Objective To investigate the 30-day mortality risk factors in elderly patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and to construct a nomogram for predicting mortality risk. Methods A retrospective analysis of elderly (≥70 years) HFrEF patients undergoing isolated CABG at Tianjin Chest Hospital from 2010 to 2024 was performed. Simple random sampling in R software was used to divide the dataset into training and validation sets in a 7 : 3 ratio. The training set was further divided into survivors and non-survivors. Univariate logistic regression was performed to identify differences between groups, followed by multivariate logistic regression to select independent risk factors for death and to establish a death-risk nomogram, which underwent internal validation. The predictive value of the nomogram was assessed by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision-curve analyses for both the training and validation sets. Results A total of 656 patients were included. The training set consisted of 458 patients (survivors 418, deaths 40); the validation set consisted of 198 patients (survivors 180, deaths 18). In the training set, univariate analysis showed significant differences between survivors and deaths for creatinine (Cr) level, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), maximum Cr, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) use, assisted ventilation, reintubation, hyperlactatemia, low cardiac output syndrome, and renal failure (P<0.05). After multivariable logistic regression, five independent risk factors were identified: IABP use (OR=3.391, 95%CI 1.065-11.044, P=0.038), reintubation (OR=15.991, 95%CI 4.269-67.394, P<0.001), hyperlactatemia (OR=8.171, 95%CI 2.057-46.089, P=0.007), Cr (OR=4.330, 95%CI 0.997-6.022, P=0.024), and BNP (OR=1.603, 95%CI 1.000-2.000, P=0.010). Accordingly, a nomogram predicting mortality risk was constructed. The ROC and calibration analyses indicated good predictive value: area under the curve (AUC) in the training set was 0.898 (95%CI 0.831-0.966) and in the validation set was 0.912 (95%CI 0.805-1.000). Calibration and decision-curve analyses showed good agreement and clinical utility. Conclusion The nomogram incorporating IABP use, reintubation, hyperlactatemia, creatinine, and BNP provides good predictive value for 30-day mortality after CABG in elderly patients with HFrEF and demonstrates potential clinical utility.

Background and Aims:Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection(SISMAD)is a relatively common type of visceral artery dissection,typically presenting with acute abdominal pain.In severe cases,it may lead to intestinal ischemia or even necrosis.With the widespread use of imaging techniques such as CT angiography(CTA),the detection rate of SISMAD has significantly increased.However,there is still controversy regarding its optimal treatment strategy,especially in choosing between conservative management and endovascular intervention,as no unified standard currently exists.This study aimed to compare the short-and medium-term outcomes of the two treatment modalities by retrospectively analyzing the clinical data of SISMAD patients treated at our center in order to provide evidence for individualized treatment decisions.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 174 patients diagnosed with SISMAD at Ningbo Second Hospital between January 2018 and December 2023.Among them,30 patients received conservative treatment,and 144 underwent endovascular intervention(including stent implantation alone or in combination with coil embolization of the false lumen).All patients were diagnosed using CTA or superior mesenteric artery angiography and classified accordingly.Patients were followed up at 1 month and 1 year after treatment to assess clinical symptom relief and radiological outcomes,including dissection remodeling and stent patency.Results:In the conservative group,the symptom relief rate was 90.0%at 1 month and 92.8%at 1 year;in the interventional group,the corresponding rates were 99.3%and 98.6%.The difference in symptom relief at 1 month was statistically significant(P=0.016),while the difference at 1 year was not(P>0.05).Subgroup analysis by classification showed that the interventional group generally had higher symptom relief rates than the conservative group across all types.However,none of the differences reached statistical significance(all P>0.05).The conservative group showed poorer symptom control in type Ⅲpatients,including one death.The technical success rate of endovascular treatment was 99.3%,with no cases of stent displacement or occlusion within 1 year.The complete remodeling rate was 86.8%,and the stent patency rate was 100.0%.Some patients had minor mural thrombus formation within the stent without evidence of flow obstruction.Conclusion:Endovascular intervention offers a high technical success rate and favorable short-and medium-term efficacy in SISMAD patients,particularly for type Ⅱ and Ⅲ cases with compromised true lumen perfusion.Treatment strategies should be tailored based on the dissection type and the degree of true lumen compression to improve clinical outcomes and reduce associated risks.

Objective:To evaluate the dosimetric impact of 3D-printed headrests and multifunctional immobilization frames (MFIF) on hybrid radiotherapy plans for breast cancer patients, and to investigate the clinical significance of the attenuation effects.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 74 breast cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between January and November 2024. Based on the segmentation results of immobilization device contours using the Mask2Former deep learning model, 4 body structure sets were generated for each patient, and 4 corresponding plans were created: original plan (P) and plans including MFIF (P _MF), 3D-printed headrests (P _3D), and a combination of these two (P _3D+MF). Dosimetric differences of supraclavicular target volumes (PTV up), chest wall target volumes (PTV down) and organ at risk (OAR) of these 4 plans were compared using paired t-test. Results:Compared with the P plan, the P _3D+MF plan reduced PTV up V 100% by 1.65% and D mean by 12.98 cGy ( P<0.001), while increasing PTV down homogeneity index (HI) by 3.11% ( P<0.001). Among OAR, the skin D mean was increased by 134.72 cGy ( P<0.001); left lung V 30 Gy was decreased by 0.22% ( P=0.004), right lung V 30 Gy, V 20 Gy, V 5 Gy, and D mean were decreased by 0.3%, 0.15%, 0.19%, and 3.33 cGy, respectively ( P=0.005, 0.001,<0.001, 0.004); while heart V 30 Gy, V 5 Gy, and D mean were increased by 0.67%, 0.21%, and 0.98 cGy, respectively ( P=0.001, 0.004, 0.010). Conclusions:The attenuation effects of 3D-printed headrests and MFIF significantly affect the dose distribution of target volumes and normal tissues. These effects should be incorporated into treatment planning optimization and dose calculation to improve the precision and safety of radiotherapy.

Objective: To establish a progressive research strategy for “colonic components analysis - efficacy verification and mechanism exploration - gut microbiota”, screen pharmacodynamic substances, and investigate their mechanism via gut microbiota. Methods: The pharmacodynamics of Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD) were assessed using a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer was used to identify the prototype and metabolic components of GQD in the colon during UC. To analyze the structure and function of characteristic genera of GQD and its active components, 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. Results: We identified 67 prototypic and 14 metabolic components of GQD in the UC colon. The primary prototype components are flavonoids and alkaloids, including puerarin (PUE), baicalin (BAI), and berberine (BER). The metabolism was predominantly sulfonation. Efficacy verification showed that the main active components, puerarin, baicalin, and berberine, had good therapeutic effects on UC. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that GQD improved UC by regulating the structure and function of the gut microbiota. The abundance of gut microbiota involved in the metabolism of the prototype components was influenced by the corresponding components. The function prediction results showed that PUE was the most comparable to GQD, with 24 consistent pathways. BAI and BER showed comparable gut microbiota regulation pathways. Characteristic pathways of BER include glucometabolic processes. Conclusion This study focused on the key issues in the gut microbiota pathway and developed a progressive research strategy to understand the transformation mechanisms of colonic components. This research systematically analyzed the active components and metabolic transformation of GQD in the colon during the pathological state of UC, as well as changes in the structure and function of the gut microbiota, clarified the mechanism of GQD and its active components in improving UC via the gut microbiota pathway.

Background and Aims:Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection(SISMAD)is a relatively common type of visceral artery dissection,typically presenting with acute abdominal pain.In severe cases,it may lead to intestinal ischemia or even necrosis.With the widespread use of imaging techniques such as CT angiography(CTA),the detection rate of SISMAD has significantly increased.However,there is still controversy regarding its optimal treatment strategy,especially in choosing between conservative management and endovascular intervention,as no unified standard currently exists.This study aimed to compare the short-and medium-term outcomes of the two treatment modalities by retrospectively analyzing the clinical data of SISMAD patients treated at our center in order to provide evidence for individualized treatment decisions.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 174 patients diagnosed with SISMAD at Ningbo Second Hospital between January 2018 and December 2023.Among them,30 patients received conservative treatment,and 144 underwent endovascular intervention(including stent implantation alone or in combination with coil embolization of the false lumen).All patients were diagnosed using CTA or superior mesenteric artery angiography and classified accordingly.Patients were followed up at 1 month and 1 year after treatment to assess clinical symptom relief and radiological outcomes,including dissection remodeling and stent patency.Results:In the conservative group,the symptom relief rate was 90.0%at 1 month and 92.8%at 1 year;in the interventional group,the corresponding rates were 99.3%and 98.6%.The difference in symptom relief at 1 month was statistically significant(P=0.016),while the difference at 1 year was not(P>0.05).Subgroup analysis by classification showed that the interventional group generally had higher symptom relief rates than the conservative group across all types.However,none of the differences reached statistical significance(all P>0.05).The conservative group showed poorer symptom control in type Ⅲpatients,including one death.The technical success rate of endovascular treatment was 99.3%,with no cases of stent displacement or occlusion within 1 year.The complete remodeling rate was 86.8%,and the stent patency rate was 100.0%.Some patients had minor mural thrombus formation within the stent without evidence of flow obstruction.Conclusion:Endovascular intervention offers a high technical success rate and favorable short-and medium-term efficacy in SISMAD patients,particularly for type Ⅱ and Ⅲ cases with compromised true lumen perfusion.Treatment strategies should be tailored based on the dissection type and the degree of true lumen compression to improve clinical outcomes and reduce associated risks.

Objective:To evaluate the dosimetric impact of 3D-printed headrests and multifunctional immobilization frames (MFIF) on hybrid radiotherapy plans for breast cancer patients, and to investigate the clinical significance of the attenuation effects.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 74 breast cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between January and November 2024. Based on the segmentation results of immobilization device contours using the Mask2Former deep learning model, 4 body structure sets were generated for each patient, and 4 corresponding plans were created: original plan (P) and plans including MFIF (P _MF), 3D-printed headrests (P _3D), and a combination of these two (P _3D+MF). Dosimetric differences of supraclavicular target volumes (PTV up), chest wall target volumes (PTV down) and organ at risk (OAR) of these 4 plans were compared using paired t-test. Results:Compared with the P plan, the P _3D+MF plan reduced PTV up V 100% by 1.65% and D mean by 12.98 cGy ( P<0.001), while increasing PTV down homogeneity index (HI) by 3.11% ( P<0.001). Among OAR, the skin D mean was increased by 134.72 cGy ( P<0.001); left lung V 30 Gy was decreased by 0.22% ( P=0.004), right lung V 30 Gy, V 20 Gy, V 5 Gy, and D mean were decreased by 0.3%, 0.15%, 0.19%, and 3.33 cGy, respectively ( P=0.005, 0.001,<0.001, 0.004); while heart V 30 Gy, V 5 Gy, and D mean were increased by 0.67%, 0.21%, and 0.98 cGy, respectively ( P=0.001, 0.004, 0.010). Conclusions:The attenuation effects of 3D-printed headrests and MFIF significantly affect the dose distribution of target volumes and normal tissues. These effects should be incorporated into treatment planning optimization and dose calculation to improve the precision and safety of radiotherapy.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of herpangina (HA) and its correlation with the incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children aged ≤6 years in Yinzhou District of Ningbo from 2017 to 2022.Methods:Epidemiological characteristics of HA in children aged ≤6 years were analyzed based on the electronic medical record data and public health management data from 2017 to 2022 collected from the Health Information Platform of Yinzhou. The incidence of HFMD was calculated using the infectious disease reporting data from the public health management data. Autoregressive integrated moving average model and cross-correlation function were used to evaluate the correlation between the incidence of HA and HFMD.Results:From 2017 to 2022, a total of 25 385 cases of HA were detected in children aged ≤6 years in Yinzhou, the male-to-female ratio of the cases was 1.12∶1. The average annual incidence of HA was 4 986.67/100 000, with the highest incidence in 2018 (10 477.09/100 000) and the lowest incidence in 2020 (870.88/100 000). The incidence peak of HA was during June to July. The incidence of HA was higher in age group 1 year (7 950.45/100 000) than in other age groups. The incidences of HA in Yunlong, Jiangshan and Xiaying were higher, with the incidence of 8 764.31/100 000, 8 377.58/100 000 and 7 965.31/100 000, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the incidence of HA and HFMD at lag day 0, 7, 12 and 18 were 0.199, 0.139, 0.090 and 0.086, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions:From 2017 to 2022, the incidence of HA was high in children aged ≤6 years in Yinzhou with obvious seasonality and area difference. The incidence of HA was correlated with the incidence of HFMD and the incidence of HFMD had certain lags. The comprehensive prevention and control of HA and HFMD should be further strengthened by prioritizing HA surveillance and implementing integrated surveillance and management of HA and HFMD.

Objective: To investigate the incidence density of adult sleep disorders (SD) in Yinzhou District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province from 2017 to 2023, so as to provide insights into formulating the control measures of SD. Methods: The electronic health records of permanent residents aged 18 years and over in Yinzhou District from 2017 to 2023 were collected through the Yinzhou Regional Health Information Platform. New cases of SD were diagnosed for the first time a year after establishing health records. The incidence density was estimated using Poisson distribution. The temporal, population and regional distribution characteristics of new cases of SD were analyzed using a descriptively epidemiological method. Results: From 2017 to 2023, there were 1 255 129 permanent residents aged 18 years and over in Yinzhou District, with a total observed person-time of 6 292 884 person-years and a median of 5.67 (interquartile range, 3.74) person-years. There were 165 490 new cases of SD, including 67 095 males (40.54%) and 98 385 females (59.46%). The incidence density of SD in Yinzhou District from 2017 to 2023 was 26.30/1 000 person-years, with no significant trend observed (P>0.05). The incidence density of SD was higher in females than in males (29.63/1 000 person-years vs. 22.57/1 000 person-years, P<0.05). The highest incidence density of SD was observed in individuals aged 70 to <80 years (63.30/1 000 person-years), and the lowest was in individuals aged 18 to <30 years (7.24/1 000 person-years). The incidence density of SD in individuals aged 30 years and over was higher than that in individuals aged 18 to <30 years (all P<0.05). The incidence density of SD was 32.03/1 000 person-years in individuals with junior high school education or below, which was higher than individuals with senior high school/technical secondary school education (25.93/1 000 person-years) and college degree and above (18.87/1 000 person-years, all P<0.05). Dongliu Street, Dongjiao Street, and Baihe Street had relatively higher incidence densities of SD, at 45.11/1 000 person-years, 42.87/1 000 person-years and 40.16/1 000 person-years, respectively. Conclusions From 2017 to 2023, there was no significant trend in the incidence density of SD in Yinzhou District. Higher incidence density were observed in females, the elderly, and individuals living in central urban areas.

Objective     To compare the clinical effects of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) via the left anterior small thoracotomy (LAST) versus lower-end sternal splitting (LESS) approach in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Methods     The patients who underwent LAST CABG in Tianjin Chest Hospital from October 2015 to December 2020 were allocated to an observation group (LAST group), and the patients who underwent LESS CABG at the same period were allocated to a LESS group. Propensity score matching method was applied with a ratio of 1∶1. The baseline data, perioperative data and grafts data were compared between the two groups after matching. Results     Before matching, there were 110 patients in the LAST group, and 206 patients in the LESS group. After matching, there were 110 patients in each group. In the LAST group, there were 83 males and 27 females with an average age of 60.6±8.3 years. In the LESS group, there were 80 males and 30 females with an average age of 61.0±9.6 years. There was no statistical difference in baseline data between the two groups after matching (P>0.05). The hospital stay time (t=2.255, P=0.025) and ventilator using time (t=−2.229, P=0.027) in the LAST group were significantly shorter than those in the LESS group. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in the postoperative hospital stay time, ICU stay time, postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction, postoperative left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, average number of grafts, secondary intubation, secondary thoracotomy, postoperative wound infection, sternal complications, postoperative atrial fibrillation, postoperative pulmonary infection or main adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (P>0.05). There was no statistical difference in the distribution of target vessels in the anterior descending branch, diagonal branch or posterior descending branch between the two groups (P>0.05). The grafts of the LAST group were significantly more than those of the LESS group in the area of obtuse marginal branch and posterior ventricular branch, and the grafts of the LESS group were significantly more than those of the LAST group in the area of right coronary artery (P<0.05). Post-operative computerized tomography angiography indicated that 1 patient in the LAST group had obtuse marginal branch vein bridge vessel occlusion, and the bridge vessels in the other patients were unobstructed. Conclusion     Minimally invasive CABG via both LAST and LESS approaches is safe and effective. LAST approach can achieve complete revascularization for multi-vessel lesions, and it is safe and reliable, with the advantages of less trauma and aesthetic appearance. However, it requires a certain learning curve of surgical techniques and certain surgical indications.

In vitro studies have established the prevalent theory that the mitochondrial kinase PINK1 protects neurodegeneration by removing damaged mitochondria in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, difficulty in detecting endogenous PINK1 protein in rodent brains and cell lines has prevented the rigorous investigation of the in vivo role of PINK1. Here we report that PINK1 kinase form is selectively expressed in the human and monkey brains. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deficiency of PINK1 causes similar neurodegeneration in the brains of fetal and adult monkeys as well as cultured monkey neurons without affecting mitochondrial protein expression and morphology. Importantly, PINK1 mutations in the primate brain and human cells reduce protein phosphorylation that is important for neuronal function and survival. Our findings suggest that PINK1 kinase activity rather than its mitochondrial function is essential for the neuronal survival in the primate brains and that its kinase dysfunction could be involved in the pathogenesis of PD.