Objective To elucidate the changes in the gut microbiota and molecular mechanism of huaier in enhancing the efficacy of oxaliplatin (OXA) chemotherapy in gastric cancer (GC). Methods The effects of huaier on the gut microbiota structure and intestinal barrier function in MKN45-bearing mice were analyzed by using 16S rRNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, and IHC. UPLC-MS and network pharmacology, as well as in vivo experimental approaches, were employed to investigate the key bioactive constituents of huaier systematically and elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which huaier exerts therapeutic effects against GC. The expression of the PI3K/AKT/SREBP pathway was detected in cancer cells and tissues via Western blot analysis. The safety profile of huaier combined with OXA was verified through serum biochemistry and HE-stained tissue section analyses. Results Huaier inhibited the PI3K/AKT/SREBP pathway by increasing the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, reduced lipid droplet deposition, and ultimately enhanced the sensitivity to OXA in the treatment of GC. Conclusion This study demonstrates the value of huaier in gastric cancer treatment by enhancing chemosensitivity and provides novel insights into its systemic therapeutic effects through molecular mechanisms and gut microbiota modulation.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used in the treatment of various autoimmune and inflammation-related diseases due to their potent immunomodulatory properties. Several studies have demonstrated that MSC-mediated immunomodulation is complex and bidirectional, with the in vivo microenvironment influencing the direction of this modulation. Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an immunosuppressive factor, has been identified as a key "switch" in the immunomodulatory role of MSCs. In this review, we explore how IDO functions as a critical regulator of MSC immunoregulatory plasticity. We delve into the mechanisms by which changes in IDO expression affect the function of various immune cells, summarize relevant research and clinical advances regarding the role of IDO expression in MSC-based therapies for various diseases, and discuss potential therapeutic strategies that target IDO to enhance the stability of MSC therapeutic effects. This provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing MSCs as safer and more effective clinical therapeutic agents.

Objective:To report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after adopting a Watch and Wait (W&W) strategy following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).Methods:This multicenter, cross-sectional study was based on real-world data. The study cohort comprised rectal cancer patients who had achieved complete or near complete clinical responses (cCRs, near-cCRs) after NAT and were thereafter managed by a W&W approach, as well as a few patients who had achieved good responses after NAT and had then undergone local excision for confirmation of pathological complete response. All participants had been followed up for ≥2 years. Patients with distant metastases at baseline or who opted for observation while living with the tumor were excluded. Data of eligible patients were retrospectively collected from the Chinese Wait-and-Watch Data Collaboration Group database. These included baseline characteristics, type of NAT, pre-treatment imaging results, evaluation of post-NAT efficacy, salvage measures, and treatment outcomes. We herein report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after NAT and W&W and the differences between the cCR and near-cCR groups.Results:Clinical data of 318 rectal cancer patients who had undergone W&W for over 2 years and been followed up were collected from eight medical centers (Peking University Cancer Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, the First Hospital of Jilin University, and Yunnan Cancer Hospital.) The participants comprised 221 men (69.4%) and 107 women (30.6%) of median age 60 (26-86) years. The median distance between tumor and anal verge was 3.4 (0-10.4) cm. Of these patients, 291 and 27 had achieved cCR or near-cCR, respectively, after NAT. The median duration of follow-up was 48.4 (10.2-110.3) months. The 5-year cumulative overall survival rate was 92.4% (95%CI: 86.8%-95.7%), 5-year cumulative disease-specific survival (CSS) rate 96.6% (95%CI: 92.2%-98.5%), 5-year cumulative organ-preserving disease-free survival rate 86.6% (95%CI: 81.0%-90.7%), and 5-year organ preservation rate 85.3% (95%CI: 80.3%-89.1%). The overall 5-year local recurrence and distant metastasis rates were 18.5% (95%CI: 14.9%-20.8%) and 8.2% (95%CI: 5.4%-12.5%), respectively. Most local recurrences (82.1%, 46/56) occurred within 2 years, and 91.0% (51/56) occurred within 3 years, the median time to recurrence being 11.7 (2.5-66.6) months. Most (91.1%, 51/56) local recurrences occurred within the intestinal lumen. Distant metastases developed in 23 patients; 60.9% (14/23) occurred within 2 years and 73.9% (17/23) within 3 years, the median time to distant metastasis being 21.9 (2.6-90.3) months. Common sites included lung (15/23, 65.2%), liver (6/23, 26.1%), and bone (7/23, 30.4%) The metastases involved single organs in 17 patients and multiple organs in six. There were no significant differences in overall, cumulative disease-specific, or organ-preserving disease-free survival or rate of metastases between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 5-year local recurrence rate was higher in the near-cCR than in the cCR group (41.6% vs. 16.4%, P<0.01), with a lower organ preservation rate (69.2% vs. 88.0%, P<0.001). The success rates of salvage after local recurrence and distant metastasis were 82.1% (46/56) and 13.0% (3/23), respectively. Conclusion:Rectal cancer patients who achieve cCR or near-cCR after NAT and undergo W&W have favorable oncological outcomes and a high rate of organ preservation. Local recurrence and distant metastasis during W&W follow certain patterns, with a relatively high salvage rate for local recurrence. Our findings highlight the importance of close follow-up and timely intervention during the W&W process.

Objective:To report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after adopting a Watch and Wait (W&W) strategy following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).Methods:This multicenter, cross-sectional study was based on real-world data. The study cohort comprised rectal cancer patients who had achieved complete or near complete clinical responses (cCRs, near-cCRs) after NAT and were thereafter managed by a W&W approach, as well as a few patients who had achieved good responses after NAT and had then undergone local excision for confirmation of pathological complete response. All participants had been followed up for ≥2 years. Patients with distant metastases at baseline or who opted for observation while living with the tumor were excluded. Data of eligible patients were retrospectively collected from the Chinese Wait-and-Watch Data Collaboration Group database. These included baseline characteristics, type of NAT, pre-treatment imaging results, evaluation of post-NAT efficacy, salvage measures, and treatment outcomes. We herein report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after NAT and W&W and the differences between the cCR and near-cCR groups.Results:Clinical data of 318 rectal cancer patients who had undergone W&W for over 2 years and been followed up were collected from eight medical centers (Peking University Cancer Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, the First Hospital of Jilin University, and Yunnan Cancer Hospital.) The participants comprised 221 men (69.4%) and 107 women (30.6%) of median age 60 (26-86) years. The median distance between tumor and anal verge was 3.4 (0-10.4) cm. Of these patients, 291 and 27 had achieved cCR or near-cCR, respectively, after NAT. The median duration of follow-up was 48.4 (10.2-110.3) months. The 5-year cumulative overall survival rate was 92.4% (95%CI: 86.8%-95.7%), 5-year cumulative disease-specific survival (CSS) rate 96.6% (95%CI: 92.2%-98.5%), 5-year cumulative organ-preserving disease-free survival rate 86.6% (95%CI: 81.0%-90.7%), and 5-year organ preservation rate 85.3% (95%CI: 80.3%-89.1%). The overall 5-year local recurrence and distant metastasis rates were 18.5% (95%CI: 14.9%-20.8%) and 8.2% (95%CI: 5.4%-12.5%), respectively. Most local recurrences (82.1%, 46/56) occurred within 2 years, and 91.0% (51/56) occurred within 3 years, the median time to recurrence being 11.7 (2.5-66.6) months. Most (91.1%, 51/56) local recurrences occurred within the intestinal lumen. Distant metastases developed in 23 patients; 60.9% (14/23) occurred within 2 years and 73.9% (17/23) within 3 years, the median time to distant metastasis being 21.9 (2.6-90.3) months. Common sites included lung (15/23, 65.2%), liver (6/23, 26.1%), and bone (7/23, 30.4%) The metastases involved single organs in 17 patients and multiple organs in six. There were no significant differences in overall, cumulative disease-specific, or organ-preserving disease-free survival or rate of metastases between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 5-year local recurrence rate was higher in the near-cCR than in the cCR group (41.6% vs. 16.4%, P<0.01), with a lower organ preservation rate (69.2% vs. 88.0%, P<0.001). The success rates of salvage after local recurrence and distant metastasis were 82.1% (46/56) and 13.0% (3/23), respectively. Conclusion:Rectal cancer patients who achieve cCR or near-cCR after NAT and undergo W&W have favorable oncological outcomes and a high rate of organ preservation. Local recurrence and distant metastasis during W&W follow certain patterns, with a relatively high salvage rate for local recurrence. Our findings highlight the importance of close follow-up and timely intervention during the W&W process.

Objective:To investigate neuroprotective effect of alpinetin on ischemic stroke(IS)rats by regulating Shh/Gli1 signaling pathway.Methods:Fifteen rats were randomly collected as control group,remaining rats were used to construct an IS model.Rats that successfully modeling were randomly grouped into model group,alpinetin group(5 mg/kg),Shh/Gli1 signaling pathway inhibitor cycloparamide group(15 mg/kg)and alpinetin+cycloparamide group(5 mg/kg alpinetin+15 mg/kg cycloparamide),with 15 rats in each group,and administered once a day for two consecutive weeks,control group and model group were given equal amounts of physiological saline.Zea-Longa scoring method was applied to evaluate neural function;ELISA was applied to detect inflammatory factors levels;mass of brain tissue was weighed and water content of brain tissue was calculated;TTC staining was applied to measure volume of cerebral infarction;HE staining was applied to observe nerve cell damage;TUNEL staining was applied to detect neuronal apoptosis;qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions of Shh and Gli1.Results:There were no abnormalities in hippocampal tissue of control group,while hippocampal tissue structure of model group rats was abnor-mal,with disordered cell arrangement and nuclear pyknosis of nerve cells,cell damage rate,Zea-Longa score,infarct volume,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,brain tissue water content,and cell apoptosis rate in model group were obviously higher than control group(P<0.05),mRNA and protein levels of Shh and Gli1 were obviously decreased(P<0.05);compared with model group,cells in alpinetin group were arranged more neatly,and phenomenon of neuronal cell nucleus pyknosis was improved,cell damage rate,Zea-Longa score,infarct volume,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,brain tissue water content,and cell apoptosis rate were obviously decreased(P<0.05),mRNA and protein levels of Shh and Gli1 were obviously increased(P<0.05),trend of above indicators in cyclophosphamide group was opposite,ciclopramide reversed neuroprotective effect of alpinetin on IS rats.Conclusion:Alpinetin may exert neuroprotective effects on IS rats by activating Shh/Gli1 signaling pathway.

Background Occupational stress has been shown to be an important factor affecting the mental health of workers. The role of affective commitment to the organization and overcommitment to work cannot be ignored. However, there is a lack of research on this topic in China. Objective To explore a potential mediating effect of affective commitment on how occupational stress affects the mental health of medical staff and a potential moderating effect of overcommitment on the mediating effect of affective commitment. Methods A total of 1372 health care workers in a tertiary Grade A hospital in Lanzhou City were selected as study subjects for a cross-sectional survey. The occupational stress, emotional commitment, and psychological distress of the subjects were evaluated by the Effort-Reward Imbalance Scale, Affective Commitment Scale, and Kessler 10 Scale. SPSS 26.0 was used for correlation analysis, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis. Common method bias wasevaluated by Harman one-factor test. Results A total of 1372 questionnaires were distributed, of which 1277 valid questionnaires were returned, with a valid recovery rate of 93.08%. The mean occupational stress score was 1.14±0.23, the mean overcommitment score was 20.26±3.21, the mean affective commitment score was 20.25±3.34, and the mean psychological distress score was 26.26±7.90. The Spearman correlation analysis results showed that occupational stress among medical staff was positively correlated with overcommitment and psychological distress (r=0.153, 0.410, P＜0.01) and negatively correlated with affective commitment (r=−0.341, P＜0.01); overcommitment was negatively related to affective commitment and positively related to psychological distress (r=−0.107, 0.312, P＜0.01); affective commitment was negatively related to psychological distress (r=−0.464, P＜0.01). The positive effect of occupational stress on psychological distress of medical staff was significant (b=0.41, t=15.42, P<0.001); affective commitment presented a partial mediating effect on the relationship between occupational stress and psychological distress (effect value=0.13), accounting for 31.71% of the total effect; overcommitment moderated the process of occupational stress-affective commitment-psychological distress (P＜0.01). Conclusion Affective commitment of medical staff has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between occupational stress and psychological distress, and overcommitment plays a significant role in moderating the process of occupational stress-affective commitment-psychological distress.

Autologous ozonized blood transfusion(AOBT) is a therapy of re-transfusion of 100-200 mL of autologous blood after shaking and agitation with appropriate amount of oxygen-ozone in vitro. The oxidation of blood through the strong oxidation of ozone can enhance the non-specific immune response of the body, regulate the internal environment and promote health. This therapy has been increasingly applied in clinical practice, while no unified standard for the operation process in terms of ozone concentration, treatment frequency and treatment course had been established. This operation process of AOBT is primarily explored in order to standardize the operation process and ensure its safety and efficacy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of pelvic floor structure and electrophysiology in female patients with stroke. MethodsFrom June to December, 2020, 21 female inpatients with stroke in Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University (stroke group) were divided into urinary incontinence (UI) group (n = 6) and non-urinary incontinence (NUI) group (n = 15), and other 20 healthy subjects were as control group. They were observed with pelvic floor ultrasonography and pelvic floor surface electromyogram. ResultsAverage electromyography, integral electromyography, root mean square, mean power frequency and median frequency decreased in UI and NUI groups compared with those of the control group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between UI group and NUI group (P > 0.05). Bladder neck position, bladder neck angle, bladder neck mobility, urethral rotation angle; and anteroposterior diameter, left-right diameter and area of levator ani muscle hiatus after Valsalva's action were all not different among three groups (F < 2.484, P > 0.05). ConclusionThe activities of pelvic floor muscles decrease in female patients with stroke, without obvious changes of pelvic floor supporting structures, whatever UI.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of personalized family doctor contract services on risk factors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in high-risk population.Methods:Ten matched-community health centers of Shenzhen Luohu district were divided into intervention group and control group by cluster randomiztion. Subjects with high risks of ASCVD were screened out as intervention group from contracted residents who visited these centers and had complete data of the China-PAR model from August 2018 to April 2019. The control group received conventional general family doctor contract services. The individualized management were given to the intervention group after fully understanding patients′ ideas, concerns, and expectations (ICE). After 2-year intervention, score changes of ASCVD risk factors within and between groups were compared.Results:A total of 571 patients were enrolled, including 288 in the intervention group and 283 in the control group. After 2 years of intervention, 7 and 18 were lost to follow-up in two groups, respectively. Finally, 281 in the intervention group and 265 in the control group were included in the study. At baseline, there was no significant difference in ASCVD scores between the intervention group and the control group [(13.33±3.54) vs. (13.09±3.54) points; t=0.84, P=0.403], and the scores in both groups decreased significantly after the intervention [(10.89±4.01), (11.62±4.11) points], while the intervention group decreased more significantly (both P<0.05). Among the risk factors at baseline, HDL-C and diastolic blood pressure in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group, and there were no significant differences in other factors between the two groups. After the intervention, the levels of total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in the two groups decreased significantly, and the number of people taking antihypertensive drugs increased significantly ( P<0.001 and P<0.05); HDL-C decreased in the control group ( P=0.023). After the intervention, compared to control group the intervention group had a higher proportion of patients taking antihypertensive drugs, with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure ( P<0.05). After the intervention, the increase rate of HDL-C in the intervention group was more than that in the control group, and the decrease rate was less than that in the control group (χ 2=6.65, P=0.036). Conclusion:Family doctor contract services can reduce the risk factors of ASCVD, and personalized family doctor contract services can further improve the effects in the prevention and control of ASCVD. However, the effects might be insignificant and inconsistent for the ASCVD risk factors with deeper management requirements or no specific management measures, which highlights the complexity and diversity of ASCVD prevention and control, calling for multi-level and multi-faceted thinking and exploration.

Objective To compare the detection effects of Legionella pneumophila in water samples from public places by the Legiolert enzyme-substrate method and the conventional cultivation. Methods The Legiolert enzyme-substrate method and the conventional cultivation method were used to detect Legionella pneumophila in cooling water and shower water samples collected in public places. Isolated strains were verified and serotyped. Results A total of 68 samples were collected and tested. The positive rate of the conventional cultivation and the Legiolert enzyme-substrate method were 5.88%（4/68）and 35.29%（24/68）, respectively, with a significant difference （χ²=16.41，P<0.01）. The coincidence rate of the two methods was 64.71% (44/68), and the difference of the detection effects of the two methods was statistically significant (χ²=16.41，P=0.000). A total of 25 strains of Legionella pneumophila were isolated，and the serum types were mainly LP1（14/25）. Conclusion The Legiolert enzyme-substrate method represente a higher detection rate of Legionella pneumophila in water samples from public places than the conventional cultivation.