BACKGROUND:Degenerative scoliosis is defined as a condition that occurs in adulthood with a coronal cobb angle of the spine>10° accompanied by sagittal deformity and rotational subluxation,which often produces symptoms of spinal cord and nerve compression,such as lumbar pain,lower limb pain,numbness,weakness,and neurogenic claudication.The finite element method is a mechanical analysis technique for computer modelling,which can be used for spinal mechanics research by building digital models that can realistically restore the human spine model and design modifications. OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis. METHODS:The literature databases CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science were searched for articles on the application of finite element method in degenerative scoliosis published before October 2023.Search terms were"finite element analysis,biomechanics,stress analysis,degenerative scoliosis,adult spinal deformity"in Chinese and English.Fifty-four papers were finally included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The biomechanical findings from the degenerative scoliosis model constructed using the finite element method were identical to those from the in vivo experimental studies,which proves that the finite element method has a high practical value in degenerative scoliosis.(2)The study of the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis by the finite element method is conducive to the prevention of the occurrence of the scoliosis,slowing down the progress of the scoliosis,the development of a more appropriate treatment plan,the reduction of complications,and the promotion of the patients'surgical operation.(3)The finite element method has gradually evolved from a single bony structure to the inclusion of soft tissues such as muscle ligaments,and the small sample content is increasingly unable to meet the research needs.(4)The finite element method has much room for exploration in degenerative scoliosis.

ObjectiveTo analyze the detected results of CD4⁺T lymphocytes and viral load in newly identified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients in Huangpu District of Shanghai in 2023, to explore the correlation between them, so as to provide a scientific basis for the development of targeted prevention and control measures and antiviral treatment programs. MethodsThe data of CD4 cell count, viral load and demographic characteristics of the newly infected patients living with HIV in Huangpu District, Shanghai in 2023 were collected and analyzed by using descriptive epidemiological method. ResultsThe mean CD4 cell count of the 67 newly identified HIV infected patients in Huangpu District was (301.22±235.19) cells·µL^-1, with a mean viral load of (5.15±1.28) ×10⁵ copies·mL^-1.There were statistically significant differences in CD4 cell count and viral load among different age groups (P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences by gender and marital status (both P>0.05). The CD4 cell count and CD4/CD8 ratio both were negatively correlated with the lg value of viral load (r=-0.290, -0.378; P=0.027, 0.002). ConclusionThe CD4 cell counts of the newly identified HIV infected patients in Huangpu District in 2023 were generally low, the proportion of patients with high viral load was high, but the risk for elderly infected with HIV was high. The elderly have gradually become the key population for AIDS prevention and control in Huangpu District. It is recommended to expand HIV screening in the elderly to reduce the risk of HIV transmission and increase the rate of early detection and treatment.

Objective To investigate the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (empagliflozin, EMPA) on myocardial remodeling in a mouse uremic cardiomyopathy (UCM) model induced by 5/6 nephrectomy, through the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)/p65 signaling pathway. Methods The animals were divided into three groups: Sham group (n=6), UCM group (n=8), and UCM＋EMPA group (n=8). A UCM model was established in C57BL/6N mice using the 5/6 nephrectomy. Starting from 5 weeks post-surgery, EMPA or a placebo was administered. After 16 weeks, blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, 24-hour urine glucose and urine sodium were measured. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson trichrome staining were used to observe pathological changes in the heart and kidneys. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining was used to evaluate myocardial hypertrophy. The real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of myocardial hypertrophy- and fibrosis-related mRNAs. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of PI3K, AKT and p65 in myocardial tissues. Results After 16 weeks, UCM group exhibited significantly higher blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen than sham group (P＜0.01); UCM＋EMPA group exhibited lower blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and higher 24 h urine sodium and glucose than UCM group (P＜0.05). Echocardiographic results showed ventricular remodeling in the UCM group, evidenced by left ventricular wall thickening, left ventricular enlargement, increased left ventricular mass, and decreased systolic function (P＜0.05); ventricular remodeling was alleviated (P＜0.05), though there was no significant improvement in systolic function in UCM＋EMPA group. HE and Masson stainings revealed myocardial degeneration, necrosis, and interstitial fibrosis in UCM group (P＜0.01); the myocardial pathology improved with reduced collagen deposition in UCM＋EMPA group (P＜0.01). WGA staining confirmed myocardial hypertrophy in UCM group (P＜0.01), while myocardial hypertrophy was alleviated in UCM＋EMPA group (P＜0.01). RT-qPCR results showed myocardial hypertrophy- and fibrosis-related genes (NPPA, NPPB, MYH7, COL1A1, COL3A1, TGF-β1) were upregulated in UCM group (P＜0.05), but downregulated in UCM＋EMPA group. Western blotting showed PI3K, p-AKT/AKT ratio, and p-p65/p65 ratio were increased in UCM group, but decreased in UCM＋EMPA group (P＜0.05). Conclusion EMPA can improve myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in the UCM mouse model, and it may play the role through inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/p65 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To study the safety of Shuangshu decoction in rats and its efficacy in improving functional dyspepsia （FD） in rats. METHODS In safety test， 40 rats were divided into blank control group， Shuangshu decoction low-dose， medium- dose and high-dose groups [108， 216， 324 g/（kg·d）， calculated by raw medicine， the same applies below]； they were given relevant medicine intragastrically， for continuous 14 days. The mortality and toxic reactions of rats were recorded， and the organ indexes of the liver， kidney， spleen， lung and heart of rats were calculated； the pathological morphological changes in the liver， kidney， spleen， lung， heart， stomach， duodenum， and colon were observed to evaluate the acute toxicity of Shuangshu decoction. Another 40 rats were grouped and administered in the same way for 30 consecutive days. The mortality and toxic reactions of the rats were recorded， and the corresponding organ indexes were calculated. The pathological morphological changes in the corresponding organs were observed， and blood routine and serum biochemical indicators were measured， in order to assess the subacute toxicity of Shuangshu decoction. In pharmacodynamic experiments: 50 rats were divided into blank control group， model group， and Shuangshu decoction low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （9.45， 18.9， 37.8 g/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for blank control group， rats in all other groups were used to establish the FD rat model by subcutaneous injection of loperamide （3.5 mg/kg）. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drug solution/normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After the last medication， fecal moisture content， intestinal propulsion rate， gastric emptying rate and serum level of motilin were all detected， and interstitial cell of Cajal （ICC） ultrastructure of rats was observed in colon tissue. RESULTS The safety experiments showed that no death occurred in each dose group， and no significant difference was found in organ coefficient， routine blood and serum biological index， compared to blank control group （P＞0.05）； no abnormality was found in organ appearance and pathological sections. The results of the pharmacodynamic experiments showed that， compared with the blank control group， the fecal moisture content， gastric emptying rate， intestinal propulsion rate， and serum motilin levels in the model group were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； in the colonic tissue， the mitochondria in the ICC exhibited severe swelling with the disappearance of cristae， and the endoplasmic reticulum was dilated. Compared with model group， the rats in Shuangshu decoction high-dose group showed significant increases in the above quantitative indicators （P＜ 0.05）； additionally， there was a large number of mitochondria in the ICC of the colonic tissue， with clear cristae and regular arrangement. CONCLUSIONS Shuangshu decoction is safe and has a beneficial improving effect on FD rats； its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of gastrointestinal hormone expression to promote gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion， as well as the repair of mitochondrial structure in ICCs to restore gastrointestinal function.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is an acute deterioration of liver function occurring on the basis of chronic liver disease, accompanied by failure of the liver and extrahepatic organs, and is associated with a high short-term mortality rate. Liver transplantation is the only curative treatment for patients with ACLF. However, the shortage of donor livers and limitations of the organ allocation system mean that only a minority of patients can receive transplants. The current organ allocation system based on the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score may underestimate the urgency of liver transplantation for ACLF patients. Therefore, it is urgent to develop better assessment tools to determine which ACLF patients are most likely to benefit from liver transplantation. This article reviews the current mainstream definitions of ACLF, the selection of candidates for liver transplantation in ACLF, and the prognostic scoring systems for liver transplantation in ACLF, both domestically and internationally, in order to provide a reference for the prognostic assessment of liver transplantation in ACLF patients.

ObjectiveBased on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， network pharmacology， molecular docking and cell experiments， the active ingredients， possible targets and molecular mechanisms of Baoxin granules（BXG） regulating ferroptosis in the treatment of heart failure（HF） were explored. MethodsBXG intestinal absorption fluid was prepared by everted gut sac and the chemical composition contained therein were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. According to the obtained components， the potential targets of BXG were predicted， and the HF-related targets and related genes of ferroptosis were retrieved at the same time， and the intersecting targets were obtained by Venn diagram. In addition， the protein-protein interaction（PPI） network and the component-target network were constructed， and the core components and core targets were obtained by topological analysis. Then Gene Ontology（GO） function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analysis were performed on the core targets， and molecular docking validation of the key targets and main components was carried out by AutoDockTools 1.5.7. H9c2 cells were used to establish a oxygen-glucose deprivation model， and the protective effect of BXG on cells was investigated by detecting cell viability， cell survival rate and reactive oxygen species（ROS） level. The protein expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， phosphorylation（p）-STAT3 and glutathione peroxidase 4（GPX4） were detected by Western blot to clarify the regulatory effect of BXG on ferroptosis. ResultsA total of 61 chemical components in BXG intestinal absorption fluid were identified， and network pharmacology obtained 27 potential targets of BXG for the treatment of HF， as well as 139 signaling pathways. BXG may act on core targets such as STAT3， tumor protein p53（TP53）， epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）， JUN and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2（PTGS2） through core components such as glabrolide and limonin， which in turn intervene in lipid and atherosclerosis， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt）， endocrine resistance and other signaling pathways to exert therapeutic effects on HF. Molecular docking showed that the docking results of multiple groups of targets and compounds were good. In vitro cell experiments showed that compared with the blank group， the cell viability and survival rate of the model group were significantly decreased， the level of ROS was significantly increased（P<0.01）， the expression levels of STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 proteins were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the cell viability and survival rate of the BXG group were significantly increased， the ROS level was significantly decreased（P<0.01）， the STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 protein levels were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBXG may inhibit the occurrence of ferroptosis by up-regulating the expression of STAT3 and GPX4， thus exerting a therapeutic effect on HF， and flavonoids may be the key components of this role.

ObjectiveBased on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， network pharmacology， molecular docking and cell experiments， the active ingredients， possible targets and molecular mechanisms of Baoxin granules（BXG） regulating ferroptosis in the treatment of heart failure（HF） were explored. MethodsBXG intestinal absorption fluid was prepared by everted gut sac and the chemical composition contained therein were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. According to the obtained components， the potential targets of BXG were predicted， and the HF-related targets and related genes of ferroptosis were retrieved at the same time， and the intersecting targets were obtained by Venn diagram. In addition， the protein-protein interaction（PPI） network and the component-target network were constructed， and the core components and core targets were obtained by topological analysis. Then Gene Ontology（GO） function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analysis were performed on the core targets， and molecular docking validation of the key targets and main components was carried out by AutoDockTools 1.5.7. H9c2 cells were used to establish a oxygen-glucose deprivation model， and the protective effect of BXG on cells was investigated by detecting cell viability， cell survival rate and reactive oxygen species（ROS） level. The protein expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， phosphorylation（p）-STAT3 and glutathione peroxidase 4（GPX4） were detected by Western blot to clarify the regulatory effect of BXG on ferroptosis. ResultsA total of 61 chemical components in BXG intestinal absorption fluid were identified， and network pharmacology obtained 27 potential targets of BXG for the treatment of HF， as well as 139 signaling pathways. BXG may act on core targets such as STAT3， tumor protein p53（TP53）， epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）， JUN and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2（PTGS2） through core components such as glabrolide and limonin， which in turn intervene in lipid and atherosclerosis， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt）， endocrine resistance and other signaling pathways to exert therapeutic effects on HF. Molecular docking showed that the docking results of multiple groups of targets and compounds were good. In vitro cell experiments showed that compared with the blank group， the cell viability and survival rate of the model group were significantly decreased， the level of ROS was significantly increased（P<0.01）， the expression levels of STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 proteins were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the cell viability and survival rate of the BXG group were significantly increased， the ROS level was significantly decreased（P<0.01）， the STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 protein levels were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBXG may inhibit the occurrence of ferroptosis by up-regulating the expression of STAT3 and GPX4， thus exerting a therapeutic effect on HF， and flavonoids may be the key components of this role.

Background/Aims: Liver transplantation is the most effective treatment for the sickest patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, the influence of donor age on liver transplantation, especially in ACLF patients, is still unclear. Methods: In this study, we used the data of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. We included patients with ACLF who received liver transplantation from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2017, and the total number was 13,857. We allocated the ACLF recipients by age intogroup I (donor age ≤17 years, n=647); group II (donor age 18–59 years, n=11,423); and group III (donor age ≥60 years, n=1,787). Overall survival (OS), graft survival, and mortality were com-pared among the three age groups and the four ACLF grades. Cox regression was also analyzed. Results: The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 89.6%, 85.5%, and 82.0% in group I; 89.4%, 83.4%, and 78.2% in group II; and 86.8%, 78.4%, and 71.4% in group III, respectively (p<0.001).When we analyzed the different effects of donor age on OS with different ACLF grades, in groupsII and III, we observed statistical differences. Finally, the cubic spline curve told us that the relative death rate changed linearly with increasing donor age. Conclusions Donor age is related to OS and graft survival of ACLF patients after transplanta-tion, and poorer results were associated with elderly donors. In addition, different donor ages have different effects on recipients with different ACLF grades.

Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

Methods: Seventy-five patients with atlas fracture were included from January 2015 to December 2020. Based on the anatomy of the fracture line, atlas fractures were divided into three types. Each type was divided into two subtypes according to the fracture displacement. Unweighted Cohen kappa coefficients were applied to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility. Results: According to the new classification, 17 cases of type A1, 12 of type A2, seven of type B1, 13 of type B2, 12 of type C1, and 14 of type C2 were identified. The K-values of the interobserver and intraobserver reliability were 0.846 and 0.912, respectively, for the new classification. The K-values of interobserver reliability for types A, B, and C were 0.843, 0.799, and 0.898, respectively. The K-values of intraobserver reliability for types A, B, and C were 0.888, 0.910, and 0.935, respectively. The mean K-values of the interobserver and intraobserver reliability for subtypes were 0.687 and 0.829, respectively. Conclusions The new classification of atlas fractures can cover nearly all atlas fractures. This system is the first to evaluate the severity of fractures based on the C1 articular facet and fracture displacement and strengthen the anatomy ring of the atlas. It is concise, easy to remember, reliable, and reproducible.