Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and independent risk factors of severe disease in patients with anti-nuclear matrix protein (NXP) 2 antibody-positive juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 219 anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM patients admitted to 23 children′s hospitals across China from July 2011 to July 2023. Patients were classified into severe and non-severe groups based on classification criteria for severe dermatomyositis. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory parameters were compared between the 2 groups using independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for severe disease. The receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to calculate optimal cut-off values. Results:Among the 219 patients, 108 were male and 111 were female, with an age at onset of 6.3 (3.5, 9.4) years. The severe group comprised 69 patients, and the non-severe group 150 patients. The severe group had significantly higher rates of fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, as well as elevated levels of ferritin-to-albumin ratio (FAR), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified anti-Ro52 antibody positivity ( OR=13.26, 95% CI 1.37-128.29) and elevated FAR ( OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.09-2.31) as independent risk factors for severe anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM (both P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that a FAR cutoff value of 6.82 predicted severe disease with an area under the curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.81-0.94, P<0.001), sensitivity of 0.85, and specificity of 0.70. All patients received glucocorticoid therapy, and the severe group received higher proportions of steroid pulse therapy, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, intravenous immunoglobulin, biologics, and adjuvant treatments compared to the non-severe group (all P<0.05). In terms of outcomes, 2 patients (2.9%) in the severe group died (due to neurological involvement and intestinal perforation, respectively), while the remaining patients achieved complete clinical response or remission. All patients in the non-severe group achieved remission. Conclusions:The primary clinical features of anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM included fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, and elevated levels of CK, AST, LDH, and FAR. Furthermore, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity and a FAR>6.82 were identified as independent risk factors.

Objective:To investigate the effects of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) on myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS) in elderly patients with hip fracture.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted on 78 elderly patients with hip fracture admitted to the Seventh Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital between October 2023 and September 2024. The patients were divided into RIPC group and non-RIPC group using a random number table. They were treated with closed reduction internal fixation, open reduction internal fixation, or hip arthroplasty for hip fracture under regional anesthesia. The RIPC group received RIPC intervention on the day before surgery and after entering the operating room on the day of surgery (3 cycles of 5-minute upper limb exsanguination followed by 5-minute reperfusion using an inflatable tourniquet cuff). The non-RIPC group received the same perioperative management as the RIPC group except RIPC. Plasma high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) concentrations were measured at admission, immediately after surgery, on the morning of the first postoperative day, and on the morning of the third postoperative day and MINS incidence was calculated based on the hs-cTnI concentrations. The incidence of MINS within 3 days postoperatively and the intraoperative complications were compared in the overall cohort and in age-stratified groups (<80 years, ≥80 years). The local adverse reactions at the RIPC application sites were observed within 3 days after surgery.Results:Among the 78 elderly patients with hip fracture, including 21 males and 57 females, aged 60-99 years [79.5(70.0, 87.0)years], 40 were assigned to the RIPC group and 38 to the non-RIPC group. No significant difference was found in the general data of the two groups. There was no significant difference in the overall MINS incidence between the two groups ( P>0.05). In the patients aged <80 years, no MINS incidence was found (0/21) in the RIPC group, compared with 22% (4/18) in the non-RIPC group ( P<0.05), while in the patients aged ≥80 years, no significant difference in MINS incidence was observed between the two groups ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in intraoperative complication rates in the overall cohort, patients aged <80 years, or patients aged ≥80 years ( P>0.05). None of the patients had local adverse reactions at the RIPC application sites. Conclusion:For elderly patients with hip fracture who received regional anesthesia, RIPC can significantly reduce the incidence of MINS in patients aged <80 years, but exerts no significant effect on MINS incidence in the overall cohort or in patients aged ≥80 years.

Objective:To construct nomogram model based on lymph node imaging parameters for predicting the risk of lymph node metastasis in lung malignancies.Methods:From November 2020 to September 2022, 34 patients (23 males, 11 females, age (65.8±6.8) years) diagnosed with lung malignancies by pathology at the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University were prospectively collected. Based on enhanced CT and 99Tc m-hydrazinonicotinamide-(polyethylene glycol) 4-E((polyethylene glycol) 4-c((Arg-Gly-Asp)fK)) 2 (HYNIC-PEG 4-E(PEG 4-c(RGDfK)) 2; 3PRGD 2)SPECT/CT imaging, referring to the mediastinal lymph node zoning standards formulated by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, lymph nodes with clear pathological properties and imaging locations were included in the study. Lymph nodes were randomly divide into a training group and a validation group at a ratio of 7∶3. Differences of imaging parameters between positive and negative lymph node metastasis were compared by independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test or χ2 test. Parameters with statistical differences were incorporate into the multivariate logistic regression equation, and a joint variable diagnostic model for predicting lymph node metastasis was generated. The potential of the model was evaluate by ROC curve analysis, calibration, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results:Among 34 patients with malignant lung tumors, 11 had lymph node metastasis. A total of 174 lymph nodes met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a training group of 114 nodes and a validation group of 60 nodes. In the training group and validation group, there were statistically significant differences in lymph node length, lymph node short diameter, lymph node length/short diameter, necrosis, lymph node to mediastinal blood pool radioactive count ratio (T/B), lymph node to liver radioactive count ratio (T/L), lymph node to muscle radioactive count ratio (T/M), and lymph node enhancement mode between patients with positive and negative lymph node metastasis ( χ2 values: 3.89-34.06, t values: 2.31-3.87, Z values: from -3.63 to -2.30, all P<0.05). The lymph node edge was different only in the training group ( χ2=5.62, P=0.018). Finally, the lymph node length/short diameter, edge, necrosis, T/B, T/L, T/M, and lymph node enhancement modes were included in the multivariate logistic regression prediction model, with the AUCs of 0.878 and 0.949 in the training and validation groups, respectively. The calibration curve showed good consistency between the predicted results and the actual results, and DCA showed that the nomogram had clinical practicality. Conclusion:The nomogram model constructed based on the imaging parameters of lymph nodes can evaluate the risk of lymph node metastasis in patients with lung malignancies, providing a convenient and objective tool for determining staging and developing treatment plans.

As the location with special public health environments,funeral parlors are of paramount importance in the prevention and control of infectious diseases as well as disinfection practices.This paper analyzes the unique hy-gienic characteristics of funeral parlors,summarizes relevant laws,regulations,standards,and literatures in funeral parlors at home and abroad,and elaborates the problems relevant to infection prevention and control in funeral par-lors from perspectives of body disposal risks,microbial contamination characteristics in funeral parlors,and the current status of staff's knowledge on infectious diseases.It aims to enhance the professional prevention and control capabilities of funeral service personnel and management personnel,ensure the health and safety of service recipients and staff,optimize service quality,provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for forming a sound infectious disease prevention and control system for funeral service institutions,and clarify research directions for the preven-tion and control of infectious diseases in funeral parlors in the future.

The neonatal mammalian heart has a remarkable regenerative capacity, while the adult heart has difficulty to regenerate. A metabolic reprogramming from glycolysis to fatty acid oxidation occurs along with the loss of cardiomyocyte proliferative capacity shortly after birth. In this study, we sought to determine if and how metabolic reprogramming regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation. Reversing metabolic reprogramming by carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) inhibition, using cardiac-specific Cpt1a and Cpt1b knockout mice promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and improved cardiac function post-myocardial infarction. The inhibition of CPT1 is of pharmacological significance because those protective effects were replicated by etomoxir, a CPT1 inhibitor. CPT1 inhibition, by decreasing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 expression, reduced ADP-ribosylation of dual-specificity phosphatase 1 in cardiomyocytes, leading to decreased p38 MAPK phosphorylation, and stimulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation. Our present study indicates that reversing metabolic reprogramming is an effective strategy to stimulate adult cardiomyocyte proliferation. CPT1 is a potential therapeutic target for promoting heart regeneration and myocardial infarction treatment.

The precise and rapid monitoring of multiple organ dysfunction is crucial in drug discovery. Traditional methods, such as pathological analysis, are often time-consuming and inefficient. Here, we developed a multiplexed near-infrared window two (NIR-II) fluorescent bioimaging method that allows for real-time, rapid, and quantitative assessment of multiple organ dysfunctions. Given that existing probes did not fully meet requirements, we synthesized a range of NIR-II hemicyanine dyes (HDs) with varying absorption and emission wavelengths. By modifying these dyes, we achieved high spatial and temporal resolution imaging of the liver, kidneys, stomach, and intestines. This method was further applied to investigate disorders induced by cisplatin, a drug known to cause gastric emptying issues along with liver and kidney injuries. By monitoring the metabolic rate of the dyes in these organs, we accurately quantified multi-organ dysfunction, which was also confirmed by gold-standard pathological analysis. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of five aristolochic acids (AAs) on multiple organ dysfunction. For the first time, we identified that AA-I and AA-II could cause gastric emptying disorders, which was further validated through transcriptomics analysis. Our study introduces a novel approach for the simultaneous monitoring of multi-organ dysfunction, which may significantly enhance the evaluation of drug side effects.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 11 children with Protein-Losing Gastrointestinal Disease (PLG) presented with chronic diarrhea who were admitted to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics Affiliated to Capital Medical University from 2018 to 2025. The data included etiology, laboratory test results, endoscopic and imaging findings, treatment regimens, and prognosis. Among them, there were 6 males and 5 females, with a median age of 7.8 (1.6, 12.0) months, and 9 cases ≤1 year. The etiologies were intestinal lymphangiectasia ( n=5), infection-related enteritis ( n=2), Crohn′s disease ( n=1), eosinophilic gastroenteritis ( n=1), and unknown ( n=2). Clinical manifestations were characterized by chronic diarrhea ( n=11), hypoalbuminemia ( n=11), and immune dysfunction ( n=8). Gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed in 9 cases, and diagnosis was confirmed by endoscopic pathology in 8 cases. Among the 5 cases of intestinal lymphangiectasia, only 3 were confirmed by 99Tc-labeled human serum albumin ( 99Tc m-HSA) radionuclide imaging. Five cases of lymphangiectasia were treated with a high medium-chain triglyceride diet, 2 infectious cases were treated with antibacterial agens, and 3 immune diseases received immunomodulators. Ten cases were cured and discharged, while 1 child died of sepsis after intestinal malrotation surgery. It is suggested that childhood PLG mostly occurs in infancy, with intestinal lymphangiectasia as the main etiology. Endoscopic pathology is the main diagnostic method, and with the combination of nutritional and immunomodulatory therapy, the prognosis is good for most of PLG patients.

Objective To compare imaging quality and detection capability of bone metastases between Insight NM/CT Pro SPECT/CT(Insight SPECT/CT)and Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT(Symbia T16 SPECT/CT)scanners.Methods Totally 40 patients with diagnosed or suspected bone metastases were prospectively enrolled.Whole-body bone imaging and local tomographic fusion imaging were performed using Symbia T16 and Insight SPECT/CT scanners with same method and parameters,and imaging quality and detection capability were compared between 2 devices.Results Among whole-body bone imaging acquired with Symbia T 16 SPECT/CT,the imaging quality score was 5 in 35 cases and 4 in 5 cases,and detected 118 positive bone lesions,including 36 lesions involved chest,28 involved spinal cord,30 involved pelvic bones,20 involved limbs and 4 involved cranial bones.The imaging quality score of local tomographic fusion imaging obtained with Symbia T16 SPECT/CT was 5 in all 40 cases,and 59 positive lesions involved bone regions were detected,including 14 lesions presented as bone destruction,11 presented as increased bone density and 34 showed uneven bone density on CT.Meanwhile,the whole-body bone imaging quality score acquired with Insight SPECT/CT was 5 in 35 cases,4 in 4 cases and 3 in 1 case,and both the detected positive lesions and the involved bone regions were consistent with those of Symbia T 16 SPECT/CT.Furthermore,the imaging quality,detected positive lesions and their involved regions,as well as CT manifestations on local tomographic fusion imaging obtained with Insight SPECT/CT scanner were all consistent with those of Symbia T 16 scanner.Conclusion The imaging quality of whole-body bone imaging and local tomographic fusion imaging of bone metastases of domestic Insight SPECT/CT were comparable to those of Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT.

This study explores the diagnosis and treatment of needle knife therapy for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) at middle and advanced stage based on the theory of meridian tendons, from a holistic perspective and syndrome differentiation. The treatment strategy includes "harmonizing yin and yang" to address root causes and "tendons-based release" to harmonize qi and blood, with the "tendons nodule points" as the core acupoint selection criterion. Based on this approach, the study systematically elaborates on two needle knife methods for AS: "governor vessel bone-piercing technique" and "below-the-umbilicus release technique", covering indications, acupoint location, and procedures. Clinical case examples are provided to enrich needle knife therapy guided by the theory of meridian tendons, offering insights for clinical and research work on AS.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Meridians ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/physiopathology* ; Tendons/physiopathology*