OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of subanesthetic dose of esketamine on postoperative anxiety and recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS A total of 200 patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Suzhou Ninth Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University from January 2023 to December 2024 were randomly assigned to control group （n＝100） and observation group （n＝100）. One minute before the initiation of anesthesia， patients in the control group received intravenous injections of Propofol emulsion injection， Sufentanil citrate injection， and Succinylcholine chloride injection. On this basis， patients in the observation group received an intravenous injection of Esketamine hydrochloride injection. The anxiety status of patients in both groups was compared， along with their general intraoperative conditions （including sufentanil dosage， duration of pneumoperitoneum， operative time， anesthesia time， and extubation time）， postoperative recovery， incidence of adverse reactions， and the need for dezocine rescue analgesia. Heart rate and mean arterial pressure， entropy index （state entropy and response entropy）， inflammatory marker levels [interleukin-6 （IL-6） and C-reactive protein （CRP）]， numerical rating scale （NRS） for pain intensity were compared between the two groups at different time points. RESULTS No significant differences were found between the two groups in pneumoperitoneum duration， operative time， anesthesia time，extubation time， incidence of postoperative dry mouth， entropy index or length of stay in the post-anesthesia care unit （P＞0.05）. Compared with the control group， the observation group showed significantly lower postoperative STAI-S scores， reduced intraoperative sufentanil consumption， decreased incidence of postoperative nausea， vomiting， and shivering， the need for dezocine rescue analgesia， as well as lower plasma IL-6 and CRP levels at 24 h after surgery， and NRS （P＜0.05）. The heart rate and mean arterial pressure of patients in the observation group at the start of surgery， end of surgery， and during extubation were all significantly higher than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Subanesthetic dose of esketamine can effectively alleviate postoperative anxiety， reduce intraoperative opioid consumption， suppress postoperative inflammatory response， relieve postoperative pain， and promote recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Animal experimentation constitutes a critical link between basic research and clinical application, making its research quality and translational efficiency paramount. Although considerable progress has been made in standardizing operational procedures and ethical guidelines, the standardization of outcome evaluation systems has significantly lagged, creating a key bottleneck that constrains the quality of biomedical research and evidence synthesis. This deficiency is manifested by pronounced heterogeneity in outcome selection across similar studies, incomplete methodological reporting, and disparate criteria for result interpretation, which severely impairs the comparability of findings and the evidence integration. To cope with this challenge, this paper systematically introduces a mature methodological tool from clinical research–the core outcome set (COS)–and explores its construction strategies and application potential in the field of animal experimentation. Given the extensive diversity of animal experiments, a pragmatic strategy of "focusing on key areas, implementing phased pilots, and promoting gradual expansion" should be adopted. This approach prioritizes the development of domain-specific COS for disease areas characterized by high research volume, urgent translational needs, and well-established animal models. A multi-source integration pathway for COS development is detailed, comprising systematic literature searches, methodological appraisals, and expert consensus, with the feasibility of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency also being examined. The development and promotion of such COS are not intended to restrict scientific exploration; rather, they aim to establish a new, tiered evaluation paradigm consisting of "core outcomes" (mandatory), "recommended outcomes" (encouraged), and "exploratory outcomes" (optional). This framework is expected not only to enhance research quality through standardization and to adhere to the "3R" principles but also to accelerate the accumulation of high-quality evidence. This, in turn, provides a solid foundation for higher-level evidence synthesis, ultimately facilitating the effective translation of basic research findings into clinical practice and providing an essential methodological framework for scientific advancement in relevant disciplines.

ObjectiveDiscriminating atypical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other malignancies in liver nodules classified as Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System category M (LR-M) remains a significant diagnostic challenge on conventional ultrasound examination. The LR-M category, originally intended to capture non-HCC malignancies, paradoxically contains up to 63% of atypical HCCs that deviate from classic enhancement patterns, leading to potential misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment planning. While deep learning has shown promise in HCC diagnosis, most existing models rely exclusively on single-modality ultrasound, overlooking the diagnostic benefits of integrating complementary information from multiple imaging sources. To address this gap, we propose a novel attention-weighted tri-modal ultrasound network (TUS-Net) that integrates contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), B-mode ultrasound (BUS), and time-intensity curves (TICs) to improve diagnostic accuracy for these clinically challenging lesions. MethodsOur framework incorporates a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (C3D) backbone to extract spatiotemporal features from CEUS videos, capturing dynamic vascular patterns critical for lesion characterization. To effectively fuse complementary modalities, we introduce a dual-channel feature fusion module (DCFFM) that adaptively combines features from CEUS and BUS through channel-wise attention mechanisms, allowing the model to dynamically weigh the contribution of each modality based on diagnostic relevance. Additionally, we propose a temporal intensity feature fusion module (TIFFM) that leverages quantitative hemodynamic information from TICs to guide the model’s attention toward diagnostically critical temporal phases, such as arterial wash-in and portal venous washout. The model is further enhanced by automated lesion localization using YOLOX and class activation mapping for interpretability, ensuring that predictions align with clinically meaningful imaging features. ResultsEvaluated on a tri-modal ultrasound dataset comprising 161 patients with pathologically confirmed LR-M nodules (131 atypical HCC and 30 non-HCC malignancies), our model achieved an accuracy of 86.83%, a sensitivity of 92.50%, a specificity of 75.50%, and an AUC of 89.32% in screening atypical HCC. Compared to single-modality baselines, TUS-Net demonstrated superior specificity, a clinically critical metric given the higher risk associated with misclassifying non-HCC malignancies. Ablation studies confirmed the contribution of each module, with the full model outperforming both standard C3D and 3D ResNet backbones integrated with attention mechanisms. A reader study involving junior and senior radiologists further validated the clinical utility of AI assistance, showing consistent improvements in specificity and inter-reader consistency, particularly for less experienced clinicians. ConclusionThese results surpass existing benchmark models and demonstrate the potential of our approach to enhance diagnostic precision in clinically specific cases. By intelligently fusing multi-modal ultrasound data with attention-guided mechanisms, TUS-Net offers a reliable and interpretable tool that holds promise for improving the non-invasive diagnosis of atypical HCC in challenging LR-M liver nodules.

ObjectiveDiscriminating atypical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other malignancies in liver nodules classified as Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System category M (LR-M) remains a significant diagnostic challenge on conventional ultrasound examination. The LR-M category, originally intended to capture non-HCC malignancies, paradoxically contains up to 63% of atypical HCCs that deviate from classic enhancement patterns, leading to potential misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment planning. While deep learning has shown promise in HCC diagnosis, most existing models rely exclusively on single-modality ultrasound, overlooking the diagnostic benefits of integrating complementary information from multiple imaging sources. To address this gap, we propose a novel attention-weighted tri-modal ultrasound network (TUS-Net) that integrates contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), B-mode ultrasound (BUS), and time-intensity curves (TICs) to improve diagnostic accuracy for these clinically challenging lesions. MethodsOur framework incorporates a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (C3D) backbone to extract spatiotemporal features from CEUS videos, capturing dynamic vascular patterns critical for lesion characterization. To effectively fuse complementary modalities, we introduce a dual-channel feature fusion module (DCFFM) that adaptively combines features from CEUS and BUS through channel-wise attention mechanisms, allowing the model to dynamically weigh the contribution of each modality based on diagnostic relevance. Additionally, we propose a temporal intensity feature fusion module (TIFFM) that leverages quantitative hemodynamic information from TICs to guide the model’s attention toward diagnostically critical temporal phases, such as arterial wash-in and portal venous washout. The model is further enhanced by automated lesion localization using YOLOX and class activation mapping for interpretability, ensuring that predictions align with clinically meaningful imaging features. ResultsEvaluated on a tri-modal ultrasound dataset comprising 161 patients with pathologically confirmed LR-M nodules (131 atypical HCC and 30 non-HCC malignancies), our model achieved an accuracy of 86.83%, a sensitivity of 92.50%, a specificity of 75.50%, and an AUC of 89.32% in screening atypical HCC. Compared to single-modality baselines, TUS-Net demonstrated superior specificity, a clinically critical metric given the higher risk associated with misclassifying non-HCC malignancies. Ablation studies confirmed the contribution of each module, with the full model outperforming both standard C3D and 3D ResNet backbones integrated with attention mechanisms. A reader study involving junior and senior radiologists further validated the clinical utility of AI assistance, showing consistent improvements in specificity and inter-reader consistency, particularly for less experienced clinicians. ConclusionThese results surpass existing benchmark models and demonstrate the potential of our approach to enhance diagnostic precision in clinically specific cases. By intelligently fusing multi-modal ultrasound data with attention-guided mechanisms, TUS-Net offers a reliable and interpretable tool that holds promise for improving the non-invasive diagnosis of atypical HCC in challenging LR-M liver nodules.

ObjectiveTo investigate how vitamin B₁₂ eye drops regulate MMP-9 and TNF-α expression levels in the corneas of dry eye disease （DED） mouse model induced by a combination of an artificially simulated dry environment （air humidity 30%） and subcutaneous injection of hyoscine hydrobromide. MethodsFifty C57BL/6 female mice were used in the study. 10 mice formed A group （blank control）， while the remaining 40 mice were subjected to dry eye disease induction through subcutaneous injection of scopolamine hydrobromide in a controlled environment with 30% air humidity. All mice underwent schirmer I test （SIT）， tear break-up time （TBUT）， and corneal fluorescence staining score（CFS）evaluations. Mice meeting modeling criteria were randomly assigned to three groups： B group （model group）， C group （PBS control）， and D group （vitamin B₁₂ group）. 0， 7， 14， and 21 days after treatment， each group received TBUT， SIT， CFS， and corneal inflammation assessments. Macroscopic analysis evaluated the efficacy of vitamin B₁₂ eye drops in treating dry eye. After 21 days of treatment， all mice were euthanized via cervical dislocation and their corneas analyzed using HE staining to examine morphological changes. ELISA and immunohistochemical methods were employed to detect MMP-9 and TNF-α expression levels in corneal tissues across groups. ResultsIn dry environments （air humidity 30%）， subcutaneous injection of scopolamine hydrobromide induced changes in dry eye-related indicators in mice： SIT significantly decreased， TBUT significantly shortened， corneal fluorescein staining increased， and CFS all significantly elevated （P 0.05）， indicating successful establishment of the dry eye model. A total of 30 dry eye mice were enrolled. When the dry eye model was successfully established without drug intervention， no statistically significant differences were observed between B group， C group and D group in terms of TBUT， SIT， corneal fluorescein staining， or CFS. Compared with A group， B group， C group and D group showed statistically significant differences in reduced SIT， shortened TBUT， increased corneal fluorescein staining， and elevated CFS （P 0.05）. After drug intervention， D group （vitamin B₁₂ group） exhibited significantly increased SIT， prolonged TBUT， reduced corneal fluorescein staining， clearer corneas， decreased fluorescein staining， and lower CFS compared with B and C groups（P 0.05）. ELISA and immunohistochemical staining results showed that compared with A group， B and C groups exhibited significantly increased expression of MMP-9 and TNF-α in corneal tissues （P 0.05）. D group showed decreased expression of MMP-9 and TNF-α compared with B and C groups but remained higher than A group （P 0.05）. ConclusionThe expression of MMP-9 and TNF-α in the corneal tissues of mice with dry eye is elevated， suggesting that both inflammatory factors， MMP-9 and TNF-α， are involved in the development of dry eye. Vitamin B₁₂ eye drops may improve the symptoms of ocular surface discomfort by promoting the repair of the corneal epithelium. Vitamin B₁₂ eye drops may increase tear secretion， prolong tear film break up time， reduce corneal fluorescein staining， and alleviate the inflammatory reaction of the cornea by decreasing the expression of MMP-9 and TNF-α in the corneal tissues of the mice， thus playing a therapeutic role in the treatment of dry eye disease.

Objective: Accurate evaluation of inflammation severity in ulcerative colitis (UC) can guide treatment strategy selection. The potential value of the pericolic fat attenuation index (FAI) on CT as an indicator of disease severity remains unknown.This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of pericolic FAI in predicting UC severity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 148 patients (mean age 48 years; 87 males). The fat attenuation on CT was measured in four different locations: the mesocolic vascular side (MS) and opposite side of MS (OMS) around the most severe bowel lesion, the retroperitoneal space (RS), and the subcutaneous area. The fat attenuation indices (FAI MS, FAI OMS, and FAI RS) were calculated as the fat attenuation measured in MS, OMS, and RS, respectively, minus that of the subcutaneous area, and were obtained in the non-enhanced, arterial, and delayed phases. Correlations between the FAI and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were assessed using Spearman’s correlation. Predictors of severe UC (UCEIS ≥7) were selected by univariable analysis. The performance of FAI in predicting severe UC was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores were significantly higher than FAI RS in three phases (all P < 0.001). The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores moderately correlated with the UCEIS score (r = 0.474–0.649 among the three phases). Additionally, FAI MS and FAI OMS identified severe UC, with AUC varying from 0.77 to 0.85. Conclusion Increased CT attenuation of pericolic adipose tissue could serve as a noninvasive marker for evaluating UC severity. FAI MS and FAI OMS of three phases showed similar prediction accuracies for severe UC identification.

Objective To examine the changing prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Burkholderia cepacia in 52 hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were collected from 52 hospitals between January 1,2015 and December 31,2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility of the strains was tested using Kirby-Bauer method or automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems according to a unified protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released in the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)guidelines(2023 edition).Results A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were isolated from all age groups,especially elderly patients.The proportion was 11.1％(1 032 strains)in children,significantly lower than the proportion in adults.About half(46.5％,4 310/9 261)of the strains were isolated from patients at least 60 years old and 42.3％(3 919/9 261)of the strains were isolated from young adults.Most isolates(71.1％)were isolated from sputum and respiratory secretions,followed by urine(10.7％)and blood samples(8.1％).B.cepacia isolates were highly susceptible to the five antimicrobial agents recommended in the CLSI M100 document(33rd edition,2023).B.cepacia isolates showed relatively higher resistance rates to meropenem and levofloxacin.However,the resistance rates to ceftazidime,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,and minocycline remained below 8.1％.The percentage of B.cepacia strains resistant to levofloxacin was the highest compared to other antibiotics in any of the three age groups(from 12.4％in the patients＜18 years old to 20.6％in the patients aged 60 years or older).Conclusions B.cepacia is one of the clinically important non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria.Accurate and timely reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility test results and ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance are helpful for rational prescription of antimicrobial agents and proper prevention and control of nosocomial infections.

Objective To analyze the clinical manifestations and genetic etiology of three families with hereditary spastic paraplegia(HSP).Methods Gene analysis was performed on patients of the three HSP families from the Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-care Hospital.Results The proband of family 1 was autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia type 35 caused by homozygous variant c.159_176delGGCGGGCCAGGACATCAG(p.Arg53_Ser59delinsSer)in FA2H.The proband in family 2 was autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia type 47 caused by homozygous variant c.1399G>T(p.Glu467Ter)in AP4B1,and the proband in family 3 was autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia type 11 caused by homozygous variation c.7023C>G(p.Tyr2341Ter)in SPG11.Among them,the variant c.1399G>T(p.Glu467Ter)of AP4B1 is a novel variant,that has not been reported before,according to the ACMG guidelines,the pathogenicity of this variant is pathogenic.Conclusion This study has expanded the variant spectrum of AP4B1 which provides basic data to improve clinical understanding and diagnostic capabilities of HSP patients.

Objective To investigate levels of soluble T cell immunoglobulin mucin domain 3(sTim-3)and soluble growth stimulating gene expression protein 2(sST2)in peripheral blood of patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD),and their correlation with disease severity.Methods A total of 112 ALD patients in our hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were selected as the ALD group,including 47 patients with alcoholic fatty liver(AFL group),37 patients with alcoholic steatohepatitis(ASH group)and 28 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis(ALC group).Another 112 healthy subjects were used as the control group.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2.ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of sTim-3 and sST2 in different clinical types of ALD.The correlation between serum sTim-3,sST2 levels and clinical indicators in ALD patients was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.The factors influencing disease severity in ALD patients was analyzed by Logistic regression model.Results The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were higher in the ALD group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were increased successively in the AFL group,the ASH group and the ALC group(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of the combined diagnosis of ALC and ASH by sTim-3 and sST2 was significantly larger than that of AUC of the single diagnosis of sTim-3 and sST2(P＜0.05).Levels of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(ALT),glutamic oxalacetic transaminase(AST),total bilirubin(TBIL),alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT)were increased successively in the AFL group,the ASH group and the ALC group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were positively correlated with levels of ALT,AST,TBIL,ALP and GGT,respectively(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were independent risk factors for severe disease in ALD patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 increase in ALD patients,which are related to disease severity in ALD patients.

Objective To investigate levels of soluble T cell immunoglobulin mucin domain 3(sTim-3)and soluble growth stimulating gene expression protein 2(sST2)in peripheral blood of patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD),and their correlation with disease severity.Methods A total of 112 ALD patients in our hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were selected as the ALD group,including 47 patients with alcoholic fatty liver(AFL group),37 patients with alcoholic steatohepatitis(ASH group)and 28 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis(ALC group).Another 112 healthy subjects were used as the control group.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2.ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of sTim-3 and sST2 in different clinical types of ALD.The correlation between serum sTim-3,sST2 levels and clinical indicators in ALD patients was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.The factors influencing disease severity in ALD patients was analyzed by Logistic regression model.Results The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were higher in the ALD group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were increased successively in the AFL group,the ASH group and the ALC group(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of the combined diagnosis of ALC and ASH by sTim-3 and sST2 was significantly larger than that of AUC of the single diagnosis of sTim-3 and sST2(P＜0.05).Levels of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(ALT),glutamic oxalacetic transaminase(AST),total bilirubin(TBIL),alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT)were increased successively in the AFL group,the ASH group and the ALC group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were positively correlated with levels of ALT,AST,TBIL,ALP and GGT,respectively(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of sTim-3 and sST2 were independent risk factors for severe disease in ALD patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum levels of sTim-3 and sST2 increase in ALD patients,which are related to disease severity in ALD patients.