Chronic heart failure （CHF） is the final stage of cardiovascular diseases. It is a complex syndrome， with dyspnea and edema as the main clinical manifestations， and it is characterized by complex disease conditions， difficult cure， and high mortality. Ferroptosis， a new type of programmed cell death， is different from other types of programmed cell death. Ferroptosis is iron-dependent， accompanied by lipid peroxide accumulation and mitochondrial shrinkage， becoming a hot research topic. Studies have confirmed that ferroptosis plays a key role in the occurrence and development of CHF. The regulation of ferroptosis may become a potential target for the treatment of CHF in the future. The theory of Qi deficiency and stagnation refers to the pathological state of original Qi deficiency and abnormal transportation and distribution of Qi， blood， and body fluid， which has guiding significance for revealing the pathogenesis evolution of some chronic diseases. We believe that Qi deficiency and stagnation is a summary of the pathogenesis of ferroptosis in CHF. Deficiency of Qi （heart Qi） is the root cause of CHF， and stagnation （phlegm turbidity and blood stasis） is the branch of this disease. The two influence each other in a vicious circle to promote the development of this disease. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays an important role in the treatment of CHF， improving the prognosis and quality of life of CHF patients. This paper explores the correlation between the theory of Qi deficiency and stagnation and the mechanism of ferroptosis in CHF. Furthermore， this paper reviews the mechanism of Chinese medicines and compound prescriptions in preventing and treating CHF by regulating ferroptosis according to the principles of replenishing Qi and dredging to remove stagnation， aiming to provide new ideas and methods for the treatment of CHF with TCM.

Heart failure （HF） is a group of syndromes caused by cardiac dysfunction with impaired ventricular pumping， seriously affecting patients' health and quality of life. The pathogenesis of HF is complex， including myocardial contractility decline， myocardial fibrosis， and ventricular remodeling， and it is related to neuroendocrine regulation， inflammation， and cardiomyocyte autophagy. Autophagy is a key regulatory mechanism by which cells degrade themselves to maintain body homeostasis. In the process of HF， moderate autophagy can remove aging and damaged cardiomyocytes and maintain the balance of myocardial energy metabolism， while abnormal autophagy may lead to functional decline and pathological changes of cardiomyocytes. The adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway is one of the classical pathways regulating autophagy. This pathway can mediate the autophagy of cardiomyocytes and play a role in protecting the cardiac function and delaying HF progression. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） with a long history has a unique theoretical system and shows satisfactory therapeutic effects and wide application prospects amid the integration with modern medicine. The clinical practice of TCM has accumulated rich experience in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. A large number of studies have shown that the active components and compound prescriptions of TCM and Chinese patent medicines can mediate autophagy by regulating the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway to treat HF. This article explains the role of AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway-mediated autophagy in the treatment of HF， introduces the understanding of autophagy， AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway， and HF based on TCM theories， and reviews the research progress in the regulation of autophagy by TCM in the treatment of HF via the AMPK/mTOR pathway. This review is expected to tap the potential of TCM in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases， provide theoretical support for subsequent experimental studies， and demonstrate the advantages of TCM in clinical practice to achieve more accurate treatment.

Heart failure is a group of complex clinical syndromes that represent the final stage of cardiovascular disease development， characterized by an extremely high mortality rate. However， due to the complexity of the pathological mechanisms， an effective treatment method has not yet been found. Mitochondria are among the most critical organelles in cells， playing an essential role in energy supply and widely participating in various life activities， such as the regulation of oxidative stress and apoptosis. The normal functioning of mitochondria is crucial for maintaining the body's normal life activities. In recent years， studies have found that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with the occurrence and progression of various diseases， particularly closely related to the onset of heart failure. An imbalance in mitochondrial homeostasis is a key factor in cardiomyocyte death and the onset of heart failure. Mitochondrial autophagy， as a means of regulating mitochondrial homeostasis， is significant for the prevention and treatment of heart failure. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） therapy is a unique treatment approach in China now widely applied in clinical practice， demonstrating significant efficacy in treating heart failure， with unique advantages. Modern pharmacological research indicates that Chinese medicine monomers and compounds can target and regulate mitochondrial homeostasis in cardiomyocytes， affect mitochondrial autophagy， and protect cardiomyocytes， though the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore， this paper explored the mechanisms of the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1）/Parkin pathway in mitochondrial autophagy and heart failure， reviewed the effects of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial autophagy on heart failure， and discussed the therapeutic effects of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial autophagy on heart failure in conjunction with TCM. This paper is expected to provide new ideas and methods for the prevention and treatment of heart failure from the perspective of PINK1/Parkin regulation of mitochondrial autophagy.

Objective To construct a pelvic floor muscle training program for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy,and to provide a reference for clinical practice.Methods The evidence related to pelvic floor muscle training in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy was systematically searched and the quality was evaluated.The draft of pelvic floor muscle training program for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy was constructed based on the KAP theory and it was demonstrated and revised by expert meetings.From February to March 2023,Delphi method was used to determine the final scheme.37 patients were selected as the control group and 38 patients as the experimental group to implement the scheme and evaluate the application effect.Results 2 rounds of Delphi consultations were conducted among 17 experts,and the recovery rate of the questionnaire was 100％.The expert authority coefficient was 0.89.The Kendall harmony coefficients of the importance and feasibility of the second round of consultation were 0.270 and 0.209(P＜0.001).The coefficient of variation of importance and feasibility of items were 0～0.18 and 0～0.20.The final program included 3 first-level items,8 second-level items and 29 third-level items.1 month after surgery,there was no significant difference in urinary incontinence score(P=0.242)and there was significant difference in pelvic floor muscle training compliance(P=0.011)between 2 groups.Conclusion The program was applied preliminary in clinical practice and it was confirmed with scientific and practical meaning,so it can provide a reference for clinical nursing.

Objective:We aimed to develop a novel visualized model based on nomogram to predict postoperative overall survival.Methods:This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study, including participants with histologically confirmed gastric and colorectal cancer who underwent radical surgery from 11 medical centers in China from August 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. Baseline characteristics, histopathological data and nutritional status, as assessed using Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) score and the scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment, were collected. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and Cox regression were used to identify variables to be included in the predictive model. Internal and external validations were performed.Results:There were 681 and 127 patients in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. A total of 188 deaths were observed over a median follow-up period of 59 (range: 58 to 60) months. Two independent predictors of NRS 2002 and Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage were identified and incorporated into the prediction nomogram model together with the factor of age. The model's concordance index for 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival was 0.696, 0.724, and 0.738 in the training cohort and 0.801, 0.812, and 0.793 in the validation cohort, respectively.Conclusions:In this study, a new nomogram prediction model based on NRS 2002 score was developed and validated for predicting the overall postoperative survival of patients with gastric colorectal cancer. This model has good differentiation, calibration and clinical practicability in predicting the long-term survival rate of patients with gastrointestinal cancer after radical surgery.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of Guanxin Shutong capsules （GXSTC） on coronary heart failure with heart blood stasis. MethodA total of 98 coronary heart failure patients with heart blood stasis who visited the expert clinics of the Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2020 to August 2022 were selected. They were randomized into a control group and an observation group， with 49 in each group. The two groups were given standardized treatment according to the guidelines for coronary heart failure. On this basis， the observation group was treated with Chinese patent medicine GXSTC. The cardiac structural and functional indicators， total effective rate of symptoms， exercise tolerance， heart rate variability （HRV）， quality of life and inflammatory factor levels of the two groups before and after treatment were compared. ResultBefore treatment， there was no notable difference in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）， six minute walk test （6MWT）， minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire （MLHFQ） score， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） and HRV between the two groups， and thus the data were comparable. After treatment， the observation group had higher effective rates of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptoms （Z=-2.362， P<0.05） and New York heart association class （NYHA） functional classes （Z=-2.175， P<0.05） than the control group. The two groups presented decreased LVEDD， TNF-α， NT-proBNP and hs-CRP （P<0.05， P<0.01） while increased MLHFQ， 6MWT and HRV（P<0.05，P<0.01） after treatment as compared with those before treatment， and the observation group had more decrease or increase than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionGXSTC combined with standardized treatment relieves the physical symptoms of coronary heart failure patients with heart blood stasis， improves exercise tolerance and quality of life， reduces inflammatory reaction， increases HRV， and improves cardiac structure and function.

The number of investigator initiated research (IIR) is increasing. But the recognition and management of IIR in China is still in its infancy, and there is a lack of specific and operable guidance for the implementation process. Based on our practical experiences, previous literature reports, and current policy regulations, the authors took prospective IIR as an example to summarize the implementation process of IIR into 14 steps, which are as the following: study initiation, ethical review, study registration, study filing, case report form design, database establishment, standard operating procedure making, investigator training, informed consent, data collection, data entry, data verification, data locking and data archiving.

The paper reports two cases of lipoprotein glomerulopathy (LPG) in children. The Sanger sequencing results in 2 cases indicated apolipoprotein E gene mutation[c.127 (exon3) C>T, p.R43C (p.Arg43Cys); c.494 (exon4) G>C, p.R165P (p.Arg165Pro),respectively]. Renal pathological presentation of two children showed that a large number of lipoprotein emboli were formed in the glomerular capillary loop, and the diagnosis of LPG was confirmed. The onset of LPG has no specific clinical manifestation, which is easy to be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Renal biopsy is a diagnostic means, glucocorticoid treatment is ineffective, and long-term lipid-lowering treatment may be required for LPG.

Objective:To analyze the long-term prognosis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and the risk factors related to renal prognosis in children with IgAN-FSGS.Methods:A retrospective study was concluded in IgAN-FSGS children who were followed up for more than 5 years and diagnosed by renal biopsy for the first time in the Eastern Theater General Hospital from January, 2004 to December, 2018. The end-point events of the study were entering end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreased by ≥50% from baseline, which were defined as poor renal prognosis. Baseline clinicopathologic data of IgAN-FSGS children were compared between the end-point event group and the non-end-point event group. The cumulative renal survival rate of IgAN-FSGS children was calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The influencing factors of poor renal prognosis in IgAN-FSGS children were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards model, and the diagnostic value was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) and area under the curve (AUC). The diagnostic value was verified by time dependent-ROC and time dependent-AUC.Results:A total of 204 IgAN-FSGS children were enrolled in this study, of whom 132 cases were males (64.7%). The median age of renal biopsy was 16 (14, 17) years old. During a median follow-up time of 90.7 (71.7, 114.8) months, 57 cases (27.9%) reached the end-point events. Compared with the non-end-point event group ( n=147), the end-point event group ( n=57) had higher proportions of males and hypertension, higher levels of 24-hour urinary protein, serum creatinine, serum uric acid, urinary N-acetyl-β- D-glucosaminidase, urinary retinol binding protein, higher proportions of glomerular segmental sclerosis (S1) ≥25% and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T1/T2), and lower levels of serum albumin, serum IgA, and serum IgG (all P<0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in treatment (all P>0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that with entry of ESKD or eGFR decreased by ≥50% from baseline as the end-point events, the 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year cumulative renal survival rates in IgAN-FSGS children were 88.7%, 67.6%, and 50.7%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that proteinuria >1 g/24 h ( HR=3.702, 95% CI 1.657-8.272, P=0.001), hyperuricemia ( HR=3.066, 95% CI 1.793-5.245, P<0.001), S1≥25% ( HR=2.017, 95% CI 1.050-3.874, P=0.035), T1/T2 ( HR=1.863, 95% CI 1.021-3.158, P=0.016) were the independent related factors for poor renal prognosis. ROC curve analysis showed that S1≥25% ( AUC=0.605, P=0.021, sensitivity 26.3%, specificity 94.6%), T1/T2 ( AUC=0.624, P=0.006, sensitivity 43.9%, specificity 81.0%), hyperuricemia ( AUC=0.658, P<0.001, sensitivity 52.6%, specificity 78.9%), proteinuria>1 g/24 h ( AUC=0.670, P<0.001, sensitivity 87.7%, specificity 46.3%) could accurately predict the renal outcome of IgAN-FSGS. Time dependent-ROC curve validation showed that the combined diagnosis of S1≥25%, T1/T2, hyperuricemia and proteinuria>1 g/24 h had a good predictive value for renal prognosis (3-year AUC=0.846 and 5-year AUC=0.777, respectively). Conclusions:During a median follow-up of 90.7 months, 27.9% of IgAN-FSGS children have poor renal prognosis, and the 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year cumulative renal survival rates are 88.7%, 67.6%, and 50.7%, respectively. Urinary protein >1 g/24 h, hyperuricemia, T1/T2, and S1 ≥25% are the risk factors for renal prognosis in IgAN-FSGS children.

Telephone follow-up is one of the important ways to follow up patients. High-quality follow-up can benefit both doctors and patients. However, clinical research-related follow-up is often faced with problems such as time-consuming, laborious and poor patient compliance. The authors belong to a team that has been committed to the study of patient-reported outcomes for a long time. The team has carried out long-term follow-up of symptoms, daily function and postoperative complications of more than 1 000 patients after lung cancer surgery, and accumulated certain experience. In this paper, the experience of telephone follow-up was summarized and discussed with relevant literatures from the aspects of clarifying the purpose of clinical research follow-up, understanding the needs of patients in follow-up, and using follow-up skills.