Objective:To investigate the temporal expression of Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF15) in the serum of patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and explore the clinical significance of GDF15 in protecting cardiomyocytes in ACS.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 289 ACS patients admitted to the emergency departments from February to October 2023. Data on gender, age, troponin T (TnT), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), GDF15, and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) within 30 minutes of admission were recorded. Differences in these indicators among different groups were compared. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of GDF15, TnT, and BNP for ACS. Among the patients, 15 exhibited a temporal expression pattern of GDF15, and their blood samples were re-measured using a GDF15 fluorescent quantitative immunochromatographic assay kit. Fifteen patients without temporal expression were randomly selected as controls, and their samples were also re-measured to exclude detection errors. Fifteen patients with temporal expression were included in the temporal expression group, and 15 without temporal expression were included in the non-temporal expression group. Laboratory indicators such as fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, creatinine, and uric acid were compared between the groups. Additionally, patient age, gender, body mass index (BMI), coronary angiography results, echocardiography, Gensini score, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and GRACE risk score were recorded to assess their correlation with GDF15 temporal expression. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 27 software, with continuous data expressed as mean ± standard deviation (Mean ± SD) and compared using t-tests and χ2 tests. Results:The overall trend in ACS patients showed a higher proportion of males than females (73.36% vs. 26.64%). The oldest group was the Unstable Angina (UA) group, with a mean age of (63.98 ± 15.19) years, while the youngest group was the non-ACS chest pain group, with a mean age of (54.29 ± 16.39) years. A higher proportion of patients in the UA, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) groups had a history of smoking. The combination of GDF15 and TnT showed high diagnostic value for ACS, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.843, consistent with previous studies. Among all ACS patients, 15 exhibited a temporal expression pattern of GDF15, where GDF15 levels peaked at 4 hours, gradually decreased, and peaked again at 24 hours. Patients in the temporal expression group had higher LVEF and left ventricular end-systolic diameter compared to the non-temporal expression group. The Gensini score was lower in the temporal expression group, and the GRACE risk score was significantly lower in the temporal expression group (00.7±14.72) compared to the non-temporal expression group (116.1±23.46), with a statistically significant difference ( P = 0.0115). There were no significant differences in general characteristics (age, gender, BMI) or clinical biochemical indicators (fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, uric acid) between the temporal and non-temporal expression groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:GDF15 demonstrates significant diagnostic and prognostic predictive value in ACS. Patients with temporally dynamic expression of serum GDF15 exhibit milder myocardial injury and a lower probability of mortality. These findings provide novel therapeutic targets and research directions for further exploring the role of GDF15 in ACS management.

Objective:To evaluate the utility of pulse oximetry-derived parameters—specifically, the pulse oximetry plethysmographic waveform area under the curve (POP AUC) and the peripheral perfusion index (PPI)—in assessing disease severity and predicting prognosis in patients with sepsis. Methods:In this prospective descriptive study, 68 patients with sepsis were categorized based on illness severity into septic shock and non-shock groups, and by 28-day outcome into survival and non-survival groups. POP AUC, PPI, and lactate (Lac) levels were recorded at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after admission. APACHEⅡ and SOFA scores were calculated within the first 24 hours. The prognostic value of these parameters was evaluated. Results:Significant differences were observed between the septic shock and non-shock groups in POP AUC, PPI, Lac (all P < 0.05 except at 96 h), APACHEⅡ, and SOFA scores (all P < 0.05). These differences were most pronounced at admission: POP AUC0 (2475.1 ± 899.0) vs. (4260.3 ± 1028.5), PPI 0 (0.78 ± 0.74) vs. (3.13 ± 2.18), Lac 0 (4.95 ± 4.32) vs. (2.07 ± 1.55), APACHE Ⅱ (16.78 ± 5.59) vs. 11.82 ± 4.89), and SOFA (8.89 ± 3.25) vs. (5.06 ± 2.60). Optimal prognostic cut-off values were 2741.43 for POP AUC, 0.97 for PPI, 2.05 for Lac, 12.5 for APACHEⅡ, and 5.5 for SOFA. ROC curve analysis showed that at 24 hours, POP AUC and PPI had significantly larger AUC values than Lac ( P < 0.05), while no significant differences were found among other parameters. Significant differences between non-survivors and survivors were also found in POP AUC, PPI (at 0, 24, and 48 h), APACHE II, and SOFA (all P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in PPI (72 h and 96 h) or Lac between the two outcome groups. Conclusions:POP AUC and PPI, as derived from pulse oximetry, are non-inferior to Lac, SOFA, and APACHEⅡ scores in evaluating disease severity and predicting 28-day mortality in sepsis patients. These parameters show promise as practical and non-invasive tools for clinical assessment in sepsis.

In February 2025, a local cluster outbreak caused by the D8 genotype Measles virus (MV) was first discovered in Henan Province. Epidemiological investigations and laboratory testing were conducted, including the collection of serum and throat swabs for MV IgM antibody and nucleic acid detection, virus isolation and genetic homology analysis. Measures such as close contact tracing, vaccination rate assessment and supplementary immunization activities were implemented, successfully preventing broader community transmission. A total of three cases were reported during the outbreak, including one imported-related adolescent and two secondary local adult cases. All cases presented with typical symptoms such as fever and rash. Both adult cases were complicated by pneumonia, with one case developing into severe pneumonia. MV genotyping showed that the two secondary cases were both the D8 genotype, with the viral sequences being completely homologous to the Kazakhstan strain. Among the close contacts, 98.2% were adults, and 142 individuals received emergency vaccination.

Objective To explore the injury process of retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)after glucocorticoid(GC)-in-duced ocular hypertension(OHT),as well as the protective effect and mechanism of estradiol(E2)in RGC injury in rats with OHT.Methods Atotalof36(36 eyes)12-week-old male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into the blank control group,the GC-OHT group,and the OHT-E2 group,with 12 rats in each group.Rats in the GC-OHT group and the OHT-E2 group were subconjunctivally injected with GC,while those in the blank control group were subconjuncti-vally injected with an equal volume of normal saline.Two weeks after modeling,in addition to being injected with GC,rats in the OHT-E2 group were also provided with E2 eye drops.Before modeling and 1,2,3,and 4 weeks after modeling,the intraocular pressure of rats in each group was measured.The visual acuity changes of rats in each group were detected by pattern electroretinogram(P-ERG)and flash visual evoked potential(F-VEP)4 weeks after modeling.After the eyeballs were removed,the distribution and number of RGCs in rats of each group were observed by immunofluorescence staining.Immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),cysteine aspartate prote-ase-1(Caspase-1),and gasdermin-D(GSDMD)in rats in each group.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the intraocular pressure of rats in each group before modeling(P＞0.05).Compared with the blank control group,the intraocular pressure of rats in the GC-OHT group increased 1,2,3,and 4 weeks after modeling,and the differ-ences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the intraocular pressure of rats in the OHT-E2 group decreased 3 and 4 weeks after modeling,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).The P-ERG and F-VEP results showed that compared with the blank control group,the amplitudes of P50 and P1 waves of rats in the GC-OHT group decreased,and the differences were both statistically significant(both P＜0.05).Com-pared with the GC-OHT group,the amplitudes of P50 and Pl waves of rats in the OHT-E2 group increased,and the differ-ences were both statistically significant(both P＜0.05).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with the blank control group,the number of RGCs of rats in the GC-OHT group decreased,and the difference was statisti-cally significant(P＜0.001).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the number of RGCs of rats in the OHT-E2 group in-creased,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.001).The results of immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that compared with the blank control group,the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3,Caspase-1,and GSDMD in the retina of rats in the GC-OHT group all increased,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3,Caspase-1,and GSDMD in the retina of rats in the OHT-E2 group all decreased,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).Conclusion GC-induced OHT can cause pyroptosis of RGCs,and E2 may alleviate the injury of RGCs in rats with OHT by inhibiting the pyroptosis-related NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Purpose Chemical exchange saturation transfer(CEST)imaging is used to study the changes of glutamate metabolism in the hippocampus of rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)model,so as to evaluate the clinical reference value of glutamate acid CEST(GluCEST)imaging results.Materials and Methods Twenty-two male SD rats were enrolled,and were divided into CUMS and healthy groups.Rats in CUMS group were further divided into the non-treatment group(n=7)and the ketamine treatment group(n=8).Seven healthy rats were randomly selected as control group.CEST imaging scans were performed using 7T small animal magnetic resonance and glutamate concentrations were measured in both hippocampi.The difference of hippocampal GluCEST value and glutamate concentration between control group and CUMS non-treatment group,CUMS ketamine treatment group and CUMS non-treatment group was analyzed,respectively.Results Compared with the control group,the hippocampal GluCEST value in CUMS non-treatment group was increased(left:t=2.8,P=0.015;right:t=3.0,P=0.011),while the hippocampal GluCEST value of rats in CUMS ketamine treatment group was decreased compared with CUMS non-treatment group(left:t=2.3,P=0.037;right:t=2.5,P=0.028).Conclusion GluCEST imaging can provide high spatial resolution images and accurately evaluate the changes of glutamate metabolism in hippocampus of rats with depression,which is conducive to monitoring the abnormal signals of hippocampal neurons caused by depression.

Objective: To explore the clinical features, treatment and prognosis of emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN), so as to enhance the clinical awareness of this disease. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of one EPN patient at The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and a literature review was performed on articles published in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and PubMed databases from Jan.1, 2015 to Dec.31, 2024. Results: The patient, a 62-year-old male with a 5 years' history of type 2 diabetes, was admitted due to left flank pain for 4 days, with a temperature of 39.4 ℃.Laboratory tests indicated significantly elevated inflammatory markers, decreased platelet count, and abnormal coagulation function.Preoperative blood and urine cultures showed positivity for Escherichia coli.Computed tomography (CT) revealed complete erosion of the left kidney, with gas in the left ureter and surrounding effusion, as well as multiple free gas in the abdominal cavity, bilateral ureteral stones, right renal lower calyx stones.After a multidisciplinary consultation, he underwent emergency phase Ⅰ left pyeloplasty and perirenal drainage with ureteral stenting.After discharge, the patient received maintenance hemodialysis once every two days in the outpatient clinic.One week after-discharge, the patient was readmitted due to polypnea.Following symptomatic management, vital signs stabilized.Approximately 2 months after the first-stage surgery, ureteroscopic stone extraction was successfully performed.One month after the stone extraction procedure, a follow-up CT showed normalization of the left kidney, renal pelvis and calyces, leading to phase Ⅱ laparoscopic left nephrectomy via the abdominal approach, with postoperative pathology indicating renal necrosis.Among 89 EPN patients reported in 35 articles, the median age was 58(24-92) years old；there were 59（66.3%） females and 30（33.7%） males；fever was the most common clinical symptom (60.7%)；73(82.0%) had diabetes, 12 (13.5%) had urinary tract obstruction；55 (61.8%) were infected with Escherichia coli, and 7 (7.9%) were infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae; 13 died due to ineffective treatmen. Conclusion: EPN presents acutely and progresses rapidly, often leading to misdiagnosis due to the lack of specific early symptoms.Abdominal CT is the preferred imaging modality for rapid diagnosis, and proactive interdisciplinary intervention can improve survival rates, reduce the need for nephrectomy, and enhance prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of perforator-based bilobed flaps in the treatment of stage 4 pressure ulcers.Methods:This retrospective observational study included 29 patients (21 males, 8 females) with stage 4 pressure ulcers admitted to the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery and Wound Repair at Xuzhou First People's Hospital from August 2021 to May 2023. The patients' ages ranged from 12 to 82 (61.3±15.7) years. For ischial tuberosity pressure ulcers, reconstruction was performed using a posterior femoral bilobed flap based on the first perforator of the deep femoral artery, combined with a small gluteus maximus muscle flap. Sacrococcygeal pressure ulcers were repaired using a bilobed flap based on the superior or inferior gluteal artery perforator. Post-operative follow-up lasted for 2-36 months, during which flap survival and complications were assessed.Results:All the 29 bilobed flaps were successfully rotated and provided for adequate coverage without the need for pedicle division or perforator vessel dissection. Primary healing was achieved in 26 cases, with suture removal occurring two weeks post-operatively. Three patients experienced partial wound dehiscence and marginal necrosis due to post-operative pressure, which healed after two weeks of debridement and dressing changes. During follow-up for 2-36 months, no pressure ulcer recurrence was observed. The flaps demonstrated excellent survival, with soft texture, good elasticity, and adequate blood supply. The donor sites healed with only linear scars, and no severe complications were reported.Conclusion:Bilobed flaps based on artery perforators demonstrate excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of stage 4 pressure ulcers.

AIM:To investigate the protective effects of soy isoflavones on retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)damage in diabetic rats and related mechanisms.METHODS: Totally 80 male SD rats(80 eyes), aged 4-6 weeks, were randomly divided into four groups(n=20 per group): a control group, a diabetic model group, a low-dose soy isoflavone treatment group, and a high-dose soy isoflavone treatment group. Among them, the control group was fed normal chow, while the diabetic group, soy isoflavone low-dose-treated group, and soy isoflavone high-dose-treated group were fed high-fat chow. After a feeding period of 4 wk, rats in the diabetic group, as well as those in the soy isoflavone low-dose and high-dose treatment groups, were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin(STZ)at a dose of 50 mg/kg to establish a diabetic model. Rats in the control group received an equivalent volume of sodium citrate buffer acid. The soy isoflavone low-dose-treated group was administered 360 mg/kg of soy isoflavones daily via gavage, while the soy isoflavone high-dose-treated group received 540 mg/kg of soy isoflavones daily via gavage. Both the control group and the diabetic group were given an equal amount of purified water daily via gavage. Body weight and blood glucose levels were measured at 4 and 8 wk post-gavage treatment. The eyes were extracted and the retinas were dissected at 8 wk following the gavage treatment. The number of RGCs in each group was determined using immunochemical tissue staining and protein blotting techniques, while the superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity and malondialdehyde(MDA)content of the rat retinal tissue were measured through histochemical methods.RESULTS: Compared with diabetic rats, treatment with high-dose soy isoflavones for 8 wk resulted in a reduction of blood glucose to 8.9±1.23 mmol/L, an increase in intraretinal SOD activity to 849.93±63.71 U/mgprot, a decrease in MDA content to 45.77±0.59 nmol/mgprot, and an increase in the number of RGCs to 76±1 cells/mm2, which is comparable to the control group's data(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Soy isoflavones can reduce retinal oxidative stress in diabetic rats and protect RGCs.

Objective:To investigate the mosquito-borne viruses carried by mosquito specimens collected from Huachuan county and Huanan county in Heilongjiang province.Methods:Mosquito samples were collected locally in 2023 and processed in the laboratory. Homogenates of the mosquitoes were inoculated into cells for virus isolation, followed by molecular and bioinformatics analyses of the viral isolates.Results:In 2023, ten viral isolates were obtained from Anopheles sinensis specimens collected in Heilongjiang province, China. Among these isolates, one was identified as Culex flavivirus (CxFV), one as Menghai rhabdovirus (MRV), and eight as Nam Dinh virus (NDiV). The phylogenetic analysis showed that CxFV belongs to genotype I and is clustered with the strains isolated from Liaoning province in 2011 and Ningxia Hui autonomous Region in 2019 in the same evolutionary branch, with amino acid similarity ranging from 98.2% to 99.2% and nucleotide similarity ranging from 98.8% to 99.2%. The MRV strain belongs to the same evolutionary subclade as the strain detected in Guangdong, with both nucleotide and amino acid similarity of 98.0%. Eight NDiV isolates clustered with the South Korean isolates on the same evolutionary branch, forming an independent evolutionary sub-branch. The nucleotide similarity among these eight isolates ranged from 98.5% to 99.7%, while the amino acid similarity ranged from 98.1% to 99.7%. In comparison, when matched with other NDiV isolates from China, the nucleotide similarity of these eight isolates ranged from 94.1% to 97.8%, and the amino acid similarity ranged from 93.5% to 97.7%.Conclusions:This study represents the first isolation of CxFV, MRV, and NDiV in Heilongjiang province, China, and the findings provide fundamental data for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne viral diseases in this region.

Objective:To establish a method for the rapid detection of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) by recombinase-aid amplification (RAA) combined with Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas12a system.Methods:Clinical samples of suspected herpes zoster in Shandong province and Shanghai from 2023 to 2024 were collected, nucleic acids of positive samples were extracted, RAA-specific primers and crRNA (CRISPR RNA, crRNA) were designed for the conserved region of VZV, and the fluorescence intensity generated by Cas12a non-specific cleavage of single-stranded fluorescent probes was used to screen highly sensitive crRNAs and optimize the concentrations of crRNA, Cas12a and ssDNA probes. The sensitivity and reproducibility of the RAA-CRISPR/Cas12a detection method were evaluated by using synthesized plasmids and clinical samples, and the specificity of the method was evaluated by using other viral nucleic acids. The method was used to detect clinical samples by using the method and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method, and the detection rate and consistency of the two method were compared.Results:The highly sensitive crRNA-4 was screened from the four crRNAs designed, and a VZV detection method for RAA-CRISPR/CAS12a based on fluorescence intensity measurement was established, which could be detected at 37℃ in 45 min, and the sensitivity of the detection could reach 10 copies/μL, a minimum clinical sample with a Ct value of 38.980 can be detected. It has high specificity and no cross-reactivity with Adenovirus 7, Herpes simplex virus type I, Herpes simplex virus type II, Coxsackieviruses A16, Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Measles virus, Mumps virus, Enterovirus 71, Japanese encephalitis virus genotype 5. It has good stability, and can be successfully detected in low, medium and high concentrations of viral positive plasmids with good consistency. The detection rate of the clinically positive samples was 100%, which was completely consistent with the qPCR test result.Conclusions:RAA isothermal amplification technology combined with CRISPR-CAS12a technology was used to establish an accurate method for the detection of VZV virus, which was highly sensitive, specific, and had low requirements for experimental conditions, and could be completed within 45 min, which could provide strong technical support for the early detection of VZV.