Objective To explore the value of combined ultrasound parameters, including the hepatorenal index (HRI) and renal resistance index (RRI), with cystatin C (CysC) in monitoring early acute kidney injury (AKI) after liver transplantation. Methods Perioperative data from 121 liver transplant recipients who received organs from donation after brain death were collected. The HRI and RRI of the recipients were measured on postoperative days 1-7 and at 1 month, and the CysC levels were measured on postoperative day 1. The recipients were divided into the AKI group (n=53) and the non-AKI group (n=68) based on whether AKI occurred within 7 days after operation. The data of the two groups were compared, and the ultrasound parameters before and after recovery in the AKI group were analyzed. The value of combined HRI, RRI and CysC in monitoring AKI was also analyzed. Results AKI occurred in 53 recipients, with an incidence rate of 43.8%, including 30 cases of stage 1, 18 cases of stage 2, and 5 cases of stage 3. Among them, 49 cases occurred on postoperative day 1, and 4 cases occurred on postoperative day 2. Of these, 43 cases recovered within 7 days after surgery, 8 cases recovered within 2 months after surgery, 1 case was lost to follow-up, and 1 case received renal replacement therapy. The body mass index and preoperative CysC levels were higher in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group, and the operative time was longer in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group (all P < 0.05). The HRI on postoperative day 1 was lower in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group, while the RRI and CysC levels were higher (all P < 0.05). When AKI occurred, the HRI was lower than the baseline level, and the RRI was higher than the baseline level. As AKI recovered, the HRI gradually increased, and the RRI gradually decreased. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of HRI ≤ 1.12 for predicting AKI were 0.623 and 0.878, respectively, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.801. The sensitivity and specificity of RRI ≥ 0.65 for predicting AKI were 0.878 and 0.676, respectively, with an AUC of 0.825. The sensitivity and specificity of CysC ≥ 1.38 mg/L for predicting AKI were 0.736 and 0.882, respectively, with an AUC of 0.851 (all P<0.01). The combination of HRI and CysC (AUC=0.897, P<0.01), RRI and CysC (AUC=0.910, P<0.01), and all three parameters combined (AUC=0.934, P<0.01) were more effective than using each parameter alone. Conclusions HRI and RRI may be used to monitor the occurrence and recovery of early AKI after liver transplantation. The combination of these two parameters with CysC has a high application value in monitoring early AKI after liver transplantation.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in evaluating kidneys from donation after brain death (DBD) for the occurrence of delayed graft function (DGF) in recipients. Methods The clinical data of 134 DBD donors and 202 corresponding kidneys and recipients were retrospective analyzed. The recipients were divided into DGF group (n=39) and non-DGF group (n=163) according to the renal function after kidney transplantation. Conventional ultrasound, CEUS parameters, and clinical data were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off values for predicting DGF using CEUS parameters, clinical parameters, and their combination, based on the highest Youden index. The predictive ability of different parameters for DGF was evaluated. Results There were statistically significant differences in cortical peak intensity (PIc), medullary peak intensity (PIm), donor albumin (ALB), serum creatinine (Scr) after admission, and the Na⁺ concentration of recipients between the two groups (all P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting DGF using the combination of CEUS parameters PIc and PIm was 0.711, with an optimal cut-off value of 0.193 and a Youden index of 0.382. The AUC for predicting DGF using the combination of CEUS parameters PIc, PIm and clinical parameters was 0.808, with an optimal cut-off value of 0.191 and a Youden index of 0.517. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.769 and 0.613 for the former, and 0.769 and 0.748 for the latter, respectively. The AUC for predicting DGF using CEUS parameters PIc and PIm combined with clinical parameters was significantly higher than that using CEUS parameters PIc and PIm (P<0.05). Conclusions The CEUS quantitative parameters PIc and PIm have good predictive value in assessing kidneys from DBD donors for DGF in recipients, and the diagnostic efficacy is better when combined with clinical parameters.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 32 consecutive IDS patients who underwent UEDD surgery. Clinical features, laboratory data (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein), and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Results: Definite microorganisms were identified in 27 patients (84.3%), with 24 (88.9%) meeting cure criteria. The cure rate was significantly higher in the detected pathogen group compared to the undetected pathogen group (88.9% vs. 80%; χ²=19.36, p<0.0001). Metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) provided faster diagnosis (41.72±6.81 hours) compared to tissue culture (95.74±35.47 hours, p<0.05). The predominant causative pathogen was Mycobacterium tuberculosis, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Significant improvements were observed in Visual Analog Scale pain scores, from a mean of 7.9 preoperatively to 1.06 at 1 year postoperatively. The Oswestry Disability Index revealed a similar trend, showing significant improvement (p<0.05). Conclusions UEDD is a viable alternative to traditional open surgery for managing IDS in high-risk patients. UEDD offers a dual therapeutic-diagnostic advantage during the initial admission phase, enabling simultaneous debridement, neurological decompression, and targeted biopsy in a single intervention. Compared with traditional tissue culture, mNGS enables rapid microbiological diagnosis and extensive pathogen coverage.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 32 consecutive IDS patients who underwent UEDD surgery. Clinical features, laboratory data (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein), and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Results: Definite microorganisms were identified in 27 patients (84.3%), with 24 (88.9%) meeting cure criteria. The cure rate was significantly higher in the detected pathogen group compared to the undetected pathogen group (88.9% vs. 80%; χ²=19.36, p<0.0001). Metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) provided faster diagnosis (41.72±6.81 hours) compared to tissue culture (95.74±35.47 hours, p<0.05). The predominant causative pathogen was Mycobacterium tuberculosis, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Significant improvements were observed in Visual Analog Scale pain scores, from a mean of 7.9 preoperatively to 1.06 at 1 year postoperatively. The Oswestry Disability Index revealed a similar trend, showing significant improvement (p<0.05). Conclusions UEDD is a viable alternative to traditional open surgery for managing IDS in high-risk patients. UEDD offers a dual therapeutic-diagnostic advantage during the initial admission phase, enabling simultaneous debridement, neurological decompression, and targeted biopsy in a single intervention. Compared with traditional tissue culture, mNGS enables rapid microbiological diagnosis and extensive pathogen coverage.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 32 consecutive IDS patients who underwent UEDD surgery. Clinical features, laboratory data (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein), and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Results: Definite microorganisms were identified in 27 patients (84.3%), with 24 (88.9%) meeting cure criteria. The cure rate was significantly higher in the detected pathogen group compared to the undetected pathogen group (88.9% vs. 80%; χ²=19.36, p<0.0001). Metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) provided faster diagnosis (41.72±6.81 hours) compared to tissue culture (95.74±35.47 hours, p<0.05). The predominant causative pathogen was Mycobacterium tuberculosis, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Significant improvements were observed in Visual Analog Scale pain scores, from a mean of 7.9 preoperatively to 1.06 at 1 year postoperatively. The Oswestry Disability Index revealed a similar trend, showing significant improvement (p<0.05). Conclusions UEDD is a viable alternative to traditional open surgery for managing IDS in high-risk patients. UEDD offers a dual therapeutic-diagnostic advantage during the initial admission phase, enabling simultaneous debridement, neurological decompression, and targeted biopsy in a single intervention. Compared with traditional tissue culture, mNGS enables rapid microbiological diagnosis and extensive pathogen coverage.

This article reports a patient with hepatic coma who underwent artificial liver support therapy and liver transplantation successfully， and the patient recovered well in the later stage after active treatment. This article also discusses the timing of liver transplantation.

Objective:Exploring the value of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) plus transient elastography in evaluating donor livers for C-I donors and predicting the occurrence of early allograft dysfunction (EAD).Methods:Between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023, the relevant clinical data were retrospectively reviewed for 75 pairs of donors and recipients. Based upon whether or not there was a postoperative onset of EAD, the recipients were assigned into two groups of EAD (16 cases) and non-EAD (59 cases) . All donors were examined by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and FibroScan. QLAB analysis software was utilized for analyzing the results of contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Liver parenchyma at 3 cm below liver capsule was selected as a region of interest for plotting the time-intensity curve (TIC) . And the contrast-enhanced ultrasonic parameters of two groups were recorded. FibroScan transient elastography instrument was employed for quantifying liver stiffness 12 times in right lobe of donor liver and recording quantitative parameters of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) .Results:Inter-group comparison of gender, age, body mass index (BMI) and ICU length of stay showed no statistically significant differences ( P>0. 05) . However, significant differences existed in the levels of platelet [ (122. 44±85. 82) vs (197. 22± 140. 93) ×10 9/L]and cholinesterase [ (3 473. 44±1 368. 54) vs (4 252. 93±1 365. 37) U/L]within the first 24h pre-operation ( P=0. 047, P=0. 047) . Peak intensity (PKI) and area under the curve (AUC) were lower in EAD group than those in non-EAD group [ (16. 44±4. 70) dB vs 19. 85±4. 39 dB, P=0. 009; (1 366. 76±508. 10) dB·s vs (1 675. 23±498. 77) dB·s, P=0. 014]. There were statistically significant differences ( P=0. 009, P=0. 032) . Arterial-portal arrival interval (APAI) and LSM were higher in EAD group than those in non-EAD group[6. 50 (5. 00, 10.75) s vs 5. 00 (4. 00, 7. 00) s, P =0. 24; 8. 60 (6. 32, 11. 65) kPa vs 6. 10 (5. 40, 7. 90) kPa, P=0. 014]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that PKI, AUC, APAI and LSM had AUC values of 0. 703, 0. 664, 0. 683 and 0. 702, respectively in predicting postoperative EAD. And combined prediction of EAD occurrence based upon these parameters had an AUC of 0. 776, a Youden index of 0. 508 with cutoff values, sensitivity and specificity of 0. 800, 0. 813 and 0. 695 respectively. Spearman' s correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between APAI and AUC values ( r= -0. 404, P<0. 001) . Conclusions:The combination of CEUS and transient elastography can comprehensively evaluate the status of microcirculatory perfusion, fibrosis and steatosis of liver grafts from brain death donors. It offers a great predictive value for postoperative occurrence of EAD.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of quercetin (QR) on acute liver injury induced by diquat (DQ) poisoning in mice and its mechanism.Methods:Eighty healthy male C57BL/6 mice with SPF grade were randomly divided into control group, DQ model group, QR treatment group, and QR control group, with 20 mice in each group. The DQ poisoning model was established by a one-time intraperitoneal injection of DQ solution (40 mg/kg); the control and QR control groups received equivalent amounts of distilled water through intraperitoneal injection. Four hours after modeling, the QR treatment group and the QR control group received 0.5 mL QR solution (50 mg/kg) through gavage. Meanwhile, an equivalent amount of distilled water was given orally to the control group and the DQ model group. The treatments above were administered once daily for seven consecutive days. Afterwards, the mice were anesthetized, blood and liver tissues were collected for following tests: changes in the structure of mice liver tissue were observed using transmission electron microscopy; the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the levels of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissues were measured using the water-soluble tetrazolium-1 (WST-1) method, the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method, and enzymatic methods, respectively; the protein expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), and activated caspase-9 in liver tissues were detected using Western blotting.Results:Severe mitochondrial damage was observed in the liver tissues of mice in the DQ model group using transmission electron microscopy, yet mitochondrial damage in the QR treatment group showed significant alleviation. Compared to the control group, the DQ model group had significantly increased levels of MDA in liver tissue, serum AST, and ALT, yet had significantly decreased levels of GSH and SOD in liver tissue. In comparison to the DQ model group, the QR treatment group exhibited significant reductions in serum levels of ALT and AST, as well as MDA levels in liver tissue [ALT (U/L): 52.60±6.44 vs. 95.70±8.00, AST (U/L): 170.45±19.33 vs. 251.10±13.09, MDA (nmol/mg): 12.63±3.41 vs. 18.04±3.72], and notable increases in GSH and SOD levels in liver tissue [GSH (μmol/mg): 39.49±6.33 vs. 20.26±3.96, SOD (U/mg): 121.40±11.75 vs. 81.67±10.01], all the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Western blotting results indicated that the protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 in liver tissues of the DQ model group were significantly decreased compared to the control group. On the other hand, the protein expressions of Keap1 and activated caspase-9 were conspicuously higher when compared to the control group. In comparison to the DQ model group, the QR treatment group showed a significant increase in the protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 in liver tissues (Nrf2/β-actin: 1.17±0.08 vs. 0.92±0.45, HO-1/β-actin: 1.53±0.17 vs. 0.84±0.09). By contrast, there was a notable decrease in the protein expressions of Keap1 and activated caspase-9 (Keap1/β-actin: 0.48±0.06 vs. 1.22±0.09, activated caspase-9/β-actin: 1.17±0.12 vs. 1.59±0.30), the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Conclusion:QR may reduce acute liver injury induced by DQ poisoning in mice via activating Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the features and influencing factors of language in children with various types of speech disorders.Methods:A case-control study was carried out, 262 children with speech disorder had been diagnosed at the language-speech clinic of the Center of Children′s Healthcare, Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2021 to November 2023, the children with speech sound disorder as the speech sound disorder group, the children with developmental stuttering as the stuttering group. There were 100 typically-developed children who underwent physical checkups at the Center of Healthcare during the same period as the healthy group. All children experienced a standardized evaluation of language with diagnostic receptive and expressive assessment of mandarin‐comprehensive(DREAM-C) and questionnaire, One-way ANOVA and LSD test were conducted to compare the differences in overall language, receptive language, expressive language, semantics, and syntax scores among 3 groups of children. According to the results of DREAM-C, the children with speech disorder were divided into language normal group and language delay group. Chi‐square test and multivariate Logistic regression were implemented to analyze the association between the linguistic development of children with speech disorder and potential influential factors.Results:There were 145 children in the speech sound disorder group, including 110 males and 35 females respectively, with an age of (5.9±1.0) years; 117 children in the stuttering group, including 91 males and 26 females, with an age of (5.8±1.0) years; 100 children in the healthy group, including 75 males and 25 females, with an age of (5.7±1.2) years. The variations in overall language, expressive language, and syntax scores among 3 groups of children were statistically significant (92±18 vs.96±11 vs. 98±11, 81±18 vs. 84±14 vs. 88±13, 87±16 vs. 89±11 vs. 91±10, F=5.46, 4.69, 3.68, all P<0.05). Pairwise comparison revealed that the speech sound disorder group had lower scores in overall language, expressive language, and syntactic compared to the healthy group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01) and the overall language score was lower than that of children with stuttering ( P<0.05). In terms of overall language and expressive language, there was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of language delay among the three groups of children (15.9% (23/145) vs. 20.5% (24/117) vs. 7.0% (7/100), 46.2% (67/145) vs. 39.3% (46/117) vs. 26.0% (26/100); χ2=7.93, 10.28; both P<0.05). In terms of overall language, the stuttering group took up the highest proportion. In terms of expressive language, the speech sound disorder group accounted for the highest amount. The incidence of language delay in children with speech disorder was 44.3% (116/262). Non-parent-child reading, daily screen time ≥1 hour and screen exposure before 1.5 years of age are risk factors for the development of language in children with speech disorder ( OR=1.87, 2.18, 2.01; 95% CI 1.07-3.27, 1.23-3.86, 1.17-3.45; all P<0.01). Negative family history are protective factors for the progress of language ability ( OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.17-0.81, P<0.05). Conclusions:Children with speech disorder tend to have easy access to language delay, especially in expressive language and syntax. The occurrence of language delay in children with speech disorder is tightly connected with factors such as the family medical history, parent-child reading, screen time, etc. Attention should be paid to the development of language in children who suffer from speech disorder.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of 130 children with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in Yunnan province after the relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, and analyze the risk factors for mortality.Methods:This study is a retrospective case summary that analyzed the demographic data, underlying diseases, clinical diagnoses, disease outcomes, and laboratory results of 130 children with severe COVID-19 infections admitted to nine top-tier hospitals in Yunnan Province from December 2022 to March 2023. According to the prognosis, the patients were divided into survival group and death group. The clinical and laboratory data between the two groups were compared, and the risk factors of death were evaluated. The χ2 test and Mann-Whitney U test were employed to compare between groups, while Spearman correlation test and multiple Logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors for death. The predictive value of independent risk factors was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve. Results:The 130 severe patients included 80 males and 50 females with an onset age of 28.0 (4.5, 79.5) months. There were 97 cases in the survival group and 33 cases in the death group with no significant differences in gender and age between the two groups ( P>0.05). Twenty-five cases (19.2%) out of the 130 patients had underlying diseases, and the number with underlying diseases was significantly higher in death group than in survival group (36.4% (12/33) vs. 13.4%(13/97), χ2=8.36, P=0.004). The vaccination rate in the survival group was significantly higher than that in the death group (86.1% (31/36) vs. 7/17, χ2=9.38, P=0.002). A total of 42 cases (32.3%) of the 130 patients were detected to be infected with other pathogens, but there was no significant difference in the incidence of co-infection between the death group and the survival group (39.3%(13/33) vs. 29.9% (29/97), χ2=1.02, P>0.05). Among the 130 cases, severe respiratory cases were the most common 66 cases (50.8%), followed by neurological severe illnesses 34 cases (26.2%) and circulatory severe 13 cases (10%). Compared to the survival group, patients in the death group had a significantly higher levels of neutrophil, ferritin, procalcitonin, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, B-type natriuretic peptide, interleukin-6 and 10 (6.7 (4.0, 14.0) vs. 3.0 (1.6, 7.0)×10 9/L, 479 (298, 594) vs. 268 (124, 424) μg/L, 4.8 (1.7, 10.6) vs. 2.0 (1.1, 3.1) μg/L, 66 (20, 258) vs. 23 (15, 49) U/L, 464 (311, 815) vs. 304 (252, 388) g/L, 71(52, 110) vs. 24(15, 48) U/L, 484 (160, 804) vs. 154 (26, 440) ng/L, 43 (23, 102) vs. 19 (13, 27) ng/L, 216 (114, 318) vs. 86 (45, 128) ng/L, Z=-4.21, -3.67, -3.76, -3.31, -3.75, -5.74, -3.55, -4.65, -5.86, all P<0.05). The correlated indexes were performed by multivariate Logistic regression and the results showed that vaccination was a protective factor from death in severe cases ( OR=0.01, 95% CI 0-0.97, P=0.049) while pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (PSOFA) ( OR=3.31, 95% CI 1.47-7.47, P=0.004), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ( OR=1.56, 95% CI 1.05-2.32, P=0.029) and D dimer ( OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.00-1.02, P=0.033) were independent risk factors for death (all P<0.05). The area under the curve of the three independent risk factors for predicting death were 0.86 (95% CI 0.79-0.94), 0.89 (95% CI 0.84-0.95) and 0.87 (95% CI 0.80-0.94), all P<0.001, and the cut-off values were 4.50, 3.66 and 4.69 mg/L, respectively. Conclusions:Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection can occur in children of all ages, primarily affecting the respiratory system, but can also infect the nervous system, circulatory system or other systems. Children who died had more severe inflammation, tissue damage and coagulation disorders. The elevations of PSOFA, NLR and D dimer were independent risk factors for death in severe children.