Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of a treatment system for stentless discharge after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy assisted by flexible negative pressure sheath.Methods:The clinical data of 72 patients with upper urinary calculi admitted to the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from November 2022 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients achieved stentless discharge after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy assisted by flexible negative pressure sheath. There were 50 males and 22 females. The average age was (54.7±12.1) years. Preoperative urine culture was positive in 14 cases, negative in 3 cases (4.2%)with nitrite positive, and 11 cases were negative for urine culture and nitrites but positive of white blood cells (+ + + ). There were 29 cases of renal calculi, 33 cases of upper ureteral calculi, and 10 cases of upper ureteral calculi combined with renal calculi.The mean stone diameter was 17.0(14.0, 24.0)mm. CT value was (1 049.3±258.6)HU. Twenty-four patients carried ureteral stents before operation. A total of 42 cases used ureteral sheaths with diameters of F11/13, and 30 cases used sheaths with diameters of F12/14.During the operation, an infusion pump was used to provide sufficient irrigation pressure. The negative pressure suction was attached to the distal end of the sheath. The flexible head of the sheath was guided to the target renal calyx, to completely aspirate stone fragments. Stone baskets was used in 11 cases during the procedure. The level of ureteral injury was assessed according to the Traxer grading system at the end of the operation. A ureteral stent with extraction string was retained.On the first day postoperatively, CT scanning was performed to evaluate the residual stone fragments. Patients were discharged on postoperative day 2-3 after the removal of the ureteral stent and catheter. Follow-up was conducted for 30 days postoperatively, during which the Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ) was used to assess voiding symptoms and pain. Painkiller usage and emergency revisit situations were recorded. CT scans were performed to evaluate the stone-free rate on postoperative day 30.Results:The average operation time was 30.0 (20.0, 44.5) minutes. A total of 70 cases had no ureteral injuries, and 2 cases had Grade 1 ureteral injuries (minor mucosal damage). Three cases developed fever within 72 hours postoperatively, with no cases of septic shock or fever after stent removal. Eight patients reported waist and abdominal discomfort after discharge and took oral pain medication. Among them, one patient returned to the emergency department for pain treatment. Five patients reported moderate or severe genitourinary symptoms (including voiding frequency, nocturia, urgency/incontinence, dysuria, hematuria, and incomplete emptying) based on subjective evaluation. All patients could work and recovered a normal daily life after discharge and there was no readmission or additional surgical procedures. There were 61 patients achieved immediate stone-free status on the first day after surgery, and 66 patients achieved stone-free status during follow-up at 30 days postoperatively.Conclusions:Stentless discharge after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy assisted by flexible negative pressure sheath is safe and feasible.

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 investigate the popularization of non-iodized salt among residents in water-borne high iodine areas and the iodine nutrition status of key populations in Shandong Province.Methods:In 2021, monitoring was conducted on a county-by-county basis in 47 counties (cities, districts, hereinafter referred to as counties) in 9 cities of Shandong Province, in accordance with the newly designated high iodine areas in the "Definition of Water Source High Iodine Areas and High Iodine Disease Areas" (GB/T 19380-2016) and historical high iodine areas. In each monitoring county, administrative villages with a median water iodine level greater than 100 μg/L were sorted by water iodine value, and a systematic sampling method was used to select 5 administrative villages as monitoring sites to investigate the water improvement situation and the iodine level of residents' drinking water. Totally 40 non boarding students aged 8 to 10 from one primary school and 20 pregnant women were selected in each village location to collect household edible salt samples and random urine samples for testing salt iodine and urine iodine levels, and the B-ultrasound method was used for thyroid examination in children.Results:A total of 364 high iodine administrative villages had been monitored, all of which had completed water improvement with a water improvement rate of 100.0%. The median iodine content in residential drinking water was 20.3 μg/L, ranging from 0.1 to 869.1 μg/L; and 11 464 edible salt samples were collected from residents' homes, with a non-iodized salt rate of 82.7% (9 481/11 464). A total of 9 197 urine samples from children and 2 335 urine samples from pregnant women were tested, with median urinary iodine levels of 219.0 and 139.0 μg/L, respectively. A total of 9 197 children were examined for thyroid, with 262 cases detected and a goiter rate of 2.8%.Conclusions:The rate of non-iodized salt in high iodine areas of Shandong Province still needs to be improved. Children's iodine nutrition is above the appropriate level, while pregnant women are at an iodine deficiency level.

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.

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.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and short-term clinical postoperative functional outcomes of a novel 3D-printed porous prosthesis of the distal tibia for the bone defect after tumorectomy.Methods:From December 2017 to December 2019, a total of eight patients diagnosed with malignant bone tumor of the distal tibia were enrolled in this study. All cases received standard preoperative chemotherapy, after which osteosarcoma resection was performed and ankle arthrodesis was reconstructed using a 3D-printed prosthesis developed by our medical center. The contact surface between the distal part of the prosthesis and the talus is a 3D-printed porous surface, which is conducive to ankle fusion. The length of the prosthesis is adjusted by the conical mounting part of the modular prosthesis. The proximal part of the prosthesis can be fixed either biologically or with bone cement. At postoperative follow-up, the function of the fused ankle was assessed by radiographs and the monthly Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score.Results:Of the 8 patients, 5 were male and 3 were female, aged 8-29 years (mean 16.1±7.4 years), including 7 osteoblastic osteosarcomas and 1 telangiectatic osteosarcoma. Among the procedures, the mean length of osteotomy was 16 cm (11-20 cm). The method of fixation of the proximal part of the prosthesis included one case with 3D-printing of trabecular metal bone, one case with autogenous fibular graft, and six cases with bone cement. All patients were followed up for 7-39 months (mean 15.6±10.5 months). The distal prosthesis and talus were completely fused in all cases. The mean fusion duration was 4.3±0.7 months. The mean MSTS score was 84.2%±3.0% (mean 80%-90%). No tumor recurrence, wound complications, or prosthesis loosening were observed during the follow-up period.Conclusion:The novel 3D-printed distal tibial prosthesis is a safe and effective technique for reconstruction of a massive bone defect after tumorectomy of a malignant bone tumor, with high fusion rate, few complications, and satisfactory postoperative function.

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 explore the effects of dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC) on proliferation and apoptosis of epidermal cells in wound margin of mice and its effects on wound healing. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy specific pathogen free (SPF) C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) male mice aged 8-12 weeks and 60 SPF T lymphocyte receptor δ-knockout (TCR δ^-/-) male mice aged 8-12 weeks were selected to conduct the following experiments. (1) Eight WT mice were selected to isolate epidermal cells and primarily culture DETC according to the random number table. Morphological observation and purity identification of DETC by flow cytometer were detected immediately after culture and on culture day (CD) 15 and 30, respectively. (2) According to the random number table, 5 WT mice and 5 TCR δ^-/- mice were selected and enrolled into WT control group and TCR δ^-/- group. Round full-thickness skin defect with diameter of 6 mm was made on the back of each mouse. The wound healing condition was observed immediately after injury and on post injury day (PID) 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and the percentage of residual wound area was calculated. (3) Mice were selected to group and reproduce model of full-thickness skin defect as in experiment (2). On PID 3, the tissue of wound margin was collected for hematoxylin eosin staining, and the length of new epithelium was measured. (4) Mice were selected to group and reproduce model of full-thickness skin defect as in experiment (2). On PID 3, epidermal tissue of wound margin was collected to determine expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) using Western blotting for evaluation of proliferation of epidermal cell. (5) Mice were selected to group and reproduce model of full-thickness skin defect as in experiment (2). On PID 3, epidermal tissue of wound margin was selected and digested into single-cell suspension, and apoptosis of cells was detected by flow cytometer. (6) Forty TCR δ^-/- mice were selected to carry out the same treatment as in experiments (2)-(5). According to the random number table, these mice were enrolled into TCR δ^-/- control group and TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group, with 5 mice in each group for each experiment. Round full-thickness skin defect was made on the back of each mouse. DETC in the number of 1×10⁵ (dissolution in 100 μL phosphate with buffer purity above 90%) were injected through multiple points of wound margin of mice in TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group immediately after injury, and equal volume of phosphate buffer was injected into mice of TCR δ^-/- control group with the same method as above. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance for repeated measurement, t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) Along with the culture time elapse, the number of dendritic structures of DETC increased gradually. The percentage of T lymphocytes was 4.67% and 94.1% of these T lymphocytes were DETC. The purity of DETC on CD 15 was 18.50% and the purity of DETC on CD 30 was 98.70%. (2) Immediately after injury, the wound healing condition of mice in WT control group and TCR δ^-/- group was similar. The wound healing speed of mice in TCR δ^-/- group was slower than that in WT control group on PID 2-10. The percentages of residual wound area of mice in TCR δ^-/- group on PID 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 were increased significantly compared with those in WT control group (t=3.492, 4.425, 4.170, 4.780, 7.318, P<0.01). (3) The length of new epithelium of mice in TCR δ^-/- group on PID 3 was (359 ± 15) μm, which was obviously shorter than that in WT control group [(462±26) μm, t=3.462, P<0.01]. (4) Immediately after injury, wound condition of mice in TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group and TCR δ^-/- control group was similar. Compared with TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group, the wound healing speed of mice in TCR δ^-/- control group were obviously slower on PID 2-10. The percentages of residual wound area of mice in TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group on PID 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 were decreased significantly compared with those in TCR δ^-/- control group (t=2.308, 3.725, 2.698, 3.707, 6.093, P<0.05 or P<0.01). (5) On PID 3, the length of new epithelium of mice in TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group was (465±31) μm, which was obviously longer than that in TCR δ^-/- control group [(375±21) μm, t=2.390, P<0.05]. (6) On PID 3, PCNA expression of epidermal cell in wound margin of mice in TCR δ^-/- group was 1.25±0.04, which was obviously lower than that in WT control group (2.01±0.09, t=7.415, P<0.01). (7) On PID 3, PCNA expression of epidermal cell in wound margin of mice in TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group was 1.62±0.08, which was significantly higher than that in TCR δ^-/- control group (1.05±0.14, t=3.561, P<0.05). (8) On PID 3, apoptosis rate of epidermal cell in wound margin of mice in TCR δ^-/- group was (16.1±1.4)%, which was higher than that in WT control group [(8.1±0.6)%, t=5.363, P<0.01]. (9) On PID 3, apoptosis rate of epidermal cell in wound margin of mice in TCR δ^-/-+ DETC group was (11.4±1.0)%, which was obviously lower than that in TCR δ^-/- control group [(15.4±1.4)%, t=2.377, P<0.05]. Conclusions DETC participates in the process of wound healing though promoting the proliferation of epidermal cells in wound margin and inhibit the apoptosis of these cells.

Objective:To analyze the assessment results of the external quality control and network operation of urinary iodine in local laboratories of Shandong Province, to evaluate the ability of consistent analysis.Methods:In 2016, there were 65 county-level urinary iodine laboratories participated in the provincial external quality control assessment, and there were 124 county-level urinary iodine laboratories participated in the national external quality control assessment in 2017. In 2018, all 137 county-level urinary iodine laboratories in the province participated in the national external quality control assessment. The testing results were analyzed with Z score method (qualified:│Z│≤2; basically qualified: 2 <│Z│ < 3; unqualified:│Z│≥3).Results:The 65 county-level laboratories in Shandong Province were evaluated in the provincial quality control test of urinary iodine in 2016, the feedback rate was 92.3% (60/65), the overall qualified rate was 81.7% (49/60); 124 county-level laboratories in Shandong Province were evaluated in the national quality control test of urinary iodine in 2017, the feedback and qualified rate were both 100.0% (124/124). All the 137 county-level laboratories were evaluated in the national quality control test of urinary iodine in 2018, the feedback and qualified rate were both 100.0% (137/137).Conclusions:The test abilities of urinary iodine in local laboratories of Shandong Province has been increasing continuously, and it has initially reached the detection level required for the full coverage of urinary iodine monitoring in all counties of the province.