ObjectiveTo investigate the potential therapeutic effects of Dengzhan Shengmai capsules （DZSM） on myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction and decipher the underlying molecular mechanisms by virtue of network robustness algorithm. MethodsA rat model of myocardial infarction was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Successfully modeled Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into a model group， an enalapril group（3.15 mg·kg^-1）， and high- and low-dose DZSM groups（226.8，113.4 mg·kg^-1）. In addition， a sham group was set up. After four consecutive weeks of intervention， the cardiac function was assessed via echocardiography， and myocardial collagen deposition was observed through Sirius red staining. The key regulatory pathways of DZSM were analyzed by the network robustness algorithm. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） and immunofluorescence assay were employed to validate the mechanisms. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group exhibited decreased left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF%） and fractional shortening （FS%） （P<0.01） and increased myocardial collagen volume fraction （CVF%） （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， high-dose DZSM and enalapril improved LVEF% and FS% （P<0.01）. Both high- and low-dose DZSM reduced the CVF% （P<0.05， P<0.05，）. Network analysis indicated that DZSM exerted its effects by regulating neutrophil infiltration and related inflammatory pathways. Experimental validation showed that DZSM significantly reduced the protein levels of nuclear factor （NF）-κB， Janus kinase 2 （JAK2）， and signal transduction activator and transducer 3 （STAT3） in the cardiac tissue， as well as the levels of chemokine （C-X-C motif） ligand 1 （CXCL1）， interleukin （IL）-1β， neutrophil elastase-DNA complex （NE-DNA）， and myeloperoxidase-DNA complex （MPO-DNA） in the plasma. ConclusionDZSM may ameliorate myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration and extracellular trap formation and regulating the NF-κB/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the effect of Hsa-circ-0101216 on gemcitabine(GEM)chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer and its mechanism.Methods Differentially expressed circRNAs between GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cells and parent cells were screened using the GEO database.Pancreatic cancer GEM resistant cell lines(BxPC-3-GEM and Capan-1-GEM)were constructed by intermittent concentration gradient method.qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Hsa-circ-0101216 in cells.GEM resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines were taken and divided into sh-circ-0101216 group(knockdown of circ-0101216),sh-NC group(transfected with sh-NC),and blank control group(untreated).CCK-8 assay and EdU proliferation assay were used to detect the half inhibitory concentration(IC50)of GEM and proliferation ability of cells in each group.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of multidrug resistance-related protein 1(MRP1),breast cancer resistance protein(BCRP),and human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1(hENT-1).A subcutaneous xenograft tumor model of human pancreatic cancer in nude mice was constructed,and sh-NC+GEM group and sh-circ-0101216+GEM group(n=6)were set up.The volume and weight of xenograft tumor in nude mice were compared between the two groups.Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of MRP1,BCRP,and hENT-1 proteins in xenograft tumor tissues,and EDU proliferation assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of tumor cells.Results The GEO database screening showed that Hsa-circ-0101216 was up-regulated in GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines.Pancreatic cancer GEM-resistant cell lines were successfully constructed,and the expression levels of Hsa-circ-0101216 and the IC50 value in GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cells BxPC-3-GEM and Capan-1-GEM were significantly higher than those in parental cells(P<0.05).In sh-circ-0101216 group,the IC50 values of GEM,cell viability,EdU positivity rate,and the expression levels of MRP1 and BCRP proteins in GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cells BxPC-3-GEM and Capan-1-GEM were significantly lower than those in blank control group and sh-NC group,while the expression level of hENT-1 protein was significantly higher(P<0.05 or P<0.001).In sh-circ-0101216+GEM group,the weight and volume of subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice,the expression levels and positive expression rates of MRP1 and BCRP proteins in tumor tissues,and the EdU positive rate were significantly lower than those in sh-NC+GEM group,while the expression level and positive expression rate of hENT-1 protein were significantly higher(P<0.05).Conclusions Hsa-circ-0101216 is highly expressed in GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines.Its knockdown can inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells and enhance the chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to GEM.The mechanism may be related to the regulation of transmembrane transporter protein expression.

Objective To develop a predictive model for postoperative mortality risk in patients with acute aortic dissection(AAD)using the Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost)algorithm combined with Shapley Additive Explanation(SHAP),and to establish a prediction website to serve as a diagnostic and therapeutic support platform for clinicians and patients.Methods A retrospective cohort study design was adopted.Data from 782 AAD patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2013 to December 2023 were collected,including basic information and initial serum biomarker test results.Patients were randomly divided into training and test sets at a 7:3 ratio.An external validation set consisting of 313 AAD patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2020 to December 2023 was also established for further model validation.Variables were screened using LASSO regression,and an XGBoost machine learning model was constructed and interpreted using SHAP.The predictive performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Using the Shiny package,the XGBoost model was deployed to shinyapps.io to create a prediction website for postoperative mortality risk in AAD patients.One patient was selected by simple random sampling from the test set and the external validation set respectively for the prediction example on the Shiny webpage.Results The XGBoost model demonstrated high predictive performance for postoperative mortality in AAD patients,with area under the ROC curve(AUC)values of 0.928(95%CI 0.901-0.956)in the training set,0.919(95%CI 0.891-0.949)in the test set,and 0.941(95%CI 0.915-0.967)in the external validation set.SHAP values indicated the following order of variable importance in the model(from highest to lowest):"lactate dehydrogenase""blood chlorine""multiple organ injury""carbon dioxide combining power""prothrombin time""α-hydroxybutyric acid""creatine kinase isoenzyme""Stanford classification""combined use of bedside blood purification""gender""acute kidney injury""gastrointestinal bleeding""brain injury"and"shock".A risk prediction website for adverse postoperative outcomes in AAD patients was developed using XGBoost-SHAP method(https://dun-dunxiaolu.shinyapps.io/document/)and validated with examples.One randomly selected patient from each of the test and external validation sets was applied:the predicted mortality risk value for patient 1(who died postoperatively)was 0.9539,and that for patient 2(who survived postoperatively)was 0.0206.Conclusions The XGBoost-SHAP model demonstrates high accuracy in predicting postoperative mortality risk for AAD patients.The online prediction tool established based on this model enhances the identification efficiency of high-risk postoperative mortality patients.

Analyzing the spatial distribution pattern and formation factors of medicinal plant resources can provide a scientific basis for the protection and development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) resources. This study is based on the survey data of medicinal plant resources in 104 county-level administrative regions of Anhui province in the Fourth National Survey of TCM Resources. The global spatial autocorrelation analysis, trend surface analysis, local spatial autocorrelation analysis, hotspot analysis, and a geodetector were employed to analyze the spatial distribution pattern of medicinal plant richness, and its relationship with natural factors was explored. The results can provide a basis for the formulation of development strategies such as the protection and utilization of TCM resources, as well as offer a scientific foundation for the establishment of regional planning schemes for TCM resources in Anhui province. The results indicated that the richness of medicinal plant resources in Anhui province had significant spatial heterogeneity, exhibiting highly clustered distribution characteristics. Cold spots and hot spots presented clustered distribution patterns, with cold spots mostly located north of the Huaihe River and hot spots south of the Yangtze River. Overall, the distribution of medicinal plant resources in Anhui province showed an overall trend of high in the south and low in the north, which was consistent with the overall geomorphic trend of this province. In addition, natural factors such as altitude, precipitation, and vegetation type played an important role in the diversity and spatial distribution pattern formation of medicinal plant resources. The extraction and analysis of the spatial distribution characteristics of natural factors in cold and hot spot regions discovered that the heterogeneity of eco-environments constituted a fundamental condition for the formation of species diversity.
Plants, Medicinal/classification* ; China ; Spatial Analysis ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Biodiversity

Objective:To investigate the early clinical efficacy of arthroscopic suture and transoral tunnel Versalok anchor fixation in the treatment of acute posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) femoral avulsion fractures in adults.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 4 patients with acute PCL femoral insertion avulsion fracture who had been treated at Sports Medicine Center, Xi'an Honghui Hospital from January 2019 to June 2023. They were 1 male aged 49 years old and 3 females aged 39, 44, and 59 years old. Their time from injury to surgery was 3, 4, 9, and 12 days, respectively. All patients underwent arthroscopic suturing of the PCL femoral avulsion ligament junction. The sutures were pulled towards the medial femoral condyle through a bone tunnel created in the area of the medial femoral condyle ligament footprint and fixated with the Versalok anchor. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at 6 months postoperatively to assess union of the avulsion fracture and PCL continuity. The postoperative active knee flexion and extension, ligament tension, knee stability and knee functional recovery were recorded at the final follow-up.Results:One female patient sprained her knee while walking 6 months after surgery and then gradually developed knee pain and instability symptoms with a positive posterior drawer test (grade Ⅲ). She underwent PCL ligament reconstruction 7 months after surgery so that her follow-up was terminated. The remaining 3 patients were followed for 6, 12 and 13 months, respectively. Their active knee extension and flexion activities were comparable to those on the unaffected side and within the normal range at the last follow-up. Two patients had a negative posterior drawer test and 1 patient a positive posterior drawer test (grade I) but no symptoms of knee instability.Conclusion:Arthroscopic suture and bone tunnel Versalok anchor fixation technique in the treatment of acute femoral PCL avulsion fractures in adults is feasible and effective.

Objective:To investigate the early clinical efficacy of arthroscopic suture half-tie combined with Versalok anchor fixation in the treatment of avulsion fracture of the tibial insertion of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in adults.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of the 26 adult patients with avulsion fracture of the ACL tibial insertion who had been treated by arthroscopic suture half-tie combined with Versalok anchor fixation between June 2020 and December 2022 at Sports Medicine Center, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University. This cohort consisted of 12 males and 14 females with an age of (26.6±7.5) years. According to the Meyers-McKeever classification, there were 9 cases of type Ⅱ, 12 cases of type Ⅲ, and 3 cases of type Ⅳ. The time from injury to surgery was (9.3±6.8) days. Follow-up evaluations were conducted at postoperative 3 days, 3 months, and 12 months, including imaging assessments for fracture healing, clinical examinations of knee flexion and extension, anterior drawer and Lachman tests to assess the ACL tension. At the last follow-up, KT-2000 test was performed to quantify ACL laxity, and visual analogue scale (VAS) and Lysholm knee score were used to assess postoperative pain and functional recovery.Results:Primary wound healing was achieved in all the 26 patients. One patient required ACL reconstruction due to laxity and mild extension limitation at postoperative 6 months. The other 25 patients were followed for (15.4±3.2) months. At postoperative 12 months, X-rays showed good bone healing at the fracture site of the tibial intercondylar eminence, and both the Lachman and anterior drawer tests were negative. At postoperative 3 months and the last follow-up, the active knee extension and flexion were 128.8° (121.2°, 138.3°) and 52.7° (38.2°, 63.2°), respectively, significantly better than the preoperative value [52.7° (38.2°, 63.2°)] ( P<0.05), and the KT-2000 test showed that the disparity between the affected and healthy sides were 2.5 (1.2, 4.2) mm and 1.2 (0.8, 3.4) mm, respectively, significantly smaller than the preoperative value [7.1 (5.2, 11.2) mm] ( P<0.05). At postoperative 3 and 12 months, the VAS pain scores were significantly decreased and the knee Lysholm scores were significantly improved compared with the preoperative values ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of avulsion fracture of the ACL tibial insertion in adults, arthroscopic suture half-tie combined with Versalok anchor fixation is a minimally invasive, reliable, and straightforward technique, leading to excellent early clinical outcomes.

Objective:To analyze the correlation and predictive value of obesity measurement indicators and cerebrovascular function scores in healthy physical examination population.Methods:It was a cross-sectional analysis that employed a simple random sampling method to select 3 496 individuals who underwent healthy physical examinations and cerebrovascular function tests at the Physical Examination Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January to December 2022. The general information, physical examination data, biochemical examination results, human component analyses, and cerebrovascular function integral data were collected. Based on cerebrovascular function scores, the participants were divided into high-risk group (0-24 points, 70 cases), medium-risk group (25-49 points, 317 cases), low-risk group (50-74 points, 787 cases), and normal group (≥75 points, 2 322 cases). Spearman correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were utilized to assess the correlation and predictive value of obesity measurement indicators and cerebrovascular function integrals.Results:Among the 3 496 subjects included in the analysis, 2 018 were male and 1 478 were female, with an average age of (46.4±7.9) years. The age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat ratio, body fat content, visceral fat area, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, homocysteine all exhibited an increasing trend as the cerebrovascular function integral value decreased (all P<0.05). The skeletal muscle content in the low-risk group was significantly higher than those in the high-risk group, medium-risk group, and normal group [45.00 (36.80, 50.60) vs 44.10 (36.98, 50.45), 44.50 (37.80, 50.20), and 42.75 (36.30, 48.60) kg, respectively] ( P<0.05). The triglyceride level in the medium-risk group was higher when compared to those in the high-risk group, low-risk group, and normal group[1.87 (1.29, 2.70) vs 1.71 (1.24, 2.80), 1.75 (1.18, 2.70), and 1.43 (1.00, 2.14) mmol/L] ( P<0.05). The high-density lipoprotein level in the normal group was higher than the high-risk group, medium-risk group, and low-risk group[1.26 (1.05, 1.51) vs 1.16 (0.94, 1.36), 1.15 (0.99, 1.39), and 1.16 (0.97, 1.39) mmol/L, respectively] ( P<0.05). The increases in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, and body fat content were all moderately negatively correlated with the cerebrovascular function score ( rs=-0.347, -0.335, -0.370, and -0.340, respectively, all P<0.05). The increase in age ( OR=1.012, 95% CI: 1.002-1.022), systolic blood pressure ( OR=1.027, 95% CI: 1.017-1.036), diastolic blood pressure ( OR=1.028, 95% CI: 1.014-1.042), body mass index ( OR=1.157, 95% CI: 1.083-1.237), body fat rate ( OR=1.021, 95% CI: 1.007-1.035), and fasting blood glucose ( OR=1.072, 95% CI: 1.020-1.127) were all positively correlated with the decrease of the cerebrovascular function score; conversely, the increase in skeletal muscle content ( OR=0.967, 95% CI: 0.951-0.982) was negatively correlated with the decrease in cerebrovascular function score (all P<0.05). The area under the curve for the combined prediction of cerebrovascular function integral value by age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, body fat rate, skeletal muscle content, and fasting blood glucose was 0.754. Conclusions:As the body mass index and body fat content increase and the skeletal muscle content decreases in the healthy physical examination population, the likelihood of abnormal cerebrovascular function integral values rises; the combination of age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle content, and fasting blood glucose indicators can predict the increased risk of cerebrovascular function integral values.

Objective By observing and measuring the relevant data of the buccal branch of the facial nerve,the parotid duct and the facial artery,the positional relationship among the three was analyzed to avoid accidental injury to the buccal branch of the facial nerve and the parotid duct when ligaturing the facial artery during the operation.Methods Forty adult head and neck specimens were dissected to observe the relationship between the buccal branch of the facial nerve and the parotid duct,the course and positional relationship of the facial artery,and the relationship between the buccal branch of the facial nerve and the peripheral vascular network.The relevant diameters were measured with a vernier caliper.Results The buccal branch of the facial nerve was divided into the superior buccal branch and the inferior buccal branch,and there was no direct anastomosis or connecting fiber between the buccal branch of the facial nerve and the parotid duct.The superior buccal branch was relatively thick,and it has a relatively constant position,which was parallel to the parotid duct.The position of the inferior buccal branch was not constant and it ran on or slightly above the plane of angulus oris.The superior buccal branch was located(10.76±5.54)mm from the parotid duct,while the inferior buccal branch was positioned(6.84±4.06)mm away from the parotid duct.The course of the main trunk of the facial artery was relatively fixed.Moreover,if the branch of the facial artery was missing,other branches of the facial artery would extend to replace the missing branch artery.The main trunk of the facial artery had a diameter of(2.34±0.83)mm,and its branches formed anastomoses with the buccal branch of the maxillary artery,creating a vascular network in the parotid and buccal regions.There was a vascular network around the buccal branch of the facial nerve,which was mostly small branches of the facial artery and the superficial temporal artery.Conclusion The buccal branch of the facial nerve exhibits a consistent anatomic relationship with the parotid duct and the facial artery.During the ligation of the facial artery,the parotid duct can serve as a landmark to accurately locate the buccal branch of the facial nerve,thereby significantly reducing the risk of inadvertent injury to the buccal branch of the facial nerve and the parotid duct.

Objective:To investigate the early clinical efficacy of arthroscopic suture half-tie combined with Versalok anchor fixation in the treatment of avulsion fracture of the tibial insertion of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in adults.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of the 26 adult patients with avulsion fracture of the ACL tibial insertion who had been treated by arthroscopic suture half-tie combined with Versalok anchor fixation between June 2020 and December 2022 at Sports Medicine Center, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University. This cohort consisted of 12 males and 14 females with an age of (26.6±7.5) years. According to the Meyers-McKeever classification, there were 9 cases of type Ⅱ, 12 cases of type Ⅲ, and 3 cases of type Ⅳ. The time from injury to surgery was (9.3±6.8) days. Follow-up evaluations were conducted at postoperative 3 days, 3 months, and 12 months, including imaging assessments for fracture healing, clinical examinations of knee flexion and extension, anterior drawer and Lachman tests to assess the ACL tension. At the last follow-up, KT-2000 test was performed to quantify ACL laxity, and visual analogue scale (VAS) and Lysholm knee score were used to assess postoperative pain and functional recovery.Results:Primary wound healing was achieved in all the 26 patients. One patient required ACL reconstruction due to laxity and mild extension limitation at postoperative 6 months. The other 25 patients were followed for (15.4±3.2) months. At postoperative 12 months, X-rays showed good bone healing at the fracture site of the tibial intercondylar eminence, and both the Lachman and anterior drawer tests were negative. At postoperative 3 months and the last follow-up, the active knee extension and flexion were 128.8° (121.2°, 138.3°) and 52.7° (38.2°, 63.2°), respectively, significantly better than the preoperative value [52.7° (38.2°, 63.2°)] ( P<0.05), and the KT-2000 test showed that the disparity between the affected and healthy sides were 2.5 (1.2, 4.2) mm and 1.2 (0.8, 3.4) mm, respectively, significantly smaller than the preoperative value [7.1 (5.2, 11.2) mm] ( P<0.05). At postoperative 3 and 12 months, the VAS pain scores were significantly decreased and the knee Lysholm scores were significantly improved compared with the preoperative values ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of avulsion fracture of the ACL tibial insertion in adults, arthroscopic suture half-tie combined with Versalok anchor fixation is a minimally invasive, reliable, and straightforward technique, leading to excellent early clinical outcomes.

PURPOSE: The rate of complications among patients undergoing surgery has increased due to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and other variants of concern. However, Omicron has shown decreased pathogenicity, raising questions about the risk of postoperative complications among patients who are infected with this variant. This study aimed to investigate complications and related factors among patients with recent Omicron infection prior to undergoing orthopedic surgery. METHODS: A historical control study was conducted. Data were collected from all patients who underwent surgery during 2 distinct periods: (1) between Dec 12, 2022 and Jan 31, 2023 (COVID-19 positive group), (2) between Dec 12, 2021 and Jan 31, 2022 (COVID-19 negative control group). The patients were at least 18 years old. Patients who received conservative treatment after admission or had high-risk diseases or special circumstances (use of anticoagulants before surgery) were excluded from the study. The study outcomes were the total complication rate and related factors. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify related factors, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on complications. RESULTS: In the analysis, a total of 847 patients who underwent surgery were included, with 275 of these patients testing positive for COVID-19 and 572 testing negative. The COVID-19-positive group had a significantly higher rate of total complications (11.27%) than the control group (4.90%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for relevant factors, the OR was 3.08 (95% CI: 1.45-6.53). Patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 at 3-4 weeks (OR = 0.20 (95% CI: 0.06-0.59), p = 0.005), 5-6 weeks (OR = 0.16 (95% CI: 0.04-0.59), p = 0.010), or ≥7 weeks (OR = 0.26 (95% CI: 0.06-1.02), p = 0.069) prior to surgery had a lower risk of complications than those who were diagnosed at 0-2 weeks prior to surgery. Seven factors (age, indications for surgery, time of operation, time of COVID-19 diagnosis prior to surgery, C-reactive protein levels, alanine transaminase levels, and aspartate aminotransferase levels) were found to be associated with complications; thus, these factors were used to create a nomogram. CONCLUSION Omicron continues to be a significant factor in the incidence of postoperative complications among patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. By identifying the factors associated with these complications, we can determine the optimal surgical timing, provide more accurate prognostic information, and offer appropriate consultation for orthopedic surgery patients who have been infected with Omicron.
Humans ; COVID-19/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Orthopedic Procedures/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Nomograms ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors