Dynamic changes in gut dysbiosis and metabolomic dysregulation are associated with immune-complex glomerulonephritis(ICGN).However,an in-depth study on this topic is currently lacking.Herein,we report an ICGN model to address this gap.ICGN was induced via the intravenous injection of cationized bovine serum albumin(c-BSA)into Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats for two weeks,after which mycophenolate mofetil(MMF)and losartan were administered orally.Two and six weeks after ICGN establishment,fecal samples were collected and 16S ribosomal DNA(rDNA)sequencing and untargeted metabolomic were conducted.Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)was conducted to determine whether gut normali-zation caused by MMF and losartan contributed to their renal protective effects.A gradual decline in microbial diversity and richness was accompanied by a loss of renal function.Approximately 18 genera were found to have significantly different relative abundances between the early and later stages,and Marvinbryantia and Allobaculum were markedly upregulated in both stages.Untargeted metabolomics indicated that the tryptophan metabolism was enhanced in ICGN,characterized by the overproduction of indole and kynurenic acid,while the serotonin pathway was reduced.Administration of losartan and MMF ameliorated microbial dysbiosis and reduced the accumulation of indoxyl conjugates in feces.FMT using feces from animals administered MMF and losartan improved gut dysbiosis by decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes(F/B)ratio but did not improve renal function.These findings indicate that ICGN induces serous gut dysbiosis,wherein an altered tryptophan metabolism may contribute to its pro-gression.MMF and losartan significantly reversed the gut microbial and metabolomic dysbiosis,which partially contributed to their renoprotective effects.

Objective:To analyze the external quality control assessment results of salt iodine, urine iodine, and water iodine in iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) laboratories at all levels in Shandong Province, and provide reliable quality assurance for monitoring and prevention of IDD.Methods:The external quality control assessment of salt iodine, urine iodine and water iodine in provincial, municipal and county levels IDD laboratories in Shandong Province from 2017 to 2021 were conducted, and feedback rate and qualification rate were calculated.Results:From 2017 to 2021, the feedback rates and qualification rates of external quality control assessment of salt iodine, urine iodine and water iodine at provincial and municipal levels IDD laboratories in Shandong Province were all 100.0%. The feedback rates of county level laboratories participating in the salt iodine external quality control assessment were all 100.0%. The qualification rate in 2021 was 99.3% (135/136), and the other four years were all 100.0%. The feedback rates of county level laboratories participating in the urine iodine external quality control assessment were all 100.0%. The qualification rates in 2017 and 2021 were 98.4% (122/124) and 97.1% (132/136), respectively, and the other three years were all 100.0%. In 2021, the county level laboratories in Shandong Province participated in the water iodine external quality control assessment for the first year, and the feedback rate and qualification rate of 69 laboratories were both 100.0%.Conclusion:From 2017 to 2021, the detection capacity of IDD laboratories at the provincial and municipal levels in Shandong Province remains at a high level, and the detection capacity of salt iodine and urine iodine in some county level laboratories still needs to be further improved.

Objective:To explore any effect of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the upper limb motor function and cerebral cortex activation of stroke survivors.Methods:Sixty stroke survivors were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group, each of 30. In addition to routine rehabilitation training (including drug therapy, comprehensive hemiplegic limb training and physical factor therapy), the intervention group received 15 minutes of rTMS daily, five days a week for 4 weeks while the control group was given false rTMS. Upper limb motor function was evaluated before and after the treatment using the Fugl Meyer upper limb motor function rating scale (FMA-UE). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to detect and compare the activation (β values) of the prefrontal cortex, the motor cortex and the primary somatosensory cortex in the 2 groups. The correlation between the FMA-UE scores and the β values was quantified.Results:①There was no significant difference in the average FMA-UE scores between the two groups before the treatment. Afterward, though both groups′ average scores had increased significantly, there was significantly greater improvement in the treatment group. ②There was also no significant difference in average β value between the two groups before the experiment, but afterward the average βs of channels 27 and 13 in the intervention group were significantly higher than in the control group. Moreover, in patients with lesion in the left brain, the β-values of CH27 and CH13 were also significantly higher than the control group ( P<0.05). ③The FMA-UE scores of the intervention group were moderately correlated with the CH27 and CH13 β values, but those of the control group were only weakly correlated with the β values of CH27. Conclusion:Transcranial magnetic stimulation activates a lesioned left brain region, improving upper limb motor function. The improvement is correlated with the activation of the left prefrontal cortex and the left primary somatosensory cortex.

Ensuring food safety is paramount worldwide.Developing effective detection methods to ensure food safety can be challenging owing to trace hazards,long detection time,and resource-poor sites,in addition to the matrix effects of food.Personal glucose meter(PGM),a classic point-of-care testing device,possesses unique application advantages,demonstrating promise in food safety.Currently,many studies have used PGM-based biosensors and signal amplification technologies to achieve sensitive and specific detection of food hazards.Signal amplification technologies have the potential to greatly improve the analytical performance and integration of PGMs with biosensors,which is crucial for solving the challenges associated with the use of PGMs for food safety analysis.This review introduces the basic detection principle of a PGM-based sensing strategy,which consists of three key factors:target recog-nition,signal transduction,and signal output.Representative studies of existing PGM-based sensing strategies combined with various signal amplification technologies(nanomaterial-loaded multienzyme labeling,nucleic acid reaction,DNAzyme catalysis,responsive nanomaterial encapsulation,and others)in the field of food safety detection are reviewed.Future perspectives and potential opportunities and challenges associated with PGMs in the field of food safety are discussed.Despite the need for complex sample preparation and the lack of standardization in the field,using PGMs in combination with signal amplification technology shows promise as a rapid and cost-effective method for food safety hazard analysis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of different stent oversize in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) on lumen remodeling of type B aortic dissection (TBAD).Methods:The clinical and follow-up data of 89 TBAD patients receiving TEVAR from Nov 2010 to Jun 2020 at Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the difference of proximal stent oversize, 89 patients were divided into: low oversize group (<10%, 47 cases) and high oversize group (≥10%, 42 cases). The changes of the normal vessel diameter and area at the proximal end of the stent and the long diameter, short diameter and area of the true/false lumen at the distal end of the stent at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery and postoperative complications were analyzed.Results:The change of proximal vessel diameter with time in the low oversize group is smaller than that in the high oversize group ( P<0.05),and the change of the distal false lumen area of the stent in the low oversize group was greater than that in the high oversize group ( P<0.05). The high oversize group was prone to retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD) ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Low oversize stents are more conducive to the remodeling of the aortic lumen in the early and mid-term after TEVAR in TBAD patients.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an idiopathic chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease with a diagnosed median survival of 3-5 years. IPF is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Therefore, exploring the shared pathogenic genes and molecular pathways between IPF and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) holds significant importance for the development of novel therapeutic approaches and personalized precision treatment strategies for IPF combined with lung cancer. METHODS: Bioinformatics analysis was conducted using publicly available gene expression datasets of IPF and LUAD from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was employed to identify common genes involved in the progression of both diseases, followed by functional enrichment analysis. Subsequently, additional datasets were used to pinpoint the core shared genes between the two diseases. The relationship between core shared genes and prognosis, as well as their expression patterns, clinical relevance, genetic characteristics, and immune-related functions in LUAD, were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets. Finally, potential therapeutic drugs related to the identified genes were screened through drug databases. RESULTS: A total of 529 shared genes between IPF and LUAD were identified. Among them, SULF1 emerged as a core shared gene associated with poor prognosis. It exhibited significantly elevated expression levels in LUAD tissues, concomitant with high mutation rates, genomic heterogeneity, and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Subsequent single-cell RNA-seq analysis revealed that the high expression of SULF1 primarily originated from tumor-associated fibroblasts. This study further demonstrated an association between SULF1 expression and tumor drug sensitivity, and it identified potential small-molecule drugs targeting SULF1 highly expressed fibroblasts. CONCLUSIONS This study identified a set of shared molecular pathways and core genes between IPF and LUAD. Notably, SULF1 may serve as a potential immune-related biomarker and therapeutic target for both diseases.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/genetics* ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/genetics* ; Adenocarcinoma ; Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts ; Prognosis ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Sulfotransferases

Objective:To meet the demand of medical system for talents, the training of medical students' competency has become a new direction of medical education. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of training quality in medical graduates through the competency scale.Methods:Taking "attitude", "skill" and "knowledge" as the evaluation dimensions, the competency development was divided into four levels of "state", "explain", "apply" and "transfer", and we proposed the competence concept of "A.S.K.-SEAT" and formulated an evaluation scale. Questionnaires and behavior event interviews (BEI) were conducted in medical graduates of Shantou University in 2018. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were evaluated and current situation of different competency items were analyzed.Results:A total of 155 questionnaires were collected with good reliability and validity, and 15 graduates participated in BEI. A total of 21 A.S.K. competency items (including five basic competency items and two discriminating competency items) and SEAT textual descriptions were finally established.Conclusion:A.S.K.-SEAT scale can provide valid references for the competency evaluation of medical graduates.

Objective:To investigate the effect of potassium sodium hydrogen citrate in the treatment of renal uric acid calculi with heavy load.Methods:The clinical data of 6 patients with intrarenal high-load uric acid calculi (long diameter >4 cm) treated with potassium sodium hydrogen citrate in our hospital from January 2018 to July 2020 were reviewed. All of the patients were male. Their ages ranged from 42 to 66 years, with an average age of 51.3 years old. The average length to diameter was 6.0(4.1-7.6) cm. The average density of stone was 475 (418-535) HU. The average blood uric acid was 453.3(258.7-570.0)μmol/L, and all patients had a urine pH ≤5.5. The blood uric acid level was higher than normal serum uric acid level before treatment, and 3 cases had a history of gout. Stone composition analysis revealed 100% uric acid stone in two patients before treatment. The remaining patients were more likely to have uric acid calculi before treatment. None of the patients had a history of urinary tract infection. All patients were treated with oral potassium sodium hydrogen citrate. During the treatment, the starting dose was 10g/ day, which was divided into 2.5 g after breakfast, 2.5 g after lunch and 5.0 g after dinner. The dose was adjusted according to the pH value of urine, and the urine pH was maintained between 6.5-7.0. CT plain scan was repeated every 2-3 months during the treatment period to evaluate the treatment effect.Result:After 2.5-8.0 months’ treatment, the stone load of all the patients was reduced to different degrees, and the average length diameter was shortened by 3.2cm, among which two patients’ stones disappeared. CT scan showed the stone edge changed from smooth to rough after the treatment, and there would be worm erosion defect and cavity on the surface and inside of the stone, showing obvious stone dissolution phenomenon.Conclusions:Potassium sodium hydrogen citrate has a good therapeutic effect on renal uric acid calculi with heavy load. Non-infected patients with uric acid calculi should be treated with potassium sodium hydrogen citrate.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the molecular genetics of a Chinese pedigree with congenital hand foot cleft. METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP array) was used to analyze the whole genome copy number variation. RESULTS: SNP array analysis showed that there was a 433 kb repeat in 10q24.31-10q24.32 region, which contained LBX1, BTRC, POLL, OPCD and FBXW4 genes. CONCLUSION Microduplication of chromosome 10q24.31-10q24.32 may be the cause of congenital hand foot cleft in this pedigree.
China ; DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics* ; Foot Deformities, Congenital/genetics* ; Hand Deformities, Congenital/genetics* ; Humans ; Pedigree

Objective:To investigate the effect of miR-23b on the malignant phenotype and the sensitivity of lenvatinib in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.Methods:Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, SMMC-7721 and QGY-7703 were transfected with miR-23b mimic and its control, respectively. CCK-8 and EdU assay were used to detect cell proliferation. Transwell assay were used to detect changes in cell migration and invasion. Tube formation assay were used to detect vasculogenic mimicry formation. The comparison of the mean between groups was analyzed by t-test.Results:CCK-8 results showed that the A values ??of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and SMMC-7721 in the miR-23b mimic group were 0.325 ± 0.011 and 0.537 ± 0.026, respectively, which were significantly lower than the control group 0.430±0.017 and 0.752 ± 0.051 ( P < 0.05). Transwell assay result showed that the number of cell migration of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and SMMC-7721 in the miR-23b mimic group was (517.220 ± 32.873) and (242.327 ± 20.793), respectively, which were significantly lower than that of the control group (724.130 ± 15.142) and (424.432 ± 27.212) ( P < 0.01). Simultaneously, the number of cell invasions in the miR-23b mimic group were (55.671 ± 7.514) and (64.670 ± 6.011), respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group (124.320 ± 11.782) and (156.204 ± 12.501) ( P < 0.01). Tube formation assay showed that the number of tube forming branches of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line QGY-7703 and SMMC-7721 in the miR-23b mimic group was (489.824 ± 42.035) and (435.201 ± 44.143), respectively, which were significantly lower than that of the control group (878.620 ± 31.618) and (785.430 ± 38.723) ( P ??< 0.01). In addition, EdU results showed that after miR-23b combined with lenvatinib, the positive rates of EdU staining of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and SMMC-7721 in the miR-23b mimic group were (32.905 ± 1.342)% and (24.811 ± 0.820)%, respectively, which were significantly lower than the control group (52.623 ± 2.441)% and (38.702 ± 1.312)% ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:miR-23b can inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion and vasculogenic mimicry formation, and enhance the sensitivity of lenvatinib drug in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.