Clinically， the occurrence of the breaking bad news is inevitable. For patients， they not only need to accept and cope with bad news， but also need to inform the bad news to their families with clear thinking and appropriate language， seeking their support and cooperation. This paper analysed the connotation and informing dilemma of bad news， investigated patients’ informing tendencies， as well as evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of three disclosure methods， including concealment， immediate informing， and staged informing. On these bases， a detailed response strategy for patients to inform their families was proposed in three parts， including pre-preparation， mid-articulation， and post-summary. In the initial phase， thorough preparation is essential. During the middle stage， when delivering bad news， use plain language and help family members adjust their emotions. In the final phase， ensure that all information and viewpoints have been fully communicated. In addition， the roles and analysis steps that doctors should play were analysed from their perspective and combined with the degree of doctor-patient trust. Effective informing of bad news is not only about communication skills， but also involves a deep understanding and respect for the psychological needs of patients and their families. Through meticulous preparation， appropriate expression， emotional support， and clear confirmation， communication and trust are promoted to face and overcome difficulties together.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Tongluo Baoshen prescription （TLBS）-containing serum on the rat podocyte injury induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and explore the potential mechanisms. MethodsSD rats were used to prepare the blank serum， losartan potassium-containing serum， and low-， medium-， and high-dose TLBS-containing sera. Rat podocytes were cultured in vitro， and the effects of drug-containing sera on podocyte viability were detected by the cell counting kit-8 （CKK-8） method. The optimal intervention volume fraction of drug-containing sera and the optimal concentration of LPS for inducing the podocyte injury were determined. Rat podocytes were grouped as follows： normal control （NC， 10% blank serum）， model control （MC， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% black serum）， losartan potassium （LP， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% losartan potassium-containing serum）， low-dose TLBS （TLBS-L， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% low-dose TLBS-containing serum）， medium-dose TLBS （TLBS-M， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% medium-dose TLBS-containing serum）， and high-dose TLBS （TLBS-H， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% high-dose TLBS-containing serum）， and the interventions lasted for 48 h. The ultrastructure of podocytes was observed under a transmission electron microscope. The podocyte apoptosis was detected by the terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick-end labeling （TUNEL） kit. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of gasdermin D N-terminal fragment （GSDMD-NT） in podocytes. The mRNA and protein levels of G protein-coupled receptor family C group 5 member B （GPRC5B）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， GSDMD-NT， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-18， nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ in podocytes were determined by real-time quaritiative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultsCompared with the NC group， the MC group showed reduced podocyte protrusions and organelles， segmental missing of cell membranes， increased and swollen mitochondria， irregular nuclear membranes， light chromatin， increased TUNEL fluorescence-positive nuclei （P<0.01）， obviously enhanced fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-NT， up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of GPRC5B， NF-κB p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NLRP3， caspase-1， GSDMD-NT， IL-1β， and IL-18 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ （P<0.01） in podocytes. Compared with the MC group， the LP， TLBS-M， and TLBS-H groups showed improved ultrastructure of podocytes with increased protrusions， intact cell membranes， reduced organelles， and alleviated mitochondrial swelling， decreased TUNEL fluorescence-positive nuclei （P<0.01）， weakened fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-NT， down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of GPRC5B， NF-κB p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NLRP3， caspase-1， GSDMD-NT， IL-1β， and IL-18 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the changes above were the most obvious in the TLBS-H group. ConclusionThe TLBS-containing serum can regulate the GPRC5B/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway to inhibit pyroptosis， thereby ameliorating the podocyte injury induced by LPS.

IgA nephropathy is recognized as the most common primary glomerular disease， with up to 20%-40% of patients developing end-stage kidney disease within 20 years of onset. The deposition of IgA1-containing immune complexes targeting glycosylation defects in the mesangial region and the subsequent inflammation caused by T lymphocyte activation are considered as the main causes of IgA nephropathy， and innate immunity is also involved in the pathogenesis. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain （NOD）-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） is a newly discovered pattern recognition receptor expressed in renal intrinsic cells such as renal tubular epithelial cells， mesangial cells， and podocytes. Activated by external stimuli， NLRP3 can form NLRP3 inflammasomes with apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain （ASC）. The NLRP3 inflammasome can activate cysteine aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， causing the maturation and release of interleukin-18 （IL-18） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β） involved in inflammation. Increasing evidence has suggested that NLRP3 inflammasomes are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of IgA nephropathy and associated with the damage of renal intrinsic cells such as podocytes， mesangial cells， endothelial cells， and renal tubular epithelial cells. Chinese medicine can regulate inflammatory cytokines and their signaling pathways by acting on NLRP3 inflammasomes and related molecules， exerting therapeutic effects on IgA nephropathy. This article introduces the role of NLRP3 inflammasomes in IgA nephropathy and reviews the clinical and experimental research progress of Chinese medicine intervention in IgA nephropathy via NLRP3 inflammasomes， aiming to provide a reference for further research and application of Chinese medicine intervention in the NLRP3 inflammasome as a new therapeutic target.

[Objective]To explore if the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who are undergoing elective cesarean delivery could cause perioperative glycemic abnormalities and heighten the risk of neonatal hypoglycemia.[Methods]A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of pregnant women with singleton pregnancies who underwent elective cesarean sections and received ERAS between May 1,2022,and October 31,2023,at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. A total of 150 patients were included in this study,comprising the GDM group (n=75) and the non-GDM group (n=75). The study included pregnant women with good glycemic control (GDM) and maternal age (18-30 years;30-35 years;35-40 years;>40 years),BMI (<18.5 kg/m2;18.5-24.9 kg/m2;25-30 kg/m2;>30 kg/m2),and gestational age (within 7 days). We used these criteria to match 1∶1 non-GDM women as the control group. After administering preoperative oral carbohydrates,we observed the trends of maternal glycemic changes,including hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia,at any time of the day. We also evaluated the incidence of hypoglycemic low Apgar scores in newborns,abnormal pH values in blood gases,and the rate of transfer to the pediatric unit immediately after delivery.[Results]No significant difference was observed in fasting blood glucose levels on the day of surgery between the two groups of pregnant women[(4.4±0.5) mmol/L vs. (4.3±0.5) mmol/L,t=1.395,P=0.165]. The blood glucose peak was reached 30 minutes after consuming 300 mL (42.6 g of low-dose carbohydrate) of a light drink[(7.2±0.9) mmol/L vs. (6.4±0.8) mmol/L,t=5.773,P<0.001],with a subsequent decline in blood glucose levels. At the 120-minute mark,blood glucose had returned to the pre-oral carbohydrate level. The blood glucose levels in GDM groups was significantly higher than those in the non-GDM group (P<0.005). Although the incidence of hyperglycemia was significantly higher in the GDM group than in the non-GDM group at the 30-minute peak blood glucose level after oral carbohydrate intake,and the difference was statistically significant (17.3％ vs. 1.3％,x2=11.354,P<0.001),severe hyperglycemia (≥10 mmol/L) did not occur. The incidence of hypoglycemia was not significantly higher in neonates in the GDM group than in the non-GDM group (22.7％ vs. 28％,x2=0.564,P=0.453). The incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia in the GDM group was not significantly elevated in comparison to the non-GDM group after adjusting for age and BMI (Model 1),primiparity and gestational week of delivery (Model 2),hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (Model 3),cesarean section indications,time of cesarean section,and intraoperative hemorrhage (Model 4),and neonatal weight (Model 5).[Conclusion]In GDM patients with excellent glycemic control,an ERAS regimen with a low oral dose of carbohydrates prior to elective cesarean section does not increase the risk of preoperative serious hyperglycemia in mothers,nor does it increase the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia.

Objective:To construct an individualized nomogram prediction model for predicting the risk of the occurrence of covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) in patients with liver cirrhosis.Methods:325 cases of liver cirrhosis admitted from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Patients were divided into training ( n=213) and validation ( n=112) sets using a cluster randomization method. The risk factors for CHE occurrence in patients with cirrhosis in the training set were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. A prediction model related to the nomogram was established. Results:Independent risk factors for the occurrence of CHE in patients with cirrhosis were a history of hepatic encephalopathy, co-infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, severe ascites, prothrombin time ≥16 seconds, high total bilirubin, and high blood ammonia levels ( P<0.05). Nomogram model validation results: The model had a net benefit for the training and validation sets, with C-indices of 0.830 (95% CI: 0.802-0.858) and 0.807 (95% CI: 0.877-0.837), respectively, within the range of 0-96%. The calibration curves of both sets were evenly close to the ideal curves. The AUCs for the ROC curves in both sets were 0.827 (95% CI: 0.796-0.858) and 0.811 (95% CI: 0.787-0.836), respectively. Conclusion:Patients with cirrhosis have many risk factors for CHE occurrence. The nomogram model constructed based on these risk factors possesses a good predictive value for assessing CHE occurrence in cirrhotic patients.

Objective To observe the preventive effect of ceftriaxone sodium(CRO)combined with bundle management(BM)on early ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP)in the intensive care unit(ICU)patients with mechanical ventilation(MV).Methods A total of 138 ICU patients treated with MV at Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University were selected from May 2022 to April 2023.According to whether CRO was used,they were divided into CRO group and non-CRO(NCRO)group,and BM was performed during hospitalization in both groups.The incidence of early VAP,mortality,duration of mechanical ventilation,ICU stay,and total hospital stay were observed and compared between the two groups.In addition,the changes in inflammatory indicators[C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),and white blood cell count(WBC)]were compared before and after the intervention(on day 7).Results The incidence of early VAP was lower in the CRO group than in the NCRO group(P＜0.05).The mortality rate of patients in the CRO group was lower than that in the NCRO group,but the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The duration of mechanical ventilation,length of ICU stay and total hospital stay in the CRO group were shorter than those in the NCRO group(P＜0.05).Before treatment,the CRP levels,serum PCT levels,and WBC were not significantly different between the two groups(P＞0.05).Compared with before treatment,serum CRP levels,PCT levels and WBC were significantly decreased in the CRO and NCRO groups(P＜0.05).In addition,serum CRP,PCT and WBC of the CRO group were lower than the NCRO group on the seventh day,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).Conclusion CRO combined with BM can reduce the incidence of early VAP in ICU patients undergoing MV,shorten MV time,ICU stay and total hospital stay,and reduce the level of inflammatory response.

Purpose Based on European lumbar spine phantom,to investigate the effect of different noise index(NI)combined with adaptive statistical interactive reconstruction-veo(ASiR-V)weights on the measurement of lumbar spine bone density,and to explore the optimal combination of the two parameters.Materials and Methods Using GE Revolution CT spectral imaging scanning,54 groups of scanning parameters with NI values of 4-20(interval 2)combined with ASiR-V weights of 0-100%(interval 20%)were selected for spectral scanning of European lumbar spine phantom.Regions of interest were placed in the middle of L1,L2 and L3,respectively.hydroxyapatite(HAP)-H2O based substances were selected to measure the HAP content of each vertebral body.The differences between the measured bone density value and the true value under different NI combined with different ASiR-V were compared to evaluate its accuracy.Results There were statistically significant differences in HAP measurements of L1,L2 and L3 vertebra in 54 groups of scanning conditions(all P<0.001).When NI=14,ASiR-V80%;NI=16,ASiR-V100%;NI=18,ASiR-V60%;NI=18,ASiR-V80%;NI=20,ASiR-V60%;NI=20,ASiR-V80%;NI=20,ASiR-V100%,there was no statistically significant difference between HAP measured value and true body model value(P>0.05).Conclusion With NI=18,ASiR-V60%,spectral CT can accurately measure lumbar spine bone density and significantly reduce the radiation dose.In clinical application,bone density can be measured by low dose scanning by increasing the weight of NI and ASiR-V.

Objective To explore the construction of modular intervention for patients dependent on mechanical ventilation in ICU,and to conduct the clinical empirical study.Methods A total of 100 mechanical ventilation-dependent patients in ICU were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the admission order,with 50 patients in each group.Control group received routine intervention,while observation group was treated with modular intervention in addition to the treatment given to control group.The weaning success rate,weaning time,complications,rehabilitation index,blood gas analysis index,psychological state,and nutritional status were compared between two groups.Results Compared with control group,observation group had higher weaning success rate,shorter weaning time,ICU stay and general ward admission,and lower incidence of complications(P<0.05).After intervention,observation group had lower PaCO2,and higher PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 than control group(P<0.05);the scores of SAS,SDS and APACHEⅡwere lower in observation group than in control group(P<0.05);and the serum levels of ALB,PA,TRF and TP in observation group were higher than those in control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Modular intervention for mechanical ventilation-dependent patients in ICU can increase weaning success rate,improve blood gas analysis index and nutritional status,alleviate negative emotions,reduce complications and speed recovery.

Objective:To analyze the correlation between cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy in elderly patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS).Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 40 consecutive elderly patients with ACAS treated in the Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People′s Hospital from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 (ACAS group), and 40 elderly healthy controls who accepted physical examination during the same period (control group) were included. Cognitive assessment was performed using the Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), and brain magnetic resonance imaging scanning was performed in the ACAS group. The artificial intelligence technique was applied for brain lobe segmentation and cortical volume calculation. The χ2-test, independent sample t-test and Wilcoxon non-parametric test were used to analyze the difference of clinical data and cognitive scores between the two groups. In the ACAS group, the cortical volumes of the side with carotid stenosis was compared with that of the normal side, and Spearman′s correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between cognitive scores and cortical atrophy. Results:Compared with the control group, the ACAS group got significantly lower scores of MMSE and MoCA, as well as lower scores of visuospatial executive function, attention and calculation, language function, abstraction ability and delayed recall [(25.60±2.49) vs (27.18±1.01), (22.05±3.59) vs (25.60±1.43), (2.73±1.04) vs (4.08±0.62), (4.53±0.93) vs (5.03±0.66), 2.00 (0.00) vs 3.00 (0.00), 1.00 (1.00) vs 2.00 (0.00), and (2.95±0.96) vs (3.35±0.62)] (all P<0.05). There was not significant differences in naming and orientation ability between the two groups (both P>0.05). The volume of cortical, temporal lobe, frontal lobe, parietal lobe and insular lobe on the side with carotid stenosis in the ACAS group were significantly smaller than those on the normal side [186.23 (177.97, 202.53) vs 194.67 (185.65, 204.82) cm 3, 54.74 (50.66, 56.95) vs 55.61 (51.24, 58.49) cm 3, 72.98 (70.76, 78.34) vs 75.27 (72.34, 80.66) cm 3, 53.66 (51.11, 57.86) vs 56.59 (52.80, 60.09) cm 3, 6.57 (6.35, 7.07) vs 6.72 (6.46, 7.34) cm 3] (all P<0.05). The MoCA score in the ACAS group was positively related to the cortical volume ratio of the two sides ( r=0.427, P<0.01). The attention ( r=0.353) and abstraction ( r=0.226) ability scores were positively correlated with the temporal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (both P<0.05). The visuospatial executive ( r=0.187) and language ( r=0.373) ability scores were positively correlated with frontal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (both P<0.05), and visuospatial executive ( r=0.386), naming ( r=0.344), language ( r=0.517), abstraction ( r=0.335) and delayed recall ( r=0.333) ability scores were positively correlated with parietal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In elderly patients with ACAS, the cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy on the sides with carotid stenosis are significant and a positive correlation is detected between them.

Objective To evaluate and summarize the evidence related to targeted temperature management in brain injury patients with ICU for health care workers and decision makers.Methods We systematically searched from the guideline websites,domestic and foreign databases and association official websites to collect the literature including guidelines,expert consensuses,clinic decision-making,evidence summaries and systematic reviews,according to the 6s evidence model.The search time limit was from January 2012 to April,2023.Evidence was extracted after the quality evaluation of the literature was conducted by evidence-based researchers.Results A total of 19 articles were incorporated,including 6 guidelines,3 clinic decision-making,5 expert consensuses,4 systematic reviews and 1 evidence summary.Finally,25 pieces of best evidence were formed from 10 aspects,temperature range,starting time,body temperature monitoring,pipeline management,analgesia and sedation management,mechanical ventilation and oxygenation management,hemodynamic support,nutrition management,condition monitoring and prognosis evaluation.Conclusion The best evidence for management of targeted temperature in brain injury patients with ICU in this study is scientific and comprehensive,providing the evidence-based basis for medical staff to standardized management of targeted temperature in critically ill patients in clinical practice.