Based on the holistic view of "spleen-vessels-heart-spirit" system， this article explores the pathogenesis and progression of atrial fibrillation. It is proposed that the onset of atrial fibrillation is due to failure of the spleen to transport and disharmony of blood vessels； phlegm and blood stasis obstructing the collaterals and damage to the heart structure are the basis of its pathogenesis； the unclear mind and disorder of body and spirit are the causes of its progression. Based on the characteristics of pathological changes in different stages of the disease， it is proposed that early treatment should focus on restoring the middle jiao， clearing and promoting blood vessels， using modified Yigong Powder （异功散）； during the progression of the disease， treatment should remove blood stasis and phlegm， nourish heart and protect the pulse， using self-prescribed modified Mengshi Tongmai Decoction （礞石通脉汤）； meanwhile， calming mind and stabilizing palpitations， and regulating spirit should be sequentially incorporated， with self-prescribed Jiazao Ningmai Decoction （甲枣宁脉汤） or Shenying Dingji Decoction （参英定悸汤） and modified as appropriate. Clinical treatment should focus on the whole disease course of atrial fibrillation， implementing stage-based treatments to enable early intervention and holistic regulation.

Objective To explore the clinical feasibility of predicting ischemic penumbra(IP)in patients with acute cerebral infarction based on multiparameter magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)radiomics and deep learning.Methods A total of 105 patients with acute cerebral infarction treated at our hospital between January 2020 and January 2024 were divided into non-IP(n=36)and IP(n=69)groups according to the results of MRI diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI).The clinical data of the two groups were collected,and multipa-rameter MRI radiomics features were screened.Clinical,radiomics,and deep learning models were constructed,and their distinguishing powers were evaluated.A fused model was constructed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC),calibration,and clinical decision curves were used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the four models.Results Increases in the admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score,anisotropy score(FA),apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC),average diffusion coefficient(DCavg),and N-acetyl aspartate(NAA)were protective factors for IP.An increase in the lactic acid(Lac)level was a risk factor for IP(P<0.05).Of the six considered deep learning models,the support vector machine model performed the best,with an accuracy of 0.952(100/105),sensi-tivity of 0.957(66/69),and specificity of 0.944(34/36).These three models can distinguish the patients with IP.The four models exhibited high differentiation,accuracy,and effectiveness;the prediction efficiency of the fused model was the highest.Conclusion The fused model based on clinical features,multiparameter MRI radiomics,and deep learning accurately predicts IP in patients with acute cerebral infarction and can be used to provide personalized prediction results.

Objective:To evaluate surgical strategies and clinical outcomes in supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma management, providing evidence-based guidance for therapeutic decision-making. Methods:Seven patients with supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma in our hospital from 2021 to 2023 were enrolled in this study. The clinical manifestations, imaging findings, and surgical outcomes of patients were retrospectively analyzed. A systematic literature review focused on surgical anatomy correlations and imaging-based approach selection. Results:All seven cases of supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma were unilateral. Preoperative otoendoscopy, CT, and intraoperative findings confirmed that they were classified as supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma according to Sanna's classification. Two cases were operated entirely with otoendoscopy, three cases used a postauricular approach with microscopic assistance, and two cases involved a combined approach with endoscopy and microscopy. Hearing reconstruction with ossicular prosthesis was performed in five cases, while two cases did not undergo hearing reconstruction due to preoperative anacusis confirmed by both subjective and objective hearing tests. In all seven cases, various segments of the facial nerve were exposed during surgery, but postoperative facial nerve function remained intact, hearing was preserved, no cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred, and no recurrences have been observed to date（as of June 2024）. Conclusion:With the advancement of imaging techniques and microsurgical technology, early diagnosis and surgical methods for supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma have significantly improved. Compared to traditional approaches, the newer methods reduce unnecessary complications and offer advantages such as minimal surgical trauma, superior hearing preservation rates, and shorter recovery times with better postoperative neural function. This study reviews recent literature on petroclival cholesteatomas, combined with our own cases, to analyze the classification of supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma and surgical approach selection. The findings aim to optimize treatment strategies and guide appropriate surgical methods, ultimately improving patient prognosis and quality of life.
Humans ; Cholesteatoma/surgery* ; Ear, Inner/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

AIM:To investigate the protective ef-fect of midazolam(MID)on cardiac function and angiogenesis in myocardial infarction(MI)rats and its effect on c-Jun N-terminal kinase-signal trans-ducer and activator of transcription 3(JNK/STAT3)pathway.METHODS:MI rat model was established by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation method.A total of 68 rats were modeled.After ex-cluding the rats that died(n=3,mortality rate≈4.4％)or failed modeling(n=5),the 60 MI rats in-cluded in this experiment were randomly divided in-to the model group(Model group),MID low,medi-um and high dose group(1 mg/kg MID-L group,3 mg/kg MID-M group,6 mg/kg MID-H group),MID high dose+JNK activator Anisomycin group(6 mg/kg MID-H+Anisomycin group),12 rats in each group.Another 12 rats undergoing sham surgery were selected as the control group.All rats were echocardiographic and evaluated for cardiac func-tion.The myocardial tissue pathological morpholo-gy and the myocardial fibrosis degree were ob-served by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Mas-son staining.The serum myocardial injury markers[creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB)and brain na-triuretic peptide(BNP)]and inflammatory factors[tumor necrosis fa ctor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and C-reactive protein(CRP)],myocardial tis-sue oxidative stress indicators[malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and reduced glutathione(GSH)]levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),vascular endothe-lial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2),p-JNK,JNK,p-STAT3 and STAT3 proteins expression levels were detected by Protein blot method(Western blot).RE-SULTS:Compared with Control group,the myocar-dial tissue damage degree in Model group was more severe,the myocardial interstitial fibrosis de-gree was greatly deepened,the collagen volume fraction was significantly increased,the left ventric-ular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),CK-MB,BNP,CRP,TNF-α,IL-1β and MDA levels were significantly in-creased,the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular short axis shortening rate(LVFS),GSH and SOD levels were significantly de-creased,and the VEGF,VEGFR2 proteins expression levels were significantly decreased,the p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Compared with Model group,with the MID dose increase,the myocardial tissue damage de-gree in MID-L,MID-M and MID-H groups was signif-icantly reduced,the myocardial interstitial fibrosis degree was reduced,the collagen volume fraction was decreased,the LVESD,LVEDD,CK-MB,BNP,CRP,TNF-α,IL-1β and MDA levels were significantly decreased,the LVEF,LVFS,GSH and SOD levels were significantly increased,and the VEGF,VEGF2R protein expression levels were significantly in-creased,p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT3/STAT3 were signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with MID-H group,the myocardial tissue damage degree in MID-H+Anisomycin group was more severe,the myocardial interstitial fibrosis degree was greatly deepened,the collagen volume fraction was signifi-cantly increased,the cardiac function was weak-ened,the oxidative stress and inflammation were aggravated,LVESD,LVEDD,CK-MB,BNP,CRP,TNF-α,IL-1β and MDA levels were increased,the LVEF,LVFS,GSH,SOD,VEGF and VEGFR2 proteins expres-sion levels were significantly decreased,p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly increased(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:MID may improve myocardial tissue damage in MI rats by regulating JNK/STAT3 pathway,reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response,promote angiogenesis,so as to play a role in cardiac protection.

Objective:To investigate the effect of circular RNA (circRNA)_005987 on contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) and its mechanism, and provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of CA-AKI.Methods:CA-AKI rat models and HK-2 cell injury models were established using iopromide, and CA-AKI-related circRNA_005987 was screened based on circRNA expression chip and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Knockdown and overexpression of circRNA_005987 were performed in HK-2 cell model, respectively. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Edu staining assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of autophagy-related protein microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B), P62, beclin-1 and autophagy-related gene 14 (ATG14). Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect protein expression of LC3B. Electron microscope was used to observe the autophagosome formation. Autophagy activator rapamycin and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine were used for in vitro rescue experiments to observe the changes of the above indicators. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis was applied to analyze the binding site among circRNA_005987, miR-129-5p and ATG14, and dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify their interactions. CircRNA_005987 was knocked down and overexpressed in HK-2 cell model, and RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-129-5p. HK-2 cells were treated with miR-129-5p inhibitor and mimic, Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of ATG14, and CCK8 and Edu staining assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Results:CircRNA_005987 expression was up-regulated in vitro and vivo CA-AKI models (both P<0.05). Overexpression of circRNA_005987 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell autophagy, while knockdown of circRNA_005987 had opposite effects (all P<0.05). In vitro rescue experiments confirmed that circRNA_005987 inhibited cell proliferation by activating autophagy ( P<0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay suggested that there was an interaction between circRNA_005987, miR-129-5p and ATG14. Knockdown of circRNA_005987 increased miR-129-5p expression, while overexpression of circRNA_005987 inhibited miR-129-5p expression (both P<0.05). Knockdown of miR-129-5p inhibited cell proliferation, while overexpression of miR-129-5p reversed the effect (both P<0.05). Conclusion:CircRNA_005987 promotes CA-AKI through activating autophagy via sponging miR-129-5p, suggesting that circRNA_005987 plays an important role in the pathological process of CA-AKI.

Atherosclerosis is a complex pathological condition resulting from lipid deposition， chronic inflammatory responses， and fibrosis， with a prolonged disease course and multifactorial etiology. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory of accumulation syndrome， atherosclerosis can be classified under this category， with its pathogenesis involving phlegm， blood stasis， deficiency， and accumulation. This paper proposed a stage-based intervention strategy using the four therapeutic principles of "attacking， supplementing， dispersing， dissipating"， and divided into six stages based on the pathological progression， including the stage of accumulation before formation， the stage of accumulation already formed， the stage of nucleus accumulation， the stage of nucleus accumulation decay， the stage of nucleus accumulation consolidation， and the stage of severe stenosis of nucleus. At different stages， the intervention focuses on reinforcing healthy qi and consolidating the root， tonifying the kidneys and spleen， dispersing and removing turbidity， removing phlegm stagnation， promoting qi circulation， dispersing accumulations and removing stasis， attacking accumulation and expelling stasis， directing the turbid downward and dispersing accumulation， and treatment would be adjusted based on specific symptoms， which provides a theoretical framework for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis with TCM.

Objective To compare the distribution characteristics and drug resistance of mucous and non-mucous Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP).Methods SP isolated from clinical specimens of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen Medical College from January 2023 to June 2024 were collected.They were isolated,cultured and identified,and their susceptibility to antibacterial drugs was determined.Results A total of 291 SP strains were isolated,of which 20 strains were mucous SP and 271 strains were non-mucous SP.Children played a dominant role of non-mucous SP infection,but mucous SP mainly infected adults and the children above 5 years old.Both phenotypes of SP were mainly characterized by pulmonary infection.Non-mucous SP had a relatively high sensitivity rate to vancomycin,linezolid,penicillin,ertapenem,chloramphenicol,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin and ofloxacin.It had a high resistance rate to compound sulfamethoxazole,clindamycin,erythromycin and tetracycline.Mucous SP was completely sensitive to penicillin,amoxicillin,cefotaxime,ceftriaxone,ertapenem,vancomycin,linezolid,levofloxacin and moxifloxacin,and had a relatively high resistance rate to clindamycin,erythromycin and tetracycline.Conclusion The laboratory should enhance the detection capacity of mucous SP.Mucous SP is highly sensitive to common antibiotics.Clinicians should select antibiotics based on drug sensitivity results to delay the occurrence of drug resistance.

Objective To explore and study the new nationwide centralized volume-based procurement model of Chinese patent medicines(CPM),aiming further to promote the normalization and institutionalization of such procurement practices.Methods This study conducts a retrospective analysis of the entire 2023 national CPM procurement process,comparing it with the 19-province alliance procurement,the national chemical drugs procurement,and the national insulin special procurement and highlighting its similarities and differences.Results In contrast to the 19-province alliance procurement,the national CPM alliance procurement introduced a daily average cost rule to reduce the price selection deviation.It also improved and optimized the criteria for qualification,bidding unit formation principles,selection rules,resurrection mechanisms,and principles for allocating procurement volumes under agreements.A comprehensive analysis of the results from two rounds of CPM procurement indicates statistically significant differences in resurrection rates,brand substitution rates,and reduction in selected prices,with the national procurement outperforming the 19-province alliance procurement.Compared with the national chemical drugs and special insulin procurements,this procurement distinctly showcases its unique characteristics.Conclusion The new mode of the national CPM alliance procurement is innovative and has contributed valuable experiences towards the sustained advancement of CPM procurement and establishing a medical insurance payment standard system.

AIM:To investigate the protective ef-fect of midazolam(MID)on cardiac function and angiogenesis in myocardial infarction(MI)rats and its effect on c-Jun N-terminal kinase-signal trans-ducer and activator of transcription 3(JNK/STAT3)pathway.METHODS:MI rat model was established by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation method.A total of 68 rats were modeled.After ex-cluding the rats that died(n=3,mortality rate≈4.4％)or failed modeling(n=5),the 60 MI rats in-cluded in this experiment were randomly divided in-to the model group(Model group),MID low,medi-um and high dose group(1 mg/kg MID-L group,3 mg/kg MID-M group,6 mg/kg MID-H group),MID high dose+JNK activator Anisomycin group(6 mg/kg MID-H+Anisomycin group),12 rats in each group.Another 12 rats undergoing sham surgery were selected as the control group.All rats were echocardiographic and evaluated for cardiac func-tion.The myocardial tissue pathological morpholo-gy and the myocardial fibrosis degree were ob-served by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Mas-son staining.The serum myocardial injury markers[creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB)and brain na-triuretic peptide(BNP)]and inflammatory factors[tumor necrosis fa ctor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and C-reactive protein(CRP)],myocardial tis-sue oxidative stress indicators[malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and reduced glutathione(GSH)]levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),vascular endothe-lial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2),p-JNK,JNK,p-STAT3 and STAT3 proteins expression levels were detected by Protein blot method(Western blot).RE-SULTS:Compared with Control group,the myocar-dial tissue damage degree in Model group was more severe,the myocardial interstitial fibrosis de-gree was greatly deepened,the collagen volume fraction was significantly increased,the left ventric-ular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),CK-MB,BNP,CRP,TNF-α,IL-1β and MDA levels were significantly in-creased,the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular short axis shortening rate(LVFS),GSH and SOD levels were significantly de-creased,and the VEGF,VEGFR2 proteins expression levels were significantly decreased,the p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Compared with Model group,with the MID dose increase,the myocardial tissue damage de-gree in MID-L,MID-M and MID-H groups was signif-icantly reduced,the myocardial interstitial fibrosis degree was reduced,the collagen volume fraction was decreased,the LVESD,LVEDD,CK-MB,BNP,CRP,TNF-α,IL-1β and MDA levels were significantly decreased,the LVEF,LVFS,GSH and SOD levels were significantly increased,and the VEGF,VEGF2R protein expression levels were significantly in-creased,p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT3/STAT3 were signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with MID-H group,the myocardial tissue damage degree in MID-H+Anisomycin group was more severe,the myocardial interstitial fibrosis degree was greatly deepened,the collagen volume fraction was signifi-cantly increased,the cardiac function was weak-ened,the oxidative stress and inflammation were aggravated,LVESD,LVEDD,CK-MB,BNP,CRP,TNF-α,IL-1β and MDA levels were increased,the LVEF,LVFS,GSH,SOD,VEGF and VEGFR2 proteins expres-sion levels were significantly decreased,p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly increased(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:MID may improve myocardial tissue damage in MI rats by regulating JNK/STAT3 pathway,reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response,promote angiogenesis,so as to play a role in cardiac protection.

Objective:To study the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of tsutsugamushi disease in Ankang City, Shaanxi Province.Methods:From 2018 to 2023, data on tsutsugamushi disease cases reported by various medical institutions at all levels in Ankang City were collected through the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. At the same time, individual epidemiological investigation of reported cases was carried out, and electronic medical records of patients were retrieved to verify their diagnosis. In 2023, the rodents and chigger mites were monitored in 3 townships with high incidence of tsutsugamushi disease in Ankang City by night clamping method, and the chigger mites rate and chigger mites index were calculated. Blood, liver, spleen and kidney samples of rodents were collected, DNA of blood and organ mixture was extracted, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect Orientia tsutsugamushi. Results:A total of 330 cases of tsutsugamushi disease were reported in Ankang City from 2018 to 2023, and the reported incidence rate increased from 0.56/100 000 in 2018 to 5.02/100 000 in 2023. Among them, 139 were males and 191 were females, with a sex ratio of 0.73∶1.00. The age was mainly 45 - 70 years old, accounting for 81.52% (269/330). The occupation was mainly farmers, accounting for 86.97% (287/330). The onset time was mainly concentrated from April to October, with a total of 317 cases, accounting for 96.06% (317/330). The main clinical manifestations were fever (93.20%, 274/294), ulcer or eschar (75.85%, 223/294), headache (44.56%, 131/294), and lymph node enlargement (44.22%, 130/294). The misdiagnosis rate at the first diagnosis was 73.81% (217/294). A total of 452 rodents were captured, of which 91 rodents carried chigger mites, and chigger mites rate was 20.13% (91/452). A total of 1 463 chigger mites were captured, and the chigger mites index was 3.24 (1 463/452). Quantitative real-time PCR was performed on blood and organ mixture samples collected from 452 rodents, and one of the organ mixture samples tested positive for Orientia tsutsugamushi. Conclusions:The incidence of tsutsugamushi disease in Ankang City is relatively high, and the overall incidence is on the rise. The cases are mainly female, middle-aged and elderly, and farmers, with a high misdiagnosis rate at the first diagnosis. There are chigger mites in rodents in townships with high incidence of tsutsugamushi disease.