Empathy is crucial for communication and survival for individuals. Whether empathy in pain contagion shows sex differences and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report that pain contagion can occur in stranger female rats, but not in stranger males. Blocking oxytocin receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) suppressed pain contagion in female strangers, while oxytocin administration induced pain contagion in male strangers. In vitro, corticosterone reduces neuronal activation by oxytocin. During male stranger interactions, higher corticosterone decreased oxytocin receptor-positive neuronal activity in the ACC, suppressing pain contagion. These findings highlight the role of oxytocin in pain contagion and suggest that sex differences in empathy may be determined by the balance of oxytocin and corticosterone in the ACC. This study suggests an approach for the treatment of certain mental disorders associated with abnormal empathy, such as autism and depression.
Animals ; Oxytocin/pharmacology* ; Gyrus Cinguli/drug effects* ; Male ; Female ; Corticosterone/pharmacology* ; Empathy/drug effects* ; Sex Characteristics ; Receptors, Oxytocin/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Pain/psychology* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Neurons/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE To summarize the process of investigation,disposal and prevention of a cluster incident of post-operative incision infection following microtia plastic surgery in the otorhinolaryngology department of a terti-ary care hospital,in order to provide a basis for hospital-aquired infection prevention and control.METHODS An epidemiological survey was conducted on seven patients who underwent otorhinolaryngoplasty for microtia in the ENT department of a tertiary care hospital from 27 Jul.to 7 Sep.2023,and interventions were implemented.RESULTS The incidence rate of infection was 71.43％among post-otorhinolaryngoplasty patients.In 5 patients,area for electrocoagulation of haemostatic increased by approximately 50％compared to the previous period,and drainage tubes were left in the surgical area for 11 to 13 days.Patients changed dressings in a shared dressing room.Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected in three of the infected patients,and their antibiotic sensitivity pat-terns were similar to that of a lower respiratory tract infection patient(case 0)in the same department.CONCLUSION Inadequate aseptic practice by medical staff,longer retention of drainage tubes,incomplete disin-fection of the environment of the dressing room,and changes in surgical procedures may be the primary factors contributing to the occurrence of this cluster of infections.

In order to effectively prevent and control the occurrence of catheter-associated urinary tract infection and ensure the safety of both patients and medical personnel,the National Health Commission of the People's Re-public of China officially released the recommended health industry standard"Standard for prevention and control of catheter-associated urinary tract infection"(WS/T862-2025)in Aug.2025.This paper provides an interpreta-tion of the standard,covering its drafting background,basis and content,to assist relevant medical personnel in healthcare institutions in enhancing their understanding and recognition of the standard,and to further promote its implementation and enforcement.

Objective To explore the value of 3D and 2D radiomics features models based on multiparameter MRI in predicting Ki-67 expression(with 14%and 20%as the critical values,respectively)in breast cancer.Methods The MRI images of 147 patients with pathologically confirmed Luminal breast cancer were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were randomly divided into training set and test set according to the ratio of 7︰3.The 3D and 2D radiomics features of intratumor and peritumor were extracted from diffusion weighted imaging(DWI),dynamic contrast enhancement(DCE)mask(S0)and DCE phase 3(S3)images.Then the models were constructed by multiple pipeline combinations of three feature normalization methods,two feature dimensionality reduction methods,four feature selection methods,and ten classifiers.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the curve(AUC)were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the models in order to select the best 3D and 2D single parame-ter(DWI,S0,S3)and multiparameter combination(S0+S3,S0+DWI,S3+DWI,S0+S3+DWI)models.Finally,the differ-ences between the models were compared by De Long test.Results With 14%as the critical value,the AUC of 3D and 2D models in the training set were 0.726-0.824 and 0.707-0.835,respectively,and those in the test set were 0.724-0.82 and 0.701-0.805.With 20%as the critical value,the AUC of 3D and 2D models in the training set were 0.743-0.868 and 0.793-0.881,respectively,and those in the test set were 0.738-0.853 and 0.743-0.814.There was no significant statistical difference between 3D and 2D models with the same parameter in the two critical values standards.Conclusion The multiparameter MRI-based radiomics models can bet-ter predict the expression of Ki-67 in breast cancer,and the models based on intratumor and peritumor 3D and 2D features have the same prediction efficiency.

In order to effectively prevent and control the occurrence of catheter-associated urinary tract infection and ensure the safety of both patients and medical personnel,the National Health Commission of the People's Re-public of China officially released the recommended health industry standard"Standard for prevention and control of catheter-associated urinary tract infection"(WS/T862-2025)in Aug.2025.This paper provides an interpreta-tion of the standard,covering its drafting background,basis and content,to assist relevant medical personnel in healthcare institutions in enhancing their understanding and recognition of the standard,and to further promote its implementation and enforcement.

Objective To explore the value of 3D and 2D radiomics features models based on multiparameter MRI in predicting Ki-67 expression(with 14%and 20%as the critical values,respectively)in breast cancer.Methods The MRI images of 147 patients with pathologically confirmed Luminal breast cancer were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were randomly divided into training set and test set according to the ratio of 7︰3.The 3D and 2D radiomics features of intratumor and peritumor were extracted from diffusion weighted imaging(DWI),dynamic contrast enhancement(DCE)mask(S0)and DCE phase 3(S3)images.Then the models were constructed by multiple pipeline combinations of three feature normalization methods,two feature dimensionality reduction methods,four feature selection methods,and ten classifiers.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the curve(AUC)were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the models in order to select the best 3D and 2D single parame-ter(DWI,S0,S3)and multiparameter combination(S0+S3,S0+DWI,S3+DWI,S0+S3+DWI)models.Finally,the differ-ences between the models were compared by De Long test.Results With 14%as the critical value,the AUC of 3D and 2D models in the training set were 0.726-0.824 and 0.707-0.835,respectively,and those in the test set were 0.724-0.82 and 0.701-0.805.With 20%as the critical value,the AUC of 3D and 2D models in the training set were 0.743-0.868 and 0.793-0.881,respectively,and those in the test set were 0.738-0.853 and 0.743-0.814.There was no significant statistical difference between 3D and 2D models with the same parameter in the two critical values standards.Conclusion The multiparameter MRI-based radiomics models can bet-ter predict the expression of Ki-67 in breast cancer,and the models based on intratumor and peritumor 3D and 2D features have the same prediction efficiency.

OBJECTIVE To summarize the process of investigation,disposal and prevention of a cluster incident of post-operative incision infection following microtia plastic surgery in the otorhinolaryngology department of a terti-ary care hospital,in order to provide a basis for hospital-aquired infection prevention and control.METHODS An epidemiological survey was conducted on seven patients who underwent otorhinolaryngoplasty for microtia in the ENT department of a tertiary care hospital from 27 Jul.to 7 Sep.2023,and interventions were implemented.RESULTS The incidence rate of infection was 71.43％among post-otorhinolaryngoplasty patients.In 5 patients,area for electrocoagulation of haemostatic increased by approximately 50％compared to the previous period,and drainage tubes were left in the surgical area for 11 to 13 days.Patients changed dressings in a shared dressing room.Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected in three of the infected patients,and their antibiotic sensitivity pat-terns were similar to that of a lower respiratory tract infection patient(case 0)in the same department.CONCLUSION Inadequate aseptic practice by medical staff,longer retention of drainage tubes,incomplete disin-fection of the environment of the dressing room,and changes in surgical procedures may be the primary factors contributing to the occurrence of this cluster of infections.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap to repair soft tissue defects in the shoulder and back. METHODS: Between August 2018 and January 2023, the foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps were used to repair soft tissue defects in the shoulder and back of 8 patients. There were 5 males and 3 females with the age ranged from 21 to 56 years (mean, 35.4 years). Wounds were located in the shoulder in 2 cases and in the shoulder and back in 6 cases. The causes of injury were chronic infection of skin and bone exposure in 2 cases, secondary wound after extensive resection of skin and soft tissue tumor in 4 cases, and wound formation caused by traffic accident in 2 cases. Skin defect areas ranged from 14 cm×13 cm to 20 cm×16 cm. The disease duration ranged from 12 days to 1 year (median, 6.6 months). A pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was designed and harvested. The flap was divided into A/B flap and then were folded to repair the wound, with the donor area of the flap being pulled and sutured in one stage. RESULTS: All 7 flaps survived, with primary wound healing. One patient suffered from distal flap necrosis and delayed healing was achieved after dressing change. The incisions of all donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6 months to 4 years (mean, 24.7 months). The skin flap has a good appearance with no swelling in the pedicle. At last follow-up, 6 patients had no significant difference in bilateral shoulder joint motion, and 2 patients had a slight decrease in abduction range of motion compared with the healthy side. The patients' daily life were not affected, and linear scar was left in the donor site. CONCLUSION The foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap is an ideal method to repair the soft tissue defect of shoulder and back with simple operation, less damage to the donor site, and quick recovery after operation.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Myocutaneous Flap/surgery* ; Shoulder/surgery* ; Skin Transplantation ; Superficial Back Muscles/transplantation* ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Wound Healing ; Treatment Outcome ; Perforator Flap

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.Methods:Clinical data of AECOPD patients over 65 years old who were diagnosed in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of the Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from September 2022 to September 2023 were collected. AECOPD patients were divided into a COVID-19 group ( n=29) and a non COVID-19 group ( n=31). The platelet count, white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), partial pressure of oxygen (PO 2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO 2), D-dimer (D-D), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were compared between two groups of patients upon admission Confusion, Uremia, Respiratory, BP, Age 65 Years (CURB-65) was used to compare length of hospital stay, AECOPD grading, and mortality endpoint days. Results:There was no statistically significant difference in platelet count, white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, NLR, and PLR between the COVID-19 group and the non COVID-19 group (all P>0.05). The proportion of males, CRP, PCO 2, D-D, IL-6, and CURB-65 scores in the COVID-19 group were higher than those in the non COVID-19 group, while PCT and PO 2 were lower than those in the non COVID-19 group, with statistically significant difference (all P<0.05). The proportion of AECOPD grade Ⅲ in the COVID-19 group was significantly higher than that in the non COVID-19 group, and the progression rate of the disease was higher in the COVID-19 group (37.9% vs 22.6%, P<0.05). COVID-19 was an independent influencing factor for the progression of AECOPD. Conclusions:Patients over 65 years old with AECOPD infected with COVID-19 have a more pronounced inflammatory response, and CRP, IL-6, and CURB-65 scores can be used as indicators to evaluate the degree of inflammation. AECOPD infected with COVID-19 are more prone to coagulation disorders, hypoxemia, more severe illness, and easier progression, suggesting that COVID-19 infection is an independent influencing factor for the progression of AECOPD.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue to repair skin defects in hands and feet. METHODS: Between July 2017 and January 2023, 35 cases of hand and foot defects were repaired with plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue (13 pedicled flaps and 22 free flaps). There were 18 males and 17 females, with an average age of 38.8 years (range, 8-56 years). Thirty cases of defects were caused by trauma, and the interval between injury and admission ranged from 2 to 6 hours (mean, 3.3 hours). Three cases were ulcer wounds with a course of 3.0, 3.8, and 7.0 months, respectively. Two cases were malignant melanoma. Eight cases of wounds located in the fingers, 13 cases in the palm, 12 cases in the heel, and 2 cases in the distal foot. The size of skin defects ranged from 4.0 cm×3.5 cm to 12.0 cm×10.0 cm, and the size of flap ranged from 5.0 cm×4.5 cm to 13.0 cm×11.0 cm. The donor sites were repaired with skin grafts. RESULTS: All flaps were survived and the wounds healed by first intention after operation. The partial necrosis at the edge of the skin graft occurred in 1 case, which healed after dressing change; the other skin grafts survived successfully. All patients were followed up 6-24 months (mean, 18 months). The flaps exhibited similar color and thickness to the surrounding hand and foot skin. Two-point discrimination ranged from 7 to 10 mm in the flaps with an average of 8 mm. The donor sites had no painful scars or sensory abnormalities. Foot and ankle functions were good and gaits were normal. CONCLUSION Application of plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue to repair skin defects in hands and feet had good flap shape, high survival rate of skin graft at the donor site, and no obvious complications.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Subcutaneous Tissue/surgery* ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Skin Transplantation ; Fascia ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Treatment Outcome ; Perforator Flap