Cutaneous sporotrichosis is a fungal infection caused by traumatic inoculation of Sporothrix. We aimed to study the clinical characteristics of human sporotrichosis, risk factors for infection, the yield of diagnostic methods and therapeutic response to standard clinical therapy. A cohort study of was performed. A total of 29 patients with clinical features suggestive of sporotrichosis were recruited within a one-year period from all public hospitals in Kedah, Malaysia. Majority were females (86%) who were housewives (69%). The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (38%), hypertension (31%) and dyslipidaemia (21%), none was a significant risk factor for severity of infection. Mean duration of disease was 2±2 months. More than 2/3 of the patients (79%) had pet cats, 14(48%) recalled minor cat-inflicted trauma. Lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis (62%) was more common than fixed cutaneous type, affecting the upper limbs in 94%. Ulcerations and nodules were the main lesion morphology. Histopathology showed granulomatous inflammation in 72%, culture grew Sprorothrix in 55% and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected Sporothrix schenkii sensu stricto in 65%. Itraconazole was effective with 93% of patients achieving complete resolution with 4 months of therapy. Sporotrichosis in Malaysia remains endemic. Feline contact is the most important risk factor for infection. Diagnosis is best confirmed with tissue PCR while culture and histopathology are also useful. Sporothrix schenkii sensu stricto was the only species identified and itraconazole is an effective first line therapeutic agent.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent malignant tumor worldwide and also the main indication for liver transplantation in China. The refined classification of transplant recipients has driven the evolution of indications for liver transplantation in HCC and is key to achieving precise liver transplantation. Tumor number and size have always been important clinical parameters limiting the eligibility of transplant recipients. The development of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics has further revealed the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of HCC. The incorporation of molecular markers into the criteria for liver transplantation in HCC represents a milestone. A classification system based on dual molecular markers can expand the pool of suitable candidates for liver transplantation while ensuring therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment model for HCC represented by immunotherapy has made significant progress. The pre-transplant downstaging treatment system has become increasingly mature, allowing more patients who were previously unsuitable for transplantation to become eligible. The rise of artificial intelligence technology has also provided new tools for patient screening, classification, prognostic evaluation, and personalized treatment, further promoting the precision of liver transplantation in HCC. Therefore, this article reviews the scientific evolution of indications for liver transplantation in HCC and the role of artificial intelligence in revolutionizing the outcomes of liver transplantation for HCC patients, with the aim of benefiting more patients with HCC.

AIM: To explore the factors influencing heart rate(HR)changes during small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)surgery by monitoring HR trends at different time points of the procedure.METHODS: Prospective cohort study. A total of 69 patients who underwent SMILE surgery at the Laser Vision Correction Center of Xi'an No.1 Hospital from April to May 2024 were enrolled. Before the surgery, patients completed the State Anxiety Inventory(S-AI, questions 1-20)to assess their preoperative anxiety scores related to the next day's surgery. Baseline HR was recorded using medical pulse oximeter, and real-time HR was recorded during patient positioning, lenticule scanning, lenticule separation and extraction, and the application of postoperative eye drops.RESULTS: The HR during patient positioning was 83.61±13.87 bpm, which was significantly different from the baseline HR(77.52±10.88 bpm), HR during lenticule separation and extraction(75.54±12.52 bpm), and HR during postoperative eye drop application(76.65±10.54 bpm; all P<0.001). When stratified by median age, older patients(>26 years)had the HR during lenticule separation and extraction 76.27±9.93 bpm, which differed from the HR at positioning(84.82±14.10 bpm)and at lens scanning(82.76±13.72 bpm; all P<0.005). Stratified by gender, the HR of male patients at positioning was the highest(85.31±16.61 bpm), which differed significantly from the baseline HR(78.26±12.63 bpm), HR during lenticule separation and extraction(77.14±14.59 bpm), and HR during postoperative eye drop application(77.11±12.49 bpm; all P<0.005). There was no correlation between HR during positioning and preoperative anxiety scores(r=0.124, P=0.418).CONCLUSION: HR changes during SMILE surgery vary with different procedural stages, peaking during patient positioning and reaching the lowest point during lenticule separation and extraction. Older patients showed higher HR during positioning, and male patients exhibited higher HR during positioning.

In recent years, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) have increased incidence and mortality, and most GIST is caused by the activation mutation of the c-KIT gene. Therefore, c-KIT has become a promising therapeutic target of GIST. At present, the drugs approved for the treatment of GIST including imatinib, sunitinib, regorafenib and ripretinib, are mostly prone to developing resistance and accompanied by various degrees of adverse reactions. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new c-KIT inhibitors to solve the problem of resistance. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor effect of a novel c-KIT inhibitor PN17-1 on gastrointestinal stromal tumor GIST-882 cells in vitro. We found that PN17-1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation and migration ability of GIST-882 cells, and significantly downregulated the protein expression levels of p-c-KIT and its downstream signals p-AKT, p-STAT5 and p-ERK in GIST-882 cells. In addition, PN17-1 induced apoptosis in GIST-882 cells, and the apoptosis may be mainly related to the mitochondrial-dependent endogenous pathway. In conclusion, the novel c-KIT inhibitor PN17-1 is a promising anti-GIST drug, and this study provides new ideas for further development of c-KIT inhibitors in the future.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant tumor with an extremely poor prognosis， and its pathogenesis is complex and remains unclear. In recent years， more and more studies have focused on the role of bile-gut axis in the development and progression of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Bile-gut axis refers to the complex interaction between bile and gut microbiota， including bile salt metabolism， dynamic changes of microbiota， inflammatory response， and immune system regulation. This article elaborates on the potential mechanisms of bile-gut axis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma， especially gut microbiota dysbiosis， abnormal bile salt metabolism， chronic inflammatory response， and immune system interaction， this article aims to provide new perspectives and possible therapeutic targets for future research and promote the early diagnosis and effective treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

ObjectiveTo find out whether there is any difference in the monitoring results of mosq-ovitraps placed in different orientations in multi-storey residential areas, so as to provide a scientific basis for routine and emergency monitoring of Aedes albopictus with mosq-ovitraps in residential areas. MethodsFrom July 6th to October 26th 2023, one mosquito ovitrap was set up in each of the 4 orientations of east, south, west and north around the buildings in a multi-storey residential area in Jinhui Town, Fengxian District, Shanghai. Data was collected and recorded 72 hours after placement. The chi-square test was used to compare the mosquito ovitrap indices (MOIs) of two independent samples, and the Kruskal⁃Wallis H test was used to compare the MOIs of multiple independent samples. ResultsAfter 16 weeks of surveillance, 997 mosquito ovitraps were recovered, of which 211 were positive, with the mosquito ovitrap index (MOI) of 21.16% and the Aedes albopictus density index of 1.03 mosquitoes·ovitrap^-1. The MOIs were higher in September (24.22%) and October (23.96%), and the MOIs in the west, south and north within the two months were all above 20.00%. From July to October, the MOIs in the east, west, south and north were 20.70%, 22.20%, 25.50% and 16.20%, respectively, and the difference in MOIs among the 4 orientations was not statistically significant (χ²=6.647, P=0.084). Stratified analysis by month showed that in August, the south side of the multi-storey residential areas had the highest MOI (31.30%), the north side had the lowest MOI (1.30%), and there was a statistically significant difference in MOI in the east, west, south and north (χ²=25.986, P<0.001). In October, the MOI in the west was the highest (33.30%) and the MOI in the east was the lowest (6.30%), the difference in MOIs of the 4 orientations was statistically significant (χ²=12.007, P=0.007). The MOIs in the south side of the building in the outskirts of the residential area from the 1st week in July to the 4th week in October was lower (19.20%) than that in the south side of the inner building (31.70%), and the difference in MOI was statistically significant (χ²=5.118, P=0.024). ConclusionThe study of MOI in different orientations in a multi-storey residential area is a preliminary exploration based on field work, and the results show that there is a difference in MOIs in different orientations during the peak breeding period of mosquitoes. Further indicators such as temperature, humidity and wind speed in different orientations can be collected to explore the influencing factors of MOIs.

ObjectiveTo construct a family-centered care model for children with tuberculosis based on the double ABC-X model, and to evaluate its clinical effects. MethodsFrom December 2022 to October 2023, 64 newly admitted children with tuberculosis who met the criteria and their caregivers were recruited from the tuberculosis department of Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center were randomly divided into an experimental group (32 cases) and a control group (32 cases).The control group was given a conventional health care, while the experimental group was given a family-centered health care intervention based on the double ABC-X model, in which a multidisciplinary care team provided personalized information and emotional support for the caregivers and their children. Medication adherence of the children, caregiver’s teading burden, and disease management competence were compared between the 2 groups. ResultsA total of 29 cases in the experimental group and 27 cases in the control group completed the intervention. At 12 weeks of intervention, the medication adherence score (7.72±0.45 vs 7.41±0.50, P<0.05) and disease management competence score (36.97±7.85 vs 31.56±7.30, P<0.05) were higher in the experimental group than that in the control group while the caregiving burden score (31.79±13.40 vs 40.04±9.01, P<0.05) and difficulty of disease management score (30.41±12.41 vs 38.56±9.48, P<0.05) were lower than that in the control group. At 24 weeks of intervention, the medication adherence score (7.34±0.97 vs 6.70±1.14, P<0.05) and disease management competence score (42.07±6.93 vs 35.63±7.32, P<0.05) were higher in the experimental group than that in the control group as well, but the caregiving burden score (31.62±11.72 vs 39.63±10.17, P<0.05) and difficulty of disease management score (30.59±10.87 vs 37.81±9.32, P<0.05) were lower than that in the control group. ConclusionFamily-centered care based on the double ABC-X model can effectively promote medication adherence among children with tuberculosis, reduce caregivers’ care burden and disease management difficulties, and improve caregiver’s disease management competence.

Pancreatic cancer is currently recognized as one of the most malignant solid tumors， with a 5-year survival rate of 13% over a long period of time， and 80% of the patients have lost the opportunity for surgery at the time of confirmed diagnosis. In addition， the efficacy of conventional radiochemotherapy and targeted therapy is limited by high tumor heterogeneity and the complex immunosuppressive microenvironment. In recent years， mRNA vaccines have become a new focus of tumor immunotherapy due to their unique technical advantages. Based on non-integrating mRNA templates， mRNA vaccines enable precise encoding of tumor neoantigens， which are efficiently expressed in the host and can induce multifaceted immune responses. As for pancreatic cancer， current studies mainly focus on the development and optimization of tumor-associated antigen vaccines and tumor-specific antigen vaccines， as well as next-generation sequencing-guided neoantigen epitope optimization， innovative targeted delivery systems， and artificial intelligence-powered predictive models for immune response， thereby promoting the application of mRNA vaccines in the precise treatment of pancreatic cancer. Further studies should make breakthroughs in the targeted blockade of critical immunosuppressive molecules within the tumor microenvironment， the precise identification of tumor-specific antigenic epitopes， and the development of highly efficient vaccines， so as to bring new hopes for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Objective To investigate the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (empagliflozin, EMPA) on myocardial remodeling in a mouse uremic cardiomyopathy (UCM) model induced by 5/6 nephrectomy, through the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)/p65 signaling pathway. Methods The animals were divided into three groups: Sham group (n=6), UCM group (n=8), and UCM＋EMPA group (n=8). A UCM model was established in C57BL/6N mice using the 5/6 nephrectomy. Starting from 5 weeks post-surgery, EMPA or a placebo was administered. After 16 weeks, blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, 24-hour urine glucose and urine sodium were measured. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson trichrome staining were used to observe pathological changes in the heart and kidneys. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining was used to evaluate myocardial hypertrophy. The real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of myocardial hypertrophy- and fibrosis-related mRNAs. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of PI3K, AKT and p65 in myocardial tissues. Results After 16 weeks, UCM group exhibited significantly higher blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen than sham group (P＜0.01); UCM＋EMPA group exhibited lower blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and higher 24 h urine sodium and glucose than UCM group (P＜0.05). Echocardiographic results showed ventricular remodeling in the UCM group, evidenced by left ventricular wall thickening, left ventricular enlargement, increased left ventricular mass, and decreased systolic function (P＜0.05); ventricular remodeling was alleviated (P＜0.05), though there was no significant improvement in systolic function in UCM＋EMPA group. HE and Masson stainings revealed myocardial degeneration, necrosis, and interstitial fibrosis in UCM group (P＜0.01); the myocardial pathology improved with reduced collagen deposition in UCM＋EMPA group (P＜0.01). WGA staining confirmed myocardial hypertrophy in UCM group (P＜0.01), while myocardial hypertrophy was alleviated in UCM＋EMPA group (P＜0.01). RT-qPCR results showed myocardial hypertrophy- and fibrosis-related genes (NPPA, NPPB, MYH7, COL1A1, COL3A1, TGF-β1) were upregulated in UCM group (P＜0.05), but downregulated in UCM＋EMPA group. Western blotting showed PI3K, p-AKT/AKT ratio, and p-p65/p65 ratio were increased in UCM group, but decreased in UCM＋EMPA group (P＜0.05). Conclusion EMPA can improve myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in the UCM mouse model, and it may play the role through inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/p65 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the dynamic changes in general body parameters, blood glucose, and blood lipid profiles in obese cynomolgus monkeys, exploring the correlations among these parameters and providing a reference for research on the obese cynomolgus monkey model. Methods30 normal male cynomolgus monkeys aged 5 - 17 years old (with body mass index < 35 kg/m² and glycated hemoglobin content < 4.50%) and 99 spontaneously obese male cynomolgus monkeys (with body mass index ≥35 kg/m² and glycated hemoglobin content < 4.50%) were selected. Over a period of three years, their abdominal circumference, skinfold thickness, body weight, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and four blood lipid indicators were monitored. The correlations between each indicator were analyzed using repeated measurement ANOVA, simple linear regression, and multiple linear regression correlation analysis method. Results Compared to the control group, the obese group exhibited significantly higher levels of abdominal circumference, skinfold thickness, body weight, body mass index, and triglyceride (P＜0.05). In the control group, skinfold thickness increased annually, while other indicators remained stable. Compared with the first year, the obese group showed significantly increased abdominal circumference, skinfold thickness, body weight, body mass index, triglyceride, and fasting blood glucose in the second year(P＜0.05), with this increasing trend persisting in the third year (P＜0.05). In the control group, the obesity incidence rates in the second and third years were 16.67% and 23.33%, respectively, while the prevalence of diabetes remained at 16.67%. In the obese group, the diabetes incidence rates were 29.29% and 44.44% in years 2 and 3, respectively. Among the 11-13 year age group, the incidence rates were 36.36% and 44.68%, while for the group older than 13 years, the rates were 28.13% and 51.35%. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations (P＜0.05) between fasting blood glucose and age, abdominal circumference, skinfold thickness, body weight, and triglyceride in the diabetic monkeys. Conclusion Long-term obesity can lead to the increases in general physical indicators and fasting blood glucose levels in cynomolgus monkeys, and an increase in the incidence of diabetes. In diabetic cynomolgus monkeys caused by obesity, there is a high correlation between their fasting blood glucose and age, weight, abdominal circumference, skinfold thickness, and triglyceride levels, which is of some significance for predicting the occurrence of spontaneous diabetes.