Objective To compare the long-term survival of elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with surgical versus non-surgical treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of elderly patients aged ≥70 years with ESCC who underwent esophagectomy or radiotherapy/chemotherapy at Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January 2009 to September 2017. Patients were divided into a surgical group (S group) and a non-surgical group (NS group) according to the treatment method. The propensity score matching method was used to match the two groups of patients at a ratio of 1∶1, and the survival of the two groups before and after matching was analyzed. Results A total of 726 elderly patients with ESCC were included, including 552 males and 174 females, with 651 patients aged ≥70-80 years and 75 patients aged ≥80-90 years. There were 515 patients in the S group and 211 patients in the NS group. The median follow-up time was 60.8 months, and the median overall survival of the S group was 41.9 months [95%CI (35.2, 48.5)], while that of the NS group was only 24.0 months [95%CI (19.8, 28.3)]. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of the S group were 84%, 54%, and 40%, respectively, while those of the NS group were 72%, 40%, and 30%, respectively [HR=0.689, 95%CI (0.559, 0.849), P<0.001]. After matching, 138 patients were included in each group, and there was no statistical difference in the overall survival between the two groups [HR=0.871, 95%CI (0.649, 1.167), P=0.352]. Conclusion Compared with conservative treatment, there is no significant difference in the long-term survival of elderly patients aged ≥70 years who undergo esophagectomy for ESCC. Neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery is still an important choice to potentially improve the survival of elderly patients with ESCC.

ObjectiveIn nature, objects cast shadows due to illumination, forming the basis for stereoscopic perception. Birds need to adapt to changes in lighting (meaning they can recognize stereoscopic shapes even when shadows look different) to accurately perceive different three-dimensional forms. However, how neurons in the key visual brain area in birds handle these lighting changes remains largely unreported. In this study, pigeons (Columba livia) were used as subjects to investigate how neurons in pigeon’s ventrolateral mesopallium (MVL) represent stereoscopic shapes consistently, regardless of changes in lighting. MethodsVisual cognitive training combined with neuronal recording was employed. Pigeons were first trained to discriminate different stereoscopic shapes (concave/convex). We then tested whether and how light luminance angle and surface appearance of the stereoscopic shapes affect their recognition accuracy, and further verify whether the results rely on specify luminance color. Simultaneously, neuronal firing activity of neurons was recorded with multiple electrode array implanted from the MVL during the presentation of difference shapes. The response was finally analyzed how selectively they responded to different stereoscopic shapes and whether their selectivity was affected by the changes of luminance condition (like lighting angle) or surface look. Support vector machine (SVM) models were trained on neuronal population responses recorded under one condition (light luminance angle of 45°) and used to decode responses under other conditions (light luminance angle of 135°, 225°, 315°) to verify the invariance of responses to different luminance conditions. ResultsBehavioral results from 6 pigeons consistently showed that the pigeons could reliably identify the core 3D shape (over 80% accuracy), and this ability wasn’t affected by changes in light angle or surface appearance. Statistical analysis of 88 recorded neurons from 6 pigeons revealed that 83% (73/88) showed strong selectivity for specific 3D shapes (selectivity index>0.3), and responses to convex shapes were consistently stronger than to concave shapes. These shape-selective responses remained stable across changes in light angle and surface appearance. Neural patterns were consistent under both blue and orange lighting. The decoding accuracy achieves above 70%, suggesting stable responses under different conditions (e.g., different lighting angles or surface appearance). ConclusionNeurons in the pigeon MVL maintain a consistent neural encoding pattern for different stereoscopic shapes, unaffected by illumination or surface appearance. This ensures stable object recognition by pigeons in changing visual environments. Our findings provide new physiological evidence for understanding how birds achieve stable perception (“invariant neural representations”) while coping with variations in the visual field.

Objective:To investigate the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with esophageal cancer (EC).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 8 458 EC patients who were admitted to Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were collected. There were 6 923 males and 1 535 females, aged (64±9)years. There were 3 187 patients undergoing surgical treatment, and 5 271 cases undergoing non-surgical treatment. Observation indicators: (1) incidence of VTE in EC patients; (2) treatment and outcomes of patients with VTE. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and comparison between groups was analyzed using the nonparameter rank sum test. Count data were expressed as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the nonparameter rank sum test. Results:(1) Incidence of VTE in EC patients. Of 8 458 EC patients, 175 cases developed VTE, with an incidence rate of 2.069%(175/8 458). Among 175 VTE patients, there were 164 cases of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), 4 cases of pulmonary embolism (PE), 7 cases of DVT and PE. There were 59 surgical patients and 116 non-surgical patients. There was no significant difference in thrombus type between surgical and non-surgical EC patients with VTE ( χ2=1.95, P>0.05). Of 3 187 surgical patients, the incidence of VTE was 1.851%(59/3 187), including an incidence of 0.157%(5/3 187) of PE. PE accounted for 8.475%(5/59) of surgical patients with VTE. Of 5 271 non-surgical patients, the incidence of VTE was 2.201%(116/5 271), including an incidence of 0.114%(6/5 271) of PE. PE accounted for 5.172%(6/116) of non-surgical patients with VTE. There was no significant difference in the incidence of VTE or PE between surgical patients and non-surgical patients ( χ2=1.20, 0.05, P>0.05). (2) Treatment and outcomes of patients with VTE. Among 175 EC patients with VTE, 163 cases underwent drug treatment, and 12 cases did not receive treatment. Among 163 cases with drug therapy, 158 cases underwent anticoagulant therapy, 5 cases were treated with thrombolysis. All the 163 patients were improved and discharged from hospital. Conclusions:The incidence of VTE in patients with EC is relatively low, as 2.069%. There is no significant difference in the incidence of VTE or thrombus type between surgical EC patients and non-surgical EC patients.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) belong to ligand-gated ion channel receptors, of which α7 nAChR subtype is widely distributed in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, and also identified in microglia, macrophages, bone marrow cells, etc. Previous studies revealed that α7 nAChR is closely related to the function of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, and is a vital target for drug development of Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. The establishment of a stable α7 nAChR in vitro drug screening system is crucial for the efficient screening of novel drugs targeting this target. Recombinant expression of different subtypes of nAChRs on Xenopus laevis oocyte membranes and current detected by two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) is an advanced and complex model for novel drug screening. Molecular chaperones can assist the assembly of some nAChR subunits to form functional receptors, providing a stable expression model for the screening of compounds targeting this receptor. In this study, a molecular chaperone gene of α7 nAChR, transmembrane protein 35A (Tmem35a), was isolated and cloned from rats. We constructed the recombinant expression vector and obtained the cRNA of Tmem35a by in vitro transcription technique. Two cRNAs (Tmem35a and α7) were mixed and injected into X. laevis oocytes for expression. Then, the effects of this molecular chaperone on the current expression and pharmacological properties of α7 nAChR were evaluated by the TEVC. The results revealed that TMEM35A, also known as novel acetylcholine receptor chaperone (NACHO) could effectively increase the expression of α7 nAChR protein on oocyte membranes, and the amount of α7 nAChR protein was increased about 1-fold. The peak current induced by agonist acetylcholine (ACh) was increased about 10-fold. After injection of Tmem35a cRNA, the median effect concentration (EC₅₀) value of α7 nAChR to agonist ACh is 228.5 μmol·L^-1, which shows almost no difference from native α7 nAChR (EC₅₀: 223.3 μmol·L^-1), indicating the preservation of the normal properties of α7 nAChR. The results of this investigation indicate that the molecular chaperone NACHO effectively assists the heterologous expression of α7 nAChR in X. laevis oocytes, which provides a model for screening the potency of lead compounds targeting α7 nAChR. All animal experiments in this study were reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Guangxi University (approval number: GXU-2023-0249).

Objective:To develop a risk prediction model for identifying bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) associated pulmonary hypertension (PH) in very premature infants.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 626 very premature infants whose gestational age <32 weeks and who suffered from BPD were collected from October 1 st, 2015 to December 31 st, 2021 of the Seventh Medical Center of the People′s Liberation Army General Hospital as a modeling set. The clinical data of 229 very premature infants with BPD of Hunan Children′s Hospital from January 1 st, 2020 to December 31 st, 2021 were collected as a validation set for external verification. The very premature infants with BPD were divided into PH group and non PH group based on the echocardiogram after 36 weeks′ corrected age in the modeling set and validation set, respectively. Univariate analysis was used to compare the basic clinical characteristics between groups, and collinearity exclusion was carried out between variables. The risk factors of BPD associated PH were further screened out by multivariate Logistic regression, and the risk assessment model was established based on these variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under curve (AUC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used to evaluate the model′s discrimination and calibration power, respectively. And the calibration curve was used to evaluate the accuracy of the model and draw the nomogram. The bootstrap repeated sampling method was used for internal verification. Finally, decision curve analysis (DCA) to evaluate the clinical practicability of the model was used. Results:A total of 626 very premature infants with BPD were included for modeling set, including 85 very premature infants in the PH group and 541 very premature infants in the non PH group. A total of 229 very premature infants with BPD were included for validation set, including 24 very premature infants in the PH group and 205 very premature infants in the non PH group. Univariate analysis of the modeling set found that 22 variables, such as artificial conception, fetal distress, gestational age, birth weight, small for gestational age, 1 minute Apgar score ≤7, antenatal corticosteroids, placental abruption, oligohydramnios, multiple pulmonary surfactant, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS)>stage Ⅱ, early pulmonary hypertension, moderate-severe BPD, and hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) all had statistically significant influence between the PH group and the non PH group (all P<0.05). Antenatal corticosteroids, fetal distress, NRDS >stage Ⅱ, hsPDA, pneumonia and days of invasive mechanical ventilation were identified as predictive variables and finally included to establish the Logistic regression model. The AUC of this model was 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.90), the cut-off value was 0.17, the sensitivity was 0.77, and the specificity was 0.84. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that P>0.05. The AUC for external validation was 0.88, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test suggested P>0.05. Conclusions:A high sensitivity and specificity risk prediction model of PBD associated PH in very premature infants was established. This predictive model is useful for early clinical identification of infants at high risk of BPD associated PH.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Redo-Bentall surgery in the reoperation of aortic root lesions.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 46 patients who underwent Redo-Bentall surgery for aortic root lesions in our department from June 2010 to April 2022.They were 35 males and 11 females,at a mean age of 43.37±12.79 years,in 4.96±6.76 years since the last operation.General clinical data in perioperative period and during follow-up were collected and analyzed.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the survival rates of each etiological group.Results There were 9 cases of central end otitis,12 cases of Behset's disease,and 25 cases of other causes.After operation,4 cases(8.70％)experienced cardiac arrest,4 cases(8.70％)renal failure,2 cases(4.35％)gastrointestinal bleeding,2 cases(4.35％)new third-degree atrioventricular block and 2 cases(4.35％)permanent pacemaker placement.In perioperative period,3 cases(6.52％)died in hospital.During a mean follow-up of 5.03±3.27 years after discharge,5 cases(11.63％)were lost to follow-up,1 case died(2.33％),1 case had lacunar infarction(2.33％),and no severe bleeding or embolism complications was observed in the rest patients.The long-term survival rate was significantly lower in the endocarditis group(62.3％)and the Behcet's disease group(70％)than the other etiological groups(80％,P＜0.05).Conclusion The application of Redo-Bentall in the reoperation of aortic root lesions is safe and effective,but the survival rate is quite lower in the patients with infective endocarditis and Behcet's disease.

Objective To investigate the anti-atherosclerotic mechanism of herbal cake-separated moxibustion.Methods Twenty-four New Zealand purebred male rabbits were randomly divided into normal group,model group,herbal cake-separated moxibustion group and Atorvastatin group,with 6 rabbits in each group.Except for the normal group,the rabbits in the other groups were fed with high-fat diet mixed with Propylthiouracil(PTU)method to construct an atherosclerosis model.At the same period of modeling,corresponding intervention was given.After 12 weeks,the levels of serum total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG)and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)were detected.The pathological changes of rabbit aortic tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.The levels of serum tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),interleukin 6(IL-6)and interleukin 10(IL-10)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The contents of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K),phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-AKT)and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin(p-mTOR)in myocardial tissue were detected by Western Blot.Results Compared with the normal group,the serum levels of TC,TG and LDL-C in the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.001),the aortic vascular endothelial structure was significantly damaged,the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were increased(P＜0.001),the serum level of IL-10 was decreased(P＜0.01),and the protein expression levels of PI3K,p-AKT and p-mTOR in myocardial tissue were significantly decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the above indexes in the herbal cake-separated moxibustion group and the Atorvastatin group were significantly improved(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).Compared with the Atorvastatin group,the contents of TG and LDL-C in the herbal cake-separated moxibustion group were increased(P＜0.01),and other indicators did not change significantly(P＞0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of anti-atherosclerosis of herbal cake-separated moxibustion may be related to the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and the regulation of the expressions of inflammatory mediators TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-10.

Human brain banks use a standardized protocol to collect,process and store post-mortem human brains and related tissues,along with relevant clinical information,and to provide the tissue samples and data as a resource to foster neuroscience research according to a standardized operating protocols(SOP).Human brain bank serves as the foundation for neuroscience research and the diagnosis of neurological disorders,highlighting the crucial rule of ensuring the consistency of standardized quality for brain tissue samples.The first version of SOP in 2017 was published by the China Human Brain Bank Consortium.As members increases from different regions in China,a revised SOP was drafted by experts from the China Human Brain Bank Consortium to meet the growing demands for neuroscience research.The revised SOP places a strong emphasis on ethical standards,incorporates neuropathological evaluation of brain regions,and provides clarity on spinal cord sampling and pathological assessment.Notable enhancements in this updated version of the SOP include reinforced ethical guidelines,inclusion of matching controls in recruitment,and expansion of brain regions to be sampled for neuropathological evaluation.

Objective By population survey,to explore the epidemiological characteristics of gastric precancerous lesions in Lishui District of Nanjing and provide objective basis for the prevention and treatment of early gastric cancer.Methods From July 2021 to December 2022,21 977 patients who received endoscopy and/or 13C-UBT in Lishui District People's Hospital and 6 medical community units in Nanjing City were retrospectively analyzed for demography characteristics,detection rate of gastric precancerous lesions,and H.Pylori infection rate.Results(1)590 cases of gastric precancerous lesions were detected(detection rate 2.68%);(2)The total detection rate of precancerous lesions and three pathological types in males were all higher than those in females(all P<0.001);(3)The minimum age for the total detection rate of precancerous lesions in males and the mini-mum age for each pathological type were lower than in females(P<0.001,0.009,0.005,0.002);(4)The popu-lation total H.pylori infection rate was 23.10%,the H.pylori infection rate in patients with precancerous lesions was higher than that in non-precancerous lesions(P<0.001),both H.pylori infection rate of male and female in precancerous lesions were all higher than those of non-precancerous lesions of the same sex(all P<0.001),in addition,the H.pylori infection rate of male whether in precancerous or non-precancerous lesions was higher than that of female(all P<0.001);(5)The precancerous lesions detection rate in male,female,and the overall age range of 20～29 to 70～79 years is positively correlated with age growth(P<0.001),and rapidly decreases after the age of 79,the of H.pylori infection rate was also positively correlated with age growth(P<0.001),and the trend of age change(P<0.001)was parallel to the precancerous lesions detection rate.Conclusions The detec-tion rate of gastric precancerous lesions in this region is above the average level in China;the total H.pylori infec-tion rate is at a relatively low level in China;the H.pylori infection rate is parallel to the age trend of the detection rate of gastric precancerous lesions,and increases with age.

Objective To clarify the understanding of types of laboratories and manufacturers for GB 9706.1-2020 Medical electrical equipment-Part 1:General requirements for basic safety and essential performance by laboratory proficiency testing for creepage distance and electrical clearance test.Methods An operation guide was formed according to the testing program in GB 9706.1-2020,and the homogeneity and stability of the samples were evaluated according to CNAS-GL003:2018 Guidance on Evaluating the Homogenneity and Stability of Samples Used for Proficiency Testing.Robust statistic methods were used to assess the quantitative parameters of the test results of the participating laboratories according to the requirements in GB/T 28043-2019 Statistical methods for use in proficiency testing by interlaboratory comparison;the results reported by the expert laboratories were used as the specified values of the qualitative parameters.SPSS 25.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Results All the results of the crreepage distance and electrical clearance tests met the requirements for homogeneity and stability.Of the 46 laboratories involved in,37 ones did have comprehensive satisfactory determinations while the remained 9 ones not.Conclusion Some laboratories don't behave well in understanding the standard,which have to be reformed accordingly to enhance their proficiencies.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(10):54-59]