Objective To analyze the relationship between neuroticism and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) using the Mendelian randomization (MR) method. Methods Exposure and outcome data were downloaded from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) database in August 2023, including summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for neuroticism (n=374 323) and GERD (n=602 604). MR was conducted using the weighted median method, MR-Egger method, inverse variance weighted method, weighted mode method, and simple mode method. The causal relationship between the two was assessed using odds ratio (OR), and sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the accuracy of the results. Results Neuroticism was associated with an increased risk of GERD [OR=1.229, 95%CI (1.186, 1.274), P<0.001]. Similarly, GERD was associated with an increased risk of neuroticism [OR=1.786, 95%CI (1.623, 1.965), P<0.001]. Conclusion There is a bidirectional causal relationship between neuroticism and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND:Due to natural degradation,excellent biocompatibility and good mechanical properties,magnesium alloy has become a very valuable implant material in the biomedical field.However,the rapid degradation rate of magnesium alloy limits its further development and application. OBJECTIVE:To review the principle of the degradation of magnesium and its alloys in a physiological environment.The current research status of alloying elements selection is mainly introduced from the aspects of the safety of elements and their influence on the properties of magnesium and its alloys. METHODS:The articles were searched by using the databases of CNKI,PubMed,Web of Science and Elsevier.The key words were"magnesium(alloy),metal name(such as:bismuth(Bi),aluminum(Al)),corrosion,biocompatibility,metal toxicity,scaffold(stent)/screw"in Chinese and English.The search period was from 2013 to 2023.As a result,70 articles were applied for analysis after reading the contents of the articles. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Magnesium alloy has been widely studied in the medical field.Although some products have been applied in clinical practice,the high degradation rate of magnesium alloy in the human environment is still the main limitation of large-scale clinical application.The focus of future development is to control its corrosion rate.Alloying is a kind of method to improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys,and various properties can also be improved by adding different alloy components.However,simple alloying cannot satisfy the pursuit of diversified properties of magnesium alloys.To develop multifunctional magnesium alloy products with excellent performance,it is necessary to combine various optimization methods,such as alloying and surface modification,to make up for the shortcomings of their respective methods in the future.In addition,the alloy structure updating with preparation process improvement is combined to enhance the properties of magnesium alloy.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Lamins B2 (LMNB2) on the migration of human retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RPLS) cells SW872.Methods:Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the the differential expression levels of LMNB2 in 33 RPLS tissue samples . The correlation between LMNB2 expression and clinical prognosis and clinicopathological features was analyzed. siRNA was used to lower the expression level of LMNB2 in tumor cells, and the effect of LMNB2 on the scratch healing ability and migration ability of SW872 cells was examined by using wound-healing assay and transwell migration assay. The expression levels of p-AKT and AKT in each group cells were detected by Western blot.Results:Patients with high LMNB2 expression had a lower recurrence-free survival and overall survival compared to those with low LMNB2 expression, and were more likely to experience recurrence, ( χ2=4.872, P=0.027; χ2=4.180, P=0.041; χ2=7.127, P=0.008). The migration ability of cells was significantly reduced following the silencing of LMNB2 expression ( t=11.240, P<0.01; t=7.445, P<0.01). The expression level of p-AKT in the silencing group was significantly lower than that in the control group, while there was no significant difference in the expression level of AKT between the two groups ( t=9.784, P<0.01). Conclusion:LMNB2 may promote the migration of human retroperitoneal liposarcoma cells SW872 by regulating AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the effect of neurofeedback training based on early start Denver model(ESDM)on children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD). Methods From August,2020 to May,2024,a total of 60 children with ASD from Hangzhou Children's Hospital were randomly divided into control group(n=30)and observation group(n=30).The control group received ESDM intervention,while the observation group received neurofeedback training in addition,for six months.They were assessed with Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist(ATEC)and Psycho-Educational Profile-3rd Edition(PEP-3). Results After treatment,the score of ATEC was lower in the observation group than in the control group(t=3.545,P<0.05),the scores of cognition(t=2.236,P=0.029),emotional expression(t=2.293,P=0.025)and problem be-havior(Z=2.099,P=0.036)were higher in the observation group than in the control group.The score differenc-es of ATEC(Z=3.620,P<0.001),and cognition(Z=2.920,P<0.05)and problem behaviors(Z=4.209,P<0.05)of PEP-3 before and after intervention were higher in the observation group than in the control group. Conclusion Combination of neurofeedback training could improve the effect of ESDM on ASD.

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic etiology of a child with Multiple congenital anomalies-hypotonia-seizures syndrome 1 (MCAHS1).Methods:Clinical data of a 2-year-old boy who had presented at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University in March 2023 for "intermittent limb twitching for 2 years" was collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the child and his parents for whole-exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG).Results:The child had manifested with distinctive facial features, limb deformities, hypotonia, motor and intellectual delays, and epileptic seizures. WES revealed that he has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the PIGN gene, namely c. 963G>A (p.Q321=) and c. 994A>T (p.I332F), which were inherited from his phenotypically normal mother and father, respectively. Based on the ACMG guidelines, the c. 963G>A was classified as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+ PM2_Supporting+ PM3), whilst the c. 994A>T was classified as a variant of uncertain significance (PM2_Supporting+ PP3). Conclusion:Above discovery has expanded the mutational spectrum of the PIGN gene variants associated with MCAHS1, which may facilitate delineation of its genotype-phenotype correlation.

Aim To investigate the effect of theaflavin on oxidized low density lipoprotein(ox-LDL)-induced foam cell formation and oxidative stress in THP-1 macrophages and its mechanism.Methods THP-1 derived macro-phages were pretreated with 50 μmol/L theaflavin and(or)10 μmol/L nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(NRF2)inhibitor ML385,then 100 mg/L ox-LDL was added to the cells for 24 h to establish the foam cell model.The effect of theaflavin on THP-1 macrophages viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assay and LDH release.The expression of inflamma-tory cytokines interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-1 β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and Western blot.The release of inflammatory cytokines were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Intracellular lipid accumulation was detected by Oil red O staining,and lipid absorption was observed by DiL-labeled oxidized low density lipoprotein(DiL-ox-LDL)staining.Re-active oxygen species(ROS)level was detected by DCFH-DA probe.The expression of lipid uptake,cholesterol efflux and oxidative stress-related proteins were detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR.Results Treatment with 100 mg/L ox-LDL significantly decreased cell viability and cholesterol efflux-related protein expressions,increased lipid uptake,ac-cumulation and lipid uptake-related protein expressions,and significantly promoted inflammation and ROS level,as well as the expressions of myeloperoxidase(MPO),NADPH oxidase 2(NOX2)in THP-1 macrophages(all P＜0.05).After pretreatment with theaflavin,cell viability was increased,intracellular lipid uptake,accumulation and lipid uptake-related protein expressions were significantly reduced,cholesterol efflux-related protein expressions were significantly increased,the expression and release of IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly decreased,ROS level was significantly decreased,and the expression of MPO and NOX2 were decreased(all P＜0.05).Pretreatment with theaflavin effectively alleviated intracellular oxidative stress by altering the expression of NRF2,heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(KEAP1)in NRF2 signaling pathway,and enhanced the translocation of NRF2 into the nucleus.After pretreat-ment with ML385,the expression levels of NRF2,HO-1,KEAP1 and CD36 were significantly decreased.Conclusion Theaflavin can significantly inhibit ox-LDL-induced foam cell formation,inflammation,and oxidative stress through NRF2/HO-1 signaling pathway in THP-1 macrophages.

Objective:To assess the consistency of ultrasound and dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in the diagnosis of gouty arthritis(GA), reasons of the differences were further analyzed.Methods:The ultrasound and DECT images of 150 knee joints from 147 patients diagnosed with gout at the Gout Specialty Clinic of Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital from February 2022 to October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to anatomy, the knee joint was anatomically segmented into five regions: intra-articular, anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral.Location of monosodium urate (MSU) deposition was meticulously recorded. The Kappa consistency test was employed to assess the consistency of the two examination results in different regions of the knee joint. The McNemar chi-square test was utilized to conduct a differential analysis between DECT and ultrasound results.Results:Double contour sign(DCS) (81.2%, 92/112) was the most common intra-articular ultrasound sign in knee joints with GA. In the extra-articular region, MSU was commonly deposited in and around the popliteal tendon (ultrasound: 51.6%, 66/128; DECT: 54.7%, 70/128). Corresponding MSU deposits on DECT were found in 9 of 92 joints with DCS and in 9 of 49 joints with aggregates detected on ultrasound.In the assessment of MSU deposits, ultrasound showed an overall higher positive rate than DECT (87.3% vs. 72.3%, P=0.001), with poor consistency between the two examinations (Kappa=0.153). In distinct anatomical regions, ultrasound and DECT showed high consistency in the medial (Kappa=0.697) and lateral (Kappa=0.718) sides and the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Intra-articular (Kappa=0.289) and anterior (Kappa=0.303) regions exhibited only fair consistency, with statistically significant diagnostic differences ( P<0.05). When exclusively assessing cases with tophus, ultrasound and DECT demonstrated high consistency in the medial and lateral aspects(Kappa=0.685, 0.748) without statistical difference ( P>0.05). In the anterior region, the consistency between the two examinations was moderate (Kappa=0.256), while in the intra-articular region, the consistency of the two methods was lower (Kappa=0.147), and the differences was statistically significant ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Both ultrasound and DECT exhibit good diagnostic capabilities for gouty knee arthritis.However, the consistency between the two techniques varies in different anatomical locations. Clinical assessment should be tailored based on the specific anatomical position. DECT has an advantage in evaluating intra-articular MSU deposits, while ultrasound is more sensitive to detect early and scattered MSU deposits.

Objective:To assess the discriminatory value of the Thyroid Follicular Tumor Ultrasound Risk Stratification System (F-TIRADS) in differentiating follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) from follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), and to compare its performance with other risk stratification systems(RSS).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 325 patients (327 thyroid nodules) diagnosed postoperatively as FTC or FTA at Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2016 to December 2023. The cases were divided into FTC group (81 nodules) and FTA group (246 nodules). The nodules were classified based on F-TIRADS, the 2020 Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS), the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines (ATA guidelines), and the 2017 European Thyroid Association Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (EU-TIRADS) by two ultrasound physicians. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors associated with FTC. Diagnostic performance of the 4 RSS was compared using postoperative pathological results as the gold standard.Results:Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed maximum diameter, solid composition, hypoechogenicity, unclear or angular margins, marginal or ring calcifications, trabecular structure, and central blood flow were independent predictors of FTC( OR=1.914, 3.427, 9.926, 9.163, 45.918, 3.191, 8.936, respectively; all P<0.05). Within each RSS, the actual malignancy rate increased with higher risk categories, aligning closely with the recommended malignancy rates (except for ATA guidelines). The optimal cut-off values for distinguishing FTC from FTA were FTC risk 50%-90% in F-TIRADS, C-TIRADS 4B, moderately suspicious nodules in ATA guidelines, and EU-TIRADS 4, with areas under the curve of 0.916, 0.808, 0.827, and 0.836, respectively. F-TIRADS demonstrated the best overall performance (sensitivity: 82.72%, specificity: 82.93%), with significant differences compared with C-TIRADS, ATA guidelines, and EU-TIRADS (all P<0.05). Conclusions:F-TIRADS is highly effective in distinguishing FTA from FTC, outperforming C-TIRADS, ATA Guidelines, and EU-TIRADS. Clinicians should pay close attention to solid hypoechoic nodules with unclear or angular margins, marginal or ring calcifications, central blood flow, or a trabecular structure.

Objective:To investigate the CT imaging features of fat-poor primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma ( PRPLS).Methods:The CT signs of 43 fat-poor PRPLS cases among 128 PRPLS patients confirmed by pathology, including multiple nodules composing or multiple nodules fusing, tumor heterogeneity, were retrospectively evaluated.Results:Of 43 fat-poor PRPLS cases, 28 cases(65%) showed multiple nodules composing or multiple nodules fusing on CT images, 15 cases (35%)demonstrated single mass. Seventeen cases showed tumor heterogeneity on pre-contrast scan, 18 cases showed tumor heterogeneity on contrast scan, 13 cases showed tumor heterogeneity on both pre-contrast and contrast scan, 22 cases (51%)showed tumor heterogeneity on pre-contrast or contrast scan.Conclusion:CT signs of multiple nodules composing or multiple nodules fusing, especially tumor heterogeneity may help establishing diagnosis of fat-poor PRPLS.

The global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has infected over 109 million people, leading to over 2 million deaths up to date and still lacking of effective drugs for patient treatment. Here, we screened about 1.8 million small molecules against the main protease (M^pro) and papain like protease (PL^pro), two major proteases in severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 genome, and identified 1851M^pro inhibitors and 205 PL^pro inhibitors with low nmol/l activity of the best hits. Among these inhibitors, eight small molecules showed dual inhibition effects on both M^pro and PL^pro, exhibiting potential as better candidates for COVID-19 treatment. The best inhibitors of each protease were tested in antiviral assay, with over 40% of M^pro inhibitors and over 20% of PL^pro inhibitors showing high potency in viral inhibition with low cytotoxicity. The X-ray crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro in complex with its potent inhibitor 4a was determined at 1.8 Å resolution. Together with docking assays, our results provide a comprehensive resource for future research on anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development.
Humans ; Antiviral Agents/chemistry* ; COVID-19 ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Protease Inhibitors/chemistry* ; SARS-CoV-2/enzymology* ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins