ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Anzi Tiaochong decoction combined with aspirin and the effects of this therapy on the peripheral blood phospholipid antibody titers， coagulation function， and CD19⁺CD24^hiCD27⁺regulatory B （Breg） cells in patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome （OAPS） （pattern of kidney deficiency and blood stasis）. MethodsPatients who meet the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into an observation group （50 patients， with 4 patients dropped out and 46 patients completed） and a control group （50 patients， with 2 patients dropped out， 1 patient excluded， and 47 patients completed） through a random number table method. The control group was treated with aspirin enteric-coated tablets， 75 mg/time， once a day， and the observation group with Anzi Tiaochong decoction， 1 bag/day on the basis of the therapy in the control group. The treatment course for both groups was 8 weeks， and the patients were followed up for 4 weeks. The traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores， titers of peripheral blood phospholipid antibodies ［anti-cardiolipin antibody IgM （ACA IgM）， anti-cardiolipin antibody IgG （ACA IgG）， anti-β₂-glycoprotein 1 antibody IgM （β₂GP1-IgM）， and anti-β₂-glycoprotein 1 antibody IgG （β₂GP1-IgG）］， D-dimer （D-D）， thromboelastography parameters ［clotting factor activity （R）， platelet function maximum amplitude （MA）， coagulation composite index （CI）， and clot strength （G）］， CD19⁺CD24^hiCD27⁺ Breg expression rate， and adverse drug reactions were recorded for the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsAfter treatment， both groups showed decreased ACA IgM， ACA IgG， β₂GP1-IgM， β₂GP1-IgG， D-D， MA， and G （P<0.05） and increased R （P<0.05）. There was no statistically significant difference in CI. Compared with the control group， the observation group showed more significant decreases in TCM symptom scores and phospholipid antibody titers （P<0.05）. After treatment， the expression rate of Breg in the observation group was higher than that before treatment （P<0.05）.There was no significant difference in Breg expression rate before and after treatment in the control group. Neither group experienced significant adverse reactions. ConclusionAnzi Tiaochong decoction combined with aspirin can alleviate the symptoms， reduce the phospholipid antibody titers， and restore the coagulation status of patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome （pattern kidney deficiency and blood stasis）. It may exert the therapeutic effects by regulating Breg to maintain the patient's immune balance.

Emotions are an integral part of animal welfare.Facial expressions are increasingly used as a non-invasive method for assessing the emotional state of animals.Dogs(Canis familiaris)are closely related to humans,and facial expressions are crucial for interspecies communication and emotional expression.This paper reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of facial expressions and the anatomical structure of the facial muscles and their evolution in dogs,the analogy between dog and human facial expressions,and the expression of various parts of the dog's face under different emotions.These studies demonstrate that dog's facial expressions can be used as a potential indicator of animal welfare,and that dogs can be used as a model animal for studying interspecies facial emotional communication.The use of dog's facial expressions to assess emotions will aid multidisciplinary research,including in the fields of neuroscience,psychopharmacology,animal behavior,and animal welfare.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical significance of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in response evaluation and relapse monitoring for patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). METHODS: The clinical characteristics, efficacy and survival of 38 PMBCL patients in our hospital from January 2010 to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The ctDNA monitoring was conducted by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: Among the 38 patients, 26 cases were female, and 32 cases were diagnosed with Ann Arbor stage I-II. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were 74.7% and 61.7%, respectively. Males and those with high aaIPI scores (3 points) had a relatively poor prognosis. The NGS results of 23 patients showed that STAT6 (65.2%), SOCS1 (56.5%), and TNFAIP3 (56.5%) were the most common mutated genes. Patients with stable disease (SD)/progressive disease (PD) exhibited enrichment in cell cycle, FoxO, and TNF signaling pathways. A total of 29 patients underwent end-of-treatment PET/CT (EOT PET/CT), and 16 of them received ctDNA monitoring with 12 negative. Among 6 patients with EOT PET/CT positive (Deauville 4), 4 underwent ctDNA monitoring, and 3 of them were negative, being still in continuous remission without any subsequent anti-tumor therapy. CONCLUSION CtDNA may be combined with PET/CT to assess efficacy, monitor relapse, and guide treatment of PMBCL.
Humans ; Circulating Tumor DNA/blood* ; Female ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Prognosis ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Mutation

Objective To investigate the risk factors of overt hepatic encephalopathy(OHE)and death in cirrhotic portal hyperten-sion patients after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS).Methods A retrospective selection was conducted on 40 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension who underwent TIPS.The follow-up time was 3-41 months,median follow-up time was 20.36 months.The postoperative hepatic encephalopathy(HE)were divided into OHE group(20 cases)and non-OHE group(20 cases)and were further divided into death group(11 cases)and survival group(29 cases)according to their postoperative survival status.Gender,age,preoperative height,weight,total bilirubin,albumin,alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,creatinine,international normalized ratio(INR),prothrombin time,blood glucose,white blood cells,hemoglobin and platelet of all patients were recorded in detail,as well as whether they had diabetes and portal thrombosis before surgery.Child score and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score were also performed.The related risk factors of HE and death were obtained by statistical analysis of the two groups.Results The incidence rate of OHE after TIPS was 50%.The analysis revealed that age[hazard ratio(HR)1.115,95%confidence interval(CI)1.007-1.234,P=0.036]and albumin(HR 0.776,95%CI 0.627-0.960,P=0.020)were independent risk factors for OHE after TIPS.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn with area under the curve(AUC)of 0.733 for age and AUC of 0.784 for albumin.The mortality rate after TIPS was 27.5%,and the analysis indicated that albumin(HR 0.660,95%CI 0.453-0.961,P=0.030),creatinine(HR 1.031,95%CI 1.001-1.062,P=0.044),and aspartate aminotransferase(HR 1.074,95%CI 1.013-1.139,P=0.018)were independent risk factors for death after TIPS.The ROC curves were drawn with AUC of 0.716 for albumin,AUC of 0.762 for creatinine,and AUC of 0.710 for aspartate aminotransferase.Conclusion Postoperative OHE is posi-tively correlated with age and negatively correlated with albumin.Furthermore,the risk of postoperative death is positively correlated with creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase and negatively correlated with albumin.

Objective To explore the short-term and long-term efficacy of partial splenic artery embolization(PSE)in the treat-ment of cirrhosis with hypersplenism.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 35 patients with cirrhosis and hyper-splenism who underwent PSE treatment.Data on white blood cell(WBC),red blood cell(RBC),platelet count(PLT),hemoglobin(HGB),total bilirubin(TBiL),albumin(ALB),prothrombin time(PT),and D-dimer were collected at the three time points:before surgery,1 week after surgery,and 1 year after surgery.The changes in these parameters across the three time points were observed and compared.One-way ANOVA was used for repeated measurements,and time pairwise comparisons were made between the three time points.According to the formation of portal thrombosis,patients were divided into thrombus group and no-thrombus group.The D-dimer values were compared before surgery and 1 week after surgery.Results WBC and PLT were significantly higher 1 week and 1 year after surgery than those before surgery,with the most significant increase 1 week after surgery,and there was also statistically sig-nificant difference between 1 week after surgery and 1 year after surgery(P1,P2,P3<0.05).There were no significant differences in RBC and HGB between 1 week after surgery and before surgery(RBC P1=0.835,HGB P1=0.446).However,RBC and HGB 1 year after surgery were significantly higher than those before surgery and 1 week after surgery(RBC P2=0.039,P3=0.015;HGB P2=0.001,P3=0.010).There were significant differences in TBiL,ALB,PT,and D-dimer 1 week after surgery compared with those before surgery(TBiL P1=0.006,ALB P1<0.001,PT P1=0.001,D-dimer P1<0.001),but there was no significant differ-ence between 1 year after surgery and before surgery(all P2>0.05).The D-dimer of the thrombus group was significantly higher than that of the no-thrombus group 1 week after surgery,with a statistical significance(P=0.024),however,there was no signifi-cant difference in D-dimer between the two groups before surgery.Conclusion PSE in the treatment of cirrhosis with hypersplenism shows positive short-term and long-term efficacy for WBC and PLT.The short-term increase of RBC and HGB is not obvious,however the long-term efficacy is significant.In the short-term after surgery,TBiL increase,ALB decrease,PT prolonge,and liver reserve function decrease,but there was no long-term effect.The increase of D-dimer after surgery can easily induce portal thrombosis,and anticoagulation therapy can be given in the short-term after surgery.

Objective:To investigate the comorbidity rate of chronic diseases and prevalence of depressive symptoms among the middle-aged and elderly population,and explore the association between comorbidity with-chronic disease and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older people.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shandong Province.A total of 9 535 middle-aged and older people aged 45 years and over were recrui-ted.General information questionnaire,the chronic disease information questionnaire and Patient Health Question-naire were used for face-to-face interview to screen symptoms and collect information.Univariate analysis and mult-ivariate logistic regression analysis were employed to explore the association between comorbidity with chronic dis-ease and depressive symptoms.Results:The prevalence of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older peo-ple was 8.7％,while among those with comorbid chronic diseases,the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 29.6％.Respectively,demonstrating an increasing trend with the number of chronic diseases(P＜0.001).Multiva-riate analysis revealed that comorbid chronic disease(OR=1.47,95％CI:1.22-1.78)were risk factors of depres-sive symptoms.Conclusion:Middle-aged and older people with multiple chronic conditions are more likely to be di-agnosed with depressive symptoms,and the detection rate of these symptoms increases with the number of comorbid chronic conditions.Therefore,it is recommended to strengthen mental health interventions for those with multiple chronic conditions.

Background and Aims:Papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC)is the most common endocrine malignancy in China,with cervical lymph node metastasis being a frequent and critical clinical feature that directly affects patient prognosis and recurrence risk.In recent years,with the rapid increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in China,the role of body mass index(BMI)in various tumors has attracted growing attention.This study aimed to investigate the association between overweight and cervical LNM in PTC,analyze sex-specific differences and influencing factors,and provide evidence for precise clinical management.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinicopathologic data of 1 445 patients with classical PTC treated at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between August 2021 and June 2022.Patients were divided into groups based on the presence or absence of lymph node metastasis.Restricted cubic spline analysis explored the nonlinear relationship between BMI and lymph node metastasis risk.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were applied to identify independent risk factors.Furthermore,sex-stratified analysis was performed among overweight patients(BMI≥24 kg/m2)to determine sex-specific risk factors for lymph node metastasis.Results:Among all patients,716(49.6%)had lymph node metastasis.Univariate analysis showed that BMI,sex,age,tumor diameter,multifocality,and extrathyroidal extension were significantly associated with cervical lymph node metastasis in PTC patients(all P<0.05).A nonlinear positive correlation was observed between BMI and lymph node metastasis risk,which was more pronounced in male patients.Additionally,BMI was positively correlated with triglyceride levels and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.Sex-stratified analysis revealed that in overweight male patients,younger age(OR=0.954),larger tumor diameter(OR=1.085),and multifocality(OR=2.776)were independent risk factors for LNM;in overweight female patients,younger age(OR=0.943)and larger tumor diameter(OR=1.074)were the main influencing factors.Conclusion:Overweight is closely associated with cervical lymph node metastasis in PTC,and the high-risk factors for LNM differ between male and female overweight patients.Young age,larger tumor size,and multifocality in overweight males,and young age and larger tumors in overweight females indicate a higher risk of metastasis.It is recommended that high-risk populations receive enhanced preoperative evaluation and individualized lymph node dissection strategies to achieve precise treatment and improved risk control.

AIM To explore the effects of Dahuang Lingxian Recipe on Th1/Th2 cell immune imbalance in a rat model of cholestatic liver fibrosis(CLF).METHODS 20 SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group,the model group,the ursodeoxycholic acid group(0.063 g/kg)and the Dahuang Lingxian Recipe group(4.8 g/kg),with 5 rats in each group.Except for those of the normal group,the rats of all other groups had open surgery of common bile duct ligation,followed by the gavage of corresponding drug two days later,and the procurement of the samples after gavage in the third week.The rats had their degree of liver fibrosis observed by HE and Masson stainings;their levels of serum total bile acid(TBA),alkaline phosphatase(AKP),γ-glutamyltransferase(γ-GT),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and total bilirubin(TBil)measured by the kit;their hepatic percentage of TGF-β1,p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 positive cells detected by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining;their.hepatic expressions of TGF-β1,Smad4,NF-κB p65,Collagen Ⅰ and Collagen Ⅲ protein and mRNA detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR;their levels of helper T cell 1(Th1)and helper T cell 2(Th2)in peripheral blood detected by flow cytometry,and their ratio of Th1/Th2 calculated as well.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the groups intervened with either ursodeoxycholic acid or Dahuang Lingxian Recipe displayed well-ordered liver cells,hepatic lobules and hepatic cords;a small amount of fatty degeneration;significantly reduced connective hyperplasia of hepatic fibers;significantly narrowed fibrous cords;a small amount of blue fibrous septa;greatly improved pathological injuries including inflammatory infiltration of central vein and portal area;decreased levels of serum TBA,TBil,AKP,γ-GT,ALT and AST(P＜0.05);decreased hepatic expressions of TGF-β1,p-Smad2 and p-Smad3(P＜0.05);decreased hepatic expressions of TGF-β1,Smad4,NF-κB p65,Collagen Ⅰ and Collagen Ⅲ protein and mRNA(P＜0.05);and increased counts of Th1 cells in peripheral blood,decreased counts of Th2 cells,resultsing increased Th1/Th2 ratio(P＜0.05).And an even better effect was observed in the Dahuang Lingxian Recipe group.CONCLUSION Dahuang Lingxian Recipe can reduce or reverse CLF by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation through maintaining Th1/Th2 cell immune balance via the NF-κB/TGF-β1 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To standardize the strategies for prevention and control of Chikungunya(CHIK)in healthcare in-stitutions so as to reduce the risk of transmission in the institutions.METHODS A working group comprising the ex-perts in hospital infection control,infectious diseases,and microbiology systematically reviewed domestic and international evidence and current guidelines,integrated China's vector ecology and healthcare realities,conducted two rounds of Delphi to achieve expert consensus,and graded the evidence and recommendation strength using the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine system.RESULTS The consensus issues 18 actionable recommendations on triage,patient mosquito-proof isolation,integrated vector control,protection of susceptible populations,environmental cleaning and disinfection,specimen management,medical textile handling,and outbreak emergency response,with each statement assigned an evi-dence level and recommendation strength.CONCLUSION This consensus is for the first time in China to provide evidence-graded strategies for control of CHIK in healthcare institutions,offering work flow-oriented,implementable guidance for clinicians,laboratorians,and infection-control personnel under different risk scenarios and enhancing the comprehensive coping capacity of the healthcare institutions.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and pathogenesis of a child with Stargardt disease caused by variants of ABCA4 gene. Methods:A child presented at Shenzhen Eye Hospital between September 5, 2020, and April 3, 2023 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child were collected. Whole exome sequencing was performed on peripheral blood samples from the child and his parents. Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Shenzhen Eye Hospital (Ethics No.: 2022KYPJ072).Results:The child was a 10-year-old male presenting with uncorrected visual acuity of 0.1 in both eyes without improvement with refractive correction. Fundus photography showed diffusely distributed yellow-white flecks in the macular region. FAF revealing central hypofluorescence surrounded by a hyperfluorescent ring, and OCT demonstrating significant foveal thinning (right eye: 45 μm; left eye: 50 μm) with ellipsoid zone disruption. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing revealed that the child has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the ABCA4 gene, namely c. 2384G>T (p.Gly795Val) and c. 2903G>A (p.Arg968Glu), which were inherited from his phenotypically normal parents and consistent with an autosomal recessive inheritance. This specific combination of the variants was previously unreported. According to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines, both variants were classified as likely pathogenic (PM2_Supporting+ PM3+ PP3+ PP4; PM1+ PM2_Supporting+ PP3+ PP4). Conclusion:The novel compound heterozygous variants of the ABCA4 gene probably underlay the genetic etiology of Stargardt disease type 1 in this child. Above finding has expanded the mutational spectrum of the ABCA4 gene among the Chinese population and provided further evidence for understanding the genetic heterogeneity and genotype-phenotype correlation of the Stargardt disease.