Objective To analyze the technical essentials of single-microport assisted micro-uni-port thoracoscopic surgery, and to investigate its surgical efficacy and promotional value. Methods Clinical data of patients who consecutively underwent radical upper lobectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital from March 2023 to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the surgical approach, patients were divided into two groups: the single-microport assisted group (underwent upper lobectomy via single-microport assisted micro-uni-port thoracoscopy) and the traditional uniportal group (underwent traditional uniportal thoracoscopic lobectomy). Clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 62 patients were enrolled. There were 30 patients in the single-microport assisted group, with a mean age of (57.4±10.8) years, and 32 patients in the traditional uniportal thoracoscopic group, with a mean age of (57.6±8.7) years. The baseline data were comparable between the two groups. All patients in both groups successfully underwent minimally invasive surgery without conversion to thoracotomy. The operative time in the single-microport assisted group was significantly shorter than that in the traditional uniportal group [(146.03±30.79) min vs. (171.41±36.41) min, P=0.004]. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in intraoperative blood loss, number of dissected lymph nodes, duration of chest tube drainage, postoperative pain score, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization cost, or incidence of postoperative complications (all P>0.05). Conclusion Single-microport assisted micro-uni-port thoracoscopic surgery for upper lobectomy can maximally integrate the advantages of three-port and uni-port VATS while effectively avoiding their disadvantages. It significantly shortens the operative time without increasing postoperative pain or complications, and represents a more minimally invasive, safer, and more convenient surgical approach.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on chondrocyte autophagy in rats of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Forty male SPF-grade SD rats were randomized into a blank group, a model group, a suspension group, an acupuncture group, and a combined therapy group, 8 rats in each one. Except the blank group, KOA model was prepared by the injection with papain. The suspension exercise therapy (10 min each time, three times daily), acupuncture (at "Yanglingquan" [GB34], "Zusanli" [ST36], and "Dubi" [ST35] on the right side, 30 min each intervention, once daily) and the combined therapy (the suspension exercise therapy combined with acupuncture) were delivered in the suspension group, the acupuncture group and the combined therapy group, respectively. The intervention of each group was performed continuously for 6 days, and 4 consecutive weeks, at the interval of 1 day. Before and after intervention, Lequesne MG score was assessed in the rats. After intervention, HE staining was adopted to observe the cartilaginous tissue morphology of the right knee joints, and Mankin score was evaluated; the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor neurosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured using ELISA; the real-time PCR was provided to determine the mRNA expression of collagen protein type Ⅱ(COL2), collagen protein type Ⅹ (COL10), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and autophagy-regulated protein (Beclin-1) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint; Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression of PI3K, phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), mTOR, phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) and Beclin-1 in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the rats in the model group showed the higher Lequesne MG score (P<0.01), thinner cartilage of the right knee, reduced chondrocytes and disordered arrangement, and higher Mankin score (P<0.01). Besides, in the model group, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were elevated (P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL2 and Beclin-1 and the protein expression of Beclin-1 decreased (P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL10, PI3K, Akt and mTOR, and the protein expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR increased (P<0.01) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. Compared with the model group, in the suspension group, the acupuncture group and the combined therapy group, the Lequesne MG scores were reduced (P<0.01), the cartilage of the right knee was thickened, the arrangement of chondrocytes was improved, and the Mankin scores were lower (P<0.01). Besides, in these intervention groups, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced (P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL2 and Beclin-1 and the protein expression of Beclin-1 increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL10, PI3K, Akt and mTOR, and the protein expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. When compared with the suspension group and the acupuncture group, in the combined therapy group, the Lequesne MG score was reduced (P<0.01), and the Mankin score was reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Besides, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced (P<0.05), the mRNA expression of COL2 and Beclin-1 and the protein expression of Beclin-1 increased (P<0.05), the mRNA expression of COL10, PI3K, Akt and mTOR, and the protein expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. CONCLUSION Acupuncture can promote cartilage regeneration of knee joint and autophagy in KOA rats, alleviate inflammation, so as to retard cartilage degeneration, which may be possibly associated with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Chondrocytes/metabolism* ; Humans ; Autophagy ; Acupuncture Points

Objective To investigate the effects of miR-34a on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal stem cells.Methods Twenty healthy teeth that needed to be extracted for orthodontic treatment were collected.Human periodontal stem cells(hPDLSCs)were isolated and cultured in vitro,and miR-34a mimetics were constructed and transfected into hPDLSCs.The experimental groups were subsequently categorized into the mimics group(miR-34a overexpression group)and the mimics-NC group(control group without load).The transfection efficiency was assessed using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR),while CCK-8 assays were used to evaluate the proliferation capacity of hPDLSCs post-transfection.Osteogenic differentiation of miR-34a-transfected hPDLSCs was induced,with samples being collected at day 0 and day 14 after the osteogenic induction.The expression level of Runx2-associated transcription factor 2(Runx2)was quantified via qRT-PCR,protein levels of Runx2-associated proteins were analyzed through Western blot,and mineralized nodule formation was examined using alizarin red staining.Results The expression level of miR-34a in the mimics group was significantly higher than that in the mimics-NC group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the value-added rate between the mimics group and the mimics-NC group on days 1～5(P>0.05),and the value-added rate between the mimics group and the mimics-NC group was significantly lower than that between the mimics-NC group and the mimics-NC group on days 5～11,and the difference was statistically significant.After the osteogenic induction,the mRNA expression level of Runx2 in the mimics group was higher than that in the mimics-NC group(P<0.05),and the expression level of Runx2 protein in the mimics group was also higher than that in the mimics-NC group(P<0.05),and there were more mineralized nodules in the mimics group than in the mimics-NC group after 14 days of osteogenic induction.Conclusion Under in vitro conditions,miR-34a inhibits the proliferative activity of hPDLSCs and promotes the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells.

Objective: To determine the expression of melanoma-associated antigens D4(MAGED4) and SIRT7 in human glioma, and to analyze the potential effects of MAGED4 and SIRT7 on glioma cell proliferation. Methods: The MAGED4 and SIRT7 expression levels and their correlation were compared by the China glioma genome atlas(CGGA), human protein atlas(HPA), and UALCAN databases. Survival analysis, ROC curve analysis, and Cox regression analysis were used to predict the outcome of MAGED4 and SIRT 7 in glioma patients. Gene ontology(GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) signaling pathway enrichment analysis were used to explore the biological functions of MAGED4 and SIRT7 in glioma. Western blot experiment was used to investigate whether MAGED4 protein exerted its regulatory effects on the activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway via SIRT7. The effect of MAGED4 on cell proliferation in glioma through SIRT7 was explored by CCK-8. Results: The analysis results of CGGA, UALCAN, and HPA databases showed that the expression levels of MAGED4 and SIRT7 in glioma tissues were higher than those in normal brain tissue, and the expression were positively correlated. Results of survival, ROC, and Cox analysis showed that high expression of MAGED4 and SIRT7 mRNA were risk factors for poor prognosis in glioma. Results of KEGG enrichment analysis showed that MAGED4 and SIRT7 were associated with the PI3K/AKT signaling in glioma, and Western blot results showed that MAGED4 activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by regulating SIRT7. The CCK-8 results showed that MAGED4 promotes the proliferation of glioma cells through SIRT7. Conclusion MAGED4 and SIRT7 are highly expressed in glioma and associated with poor prognosis, and MAGED4 promotes glioma cell proliferation through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by SIRT7.

Background: Developing and validating a modified parameter, the SYS-G angle (the angle between the lower endplate of the C2 and the upper endplate of C7 vertebrae), as a feasible substitute for the C2–C7 Cobb method in assessing cervical sagittal alignment and exploring its reference range through a large-scale retrospective study. Methods: The visibility of the C6, C7 upper, and C7 lower endplates was graded and compared. Baseline data such as height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age, and sex were analyzed for their impact on the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Values of C2-6 Cobb angle, SYS-G angle, and C2-7 Cobb angle were measured. The intra- and interobserver reliability, differences, and efficacy of evaluation on cervical lordosis of the parameters were compared, and the correlations among the parameters were analyzed. Furthermore, reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established based on lateral cervical spine x-rays of 825 asymptomatic Chinese adults across different age groups and sexes. Results: The visibility of the C7 lower endplates was significantly reduced compared to the C6 lower and C7 upper endplates.Age, weight, BMI, and male sex were identified as factors negatively influencing the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Both intraobserver and interobserver reliability demonstrated excellence for all tested parameters. The linear regression model unveiled a stronger association of the SYS-G angle with the C2-7 Cobb angle compared to the C2-6 Cobb angle. Furthermore, the SYS-G angle exhibited excellent efficacy in evaluating cervical lordosis. Age displayed a positive correlation with the SYS-G angle, and across every age bracket from 20 to 69 years, men exhibited a higher mean SYS-G angle compared to women. Conclusions The visibility of the C7 lower endplate diminishes with increasing age, weight, BMI, and male sex. In cases where the C7 lower endplate is unclear, the SYS-G angle emerges as a reliable method for estimating cervical sagittal morphology. Reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established across various age groups and sexes among asymptomatic Chinese adults, offering a valuable resource to guide therapeutic interventions for cervical spine disorders and deformities.

Background: Developing and validating a modified parameter, the SYS-G angle (the angle between the lower endplate of the C2 and the upper endplate of C7 vertebrae), as a feasible substitute for the C2–C7 Cobb method in assessing cervical sagittal alignment and exploring its reference range through a large-scale retrospective study. Methods: The visibility of the C6, C7 upper, and C7 lower endplates was graded and compared. Baseline data such as height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age, and sex were analyzed for their impact on the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Values of C2-6 Cobb angle, SYS-G angle, and C2-7 Cobb angle were measured. The intra- and interobserver reliability, differences, and efficacy of evaluation on cervical lordosis of the parameters were compared, and the correlations among the parameters were analyzed. Furthermore, reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established based on lateral cervical spine x-rays of 825 asymptomatic Chinese adults across different age groups and sexes. Results: The visibility of the C7 lower endplates was significantly reduced compared to the C6 lower and C7 upper endplates.Age, weight, BMI, and male sex were identified as factors negatively influencing the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Both intraobserver and interobserver reliability demonstrated excellence for all tested parameters. The linear regression model unveiled a stronger association of the SYS-G angle with the C2-7 Cobb angle compared to the C2-6 Cobb angle. Furthermore, the SYS-G angle exhibited excellent efficacy in evaluating cervical lordosis. Age displayed a positive correlation with the SYS-G angle, and across every age bracket from 20 to 69 years, men exhibited a higher mean SYS-G angle compared to women. Conclusions The visibility of the C7 lower endplate diminishes with increasing age, weight, BMI, and male sex. In cases where the C7 lower endplate is unclear, the SYS-G angle emerges as a reliable method for estimating cervical sagittal morphology. Reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established across various age groups and sexes among asymptomatic Chinese adults, offering a valuable resource to guide therapeutic interventions for cervical spine disorders and deformities.

Background: Developing and validating a modified parameter, the SYS-G angle (the angle between the lower endplate of the C2 and the upper endplate of C7 vertebrae), as a feasible substitute for the C2–C7 Cobb method in assessing cervical sagittal alignment and exploring its reference range through a large-scale retrospective study. Methods: The visibility of the C6, C7 upper, and C7 lower endplates was graded and compared. Baseline data such as height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age, and sex were analyzed for their impact on the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Values of C2-6 Cobb angle, SYS-G angle, and C2-7 Cobb angle were measured. The intra- and interobserver reliability, differences, and efficacy of evaluation on cervical lordosis of the parameters were compared, and the correlations among the parameters were analyzed. Furthermore, reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established based on lateral cervical spine x-rays of 825 asymptomatic Chinese adults across different age groups and sexes. Results: The visibility of the C7 lower endplates was significantly reduced compared to the C6 lower and C7 upper endplates.Age, weight, BMI, and male sex were identified as factors negatively influencing the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Both intraobserver and interobserver reliability demonstrated excellence for all tested parameters. The linear regression model unveiled a stronger association of the SYS-G angle with the C2-7 Cobb angle compared to the C2-6 Cobb angle. Furthermore, the SYS-G angle exhibited excellent efficacy in evaluating cervical lordosis. Age displayed a positive correlation with the SYS-G angle, and across every age bracket from 20 to 69 years, men exhibited a higher mean SYS-G angle compared to women. Conclusions The visibility of the C7 lower endplate diminishes with increasing age, weight, BMI, and male sex. In cases where the C7 lower endplate is unclear, the SYS-G angle emerges as a reliable method for estimating cervical sagittal morphology. Reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established across various age groups and sexes among asymptomatic Chinese adults, offering a valuable resource to guide therapeutic interventions for cervical spine disorders and deformities.

BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association recently released a new cardiovascular health (CVH) metric, Life's Essential 8 (LE8), for health promotion. However, the association between LE8 scores and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains uncertain. We aimed to explore the association of LE8 scores with new-onset CKD and examine whether socioeconomic deprivation and genetic risk modify this association. METHODS: A total of 286,908 participants from UK Biobank and without prior CKD were included between 2006 and 2010. CVH was categorized using LE8 scores: low (LE8 scores <50), moderate (LE8 scores ≥50 but <80), and high (LE8 scores ≥80). The study outcome was new-onset CKD, ascertained by data linkage with primary care, hospital inpatient, and death data. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to investigate the association between CVH categories and new-onset CKD. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.5 years, 8857 (3.1%) participants developed new-onset CKD. Compared to the low CVH group, the moderate (adjusted hazards ratio [HR], 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-0.53) and high CVH (adjusted HR, 0.31; 95% CI: 0.27-0.34) groups had a significantly lower risk of developing new-onset CKD. The population-attributable risk associated with high vs. intermediate or low CVH scores was 40.3%. Participants who were least deprived ( vs.  most deprived; adjusted HR, 0.75; 95% CI: 0.71-0.79) and with low genetic risk of CKD ( vs.  high genetic risk; adjusted HR, 0.89; 95% CI: 0.85-0.94) had a significantly lower risk of developing new-onset CKD. However, socioeconomic deprivation and genetic risks of CKD did not significantly modify the relationship between LE8 scores and new-onset CKD (both P -interaction >0.05). CONCLUSION Achieving a higher LE8 score was associated with a lower risk of developing new-onset CKD, regardless of socioeconomic deprivation and genetic risks of CKD.
Humans ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics* ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Socioeconomic Factors

Background: Developing and validating a modified parameter, the SYS-G angle (the angle between the lower endplate of the C2 and the upper endplate of C7 vertebrae), as a feasible substitute for the C2–C7 Cobb method in assessing cervical sagittal alignment and exploring its reference range through a large-scale retrospective study. Methods: The visibility of the C6, C7 upper, and C7 lower endplates was graded and compared. Baseline data such as height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age, and sex were analyzed for their impact on the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Values of C2-6 Cobb angle, SYS-G angle, and C2-7 Cobb angle were measured. The intra- and interobserver reliability, differences, and efficacy of evaluation on cervical lordosis of the parameters were compared, and the correlations among the parameters were analyzed. Furthermore, reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established based on lateral cervical spine x-rays of 825 asymptomatic Chinese adults across different age groups and sexes. Results: The visibility of the C7 lower endplates was significantly reduced compared to the C6 lower and C7 upper endplates.Age, weight, BMI, and male sex were identified as factors negatively influencing the visibility of the C7 lower endplate. Both intraobserver and interobserver reliability demonstrated excellence for all tested parameters. The linear regression model unveiled a stronger association of the SYS-G angle with the C2-7 Cobb angle compared to the C2-6 Cobb angle. Furthermore, the SYS-G angle exhibited excellent efficacy in evaluating cervical lordosis. Age displayed a positive correlation with the SYS-G angle, and across every age bracket from 20 to 69 years, men exhibited a higher mean SYS-G angle compared to women. Conclusions The visibility of the C7 lower endplate diminishes with increasing age, weight, BMI, and male sex. In cases where the C7 lower endplate is unclear, the SYS-G angle emerges as a reliable method for estimating cervical sagittal morphology. Reference ranges for the SYS-G angle were established across various age groups and sexes among asymptomatic Chinese adults, offering a valuable resource to guide therapeutic interventions for cervical spine disorders and deformities.

To rapidly and accurately detect Mycobacterium avium subsp.paratuberculosis(MAP),this study designed and screened primers and probes using its specific gene F57 as the detection target,established a recombinant enzyme-mediated isothermal amplification(RAA)fluorescence detection method,and applied this method to detect 116 clinical samples from cattle and sheep.The results showed that using the primer and probe combination B12F/B2R(0.4 μmol/L)+Probe B(0.12 μmol/L),MAP could be detected at a constant temperature of 42 ℃ within 20 min;this de-tection method had no cross-reaction with 11 common pathogens such as Escherichia coli,Clos-tridium,and bovine viral diarrhea in sheep and cattle;the lowest detection limit was 1.0×102 cop-ies/μL;the coefficient of variation was 3.77％—5.29％;24 clinical samples were positive,with a co-incidence rate of 88.89％with GBT27637-2011.In summary,this study established a fluorescent RAA detection method for MAP,which is simple,rapid,highly specific,sensitive,reproducible,and has a high coincidence rate with national standards,making it suitable for clinical detection and epi-demiological studies.