Tianjin Beichen Hospital

This study aimed to make a direct comparison of four tumor burden-related prognostic systems in predicting prognoses in patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) undergoing hepatectomy. Clinicopathological and survival data of 197 consecutive CRLM patients were extracted from a public database. Clinical Risk Score-derived N1S5 (lesion number of 1 and the largest size of 5cm are cutoffs for risk stratification), tumor burden score (TBS), modified TBS (mTBS) and total tumor volume (TTV) were calculated, and patients were stratified to different risk groups. Kaplan-Meier plots were adopted to depict the survival probabilities. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between these systems and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). N1S5 and TTV systems effectively stratified patients into distinct risk groups with significantly different OS and DFS (p<0.05), but TBS and mTBS did not. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated N1S5 and TTV as independent variables associated with OS (HRs: 1.43 to 1.97, 1.59 to 1.76, respectively) and DFS (HRs: 1.34 to 2.09, and 1.80 to 2.51, respectively) (p<0.05). Compared with the other three systems, TTV showed a relatively higher time-dependent area under the curve (median: 0.60) and C-index (median: 0.64) for predicting OS. N1S5 had the highest C-index (median: 0.63) for predicting DFS. Total tumor volume seems to be a robust and effective tool for risk stratification and prognosis prediction in CRLM patients undergoing liver resection. N1S5 may provide a pragmatic simplified alternative to total tumor volume for prognostic prediction.

In this investigation, we systematically evaluated the immunomodulatory mechanisms of Methanobrevibacter smithii within the intestinal mucosal immune system using a murine oral gavage model. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that M. smithii administration significantly augmented TNF-α, IL-22, and IL-17 production in three key lymphocyte populations: group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s), CD4 + T cells, and CD8 + T cells. Notably, while the frequency of CD4 + T cells exhibited a reduction in the treatment cohort, CD8 + T cell proportions remained unchanged. Crucially, our comprehensive profiling demonstrated stable GM-CSF expression across all analyzed immune cell subsets. Although comparable activation patterns were observed in both ILC3s and T cell populations, multivariate analysis failed to identify linear correlations between their cytokine expression profiles. These findings demonstrate that Methanobrevibacter smithii actively modulates mucosal immunity through dual activation of innate (ILC3s) and adaptive (CD4+/CD8 + T cells) immune compartments, while highlighting the existence of non-redundant regulatory mechanisms within the intestinal immune ecosystem that merit further mechanistic exploration.

Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction represents a prevalent non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that not only contributes significantly to disease progression but also substantially compromises patients’ quality of life. Over the past decade, research in this domain has expanded considerably. To systematically delineate the knowledge framework and evolving trends, we performed a bibliometric analysis of publications on GI and PD from 2015 to 2025. A total of 924 articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Co-occurrence, clustering, and collaboration network analyses were performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package Bibliometrix. For findings validation, the PubMed database was incorporated as an independent external validation dataset, providing complementary verification of keyword analyses derived from WoSCC. Our analysis revealed a steady annual increase in publication output. China and the United States emerged as the most prolific contributors globally, with the latter attaining the highest total citation count. At the institutional level, Capital Medical University led in publication output, whereas the University of Helsinki ranked highest in both total and average citations. Among journals, Parkinsonism & Related Disorders published the most papers on this topic, while Movement Disorders received the most citations. Keyword cluster analyses identified three primary research frontiers: (1) pathogenesis, focusing on α-synuclein (α-syn), the brain-gut-microbiome axis, and the enteric nervous system; (2) clinical manifestations, especially dysphagia and constipation; and (3) therapeutic interventions, particularly fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotics. By integrating established knowledge and highlighting emerging trends, this review aims to inform and guide future research and clinical practice in the field of gastrointestinal dysfunction in PD.

Abstract Synthesizing alkali-activated materials (AAM) with multi-component feedstock is a promising technology for resource utilization of massive industrial wastes, and there is an urgent need to develop proportional design methods. A thermodynamic modeling assisted design method was proposed for the fly ash (FA)-granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS)-steel slag (SS) AAM, of which the mechanical properties and multi-scale shrinkage were modified by incorporating graphene oxide (GO). The FA/GBFS mass ratio and SS content had a significant effect on the solid–liquid and crystalline phases, consistent to the thermogravimetric analysis and mechanical performances of the AAM. For the optimized FA:GBFS:SS mass ratio of 3:5:2, the mechanical strengths increased with the increment of GO content, then decreased, while the shrinkages at different stages and scales followed the opposite trend. At a GO dosage of 0.01%, the compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths increased by 9.6%, 67.1%, and 135%, respectively, while the chemical, autogenous, and drying shrinkage were reduced by 43.2%, 26.5%, and 46.1%, respectively. These modifications were mainly attributed to the refined pore structure and decreased micro-cracks of AAM through bridging and filling effects of GO, and the increased formation of C(N)-A-S–H gels thanks to the raised nucleation sites by the high specific surface areas of GO.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the incidence of L5 radiculitis in patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) using a force-limited distance-measurable nerve root retractor (FLDM-NRR) combined with intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), compared with conventional nerve root retraction.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study examined 234 patients with L4-L5 lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) undergoing single-level PLIF from January 2022 to March 2024. Patients were categorized into the FLDM-NRR plus IONM group (n = 96) with force limitation ≤ 3.5 N, and the conventional nerve root retraction group (n = 138). The primary outcome was 3-month L5 radiculitis; Secondary outcomes included 1-year persistent neurological impairment, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores, and achievement of minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Multivariable logistic regression, mixed-effects models, and hierarchical testing were applied.ResultsFLDM-NRR with IONM reduced the 3-month L5 radiculitis incidence (7.29% vs 18.12%, adjusted OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.11–0.78; P = 0.017; absolute risk reduction (ARR) = 10.83%; number needed to treat (NNT) = 9), with greatest protection in the first postoperative week (3.13% vs 13.04%, P = 0.020). No significant difference was observed in 1-year persistent neurological impairment (3.13% vs 7.25% P = 0.200). The FLDM-NRR group showed superior ODI (18.43 ± 7.85% vs 21.17 ± 8.42%, P = 0.018) and higher MCID rates in VAS leg pain (95.8% vs 93.5%, P = 0.028). IONM demonstrated 85.71% sensitivity and 96.63% specificity in predicting postoperative complications. The FLDM-NRR system consistently upheld the predetermined force threshold in all instances without any device-related problems.ConclusionFLDM-NRR combined with IONM significantly reduces early L5 radiculitis after PLIF and provides short-term functional benefits. Long-term neuroprotection remains unproven and requires validation in prospective randomized trials.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13018-025-06429-0.

Abstract The performance of deep ultraviolet micro-light-emitting diodes (DUV μLEDs) is severely limited by self-heating effects at high current densities, leading to efficiency droop and reduced operational lifetimes. In this work, the effect of the mesa LW-ratio, passivation layer materials, and p-pad design on heat dissipation for flip-chip μLEDs is systematically investigated. It is found that for conventional flip-chip μLEDs, an increased LW-ratio and the use of passivation layer materials with higher thermal conductivity can decrease the peak temperature of the chip but increase the total internal thermal energy within the chip. The primary reason is that these factors promote more heat dissipation toward the chip edge not toward the p-pad, resulting in a more uniform heat distribution within the chip and a deterioration of overall heat dissipation capability. Furthermore, for flip-chip μLEDs, we propose covering the inclined sidewall with the p-pad. As a result, both the peak temperature and the total internal thermal energy decrease as the LW-ratio increases because of the increased p-pad contact area with the increased LW-ratio. This study provides valuable insights into advancing the thermal management design of DUV μLEDs.

BackgroundThere are few studies on the long-term efficacy and safety of ivabradine in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by heart failure. We aimed to assess the above questions and provide clinical experience.MethodsThe study enrolled patients with AMI complicated by heart failure who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from January 2022 to June 2023. Based on the discharge medications, patients were stratified into two groups: (1) the ivabradine group (receiving ivabradine with or without β-blockers) and (2) the β-blocker monotherapy group (control). Efficacy effects included in-hospital heart rate control, all-cause mortality, and heart failure readmission. Safety effects comprised recurrent myocardial infarction and recurrent angina rehospitalization. The initial cohort comprised 517 patients, excluding 62 who discontinued ivabradine, leaving 455 for analysis (ivabradine group: n = 101; β-blocker group: n = 354). Following 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM), 92 matched pairs were available for analysis. Potential confounding variables were adjusted through robust Cox proportional hazards regression modeling.ResultsPost-treatment, heart rate at discharge significantly decreased in both groups, with the ivabradine group demonstrating lower values than the β-blocker group (P < 0.05). At 2-year follow-up (post- PSM), the ivabradine group showed a reduced risk of heart failure readmission compared to the β-blocker group (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13–0.77; P = 0.012). However, no significant intergroup difference was observed in all-cause mortality (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.41–2.61; P = 0.937). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in the safety endpoints, including recurrent myocardial infarction or rehospitalization for angina.ConclusionEarly administration of ivabradine following PCI in patients with AMI complicated by heart failure can lower resting heart rate and is beneficial in reducing the risk of rehospitalization for heart failure. However, these findings support further investigation in future large prospective studies.Clinical trial numberNot applicable.Graphical

Neuroinflammation plays a key role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, with microglia regulating this process through pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes. Studies have shown that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) modulate neuroinflammation by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines. Photobiomodulation (PBM), a non-invasive therapy, has demonstrated significant potential in alleviating neuroinflammation. This study examines the combined effects of PBM and hUCMSCs in an invitro microglial inflammation model and an LPS-induced mouse model. The results show that PBM-pretreated hUCMSCs promoted M2 polarization and improved cognitive function in mice by downregulating the Notch signaling pathway, suggesting a promising new approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases.