Objective To analyze the tumor characteristics associated with achieving pathological complete response(pCR) and tumor prognosis in the patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(nCRT). Methods A retrospective review was conducted on clinical and pathological data of locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC) patients who underwent nCRT at Renji Hospital from January 2017 to January 2024. Factors influencing the achievement of pCR were analyzed, and the patients prognosis of pCR group and non-pCR group was compared. Results Univariate analysis, multivariate Logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that tumor length less than 5 cm(cutoff value 5.24 cm) and baseline carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) less than 5 μg/L(cutoff value 5.33 μg/L) were independent predictors of achieving pCR after nCRT in LARC patients. Prognostic survival analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival(OS) rate for pCR group and non-pCR group were 92.86% and 82.46%, respectively (P=0.193), and the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate were 85.71% and 70.18%, respectively (P=0.141), with no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions Tumor length and baseline CEA level are independent predictors for achieving pCR after nCRT in LARC patients. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in 3-year OS and DFS between pCR group and non-pCR group.

Objective:To identify the main components of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction(HLJDD)using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS),and to explore the potential mechanism of action of HLJDD in the treatment of gouty arthritis(GA)using network pharmacology and molecular docking methods.Methods:We identi-fied the chemical components of HLJDD by combining UPLC-Q-TOF-MS data acquired in both positive and negative ion modes with reference standards,relevant literature,and database searches.We analyzed the potential therapeutic mechanism of HLJDD for GA by using network pharmacology to determine the intersection targets between the active ingredients of HLJDD and GA for further enrich-ment analysis and visual network mapping.The binding affinity of the active ingredients with the intersection targets was validated through molecular docking.Results:A total of 47 components were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS;54 key components of HLJDD for GA treatment and 37 intersection targets were determined by net-work pharmacology;and the top 10 key targets by Degree value were obtained by protein-protein interaction analysis.The Gene On-tology functional enrichment analysis revealed 20 biological pro-cesses,7 cellular components,and 8 molecular functions.The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated 96 GA-related intervention pathways,in which inflammatory signaling pathways such as interleukin-17(IL-17)and tu-mor necrosis factor(TNF)were involved.Molecular docking verified that the key components of HLJDD had high binding affinity with the core targets.Conclusion:The identified key components in HLJDD,such as phellodendrine,coptisine,wogonin,and β-sitosterol,may alleviate GA by regulating multiple core targets in the IL-17 and TNF pathways,such as PTSG2,which provides a theoretical ba-sis for future investigation into the mechanism of action of HLJDD.

Objective:To compare the effects of remimazolam and propofol sedation on pulmonary ventilation in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, 90 American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ to Ⅲ patients, aged 18-70 yr, with a body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2, scheduled for elective fiberoptic bronchoscopy and/or treatment under sedation at the Endoscopy Center of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between November 2021 and December 2022, were divided into 2 groups ( n=45 each) using a random number table: remimazolam group (group R) and propofol group (group P). After intravenous injection of sufentanil 0.1 μg/kg, an initial dose of remimazolam 0.075 mg/kg and propofol 0.9 mg/kg was intravenously injected in group R and group P, respectively. When necessary, additional single doses of remimazolam 0.025 mg/kg or propofol 0.3 mg/kg were administered until the bispectral index value reached 60–80 and the Modified Observer′s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation score was ≤3 (successful sedation). Electrical impedance tomography was conducted immediately after entering the operating room, immediately after successful sedation, immediately after completion of bronchoscopy the procedure, and immediately upon awakening to calculate the tidal impedance variation, center of ventilation, and global inhomogeneity index. The time to successful sedation, emergence time, the lowest SpO 2 during sedation, and occurrence of adverse events such as respiratory depression, injection pain, hypotension, hypertension, tachycardia, bradycardia and dizziness were recorded. Results:Compared with group P, the tidal impedance variation was significantly increased immediately after the procedure, the global inhomogeneity index was decreased immediately after the procedure and upon awakening, the emergence time was prolonged, the lowest SpO 2 was elevated, and the incidence of hypotension and injection pain was decreased in group R ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with propofol sedation, remimazolam sedation has a smaller impact on pulmonary ventilation in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Objective:To investigate the role of reactive astrocytes expressing aromatase(ARO)in the penumbra during ischemic stroke.Methods:A mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO/R)was prepared using the suture method.Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to observe the expression of ARO in the penumbra after ischemia reperfusion.We generated a glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter-driven aromatase knock-out(GFAP-ARO-KO)mouse model in vivo.Neurologic impairment scores,rotarod test,grip strength test and adhesive removal test on the plantar surface of the paw were performed after MCAO/R modeling.Results:In wild type mice,the expression of ARO was significantly increased in astrocytes in the penumbra after MCAO/R(P<0.01).Compared to the control group,the expression of ARO in the GFAP-ARO-KO group was significantly reduced in astrocytes in the penumbra after MCAO/R.And loss of ARO increased cerebral infarction volume and aggravated sensorimotor impair-ment.Conclusion:After ischemic stroke,reactive astrocytes in the penumbra highly express ARO and play a protective role in post-ischemia reperfusion injury.

Objective:To compare the effects of remimazolam and propofol sedation on pulmonary ventilation in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, 90 American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ to Ⅲ patients, aged 18-70 yr, with a body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2, scheduled for elective fiberoptic bronchoscopy and/or treatment under sedation at the Endoscopy Center of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between November 2021 and December 2022, were divided into 2 groups ( n=45 each) using a random number table: remimazolam group (group R) and propofol group (group P). After intravenous injection of sufentanil 0.1 μg/kg, an initial dose of remimazolam 0.075 mg/kg and propofol 0.9 mg/kg was intravenously injected in group R and group P, respectively. When necessary, additional single doses of remimazolam 0.025 mg/kg or propofol 0.3 mg/kg were administered until the bispectral index value reached 60–80 and the Modified Observer′s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation score was ≤3 (successful sedation). Electrical impedance tomography was conducted immediately after entering the operating room, immediately after successful sedation, immediately after completion of bronchoscopy the procedure, and immediately upon awakening to calculate the tidal impedance variation, center of ventilation, and global inhomogeneity index. The time to successful sedation, emergence time, the lowest SpO 2 during sedation, and occurrence of adverse events such as respiratory depression, injection pain, hypotension, hypertension, tachycardia, bradycardia and dizziness were recorded. Results:Compared with group P, the tidal impedance variation was significantly increased immediately after the procedure, the global inhomogeneity index was decreased immediately after the procedure and upon awakening, the emergence time was prolonged, the lowest SpO 2 was elevated, and the incidence of hypotension and injection pain was decreased in group R ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with propofol sedation, remimazolam sedation has a smaller impact on pulmonary ventilation in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Objective:To investigate the role of reactive astrocytes expressing aromatase(ARO)in the penumbra during ischemic stroke.Methods:A mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO/R)was prepared using the suture method.Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to observe the expression of ARO in the penumbra after ischemia reperfusion.We generated a glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter-driven aromatase knock-out(GFAP-ARO-KO)mouse model in vivo.Neurologic impairment scores,rotarod test,grip strength test and adhesive removal test on the plantar surface of the paw were performed after MCAO/R modeling.Results:In wild type mice,the expression of ARO was significantly increased in astrocytes in the penumbra after MCAO/R(P<0.01).Compared to the control group,the expression of ARO in the GFAP-ARO-KO group was significantly reduced in astrocytes in the penumbra after MCAO/R.And loss of ARO increased cerebral infarction volume and aggravated sensorimotor impair-ment.Conclusion:After ischemic stroke,reactive astrocytes in the penumbra highly express ARO and play a protective role in post-ischemia reperfusion injury.

Objective:To explore the prognostic factors associated with clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCAC) of the uterine cervix based on data in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 431 patients with confirmed CCAC in the SEER database from 1976 to 2017. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test for comparison between subgroups. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the influencing factors of overall survival (OS).Results:The median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 431 patients was 54 years old (40 years old, 71 years old); there were 333 cases (77.3%) of whit. The median OS time of 431 patients was 93 months (95% CI: 47-148 months), and the 1-, 2-, and 5-year OS rates were 80.1%, 65.8% and 54.2%, respectively. The median OS time was not reached in patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage Ⅰ, 83 months (95% CI: 21-144 months) for stage Ⅱ, 32 months (95% CI: 16-47 months) for stage Ⅲ, and 9 months (95% CI: 5-13 months) for stage Ⅳ ( P < 0.001). Median OS time was not reached in patients with SEER stage of localized lesions, 46 months (95% CI: 8-83 months) for regional lesions stage, and 9 months (95% CI: 5-12 months) for distant metastases stage ( P < 0.001). Of the patients with clear AJCC staging and some with unspecified AJCC staging, 118 received surgical treatment alone and 119 received postoperative radiotherapy, the median OS time of the two groups was 443 months (95% CI: 162-723 months) and 102 months (95% CI: 75-129 months), and the difference in OS between the two groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Among the patients with AJCC stage Ⅰ, the 5-year OS rates in surgery-only group and postoperative radiotherapy group were 82.5% and 78.5%, the stage Ⅱ were 80.0% and 52.3%, and the stage Ⅲ were 27.8% and 63.3%, respectively; the differences in OS between different stages were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Among the patients with SEER localized lesions stage, the 5-year OS rates in surgery-only group and postoperative radiotherapy group were 88.9% and 73.1%, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.012); the regional lesions stage were 45.5% and 60.0%, and the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.568). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that AJCC staging (stage Ⅰ vs. stage Ⅳ, HR = 0.281, 95% CI: 0.178-0.543, P < 0.001; stage Ⅱ vs. stage Ⅳ, HR = 0.347, 95% CI: 0.113-0.439, P < 0.001; stage Ⅲ vs. stage Ⅳ, HR = 0.399, 95% CI: 0.030-0.145, P < 0.001), SEER staging (localized lesions stage vs. distant metastases stage, HR = 0.104, 95% CI: 0.059-0.182, P < 0.001; regional lesions stage vs. distant metastases stage, HR = 0.301, 95% CI: 0.195-0.463, P < 0.001) and whether or not receive surgery (yes vs. no, HR = 0.359, 95% CI: 0.241-0.535, P < 0.001) were independent influencing factors of OS in CCAC patients. Conclusions:AJCC staging, SEER staging and surgery are independent influence factors for OS in patients with CCAC, and postoperative radiotherapy may not provide more survival benefit.

Background: Mechanical ventilation, particularly one-lung ventilation (OLV), can cause pulmonary dysfunction. This meta-analysis assessed the effects of dexmedetomidine on the pulmonary function of patients receiving OLV. Methods: The Embase, PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry databases were systematically searched. The primary outcome was oxygenation index (OI). Other outcomes including the incidence of postoperative complications were assessed. Results: Fourteen randomized controlled trials involving 845 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Dexmedetomidine improved the OI at 30 (mean difference [MD]: 40.49, 95% CI [10.21, 70.78]), 60 (MD: 60.86, 95% CI [35.81, 85.92]), and 90 min (MD: 55, 95% CI [34.89, 75.11]) after OLV and after surgery (MD: 28.98, 95% CI [17.94, 40.0]) and improved lung compliance 90 min after OLV (MD: 3.62, 95% CI [1.7, 5.53]). Additionally, dexmedetomidine reduced the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (odds ratio: 0.44, 95% CI [0.24, 0.82]) and length of hospital stay (MD: −0.99, 95% CI [−1.25, −0.73]); decreased tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and malondialdehyde levels; and increased superoxide dismutase levels. However, only the results for the OI and IL-6 levels were confirmed by the sensitivity and trial sequential analyses. Conclusions Dexmedetomidine improves oxygenation in patients receiving OLV and may additionally decrease the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications and shorten the length of hospital stay, which may be related to associated improvements in lung compliance, anti-inflammatory effects, and regulation of oxidative stress reactions. However, robust evidence is required to confirm these conclusions.

Objective:To evaluate the pedicled bridge transplantation with medial leg skin flap and medial hemi-soleus muscle flap for the treatment of soft tissue defects at the contrallateral leg.Methods:Between January of 2012 and January of 2016, 8 patients with soft tissue defects at the leg were treated at Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hand and Foot Surgery Hospital of Lanzhou. They were 5 men and 3 women, aged from 19 to 50 years (mean, 35 years). All of them were treated by bridge transplantation with medial leg skin flap and medial hemi-soleus muscle flap pedicled with posterior tibial artery. The size of the defects ranged from 10 cm×9 cm to 13 cm×8 cm. The immediate coverage of the muscle flaps and vessel pedicle was repaired by a meshed split-thickness skin graft. The donor site was closed directly. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed at the final follow-up according to the criteria by Iowa for tibial fractures.Results:All the skin flaps and muscle flaps survived without any vascular crisis. One case developed necrosis of small skin graft at the distal muscle flap which spontaneously healed after dressing change for 2 weeks. Their follow-up ranged from 2.5 to 4.5 years (mean, 3.8 years). A good contour was confirmed at the recipient area. By the Iowa criteria at the final follow-up, 3 cases were excellent, 4 good and one fair.Conclusion:Pedicled bridge transplantation with medial leg skin flap and medial hemi-soleus muscle flap is a good treatment for soft tissue defects at the contrallateral leg which has only one major blood vessel, reducing damage to the donor site.

Objective:To report a pediatric organ donor with brain death due to wild mushroom poisoning to examine whether or not brain death caused by mushroom poisoning might become a potential organ donor and how to evaluate donated organs.Methods:Strict clinical observations, laboratory tests and biopsy were performed for potential donor.Results:This donor's clinical changes were consistent with toxic hepatitis. Gross morphology, laboratory examinations and pathological biopsy of two kidneys were generally normal during organ acquisition. Two kidneys were assigned to two adult recipients and liver was discarded. After a follow-up period of 6 months, one recipient recovered well while another gradually recovered after delayed graft function.Conclusions:This extraordinary case provides some references for selecting potential donors of mushroom poisoning. When the donor's relevant laboratory tests are normal, there is no pathological contraindication, sufficient time is available for estimating the type of mushroom poisoning, observing the trends of organ damage and waiting for the toxin clearance, donor with brain death from wild mushroom poisoning may donate organ.