OBJECTIVETo explore the molecular mechanism in the formation of unstable plaques.

METHODSThe cDNA microarray E-MTAB-2055 was downloaded from ArrayExpress database to screen the differentially expressed genes in 24 ruptured plaques against 24 stable plaques. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to define the biological processes and pathways involved in disease progression. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed to identify the risk modules with close interactions. Five pairs of carotid specimens were used to validate 3 differentially expressed genes of the risk modules by real-time PCR.

RESULTSA total of 439 genes showed differential expression in our analysis, including 232 up-regulated and 207 down-regulated genes according to the data filter criteria. Immune-related biological processes and pathways were greatly enriched. The protein-protein interaction network and module analysis suggested that TYROBP, VCL and CXCR4 might play critical roles in the development of unstable plaques, and differential expressions of CXCR4 and TYROBP in carotid plaques were confirmed by real-time PCR.

CONCLUSIONOur study shows the differential gene expression profile, potential biological processes and signaling pathways involved in the process of plaque rupture. TYROBP may be a new candidate disease gene in the pathogenesis of unstable plaques.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; Disease Progression ; Down-Regulation ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; genetics ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; genetics ; Transcriptome ; Up-Regulation ; Vinculin ; genetics

Objective:To evaluate the teaching effect of multi-disciplinary integrated training program on the open comprehensive training room to improve the post competency of medical imaging students.Methods:A total of 122 residential students of five-year medical imaging from Batch 2014 of The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College were divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental group carried out the multi-disciplinary open comprehensive training program, and the control group carried out open-ended exercises. The comprehensive discipline theory examination, assessment of clinical thinking and comprehensive skill appraisal, and satisfaction questionnaire results were compared between the two groups. SPSS 23.0 was used for t test. Results:①Comprehensive discipline theory examination scores were higher in experimental group than the control group [(80.33±3.70) vs. (74.56±5.09)], with statistical differences ( P<0.05). ②Experimental group scored higher in clinical thinking and comprehensive skills than the control group did, and the difference was statistically significant [(87.58±3.15) vs. (74.52±3.66), P<0.05]. ③The questionnaire investigation showed that the experimental group students did better in improving autonomous learning ability, expression ability, the team cooperation ability, the ability to find and fix problems and the degree of self-esteem than control group, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The multi-disciplinary open comprehensive training program has a good effect on optimizing the open-ended exercises. Students' knowledge of multi-disciplinary comprehensive theoretical knowledge and imaging skills have been improved, and the ability of teamwork, problem-solving ability, self-learning ability and innovation ability required by the core competence of the profession have been developed and improved, which meets the modern medical treatment of education "to create an educational platform of medical education collaboration and multi-disciplinary integration, and to cultivate students' innovative and autonomous learning."

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy differences of stereotactic electroencephalogram (SEEG) electrode implantation in medically-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with different neuroimaging manifestations before surgery.Methods:A total of 59 patients with medically-refractory TLE who accepted SEEG electrode implantation in Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital) from January 2018 to December 2021 were enrolled. These were divided into groups according to neuroimaging manifestations before surgery, including MRI-positive group and MRI-negative group, PET-positive group and PET-negative group, or PET&MRI concordant group (concordant group) and PET&MRI discordant group (discordant group). Modified Engel classification was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of these patients at 12-month follow-up after surgery, and efficacy differences among different patient groups were compared.Results:Significant differences were noted in distributions of modified Engel classification between the MRI positive and negative groups, as well as the concordant and discordant groups at 12-month follow-up after surgery ( P<0.05); patients in the MRI positive group had better outcomes than those in the MRI negative group (mean rank judgment: 27.00 and 34.08), while patients in concordant group had better outcomes than those in discordant group (mean rank judgment: 23.32 and 31.19). Significant differences were noted in distributions of modified Engel classification at 12-month follow-up after surgery between different signal abnormal regions in the MRI positive group ( P<0.05); patients with hippocampal sclerosis or amygdala abnormalities had better outcomes than those with simultaneous abnormalities in the temporal lobe internal and external regions (mean rank judgment: 14.50 and 16.50). Conclusion:When the preoperative MRI of patients with medically-refractory TLE is negative, especially when results of structural imaging and functional imaging are inconsistent, SEEG electrode implantation and path planning as well as later surgical plan should be considered more carefully.