Objective To explore whether there is a causal relationship between intestinal flora and esophageal cancer. Methods Summary statistics of intestinal flora and esophageal cancer were obtained from the Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) database. Five methods, including inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median estimation, Mendelian randomization (MR)-Egger regression, single mode, and weighted mode, were used for analysis, with IVW as the main analysis method. Sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the reliability of MR results. Results In the IVW method, Oxalobacteraceae [OR=1.001, 95%CI (1.000, 1.002), P=0.023], Faecalibacterium [OR=1.001, 95%CI (1.000, 1.002), P=0.028], Senegalimassilia [OR=1.002, 95%CI (1.000, 1.003), P=0.006] and Veillonella [OR=1.001, 95%CI (1.000, 1.002), P=0.018] were positively correlated with esophageal cancer, while Burkholderiales [OR=0.999, 95%CI (0.998, 1.000), P=0.002], Eubacterium oxidoreducens [OR=0.998, 95%CI (0.997, 0.999), P=0.038], Romboutsia [OR=0.999, 95%CI (0.998, 1.000), P=0.048] and Turicibacter [OR=0.998, 95%CI (0.997, 0.999), P=0.013] were negatively correlated with esophageal cancer. Sensitivity analysis showed no evidence of heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy and reverse causality. Conclusion Oxalobacteraceae, Faecalibacterium, Senegalimassilia and Veillonella increase the risk of esophageal cancer, while Burkholderiales, Eubacterium oxidoreducens, Romboutsia and Turicibacter decrease the risk of esophageal cancer. Further studies are needed to explore how these bacteria affect the progression of esophageal cancer.

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.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel arthroscopic technique of modified tri-anchor double-pulley suture-bridge in repairing medium-sized supraspinatus tendon tears and evaluate the early effectiveness. METHODS: Between June 2021 and January 2024, 26 patients with medium-sized supraspinatus tendon tears who underwent arthroscopic modified tri-anchor double-pulley suture-bridge repair and met the selective criteria were included. There were 11 males and 15 females with an average age of 61.4 years (range, 43-74 years). Five patients had a significant history of trauma, while the remaining 21 patients had no apparent cause. The time from symptom onset to hospitalization was 3-25 months (mean, 7.9 months). The effectiveness was evaluated during follow-up, including the scores of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), visual analogue scale (VAS), the range of forward flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation, and patient's satisfaction. Either MRI or ultrasound examination were used to evaluate structural integrity of the tendon. RESULTS: The operation time was 65-110 minutes (mean, 81.8 minutes). All patients were followed up 12-43 months (mean, 23.0 months). At 3 and 12 months after operation, the shoulder range of flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation, and the scores of VAS, UCLA, and ASES significantly improved when compared with those before operation ( P<0.05). The improvement was further observed at 12 months compared to 3 months ( P<0.05). At last follow-up, 13 patients were very satisfied with the effectiveness, 11 patients were satisfied, 1 was relatively satisfied, and 1 was dissatisfied. During follow-up, 15 patients underwent imaging examination and imaging reexamination showed that the re-tear rate of tendon was 6.6%(1/15). The remaining 11 patients refused imaging examination. Complications included partial anchor withdrawal in 1 case, shoulder stiffness in 5 cases, and mild pain in shoulder joint in 2 cases in physical activity or heavy physical activity. CONCLUSION Arthroscopic modified tri-anchor double-pulley suture-bridge technique is a novel surgical technique that uses double-loaded suture anchors as medial- and lateral-row anchors. In repairing medium-sized supraspinatus tendon tears, 6 sets of double-pulley suture-bridges can be created from one medial-row anchor; knotless medial-row can reduce re-tear rate of the tendon; good early effectiveness is obtained.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthroscopy/methods* ; Adult ; Rotator Cuff Injuries/surgery* ; Aged ; Suture Techniques ; Treatment Outcome ; Suture Anchors ; Rotator Cuff/surgery* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Patient Satisfaction

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the short-term clinical efficacy of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) in patients with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation. METHODS: Clinical data of patients with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation who underwent TEER in the Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from April 2021 to May 2024, were retrospectively analyzed, including preoperative baseline clinical and echocardiography data, intraoperative data and 6-month postoperative follow-up data. RESULTS: A total of 67 patients' (47 males and 20 females) data were included, of whom 62 completed 6-month follow-up. The immediately postoperative success rate was 88.1% (59/67), and 83.9% (52/62) patients exhibited mitral regurgitation ≤2+ at 6 months postoperatively, showing significant improvement compared with preoperative (P<0.05). The proportion of patients with mitral regurgitation ≤2+ at 6 months was significantly higher in the degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) group than that in the functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) group (P<0.05). The mean mitral valve gradient (MVG) in DMR group was increased from (3.1±1.2) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) to (3.7±1.2) mmHg 6 months after operation (P<0.05), while there was no significant change in FMR group (P>0.05). Compared with those before operation, the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels in both FMR and DMR groups were significantly lower at 6 months postoperatively (all P<0.05), and the left atrial volume index and left atrial anteroposterior diameter were also significantly lower (all P<0.05). The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and left ventricular end-systolic diameter were significantly reduced 6 months after operation in the FMR group (all P<0.05), but no significant changes were observed in the DMR group (all P>0.05). The ejection fraction was not significantly changed before and after operation in both groups (all P>0.05). The mitral regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitant, and pulmonary artery pressure were significantly reduced in both groups at 6 months postoperatively (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS TEER is effective for moderate to severe mitral regurgitation. The improve-ments in left ventricular remodeling are more pronounced in patients with FMR while the degree of mitral regurgitation is more significant in DMR patients. However, MVG elevation is more common during the follow-up.
Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Mitral Valve/surgery* ; Cardiac Catheterization/methods* ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation/methods* ; Adult ; Follow-Up Studies

Different insect drugs have their own characteristics in terms of efficacy,including removing blood stasis and promoting blood circulation,dispelling phlegm and dispersing lumps,and nourishing the body.This article discussed the use of insect medicines in the treatment of chronic heart failure(CHF)based on the theory of"collateral deficiency and tonifying".Taking the TCM theory of"collateral deficiency and tonifying"as the entry point,this article categorized the pathogenesis of CHF into deficiency of qi and yang,deficiency of collaterals,phlegm retention and dampness stagnation,and accumulation of collaterals,and believes that the treatment should be based on resolving blood stasis and promoting collaterals,eliminating phlegm and promoting collaterals,dispersing lumps and promoting collaterals,and tonifying heart collaterals,thus achieving the effect of"collateral deficiency and tonifying".It also summarized the efficacy and modern pharmacological mechanisms of insect drugs,providing medication ideas for the treatment of CHF.

Objective:To develop a machine learning prediction model based on peripheral blood indicators for assessing 30-day mortality risk in elderly patients diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted, enrolling elderly patients (age≥65 years) diagnosed HLH at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 1, 2015, and November 30, 2023. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory parameters at admission were collected. The study included 204 elderly HLH patients with a median age of 70 (68-75) years, comprising 134 males (65.69%) and 70 females (34.31%). Using computer-generated random numbers, the data was randomly divided into the training and validation cohorts at a 7∶3 ratio. Based on 30-day survival outcomes, patients in the training cohort were categorized into the death and survivor groups. Predictive variables were screened through univariate analysis and the Boruta algorithm, with prediction models constructed using 11 machine learning algorithms. Model performance was evaluated using the following metrics: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, F1-score, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. SHAP analysis was employed for model interpretation.Results:Comparison between the death and survivor groups in the training cohort identified 25 significant indicators ( P<0.05) through univariate analysis. Boruta algorithm-based screening further identified nine predictive variables: urea, ferritin, creatinine (CREA), D-dimer (D-D), platelet (PLT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Among the 11 algorithms, the top five models by AUC in the training cohort were: XGBoost(AUC=1.000), AdaBoost(AUC=1.000), GBDT(AUC=1.000), DT(AUC=0.967), and RF(AUC=0.945). In the validation cohort, the top five performers by AUC were: RF(AUC=0.812), LR(AUC=0.792), LightGBM(AUC=0.769), AdaBoost(AUC=0.746), and GBDT(AUC=0.742). Thus, the RF model demonstrated optimal performance. SHAP analysis indicated urea as the most significant contributor to prediction outcomes. Conclusion:A machine learning model based on routine laboratory indicators can accurately predict the 30-day mortality risk in elderly HLH patients.

Objective:To assess the current clinical application status of provocation/stress echocardiography in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy（HCM）among echocardiography physicians from large grade A tertiary hospitals，located in 24 provinces or directly administered municipalities，and to achieve a relatively clear and comprehensive overview of the current clinical application status of provocation/stress echocardiography in HCM. This study was conducted by the Chinese Society of Ultrasound in Medicine（CSUM）and Chinese Society of Echocardiography（CSE）.Methods:An online survey was anonymously conducted using Question Star application from 20 March to 30 September 2023. The survey covered the following topics including the echocardiographic diagnostic overview，the selection of views and measurement parameter of echocardiography，and the cognition and application，awareness and management of risk，and clinical demand of provocation/stress echocardiography.Results:A total of 337 valid responses were included in the final statistical analysis. The study revealed that the number of HCM patients seen by echocardiography physicians was very few（0-10%），with a low proportion of diagnosed obstructive HCM patients. There was incomplete mastery of the left ventricular outflow tract（LVOT）obstruction criteria（68.25%），insufficient awareness of the importance of LVOT pressure gradient measurement（7.12% echocardiographic doctors routinely performed LVOT gradient measurement for suspect HCM patients），non-standardized selection of echocardiographic views and measurement parameters for HCM，and significant deficiencies in knowledge and application of Valsalva provocation/stress echocardiography（17.21% and 79.23% doctors were quite aware of the principles of Valsalva provocation/stress echocardiography，respectively）. The risk awareness of provocation/stress echocardiography（13.65% physicians were fully aware of the potential risk）and the ability to manage associated risks（19.29% physicians were able to handle all emergencies）were lacking. Existing guidelines did not sufficiently standardize the clinical practice of provocation/stress echocardiography（23.44%），and there was diversity in learning formats requirements and unmet clinical needs.Conclusions:This survey revealed insufficient fundamental theoretical knowledge and a need for further standardization and training in the application of provocation/stress echocardiography for HCM among echocardiography physicians. Additionally，risk awareness and adequate response skills need improvement. There is a need for more practical and guiding guidelines for clinical practice，as well as numerous unmet clinical needs.

Objective:To compare the clinical outcomes and costs in arthroscopic repair of small and medium-sized supraspinatu tendon tears between double-pulley suture-bridge (DPSB) and traditional suture bridge (SB).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted at Department of Joint Surgery, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Hengyang Medical School to analyze the data of 26 patients with small and medium-sized supraspinatus tendon tears who had been treated by SB repair from May 2018 to December 2020 (SB group) and those of 35 patients with small and medium-sized supraspinatus tendon tears who had been treated by DPSB repair from January 2021 to December 2022 (DPSB group). There were 61 patients in the 2 groups, including 44 males and 17 females, with an age of (59.1±7.5) years. The left shoulder was affected in 26 patients and the right shoulder in 35 patients. The tear size was small in 25 cases and medium in 36 ones. The total number of anchors used, total anchoring costs, and surgical time were recorded and compared between the 2 groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score and shoulder range of motion were used to evaluate the clinical outcomes of the 2 groups before surgery and at the last follow-up. Comparisons were made within and between the 2 groups. Tendon integrity was assessed using MRI or ultrasound at 3, 6, 12 months or at the last follow-up.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). DPSB and SB groups were followed up for (28.1±3.5) and (27.1±1.8) months, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between DPSB group and SB group in surgical time or total number of anchors ( P>0.05). The total costs of anchoring in DPSB group [(6,028.6±173.4) yuan] were significantly lower than those in SB group [(13,257.1±554.2) yuan] ( P<0.05). At the last follow-up, the anterior flexion, abduction, external rotation and internal rotation of the shoulder, as well as VAS pain score, ASES score and UCLA score, were significantly better in both DPSB group and SB group than their preoperative values ( P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences between DPSB group and SB group ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference either in tendon retear between DPSB group (2 cases) and SB group (1 case) ( P>0.05). No such complication as wound infection or nerve damage was found in either group. Conclusions:In arthroscopic repair of small and medium-sized supraspinatu tendon tears, both DPSB and SB techniques can achieve satisfactory and comparable clinical outcomes. However, DPSB leads to lower total costs of anchoring.

Objective:To investigation the situation of water improvement projects in villages affected by drinking water-type endemic fluorosis in Qinghai Province and the prevalence of dental fluorosis among children, in order to provide a basis for consolidating the achievements in prevention and control of drinking water-type endemic fluorosis and adjusting prevention and control measures.Methods:The monitoring data on drinking water-type endemic fluorosis were collected from the disease prevention and control centers in various counties of Qinghai Province from 2021 to 2023, the situation of water improvement projects, the fluorine content of domestic drinking water and the prevalence of dental fluorosis in children aged 8 to 12 years old were retrospectively analyzed.Results:From 2021 to 2023, the numbers of villages affected by drinking water-type endemic fluorosis in Qinghai Province were 338, 335, and 328, respectively. The numbers of water improvement projects were 125, 127 and 124, respectively. The normal operation rates were 100%, 100% and 99.19% (123/124), respectively. The qualified rates of water fluoride level were 100%, 99.21% (126/127) and 99.19% (123/124), respectively. The detection rates of dental fluorosis among children aged 8 to 12 were 4.34% (515/11 877), 5.70% (646/11 331) and 4.48% (490/10 943), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the detection rate of dental fluorosis among children in different years (χ 2 = 22.79, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The overall operation status of water improvement project in villages affected by drinking water-type endemic fluorosis in Qinghai Province is generally good, but there has been some relaxation in management and maintenance in the later stage, and there is a phenomenon of project intermittency. The detection rate of dental fluorosis among children aged 8 to 12 remains low, and endemic fluorosis caused by drinking water is under continuous control.

Objective To establish a finite element model of thoracolumbar kyphosis(TLK)for young patients with idiopathic Scheuermann's disease(SD),validate its effectiveness,and perform fi-nite element analysis to identify biomechanical factors contributing to low back pain caused by SD.Methods One TLK patient(26 years old)and one healthy(30 years old)subject were recruited.Spi-nal DICOM data were reconstructed three-dimensionally using Mimics software.Surface repair and fit-ting were performed in Geomagic Studio 2017,followed by modeling of intervertebral discs and end-plates in 3-matic software.Volume meshing and ligament construction were completed in Hypermesh 2017.Static simulations of the T8-S1 spinal segments for both groups were conducted in ANSYS.Af-ter validating the model using mechanical data,stress and strain distributions across vertebral bodies,intervertebral discs,and facet joint cartilage were calculated under identical constraints and loads.Re-sults 1)Significant differences were observed between the TLK patient and healthy subject in the me-chanical distribution of the T8-S1 segments of the spine.The healthy spine exhibited a peak strain of 1.62 mm,while the TLK patient showed a peak strain of 6.97 mm,330.2%higher than the former.Moreover,the peak stress in the TLK patient(10.51 MPa)exceeded the healthy subject(9.07 MPa)by 16.0%.2)Both groups demonstrated peak vertebral stress at the L5 level(9.07 MPa in the healthy individual vs.10.51 MPa in the TLK patient,15.8%higher).Stress distribution in the TLK patient was markedly uneven,with significant concentrations at the pedicles and laminae of L2,L3,and L4 vertebrae.3)Peak disc stress in the TLK patient was consistently higher,most notably at the L5/S1 segment(0.78 MPa in the TLK patient vs.0.16 MPa in the healthy subject,387.5%higher).4)Facet joint cartilage stress distribution in the TLK patient was abnormal.The healthy subject exhib-ited peak stress at L5/S1(1.53 MPa),whereas TLK patient showed peak stress at L1/L2(7.44 MPa),14.18 times higher than the former.Conclusion This study validates the finite element model of TLK deformity,confirming its utility for TLK-related research.Moreover,significant differences in stress-strain distribution and magnitude are observed between the TLK patient and healthy subject.Meanwhile,prolonged abnormal biomechanical loading,particularly localized stress concentrations in the L1-S1 vertebral bodies,discs,and facet joints,may accelerate degenerative changes and elevate the risk of low back pain.