External counterpulsation （ECP） technology represents a non-invasive adjunctive circulation treatment approach implemented in clinical practice since 1962， initially focused on managing cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Over the past four decades， continuous research and advancements in medical technology have facilitated the evolution of enhanced external counterpulsation （EECP）. This therapeutic modality can enhance the function of vascular endothelial cells， promote blood circulation， and improve metabolism by increasing organ perfusion pressure and blood flow. Given its demonstrated safety， efficacy， and cost-effectiveness， EECP has not only played a significant role in the clinical treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases but also expanded into diverse domains， including andrology， which provides new therapeutic avenues for various health concerns. Particularly in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction （ED）， EECP has shown remarkable potential， and certain clinical practice experience and scientific research results are accumulated. Research indicates that the occurrence of ED is closely associated with endothelial dysfunction and microcirculatory issues. EECP has been shown to effectively alleviate symptoms in ED patients and improve treatment outcomes by optimizing endothelial function and overall systemic health.This article reviews relevant findings from both domestic and international sources， summarizing the current research on the application of EECP in treating andrological diseases. It focuses on analyzing its clinical effects and mechanisms in treating ED and explores potential applications in other male urological conditions. Additionally， this paper discusses the limitations of current research and offers insights into future research directions to provide a more robust scientific basis and references for the use of EECP in managing andrological diseases.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 40, as one of GPRs family, plays a potential role in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. To study the effect of GPR40 novel agonist SZZ15-11 on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia and its potential mechanism, spontaneous type 2 diabetic KKA^y mice, human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells and murine mature adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells were used. KKA^y mice were divided into four groups, vehicle group, TAK group, SZZ (50 mg·kg^-1) group and SZZ (100 mg·kg^-1) group, with oral gavage of 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), 50 mg·kg^-1 TAK875, 50 and 100 mg·kg^-1 SZZ15-11 respectively for 45 days. Fasting blood glucose, blood triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), non-fasting blood glucose were tested. Oral glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were executed. Blood insulin and glucagon were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After mice′s execution, liver tissue was harvested to test TG and TC content. Then pathological morphology of liver was observed through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the lipid metabolism relative signal pathway was analyzed by Western blot and RT-PCR. The experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. At the same time, Akt phosphorylation level in HepG2 cells and adiponectin in 3T3-L1 cells treated with TNFα were measured with Western blot. The results show that SZZ15-11 not only decreased blood glucose and lipid, improved insulin sensitivity, but also increased fasting blood glucagon and promoted insulin secretion after glucose loading in KKA^y mice. Additionally, SZZ15-11 alleviated hepatic steatosis and liver dysfunction in KKA^y mice. In liver tissue, SZZ15-11 increased AMPKα phosphorylation level and cholesterol metabolism relative gene Abcg8 transcription. In HepG2 cells, SZZ15-11 increased Akt phosphorylation level. In adipocyte 3T3-L1, SZZ15-11 recovered the decreased adiponectin expression by TNFα. This study proved that GPR40 agonist SZZ15-11 could be a candidate compound for regulating glucolipid metabolic disorder.

Objective To evaluate the angiogenesis of decidua in spontaneous abortion patients and to investigate the change of thyroid hormone receptor signal expression in decidua in miscarriage patients.Methods The decidua of pregnant women was collected.Patients with miscarriage were taken as the experimental group and healthy preg-nant women who underwent abortion by social factors were taken as the control group.The nuclear translocation of thyroid hormone receptor α(THR-α)and THR-β in decidua tissues was detected by Western blot method,and the distribution of THR-α and TH IR-β in decidua tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry.The expression of Deiodinase 2(DIO2)in decidua tissues was determined by Western blot.The distribution of DIO2 in decidua tissues was determined by immunofluorescence and the fluorescence intensity was measured.The decidual vessel density was determined by immunohistochemistry using CD34 as an endothelial marker.The protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor(VEGFR-1)was detected by Western blot.Results There was no sig-nificant difference in age,gestation days,TSH,T3,T4 and other basic data between the control group and the a-bortion group.The results of Western blot showed that the expression levels of THR-α and THR-β protein de-creased,and the results of immunohistochemical staining of decidual tissues showed that the nuclear translocation of decidual thyroid hormone receptor in patients with spontaneous abortion decreased(P＜0.05).Western blotting results showed that the expression of DIO2 protein in the abortion group was lower than that in the control group,suggesting that thyroid hormone metabolism in decidua of spontaneous abortion pregnant women was affected.The results of immunofluorescence test showed that the fluorescence intensity of DIO2 in the abortion group was weaker than that in the control group(P＜0.05).Immunohistochemical CD34 labeling of decidual small blood vessels showed that the number of CD34+blood vessels decreased in the abortion group with statistical difference(P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that there was no significant change in VEGFR-1 between the two groups,and the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.Conclusion The abnormal signal of thyroid hormone receptors in decidua may decrease decidua angiogenesis and participate in spontaneous abortion.

This article focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in pediatric surgery education. In view of the current situation of medical education in pediatric surgery, combining the advantages of artificial intelligence technology, we present the prospects of artificial intelligence in pediatric surgery education from the perspectives of clinical decision-making, teaching assistance, virtual simulation training, and question library construction, and also discuss associated possible problems in teaching practice.

The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem composed of many bacteria and their metabolites.It plays an irreplaceable role in human digestion,nutrient absorption,energy supply,fat metabolism,im-mune regulation,and many other aspects.Exploring the structure and function of the gut microbiota,as well as their key genes and metabolites,will enable the early diagnosis and auxiliary diagnosis of disea-ses,new treatment methods,better effects of drug treatments,and better guidance in the use of antibiot-ics.The identification of gut microbiota plays an important role in clinical diagnosis and treatment,as well as in drug research and development.Therefore,it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive review of this rapidly evolving topic.Traditional identification methods cannot comprehensively capture the di-versity of gut microbiota.Currently,with the rapid development of molecular biology,the classification and identification methods for gut microbiota have evolved from the initial phenotypic and chemical identi-fication to identification at the molecular level.This review integrates the main methods of gut microbiota identification and evaluates their application.We pay special attention to the research progress on molec-ular biological methods and focus on the application of high-throughput sequencing technology in the iden-tification of gut microbiota.This revolutionary method for intestinal flora identification heralds a new chapter in our understanding of the microbial world.

Purpose To explore the application value of contrast enhancement boost(CE-Boost)technique in image quality of tumors and their feeding arteries in preoperative evaluation of renal cancer patients.Materials and Methods A total of 36 renal cancer patients in People's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from August 2022 to May 2023 with pathologically confirmed were retrospective collected.All patients underwent renal enhanced CT.The cortical phase images were post-processed using the CE-Boost technique to obtain CE-Boost images.The cortical phase images were set as group A and the CE-Boost images were set as group B.The CT value and image noise(SD)of abdominal aorta,renal artery,tumor and its adjacent renal cortex,and SD of the vertical spinal muscle on both sides of the spine of two groups were measured and recorded,and then the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of tumor,abdominal aorta and renal artery were calculated.The image quality of the tumor,tumor feeding artery and renal artery was scored on 4 points by 2 doctors with double-blind method.Results The signal-to-noise ratio,contrast-to-noise ratio and CT value of group B were significantly higher than those of group A(t=-27.385--5.267,all P<0.05).The SD of tumor,abdominal aorta,right and left renal artery were not significantly different between group A and B(t=-1.849-0.993,all P>0.05).The subjective score of tumor in group A and B were no significant difference(Z=-1.490,P=0.136).However,the subjective score of tumor feeding arteries and renal arteries were significantly higher in group B than in group A(Z=-3.512,P=0.000;Z=-2.127,P=0.033).Conclusion The CT CE-Boost technique can improve the image quality of renal enhanced CT and provide visualization of tumor feeding arteries.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanisms of mitochondrial dynamic-related protein 1(Drp1)on the in-flammatory response after intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)in mice.Methods:Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Drp1 and phosphorylated Drp1(p-Drp1)in brain tissues after ICH,and the optimal concentration of selective Drp1 inhibitor(Mdivi-1)were screened.The mice were randomly divided into sham group,ICH group,ICH+solvent control group(ICH+Vehicle group)and ICH+Mdivi-1 group.The neurological function was evaluated by mNSS,the content of brain water was measured by wet-dry weight method,HE and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes of brain tissues,neutrophil infiltration were observed by MPO staining,and the expression of inflammatory cytokines(IL-6,TNF-α)and mitochondrial membrane marker proteins TOM20,COX4Ⅰ1 were detected by Western blot.Results:Compared with sham group,the expression of p-Drp1 was significantly increased at 12 h after ICH(P<0.01).Compared with ICH+Vehicle group,the neurological function score(P<0.01)and brain water content(P<0.05)of ICH+Mdivi-1 group were increased,the protein expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α and the number of MPO positive cells around hematoma in ICH+Mdivi-1 group were significantly increased(P<0.05),and the expressions of mitochondrial membrane proteins TOM20 and COX4Ⅰ1 in ICH+Mdivi-1 group were significantly elevated(P<0.01).Conclusion:Inhibition of Drp1 can inhibit mito-chondrial division and aggravate inflammatory injury after ICH in mice.Therefore,Drp1 may reduce the inflammation after ICH.

Objective: To identify the functional connectivity characteristics of insula, sensory and social related brain regions in boys with autism spectrum disorder(ASD), to explore the central nervous basis of sensory abnormality affecting core symptoms in boys with ASD. Methods: Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs fMRI) data were collected from 34 boys with ASD and 29 typical development boys (TD group). Based on functional connectivity analysis, the sensory related brain regions, insula, and social related brain regions were taken as regions of interest to calculate the functional connectivity (FC) level between the regions of interest, the differences between the two groups were compared and the results were corrected by FDR. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Spectrum Quotient-Children s Version (AQ-Child) were used to assess the core phenotypes of boys with ASD. Results: Compared with the TD group, the levels of FC between tactile brain regions and insula, olfactory brain regions and insula, auditory brain regions and insula in boys with ASD group were significantly increased. The level of FC between the insula and bilateral amygdala，insula and the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC) were significantly increased( P <0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that the level of FC between auditory brain region(BA42)and left insula in ASD group was negatively correlated with the scores of communication subscale of ADOS( r =-0.44)，social interaction subscale of ADOS( r =-0.43), communication & social interaction subscale of ADOS( r =-0.49),attention to details subscale of AQ-Child( r =-0.41). The level of FC between the right insula and right amygdala was positively correlated with the attention switch subscale of AQ-Child( r =0.38), the level of FC between right insula and mPFC was positively correlated with the scores of repetitive behavior subscale of ADOS( r =0.48), the attention switch subscale of AQ-Child( r =0.49), total scale subscale of AQ-Child( r =0.41), total scale of CARS( r =0.41)( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion The levels of FC between insula and sensory related, social related brain regions are abnormal in children with ASD, which have significant correlations with clinical symptoms. In depth studies can be conducted to explore underlying neutral mechanisms.

Objective To investigate the treatment outcomes,prognosis,and risk factors of treatment failure of peritoneal dialysis associated peritonitis (PDAP) caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae,and thus provide clinical evidence for the prevention and treatment of this disease. Methods The clinical data of PDAP patients at four peritoneal dialysis centers from January 1,2014 to December 31,2019 were collected retrospectively.The treatment outcomes and prognosis were compared between the patients with PDAP caused by Klebsiella.pneumoniae and that caused by Escherichia coli.Kaplan-Meier method was employed to establish the survival curve of technical failure,and multivariate Logistic regression to analyze the risk factors of the treatment failure of PADP caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Results In the 4 peritoneal dialysis centers,1034 cases of PDAP occurred in 586 patients from 2014 to 2019,including 21 cases caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and 98 cases caused by Escherichia coli.The incidence of Klebsiella pneumoniae caused PDAP was 0.0048 times per patient per year on average,ranging from 0.0024 to 0.0124 times per patient per year during 2014-2019.According to the Kaplan-Meier survival curve,the technical failure rate of Klebsiella pneumoniae caused PDAP was higher than that of Escherichia coli caused PDAP (P=0.022).The multivariate Logistic regression model showed that long-term dialysis was an independent risk factor for the treatment failure of Klebsiella pneumoniae caused PDAP (OR=1.082,95%CI=1.011-1.158,P=0.023).Klebsiella pneumoniae was highly sensitive to amikacin,meropenem,imipenem,piperacillin,and cefotetan,and it was highly resistant to ampicillin (81.82%),cefazolin (53.33%),tetracycline (50.00%),cefotaxime (43.75%),and chloramphenicol (42.86%). Conclusion The PDAP caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae had worse prognosis than that caused by Escherichia coli,and long-term dialysis was an independent risk factor for the treatment failure of Klebsiella pneumoniae caused PDAP.
Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Retrospective Studies ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Peritoneal Dialysis/adverse effects* ; Peritonitis/drug therapy* ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Failure ; Escherichia coli

Bipolar disorder is a common, highly disabling psychiatric disorder characterized by early onset, frequent episodes, high suicide risk, and chronic outcomes, and is associated with severe social dysfunction. The pathogenesis of bipolar disorder is still unclear, and current studies mainly focus on circadian rhythm abnormalities, including rhythm gene mutation, polymorphism, abnormal kinase expression, and rhythm abnormalities in neurotransmitter secretion and transport. It has been found that at any stage of bipolar disorder, whether prodrome, episode, or remission, patients exhibit circadian rhythm disruptions, including disrupted sleep-wake cycles, hormonal phase abnormalities, and irregular social rhythms. Based on this mechanism, the time therapy, such as light therapy, dark therapy, sleep deprivation and behavioral intervention, can rapidly improve the circadian rhythm of patients with bipolar disorder, achieve the goal of rapid relief of symptoms, with fewer side effects, low risk of switching to manic. In this paper, circadian rhythm mechanism, clinical manifestations and chronotherapy of bipolar disorder are reviewed to provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.