ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Mailuoning compound solution in the treatment of hip joint pain via nerve blocks around the hip joint. MethodsFrom March 2015 to March 2019，a total of 136 patients with hip joint pain who met the inclusion criteria were admitted and divided into an observation group and a control group according to the random number table method. Among them，six cases fell off due to failure to complete five treatments，and finally， 130 patients entered clinical observation，with 65 cases in each group. The observation group used Mailuoning compound solution for nerve blocks around the hip joint（including obturator nerve，femoral nerve branch，superior gluteal nerve， and hip fascia）. The control used Mailuoning compound solution for a simple obturator nerve block. The differences in the visual analogue scale （VAS） and Harris score of hip joint of the two groups before and after treatment were observed. Any adverse drug reactions and adverse events during the treatment of the patients were recorded. ResultsThe VAS score of the two groups was significantly decreased after treatment （P<0.01）. The observation group had a more significant decrease compared to the control group（P<0.01）. The total Harris score of hip joint， pain degree，function score， and motion of joint of the two groups were significantly improved after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group，the improvement in the total Harris score of hip joint， pain degree，and function score was more significant in the observation group （P<0.01）. The clinical efficacy based on the Harris score of hip joint of the two groups was compared. The excellent and good rate of the observation group was 84.62% （55/65）， which was significantly better than that of the control group ［56.92% （37/65）］ （χ²=12.05，P<0.01）. The follow-up results showed that the patients who achieved excellent and good results had stable curative effects and low recurrence rates，and there was no significant difference in recurrence rate between the two groups. Case analysis showed that after treatment of femoral head necrosis，the saccular transparent shadow of the femoral head was significantly reduced，and the number of bone trabeculae increased. The low-density shadow decreased as can be seen on hip X-rays. In patients with hip osteoporosis after treatment，the number of bone trabeculae increased， and the low density shadow reduced. ConclusionThe use of Mailuoning compound solution for nerve blocks around the hip joint gives full play to the synergistic effect of Mailuoning compound solution and nerve block. It can effectively relieve hip joint pain，promote the recovery of hip joint function，reduce the disability rate，and improve the quality of life of patients. Early intervention is an important link in the treatment of hip joint pain diseases，which can effectively control the development of the patient's disease. Mailuoning compound solution is a new idea and method to treat hip joint pain through neuroregulation，which is easy to operate，with high safety and good therapeutic effect. In future studies，a larger sample size is needed，and more in-depth research should be conducted on the imaging changes and mechanisms of action for various hip joint pain diseases.

Objective To investigate the factors influencing international normalized ratio (INR)>3.0 in patients undergoing warfarin anticoagulation therapy after mechanical heart valve replacement. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients who underwent mechanical heart valve replacement surgery and received warfarin anticoagulation therapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2022. Based on the discharge INR values, patients were divided into two groups: an INR≤3.0 group and an INR>3.0 group. The factors associated with INR>3.0 at the time of discharge were analyzed. Results A total of 8901 patients were enrolled, including 3409 males and 5492 females, with a median age of 49.3 (43.5, 55.6) years. The gender, body mass index (BMI), New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function grading, INR, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and preoperative prothrombin time (PT) were statistically different between the two groups (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lower BMI, preoperative PT>15 s, and mitral valve replacement were independent risk factors for INR>3.0 at discharge (P<0.05). Conclusion BMI, preoperative PT, and surgical site are factors influencing INR>3.0 at discharge in patients undergoing warfarin anticoagulation therapy after mechanical heart valve replacement. Special attention should be given to patients with lower BMI, longer preoperative PT, and mitral valve replacement to avoid excessive anticoagulation therapy.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of total arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) using a left internal thoracic artery (LITA) combined with bilateral radial arteries (RAs). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent total arterial OPCABG with a LITA and bilateral RAs at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital from November 2020 to April 2023. Results A total of 24 patients were included, comprising 23 males and 1 female, with a mean age of (53.63±4.33) years. The New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class was Ⅱ to Ⅲ. The mean number of distal anastomoses was 3.17±0.38. A Y-graft was constructed in 12 patients and sequential grafting was performed in 4 patients. Concomitant procedures included coronary endarterectomy in 1 patient, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) implantation in 10 patients, and thymoma resection in 1 patient. The mean operative time was (308.13±30.39) min, mechanical ventilation time was (15.42±7.42) h, ICU stay was (46.08±27.32) h, and postoperative hospital stay was (11.71±1.90) d. There were no in-hospital deaths. Postoperative complications included one patient of acute renal failure and one patient of cerebral infarction. Pre-discharge color Doppler echocardiography revealed that the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly smaller than before surgery (P<0.05), while the left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening were significantly higher (P<0.05). Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed that all arterial grafts were patent. During a mean follow-up of (14.58±8.75) months, no patients experienced angina recurrence or mortality. Repeat coronary CTA or angiography in 16 patients one year postoperatively confirmed that all arterial grafts remained patent. Conclusion Total arterial OPCABG using a LITA and bilateral RAs is a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease. For high-risk patients, intraoperative IABP support is recommended.

Objective     To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSARR) in the treatment of patients with dilated aortic root after operation for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Methods     A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of TOF patients with aortic root dilation who underwent VSARR in our hospital from 2016 to 2022. Results     Finally 14 patients were collected, including 8 males and 6 females, with a median age of 22 years ranging from 12-48 years. Among them, 5 patients had severe aortic valve regurgitation, 4 moderate regurgitation, and 5 mild or no regurgitation. Six patients had sinus of valsalva dilation, and 8 significant dilation of the ascending aorta. One patient had residual shunt due to ventricular septal defect, and 9 severe pulmonary valve regurgitation. The David procedure was performed in 10 patients, Yacoub procedure in 2 patients, and Florida sleeve in 2 patients. There was no perioperative mortality in the group. The median follow-up time was 2.9 years (ranging from 0.4 to 6.0 years). One patient had mild aortic valve regurgitation, and the rest had minimal or no regurgitation. One patient had mild stenosis of the left ventricular outflow tract, and the rest patients had no obvious stenosis. Conclusion     VSARR is a satisfactory treatment for aortic root dilation in patients with TOF, with no significant increase in the incidence of left ventricular outflow tract stenosis or aortic regurgitation during mid-term follow-up.

Hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disorder of exocrine pancreas caused by metabolism disturbances of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.Currently,hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis is characterized by an escalating incidence rate,a tendency for more severe cases,and a lack of therapeutic drugs.Traditional Chinese medicine has distinct advantages in treating this disease,but its theoretical framework has not yet been established.Hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis manifests itself as a febrile disease,aberrant accumulation of fat and turbidity may stem from dietary imbalances and visceral dysfunction in ordinary individuals.The prolonged accumulation of fat and turbidity can transform into turbid pathogen,subsequently engendering heat,constituting a pivotal pathogenic factor.Throughout the progression of the disease,the fiery pathogen consumes the fat and turbidity,resulting in the generation of toxic heat,which is a crucial mechanism in the exacerbation of the disease severity.Thus,this article posits therapeutic principles aimed at averting the transformation of fat and turbidity into turbid pathogen and counteracting toxic heat in this disease.This article reviews two key theories from traditional Chinese medicine classics relevant to hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis:the theory of fat-turbidity associated with hypertriglyceridemia and the febrile disease related to acute pancreatitis.Combining these traditional theories with modern research on the mechanisms that intensify hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis and the corresponding targets of traditional Chinese medicine,it suggests that the pathogenesis of"fat-turbidity-toxic heat"serves as the theoretical basis of traditional Chinese medicine for the aggravated severity of hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis.The article aims to offer new insights for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial communities of biting midges and ticks collected from three sites in the Poyang Lake area,namely,Qunlu Practice Base,Peach Blossom Garden,and Huangtong Animal Husbandry,and whether vectors carry any bacterial pathogens that may cause diseases to humans,to provide scientific basis for prospective pathogen discovery and disease prevention and control. Methods Using a metataxonomics approach in concert with full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and operational phylogenetic unit(OPU)analysis,we characterized the species-level microbial community structure of two important vector species,biting midges and ticks,including 33 arthropod samples comprising 3,885 individuals,collected around Poyang Lake. Results A total of 662 OPUs were classified in biting midges,including 195 known species and 373 potentially new species,and 618 OPUs were classified in ticks,including 217 known species and 326 potentially new species.Surprisingly,OPUs with potentially pathogenicity were detected in both arthropod vectors,with 66 known species of biting midges reported to carry potential pathogens,including Asaia lannensis and Rickettsia bellii,compared to 50 in ticks,such as Acinetobacter lwoffii and Staphylococcus sciuri.We found that Proteobacteria was the most dominant group in both midges and ticks.Furthermore,the outcomes demonstrated that the microbiota of midges and ticks tend to be governed by a few highly abundant bacteria.Pantoea sp7 was predominant in biting midges,while Coxiella sp1 was enriched in ticks.Meanwhile,Coxiella spp.,which may be essential for the survival of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann,were detected in all tick samples.The identification of dominant species and pathogens of biting midges and ticks in this study serves to broaden our knowledge associated to microbes of arthropod vectors. Conclusion Biting midges and ticks carry large numbers of known and potentially novel bacteria,and carry a wide range of potentially pathogenic bacteria,which may pose a risk of infection to humans and animals.The microbial communities of midges and ticks tend to be dominated by a few highly abundant bacteria.

Objective:This study investigates the influence of the apolipoprotein E ε4(APOE ε4)genotype on the relationship between glucose-lipid metabolism disorders and diabetes-related cognitive impairment(DCI).Methods:A case-control study was conducted involving 891 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)with a mean age of(62.1±13.8)years, all of whom underwent elective surgery at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between January 2017 and December 2022.Among these participants, 229 were diagnosed with DCI(case group), while 662 were cognitively normal(control group).Routine clinical information was collected, and peripheral venous blood samples were analyzed for glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)and blood lipid levels.The single nucleotide polymorphisms rs429358 and rs7412 were analyzed to determine the presence of the APOE ε4 genotype.Stepwise Logistic regression was employed to identify independent risk factors for DCI, and subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of the APOE ε4 genotype on the relationship between HbA1c and blood lipid levels in relation to DCI risk. Results:Among all patients, female gender( OR=1.915, 95% CI: 1.393-2.631, P<0.001), longer duration of T2DM( OR=1.169, 95% CI: 1.087-1.257, P<0.001), elevated triglycerides( OR=1.161, 95% CI: 1.041-1.294, P=0.007), and being an APOE ε4 carrier( OR=1.638, 95% CI: 1.115-2.405, P=0.012)were identified as independent risk factors for developing DCI.High levels of low-density lipoprotein(LDL)were found to be independently associated with an increased risk of DCI specifically in APOE ε4 carriers( OR=1.408, 95% CI: 1.060-1.870, P=0.018), but not in non-APOE ε4 carriers( P>0.05).In contrast, elevated HbA1c was independently associated with a higher risk of DCI in non-APOE ε4 carriers( OR=1.220, 95% CI: 1.040-1.430, P=0.014), but not in APOE ε4 carriers( P>0.05).Additionally, elevated triglycerides were independently linked to an increased risk of DCI across the entire sample and within each APOE ε4 genotype subgroup. Conclusions:The APOE genotype plays a significant role in modulating the relationship between dyslipidemia and the risk of developing DCI.This highlights the critical importance of lipid metabolism disorders and APOE risk genes in both the development and progression of DCI.These findings offer valuable insights for future clinical and mechanistic studies focused on DCI.

Background::T-cell-mediated immunity is crucial for the effective clearance of viral infection, but the T-cell-mediated immune responses that are induced by booster doses of inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) remain unclear.Methods::Forty-five PLWH who had received antiretroviral therapy (ART) for more than two years and 29 healthy controls (HCs) at Beijing Youan Hospital were enrolled to assess the dynamic changes in T-cell responses between the day before the third vaccine dose (week 0) and 4 or 12 weeks (week 4 or week 12) after receiving the third dose of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), and multiplex cytokines profiling were used to assess T-cell responses at the three timepoints in this study.Results::The results of the ELISpot and activation-induced marker (AIM) assays showed that SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses were increased in both PLWH and HCs after the third dose of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and a similar magnitude of immune response was induced against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant compared to the wild-type strain. In detail, spike-specific T-cell responses (measured by the ELISpot assay for interferon γ [IFN-γ] release) in both PLWH and HCs significantly increased in week 4, and the spike-specific T-cell responses in HCs were significantly stronger than those in PLWH 4 weeks after the third vaccination. In the AIM assay, spike-specific CD4 + T-cell responses peaked in both PLWH and HCs in week 12. Additionally, significantly higher spike-specific CD8 + T-cell responses were induced in PLWH than in HCs in week 12. In PLWH, the release of the cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and IL-22 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that were stimulated with spike peptides increased in week 12. In addition, the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 were higher in PLWH than in HCs in week 12. Interestingly, the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses in PLWH was negatively associated with the extent of CD8 + T-cell activation and exhaustion. In addition, positive correlations were observed between the magnitude of spike-specific T-cell responses (determined by measuring IFN-γ release by ELISpot) and the amounts of IL-4, IL-5, IL-2 and IL-17F. Conclusions::Our findings suggested that SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses could be enhanced by the booster dose of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines and further illustrate the importance of additional vaccination for PLWH.

The main chemical components of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus and components in serum were analyzed and identified rapidly and precisely by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)technique in this study.The compounds were identified based on the relative molecular mass,fragmentation ions,and retention time of chromatographic peaks.A total of 36 kinds of chemical components were identified from Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus,including 28 kinds of saponins,3 kinds of amino acids,2 kinds of flavonoids,one kind of organosulfur compound,one kind of nucleoside,and one kind of hormone-lipid compound.In addition,8 kinds of compounds of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus were identified from the serum.Based on the intersection compounds of which detected in serum and screened out by TCMSP platform database,by using targeted network pharmacology and molecular docking technology,a"drug-component-target-pathway"association network was constructed.Naringenin,quercetin,macrostemonoside E and 25(R)-26-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-22-hydroxy-5β-furostan-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside were screened as the main active constituents of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.In addition,adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK),tumor necrosis factor(TNF),vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA)and matrix metallopeptidase 9(MMP9)were the key action targets for Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.Molecular docking was performed using the main pharmacodynamic components and key action targets.The results indicated that all the four active components showed strongly bound to AMPK.This suggested that the regulation of lipid metabolism might be the key mechanism of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus in antihyperlipidemic effect.This study provided a data reference for the research on the pharmacodynamic components of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus,and provided a basis for the improvement of quality standard of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus.

Endodontic diseases are a kind of chronic infectious oral disease.Common endodontic treatment concepts are based on the removal of inflamed or necrotic pulp tissue and the replacement by gutta-percha.However,it is very essential for endodontic treatment to debride the root canal system and prevent the root canal system from bacterial reinfection after root canal therapy(RCT).Recent research,encompassing bacterial etiology and advanced imaging techniques,contributes to our understanding of the root canal system's anatomy intricacies and the technique sensitivity of RCT.Success in RCT hinges on factors like patients,infection severity,root canal anatomy,and treatment techniques.Therefore,improving disease management is a key issue to combat endodontic diseases and cure periapical lesions.The clinical difficulty assessment system of RCT is established based on patient conditions,tooth conditions,root canal configuration,and root canal needing retreatment,and emphasizes pre-treatment risk assessment for optimal outcomes.The findings suggest that the presence of risk factors may correlate with the challenge of achieving the high standard required for RCT.These insights contribute not only to improve education but also aid practitioners in treatment planning and referral decision-making within the field of endodontics.