Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting ~65 million individuals worldwide. Abnormal synaptic plasticity is one of the most important pathological features of this condition. We investigated how ubiquitin-specific peptidase 47 (USP47) influences synaptic plasticity and its link to epilepsy. We found that USP47 enhanced excitatory postsynaptic transmission and increased the density of total dendritic spines and the proportion of mature dendritic spines. Furthermore, USP47 inhibited the degradation of the ubiquitinated α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) subunit glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1), which is associated with synaptic plasticity. In addition, elevated levels of USP47 were found in epileptic mice, and USP47 knockdown reduced the frequency and duration of seizure-like events and alleviated epileptic seizures. To summarize, we present a new mechanism whereby USP47 regulates excitatory postsynaptic plasticity through the inhibition of ubiquitinated GluR1 degradation. Modulating USP47 may offer a potential approach for controlling seizures and modifying disease progression in future therapeutic strategies.
Animals ; Receptors, AMPA/metabolism* ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology* ; Seizures/physiopathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase/genetics* ; Male ; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials/physiology* ; Ubiquitination ; Dendritic Spines/metabolism* ; Hippocampus/metabolism*

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of lacrimal duct laser dacryoplasty combined with intubation and postoperative meibomian gland treatment in patients with chronic dacryocystitis complicated by meibomian gland dysfunction.METHODS: Data were collected from 128 patients with chronic dacryocystitis complicated by meibomian gland dysfunction treated at Xi'an No.1 Hospital from March 2021 to December 2022. All patients underwent lacrimal duct laser dacryoplasty combined with intubation. Postoperatively, those patients were randomly divided into two groups: group A(64 cases, without meibomian gland treatment)and group B(64 cases, with meibomian gland treatment). The lacrimal intubation was removed at 3 mo after surgery to evaluate the patency rate of lacrimal irrigation. Additionally, changes in the ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, non-invasive tear film break-up time, tear meniscus height, conjunctival hyperemia analysis, meibomian gland analysis, tear lipid layer thickness, tear ferning test, and conjunctival impression cytology were compared between the two groups.RESULTS: The lacrimal irrigation patency rates in the group A and group B were 78.1% and 81.2% respectively, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05); compared with the group A, group B showed a significant extension in non-invasive tear breakup time at 3 mo after surgery, and the OSDI score, conjunctival hyperemia analysis, tear ferning test and conjunctival impression cytology grading were all significantly decreased(all P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in tear meniscus height, tear lipid layer thickness and meibomian gland loss score between the two groups(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Comprehensive treatment for patients with chronic dacryocystitis combined with meibomian gland dysfunction have improved patients' comfort, tear film stability, and reduces local inflammatory response. It is important to simultaneously address ocular surface microenvironment abnormalities during surgical treatment to achieve satisfactory efficacy.

Objective:To explore the incidence and severity of esophageal clearance impairment in stroke survivors with dysphagia, the clinical characteristics of patients with abnormal esophageal clearance, and their relationship with swallowing physiology, penetration and aspiration.Methods:Clinical data were collected describing 174 stroke survivors whose swallowing had been studied videofluoroscopically. In each selected case there was a good anterior-posterior view of esophageal clearance. Their anterior-posterior and lateral imaging results while swallowing 5ml of high-consistency food were analyzed. The esophageal clearance item of the modified barium swallow impairment profile was then used to rate each subject′s esophageal clearance and each physiological component of swallowing in the oral and pharyngeal phases. The Rosenbek penetration aspiration scale was employed evaluate the safety of their swallowing.Results:Seventy of the patients (40.2%) displayed abnormal esophageal clearance, and more than half of the 70 (43 patients, 24.7%) showed mid- to distal esophageal retention. Those with abnormal esophageal clearance had a higher average age and more severe overall impairment in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing. Esophageal clearance was not, however, significantly correlated with swallowing physiology in the oral phase or with penetration or aspiration grade. There were, however, significant positive correlations with laryngeal elevation, anterior hyoid excursion, pharyngeal stripping waves, pharynx contraction, upper esophageal sphincter opening, tongue base retraction and pharyx residue.Conclusion:Stroke survivors with dysphagia may display abnormal esophageal clearance. The risk is closely related to age and the severity of the dysphagia. Abnormal physiology during the pharyngeal phase of swallowing and reduced pharyngeal stripping may predict abnormal esophageal clearance. Swallowing assessment can be made more comprehensiveness and systematic by incorporating anterior-posterior videography in routine barium swallowing studies.

Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (SRSF7), a known splicing factor, has been revealed to play oncogenic roles in multiple cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying its oncogenic roles have not been well addressed. Here, based on N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) co-methylation network analysis across diverse cell lines, we find that the gene expression of SRSF7 is positively correlated with glioblastoma (GBM) cell-specific m⁶A methylation. We then indicate that SRSF7 is a novel m⁶A regulator, which specifically facilitates the m⁶A methylation near its binding sites on the mRNAs involved in cell proliferation and migration, through recruiting the methyltransferase complex. Moreover, SRSF7 promotes the proliferation and migration of GBM cells largely dependent on the presence of the m⁶A methyltransferase. The two m⁶A sites on the mRNA for PDZ-binding kinase (PBK) are regulated by SRSF7 and partially mediate the effects of SRSF7 in GBM cells through recognition by insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2). Together, our discovery reveals a novel role of SRSF7 in regulating m⁶A and validates the presence and functional importance of temporal- and spatial-specific regulation of m⁶A mediated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs).
Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Glioblastoma/genetics* ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; RNA Splicing Factors/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/genetics* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors/metabolism* ; RNA Methylation/genetics*

Objective To summarize the electrophysiological indexes and scales used for evaluation of post-stroke spasticity, for integration of clinical management of spasms. Methods Literatures on identification and evaluation of post-stroke spasticity from databases of Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, and Wanfang Data up to May 15, 2021 were retrieved and the indicators related to post-stroke spasticity were extracted for a scoping review. Results The scales of modified Asworth Scale, Comprehensive Spasticity Scale and modified Tardieu Scale; the electrophysiological indexes of F wave, H reflex, motor evoked potentials, visual-startle reaction time and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials were used to identify and evaluate post-stroke spasticity. Conclusion More clinical researches are needed to explore earlier identification and evaluation of post-stroke spasticity more objectively and accurately.

Objective:To study the characteristics and related factors of neonatal intestinal necrosis caused by midgut volvulus.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of neonates with midgut volvulus who were admitted to Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, from January 2009 to December 2019 and confirmed by surgery. The cases with intestinal necrosis belong to the intestinal necrosis group, and those without intestinal necrosis, the non-intestinal necrosis group which was randomly sampled at a ratio of about 4∶1 to the number of cases in the intestinal necrosis group. The two groups were compared in terms of personal history, age of onset, initial symptoms, vital signs within 2 h after admission, time from symptom onset to operation, clinical outcome, laboratory indicators within 2 h after admission, etc. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the related factors of intestinal necrosis in midgut volvulus. The effective warning indexes are screened by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:(1) Among 231 cases of midgut volvulus, 21 cases (9.1%, 21/231) had intestinal necrosis at the time of operation, 87 cases were included in the non-intestinal necrosis group. (2) The levels of heart rate within 2 h after admission, mean arterial pressure, WBC, C reactive protein (CRP), blood glucose and potassium in intestinal necrosis group were significantly higher than those in non-intestinal necrosis group ( P<0.05). Admission days of age, hemoglobin, serum albumin, serum sodium, pH and BE levels were significantly lower than those in the group without intestinal necrosis ( P<0.05). (3) In the multivariate analysis, increased heart rate, mean arterial pressure, serum CRP, and decreased serum sodium, serum albumin, and pH levels were predictors related to intestinal necrosis in patients with midgut volvulus. (4) The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CRP was 0.883, the cutoff value was 9.88 mg/L, the sensitivity was 76.2%, and the specificity was 94.3%. The ROC curve of serum albumin was 0.792, the cut-off value was 36.65 g/L, the sensitivity was 70.1%, and the specificity was 94.3%. Conclusions:Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, increased CRP, decreased serum sodium, serum albumin and pH are helpful to predict whether intestinal necrosis occurs in midgut volvulus, and CRP > 9.88 mg/L and serum albumin < 36.65 g/L are likely warning indicators.

Objective:To explore the clinical significance of recurrent laryngeal nerve inlet zone(RLNIZ) lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer(PTC).Methods:The clinical data of the clinicopathologic characteristics of 738 cases with papillary thyroid cancer at our centers from Jul 2017 to Jun 2018 was retrospectively reviewed. 108 cases with RLNIZ lymph node dissection for pathological examination were included. The relationship between metastasis of RLNIZ lymph node and clinicopathologic characteristics was analyzed.Results:RLNIZ lymph node was detected in 12.3%(91/738)cases, the mean lymph node number in RLNIZ was 1.5±0.7, and 30.8%(28/91) cases suffered RLNIZ lymph node metastasis. RLNIZ lymph node metastasis(LNM) is associated with tumor size( P=0.028), capsular invasion( P=0.019), No. of central compartment LNM( P<0.001) and lateral neck LNM( P<0.001). No. of central compartment LNM was found to be the independent risk factor of RLNIZ lymph node metastasis. The incidence of dysphagia and inferior parathyroid damage was 0.9%(1/108)respectively. Conclusions:RLNIZ lymph node metastasis is common among PTC patients , therefore, RLNIZ lymph node should be routinely removed especially in patients with tumor size over 1cm、suspected capsular invasion and lateral neck lymph node metastasis confirmed by preoperative imaging examination.

Objective:To explore the expression and clinical significance of miR-143 in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) .Methods:Tumor samples and adjacent tissues from 52 patients with PTC were obtained from Jan. 1st, 2018 to Mar. 31st, 2018 in Thyroid Surgery Department of the Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure the expression of miR-143 in those subjects. In addition, the relationship between the expression levels of miR-143 and the clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed.Results:RT-qPCR indicated that the expression of miR-143 was down-regulated in PTC, which was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues ( t=-21.39, 95% CI: 18.20-15.07, P<0.001) . Low expression of miR-143 was related to the number of lymph node metastasis ≥3 in central compartment ( t=10.13, P=0.012) and lateral neck lymph node metastasis ( t=-4.67, P<0.001) . Conclusion:Downregulation of miR-143 in PTC is linked to the metastasis of PTC and may be a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Objective To study the effect of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) management on the outcome in neonates with omphalocele.Method A retrospective non-randomized controlled clinical study was conducted.Neonates who were diagnosed as omphalocele and admitted to the surgical neonatal intensive care unit of the Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center from December 2010 to December 2017 were collected.Because MDT was established in December 2014,infants were assigned into non-MDT group and MDT group according to their dates of admission.The characteristics and outcomes between non-MDT group and MDT group were compared using x2,t-test or rank-sum test.Multivariate analysis was performed by Logistic regression.Result A total of 91 neonates were included in the study,50 were in non-MDT group and 41 were in MDT group.The mortality in MDT group (2.4％,1/41) was lower than that in non-MDT group (18.0％,9/50),the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).The median time of mechanical ventilation of giant omphalocele in non-MDT group (18.3 hours) was longer than that in MDT group (41.7 hours),the difference was also statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).After adjusting for the associated confounding risk factors,the risk of death in non-MDT group was 54 times higher than that in MDTgroup (OR=54.19,95％CI2.64 ～1 113.49,P＜0.05).Conclusion There was significant association between the MDT management and the decreased risk of death of omphalocele.

Objective To compare the prognosis of different surgical procedures and to find the relatively safe and effective treatment for severe jejunoileal atresia(sJA).Method From January 2007 to June 2018,children with sJA receiving different surgical procedures in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed.Their clinical data were analyzed,including the survival rate,complication rate,unplanned re-operation rate and postoperative nutritional status.Result A total of 130 patients were enrolled in this study.According to the different types of surgical procedures,the patients were assigned into primary anastomosis group (58 cases,44.6％),Mikulicz double barrel ileostomy group (17 cases,13.1％) and Bishop-Koop anastomosis group (55 cases,42.3％).The overall mortality rate was 6.2％ (8/130).No significant differences existed in mortality rates among the three groups (P＞0.05).The incidences of gastrointestinal complications in primary anastomosis group (70.6％,12/17) and Mikulicz group (70.6％,12/17) were both higher Bishop-Koop group (34.5％,19/55),the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05).The unplanned re-operation rates were 34.5％ (20/58) in the primary anastomosis group and 17.6％ (3/17) in the Mikulicz group,both higher than the Bishop-Koop group (3.6％,2/55),the differences were also statistically significant (P＜0.05).Multivariate analysis showed that the risk of complications in the primary anastomosis group (OR=3.434,95％CI 1.392～8.471) and Mikulicz group (OR=5.933,95％CI 1.467～23.991) were higher than the Bishop-Koop group.The risk of unplanned re-operation in the primary anastomosis group was 12.422 times as the Bishop-Koop group (95％CI 2.535～60.877).No significant differences existed between the Mikulicz group and the Bishop-Koop group in the risk of unplanned re-operation (P＞0.05).The weight for age (Z-score) in the Bishop-Koop group (-1.4,95％CI-2.0～-0.8) at the stoma closure time was better than the Mikulicz group (-3.2,95％CI-4.4～-2.0),the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.01).Conclusion Bishop-Koop anastomosis has lower complication rate and lower unplanned re-operation rate in the treatment of sJA.The nutritional status of children who received Bishop-Koop anastomosis is better than Mikulicz double barrel ileostomy at the stoma closure time.Bishop-Koop anastomosis is relatively safe and effective for sJA patients.