BACKGROUND:Age-related macular degeneration and deep vein thrombosis may share common pathophysiological mechanisms,but there is a lack of direct evidence regarding their relationship.Traditional studies are confounded by confounding factors and reverse causation.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the causal relationship between age-related macular degeneration and deep vein thrombosis based on Mendelian randomization design.METHODS:Through a two-way Mendelian randomization analysis,single nucleotide polymorphisms of exposure and outcomes were obtained from publicly available genome-wide association studies,with deep vein thrombosis data from the FinnGen database in a European population with a sample size of 363 612 and 1 048 575 single nucleotide polymorphisms.In addition,we obtained data on age-related macular degeneration from the IEUOpenGWAS project,also from a European population sample of 105 248 cases covering 11 304 110 single nucleotide polymorphisms.In R4.4.1,we used the TwoSampleMR package(version 0.6.8)to explore the causal effects of exposure factors on outcomes.At the same time,we also conducted a sensitivity analysis via MR-Egger regression,weighted median,weighted model and simple model methods to ensure that the assessment results were robust and reliable.In addition,we used the"heterogeneity"function to test for heterogeneity,and the"horizontal pleiotropy"function and the MR-PRESSO test to further assess horizontal pleotropy.The Cochran's Q test was used to determine whether there was statistical heterogeneity between single nucleotide polymorphisms,and the leave-one-out method was used to assess whether single nucleotide polymorphisms would significantly interfere with Mendelian randomization analysis.Funnel plots were drawn to assess the potential bias of single nucleotide polymorphisms.Forest plots were plotted to show the effect estimates of single nucleotide polymorphisms on exposure and outcomes,and their confidence intervals were plotted.Scatter plots were plotted to evaluate the relationship between the potency of single nucleotide polymorphisms and their causal effect size on outcome estimates.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Both forward and reverse studies showed that there was no causal association between age-related macular degeneration and the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis(P＞0.05).Sensitivity analysis showed that the main analysis results were reliable and robust,with no outliers,heterogeneity,and horizontal pleiotropy,and no single nucleotide polymorphism significantly affected the overall effect estimate.Although it is based on European population data,it has methodological reference value for Chinese biomedical research on complex disease associations.In this field,China can carry out multi-center large-sample studies,accurately analyze the internal links between Chinese population-related diseases,and provide a basis for prevention and treatment strategies and clinical practice.

BACKGROUND:Age-related macular degeneration and deep vein thrombosis may share common pathophysiological mechanisms,but there is a lack of direct evidence regarding their relationship.Traditional studies are confounded by confounding factors and reverse causation.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the causal relationship between age-related macular degeneration and deep vein thrombosis based on Mendelian randomization design.METHODS:Through a two-way Mendelian randomization analysis,single nucleotide polymorphisms of exposure and outcomes were obtained from publicly available genome-wide association studies,with deep vein thrombosis data from the FinnGen database in a European population with a sample size of 363 612 and 1 048 575 single nucleotide polymorphisms.In addition,we obtained data on age-related macular degeneration from the IEUOpenGWAS project,also from a European population sample of 105 248 cases covering 11 304 110 single nucleotide polymorphisms.In R4.4.1,we used the TwoSampleMR package(version 0.6.8)to explore the causal effects of exposure factors on outcomes.At the same time,we also conducted a sensitivity analysis via MR-Egger regression,weighted median,weighted model and simple model methods to ensure that the assessment results were robust and reliable.In addition,we used the"heterogeneity"function to test for heterogeneity,and the"horizontal pleiotropy"function and the MR-PRESSO test to further assess horizontal pleotropy.The Cochran's Q test was used to determine whether there was statistical heterogeneity between single nucleotide polymorphisms,and the leave-one-out method was used to assess whether single nucleotide polymorphisms would significantly interfere with Mendelian randomization analysis.Funnel plots were drawn to assess the potential bias of single nucleotide polymorphisms.Forest plots were plotted to show the effect estimates of single nucleotide polymorphisms on exposure and outcomes,and their confidence intervals were plotted.Scatter plots were plotted to evaluate the relationship between the potency of single nucleotide polymorphisms and their causal effect size on outcome estimates.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Both forward and reverse studies showed that there was no causal association between age-related macular degeneration and the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis(P＞0.05).Sensitivity analysis showed that the main analysis results were reliable and robust,with no outliers,heterogeneity,and horizontal pleiotropy,and no single nucleotide polymorphism significantly affected the overall effect estimate.Although it is based on European population data,it has methodological reference value for Chinese biomedical research on complex disease associations.In this field,China can carry out multi-center large-sample studies,accurately analyze the internal links between Chinese population-related diseases,and provide a basis for prevention and treatment strategies and clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic effect of Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction on phlegm-dampness-blocking cervical vertigo and its influence on neck hemodynamics.Methods:96 patients with phlegm-dampness block type cervical vertigo admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to January 2024 were divided into control group and observation group,48 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional Western medicine,and the observation group was treated with Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction.Both groups were treated for 4 weeks and followed up for 6 months.The reduction time and disappearance time of vertigo were recorded.The score of cervical vertigo Symptom and Function Assessment Scale(ESCV)was performed before treatment and 1 day after treatment.The average blood flow level of basilar artery,right vertebral artery and left vertebral artery was detected,and the total clinical effective rate,recurrence rate and adverse reaction rate of the two groups were compared.Results:The reduction time and disappearance time of vertigo in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group(P＜0.05).Post-treatment,the ESCV score of both groups was higher than that before treatment;compared with the control group,the ESCV score of the observation group was higher post-treatment(P＜0.05).The total clinical effective rate of observation group was higher than that of control group,and the recurrence rate was lower than that of control group(P＜0.05).The hemodynamic index were higher after treatment than in the control group(P＜0.05).There was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion:Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction has certain curative effect on phlegm-dampness block type cervical vertigo,can effectively relieve vertigo symptoms,reduce recurrence,improve neck hemodynamics,and is safe,worthy of popularization and application.

Objective:Through the comparative analysis of the payment program for the therapeutic value of Traditional Chinese Medicine dominant diseases in 8 provinces,we found the shortcomings of the existing program and put forward the perfect policy suggestions.Methods:Comparative analysis of the core content of the programs in various places,the selection of disease types,efficacy evaluation indexes,the application of the payment link and the protection mechanism.Results:The fragmentation of existing programs is an obvious problem,the specific content settings of each item are quite different,reflecting differences in the understanding of the core content of the program,the existence of inconsistent understanding of Chinese medicine's therapeutic value,the failure to link the payment standard to the results of the therapeutic value evaluation,and the lack of recognition of the value of Chinese medicine's technical labor,among other problems.Conclusions:We can select disease types based on the prominent advantages of Traditional Chinese medicine,learn from the evaluation framework of western medicine value-based medical care,construct the evaluation system of Chinese medicine therapeutic value,and carry out"equal price"payment based on the"same effect"of health results,set performance indicators and payment standards in stages,realize the whole process management of disease,and enhance the Traditional Chinese Medicine's therapeutic value,and promote the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine inheritance and innovation.

Objective To observe the effect of RAW264.7 cells on calcium sparks in a insulin resistance model of C2C12 cells induced by sodium palmitate.Methods C2C12 cells and RAW264.7 cells were co-cultured to simulate the in vivo state of skeletal muscle.C2C12 cells were cultured in high-glucose medium containing 2%horse serum to induce differentiation into mature myotubes,and then divided into 5 groups:control(RAW264.7 cells),co-culture of C2C12 with RAW264.7,C2C12 alone,co-culture of C2C12 with RAW264.7 plus sodium palmitate(PA),and C2C12 alone with PA.PA of 5 mmol/L was used to induce insulin resistance in C2C12 cells for 24 hours.Revived and expanded RAW264.7 cells were evenly added to C2C12 cells and co-cultured for two days.Subsequently,cells were maintained in modified suspension culture,and both cell types were loaded with the calcium ion fluorescent probe Fluo-4 AM.Finally,Paraxanthine was used to induce intracellular calcium sparks,which was captured and recorded under a laser confocal microscope.Results No significant calcium signal change was observed in the control group.Co-cultured C2C12 cells exhibited rapid and pronounced calcium signal changes,whereas calcium signals in C2C12 cells cultured alone increased slowly throughout the observation period without a sharp decline.The peak calcium signal was reached significantly faster in co-cultured C2C12 cells than that in C2C12 cells cultured alone(P<0.001).With PA induction,calcium signal changes in C2C12 cells were not markedly altered,while distinct calcium fluctuations were still observed in co-cultured C2C12 cells,and the peak calcium signal was reached significantly faster in co-cultured C2C12 cells than that in C2C12 cells cultured alone(P<0.001).Conclusion RAW264.7 cells enhance the dynamic responsiveness of calcium signaling in both normal and PA-stimulated C2C12 cells.

To investigate the clinical features and peripheral blood immune cell subsets ofelderly (≥60 years old) onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) patients.

Objective:To retrospectively evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of total 3D laparo-scopic ileal ureters replacement for bilateral ureters combined with bladder augmentation in patients with post-radiotherapy long-segment bilateral ureteral strictures and contracted bladder.Methods:Clinical data of two patients(aged 72 and 54 years)with radiation-induced long-segment bilateral ureteral stric-tures and reduced bladder capacity,treated at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University from Octo-ber 2023 to June 2024,were analyzed.Both presented with bilateral flank pain,recurrent chills/fever,urinary frequency,and urgency.Preoperative ureteral stricture lengths were measured as follows:left 10.4 cm and right 8.7 cm in the first case;left 10.6 cm and right 11.7 cm in the second case.Bladder capacity assessed by nephrostomy-assisted antegrade urography was 90 mL and 130 mL respectively.Both underwent single-position,one-stage totally 3D laparoscopic bilateral ileal ureteral replacement and blad-der augmentation based on membrane anatomy principles,with regular postoperative follow-up.Results:Procedures were completed by the same experienced urologist.Operative times were 420 min and 355 min,with intraoperative blood loss of 50 mL(no transfusion required).Postoperative bowel function re-sumed at the end of 4.5 and 3 days.No major perioperative complications occurred.Ureteral stents were removed at 2 months postoperatively,with imaging showing improved hydronephrosis,unobstructed ure-teral drainage,symmetrical bladder morphology,and smooth walls.Postoperative bladder capacities were 230 mL and 250 mL.Follow-up durations were 10 and 8 months.Both patients experienced significant relief of flank pain and lower urinary tract symptoms.No complications(enteric fistula,urinary fistula,or metabolic acidosis)were observed.At the final follow-up,one patient had mildly elevated serum cre-atinine,while the other showed reduced levels compared with preoperative values;both remained stable.Conclusion:Membrane anatomy-based dissection facilitates safe mobilization of fibrotic ureters with mini-mal bleeding and collateral damage.Total intracorporeal 3D laparoscopic ileal ureters replacement for bi-lateral ureters combined with bladder augmentation effectively addresses long-segment ureteral obstruction and improves bladder capacity.This approach is technically safe and feasible,though further validation with larger clinical cohorts is warranted.

A quadruplex RT-qPCR method was developed for rapid identification and diagnosis of transmissible gastroenteritis virus(TGEV)of swine,porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),porcine deltacorona virus(PDCoV),and porcine rotavirus type A(PoRVA).The full-length sequences of PEDV(77 strains),TGEV(63 strains),PDCoV(17 strains)that are prevalent in China,as well as the 85 VP6 gene sequences of PoRVA,were downloaded from the NCBI database for homology analysis.Based on the relatively conserved sequences,the corresponding primers and probes for each virus were designed and used to establish the quadruplex RT-qPCR method.After optimization of the probes and the reaction conditions,the specificity,sensitivity,and repeatability were determined.Using the established method,109 clinical samples of diarrhea were tested and further compared with the results by standard method.The results showed that the quadruplex RT-qPCR method established in this experiment has good amplification effect,with the C,value linearly correlated with the copies of templates(R2＞0.99).Specificity assay demonstrated that the quadruplex RT-qPCR method can identify TGEV,PEDV,PDCoV,PRoVA strains,and do not de-tect African swine fever virus(ASFV),porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2),porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),classical swine fever virus(CSFV),pseudorabies virus(PRV)and other epidemic viruses.Sensitivity assay showed that the detection limits for TGEV,PEDV,PDCoV and PoRVA were 10,20,20 and 50 copies/μL,respectively.The method exhibits excellent reproducibility,with coefficients of variation(Cv)for both intra-and inter-assay repli-cates being less than 1％.Detection of 109 samples of diarrhea by this method yielded the coinci-dence rate of 100％with the industry standard,indicating high practical applicability.The devel-oped method possesses the advantages of strong strain compatibility,high sensitivity,strong speci-ficity,good repeatability and stability.It is suitable for virus diagnosis and large-scale clinical sam-ple testing,providing technical support for disease prevention and control as well as epidemiologi-cal investigation.

Objective:To compare the treatment time stability, inter- and intra-fraction errors, and clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margin expansions under different gated window settings in deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) radiotherapy for breast cancer, and to analyze the correlation between organ at risk (OAR) dose optimization and changes in lung volume.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 65 patients with left-sided breast cancer who received DIBH radiotherapy after modified radical mastectomy. CT simulation positioning was performed using 2 mm or 3 mm gated window for DIBH, followed by target delineation, treatment planning, and dose verification. During treatment, setup errors guided by cone beam CT (CBCT), intra-fraction monitoring errors, and treatment times were recorded. The coefficient of variation (CV) of treatment time was calculated for both gated window settings. Based on inter- and intra-fraction error distributions, the expansion distance of the CTV were determined using the van Herk formula. Dosimetric differences between DIBH and free-breathing (FB) plans for the left lung, heart, and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) were compared. Spearman correlation analysis was performed between the relative increase in left lung volume and the relative reduction in OAR dose. Paired t-tests were used for inter-group comparisons. Results:The mean CV of the 3 mm gated window group was 0.08±0.03, which was lower than that of the 2 mm group (0.10±0.04; t=-3.91, P<0.001). The setup errors of the 2 mm group in the X, Y, and Z directions were (1.27±1.03), (1.68±0.94), (1.90±1.25) mm, respectively-significantly smaller than those of the 3 mm group [(1.81±1.41), (2.07±1.69), (2.93±1.90) mm; t=-5.80, -2.33, -5.33; P<0.001,=0.014,<0.001). Setup errors for both groups were within the 25%-75% range and all below 5 mm. The intra-fraction deviations of the 2 mm group in the X, Y, and Z directions were (0.54±0.33), (0.79±0.44), (0.70±0.53) mm, respectively, significantly smaller than those of the 3 mm group [(0.62±0.43), (0.93±0.66), (0.87±0.67) mm; t=-3.87, -3.46, -2.71,all P<0.001). The mean intra-fraction errors of both groups were within 1 mm, with greater deviations in the Y and Z directions than those in the X direction. The CTV expansion margins for the 2 mm group in the X, Y, and Z directions were 4.21, 5.35, 5.99 mm, respectively, while those for the 3 mm group were 5.81, 6.89, 9.06 mm. Compared with FB, DIBH significantly reduced the doses to the left lung, heart, and LAD (all P<0.01). The increase in left lung volume was moderately negatively correlated with the reduction in left lung D mean ( r=-0.43, P=0.028), and highly negatively correlated with the dose reductions to the heart and LAD (both P<0.001). Conclusions:The variability in respiratory gated window settings can lead to differences in treatment time stability as well as inter- and intra-fraction errors, consequently affecting CTV-to-PTV margins. The DIBH technique demonstrates significant dosimetric benefits in reducing radiation exposure to the left lung, heart, and LAD. Volumetric expansion of the left lung is strongly and inversely correlated with the reduction in radiation dose to both the heart and LAD.

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence. RESULTS: Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I ² = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I ² = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia. CONCLUSION Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications* ; Dementia/etiology* ; Observational Studies as Topic ; Genome-Wide Association Study