ObjectiveTo investigate the association between noninvasive liver fibrosis markers and carotid plaque （CP） in patients with lean metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD）， and to provide a basis for screening high-risk populations. MethodsA total of 957 patients with lean MAFLD who underwent physical examination in Subei People’s Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 was enrolled as the observation cohort， with the presence or absence of CP as the outcome， and fibrosis-4 （FIB-4） index and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score （NFS） were used to assess liver fibrosis degree. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis， the restricted cubic spline analysis， the receiver operating characteristic curve， and the mediation effect analysis were used to investigate the association between liver fibrosis degree and CP. ResultsThe prevalence rate of CP was 36.6% in the lean MAFLD population. Compared with the non-CP group（n=607）， the CP group （n=350） had a significantly higher proportion of male patients， a significantly higher proportion of patients with smoking/diabetes/hypertension， and significantly higher levels of age， creatinine， blood urea nitrogen， triglycerides， fasting blood glucose， aspartate aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio， NFS， and FIB-4 index， as well as significantly lower levels of platelet count and albumin （all P<0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for confounding factors， FIB-4 index （odds ratio［OR］=2.979， 95% confidence interval［CI］：2.141 — 4.219， P<0.001） and NFS （OR=1.747， 95%CI： 1.499 — 2.046， P<0.001） were positively correlated with CP. Both FIB-4 index and NFS had a good value in predicting CP. Hypertension had a significant indirect effect on the prevalence rate of CP through its impact on liver fibrosis markers， and its mediating effect accounted for 39.5% — 40.8% of the total effect （P<0.001）. ConclusionIn patients with lean MAFLD， NFS and FIB-4 index are significantly positively correlated with the prevalence rate of CP， and they can be used as potential epidemiological predictive indicators. Liver fibrosis markers may play a mediating role in the association between hypertension and CP. Interventions targeting hypertension and liver fibrosis markers may help to prevent and delay the progression of CP.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of piercing electroacupuncture on ankle muscle strength, dynamic balance and subjective stability in patients with functional ankle instability (FAI). MethodsA total of 48 patients with FAI admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University from April, 2024 to July, 2025 were enrolled and randomly divided into control group (n = 24) and experimental group (n = 24). The control group received multimodal functional training, while the experimental group received piercing electroacupuncture in addition, for six weeks. Relative peak torque of ankle plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, inversion and eversion were measured with isokinetic muscle strength testing system before and after treatment, while Y-Balance Test (YBT) and Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) were adopted for evaluation. ResultsOne case dropped out in each group. Relative peak torque of ankle plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, inversion and eversion at each angular velocity, the normalized distance in each direction and composite score of YBT, as well as the score of CAIT increased in both groups after treatment (|t| > 2.891, P < 0.01), while all the indicators were better in the experimental group than in the control group (|t| > 2.104, P < 0.05), except dorsiflexion muscle strength. ConclusionCombination of piercing electroacupuncture can further improve perimalleolar muscle strength, dynamic balance and subjective stability in patients with FAI.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of liver fibrosis scores and inflammation markers with gallstones in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD）， as well as the mediating role of liver fibrosis scores in the relationship between inflammation markers and gallstones. MethodsA total of 14 567 patients who received physical examination and were diagnosed with MAFLD in Subei People’s Hospital from January 2014 to June 2023 were enrolled in this study， and according to the results of abdominal color Doppler ultrasound， they were divided into gallstone group with 1 724 patients and non-gallstone group with 12 843 patients. Related clinical data were collected from all patients， including demographic data， medical history， family history， physical examination， Color Doppler ultrasound， and biochemical parameters. The biomarkers associated with metabolic disorders and insulin resistance included triglyceride-glucose index （TyG）， TyG-body mass index （BMI） index， atherogenic index of plasma （AIP）， and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio （NHHR）； the biomarkers associated with inflammation and nutritional status included neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio （NLR）， neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio （NPAR）， and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio （MLR）； the biomarkers for assessing liver fibrosis degree and liver function included albumin-bilirubin （ALBI） score， NAFLD fibrosis score （NFS）， fibrosis-4 （FIB-4） index， and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （APRI）. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis， restricted cubic spline analysis， and mediating effect analysis were used to assess the association of liver fibrosis markers and inflammation markers with the risk of gallstones. ResultsThe prevalence rate of gallstones was 11.8% among the MAFLD patients. There were significant differences between the gallstone group and the non-gallstone group in sex， age， smoking history， diabetes， hypertension， lymphocytes， platelets， glucose， albumin， serum uric acid， alanine aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase， red blood cell， NLR， NPAR， MLR， NFS， FIB-4 index， and ALBI score （all P<0.05）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR （odds ratio ［OR］=1.091， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.028　—　1.160， P<0.05）， NPAR （OR=1.073， 95%CI： 1.042　—　1.105， P<0.05）， MLR （OR=1.142， 95%CI： 1.057　—　1.232， P<0.05）， NFS （OR=1.239， 95%CI： 1.190　—　1.291， P<0.05）， and FIB-4 index （OR=1.326， 95%CI： 1.241　—　1.417， P<0.05） were influencing factors for the prevalence rate of gallstones. The restricted cubic spline analysis showed a significant non-linear association between NFS/FIB-4 index and the risk of gallstone （non-linear P<0.05）. The mediating effect analysis further showed that the association of NLR， MLR， and NPAR with gallstones was partially mediated by NFS or FIB-4 index， with a mediating effect accounting for 36.79%、28.09%、29.67% and 18.31%、17.70、11.57%， respectively. ConclusionNFS and FIB-4 index have a non-linear association with the prevalence rate of gallstones in MAFLD patients， and they also mediate the association of NLR， NPAR， and MLR with the risk of gallstone.

[摘 要] 目的：探讨miR-433对结直肠癌（CRC）细胞干细胞特性及5-氟尿嘧啶（5-FU）耐药性的影响，并阐明其潜在的分子调控机制。方法： 建立5-FU耐药的HCT-116细胞株。采用RT-qPCR和WB法检测miR-433及干细胞特性标志物（SOX2、OCT4、Nanog）的表达。通过双萤光素酶报告基因实验、免疫荧光和核质分离实验验证miR-433与靶基因YAP1的关系及YAP1对其亚细胞定位的影响。通过拯救实验确认miR-433/YAP1轴的功能。利用CCK-8法检测细胞对5-FU的敏感性。结果： 与亲代HCT-116/P细胞相比，耐药的HCT-116细胞株中miR-433表达显著下调（P < 0.05），而干细胞特性标志物（SOX2、OCT4、Nanog）表达上调（P < 0.05）。过表达miR-433能够抑制干细胞标志物的表达，并直接靶向YAP1，阻碍其核定位（P < 0.05）。恢复YAP1的表达能够部分逆转miR-433对干细胞标志物的抑制作用（P < 0.05）。功能上，上调miR-433显著增强了CRC细胞对5-FU的敏感性，而此效应同样可被YAP1的重新表达所削弱（P < 0.05）。结论： miR-433通过直接靶向YAP1通路，抑制CRC细胞的干细胞特性相关分子表型，并增强其对化疗药物的敏感性。miR-433/YAP1轴可能成为克服CRC 5-FU耐药的潜在新靶点。

Bronchiolar adenoma (BA) is a rare type of lung tumor characterized by bilayered epithelial cells having a continuous basal layer and a luminal layer. It resembles mucinous adenocarcinoma (MA) on frozen section, with difficulty in distinguishing the basal layer. Immunohistochemistry is the best choice for verifying the diagnosis. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize three cases of BA-combined carcinoma using clinical, histopathological, and genetic features. BA and carcinoma sections were subjected to next-generation sequencing, respectively. It was hypothesized that while different mutation forms matched different regions, BA and lung adenocarcinoma shared the same gene mutation when they co-occurred in the same location. BA with extensive carcinoma is extremely rare and presents diagnostic challenges due to its overlap with conditions such as MA. Because of its distinctive morphological characteristics, BA may be regarded as a low-grade malignancy, particularly during a confusing evaluation. A multifaceted examination of clinical, radiological, immunohistochemical, and genetic data is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Background: and Purpose Vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms (VBFAs) carry substantial morbidity and mortality, but optimal management for unruptured VBFAs remains unclear. We compared the safety and efficacy of conservative management (CM), stent-assisted coiling (SAC), and flow diverters (FDs) in patients with unruptured VBFAs, focusing on long-term prognosis. Methods: This study included data from a nationwide Chinese cohort of patients with vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced confounders across groups. The primary outcome was poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale score >2). Secondary outcomes included aneurysm rupture, ischemic stroke, compression symptoms, and VBFA-related deaths. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Among 1,115 patients with unruptured VBFAs, 838 (median age, 54 years; 655 men) were included. After IPTW, baseline characteristics were balanced. Median follow-up was 54 months. FD was associated with a lower risk of poor prognosis than CM (OR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.30 to 0.77]; p=0.002), with no difference between CM and SAC. FD also reduced aneurysm rupture (OR, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.60]; p=0.004) and compression symptoms (OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68]; p=0.004) versus CM. Time-to-event analyses further revealed significant differences in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, whereas no significant differences were observed in basilar or vertebrobasilar junction lesions or in Type III–IV VBFAs. Conclusions Compared with CM, FD was associated with improved long-term outcomes in unruptured VBFAs, particularly in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.

Objective: Accurate evaluation of inflammation severity in ulcerative colitis (UC) can guide treatment strategy selection. The potential value of the pericolic fat attenuation index (FAI) on CT as an indicator of disease severity remains unknown.This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of pericolic FAI in predicting UC severity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 148 patients (mean age 48 years; 87 males). The fat attenuation on CT was measured in four different locations: the mesocolic vascular side (MS) and opposite side of MS (OMS) around the most severe bowel lesion, the retroperitoneal space (RS), and the subcutaneous area. The fat attenuation indices (FAI MS, FAI OMS, and FAI RS) were calculated as the fat attenuation measured in MS, OMS, and RS, respectively, minus that of the subcutaneous area, and were obtained in the non-enhanced, arterial, and delayed phases. Correlations between the FAI and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were assessed using Spearman’s correlation. Predictors of severe UC (UCEIS ≥7) were selected by univariable analysis. The performance of FAI in predicting severe UC was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores were significantly higher than FAI RS in three phases (all P < 0.001). The FAIMS and FAI OMS scores moderately correlated with the UCEIS score (r = 0.474–0.649 among the three phases). Additionally, FAI MS and FAI OMS identified severe UC, with AUC varying from 0.77 to 0.85. Conclusion Increased CT attenuation of pericolic adipose tissue could serve as a noninvasive marker for evaluating UC severity. FAI MS and FAI OMS of three phases showed similar prediction accuracies for severe UC identification.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Gastric cancer remains one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies of the digestive tract worldwide,underscoring the urgent need for more effective targeted therapeutic strategies.Poly(ADP-ri-bose)polymerase(PARP)inhibitors have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in tumors with homologous recombination repair(HRR)deficiency;however,their clinical application in gastric cancer remains limited.Clinical evidence suggests that patients harboring Helicobacter pylori infection in combination with HRR gene mutations exhibit a significantly elevated risk of developing gastric cancer,thereby supporting the potential benefit of PARP inhibition in this setting.In this study,a kinase inhibitor library was screened in combination with the PARP inhibitor olaparib in gastric cancer cells.And we identify the cy-clin-dependent kinase 8/19(CDK8/19)inhibitor Senexin A as a compound that synergistically enhances the cytotoxic effect of PARP inhibition(P<0.05).Phenotypic validation using CCK-8 and colony for-mation assays demonstrated that the combination treatment significantly suppressed cellular proliferation and clonogenic potential compared to either monotherapy(P<0.0001).Mechanistically,alkaline comet assays revealed a significant increase in DNA damage in the combination treatment group relative to either single-agent group(P<0.0001),suggesting that the synergistic effect results from the exacerbation of DNA damage via impaired DNA repair mechanisms.In addition,treatment with CDK8/19 inhibitors a-lone markedly increased the formation of γH2AX and 53BP1 foci in irradiated gastric cancer cells(P<0.0001),indicating inhibition of DNA damage repair pathways.Transcriptome sequencing further re-vealed that CDK8/19 inhibition impacts critical cellular pathways,including DNA repair,cell cycle reg-ulation,and RNA splicing.Co-immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that inhibition of CDK8/19 kinase activity significantly reduces the phosphorylation level of PARP1,suggesting a potential regulatory inter-action.Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues from gastric cancer pa-tients demonstrated that CDK8 is significantly overexpressed in tumor tissues,supporting its potential as both a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target.Collectively,this study elucidates a mechanistic ba-sis by which CDK8/19 inhibition enhances the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to PARP inhibitors.These findings provide a strong rationale for the combined use of CDK8/19 and PARP inhibitors as a tar-geted therapeutic strategy and offer promising translational implications for advancing personalized medi-cine in gastric cancer treatment.

Objective To analyze the predictive value of microRNA-34a-5p(miR-34a-5p)expression in pancreatic cancer tissue on postoperative poor prognosis.Methods The surgically resected pancreatic cancer tissues and normal tissues adjacent to cancer from 123 patients with pancreatic cancer were collected to detect the expression of miR-34a-5p.The expression of miR-34a-5p in pancreatic cancer tissues for patients with different clinicopathological characteristics were compared.The patients were divided into the poor prognosis group and the good prognosis group according to their prognosis,and the clinical data of patients between the two groups was compared.The risk factors of poor prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer were analyzed by Cox regression model,and the predictive value of miR-34a-5p expression in pancreatic cancer tissues on poor prognosis of patients was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The expression of miR-34a-5p in pancreatic cancer tissues was lower than that in normal tissues adjacent to cancer(P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the expression of miR-34a-5p in pancreatic cancer tissues of patients with different differentiation degrees,TNM stages,and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).The proportions of low differentiation,TNM stage for stage Ⅲ,lymph node metastasis and incisal margin of R1,and levels of carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199),neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio(NLR)and platelet/lymphocyte ratio(PLR)for patients in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P<0.05),while miR-34a-5p expression was lower than that in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).Cox regression analysis showed that low differentiation,TNM stage for stage Ⅲ,lymph node metastasis,incisal margin of R1,decreased expression of miR-34a-5p and increased levels of CA199,NLR and PLR were risk factors of poor prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of miR-34a-5p expression in pancreatic cancer tissue for predicting poor prognosis of patients was 0.48,the sensitivity was 78.82%,the specificity was 89.47%and the area under the curve was 0.855,with good predictive value.Conclusion The expression of miR-34a-5p in pancreatic cancer tissue is lower than that in normal tissue adjacent to cancer,and its expression is related to the differentiation degree,TNM stage and lymph node metastasis,which is also a risk factor and predictor of poor prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer.