Objective To longitudinally investigate the characteristics of postoperative weight changes in patients with esophageal cancer and analyze its influencing factors, which can provide certain guidance for nutritional intervention in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods Patients with esophageal cancer who underwent surgical treatment at the Sichuan Cancer Hospital from December 2020 to February 2022 were prospectively included. The general information questionnaire and body composition analyzer were used to longitudinally investigate the patients’ weight and body composition before surgery (T0), 1 month after surgery (T1), 3 months after surgery (T2) and 6 months after surgery (T3), and the change characteristics were analyzed. The generalized estimating equation was used to analyze the influencing factors for postoperative weight changes in patients with esophageal cancer. Results A total of 130 patients were enrolled, including 110 males and 20 females, aged 42-79 (63.33±8.16) years. The weight and body composition of patients with esophageal cancer showed a continuous slow downward trend within 6 months after surgery. The weight loss rate of patients at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery was 5.10%, 7.76%, and 9.86%, respectively. The analysis results of the influencing factors for postoperative weight showed that patients with the following characteristics had more weight loss: female (β=−7.703, P=0.001), ≥60 years (β=−3.657, P=0.010), smoking (β=4.622, P=0.010), low tumor differentiation degree (β=4.314, P=0.039), and high frequency of eating (β=−3.400, P=0.008). Conclusion Weight loss is an important health problem for patients with esophageal cancer after surgery, and patients have a continuous downward trend in weight within 6 months after surgery. Medical staff should pay special attention to the patients who are female, ≥60 years, having smoking history and low tumor differentiation degree.

ObjectiveCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). CSF rapidly exchanges with interstitial fluid (ISF) via the glymphatic system within the brain parenchyma. CSF-ISF circulation and its associated mechanisms are often referred to as the brain lymphatic system. This system is connected directly to meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs), jointly performing the function of clearing metabolic waste from the CNS. Emerging evidence indicates that this system is closely associated with the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Importantly, abnormal CSF circulation is not only a downstream consequence of AD pathology, but also a risk factor. In AD, the dynamics of CSF flow within the CNS are diminished, immune dysregulation occurs, and this may increase the risk of AD by exacerbating the burden of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). In the mouse model of AD, impaired CSF flow compromises this clearance function, leading to cognitive deficits. Clinically, acupuncture at cognition-related acupoints is commonly used for the prevention and treatment of AD. However, whether its therapeutic effects are mediated through the modulation of CSF dynamics remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of acupuncture on CSF flow and investigate its acupoint specificity. MethodsMice were randomly assigned to experimental groups for the different electroacupuncture groups with the following acupoints: Baihui point (GV 20), Ear point, Neiguan point (PC 6), and Tianshu point (ST 25). Wild-type mice on a C57BL/6J background were used as controls. Fluorescent tracer was injected into the cisterna magna to label CSF flow. Fluorescence imaging was employed to assess the distribution of CSF within the brain before and after acupuncture stimulation. ResultsFollowing tracer injection into the cisterna magna, fluorescence signals rapidly reached the cerebellum and medulla—the regions closest to the injection site. Fluorescence intensity was higher in ventral brain regions compared to dorsal regions, likely due to greater vascular density in ventral areas facilitating CSF-ISF exchange. Electroacupuncture at the GV 20 produced the most pronounced enhancement of CSF across the whole brain, while stimulation at the ST 25 primarily augmented flow within subcortical regions. In contrast, electroacupuncture at the Ear point or the PC 6 had no observable effect on CSF in mice. ConclusionElectroacupuncture promotes CSF flow into the brain parenchyma in an acupoint-specific manner, with GV 20 exhibiting the most pronounced enhancement of CSF dynamics. These findings suggest that acupuncture-mediated facilitation of CSF flow may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing or delaying age-related cognitive decline.

ObjectiveCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). CSF rapidly exchanges with interstitial fluid (ISF) via the glymphatic system within the brain parenchyma. CSF-ISF circulation and its associated mechanisms are often referred to as the brain lymphatic system. This system is connected directly to meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs), jointly performing the function of clearing metabolic waste from the CNS. Emerging evidence indicates that this system is closely associated with the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Importantly, abnormal CSF circulation is not only a downstream consequence of AD pathology, but also a risk factor. In AD, the dynamics of CSF flow within the CNS are diminished, immune dysregulation occurs, and this may increase the risk of AD by exacerbating the burden of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). In the mouse model of AD, impaired CSF flow compromises this clearance function, leading to cognitive deficits. Clinically, acupuncture at cognition-related acupoints is commonly used for the prevention and treatment of AD. However, whether its therapeutic effects are mediated through the modulation of CSF dynamics remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of acupuncture on CSF flow and investigate its acupoint specificity. MethodsMice were randomly assigned to experimental groups for the different electroacupuncture groups with the following acupoints: Baihui point (GV 20), Ear point, Neiguan point (PC 6), and Tianshu point (ST 25). Wild-type mice on a C57BL/6J background were used as controls. Fluorescent tracer was injected into the cisterna magna to label CSF flow. Fluorescence imaging was employed to assess the distribution of CSF within the brain before and after acupuncture stimulation. ResultsFollowing tracer injection into the cisterna magna, fluorescence signals rapidly reached the cerebellum and medulla—the regions closest to the injection site. Fluorescence intensity was higher in ventral brain regions compared to dorsal regions, likely due to greater vascular density in ventral areas facilitating CSF-ISF exchange. Electroacupuncture at the GV 20 produced the most pronounced enhancement of CSF across the whole brain, while stimulation at the ST 25 primarily augmented flow within subcortical regions. In contrast, electroacupuncture at the Ear point or the PC 6 had no observable effect on CSF in mice. ConclusionElectroacupuncture promotes CSF flow into the brain parenchyma in an acupoint-specific manner, with GV 20 exhibiting the most pronounced enhancement of CSF dynamics. These findings suggest that acupuncture-mediated facilitation of CSF flow may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing or delaying age-related cognitive decline.

Background: and Purpose Vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms (VBFAs) carry substantial morbidity and mortality, but optimal management for unruptured VBFAs remains unclear. We compared the safety and efficacy of conservative management (CM), stent-assisted coiling (SAC), and flow diverters (FDs) in patients with unruptured VBFAs, focusing on long-term prognosis. Methods: This study included data from a nationwide Chinese cohort of patients with vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced confounders across groups. The primary outcome was poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale score >2). Secondary outcomes included aneurysm rupture, ischemic stroke, compression symptoms, and VBFA-related deaths. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Among 1,115 patients with unruptured VBFAs, 838 (median age, 54 years; 655 men) were included. After IPTW, baseline characteristics were balanced. Median follow-up was 54 months. FD was associated with a lower risk of poor prognosis than CM (OR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.30 to 0.77]; p=0.002), with no difference between CM and SAC. FD also reduced aneurysm rupture (OR, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.60]; p=0.004) and compression symptoms (OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68]; p=0.004) versus CM. Time-to-event analyses further revealed significant differences in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, whereas no significant differences were observed in basilar or vertebrobasilar junction lesions or in Type III–IV VBFAs. Conclusions Compared with CM, FD was associated with improved long-term outcomes in unruptured VBFAs, particularly in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction syndrome caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Septic acute kidney injury (SAKI) is one of the most common complications of sepsis, and the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) indicates that the patient's condition is critical with a poor prognosis. The traditional view holds that the main mechanism of SAKI is the reduction of renal blood flow, inadequate renal perfusion, inflammatory response, and microcirculatory dysfunction caused by sepsis, which subsequently leads to ischemia and necrosis of renal tubular cells. Recent research findings indicate that processes such as autophagy and other forms of programmed cell death play an increasingly important role. Autophagy is a programmed intracellular degradation process and is a form of programmed cell death. Cells degrade their cytoplasmic components via lysosomes, breaking down and recycling intracellular constituents to meet their metabolic needs, maintain intracellular homeostasis, and renew organelles. During SAKI, autophagy plays a crucial protective role through various mechanisms, including regulating inflammation and immune responses, clearing damaged organelles, and maintaining stability in the intracellular environment. In recent years, the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis and treatment of SAKI has received widespread attention. Research has confirmed that various intracellular signaling pathways and signaling molecules targeting autophagy [such as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, and Sirtuins (SIRT), autophagy associated factor Beclin-1, and Toll-like receptor (TLR)] are involved in the development of SAKI. Due to the complex pathogenesis of SAKI, current treatment strategies include fluid management, infection control, maintenance of internal environment balance, and renal replacement therapy; however, the mortality remains high. In recent years, it has been found that autophagy plays a critical protective role in sepsis-mediated AKI. As a result, an increasing number of drugs are being developed to alleviate SAKI by regulating autophagy. This article reviews the latest advances in the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis and treatment of SAKI, with the aim of providing insights for the development of new drugs for SAKI patients.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/etiology* ; Autophagy ; Sepsis/complications* ; Signal Transduction

PURPOSE: Intertrochanteric fracture (ITF) classification is crucial for surgical decision-making. However, orthopedic trauma surgeons have shown lower accuracy in ITF classification than expected. The objective of this study was to utilize an artificial intelligence (AI) method to improve the accuracy of ITF classification. METHODS: We trained a network called YOLOX-SwinT, which is based on the You Only Look Once X (YOLOX) object detection network with Swin Transformer (SwinT) as the backbone architecture, using 762 radiographic ITF examinations as the training set. Subsequently, we recruited 5 senior orthopedic trauma surgeons (SOTS) and 5 junior orthopedic trauma surgeons (JOTS) to classify the 85 original images in the test set, as well as the images with the prediction results of the network model in sequence. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) to compare the differences among the SOTS, JOTS, SOTS + AI, JOTS + AI, SOTS + JOTS, and SOTS + JOTS + AI groups. All images were classified according to the AO/OTA 2018 classification system by 2 experienced trauma surgeons and verified by another expert in this field. Based on the actual clinical needs, after discussion, we integrated 8 subgroups into 5 new subgroups, and the dataset was divided into training, validation, and test sets by the ratio of 8:1:1. RESULTS: The mean average precision at the intersection over union (IoU) of 0.5 (mAP50) for subgroup detection reached 90.29%. The classification accuracy values of SOTS, JOTS, SOTS + AI, and JOTS + AI groups were 56.24% ± 4.02%, 35.29% ± 18.07%, 79.53% ± 7.14%, and 71.53% ± 5.22%, respectively. The paired t-test results showed that the difference between the SOTS and SOTS + AI groups was statistically significant, as well as the difference between the JOTS and JOTS + AI groups, and the SOTS + JOTS and SOTS + JOTS + AI groups. Moreover, the difference between the SOTS + JOTS and SOTS + JOTS + AI groups in each subgroup was statistically significant, with all p < 0.05. The independent samples t-test results showed that the difference between the SOTS and JOTS groups was statistically significant, while the difference between the SOTS + AI and JOTS + AI groups was not statistically significant. With the assistance of AI, the subgroup classification accuracy of both SOTS and JOTS was significantly improved, and JOTS achieved the same level as SOTS. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the YOLOX-SwinT network algorithm enhances the accuracy of AO/OTA subgroups classification of ITF by orthopedic trauma surgeons.
Humans ; Hip Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Orthopedic Surgeons ; Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence

The accumulation of uremic toxins such as urea nitrogen, blood creatinine, and uric acid of patients with renal failure in vivo would lead to aggravated kidney damage. In this study, coated aldehyde oxy-starch (CAO) was used as an adsorbent to investigate its in vitro adsorption performance on renal failure indexes for urea, indoxyl sulfate (INS), monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), uric acid (UA), and creatinine (Cr). The effects of variables such as pH, temperature, concentration, dosage, and time on the adsorption capacity of CAO were systematically investigated, employing analytical techniques of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that CAO exhibited a strong adsorption capacity for urea, INS, and MMA, alongside a moderate adsorption capacity for DMA, UA, and Cr. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO were fitted in pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the adsorption isotherm aligned with the Freundlich adsorption model. The enthalpy change ΔH of urea in adsorption was in the range of 40 to 60 kJ·mol^-1, which demonstrated the presence of strong adsorption force due to the interactions of coordinating groups. The ΔH of UA was greater than 80 kJ·mol^-1, indicating the generation of chemical bonds during the adsorption. Both of them, Gibbs free energy ΔG was less than 0, within the range of -20 to 0 kJ·mol^-1, suggested that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO occurred spontaneously as physical adsorption process. The adsorption entropy ΔS of urea and UA was > 0, which indicated an increase in entropy throughout the adsorption. The infrared spectroscopygram showed the formation of a chemical bond, specifically the imine bond, following the adsorption of urea by CAO, thereby indicating a chemical reaction during the adsorption. This study elucidates the adsorption mechanism of CAO on various indexes of renal failure, providing a scientific basis for its clinical usage.

Objective:To establish 30-day of age transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) reference curves for healthy neonates, and to investigate regional variations in bilirubin dynamics.Methods:A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 220 950 healthy neonates born at a gestational age of 35-<42 weeks, with a birth weight ≥2 000 g, who did not receive phototherapy within 60 h after birth were recruited. All of them underwent remote TcB monitoring using the Bilibaby remote jaundice monitoring system between August 1 st, 2020 and December 31 st, 2024 in 426 hospitals. TcB data were collected within the period from birth to 30-day of age. The P40, P75, and P95 of TcB values were calculated, and dynamic TcB curves for 30-day of age were constructed. Patterns of bilirubin change, rates of change, and transition outcomes were described. Regional comparisons between South and North were conducted using linear mixed-effects models for TcB trajectories and Pearson′s chi-square test for outcome differences. Results:A total of 220 950 neonates were included, of whom 101 711 (46.03%) were female. Gestational age at birth was (38.75±1.12) weeks, and birth weight was (3 272±417) g. TcB levels increased rapidly within 3-day of age, peaked at 4-6-day of age, with peak values at P40, P75, and P95 of 200.6, 239.7 and 275.4 μmol/L (11.8, 14.1 and 16.2 mg/dl), respectively. TcB levels gradually declined thereafter and stabilized after 13-day of age, with values at P40, P75, and P95 fluctuating between 147.9-159.8, 190.4-200.6, and 231.2-239.7 μmol/L (8.7-9.4, 11.2-11.8, 13.6-14.1 mg/dl), respectively. Notably, among neonates categorized as low-or low-intermediate-risk within 3-day of age, 6 700 (12.76%) progressed to intermediate-high or high risk between 4 and 30 days of age. Before 13-day of age, TcB levels in the southern regions were consistently higher than those in the northern regions ( P=0.039); from 14 to 30 days of age, the overall TcB levels had no statistically difference, but the temporal changes in TcB still showed regional differences (degrees of freedom=3, all interaction P<0.05). Among neonates classified as low-or low-intermediate risk within 3-day of age, 25 326 were from southern regions, of whom 4 254 (16.80%) progressed to intermediate-high or high risk between 4 and 30 days of age. In northern regions, 27 193 neonates were classified as low-or low-intermediate risk within 3-day of age, among whom 2 446 (8.99%) progressed to intermediate-high or high risk. The risk progression between the 2 regions had statistically difference ( χ2=716.49, P<0.001). Conclusions:A TcB percentile curve for neonates within 30-day of age was established, revealing that both the overall TcB level and its temporal trend were higher in southern than in northern newborns. These findings provide baseline data to support continuous management of neonatal jaundice.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of cyclophosphamide in patients with T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) and the maintenance of treatment-free remission (TFR) following drug discontinuation.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 37 patients with T-LGLL who received oral cyclophosphamide at the Regenerative Medicine Clinic of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital between June 2019 and March 2024. Patient clinical characteristics, treatment efficacy, and long-term TFR were analyzed.Results:The median age of the 37 patients was 60 years (range: 37-86), and 22 (59.5%) were male. Anemia was observed in 30 patients (81.1%), and 28 (75.7%) met the diagnostic criteria for secondary pure red cell aplasia. Neutropenia occurred in 15 patients (40.5%), lymphocytosis in 11 (29.7%), and thrombocytopenia in three (8.1%). Sixteen patients (43.2%) had not received prior immunosuppressive therapy (treatment-naive group), while 21 patients (56.8%) were refractory to or had relapsed after immunosuppressive treatment (refractory/relapsed group). All patients met the treatment criteria and received oral cyclophosphamide at doses of 50-100 mg/day. Among the 36 evaluable patients, hematologic remission was achieved in 25 (69.4%), with a median time of 2.0 months (range: 0.7-7.0). There was no statistically significant difference in remission rates between the treatment-naive and refractory/relapsed groups (68.5% vs. 66.7%, P=0.589). Among the 25 patients who achieved hematologic remission, 24 discontinued cyclophosphamide. With a median follow-up of 39.0 months (range: 8.0-56.0), the median TFR duration was not reached. The estimated TFR rates were (90.87± 6.16) % at 12 months and (75.72±11.04) % at 36 months. No significant difference in TFR was observed between the treatment-naive and refractory/relapsed groups ( P=0.451) . Conclusion:Oral cyclophosphamide is effective in the treatment of T-LGLL, and patients may maintain long-term TFR following drug discontinuation.

Objective: To explore the learning curve of transurethral 450 nm blue light vaporization of the prostate (TUBVP) in a district hospital，in order to provide reference for clinicians who plan to perform TUBVP. Methods: The clinical data of 56 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who received TUBVP performed by the same group of surgeons in Chang'an District Hospital during Jun. and Dec. 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Cumulative sum (CUSUM) was used to fit the learning curve of ratio of volume to operating time (RVOT) of prostate volume /450 nm blue light. The learning curve was divided into different stages according to the inflection points，and the clinical data of patients operated at different stages were analyzed and compared. Results: The learning curve of TUBVP was 21 cases，including 1-21 cases in the learning stage，22-38 cases in the improvement stage and 39-56 cases in the maturity stage. With the increase of cases，the postoperative bladder irrigation time reduced \[40.00 (26.00，44.50) h vs. 23.00(20.50，34.00) h vs. 23.50(14.75，40.75) h\]，with statistical difference (P<0.05). The surgical efficiency increased \[(0.51±0.14) vs. (0.55±0.17) vs. (0.63±0.23)\]，while the reduction of hemoglobin \[(6.43±7.35) g/L vs. (5.65±10.91) g/L vs. (2.61±7.36) g/L\]，catheter indwelling time \[70.0 (66.0，106.0) h vs. 71.0 (66.0，89.0) h vs. 66.0 (58.5，78.5) h\]，and incidence of complications (9.5% vs. 5.9% vs. 0) in the three stages showed a gradually decreasing trend，but with no statistical significance (P>0.05). Conclusion: The learning curve of TUBVP is 21 cases. For clinicians in district hospitals，TUBVP is a worthy choice.