BACKGROUND:Osteoporotic fracture is the most serious complication of osteoporosis.Previous studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota has a regulatory effect on skeletal tissue and that gut microbiota has an important relationship with osteoporotic fracture,but the causal relationship between the two is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the causal relationship between gut microbiota and osteoporotic fractures using Mendelian randomization method. METHODS:The genome-wide association study(GWAS)datasets of gut microbiota and osteoporotic fracture were obtained from the IEU Open GWAS database and the Finnish database R9,respectively.Using gut microbiota as the exposure factor and osteoporotic fracture as the outcome variable,Mendelian randomization analyses with random-effects inverse variance weighted,MR-Egger regression,weighted median,simple model,and weighted model methods were performed to assess whether there is a causal relationship between gut microbiota and osteoporotic fracture.Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the reliability and robustness of the results.Reverse Mendelian randomization analyses were performed to further validate the causal relationship identified in the forward Mendelian randomization analyses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The results of this Mendelian randomization analysis indicated a causal relationship between gut microbiota and osteoporotic fracture.Elevated abundance of Actinomycetales[odds ratio(OR)=1.562,95%confidence interval(CI):1.027-2.375,P=0.037),Actinomycetaceae(OR=1.561,95%CI:1.027-2.374,P=0.037),Actinomyces(OR=1.544,95%CI:1.130-2.110,P=0.006),Butyricicoccus(OR=1.781,95%CI:1.194-2.657,P=0.005),Coprococcus 2(OR=1.550,95%CI:1.068-2.251,P=0.021),Family ⅩⅢ UCG-001(OR=1.473,95%CI:1.001-2.168,P=0.049),Methanobrevibacter(OR=1.274,95%CI:1.001-1.621,P=0.049),and Roseburia(OR=1.429,95%CI:1.015-2.013,P=0.041)would increase the risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients.Elevated abundance of Bacteroidia(OR=0.660,95%CI:0.455-0.959,P=0.029),Bacteroidales(OR=0.660,95%CI:0.455-0.959,P=0.029),Christensenellacea(OR=0.725,95%CI:0.529-0.995,P=0.047),Ruminococcaceae(OR=0.643,95%CI:0.443-0.933,P=0.020),Enterorhabdus(OR=0.558,95%CI:0.395-0.788,P=0.001),Eubacterium rectale group(OR=0.631,95%CI:0.435-0.916,P=0.016),Lachnospiraceae UCG008(OR=0.738,95%CI:0.546-0.998,P=0.048),and Ruminiclostridium 9(OR=0.492,95%CI:0.324-0.746,P=0.001)would reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients.We identified 16 gut microbiota associated with osteoporotic fracture by the Mendelian randomization method.That is,using gut microbiota as the exposure factor and osteoporotic fracture as the outcome variable,eight gut microbiota showed positive causal associations with osteoporotic fracture and another eight gut microbiota showed negative causal associations with osteoporotic fracture.The results of this study not only identify new biomarkers for the early prediction of osteoporotic fracture and potential therapeutic targets in clinical practice,but also provide an experimental basis and theoretical basis for the study of improving the occurrence and prognosis of osteoporotic fracture through gut microbiota in bone tissue engineering.

Flexible ureteral lithotripsy (FURL) under general anesthesia (GA) is the dominant method in the treatment of renal and upper ureteral calculi，but some patients cannot tolerate GA.In recent years，there has been a growing interest in the use of local anesthesia (LA) as a safe and effective alternative.And it is also an option for patients who have calculi ≤20 mm with high fragility，lower CT value and better compatibility.Before surgery，it is important to conduct relevant examinations，evaluate the status of patients，prevent infections，and indwell ureteral stents.During surgery，lithotomy position，scissors position，prone leg position and other positions should be selected according to the specific conditions of patients.LA drugs should be used to control physiological pain and relieve psychological anxiety.Patients' breathing state should be carefully monitored，and appropriate ureteroscope and lens sheath should be selected for the success and safety of the operation.In this paper，the perioperative management of FURL under LA is briefly summarized，so as to provide reference for clinical practice.

Objective To evaluate the correlation between 3D morphological parameters of aneurysms based on the computer-assisted semi-automated measurement and the risk of aneurysm rupture.Methods From October 2019 to October 2022,patients with ruptured multiple aneurysms admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of Xuanwu Hospital,Capital Medical University were retrospectively included.Aneurysmal morphological parameters(including aneurysmal diameter,maximum diameter,width,neck width,volume,flow angle,parental artery diameter,surface area,wave index and non-spherical index)were measured by computer-assisted semi-automated measurement methods.The length-to-width ratio,wide-to-neck ratio,aspect ratio and size ratio were calculated,and the aneurysm location information was recorded.The ruptured aneurysms in multiple aneurysms were included in the ruptured group,and the remaining aneurysms were included in the unruptured group.Uni variable analysis and binary Logistic analysis were used to evaluate the differences in morphological parameters and location information between the ruptured and unruptured groups.Results All 56 patients with multiple ruptured aneurysms and a total of 126aneurysms were included in the group for analysis.Concerning morphology,including diameter＞5 mm(51.8％[29/56]vs.15.7％[11/70],P＜0.01),maximum diameter＞6mm(57.1％[32/56]vs.25.7％[18/70],P＜0.01),flow angle＞107°(57.1％[32/56]vs.35.7％[25/70],P=0.016),wide-to-neck ratio＞1.1(50.0％[28/56]vs.30.0％[21/70],P=0.022),aspect ratio＞1.1(46.4％[26/56]vs.25.7％[18/70],P=0.015)and size ratio＞1.9(57.1％[32/56]vs.10.0％[7/70],P＜0.01),there was significant difference between the ruptured and unruptured group;Concerning locations,aneurysms are mainly located in the posterior communicating segment of the internal carotid artery(39.3％[22/56])and the middle cerebral artery(23.2％[13/56])in ruptured group,while in the middle cerebral artery(28.6％[20/70])and the non-posterior communicating segment of internal carotid artery(27.1％[19/70])in unruptured group,and there was significant difference in distribution of aneurysm locations(P=0.003).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that size ratio＞1.9 was an independent risk factor for aneurysm rupture(OR,11.62,95％CI 2.40-56.15;P=0.002).Concerning locations,posterior communicating artery aneurysms had a significantly higher risk of rupture compared with the non-posterior communicating segment of internal carotid artery(OR,19.25,95％CI 2.19-169.51;P=0.008).Conclusion For multiple intracranial aneurysms,the size ratio of the three-dimensional morphological parameters of aneurysms＞1.9 is an independent risk factor for aneurysm rupture,and the rupture risk of posterior communicating artery aneurysms is significantly higher than that of non-posterior communicating segment of internal carotid artery.

Objective To create a semi-automatic technology based on convolutional neural networks for saccular aneurysm segmentation.Methods The single-center data of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University in the database of"China Intracranial Aneurysm Program"from July 2017 to July 2020 were retrospectively included,and all data were anonymized before analysis.Baseline data were collected from all patients,including sex,age(≥60 years and＜60 years),DSA model,number of DSA sequences,and aneurysm information,including the number of aneurysms,diameter(≥5 mm and＜5 mm),neck width(wide neck,narrow neck),and location(bifurcation,sidewall).According to the ratio of 8∶1∶1,the data were randomly divided into training set,test set and validation set by random number table method.The DSA 3D tomography data of all patients were completed in the contrast machine using the 3D rotary DSA mode,and the aneurysms shown in the DSA 3D tomography data were annotated by 3 experienced neurosurgeons,and the standard label of the aneurysm was finally generated.The proposed aneurysm segmentation method consisted of a training stage and a segmentation stage.In the training stage,the model was trained end-to-end by using the DSA 3D tomography image data of the training set,the segmentation label of the aneurysm and the vascular edge information extracted by the Marching Cubes algorithm,and the segmentation index of the model was monitored on the test set to retain the model with the highest segmentation index.In the segmentation stage,the physician selects a point inside the aneurysm on the DSA 3D tomography image of the aneurysm in the validation set,intercepts the volume of interest(VOI),inputs the trained optimal model of vascular and aneurysm segmentation,obtains the segmentation result of the aneurysm,and locates the segmented VOI back to the original DSA 3D tomography image to obtain the final aneurysm outline.The segmentation results of the segmentation network model were compared with standard labels to calculate the Dice similarity coefficient(DSC).The validation set data was stratified by aneurysm diameter,neck width,and location to compare the segmentation results in different datasets.We calculated the bounding boxes for the length,width,and height of the aneurysm segmentation mask,and used the maximum of these as the longest diameter of the aneurysm compared to the maximum diameter in the standard label.In the validation set,the standard label manual acquisition time was counted and compared with the segmentation network model acquisition time(from the time of locating the aneurysm to obtaining a satisfactory aneurysm neck segmentation).Results Finally,969 DSA sequences from 756 patients were included to show 3D tomographic data for 1 094 aneurysms.Among them,604 patients with 877 aneurysms with a total of 783 DSA sequences were included in the training set,117 aneurysms with a total of 100 DSA sequences in 77 patients were included in the test set,and 100 aneurysms with a total of 86 DSA sequences were included in 75 patients in the validation set.(1)The baseline comparison results of each dataset showed that there were statistically significant differences between the datasets of aneurysm diameter(P=0.003)and aneurysm location(P=0.003).There was no significant difference between the remaining baseline data sets(all P＞0.05).(2)The mean DSC of centralized aneurysm segmentation was 0.868±0.078.The mean DSC of aneurysm segmentation≥5 mm diameter was higher than that of aneurysms with＜5 mm diameter(0.891±0.041 vs.0.855±0.088,P=0.038).The DSC values of narrow-necked,wide-necked,bifurcated and lateral wall aneurysms were 0.882±0.065,0.859±0.085,0.876±0.072 and 0.863±0.080,respectively,and there was no significant difference between the groups(all P＞0.05).(3)The maximum diameter of the mask obtained by the aneurysm segmentation model in the validation set was in good agreement with the maximum diameter of the standard label obtained by manual segmentation([5.78±3.18]mm vs.[5.37±2.92]mm,r=0.97).In the validation set,the average time of manual segmentation and neural network segmentation of aneurysms was 2.5 min and 34 s,respectively.Conclusion In this study,a semi-automatic saccular aneurysm segmentation technique based on convolutional neural network can accurately segment aneurysms and is helpful to improve aneurysm morphology analysis.

AIM To establish a UPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of hyperoside,kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside,esculin,chlorogenic acid,berberine,quercetin,rehmannioside D,palmatine,leonurin A,paeoniflorin,timosaponin BⅡand rutin in Guanhuangmu Granules.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 40℃ thermostatic Acquity UPLC HSS T3 column(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.8 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of 0.05%formic acid(containing 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate)-acetonitrile flowing at 0.3 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning.RESULTS Twelve constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r＞0.999 0),whose average recoveries were 93.46%-102.01%with the RSDs of 2.13%-3.65%.CONCLUSION This rapid,accurate,stable and sensitive method can be used for the quality control of Guanhuangmu Granules.

Objective To evaluate the changes of brain structure in preschool children with non-lesional epilepsy(NLE)by analyzing their 3D-T1WI brain structural images with surface-based morphometry(SBM).Methods Thirty-five preschool children with diagnosed NLE in the neurology department of some hospital from January 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled into a NLE group,and 35 healthy preschool children from the same period were included in a control group.The two groups were compared in terms of cortical thickness,sulcus depth,gyrus index,cerebrospinal fluid volume,gray matter volume and white matter volume.SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results When compared with the control group,the NLE group had the thicknesses of temporal lobe cortex decreased at both left and right sides while the thickness of cingulate cortex increased on the right,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05);the NLE group had the depths of sulcus in lingual gyrus and middle frontal gyrus of right cerebral hemisphere reduced,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05);the NLE group had the gyrus index of left cerebral hemisphere talus cortex highered,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the two groups in cerebrospinal fluid,gray matter and white matter(P＞0.05).Conclusion Cortical structural abnormalities in children with NLE may be a major factor in its pathogenesis.SBM can be used to evaluate localized brain structural abnormalities in NLE children by analyzing their 3D-T1WI brain structural images,and thus can be an effective tool for determining the potential pathogenesis of NLE in children.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(2):62-66]

Cornus officinalis,a medicinal and edible plant known for its liver-nourishing properties,has shown promise in inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs),crucial indicators of hepatic fibrosis,especially when processed by high pressure wine steaming(HPWS).Herein,this study aims to investigate the regulatory effects of cornus officinalis,both in its raw and HPWS forms,on inflammation and apoptosis in liver fibrosis and their underlying mechanisms.In vivo liver fibrosis models were established by subcutaneous injection of CCl4,while in vitro HSCs were exposed to transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β).These findings demonstrated that cornus officinalis with HPWS conspicuously ameliorated his-topathological injury,reduced the release of proinflammatory factors,and decreased collagen deposition in CCl4-induced rats compared to its raw form.Utilizing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer(UHPLC-QTOF-MS)combined with network analysis,we identified that the pharmacological effects of the changed components of cornus officinalis before and after HPWS,primarily centered on the adenosine phosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)pathway.Of note,cornus officinalis activated AMPK and sirtuin 3(SIRT3),promoting the apoptosis of activated HSCs through the caspase cascade by regulating caspase3,caspase6 and caspase9.small interfering RNA(siRNA)experiments showed that cornus officinalis could regulate AMPK activity and its mediated-apoptosis through SIRT3.In conclusion,cornus officinalis exhibited the ability to reduce inflammation and apoptosis,with the SIRT3-AMPK signaling pathway identified as a potential mecha-nism underlying the synergistic effect of cornus officinalis with HPWS on anti-liver fibrosis.

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the efficacy of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects who were previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extended or switched TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated based on virological, serological, biological parameters, and fibrosis staging. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test, t-test, or Log-Rank test according to the data. Results:593 subjects from the initial TMF group and 287 subjects from the TDF group were included at week 144, with the proportions of HBV DNA<20 IU/ml at week 144 being 86.2% and 83.3%, respectively, and 78.1% and 73.8% in patients with baseline HBV DNA levels ≥8 log10 IU/ml. Resistance to tenofovir was not detected in both groups. For HBeAg loss and seroconversion rates, both groups showed a further increase from week 96 to 144 and the 3-year cumulative rates of HBeAg loss were about 35% in each group. However, HBsAg levels were less affected during 96 to 144 weeks. For patients switched from TDF to TMF, a substantial further increase in the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization rate was observed (11.4%), along with improved FIB-4 scores.Conclusion:After 144 weeks of TMF treatment, CHB patients achieved high rates of virological, serological, and biochemical responses, as well as improved liver fibrosis outcomes. Also, switching to TMF resulted in significant benefits in ALT normalization rates (NCT03903796).

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the safety profile of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects that previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extending or switching TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Safety profiles of kidney, bone, metabolism, body weight, and others were evaluated.Results:666 subjects from the initial TMF group and 336 subjects from TDF group with at least one dose of assigned treatment were included at week 144. The overall safety profile was favorable in each group and generally similar between extended or switched TMF treatments from week 96 to 144. In subjects switching from TDF to TMF, the non-indexed estimated glomerular filtration rate (by non-indexed CKD-EPI formula) and creatinine clearance (by Cockcroft-Gault formula) were both increased, which were (2.31±8.33) ml/min and (4.24±13.94) ml/min, respectively. These changes were also higher than those in subjects with extending TMF treatment [(0.91±8.06) ml/min and (1.30±13.94) ml/min]. Meanwhile, switching to TMF also led to an increase of the bone mineral density (BMD) by 0.75% in hip and 1.41% in spine. On the other side, a slight change in TC/HDL ratio by 0.16 (IQR: 0.00, 0.43) and an increase in body mass index (BMI) by (0.54±0.98) kg/m 2 were oberved with patients switched to TMF, which were significantly higher than that in TMF group. Conclusion:CHB patients receiving 144 weeks of TMF treatment showed favorable safety profile. After switching to TMF, the bone and renal safety was significantly improved in TDF group, though experienceing change in metabolic parameters and weight gain (NCT03903796).

The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a serious impact on global public health and the economy. SARS-CoV-2 infiltrates host cells via its surface spike protein, which binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 on the host cell membrane. As a result, small molecules targeting spike protein have emerged as a hotspot in anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug research. Activity screening is an important step in seeking small molecule drugs. Therefore, this article aims to review the biological activity evaluation methods of small molecule inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with the goal of laying the foundation for the discovery of new anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.