Objective:To observe any effect of dynamic instability training on the balance and posture control of persons with chronic ankle instability (CAI).Methods:Thirty persons with CAI were divided at random into a control group and an observation group, each of 15. Both groups received routine rehabilitation interventions (including ankle strength training, kinesio taping, and vibration training), while the observation group additionally underwent 20 minutes of dynamic instability training daily, 5 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks. Before and after the treatment, everyone′s balance was evaluated using the Berg balance scale (BBS) and the star moving balance test (SEBT). Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to collect electromyograms of the affected peroneus longus, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris and medialis femoris muscles of both groups within 100ms before and after landing in the jump-landing test. The intensity of muscle activation was thus analyzed.Results:After the treatment there was significant improvement in the average BBS scores, anterior medial SEBT, medial SEBT and posterior medial SEBT results of both groups. On average, all three SEBT results [(80.27±4.06)cm, (90.27±4.06)cm and (97.73±3.47)cm respectively] were significantly better in the observation group than in the control group. The standardized integrated electromyographs of the peroneus longus, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris and medialis femoris muscles on the affected sides showed significant improvement compared with before the treatment, but there too the observation group′s results were significantly better than those of the control group.Conclusions:Combining dynamic instability training with conventional rehabilitation can further improve the balance and postural control of persons with chronic ankle instability.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of BCR::ABL-negative chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed 12 cases of CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia that underwent allo-HSCT from March 2017 to June 2024, comprising 7 males and 5 females with a median age of 48 ( IQR: 28, 59) years. The 2-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) rates were analyzed. Complications were also assessed. Results:Of the 12 patients, 6 received matched sibling HSCT and 6 received haploidentical HSCT. All patients had successful engraftment, and the median times of neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 17 ( IQR: 11, 24) days and 15 ( IQR: 9, 28) days, respectively. Grade Ⅱ–Ⅳ acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD occurred in 2 and 4 cases, respectively. The 2-year OS, DFS, CIR, and TRM rates were (65.6 ± 16.4) %, (41.7 ± 16.6) %, (47.2 ±18.2) %, and (11.1 ± 11.4) %, respectively, after a median follow-up time of 637 ( IQR: 330, 943) days. One patient died from treatment-related complications due to respiratory failure caused by coronavirus disease 2019. Two patients died due to relapse. Conclusion:Allo-HSCT can be applied as a safe and effective approach to treat CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of surgical intervention for patients with stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer who demonstrated tumor regression following first-line treatment.Methods:This was a descriptive case series. The inclusion criteria for surgery were as follows: (1) an initial diagnosis of stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer, i.e. cT4b or cM1; (2) the presence of residual tumor following first-line therapy deemed potentially resectable upon reassessment; and (3) sufficient organ function to tolerate surgical procedures. Clinical data were retrospectively collected for 63 patients with stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer who underwent surgery following first-line therapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 2014 and December 2023. Of these patients, 12 were initially staged as IVA, and 51 as IVB. Post-treatment restaging revealed that 9 patients achieved a clinical complete response, while 3 were downstaged to stage Ⅰ, 14 to stage Ⅱ, 24 to stage Ⅲ, and 13 to stage ⅣB (with regression of distant metastatic lesions enabling curative resection). Surgical approaches included right thoracic esophagectomy ( n=55), left thoracic esophagectomy ( n=4), and transmediastinal esophagectomy ( n=4). Additionally, 7 patients required extended organ resection. Two-field lymph node dissection was performed in 49 patients, while 14 underwent three-field lymph node dissection. Postoperative management varied: 31 patients received no adjuvant therapy, 11 underwent immunochemotherapy, 8 received immunotherapy alone, 8 underwent chemotherapy, 4 received chemoradiotherapy, and 1 received combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), with secondary endpoints including surgical outcomes and postoperative complications. Results:All 63 patients successfully underwent surgery without intraoperative mortality. R0 resection was achieved in 58 cases (92.1%), while R1 and R2 resections were performed in 1 case (1.6%) and 4 cases (6.3%), respectively. The mean operative time was 357±135 minutes. Postoperative complications were observed in 27 cases (42.9%), with 9 cases (14.3%) classified as Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ or Ⅴ. One patient (1.6%) died perioperatively. The median follow-up duration was 21 months (range: 4–107 months). The median OS was 64.8 months (95% CI: 50.9–78.6 months), and the median PFS was 68.0 months (95% CI: 53.9–82.3 months). Among 24 patients with supraclavicular lymph node metastases, 6 experienced recurrence and 8 died. Of 25 patients with abdominal metastases, 3 had recurrence and subsequently died. All 4 patients with lung metastases and both patients with bone metastases experienced recurrence and death.Conclusions:Surgical intervention is a feasible and safe treatment option for selected patients with stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer who demonstrate the potential for curative resection following first-line therapy.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(S.maltophilia)induces ferroptosis,a form of iron-dependent cell death,leading to an inflamma-tory response in RAW 264.7 macrophages by elevating oxidative stress levels.RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with varying concentrations of S.maltophilia.The concentrations of TNF-αand IL-1β were quantified using ELISA kits to assess the impact of S.maltophilia on the inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 cells.The activities of glutathione(GSH)and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels were measured using GSH and MDA assay kits to evaluate changes in oxidative stress.West-ern blot analysis was employed to detect the expression levels of COX-2,xCT,GPX4,and other proteins involved in ferroptosis signaling pathways,thereby investigating the effect of S.malto-philia on ferroptosis in RAW 264.7 cells.The results demonstrated that S.maltophilia induced concentration-dependent increases in inflammation and oxidative stress in RAW 264.7 cells,up-regulated the expression of COX-2 protein and down-regulated the expression of xCT and GPX4.Pretreatment with the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine(NAC)significantly mitigated the S.malto-philia-induced oxidative stress and ferroptosis signaling activation,thereby alleviating the inflam-matory response.Furthermore,treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 directly suppressed the activation of the ferroptosis signaling pathway and reversed the inflammation induced by S.maltophilia.These findings suggest that S.maltophilia triggers inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells by activating the ferroptosis signaling pathway via an increase in oxidative stress levels.

Objective:To observe any effect of dynamic instability training on the balance and posture control of persons with chronic ankle instability (CAI).Methods:Thirty persons with CAI were divided at random into a control group and an observation group, each of 15. Both groups received routine rehabilitation interventions (including ankle strength training, kinesio taping, and vibration training), while the observation group additionally underwent 20 minutes of dynamic instability training daily, 5 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks. Before and after the treatment, everyone′s balance was evaluated using the Berg balance scale (BBS) and the star moving balance test (SEBT). Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to collect electromyograms of the affected peroneus longus, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris and medialis femoris muscles of both groups within 100ms before and after landing in the jump-landing test. The intensity of muscle activation was thus analyzed.Results:After the treatment there was significant improvement in the average BBS scores, anterior medial SEBT, medial SEBT and posterior medial SEBT results of both groups. On average, all three SEBT results [(80.27±4.06)cm, (90.27±4.06)cm and (97.73±3.47)cm respectively] were significantly better in the observation group than in the control group. The standardized integrated electromyographs of the peroneus longus, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris and medialis femoris muscles on the affected sides showed significant improvement compared with before the treatment, but there too the observation group′s results were significantly better than those of the control group.Conclusions:Combining dynamic instability training with conventional rehabilitation can further improve the balance and postural control of persons with chronic ankle instability.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(S.maltophilia)induces ferroptosis,a form of iron-dependent cell death,leading to an inflamma-tory response in RAW 264.7 macrophages by elevating oxidative stress levels.RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with varying concentrations of S.maltophilia.The concentrations of TNF-αand IL-1β were quantified using ELISA kits to assess the impact of S.maltophilia on the inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 cells.The activities of glutathione(GSH)and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels were measured using GSH and MDA assay kits to evaluate changes in oxidative stress.West-ern blot analysis was employed to detect the expression levels of COX-2,xCT,GPX4,and other proteins involved in ferroptosis signaling pathways,thereby investigating the effect of S.malto-philia on ferroptosis in RAW 264.7 cells.The results demonstrated that S.maltophilia induced concentration-dependent increases in inflammation and oxidative stress in RAW 264.7 cells,up-regulated the expression of COX-2 protein and down-regulated the expression of xCT and GPX4.Pretreatment with the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine(NAC)significantly mitigated the S.malto-philia-induced oxidative stress and ferroptosis signaling activation,thereby alleviating the inflam-matory response.Furthermore,treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 directly suppressed the activation of the ferroptosis signaling pathway and reversed the inflammation induced by S.maltophilia.These findings suggest that S.maltophilia triggers inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells by activating the ferroptosis signaling pathway via an increase in oxidative stress levels.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of surgical intervention for patients with stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer who demonstrated tumor regression following first-line treatment.Methods:This was a descriptive case series. The inclusion criteria for surgery were as follows: (1) an initial diagnosis of stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer, i.e. cT4b or cM1; (2) the presence of residual tumor following first-line therapy deemed potentially resectable upon reassessment; and (3) sufficient organ function to tolerate surgical procedures. Clinical data were retrospectively collected for 63 patients with stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer who underwent surgery following first-line therapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 2014 and December 2023. Of these patients, 12 were initially staged as IVA, and 51 as IVB. Post-treatment restaging revealed that 9 patients achieved a clinical complete response, while 3 were downstaged to stage Ⅰ, 14 to stage Ⅱ, 24 to stage Ⅲ, and 13 to stage ⅣB (with regression of distant metastatic lesions enabling curative resection). Surgical approaches included right thoracic esophagectomy ( n=55), left thoracic esophagectomy ( n=4), and transmediastinal esophagectomy ( n=4). Additionally, 7 patients required extended organ resection. Two-field lymph node dissection was performed in 49 patients, while 14 underwent three-field lymph node dissection. Postoperative management varied: 31 patients received no adjuvant therapy, 11 underwent immunochemotherapy, 8 received immunotherapy alone, 8 underwent chemotherapy, 4 received chemoradiotherapy, and 1 received combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), with secondary endpoints including surgical outcomes and postoperative complications. Results:All 63 patients successfully underwent surgery without intraoperative mortality. R0 resection was achieved in 58 cases (92.1%), while R1 and R2 resections were performed in 1 case (1.6%) and 4 cases (6.3%), respectively. The mean operative time was 357±135 minutes. Postoperative complications were observed in 27 cases (42.9%), with 9 cases (14.3%) classified as Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ or Ⅴ. One patient (1.6%) died perioperatively. The median follow-up duration was 21 months (range: 4–107 months). The median OS was 64.8 months (95% CI: 50.9–78.6 months), and the median PFS was 68.0 months (95% CI: 53.9–82.3 months). Among 24 patients with supraclavicular lymph node metastases, 6 experienced recurrence and 8 died. Of 25 patients with abdominal metastases, 3 had recurrence and subsequently died. All 4 patients with lung metastases and both patients with bone metastases experienced recurrence and death.Conclusions:Surgical intervention is a feasible and safe treatment option for selected patients with stage Ⅳ esophageal cancer who demonstrate the potential for curative resection following first-line therapy.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of BCR::ABL-negative chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed 12 cases of CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia that underwent allo-HSCT from March 2017 to June 2024, comprising 7 males and 5 females with a median age of 48 ( IQR: 28, 59) years. The 2-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) rates were analyzed. Complications were also assessed. Results:Of the 12 patients, 6 received matched sibling HSCT and 6 received haploidentical HSCT. All patients had successful engraftment, and the median times of neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 17 ( IQR: 11, 24) days and 15 ( IQR: 9, 28) days, respectively. Grade Ⅱ–Ⅳ acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD occurred in 2 and 4 cases, respectively. The 2-year OS, DFS, CIR, and TRM rates were (65.6 ± 16.4) %, (41.7 ± 16.6) %, (47.2 ±18.2) %, and (11.1 ± 11.4) %, respectively, after a median follow-up time of 637 ( IQR: 330, 943) days. One patient died from treatment-related complications due to respiratory failure caused by coronavirus disease 2019. Two patients died due to relapse. Conclusion:Allo-HSCT can be applied as a safe and effective approach to treat CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors for severe hyperbilirubinemia complicated by acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE), and the value of total serum bilirubin (TSB) and bilirubin (B)/albumin (A) ratio in predicting ABE.Methods:Clinical data of children with severe hyperbilirubinemia admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Ordos Central Hospital, People's Hospital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Fourth Hospital of Baotou, Tongliao Hospital, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hohhot, the Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Manzhouli People's Hospital, and Chifeng Hospital from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, were retrospectively collected. The subjects were divided into ABE and non-ABE groups based on the occurrence of ABE. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify high-risk factors for ABE. Statistical analysis was performed using t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, or Chi-square tests. Indicators with statistically significant differences were included in the multivariate logistic regression model, and stepwise regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of ABE. Results:(1) A total of 543 children were included in this study, accounting for 3.7% (543/14 831) of the total admissions during the same period. Among the 543 children, 81 (14.9%) had ABE, and 462 (85.1%) did not. The age at admission was (7.2±2.1) d, and the length of hospital stay was (5.2±2.2) d. The breastfeeding initiation time was 2 d (1-4 d) after birth. The peak TSB of the 543 cases was (385.98±51.22) μmol/L, and the age at peak TSB was (4.4±2.1) d. Fourteen cases (2.5%) gradually reached the peak TSB after admission [(392.01±61.24) μmol/L], while 529 cases (97.5%) had already reached the peak TSB at admission [(386.42±50.22) μmol/L]. Among the 543 cases, 356 had a clear etiology (65.6%, with 278 cases having a single cause and 78 cases having more than two causes), and 187 cases (34.4%) had an unknown etiology. (2) Compared with the non-ABE group, the breastfeeding initiation in the ABE group was later [6 h (2-6 h) vs. 2 h (1-3 h), Z=－6.87] and the length of hospital stay was longer [(6.5±1.9) d vs. (5.0±2.1) d, t=0.55]. The proportions of breastfeeding, delayed meconium passage, isoimmune hemolysis, and maternal gestational diabetes, as well as peak TSB and B/A ratio at peak TSB, were higher in the ABE group than in the non-ABE group [64.2% (52/81) vs. 36.8% (170/462), χ2=21.96; 16.0% (13/81) vs. 2.4% (11/462), χ2=27.32; 27.2% (22/81) vs. 10.6% (40/462), χ2=16.61; 24.7% (20/81) vs. 13.6% (63/462), χ2=6.50; (442±68) vs. (375±39) μmol/L, t=－8.55; (11.9±1.6) vs. (9.8±1.2), t=－11.61; all P<0.05]. The admission weight, proportion of transfer from the hospital's obstetrics department, unknown etiology, and breast milk jaundice were lower in the ABE group than in the non-ABE group [(3 098±482) vs. (3 278±493) g, t=3.04; 12.3% (10/81) vs. 42.4% (196/462), χ2=30.48; 3.7% (3/81) vs. 39.8% (184/462), χ2=39.83; 0.0% (0/81) vs. 5.8% (27/462), χ2=3.81; all P<0.05]. (3) Isoimmune hemolysis, peak TSB, and B/A ratio at peak TSB were independent risk factors for ABE [ OR(95% CI) were 2.924 (1.209-7.073), 1.006 (0.997-1.014), and 2.647 (1.841-3.805), respectively]. When the peak TSB was 380.05 μmol/L and the B/A ratio at peak TSB was 10.45, the sensitivity for predicting ABE was 0.963, the specificity was 0.789, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.752. Conclusions:Isoimmune hemolysis, peak TSB, and B/A ratio at peak TSB are independent risk factors for ABE. The B/A ratio at peak TSB and peak TSB can effectively predict ABE.

Objective To investigate the risk factors of microcirculation obstruction(MVO)after reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods Forty-one patients with AMI who received treatment with myocardial reperfusion were retrospectively selected.Cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR)was used to determine whether the patients had MVO.The patients were divided into MVO and non-MVO groups.The basic data,laboratory examination and CMR parameters of patients were collected and compared between the groups,and the risk factors related to MVO were screened out by logistic regression analysis.Results Delayed myocardial enhancement was observed in all 41 patients,among which 11 cases(26.8%)were with MVO.A total of 206 delayed myocardial enhancement segments were observed,of which 77 segments combined with MVO and 129 segments without MVO.AMI patients with MVO had a higher rate of transmural myocardial infarction,greater infarct volume,left ventricular myocardial mass(LVMM)and edema degree,as well as lower ejection fraction of left and right ventricles(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that infarct volume[odds ratio(OR)=1.116,95%confidence interval(CI)1.017-1.224,P=0.020]was an independent risk factor for MVO after AMI reperfusion.Conclusion Infarct volume is an independent risk factor for MVO after AMI reperfusion,and MVO is associated with left and right ventricular function impairment.