (AF) susceptibility.Methods:Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse and HL-1 mouse atrial myocyte models were used. (1) In vivo study: experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+SDT, and SDT groups, with 20 mice in each group. Atrial fibrillation inducibility and duration were assessed by electrical stimulation. Western blot was used to analyze atrial expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (CACNA1C) expression. (2) In vitro study: cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Western blot were used to determine the optimal and safe LPS concentration. The safe incubation condition for the sonosensitizer sinoporphyrin sodium was determined by CCK-8 and fluorometry. An LPS-induced inflammatory model in HL-1 atrial myocytes was used, with experimental groups including control, LPS, LPS+SDT, LPS+sinoporphyrin sodium, and LPS+ultrasound groups. NLRP3 was overexpressed using plasmid transfection, with experimental groups including control, NLRP3 plasmid, negative control plasmid, and NLRP3 plasmid+SDT groups. SDT was applied to LPS-stimulated or NLRP3-overexpressing HL-1 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to measure mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and CACNA1C. The NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 was used to validate the relationship of NLRP3 and CACNA1C. The experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+MCC950, and MCC950 groups. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using the probe DCFH-DA, and the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) was used to test if the effects of SDT was ROS-dependent.Results:(1) In vivo: The LPS+SDT group exhibited a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation induction and a shorter duration of atrial fibrillation compared to the LPS group(both P<0.05). Protein expression levels of NLRP3 and IL-1β were lower than those in the LPS group (all P<0.05), while the expression of CACNA1C subunit tended to increase relative to the LPS group ( P>0.05). (2) In vitro: The safe concentration of LPS for administration was ≤20 μg/ml, with an optimal pro-inflammatory concentration of 4 μg/ml. The safe concentration of sinoporphyrin sodium for administration was 0.4 μmol/L, with an optimal incubation time of 4 hours. Compared to the LPS group or NLRP3 plasmid group, the LPS+SDT group or NLRP3 plasmid+SDT group exhibited lower expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18, and higher mRNA and protein levels of CACNA1C (all P<0.05). The LPS+MCC950 group had higher CACNA1C protein expression than the LPS group ( P<0.05). SDT increased intracellular ROS levels, and NAC blocked the regulatory effects of SDT on NLRP3 and CACNA1C. Conclusion:SDT reduces atrial fibrillation susceptibility in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in atrial cardiomyocytes, thereby upregulating the L-type calcium channel subunit CACNA1C.

The Clinical Medicine Proficiency Test developed by the National Medical Examination Center of China in 2020 aims to assess whether clinical medical students possess the necessary medical humanities and basic medical theoretical knowledge and skills required for clinical internships. Since 2002, Japan has implemented the pre-clinical clerkship objective structured clinical examination and computer-based testing, which share similarities with China's proficiency test in terms of examination objectives, content, format, and score evaluation. Through comparing the examinations of China and Japan, this article concludes that it is necessary to learn from Japan's experience to expedite the process of promoting the Clinical Medicine Proficiency Test as an industry admission examination in China. We suggest that medical schools should keep tracking the development of the proficiency test and fully leverage its role in urging students to pay more attention to clinical internships. We also urge medical schools to establish a three-level examination system based on post competency criteria in line with the standards of the National Medical Licensing Examination to improve the quality of medical education.

AIM:To study the expression of glucose transporters(GLUTs)and silent information regulators(SIRTs/sirtuins)in the liver of diabetic rats and human hepatocytes(LO2 cells)treated with high glucose.METHODS:(1)Twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control(NC)group and diabetes mellitus(DM)group.The rats in DM group were given single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(STZ,60 mg/kg)to establish the DM model,while the rats in NC group were intraperitoneally injected with equal volume of solvent once.Fasting blood glucose(FBG)and body mass were measured every 2 weeks.After 12 weeks of rearing,the blood and liver tissues of the rats were ob-tained after anesthesia with 1%sodium pentobarbitone,the biochemical indicators of blood were detected,and the liver in-dex was calculated.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and periodic acid-Schiff(PAS)staining were used to observe liver histopathological changes.Lipid accumulation in liver tissues was detected by oil red O staining.The expression levels of GLUTs and SIRTs family member proteins were detected in rat liver tissues.(2)The LO2 cells were treated with different concentrations of glucose for 48 h.The viability of the cells in each group was measured by CCK-8 assay,and Western blot was used to detected the protein expression levels of GLUTs and SIRTs in the cells.RESULTS:(1)Compared with NC group,the rats in DM group were depressed,lost weight,and the FBG and liver index were significantly increased(P＜0.05).The results of HE staining showed that the hepatic sinuses were dilatated and congested near the central vein in DM rats,and mild edema and scattered infiltration of inflammatory cells were found in liver cells.The results of oil red O staining showed the red fat droplets were diffusely scattered within liver cells in DM group.The results of PAS staining showed that there were numerous diffuse light purple circular droplets in the cytoplasm of the liver cells in the central ve-nous area of the DM rats.Western blot showed that the protein levels of GLUTs were higher and the protein levels of SIRTs were lower than those in NC group(P＜0.01).(2)The results of CCK-8 assay showed that the viability of LO2 cells was increased in 50 mmol/L glucose group(P＜0.01),without significant difference in 75,100 and 125 mmol/L glucose groups(all P＞0.05),and decreased in 150,175 and 200 mmol/L glucose groups(all P＜0.01).Later,150 mmol/L glu-cose was used as the high-glucose intervention condition.Western blot showed that the protein levels of GLUTs and SIRTs in LO2 cells under high glucose intervention were consistented with the results in animal experiments.CONCLUSION:High concentration of glucose can cause liver damage in SD rats and reduce the viability of human hepatocytes(LO2 cells).It can also increase the expression of GLUTs and decrease the expression of SIRTs in rat liver tissues and LO2 cells.Therefore,GLUTs and SIRTs family members may be the target proteins of diabetes-induced liver injury.