This paper summarizes Professor SHI Zaixiang's clinical experience in treating high fever caused by sepsis using Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction （柴胡桂枝干姜汤）. He holds that the key pathogenesis of sepsis involves constrained heat in the shaoyang and internal accumulation of water and fluids. The clinical manifestations such as high fever， chills， and alternating sensations of cold and heat are attributed to pathogenic heat constrained in the shaoyang. Meanwhile， soft tissue edema and serous cavity effusions are due to shaoyang dysfunction and internal water retention. In clinical practice， treating sepsis-related high fever requires addressing both the shaoyang-constrained heat and the associated edema and effusions. The therapeutic approach focuses on harmonizing the shaoyang and resolving internal fluids， using Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction as the base formula with flexible modifications. Professor SHI emphasizes that this formula shows a rapid antipyretic effect， particularly in cases where multiple anti-infective treatments have failed.

Objective To investigate the correlation between intra-and peri-tumoral radiomics features and the response to con-current chemoradiotherapy(CCRT)in cervical squamous cell carcinoma,and to explore the difference of predictive performance between 2D and 3D radiomics models.Methods The imaging data of 132 patients were analyzed retrospectively and randomly divided into training set(n=92)and validation set(n=40).Radiomics features were extracted based on the dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI),the correlation analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)algorithm were used for dimensionality reduction and screening,then the radiomics score was calculated and the logistic model was constructed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,internal validation of Bootstrap and Brier score were used to evaluate the discrimina-tion and calibration of the model,and the improvement in predictive performance of 3D model compared with 2D model was evaluated by the integrated discrimination improvement(IDI).Results In the training set,the ROC curve showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the models(2D-intratumoral,3D-intratumoral,3D-peritumoral,3D-combined)ranged from 0.774 to 0.893.The internal validation of Bootstrap showed the AUC were 0.772,0.860,0.847 and 0.888,respectively,while in the validation set,the AUC were 0.757,0.849,0.824 and 0.887,respectively.The Brier scores indicated that the models were well calibrated.In the training set and the validation set,the IDI values were 0.155 and 0.179,respectively,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The radiomics analysis based on the tumor volume can fully explore the tumor heterogeneity.The intra-and peri-tumoral radiomics combined model shows the best predictive performance,which is important to assist clinicians in developing individualized therapies.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and variant of CREBBP gene in a fetus with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS). Methods:A fetus with RSTS diagnosed at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in August 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data, amniotic fluid sample of the fetus and peripheral blood samples of its parents were collected for whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing.Results:Foot malformation, cerebellar vermis agenesis, brain agenesis, polysyndactyly of the big toes and other phenotypes were found by prenatal ultrasound. WES revealed that the fetus has harbored a heterozygous c. 4684G>T (p.E1562*) variant in exon 28 of the CREBBP gene (NM_004380.3), which was de novo in origin. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant was predicted to be pathogenic (PVS1+ PS2_Moderate+ PM2_Supporting). After genetic counseling, the couple had opted to terminate the pregnancy and refused autopsy for the fetus. Conclusion:The c. 4684G>T (p.E1562*) variant of the CREBBP gene probably underlay the RSTS in this fetus. The newly discovered variant has enriched the mutational spectrum of the CREBBP gene and illustrated that WES is an efficient tool for the prenatal diagnosis of RSTS.

Objective To investigate the value of the volume percentage of solid component in differential diagnosis of stage Ⅰ lung adenocarcinoma subtypes,and to predict the optimal critical CT value of solid component.Methods A total of 962 nodules with sur-gical pathological findings confirmed as adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS)or pulmonary adenocarcinoma and manifested as subsolid nod-ules on thin-section CT were analyzed retrospectively,and divided the lesions into:(1)AIS(n=350)or pulmonary adenocarcinoma(n=612)groups;and(2)minimally invasive adenocarcinoma(MIA)(n=213)or invasive adenocarcinoma(IAC)(n=399)groups based on pathological findings.The volume percentage of solid components within pulmonary nodules was measured via CT density histogram analysis at different thresholds,the diagnostic efficacy of different thresholds was analyzed and the optimal critical CT val-ues of solid component was found.Results In the AIS versus pulmonary adenocarcinoma groups,age,mass,and volume percentage of solid component were statistically significant(P＜0.001);the CT threshold of-350 HU had the highest diagnostic efficacy[area under the curve(AUC)0.859,accuracy 81.69％,sensitivity 85.60％,and specificity 74.86％,respetively],and the critical value of volume percentage of solid component determined under this threshold was 8.3％.In the MIA versus IAC groups,age(P=0.017),mass(P＜0.001),and volume percentage of solid component(P＜0.001)were statistically significant;the CT threshold of-350 HU had the highest diagnostic efficacy(AUC 0.857,accuracy 78.27％,sensitivity 82.91％,and specificity 69.48％,respectively),and the critical value of volume percentage of solid component determined under this threshold was 16.9％.Conclusion The volume percentage of solid component measured based on CT density histogram analysis may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of early stage lung ade-nocarcinoma subtypes.

Objective: Cognition impairments are considered as a fundamental characteristic of severe mental disorders (SMD). Recent studies suggest that hyperprolactinemia may exert a detrimental influence on cognitive performance in patients with SMD. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between serum prolactin levels and cognitive function in female individuals diagnosed with SMD. Methods: We conducted a study on 294 patients with SMD and 195 healthy controls, aged between 14 to 55 years old. Cognitive function was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), while prolactin levels were measured in serum. Descriptive analysis and comparative analysis were performed to compare cognitive function and prolactin levels between groups, and linear regression models were used to explore the relationship between prolactin and cognitive function. Results: Compared to the healthy control, individuals with SMD exhibited significantly higher levels of prolactin, while scoring lower on RBANS total and every index scores. Furthermore, a negative association between prolactin levels and cognitive function (RBANS total index score, attention, and delayed memory) was observed in SMD patients. Importantly, this inverse correlation between prolactin and cognition function (RBANS total index score, total scale score, and attention) persisted in patients who were not taking medications that could potentially influence serum prolactin levels. Conclusion Our study reveals a significant correlation between elevated prolactin levels and cognitive impairment in female patients with SMD, underscoring the importance of monitoring prolactin levels in order to prevent cognitive deterioration among female SMD patients.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the effects of centralized volume-based procurement policy （hereinafter referred to as “centralized procurement”） on the use of anti-tumor drugs in medical institutions. METHODS The interrupted time series model was used to analyze the changes in the monthly purchase volume and purchase amount of docetaxel， gemcitabine and pemetrexed disodium in a third-grade class-A cancer hospital in Shanxi province from January 2018 to December 2021. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS After the implementation of the centralized procurement policy， both the selected drugs and the non-selected drugs had different degrees of price reduction， and the price reduction of the selected drugs was far greater than that of the non- selected drugs； average monthly purchase volume and amount of docetaxel decreased significantly in that month after the implementation of the policy， while those of gemcitabine and pemetrexed disodium increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. After the implementation of the policy， the average monthly purchase volume and amount of gemcitabine showed a downward trend， while those of docetaxel and pemetrexed disodium showed an upward trend （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. It is suggested that hospitals should strengthen pharmaceutical administration， and avoid adopting a “one size fits all” approach to non-selected drugs； relevant departments should further expand the collection range of anti-tumor drugs or carry out special collection of anti-tumor drugs， so as to save medical insurance funds and reduce medical expenses.

During the gene editing process mediated by CRISPR/Cas9, precise genome editing and gene knock-in can be achieved by the homologous recombination of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) donor template. However, the low-efficiency of homologous recombination in eukaryotic cells hampers the development and application of this gene editing strategy. Here, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI donor adapting system (DAS) to enhance the dsDNA-templated gene editing, taking the advantage of the specific binding of the LacI repressor protein and the LacO operator sequence derived for the Escherichia coli lactose operon. The codon-humanized LacI gene was fused as an adaptor to the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and Staphylococcus lugdunensis Cas9 (SlugCas9-HF) genes, and the LacO operator sequence was used as the aptamer and linked to the dsDNA donor template by PCR. The Cas9 nuclease activity after the fusion and the homology-directed repair (HDR) efficiency of the LacO-linked dsDNA template were firstly examined using surrogate reporter assays with the corresponding reporter vectors. The CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI DASs mediated genome precise editing were further checked, and we achieved a high efficiency up to 30.5% of precise editing at the VEGFA locus in HEK293T cells by using the CRISPR/SlugCas9-hLacI DAS. In summary, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI DAS for dsDNA-templated gene editing, which enriches the CRISPR/Cas9-derived gene editing techniques and provides a novel tool for animal molecular design breeding researches.
Humans ; Animals ; Gene Editing ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; HEK293 Cells ; Homologous Recombination ; DNA

The liver has a complex cellular composition and a remarkable regenerative capacity. The primary cell types in the liver are two parenchymal cell populations, hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, that perform most of the functions of the liver and that are helped through interactions with non-parenchymal cell types comprising stellate cells, endothelia and various hemopoietic cell populations. The regulation of the cells in the liver is mediated by an insoluble complex of proteins and carbohydrates, the extracellular matrix, working synergistically with soluble paracrine and systemic signals. In recent years, with the rapid development of genetic sequencing technologies, research on the liver's cellular composition and its regulatory mechanisms during various conditions has been extensively explored. Meanwhile breakthroughs in strategies for cell transplantation are enabling a future in which there can be a rescue of patients with end-stage liver diseases, offering potential solutions to the chronic shortage of livers and alternatives to liver transplantation. This review will focus on the cellular mechanisms of liver homeostasis and how to select ideal sources of cells to be transplanted to achieve liver regeneration and repair. Recent advances are summarized for promoting the treatment of end-stage liver diseases by forms of cell transplantation that now include grafting strategies.
Humans ; Liver/surgery* ; Hepatocytes/transplantation* ; Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Liver Diseases/surgery*

Objective: To study the associations between variants of mTORC1 of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and colorectal cancer. Methods: In this hospital-based case-control study, at the First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University from 2000 to 2013, 665 primary colorectal cancer cases and 695 cancer-free controls were genotyped at 10 potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) loci of mTORC1 (mTOR: rs1034528, rs2295080; Raptor: rs1062935, rs3751934; mLST8: rs3160, rs26865; DEPTOR: rs2271900, rs4871827; AKT1S1: rs2290774, rs2353005) to assess their associations with risk of colorectal cancer by Logistic regression analysis. Results: In single-locus analysis, found a significantly decreased risk of colorectal cancer associated with mLST8 rs26865 by recessive genetic model, especially in populations of ≤68 years of age (OR=0.64; 95%CI=0.43-0.96, P=0.031), female (OR=0.61; 95%CI=0.38-0.99, P=0.046), non-smoking (OR=0.55; 95%CI=0.35-0.87, P=0.010). mTOR rs1034528 CC genotypes were associated with higher risk of colorectal cancer in >68-year-old populations (OR=3.34; 95%CI=1.12-9.91, P=0.030). Raptor rs3751934 CA/AA genotypes were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in population of body mass index(BMI)>25 kg/m² (OR=0.68; 95%CI=0.47-0.98, P=0.038); and AKT1S1 rs2290774 CC genotypes were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in non-smoking population (OR=0.67; 95%CI=0.45-0.99, P=0.048). Furthermore, found that populations carrying more than two low-risk genotypes were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk, compared with that of populations carrying less than two low-risk genotypes (OR=0.74, 95%CI=0.58-0.95, P=0.017), especially in population of ≤68 years of age, male and BMI>25 kg/m^2, and non-smoking. Conclusions SNPs of mTORC1-related genes individually or jointly contribute to colorectal cancer susceptibility in Chinese. Further studies of larger cohorts are needed to validate the findings.

Objective:To observe the relationship between dynamic blood pressure variability (BPV) and left ventric‐ular diastolic function in patients with essential hypertension (EH) .Methods :A total of 140 newly diagnosed EH pa‐tients were selected .According to total coefficient of variation (CV) of 24h systolic blood pressure BPV ,they were divided into high CV group (n=70 ,CV>12.16% ) and low CV group (n=70 ,CV≤12.16% ) .Another 70 healthy subjects with corresponding gender and age were enrolled as healthy control group simultaneously .Echocardiography was used to measure mitral early diastolic peak flow velocity (E) ,late diastolic peak flow velocity (A) and decelera‐tion time of E peak (DT);meanwhile ,tissue Doppler mode was used to record early diastolic peak velocity (Em) and late diastolic peak velocity (Am) .All above indexes were compared among all groups .Results:Compared with healthy control group ,BPV significantly rose in EH patients (P<0.05 or < 0.01) .All BPV indexes in high CV group were significantly higher than those of low CV group except daytime mean diastolic blood pressure variability (dDBP‐BPV) and nighttime mean diastolic blood pressure variability (nDBP‐BPV) , P<0.05 all .Compared with healthy control group ,there were significant reductions in E and Em/Am ,and significant rise in DT and E/Em in EH patients ,P<0.05 or <0.01 ;compared with low CV group ,there was significant rise in E/Em [(10.32 ± 3.20) vs .(14.22 ± 2.20) ,P=0.033] in high CV group .Conclusion:Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is more severe in hypertensive patients with higher dynamic blood pressure variability .