In recent years, significant progress has been made in the field of liver transplantation in terms of donor expansion, technological innovation and perioperative management. Machine perfusion technology, through dynamic repair and assessment of donor liver quality, can effectively reduce postoperative complications and increase the utilization rate of marginal donor livers. The optimization of split liver transplantation technology combined with normothermic perfusion further alleviates the shortage of donors, but its promotion is still limited by technical barriers. Xenotransplantation has achieved preclinical breakthroughs in the field of genetically modified pig livers, but ethical and immune barrier issues need to be urgently resolved. In the field of liver cancer liver transplantation, the focus is on neoadjuvant treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors and the development of recurrence prediction models, which promotes precise treatment. For perioperative management, the optimization of individualized immunosuppressive regimens, artificial liver support, and strategies for the prevention and control of vascular complications has significantly improved patients’ survival rates. Personalized treatment for children, elderly recipients, and recipients with multiple comorbidities provides new ideas for liver transplantation in special populations. In the future, liver transplantation research may focus on the integration of multidisciplinary approaches, individualized treatment and emerging technologies to advance the global liver transplantation cause to new heights.

A 71-year-old male presented with esophageal cancer and severe aortic valve regurgitation. Treatment strategies for such patients are controversial. Considering the risks of cardiopulmonary bypass and potential esophageal cancer metastasis, we successfully performed transcatheter aortic valve implantation and minimally invasive three-incision thoracolaparoscopy combined with radical resection of esophageal cancer (McKeown) simultaneously in the elderly patient who did not require neoadjuvant treatment. This dual minimally invasive procedure took 6 hours and the patient recovered smoothly without any surgical complications.

Serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type (SPINK) is a skin keratinizing protease inhibitor, which was initially found in animal serum and is widely present in plants, animals, bacteria, and viruses, and they act as key regulators of skin keratinizing proteases and are involved in the regulation of keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation, primarily through the inhibition of deregulated tissue kinin-releasing enzymes (KLKs) in skin response. This process plays a crucial role in alleviating various skin problems caused by hyperkeratinization and inflammation, and can greatly improve the overall condition of the skin. Specifically, the different members of the SPINK family, such as SPINK5, SPINK6, SPINK7, and SPINK9, each have unique biological functions and mechanisms of action. The existence of these members demonstrates the diversity and complexity of skin health and disease. First, SPINK5 mutations are closely associated with the development of various skin diseases, such as Netherton’s syndrome and atopic dermatitis, and SPINK5 is able to inhibit the activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby effectively preventing the metastasis of melanoma cells, which is important in preventing the invasion and migration of malignant tumors. Secondly, SPINK6 is mainly distributed in the epidermis and contains lysine and glutamate residues, which can act as a substrate for epidermal transglutaminase to maintain the normal structure and function of the skin. In addition, SPINK6 can activate the intracellular ERK1/2 and AKT signaling pathways through the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor and protease receptor-2 (EphA2), which can promote the migration of melanoma cells, and SPINK6 further deepens its role in stimulating the migration of malignant tumor cells by inhibiting the activation of STAT3 signaling pathway. This process further deepens its potential impact in stimulating tumor invasive migration. Furthermore, SPINK7 plays a role in the pathology of some inflammatory skin diseases, and is likely to be an important factor contributing to the exacerbation of skin diseases by promoting aberrant proliferation of keratinocytes and local inflammatory responses. Finally, SPINK9 can induce cell migration and promote skin wound healing by activating purinergic receptor 2 (P2R) to induce phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor and further activating the downstream ERK1/2 signaling pathway. In addition, SPINK9 also plays an antimicrobial role, preventing the interference of some pathogenic microorganisms. Taken as a whole, some members of the SPINK family may be potential targets for the treatment of dermatological disorders by regulating multiple biological processes such as keratinization metabolism and immuno-inflammatory processes in the skin. The development of drugs such as small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies has great potential for the treatment of dermatologic diseases, and future research on SPINK will help to gain a deeper understanding of the physiopathologic processes of the skin. Through its functions and regulatory mechanisms, the formation and maintenance of the skin barrier and the occurrence and development of inflammatory responses can be better understood, which will provide novel ideas and methods for the prevention and treatment of skin diseases.

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） on the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing emergency endoscopic therapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding， as well as independent influencing factors for the prognosis of liver cirrhosis patients without HCC after emergency endoscopic therapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding. MethodsA total of 117 liver cirrhosis patients without HCC and 119 liver cirrhosis patients with HCC who underwent emergency endoscopic therapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2017 to July 2023 were enrolled. Basic information including age and sex was collected from all patients， as well as the presence or absence of chronic diseases such as hypertension， diabetes， and coronary heart disease， the time of emergency endoscopy after admission， and liver function parameters including international normalized ratio， albumin， creatinine， sodium， total bilirubin， alanine aminotransferase， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST）. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous variables between two groups， and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous variables between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical variables between groups. The covariance analysis and the multivariate logistic regression analysis were used for comparison of outcome variables after control of baseline variables， and the Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted for each group. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed for survival time in the non-HCC group to investigate the independent influencing factors for survival time， and then the Kaplan-Meier curve analysis and the log-rank test were performed to validate such independent influencing factors and analyze the independent influencing factors for secondary outcomes. ResultsCompared with the non-HCC group， the HCC group had significantly higher red blood cell transfusion units （6.00［2.00～9.00］ vs 4.00［1.75～7.00］， Z=-2.050， P=0.040， F=4.869， adjusted P=0.028）， a significantly shorter survival time （29.77±16.01 days vs 38.07±11.43 days， t=4.574， P<0.001， F=17.294， adjusted P<0.001）， and a significantly higher 5-day rebleeding rate （22.69% vs 6.84%， χ²=11.736， P<0.001， adjusted P=0.021）. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the risk of 42-day mortality in the HCC group was 3.897 （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 2.338 ‍— 6.495， P<0.001） times that in the non-HCC group. The multivariate Cox regression analysis of the non-HCC group showed that the total length of hospital stay （hazard ratio ［HR］=0.793， 95%CI： 0.644 ‍— ‍0.976， P=0.029） was an independent protective factor for 42-day survival. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that a length of hospital stay of >9 days was beneficial for the prognosis of patients （HR=4.302， 95%CI： 1.439 — 12.870， P=0.037）. Blood sodium level （odds ratio ［OR］=0.523， 95%CI： 0.289 ‍— ‍0.945， P=0.032） and MELD-Na score （OR=0.495， 95%CI： 0.257 ‍— ‍0.954， P=0.036） were independent protective factors against 5-day rebleeding， while AST level was an independent risk factor for 5-day rebleeding （OR=1.023， 95%CI： 1.002 ‍— ‍1.043， P=0.028） and in-hospital death （OR=1.036， 95%CI： 1.001‍— ‍1.073， P=0.045）. ConclusionLiver cirrhosis patients with variceal bleeding and HCC tend to have a worse prognosis， and for the non-HCC group， in-hospital mortality rate increases with the increase in AST level. The total length of hospital stay is an independent protective factor for survival time in the non-HCC group， and it is recommended to appropriately prolong the length of hospital stay for such patients.

Five saponins were isolated from the kernels of Momordica cochinchinensis, by macroporous resin, silica gel, ODS column chromatography, and semi preparative HPLC. Based on MS and NMR analysis, combining with alkaline hydrolysis and acid hydrolysis, their structures were identified as: gypsogenin-3-O-{β-D-galactopyranosyl (1→2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)]-β-D-glucuropyranonosyl}-28-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl (1→3)-[β-D-xylopyranosyl (1→4)]-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2)-β-D-fucopyranoside (1), quillaic acid-3-O-{β-D-galactopyranosyl (1→2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)]-β-D-glucuropyranonosyl}-28-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl (1→3)-[β-D-xylopyranosyl (1→4)]-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2)-β-D-fucopyranoside (2), gypsogenin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl (1→2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)]-β-D-glucuropyranonoside sodium (3), quillaic acid-3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl (1→2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)]-β-D-glucuropyranonoside sodium (4), 18α-quillaic acid-3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl (1→2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)]-β-D-glucuropyranonoside (5). Compounds 1-5 were new compounds, and named as mubezhisides A, B, C, D, E, respectively. They all could obviously inhibited the growth of Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis.

Objective: To explore the key factors affecting the selection and effectiveness of bladder management modalities in patients with spinal cord injury，so as to provide reference for the optimization of individualized bladder management strategies. Methods: The clinical and follow-up data of 78 patients with spinal cord injury treated in our hospital during Jan.1,2013 and Dec.31,2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The distribution of bladder management modalities among different grades of injuries was analyzed. Bowker symmetry test was used to evaluate the difference between bladder management modalities at discharge and at the end of follow-up. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the influencing factors of bladder management effects. Plotting Kaplan-Meier survival curves were adopted to calculate the median time of changes in bladder management. Results: At discharge，there were 9 cases of self-catheterization，19 cases of intermittent catheterization，22 cases of reflexive voiding，26 cases of long-term catheterization，and 2 cases using urinary collector.At the end of follow-up，there were 15 cases of self-catheterization，8 cases of intermittent catheterization，34 cases of reflexive voiding，14 cases of long-term catheterization，and 7 cases using urinary collector.There was a significant difference between the modalities of bladder management at discharge and at the end of follow-up (χ =21.43，P=0.018).Multiple linear regression showed a significant decrease of 8.60 in the total neurogenic bladder symptom score (NBSS) for grade D injuries compared with grade A injuries (P=0.026). The median time to bladder management change was 7.93 months (95%CI:5.44-9.44), with approximately 50% of patients experiencing a change in bladder management within 8 months after discharge. Conclusion: The modalities of bladder management changed significantly after discharge.The grade of injury was a key factor affecting the effectiveness of bladder management.Higher grade was associated with worse effectiveness of bladder management.

Objective: Previous observational studies have confirmed the correlation between gut microbiota and bladder cancer，but the causal relationship is still unclear.This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between them with Mendelian randomization. Methods: Genetic variation summary data of 211 gut microbiota and bladder cancer genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were obtained from the MiBioGen Consortium and Finngen database.Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) closely related to these studies were screened as instrumental variables.The causal relationship between gut microbiota and bladder cancer were analyzed with inverse variance weighting (IVW)，MR-Egger，weighted median，maximum likelihood，robust adjustment feature score and MR-PRESSO，with IVW as the primary analysis method.Additionally，sensitivity analysis was used to test the heterogeneity (Cochran Q) and horizontal pleiotropy (MR-Egger intercept term and global test from MR-PRESSO estimator) to ensure the robustness of the results. Results: The IVW results indicated that Lachnospiraceae UCG004 (OR：1.42)，Desulfovibrionales (Order) (OR：1.48)，Eubacterium ruminantium group (OR：1.33)，Olsenella (OR：1.24)，Ruminococcaceae UCG002 (OR：1.39)，Ruminococcaceae UCG005 (OR：1.42) and Ruminococcaceae UCG013 (OR：1.64) significantly increased the risk of bladder cancer.Conversely，Bacteroidetes (Phylum) (OR：0.61)，Eubacterium brachy group (OR：0.80)，Ruminococcaceae UCG004 (OR：0.73)，Rikenellaceae (Family) (OR：0.67)，Lachnospiraceae ND3007 group (OR：0.47), Adlercreutzia (OR：0.73) and an unknow genus (OR：0.75) were associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer.Sensitivity analyses did not reveal any heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusion: This study reveals the causal role of 14 gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of bladder cancer，among which Lachnospiraceae UCG004，Desulfovibrionales (Order)，Eubacterium ruminantium group，Olsenella，Ruminococcaceae UCG002，Ruminococcaceae UCG005 and Ruminococcaceae UCG013 are risk factors for bladder cancer，while Bacteroidetes (Phylum)，Eubacterium brachy group，Ruminococcaceae UCG004，Rikenellaceae (Family)，Lachnospiraceae ND3007 group，Adlercreutzia and an unknown genus are the protective factors.

ObjectiveIn nature, objects cast shadows due to illumination, forming the basis for stereoscopic perception. Birds need to adapt to changes in lighting (meaning they can recognize stereoscopic shapes even when shadows look different) to accurately perceive different three-dimensional forms. However, how neurons in the key visual brain area in birds handle these lighting changes remains largely unreported. In this study, pigeons (Columba livia) were used as subjects to investigate how neurons in pigeon’s ventrolateral mesopallium (MVL) represent stereoscopic shapes consistently, regardless of changes in lighting. MethodsVisual cognitive training combined with neuronal recording was employed. Pigeons were first trained to discriminate different stereoscopic shapes (concave/convex). We then tested whether and how light luminance angle and surface appearance of the stereoscopic shapes affect their recognition accuracy, and further verify whether the results rely on specify luminance color. Simultaneously, neuronal firing activity of neurons was recorded with multiple electrode array implanted from the MVL during the presentation of difference shapes. The response was finally analyzed how selectively they responded to different stereoscopic shapes and whether their selectivity was affected by the changes of luminance condition (like lighting angle) or surface look. Support vector machine (SVM) models were trained on neuronal population responses recorded under one condition (light luminance angle of 45°) and used to decode responses under other conditions (light luminance angle of 135°, 225°, 315°) to verify the invariance of responses to different luminance conditions. ResultsBehavioral results from 6 pigeons consistently showed that the pigeons could reliably identify the core 3D shape (over 80% accuracy), and this ability wasn’t affected by changes in light angle or surface appearance. Statistical analysis of 88 recorded neurons from 6 pigeons revealed that 83% (73/88) showed strong selectivity for specific 3D shapes (selectivity index>0.3), and responses to convex shapes were consistently stronger than to concave shapes. These shape-selective responses remained stable across changes in light angle and surface appearance. Neural patterns were consistent under both blue and orange lighting. The decoding accuracy achieves above 70%, suggesting stable responses under different conditions (e.g., different lighting angles or surface appearance). ConclusionNeurons in the pigeon MVL maintain a consistent neural encoding pattern for different stereoscopic shapes, unaffected by illumination or surface appearance. This ensures stable object recognition by pigeons in changing visual environments. Our findings provide new physiological evidence for understanding how birds achieve stable perception (“invariant neural representations”) while coping with variations in the visual field.

Lung transplantation is the ultimate therapeutic option for end-stage pulmonary diseases such as interstitial pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis. Currently, the shortage of allogeneic lung donors significantly limits the opportunity for end-stage lung disease patients to receive lung transplantation. In recent years, with the rapid development of biomedical engineering technologies, especially the major breakthroughs in genetic modification and cloning, xenogeneic lung transplantation has shown important potential for clinical translation. Among them, genetically modified pigs have become the most promising xenogeneic lung source due to the close similarity of organ size and physiological characteristics to humans, and the ability to perform targeted gene knockouts (such as α-Gal antigen knockout) to reduce the occurrence of hyperacute rejection. This article focuses on the research progress of porcine xenogeneic lung transplantation, systematically reviews the latest achievements and challenges in animal experiments and human trials, and introduces the technical experience accumulated by Shenzhen Third People's Hospital in the porcine-to-monkey xenogeneic lung transplantation model, in the hope of providing practical references for future research in this field.

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcome of endovascular treatment vs. drug treatment in patients with symptomatic non-acute long-segment occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Methods:Based on prospective cohort registration research data, patients with symptomatic non-acute long-segment occlusion of internal carotid artery were retrospectively included. They were divided into a drug treatment group and an endovascular treatment group according to the actual treatment received. The latter was further divided into a successful recanalization group and an unsuccessful recanalization group. The endpoint events included ipsilateral ischemic stroke, any stroke, and all-cause death. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to compare the endpoint events between groups during the perioprocedural period (within 30 days), and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was use to compare the endpoint events between the groups during the long-term follow-up. Results:A total of 684 patients were included, of which 570 (83.33%) were male, median aged 63 years (interquartile range, 56-70 years). Three hundred and fifty-three patients (51.6%) received drug treatment; 331 (48.4%) received endovascular treatment, of which 161 (48.6%) had successful recanalization. The median follow-up time was 1 223 days (interquartile range, 646.5-2 082 days), with 109 patients (15.9%) experiencing stroke recurrence events (including 87 ipsilateral ischemic stroke) and 78 (11.4%) experiencing all-cause mortality. The risk of any stroke during the perioprocedural period in the successful recanalization group was significantly higher than that in the drug treatment group (odds ratio 3.679, 95% confidence interval 1.038-13.036; P=0.044), but the risk of ipsilateral ischemic stroke recurrence (risk ratio 0.347, 95% confidence interval 0.152-0.791; P=0.012) and all-cause mortality (risk ratio 0.239, 95% confidence interval 0.093-0.618; P=0.003) during the long-term follow-up were significantly lower than those in the drug treatment group. Conclusions:In patients with symptomatic non-acute long-segment occlusion of the internal carotid artery, endovascular treatment can increase the risk of stroke recurrence within 30 days, but successful recanalization can reduce the risks of long-term ipsilateral ischemic stroke recurrence and all-cause mortality.