ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Huayu Tongluo Formula （化瘀通络方， HTF） in patients with mid-stage diabetic kidney disease of blood stasis syndrome and explore its potential mechanisms. MethodsA multi-center， randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. Ninety patients of mid-stage diabetic kidney disease of blood stasis syndrome were divided into a control group of 46 cases and a treatment group of 44 cases. Both groups received conventional western medicine treatment， the treatment group additionally taking HTF， while the control group taking a placebo of the formula. The treatment was administered once daily for 24 weeks. The primary outcomes included 24-hour urine total protein （24 h-UTP）， serum albumin （Alb）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， and serum creatinine （Scr）.The secondary outcomes included changes in levels of endothelin-1 （ET-1）， nitric oxide （NO）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores before and after treatment. Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on TCM syndrome scores and overall disease outcomes. Adverse reactions and endpoint events were recorded. ResultsIn the treatment group after treatment， 24 h-UTP， ET-1， and VEGF levels significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， Alb and NO levels significantly increased （P＜0.05）； while the TCM syndrome scores for edema， lumbar pain， numbness of limbs， dark purple lips， dark purple tongue or purpura， and thin， rough pulse all significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. In the control group， no significant changes were observed in any of the indicators after treatment （P＞0.05）.Compared with the control group， the treatment group showed significant reductions in 24 h-UTP， ET-1， and VEGF levels， and increases in Alb and NO levels （P＜0.05）. The TCM syndrome scores for edema， lumbar pain， dark purple tongue or purpura， and thin， rough pulse were all lower in the treatment group than in the control group （P＜0.05）. The total effective rate of TCM syndrome in the treatment group was 59.09% （26/44）， and the overall clinical effective rate was 45.45% （20/44）. In the control group， these rates were 15.22% （7/46） and 8.7% （4/46）， respectively， with the treatment group showing significantly better outcomes （P＜0.05）. A total of 7 adverse events occurred across both groups， with no significant difference （P＞0.05）. No endpoint events occurred during the study. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional treatment of Western medicine， HTF can further reduce urinary protein levels and improve clinical symptoms in patients with mid-stage diabetic kidney disease of blood stasis syndrome. The mechanism may be related to its effects on endothelial function.

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between self-assessed health and age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index （AICC） in older adults， and to further analyze the differences in this relationship across gender groups. MethodsBased on the China health and retirement longitudinal study （CHARLS） database， this study selected data on basic characteristics， chronic disease status， depressive symptoms， and self-assessed health of older adults aged ≥60 years. Chi-square tests were used to perform a preliminary analysis of the association between these factors and AICC scores. A multifactorial ordered logistic regression model was constructed to assess the effects of each influencing factor on AICC， while multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the linear relationship between self-rated health and AICC scores. Additionally. Stratified analysis by gender was performed to evaluate gender differences. ResultsA total of 10 911 participants were included， with a mean age of 67.40±5.94 years； 6 249 （57.3%） were male and 4 662（42.7%） were female. The distribution of AICC scores was categorized into low-risk， moderate-risk， higher-risk， and high-risk groups， accounting for 23.5%， 50.2%， 20.6%， and 5.7%， respectively. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis revealed that self-rated health was negatively associated with AICC in the total population and in the male geriatric group （OR=0.843， 95% CI： 0.776， 0.917， P=0.001）， （OR=0.886， 95% CI： 0.796 ， 0.987， P=0.028）， but did not reach statistical significance in the female geriatric group . Linear regression analysis further indicated a significant negative linear relationship between self-rated health and AICC （b=-0.485， 95% CI： -0.516，-0.455， P＜0.001）.This relationship was consistent in both male （b=-0.356， 95% CI： -0.406，-0.305， P＜0.001） and female （b=-0.373， 95% CI： -0.435，-0.310， P＜0.001） subgroups， with a stronger negative association in females. ConclusionSelf-rated health is significantly negatively associated with AICC， and attention should be given to self-rated health in the female geriatric population. Self-rated health can serve as an important tool for identifying elderly group at high risk of comorbidities providing a valuable basis for precise intervention.

The disturbance of the human microbiota influences the occurrence and progression of many diseases. Live therapeutic bacteria, with their genetic manipulability, anaerobic tendencies, and immunomodulatory properties, are emerging as promising therapeutic agents. However, their clinical applications face challenges in maintaining activity and achieving precise spatiotemporal release, particularly in the harsh gastrointestinal environment. This review highlights the innovative bacterial functionalized encapsulation strategies developed through advances in physicochemical and biological techniques. We comprehensively review how bacterial encapsulation strategies can be used to provide physical barriers and enhanced adhesion properties to live microorganisms, while introducing superior material properties to live bacteria. In addition, this review outlines how bacterial surface coating can facilitate targeted delivery and precise spatiotemporal release of live bacteria. Furthermore, it elucidates their potential applications for treating different diseases, along with critical perspectives on challenges in clinical translation. This review comprehensively analyzes the connection between functionalized bacterial encapsulation and innovative biomedical applications, providing a theoretical reference for the development of next-generation bacterial therapies.

Polyethylene (PE) is widely used due to its excellent properties. However, the improper disposal of PE waste has led to serious environmental pollution. Microbial degradation of PE is a low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and highly efficient method of homogeneous recycling. The use of microbial degradation technology to treat polyethylene waste has become one of the current research hotspots. As a result, employing microbial degradation technology to address polyethylene waste has become a key focus of current research. A PE-degrading strain ETX1 was screened from waste plastics in a landfill by the enrichment culture method. The strain was identified as Lysinibacillus sp.. After incubating PE powder with the strain for 20 days, a weight loss of 29.41% was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that special absorption peaks such as carbonyl and hydroxyl groups appeared, proving that ETX1 had the effect of degrading PE. The degradation effect of this strain was characterized by the weight loss of PE film, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, and contact angle. The results showed that ETX1 reduced the PE film weight by up to 5.23% within 120 days. The film structure was damaged, with holes formed by erosion on the film surface, and the hydrophilicity was enhanced. Additionally, a stronger carbonyl absorption peak appeared. The discovery of the PE-degrading strain ETX1 not only enriches the resources of PE plastic-degrading strains but also lays a foundation for mining efficient PE-degrading elements, obtaining degrading enzymes, and deciphering related degradation pathways.
Polyethylene/chemistry* ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Bacillaceae/classification* ; Plastics/metabolism*

Objective:To explore the hematological phenotype and genotypic characteristics of five Chinese individuals with a rare thalassemia mutation HBB: c. 93-21G>A. Methods:A retrospective study was carried out on five individuals identified by the People′s Hospital of Yangjiang and Guangzhou Hybribio Co., Ltd. from May 2018 to September 2022. Routine blood test and hemoglobin electrophoresis were performed, and the genotypes of five subjects were determined by using PCR combined with reverse dot blotting (RDB), nested PCR, Gap-PCR and Sanger sequencing. This study was approved by Medical Ethics Cornmittee of the People′s Hospital of Yangjiang (Ethics No. 20240001).Results:Among the five individuals, hematological data of one was unavailable, and the remaining four had presented with microcytosis and hypochromia. The results of hemoglobin electrophoresis indicated that all of them had a HbA 2 level of ≥4.7%. Genetic analysis showed that one case had harbored compound heterozygous mutations of ααα anti3.7 triplet and HBB: c. 93-21G>A, one had compound heterozygous mutations of -α 3.7 and HBB: c. 93-21G>A, whilst the remaining three were heterozygous for the HBB: c. 93-21G>A mutation. Conclusion:The hematological phenotype of β-thalassemia carriers ( HBB: c. 93-21G>A) is similar to that of other β + thalassemia heterozygotes with mild β-thalassemia characteristics.

The incidence of esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma is increasing gradually. The surgical procedures mainly include radical resection of the primary tumor, lymph node dissection, and digestive tract reconstruction. Due to the special anatomical location of esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma, the pattern of lymph node metastasis is not clear, and regional lymph nodes dissection especially in the lower mediastinum is still controversial, and awaits further high-quality evidence. Meanwhile, due to the special anatomical location of the lower mediastinum, it is often difficult to perform lower mediastinal lymph node dissection. How to complete the lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection more safely and effectively is the key point for gastric cancer surgeons. In this paper, the progress, consensus, and controversy on the extent of lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection in patients with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma were discussed. Based on our own experience, the current clinically techniques for lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection were summarized to further improve the quality control of lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection in patients with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma.

The endoplasmic reticulum is a key site for protein production and quality control.More than one-third of proteins are synthesized and folded into the correct three-dimensional conformation in the endoplasmic reticulum.However,during protein folding,unfolded and/or misfolded proteins are prone to occur,which may lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress.Organisms can monitor the quality of the proteins produced by endoplasmic reticulum quality control(ERQC)and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation(ERAD),which maintain endoplasmic reticulum protein homeostasis by degrading abnormally folded proteins.The underlying mechanisms of protein folding and ERAD in mammals have not yet been fully explored.Therefore,this paper reviews the process and function of protein folding and ERAD in mammalian cells,in order to help clinicians better understand the mechanism of ERAD and to provide a scientific reference for the treatment of diseases caused by abnormal ERAD.

The incidence of esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma is increasing gradually. The surgical procedures mainly include radical resection of the primary tumor, lymph node dissection, and digestive tract reconstruction. Due to the special anatomical location of esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma, the pattern of lymph node metastasis is not clear, and regional lymph nodes dissection especially in the lower mediastinum is still controversial, and awaits further high-quality evidence. Meanwhile, due to the special anatomical location of the lower mediastinum, it is often difficult to perform lower mediastinal lymph node dissection. How to complete the lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection more safely and effectively is the key point for gastric cancer surgeons. In this paper, the progress, consensus, and controversy on the extent of lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection in patients with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma were discussed. Based on our own experience, the current clinically techniques for lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection were summarized to further improve the quality control of lower mediastinal lymph nodes dissection in patients with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma.

Objective:To explore the construction of a Logistic prediction model and countermeasures for type 2 diabetic nephropathy based on clinical data.Methods:The patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy admitted to Shijiazhuang Second Hospital from September 2019 to September 2021 (study group) were selected and the patients were selected according to a 1∶1 ratio using individual matching (control group), each group with 200 patients. Single and multiple factors analysis were used to analyze the factors influencing type 2 diabetic nephropathy, and Logistic regression equation models were developed to verify their predictive value.Results:Logistic regression equation model showed that the course of type 2 diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA 1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), homocysteine (Hcy), urinary microalbumin, and serum creatinine (Scr) were high risk factors for type 2 diabetic nephropathy ( P<0.05). The results of Logistic regression model evaluation showed that the model was established with statistical significance, and the coefficients of the regression equations had statistically significant differences. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that the model fitting effect was good. Logistic regression model was used to statistically analyzed the data set, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of type 2 diabetic nephropathy was drawn, the area under the curve was 0.949(95% CI 0.922 - 0.968), the prediction sensitivity was 81.50%, the specificity was 95.50%, the calibration curve showed that the predicted results was in good agreement with the observed results. Conclusions:The independent predictors of type 2 diabetic nephropathy involve HbA 1c, FPG, Hcy, urinary microalbumin. The Logistic prediction model based on these predictors has reliable predictive value and can help guide clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of precision thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in the limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) patients by network meta-analysis.Methods:Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TRT regimes in the LS-SCLC were electronically searched from PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang Data from inception to September 1 st, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Statistical analysis was performed by Stata 17 and R 4.1.1 software. Results:A total of 6 RCTs involving 1730 patients with six radiation regimens including hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT): HFRT 45(45 Gy/30 F) and HFRT 60(60 Gy/40 F); conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT): CFRT 70(70 Gy/35 F) and CFRT 66(66 Gy/33 F); moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (MHFRT): MHFRT 65(65 Gy/26 F) and MHFRT 42(42 Gy/15 F) were included. The network meta-analysis showed that: in terms of improving progression-free survival and overall survival, there was no statistically significant difference among the six radiotherapy regimens. The probabilistic ranking results were: MHFRT 65> HFRT 60>CFRT 66>CFRT 70>MHFRT 42>HFRT 45, and HFRT 60>MHFRT 65>CFRT 66>CFRT 70>HFRT 45>MHFRT 42, respectively. The HFRT 60 regimen was superior to other regimens in reducing the incidence of grade ≥3 pneumonia, and there was no difference between the regimens in causing grade ≥3 radiation esophagitis, and the results of ranking probability were: HFRT 60> MHFRT 42>CFRT 66>CFRT 70>HFRT 45>MHFRT 65, and HFRT 60>CFRT 70>CFRT 66>HFRT 45>MHFRT 42>MHFRT 65, respectively. Conclusions:HFRT 60 radiotherapy regimen may be more effective and safer in the treatment of LS-SCLC patients as a priority choice for LS-SCLC TRT. Limited by the number and quality of included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified by more high-quality studies.