ObjectiveTo investigate the optimal termination time for acupuncture in treating patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis and its cost-effectiveness. MethodsA total of 120 eligible patients with acute-stage peri-pheral facial paralysis were randomly assigned to either the mild dysfunction termination group and the complete recovery termination group， with 60 patients in each group. Both groups received the standard acupuncture treatment protocol. Treatment in the mild dysfunction termination group was terminated when the Sunnybrook facial grade scale （SFGS） score first reached or exceeded 83 points， while that in the complete recovery termination group was terminated when the SFGS score first reached or exceeded 95 points. Assessments were conducted before treatment， 6 and 12 months after onset. SFGS， facial disability index （FDI） including physical function （FDIp） and social function （FDIs）， self-rating anxiety scale （SAS）， and self-rating depression scale （SDS） scores were assessed before treatment， and 6 and 12 months after onset. Any acupuncture-related adverse events during treatment were recorded for safety evaluation. Treatment sessions and medical costs including direct costs， indirect costs， insurance coverage， total societal costs， and patient out-of-pocket expenses were also recorded， and an economic evaluation was conducted including cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio （ICER）. ResultsUltimately， 56 patients in the mild dysfunction termination group and 55 in the complete recovery termination group completed the follow-up. At 6 and 12 months after onset， SFGS and FDIp scores in both groups improved significantly while FDIs， SAS and SDS scores decreased （P＜0.05）. Comparison of scores between groups 6 months and 12 months after onset showed no statistically significant differences （P＞0.05）. During the trial， the incidence of adverse events was 13.3% （8/60） in the mild dysfunction termination group and 18.3% （11/60） in the complete recovery termination group， with no statistically significant difference （P＞0.05）. The number of treatment sessions， total social costs， and out-of-pocket expenses in the mild dysfunction termination group were significantly lower than those in the complete recovery termination group （P＜0.05）. The CER of the mild dysfunction termination group in SFGS， FDIp， FDIs， SAS， and SDS scores was lower than that of the complete recovery termination group. The ICER analysis showed that continuing treatment until full recovery incurred an additional cost of 573.30 CNY/point in SFGS improvement， whereas 1-point improvement in FDIp， FDIs， SAS， and SDS required 21,355.25 CNY， 1779.60 CNY， 3713.96 CNY， and 2755.52 CNY， respectively. ConclusionFor acupuncture in treating acute peripheral facial palsy， terminating treatment when mild dysfunction is achieved yields long-term efficacy comparable to that of continuing treatment until complete recovery， while significantly reducing medical costs and socioeconomic burden.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the impact of solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2) on the malignant phenotype of gliomas and its role in regulating ferroptosis sensitivity. Materials and Methods: The malignant phenotype of glioma was assessed by cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay, EdU assay, wound healing, and Transwell experiments. We further validated the impact of reduced SLC3A2 expression on the sensitivity to ferroptosis in glioma cells through Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, flow cytometry, western blotting, and transmission electron microscopy. Western blot was used to explore how SLC3A2 affects glioma sensitivity to ferroptosis through the AKT/NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) axis. By establishing a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in BALB/c-nude mice, we investigated the growth of tumors following the knockout of SLC3A2 in glioma cells. Results: Downregulation of SLC3A2 suppressed the malignant phenotype of glioma by blocking the cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition processes. On the other hand, loss of SLC3A2 not only downregulated SLC7A11 but also prevented the activation of the AKT/NRF2/GPX4 axis. These lead to increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxides, ultimately enhancing the susceptibility of glioma to ferroptosis. Conclusion Our findings suggest that SLC3A2 is an oncogene in gliomas, promoting their occurrence and development. It plays a critical role in ferroptosis resistance through the AKT/NRF2/GPX4 axis.

Objective: Accurate evaluation of inflammation severity in ulcerative colitis (UC) can guide treatment strategy selection. The potential value of the pericolic fat attenuation index (FAI) on CT as an indicator of disease severity remains unknown.This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of pericolic FAI in predicting UC severity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 148 patients (mean age 48 years; 87 males). The fat attenuation on CT was measured in four different locations: the mesocolic vascular side (MS) and opposite side of MS (OMS) around the most severe bowel lesion, the retroperitoneal space (RS), and the subcutaneous area. The fat attenuation indices (FAI MS, FAI OMS, and FAI RS) were calculated as the fat attenuation measured in MS, OMS, and RS, respectively, minus that of the subcutaneous area, and were obtained in the non-enhanced, arterial, and delayed phases. Correlations between the FAI and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were assessed using Spearman’s correlation. Predictors of severe UC (UCEIS ≥7) were selected by univariable analysis. The performance of FAI in predicting severe UC was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores were significantly higher than FAI RS in three phases (all P < 0.001). The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores moderately correlated with the UCEIS score (r = 0.474–0.649 among the three phases). Additionally, FAI MS and FAI OMS identified severe UC, with AUC varying from 0.77 to 0.85. Conclusion Increased CT attenuation of pericolic adipose tissue could serve as a noninvasive marker for evaluating UC severity. FAI MS and FAI OMS of three phases showed similar prediction accuracies for severe UC identification.

Objective: Accurate evaluation of inflammation severity in ulcerative colitis (UC) can guide treatment strategy selection. The potential value of the pericolic fat attenuation index (FAI) on CT as an indicator of disease severity remains unknown.This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of pericolic FAI in predicting UC severity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 148 patients (mean age 48 years; 87 males). The fat attenuation on CT was measured in four different locations: the mesocolic vascular side (MS) and opposite side of MS (OMS) around the most severe bowel lesion, the retroperitoneal space (RS), and the subcutaneous area. The fat attenuation indices (FAI MS, FAI OMS, and FAI RS) were calculated as the fat attenuation measured in MS, OMS, and RS, respectively, minus that of the subcutaneous area, and were obtained in the non-enhanced, arterial, and delayed phases. Correlations between the FAI and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were assessed using Spearman’s correlation. Predictors of severe UC (UCEIS ≥7) were selected by univariable analysis. The performance of FAI in predicting severe UC was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores were significantly higher than FAI RS in three phases (all P < 0.001). The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores moderately correlated with the UCEIS score (r = 0.474–0.649 among the three phases). Additionally, FAI MS and FAI OMS identified severe UC, with AUC varying from 0.77 to 0.85. Conclusion Increased CT attenuation of pericolic adipose tissue could serve as a noninvasive marker for evaluating UC severity. FAI MS and FAI OMS of three phases showed similar prediction accuracies for severe UC identification.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has the potential to rebuild the intestinal microbiome of patients, which can influence the disease course, alleviate symptoms, or even cure the disease. It is seen as a promising breakthrough for treating major chronic diseases that are difficult to manage. Currently, FMT therapy has been clinically studied for over 80 diseases and has led to significant breakthroughs. However, there are still four main challenges: (1) identifying the effective characteristics of donor microbiota and ensuring precise matching between donors and recipients; (2) understanding the pathways and molecular mechanisms by which key FMT bacteria and metabolites improve disease outcomes; (3) studying strain interactions and colonization mechanisms to restore intestinal microbiota balance; and (4) refining the precision of microbiome and functional microbiota transplantation. To address these clinical challenges, this article reviews the latest research both domestically and internationally, outlines the response patterns of FMT therapy, examines the reasons behind FMT failure, and explores future directions for the development of FMT. The aim is to accelerate the scientific and precise advancement of FMT technology in China.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of non-seroconverted cases after rabies vaccination and observe the effect of booster vaccination.Methods:A retrospective collection of data was conducted from March 2022 to March 2023 across 409 rabies vaccination clinics in 27 provinces in China, focusing on cases with rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) levels less than 0.5 IU/ml after vaccination.Results:A total of 77 cases were identified in whom seroconversion was not observed within 30 days post-vaccination with the rabies vaccine. The gender distribution was 51.9% male and 48.1% female, with ages ranging from 2 to 83 years old. Delayed vaccination was observed in 11 cases (14.3%), and 63 cases (81.8%) received human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) injections. None of the cases had a confirmed immunosuppressive disease or taking immunosuppressive drugs, and the body mass index (BMI) distribution ranged from 14.37 to 34.74 kg/m 2. Seventy-six cases seroconverted after 1 to 3 doses of rabies vaccines as a booster vaccination. One case that did not seroconvert after the initial booster vaccination seroconverted after receiving additional 2 doses of vaccine. All patients were followed up for one year, with no cases of rabies reported. Conclusions:The characteristics of cases that failed to seroconvert after the full course of rabies vaccination lacked specificity, and booster vaccination could lead to seroconversion.

Objective: Accurate evaluation of inflammation severity in ulcerative colitis (UC) can guide treatment strategy selection. The potential value of the pericolic fat attenuation index (FAI) on CT as an indicator of disease severity remains unknown.This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of pericolic FAI in predicting UC severity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 148 patients (mean age 48 years; 87 males). The fat attenuation on CT was measured in four different locations: the mesocolic vascular side (MS) and opposite side of MS (OMS) around the most severe bowel lesion, the retroperitoneal space (RS), and the subcutaneous area. The fat attenuation indices (FAI MS, FAI OMS, and FAI RS) were calculated as the fat attenuation measured in MS, OMS, and RS, respectively, minus that of the subcutaneous area, and were obtained in the non-enhanced, arterial, and delayed phases. Correlations between the FAI and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were assessed using Spearman’s correlation. Predictors of severe UC (UCEIS ≥7) were selected by univariable analysis. The performance of FAI in predicting severe UC was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores were significantly higher than FAI RS in three phases (all P < 0.001). The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores moderately correlated with the UCEIS score (r = 0.474–0.649 among the three phases). Additionally, FAI MS and FAI OMS identified severe UC, with AUC varying from 0.77 to 0.85. Conclusion Increased CT attenuation of pericolic adipose tissue could serve as a noninvasive marker for evaluating UC severity. FAI MS and FAI OMS of three phases showed similar prediction accuracies for severe UC identification.

Clinical trials of anti-cancer drugs are characterized by long cycles, high risks, large investments, complex efficacy evaluations, and numerous influencing factors. Traditional experimental design is slow in progress and high in cost, which to some extent increases the uncertainty of research. With the guidance of domestic and international policies and the development of clinical trial methodologies, adaptive design has emerged. Flexible adaptive designs can shorten the clinical trial time of anti-cancer drugs, which is conducive to the discovery of truly effective anti-cancer drugs and therapies, thereby increasing the efficiency and success rate of new drug research and development. Starting from the characteristics of clinical trials of anti-cancer drugs, this article reviews the adaptive designs adopted in current clinical trials, summarizes the characteristics and differences of various adaptive design methods by introducing specific research and development cases, and discusses the problems and challenges faced. This work aims to provide methodological references for clinical trials of anti-cancer drugs.

Objective:To investigate the killing effect of the oncolytic virus Rigvir on six different colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro and differences in the sensitivity of different cell lines to Rigvir,to analyze the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways be-tween sensitive and insensitive cells and the reasons for such differences,to explore the killing mechanism of the oncolytic virus Rigvir on colorectal cancer cells based on experimental results,and to lay a theoretical foundation for the use of the oncolytic virus Rigvir as a novel immunotherapeutic drug for the treatment of colorectal can-cer.Methods:Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay was used for quantitative assessment of the inhibition rate of Rigvir on cells,and the Annexin V-FITC\PI method was used to measure the apoptosis rate of sensitive cell lines and preliminarily analyze its killing mechanism.Bioinformatics techniques were used to investigate the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways between sensitive and insensitive cells,and Western blot experiments were used for validation and detecting the expression of apoptosis factors.High expression of upstream factors in differential signaling pathways,and application of real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and WB to detect the effect of Rigvir on the expression levels of target genes and proteins in overexpressing sensitive cell lines.Results:SW480 and HT29 were sensitive to the oncolytic virus Rigvir,others had relatively insensi-tive(P<0.001).However,the inhibitory effect of Rigvir with two concentration gradients on HT29 was more significant(P<0.001).After 48 hours of infection,the cell inhibition rate of SW480 cells no longer increased with the prolongation of infection time(F=52.010,P=0.147),but it was more sensitive to changes in virus concentration(F=13.490,P<0.001).On the contrary,changes in virus concentration had no significant effect on the inhibition rate of HT29 cells(F=8.450,P=0.281),but the inhibition rate continued to in-crease after 48 hours with the prolongation of infection time(F=24.380,P<0.001).The apoptosis rate of sensitive group cells gradually increased with the prolongation of infection time(P<0.001),which mainly characterized by late stage apoptosis and necrotic cells.Through bioinformatics techniques,significant differences were observed in the classic PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway between the sensitive and insensitive groups.Western blot experiments showed that after the application of Rigvir,the upstream protein expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR in the sensitive cell group was significantly reduced(P<0.001).The expression levels of apoptosis factors caspase-3 and caspase-8 increased,while the Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased(P<0.001).The results of RT-qPCR and Western blot showed that after Rigvir was applied to the sensitive cell line HT29 overexpression type,the expression levels of PI3K/Akt/mTOR upstream and downstream signaling molecules(Akt,4EBP1,and p70S6K)were significantly reduced compared to the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Rigvir can effectively kill some colorectal cancer cell lines(SW480,HT29)in vitro,its mechanism of action is partially in-duced by the PI3K/Akt/mTOR classical signaling pathway to induce cell apoptosis.

Objective To systematically evaluate toxicities of nifedipine in pregnant women with hypertension, and provide references for nifedipine’s clinical safety application. Methods Study was conducted with data from US food and drug administration adverse event reporting system（FARES） database from January 1, 2015, to March 31, 2021. Information component （IC） and reporting odds ratio（ROR）methods were applied for signal mining. Results Finally, a total of 539278 records of pregnant women with hypertension were selected for analysis, and 70 positive adverse drug event signals were detected. Premature delivery （IC₀₂₅=2.87，ROR₀₂₅=9.52）, pre-eclampsia （IC₀₂₅=1.82，ROR₀₂₅=3.82） and fetal growth restriction （IC₀₂₅=2.37，ROR₀₂₅=5.69）were positive adverse events with higher frequency. Polydactyly（IC₀₂₅=3.13， ROR₀₂₅=10.05）, fetal death（IC₀₂₅=2.93，ROR₀₂₅=8.57）and premature delivery（IC₀₂₅=2.87，ROR₀₂₅=9.52）were positive adverse events with higher intensity. Vascular resistance systemic increased, small for dates baby and fetal death corresponded to higher death rates. Conclusion Nifedipine-associated drug toxicities were detected in pregnant women with hypertension, and some adverse events with high frequency and high death rate were deserved further attention by medical staffs.