ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） on the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing emergency endoscopic therapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding， as well as independent influencing factors for the prognosis of liver cirrhosis patients without HCC after emergency endoscopic therapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding. MethodsA total of 117 liver cirrhosis patients without HCC and 119 liver cirrhosis patients with HCC who underwent emergency endoscopic therapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2017 to July 2023 were enrolled. Basic information including age and sex was collected from all patients， as well as the presence or absence of chronic diseases such as hypertension， diabetes， and coronary heart disease， the time of emergency endoscopy after admission， and liver function parameters including international normalized ratio， albumin， creatinine， sodium， total bilirubin， alanine aminotransferase， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST）. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous variables between two groups， and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous variables between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical variables between groups. The covariance analysis and the multivariate logistic regression analysis were used for comparison of outcome variables after control of baseline variables， and the Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted for each group. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed for survival time in the non-HCC group to investigate the independent influencing factors for survival time， and then the Kaplan-Meier curve analysis and the log-rank test were performed to validate such independent influencing factors and analyze the independent influencing factors for secondary outcomes. ResultsCompared with the non-HCC group， the HCC group had significantly higher red blood cell transfusion units （6.00［2.00～9.00］ vs 4.00［1.75～7.00］， Z=-2.050， P=0.040， F=4.869， adjusted P=0.028）， a significantly shorter survival time （29.77±16.01 days vs 38.07±11.43 days， t=4.574， P<0.001， F=17.294， adjusted P<0.001）， and a significantly higher 5-day rebleeding rate （22.69% vs 6.84%， χ²=11.736， P<0.001， adjusted P=0.021）. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the risk of 42-day mortality in the HCC group was 3.897 （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 2.338 ‍— 6.495， P<0.001） times that in the non-HCC group. The multivariate Cox regression analysis of the non-HCC group showed that the total length of hospital stay （hazard ratio ［HR］=0.793， 95%CI： 0.644 ‍— ‍0.976， P=0.029） was an independent protective factor for 42-day survival. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that a length of hospital stay of >9 days was beneficial for the prognosis of patients （HR=4.302， 95%CI： 1.439 — 12.870， P=0.037）. Blood sodium level （odds ratio ［OR］=0.523， 95%CI： 0.289 ‍— ‍0.945， P=0.032） and MELD-Na score （OR=0.495， 95%CI： 0.257 ‍— ‍0.954， P=0.036） were independent protective factors against 5-day rebleeding， while AST level was an independent risk factor for 5-day rebleeding （OR=1.023， 95%CI： 1.002 ‍— ‍1.043， P=0.028） and in-hospital death （OR=1.036， 95%CI： 1.001‍— ‍1.073， P=0.045）. ConclusionLiver cirrhosis patients with variceal bleeding and HCC tend to have a worse prognosis， and for the non-HCC group， in-hospital mortality rate increases with the increase in AST level. The total length of hospital stay is an independent protective factor for survival time in the non-HCC group， and it is recommended to appropriately prolong the length of hospital stay for such patients.

ObjectiveTo develop a nomogram-based risk prediction model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) incidence among the community-dwelling population aged 40 years old and above, so as to provide targeted references for the screening and prevention of COPD. MethodsBased on a natural population cohort in suburban Shanghai, a total of 3 381 randomly selected participants aged ≥40 years underwent pulmonary function tests between July and October 2021. Cox stepwise regression analysis was used to develop overall and gender-specific risk prediction models, along with the construction of corresponding risk nomograms. Model predictive performance was evaluated using the C-indice, area under the curve (AUC) values, and Brier score. Stability was assessed through 10-fold cross-validation and sensitivity analysis. ResultsA total of 3 019 participants were included, with a median follow-up duration of 4.6 years. The COPD incidence density was 17.22 per 1 000 person-years, significantly higher in males (32.04/1 000 person-years) than that in females (7.38/1 000 person-years) (P<0.001). The overall risk prediction model included the variables such as gender, age, education level, BMI, smoking, passive smoking, and respiratory comorbidities. The male-specific model incorporated the variables such as age, BMI, respiratory comorbidities, and smoking, while the female-specific model included age, marital status, respiratory comorbidities, and pulmonary tuberculosis history. The C-indices for the overall, male-specific, and female-specific models were 0.829, 0.749, and 0.807, respectively. The 5-year AUC values were 0.785, 0.658, and 0.811, with Brier scores of 0.103, 0.176, and 0.059, respectively. Both 10-fold cross-validated C-indices and sensitivity analysis (excluding participants with a follow-up duration of <6 months) yielded C-indices were above 0.740. ConclusionThis study developed concise and practical overall and gender-specific COPD risk prediction models and corresponding nomograms. The models demonstrated robust performance in predicting COPD incidence, providing a valuable reference for identifying high-risk populations and formulating targeted screening and personalized management strategies.

Background::Gastric cancer (GC), a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide; consequently, identifying novel therapeutic targets is crucial for its corresponding treatment. NUF2, a component of the NDC80 kinetochore complex, promotes cancer progression in multiple malignancies. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the potential of NUF2 as a therapeutic target to inhibit GC progression. Methods::Clinical samples were obtained from patients who underwent radical resection of GC at Lanzhou University Second Hospital from 2016 to 2021. Cell count assays, colony formation assays, and cell-derived xenotransplantation (CDX) models were used to determine the effects of NUF2 on GC progression. Flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of NUF2 or quercetin on cell cycle progression and apoptosis. A live-cell time-lapse imaging assay was performed to determine the effect of NUF2 on the regulation of mitotic progression. Transcriptomics was used to investigate the NUF2-associated molecular mechanisms. Virtual docking and microscale thermophoresis were used to identify NUF2 inhibitors. Finally, CDX, organoid, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were used to examine the efficacy of the NUF2 inhibitor in GC. Results::NUF2 expression was significantly increased in GC and was negatively correlated with prognosis. The deletion of NUF2 suppressed GC progression both in vivo and in vitro. NUF2 significantly regulated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, promoted G2/M phase transition, and inhibited apoptosis in GC cells. Additionally, quercetin was identified as a selective NUF2 inhibitor with low toxicity that significantly suppressed tumor growth in GC cells, organoids, CDX, and PDX models. Conclusions::Collectively, NUF2-mediated G2/M phase transition and apoptosis inhibition promoted GC progression; additionally, NUF2 inhibitors exhibited potent anti-GC activity. This study provides a new strategy for targeting NUF2 to suppress GC progression in clinical settings.

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease(CHD)is an ischemic cardiovascular condition caused by the narrowing or blockage of the vascular lumen due to coronary atherosclerosis.Clinically,it presents as angina pectoris,heart failure,or sud-den cardiac death,and stands as one of the primary causes of mortality among both urban and rural populations in China.Cir-cRNA,classified as non-coding RNAs,can function as upstream regulatory molecules for miRNA or RNA-binding proteins.They actively participate in various pathological processes associated with CHD,including endothelial cell dysfunction,smooth mus-cle cell migration,macrophage-derived foam cell formation,an-giogenesis,myocardial injury,and repair,as well as post-in-farction heart failure.The expression pattern of these molecules is highly specific to the illness and tissue,indicating their poten-tial as therapeutic targets for disease management and as biomar-kers.Furthermore,they also open up new avenues for drug tar-get development in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.This article aims to provide an overview of the recent research progress on circRNA in the regulation of coronary heart disease,as well as the mechanisms involved in traditional Chinese medi-cine.It serves as a valuable reference for future research on cor-onary heart disease.

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of implantable D-shant atrial shunt device in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH)and right heart failure.A 53-year-old female patient diagnosed with severe idiopathic PAH and right heart failure,her WHO FC grade was Ⅳ.The right heart catheter and implantation of D-shant atrial shunt device were performed under local anesthesia on November 30,2021.A 6 mm×4 cm peripheral artery balloon was selected to dilate the atrial septum and a D-shant atrial shunt device with a fixed 4 mm diameter orifice was implanted into the heart.The clinical symptoms and hemodynamics of the patient was improved after the intervention.Implantation of atrial shunt device as a palliative therapy to established a right to left shunt is another strategy for treating patients with severe PAH in late period,which has good effectiveness and safety.It could be the last replacement therapy to improve symptoms and prolonged lives to drug resistant and severe PAH patients.

Objective To understand the distribution and changing resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Enterococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Enterococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET program by automated systems,Kirby-Bauer method,or E-test strip.The results were interpreted according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints in 2021.WHONET 5.6 software was used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 124 565 strains of Enterococcus were isolated during the 7-year period,mainly including Enterococcus faecalis(50.7％)and Enterococcus faecalis(41.5％).The strains were mainly isolated from urinary tract specimens(46.9％±2.6％),and primarily from the patients in the department of internal medicine,surgery and ICU.E.faecium and E.faecalis strains showed low level resistance rate to vancomycin,teicoplanin and linezolid(≤3.6％).The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E.faecalis and E.faecium was 0.1％and 1.3％,respectively.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis increased from 0.7％in 2015 to 3.4％in 2021,while the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecium was 0.3％.Conclusions The clinical isolates of Enterococcus were still highly susceptible to vancomycin,teicoplanin,and linezolid,evidenced by a low resistance rate.However,the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis was increasing during the 7-year period.It is necessary to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance to effectively identify the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and curb the spread of resistant pathogens.

RNA m6A modification is mainly regulated by m6A methyltransferase,m6A demethylase and m6A binding protein,which can change gene transcription and thus regulating physiological and patholog-ical processes.In recent years,more and more evidences have shown that m6A methylation plays an im-portant role in the regulation of tumor microenvironment(TME).It can affect the occurrence,develop-ment and metastasis of various types of cancer.Myeloid-derived suppressor cells(MDSCs),a group of immature myeloid cells,are important immune cells in TME which can be pathologically activated.It mainly inhibits the activity of T cells,so as to promote the immune escape of malignant tumors.Studies have shown that MDSC,a new and promising target for immunotherapy,can reshape the immunosuppres-sive microenvironment and modulate the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.The role of m6A modification in the activation,differentiation and effector function of some immune cells has been widely concerned.However,the research on how m6A modification affects MDSC is still very limited.Therefore,it is par-ticularly important to further explore the relationship between them.Based on the introduction of MDSC and RNA m6A modification,this review summarizes the mechanism and research progress of RNA m6A modification in regulating MDSC in TME in order to provide new strategies for targeting MDSC from the perspective of epigenetic modification.

Objective:To explore the value of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in peripheral blood for risk stratification and prognostic evaluation of acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD)after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)in children.Methods:From January 2020 to March 2022,70 children with aGVHD after allo-HSCT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were selected as the research objects,of which 50 cases were mild aGVHD(grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ)and 20 cases were severe aGVHD(grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ).30 healthy children who underwent physical examinations in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.Luminex platform was used to detect the protein expression levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 during aGVHD occurrence,and the differences between the three groups were analyzed by one-way ANOVA.According to the outcome of aGVHD treatment within 28 days,the patients were divided into a good prognosis group of 58 cases and a poor prognosis group of 12 cases.The ROC curve was used to analyze the value of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in predicting the prognosis of children with aGVHD.Results:The peripheral blood levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in the mild aGVHD and severe aGVHD groups were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05),and those in the severe aGVHD group were significantly higher than those in the mild aGVHD group(P＜0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the peripheral blood levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher(t=9.27,3.33,2.97;P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in predicting the prognosis of children with aGVHD were higher than those of the above indicators detected alone or in pairs.Conclusion:The expression levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 were related to the severity of aGVHD.The combination of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 has a high clinical value in predicting the prognosis of children with aGVHD,which is expected to provide a reliable reference for clinical evaluation of the prognosis of children with aGVHD.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp.and their in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities.METHODS The 50% acetone extract from the flower buds of M.biondii was isolated and purified by Diaion HP-20,Toyopearl HW-40C,ODS and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of these compounds were determined according to previous method established by research group.RESULTS Seventeen compounds were isolated and identified as crassifolioside(1),magnoloside B(2),rutin(3),isoquercitrin(4),quercetin(5),northalifoline(6),cordysinin B(7),thymidine(8),indazole(9),dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol(10),aesculetin(11),C-veratroylglycol(12),3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol(13),3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethanol(14),3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid(15),2,4,6-trimethoxyphenol(16),syringic acid(17).CONCLUSION Compounds 1-17 are isolated from this plant for the first time,none of which show acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities at the concentration of 20 μmol/L.

Objective:To investigate the value of soluble interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor (sIL-6R) level in predicting ultrafiltration insufficiency in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.Methods:It was a prospective cohort study. The patients who received continuous ambulatory PD and regular follow-up between November 2016 and July 2018 in the PD Center of Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University were enrolled. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine dialysate sIL-6R and its appearance rate (AR) was calculated. Patients were divided into high sIL-6R AR group and low sIL-6R AR group according to median value of sIL-6R AR and prospectively followed up until death, PD cessation, or the end of the study (December 31, 2022). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the related factors of sIL-6R AR. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the survival rate difference of ultrafiltration insufficiency between high sIL-6R AR group and low sIL-6R AR group. Multivariate Cox regression and multivariate competing risk models were used to assess the risk factors associated with occurrence of ultrafiltration insufficiency.Results:A total of 198 PD patients were enrolled, including 115 (58.1%) males, with age of (54.9±13.7) years old and PD duration of 22.5 (6.6, 65.0) months. The sIL-6R AR of the cohort was 2 094.7 (1 672.4, 2 920.9) pg/min. Compared with low sIL-6R AR（<2 094.7 pg/min）group, high sIL-6R AR（>2 094.7 pg/min）group had older age ( t=-3.269, P=0.001), higher body mass index ( t=-3.248, P=0.001), proportion of combined diabetes mellitus ( χ2=8.890, P=0.003), 24 h glucose exposure ( Z=-2.257, P=0.024), 24 h ultrafiltration capacity ( Z=-2.515, P=0.012), 4 h dialysate creatinine to serum creatinine ratio ( t=-2.609, P=0.010), mass transfer area coefficient of creatinine ( Z=-2.308, P=0.021), IL-6 AR ( Z=-3.533, P<0.001) and solute glycoprotein 130 AR ( Z=-8.670, P<0.001), and lower serum albumin ( t=2.595, P=0.010) and residual renal function ( t=2.133, P=0.033). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that body mass index ( β=0.194, P=0.005), serum albumin ( β=-0.215, P=0.002) and dialysate lg[IL-6 AR] ( β=0.197, P=0.011) were independently correlated with sIL-6R AR. By the end of the study, 57 (28.8%) patients developed ultrafiltration insufficiency. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that high sIL-6R AR group had a significantly inferior ultrafiltration insufficiency-free survival rate than that in low sIL-6R AR group (log-rank χ 2=5.375, P=0.020). Multivariate Cox regression analysis and multivariate competing risk models showed that high dialysate sIL-6R AR (>2 094.7 pg/min) was an independent influencing factor of ultrafiltration insufficiency ( HR=2.286 , 95% CI 1.254-4.165 , P=0.007 ; SHR=2.074, 95% CI 1.124-3.828, P=0.020) in PD patients. Conclusions:Dialysate sIL-6R level was associated with body mass index, serum albumin and dialysate IL-6 level. Dialysate sIL-6R may be a predictive factor of ultrafiltration insufficiency in PD patients.