Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria. In addition to the manifestations of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and primary infection lesions， critical cases often have manifestations of organ hypoperfusion. The morbidity and mortality of sepsis have remained high in recent years， which seriously affect the quality of life of the patients. The pathogenesis of sepsis is complicated， in which uncontrollable inflammation is a key mechanism. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway plays a key role in mediating inflammation in sepsis. The available therapies of sepsis mainly include resuscitation， anti-infection， vasoactive drugs， intensive insulin therapy， and organ support， which show limited effects of reducing the mortality. Therefore， finding new therapeutic drugs is a key problem to be solved in the clinical treatment of sepsis. In recent years， studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate the PI3K/Akt pathway via multiple pathways， multiple effects， and multiple targets to inhibit inflammation and curb the occurrence and development of sepsis， which has gradually become a hot spot in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Moreover， studies have suggested that TCM has unique advantages in the treatment of sepsis. TCM can regulate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to inhibit inflammation， reduce oxidative stress， and control apoptosis in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Despite the research progress， a systematic review remains to be performed regarding the TCM treatment of sepsis by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. After reviewing relevant papers published in recent years， this study systematically summarizes the relationship between PI3K/Akt pathway and sepsis and the role of TCM in the treatment of sepsis， aiming to provide new ideas for the potential treatment of sepsis and the development of new drugs.

Objective: To explore the causal relationship between gut microbiota and upper urinary tract stones using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis，and to investigate the potential mediating role of plasma metabolites. Methods: Data on gut microbiota，plasma metabolites，and upper urinary tract stones were obtained from publicly available Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS).Bidirectional MR analysis was performed to examine the causal relationship between gut microbiota and upper urinary tract stones.Subsequently，a two-step MR approach was employed to determine whether gut microbiota contribute to upper urinary tract stones through plasma metabolites，and the mediating effects and mediator ratio were calculated.The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary analytical tool，supplemented by Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization (BWMR)，MR-Egger，and weighted median (WM) analyses.Horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity tests were conducted to ensure the robustness of the findings. Results: Bidirectional MR analysis identified causal associations between 7 gut microbial taxa and 6 microbial metabolic pathways with upper urinary tract stones，while the development of upper urinary tract stones affected 13 gut microbial taxa and 5 metabolic pathways.Additionally，43 plasma metabolites (including 27 identified metabolites，8 unidentified metabolites，and 8 metabolite ratios) were causally associated with upper urinary tract stones.The two-step MR analysis identified 11 potential causal pathways.After metabolic pathways and unidentified metabolites were excluded，a causal link mediated by Bacteroides faecis between galactarate and upper urinary tract stones was confirmed，with a mediation proportion of 16.99% (95%CI：5.76%-33.95%，P=0.0371). Conclusion: This study establishes a causal relationship between parabacteroides and upper urinary tract stones，and elucidates the mediating role of galactarate，offering new insights into the pathogenesis and prevention strategies for upper urinary tract stones.

Objective To analyze trend changes of disease burden of hypertensive nephropathy (HTN) between 2012 and 2023 in Chongqing, and to provide the suggestion for HTN prevention and treatment. Methods Death cases of HTN from Chongqing death registration data between 2012 and 2023 were analyzed to calculate indicators such as mortality, age standardization mortality rate (ASMR), rate of years of life lost (YLL) and Average years of life lost. The mortality of HTN between male and female, urban and rural were compared by Chi-square test. The trend change was explained by average annual percent of change (AAPC). Results The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in Chongqing decreased from 5.44/100 000 and 3.13/100 000 in 2012 to 2.76/100 000 and 1.07/100,000 in 2023 respectively. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was -5.41% and -8.35% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were statistically significant (P<0.01). The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in males and females decreased with AAPC of 5.50%, 8.07%, 5.27% and 8.69% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were all statistically significant (all P< 0.05). From 2012 to 2014, 2019 and 2021, the mortality rate of HTN in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas (all P < 0.05). The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in rural areas decreased with AAPC of 6.58% and 9.46% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). The rate of YLL and standardized YLL of HTN in Chongqing decreased from 96.02/100 000 and 60.42/100 000 in 2012 to 44.98/100 000 and 21.49/100 000 in 2023 respectively. The AAPC was -5.83% and -7.80% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). AYLL of HTN were 17.88 years in 2012, and it was 17.08 years in 2023. There were no statistically significant differences in the changes (both P > 0.05). The standardized AYLL of HTN in rural areas increased at an average annual rate of 1.14%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion The mortality and YLL rate of HNT in Chongqing was lower than it in China. Moreover, its trend was decreased. It should be strengthened early screening and healthy management of HNT.

Robotic surgery is known as the"third technological revolution"in the field of surgery,and is an important milestone in the development of modern surgery.However,our country's innovative surgical robot industry is still in its early stages,and it is only being utilized in certain surgical fields.To explore the effectiveness of the application of do-mestic surgical robot in oral and maxillofacial surgery,the author successfully completed a case of benign parotid tumor resection with the assistance of a domestic autonomous robot.The operation was successful,facial nerve function was preserved,and postoperative wound healing was good.

BackgroundChronic insomnia is characterized by a prolonged and recurrent course. The efficacy of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation （rTMS） as a physical therapy method to improve sleep quality remains inadequately supported by evidence， particularly regarding its relationship with personality traits. ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy and influencing factors of rTMS in the treatment of chronic insomnia， and to provide insights into its therapeutic potential. MethodA total of 46 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5）， and were treated at the Third Hospital of Mianyang from September 2022 to September 2023 were selected. Prior to treatment， participants underwent assessments using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire （EPQ）， Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17） and Hamilton Anxiety Scale （HAMA）. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI） was used to assess sleep quality before treatment， at the end of the second week of treatment and one week post-treatment. ResultsAt the end of the second week of treatment， patients exhibited significantly improved total PSQI score and subscale scores related to subjective sleep quality， sleep latency， sleep duration， sleep efficiency， sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction （t=4.755~13.361， P<0.01）， with 24 cases （54.35%） showing effective treatment outcomes. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that introverted and extroverted personality traits contributed significantly to the regression equation （B=0.317， P<0.01）， explaining 29.90% of the total variation （R²=0.299）. ConclusionrTMS treatment may effectively improve the sleep quality of patients with chronic insomnia， with its therapeutic effect appearing to associated with introverted and extroverted personality traits. ［Funded by National Natural Science Project of China （number， 82372080）］

Vitiligo is a dermatological condition of autoimmune origin, characterized by the acquired loss of pigmentation in the skin and mucous membranes. Inflammatory cytokines, including interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-21, IL-33, phosphodiester enzyme (PDE)-4, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, play a crucial role in the progression of vitiligo. Among these, the IFN-γ/chemokine ligand (CXCL) 10 axis is particularly significant. In recent times, the advent of targeted therapeutic approaches, focusing on modulating cytokines and their corresponding receptors implicated in the pathogenesis of vitiligo, has assumed paramount significance. JAK inhibitors and their combination therapy with phototherapy have been clinically proven to have promising therapeutic prospects. This review undertakes a comprehensive appraisal of the therapeutic efficacy and tailored drug selection pertaining to diverse biological agents employed in the management of vitiligo, aiming to provide valuable insights for clinical therapeutic decisions.

Objective:To analyze the expression and prognosis of B-cell lymphoma 7 protein family member A (BCL7A) in hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as the effect and mechanism of BCL7A expression on the invasion and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.Methods:The cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 40 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent radical hepatobiliary resection in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from November 2017 to March 2018 were prospectively collected for protein extraction, including 29 males and 11 females, aged (58.5±10.4) years. The information of 374 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and 50 cases of adjacent tissues were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and the hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines Hep3B and SMMC-7721 were transfected with overexpressing BCL7A plasmid and empty vector plasmid (negative control), respectively. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of BCL7A, and Western blotting was also used to detect the expression of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (N-cadherin, E-cadherin, snail). Transwell and cell scratch assays were used to detect cell invasion and migration.Results:Compared with adjacent tissues, the mRNA expression of BCL7A in 50 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in TCGA was significantly increased ( t=13.38, P<0.001). According to the median mRNA expression level of BCL7A, 374 patients were divided into BCL7A high expression group ( n=187) and low expression group ( n=187), and the cumulative survival rate of BCL7A high expression patients was lower than that of low expression group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=6.95, P=0.009). Western blot was used to detect the relative expression of BCL7A protein in cancer tissues, and found it was higher compared to adjacent tissues. Compared with the negative control group, the number of cells invaded by the BCL7A overexpression group of hepatoma cells Hep3B and SMMC-7721 was more than the negative control group respectively, (153.7±1.3) vs (63.7±4.7) and (307.7±25.14) vs (72.3±12.5), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=7.97, 8.38, both P=0.001) .The results of the cell scratch assay were consistent with the results of the Transwell invasion assay. The expressions of N-cadherin and snail in the BCL7A overexpression group were higher than those in the negative control group, and the E-cadherin was lower, and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The expression of BCL7A in cancer tissues of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma is elevated and is associated with poor prognosis. BCL7A may promote hepatocellular carcinoma cell metastasis and invasion by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Although the understanding of sepsis has evolved from "sepsis 1.0" to "sepsis 3.0", and the consensus on clinical management of sepsis has been continuously updated, the incidence rate and mortality of sepsis remain high. Therefore, in-depth investigation of the pathogenesis and related influencing factors of sepsis is of great significance for revealing the nature of sepsis and improving the clinical outcome of sepsis patients. This review will focus on the key issues in the basic research of sepsis, and summarize the recent advances and challenges in this field, mainly including genetic polymorphism, microorganisms, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), endothelial dysfunction, immunotherapy, and biomarkers, aiming to provide new insights for the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.

Objective:To explore the effect and safety of mesenchymal stem cell exosome microneedle introduction in the treatment of melasma.Methods:Thirty cases of female patients with stable melasma in the Department of Dermatology, Changsha Meilai Medical Beauty Hospital, aged (36±5) years and with a disease duration of (42.4±20.7) months, from July 2021 to July 2022, were retrospectively included. According to Fitzpatrick skin typing, 23 cases of type Ⅲ and 7 cases of type Ⅳ were included. All patients were locally anesthetized with lidocaine cream for 30 min, and rolled with a 0.5 mm needle in a zigzag pattern with even force, in the order of the right cheek, the left cheek, the forehead, the nose, the mandible, and the upper lip. During the rolling process, 3 ml of MSC exosome medical liquid wound dressing was applied to the facial skin, and after it was fully absorbed, exosome was locally readministered in the area of melasma. Treatment ended with a slight redness at the site of application. 1 MSC exosome wound dressing was appllied as a cold compress for 15 min after treatment. Treatment was given once every 2 weeks for 6 consecutive sessions. All the patients were followed up at 4 and 12 weeks after the last session, and the area and severity index of melasma (MASI) were scored before and after the treatment, the clinical efficiency and patient satisfaction rate and the incidence of adverse reactions were also counted.Results:At 4 and 12 weeks after the end of treatment, the skin color of all 30 patients was brighter than that before treatment, and no recurrence of melasma symptoms seen. At 12 weeks after the end of treatment, the decrease rate of MASI score was 66.1%, among which the decrease rate of MASI score in patients with type Ⅲ melasma was 63.9%, and the decrease rate of MASI score in patients with type Ⅳ melasma was 63.9%. Among the 30 patients, 1 case was cured, 25 cases showed obvious improved, 4 cases were improved, and no cases were ineffective, with an effective rate of 86.7% (26/30). Five patients were very satisfied, 18 patients were satisfied, 6 patients were generally satisfied, and 1 patient was dissatisfied; the patient satisfaction rate was 76.7% (23/30). No serious adverse reactions occurred in all patients.Conclusions:MSC exosome microneedle introduction is safe and effective in the treatment of melasma without serious adverse reactions.

Objective:To observe the effect of warming needle therapy combined with Tuina(Chinese therapeutic massage)on the clinical symptoms and anxiety state of patients with cervical vertigo accompanied by anxiety. Methods:Seventy patients with cervical vertigo accompanied by anxiety state were divided into an observation group and a control group using the random number table method,with 35 patients in each group.In addition to disease education,the observation group was treated with warming needle therapy and Tuina 3 times a week,and the control group was treated with betahistine mesylate tablets orally 3 times a day.Both groups were treated for 4 weeks.The changes in the scores of the evaluation scale for cervical vertigo(ESCV),self-rating anxiety scale(SAS),and Hamilton anxiety rating scale(HAMA)were compared between the two groups after treatment. Results:One case in the observation group dropped out due to failure to cooperate with the treatment during the study.In the treatment group,the total effective rate and the cured plus markedly effective rate were 94.1%and 50.0%,respectively,and 88.6%and 8.6%in the control group,respectively;the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).After treatment,the ESCV,SAS,and HAMA scores of both groups decreased significantly compared with those before treatment(P<0.01),and the scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group(P<0.01 or P<0.05). Conclusion:Warming needle therapy combined with Tuina can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients with cervical vertigo accompanied by anxiety state.