In January 2026， the European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases released a position statement on polycystic liver disease （PLD）. Compared with existing diagnosis and treatment recommendations， this statement provides the latest practical guidance on somatostatin analogues as the sole available pharmacological intervention for severe PLD， including clear criteria for eligibility， the criteria for initiation and discontinuation of treatment， and the gaps requiring further research. This statement also defines the criteria for patient selection， treatment goals， and monitoring strategies， and these updates fully reflect the latest clinical evidence and practical needs in the management of PLD. This article gives an excerpt of the key practical recommendations from the statement.

Background: The tight junction protein claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) has been implicated in poor prognosis and suboptimal immunotherapy response in gastric cancer (GC). This study investigates the clinicopathological relevance of CLDN18.2 expression and its association with molecular subtypes in GC patients from a high-incidence region, combining transcriptomic and proteomic approaches to explore how CLDN18.2 contributes to progression and metastasis. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 494 GC patients (2019–2024) underwent immunohistochemical analysis for CLDN18.2, Epstein-Barr virus (Epstein–Barr virus–encoded RNA), p53, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and mismatch repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, PMS2, and MSH6). CLDN18.2 positivity was defined as moderate to strong (2+/3+) membranous staining in ≥75% of tumor cells. Clinicopathological correlations, biomarker associations, and survival outcomes were evaluated. Transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing was performed to explore molecular mechanisms. Results: CLDN18.2 positivity was observed in 26.9% (133/494) of gastric adenocarcinomas. CLDN18.2-positive tumors correlated with TNM stage (p = .003) and shorter overall survival (p = .018). No associations were identified with age, sex, HER2 status, microsatellite instability, or Epstein-Barr virus infection. Transcriptomic profiling revealed CLDN18.2-high tumors enriched in pathways involving cell junction disruption, signaling regulation, and immune modulation. Proteomic profiling showed that tumors with high CLDN18.2 were enriched in multiple mechanism-related pathways such as integrated metabolic reprogramming, cytoskeletal recombination, immune microenvironment dysregulation, and pro-survival signaling. These mechanisms may collectively contribute to tumor progression and metastasis. Conclusions CLDN18.2 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in GC patients. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses demonstrate that CLDN18.2 promotes tumor progression and metastasis, underscoring its potential as an independent prognostic factor in regions with a high incidence of GC.

Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix are the dried roots of Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii of the Leguminosae family， respectively. Since their separate inclusion in the 2005 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China， the two herbs have been individually recorded. Although they share the same functions and indications， the required content of puerarin differs by a factor of up to eightfold between them. The current quality standard relies solely on a single indicator， puerarin， which fails to reflect the correlation between chemical constituents and core therapeutic effects. This has resulted in prominent issues of mixed use in clinical practice and production， thereby constraining the high-quality development of the industry. Modern research has demonstrated that Puerariae Lobatae Radix contains a comprehensive range and higher content of isoflavonoid constituents， while Puerariae Thomsonii Radix is rich in starch and polysaccharides. Puerariae Lobatae Radix exhibits stronger effects in antipyresis， cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection， and central analgesia， while Puerariae Thomsonii Radix demonstrates greater advantages in anti-inflammation， hypoglycemia， and peripheral analgesia. Based on this， the chemical material bases of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix at both the macromolecule and micromolecule levels were systematically reviewed and compared. The pharmacodynamic material bases and mechanisms of action underlying their three core therapeutic effects， namely "relieving exterior syndrome and clearing heat"， "promoting fluid production to quench thirst"， and "dredging channels and activating collaterals"， were summarized. The most highly correlated common metabolic pathway shared by both herbs for these three therapeutic effects is the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway， and their common core target is prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 （PTGS2）. This review provided clinical application recommendations based on the therapeutic differences between the two herbs， elucidated the scientific connotation of their "same origin but different effects"， and， grounded in the quality marker （Q-Marker）， proposed the concept of efficacy-related Q-Marker based on "substance-efficacy-syndrome" association， as well as a novel strategy for efficacy-oriented quality evaluation. Preliminary screening of quality markers associated with different therapeutic effects was also conducted. This study aims to provide critical scientific evidence for the precise clinical application of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix， the improvement of quality standards， and the high-quality development of the industry.

Objective: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Chinese patent medicines and classic traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions were systematically reviewed from both Chinese and English journals published in 2023. A preliminary summary and evaluation were conducted on the generation and translation of clinical evidence for these treatments. This analysis aims to inform future research on clinical efficacy evaluation and guide the rational application of evidence. Methods: RCTs of Chinese patent medicines and classic traditional Chinese prescriptions published in 2023 were comprehensively retrieved from the Artificial Intelligence Clinical Evidence Database for Chinese Patent Medicine (AICED-CPM), with supplementary searches conducted in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (SinoMed), Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The study characteristics and methodological quality of these RCTs were systematically analyzed and evaluated. Results: A total of 1 443 RCTs of Chinese patent medicines were included, comprising 1 399 Chinese articles and 44 English articles. Additionally, 334 RCTs of classic traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions were found, with 331 published in Chinese and 3 in English. 196 567 participants were included, covering 585 types of Chinese patent medicines (487 oral, 61 injectable, and 37 topical) and 179 classic traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. The involved studies encompassed 22 types of diseases, with research primarily focusing on diseases of the circulatory system, the respiratory system, and the genitourinary system. The sample sizes ranged from 18 to 3 777 participants, and most studies were conducted at a single center. Methodologically, the implementation of allocation concealment and blinding remained insufficiently emphasized. Conclusion Overall, compared with 2022, both the number of RCT publications and their methodological quality have improved in 2023, with heightened attention to research on diseases of the genitourinary system. However, quality control and standardized management in the design and implementation processes still require enhancement to produce more high-quality clinical evidence and accelerate the translation and application of this evidence.

Objective To explore the application effect of nursing intervention based on empow-erment theory in treatment of facial photoaging with fractional ablative fractional laser.Methods A total of 90 patients with facial photoaging who underwent fractional ablative fractional laser treatment were selected and divided into control group and observation group according to random number table method,with 45 cases in each group.The control group received routine nursing intervention,while the observation group received nursing intervention based on empowerment theory.The skin condi-tion,the incidence of adverse reactions,psychological state[Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS)]scores,and quality of life[Dermatology Life Quality Index(DLQI)]scores were compared between the two groups.Results After intervention,the percentages of skin characteristics such as enlarged facial pores,wrinkles,and spots in the observation group were higher than those in the control group;the incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was lower than that in the control group(8.89％ versus 24.44％);the SAS scores,SDS scores,and total DLQI scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group,with statistically sig-nificant differences(P＜0.05).Conclusion Nursing intervention based on empowerment theory can effectively improve the facial skin condition of patients with facial photoaging treated with fraction-al ablative fractional laser,reduce the incidence of adverse reactions,alleviate negative emotions,and enhance quality of life.

Objective:To investigate the factors influencing the prognosis of critically ill patients and the predictive value of the C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 122 critically ill patients admitted to Guoyao Dongfeng General Hospital affiliated with Hubei University of Medicine from June 2022 to December 2023. Patients were divided into a death group and a survival group based on their 28-day prognosis. Clinical data were compared between the two groups to analyze the factors influencing prognosis and assess the predictive value of various indicators. Normally distributed measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD, and intergroup comparisons were performed by independent samples t-test; non-normally distributed measurement data were expressed as M( Q1,Q3), and intergroup comparisons were performed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Counting data were expressed as case (%), and intergroup comparisons were performed by the χ2 test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing patient prognosis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to analyze the predictive value of each indicator. Results:The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score, blood lactate, CRP, and B-type natriuretic peptide levels in the death group were higher than those in the survival group [22 (17, 30) points vs. 17 (14, 22) points, (4.8±1.4) mmol/L vs. (3.3±1.0) mmol/L, 134 (83, 2 381) mg/L vs. 13 (10, 27) mg/L, 259 (111, 592) ng/L vs. 108 (40, 247) ng/L; Z=3.04, P=0.002; t=5.79, P<0.001; Z=8.57, P<0.001; Z=3.28, P=0.001, respectively]. Albumin, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count (LYC), and the CALLY index were lower in the death group than in the survival group [(31±5) g/L vs. (37±6) g/L, (58±9)×10 9/L vs. (63±10)×10 9/L, 0.6 (0.4, 0.8)×10 9/L vs. 1.3 (0.8, 1.7)×10 9/L, 0.03 (0.02, 0.11) vs. 0.26 (0.13, 0.49); t=6.05, P<0.001; t=3.04, P=0.003; Z=5.82, P<0.001; Z=6.52, P<0.001, respectively]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the APACHE Ⅱ score and CRP were risk factors for poor prognosis in critically ill patients ( OR=1.349, 95% CI: 1.004-1.821, P=0.048; OR=1.006, 95% CI: 1.003-1.010, P=0.001, respectively), while LYC and the CALLY index were protective factors ( OR=0.297, 95% CI: 0.111-0.795, P=0.016; OR=0.989, 95% CI: 0.955-0.999, P=0.001, respectively). The area under the ROC curve for the CALLY index predicting 28-day mortality in critically ill patients was 0.872 (95% CI: 0.800-0.926), which was higher than that of the APACHE Ⅱ score, LYC, and CRP [0.673 (95% CI: 0.582-0.756), 0.664 (95% CI: 0.573-0.748), 0.576 (95% CI: 0.482-0.665), respectively]. The cut-off values were 0.06, 20 points, 0.8×10 9/L, and 50 mg/L, respectively. When the CALLY index was 0.06, the specificity was 97.65%, the sensitivity was 72.97%, and the Youden index was 0.706. Conclusions:The APACHE Ⅱ score, CRP, LYC, and CALLY index are all factors influencing the prognosis of critically ill patients. The CALLY index has certain predictive value, but its false negative rate is relatively high. Further combination with other indicators is needed to improve its predictive value.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is marked by early-onset neurodevelopmental anomalies, yet the temporal dynamics of genetic contributions to these processes remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to elucidate the role of the Shank3 gene, known to be associated with monogenic causes of autism, in early developmental processes to inform the timing and mechanisms for potential interventions for ASD. Utilizing the Shank3B knockout (KO) mouse model, we examined Shank3 expression and its impact on neuronal maturation through Golgi staining for dendritic morphology and electrophysiological recordings to measure synaptic function in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) across different postnatal stages. Our longitudinal analysis revealed that, while Shank3B KO mice displayed normal neuronal morphology at one week postnatal, significant impairments in dendritic growth and synaptic activity emerged by two to three weeks. These findings highlight the critical developmental window during which Shank3 is essential for neuronal and synaptic maturation in the ACC.
Animals ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism* ; Mice, Knockout ; Dendrites/metabolism* ; Mice ; Synapses/metabolism* ; Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/genetics* ; Microfilament Proteins

Normal heart function depends on complex regulation by the brain, and abnormalities in the brain‒heart axis affect various diseases, such as myocardial infarction and anxiety disorders. However, systematic tracking of the brain regions associated with the input and output of the heart is lacking. In this study, we injected retrograde transsynaptic pseudorabies virus (PRV) and anterograde transsynaptic herpes simplex virus (HSV) into the left ventricular wall of mice to identify the whole-brain regions associated with the input to and output from the heart. We successfully detected PRV and HSV expression in at least 170 brain subregions in both male and female mice. Sex differences were discovered mainly in the hypothalamus and medulla, with male mice exhibiting greater correlation and hierarchical clustering than female mice, indicating reduced similarity and increased modularity of virus expression patterns in male mice. Further graph theory and multiple linear regression analysis of different injection timelines revealed that hub regions of PRV had highly similar clusters, with different brain levels, suggesting a top-down, hierarchically transmitted neural control pattern of the heart. Hub regions of HSV had scattered clusters, with brain regions gathered in the cortex and brainstem, suggesting a bottom-up, leapfrog, multipoint neural sensing pattern of the heart. Both patterns contain many hub brain regions that have been previously overlooked in brain‒heart axis studies. These results provide brain targets for future research and will lead to deeper insight into the brain mechanisms involved in specific heart conditions.
Animals ; Male ; Female ; Heart/physiology* ; Mice ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid ; Brain/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain Mapping ; Efferent Pathways/physiology* ; Afferent Pathways/physiology* ; Simplexvirus ; Sex Characteristics

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[Objective]To summarize Associate Professor WANG Xiaorong's experience in treating children with exogenous disease from the perspective of"three Yin diseases".[Methods]Through learning from teacher,sorting out outpatient medical records,combining relevant traditional Chinese medicine classic literature and modern research data,it summarized Teacher WANG's understanding of the etiology,pathogenesis and treatment method of"evil into three Yin"in children,and attached three experimental cases to prove it.[Results]Teacher WANG believes that because of the physiological characteristics of"delicate organs,not full of Qi"and"not full of young Yang",children are more likely to have"evil into three Yin"than adults when they are exogenous,and takes warming Yang to dispel cold,supporting the healthy energy,and harmonizing Yin and Yang as the basic treatment principles.If having a combination of diseases,"look at its pulse syndrome,know what the offense is,and treat it with the syndrome".Three medical records were attached for verification.In the case 1 of Taiyin disease syndrome in children,revised Guizhi Renshen Decoction was used to relieve the exterior and strengthen the spleen,warm the middle and remove dampness;in case 2 of Shaoyin disease syndrome,the prescription of Mahuang Xixin Fuzi Decoction or Sini Decoction was used to warm Yang and disperse cold,relieve the superficial signs;in case 3 of Jueyin disease syndrome,the prescription of Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction was used to change Yin and Yang and relieve the exogenous signs.Three cases all got good curative effects.[Conclusion]Teacher WANG's syndrome differentiation combined with children's physiology,treats children's exogenous disease from the"three Yin disease",the clinical effect is remarkable,worthy of learning and promotion.