The nucleotide binding oligomerization domain like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflamma-some is an intracellular polymeric protein complex that plays an important role in inflammation and immune response.In recent years,the study of NLRP3 inflammasome in hematological malignancies has become a hot topic.Leukemia is a large group of clonal hematologic malignancies that affect the maturation and/or prolifer-ation of bone marrow or lymphocytes.More and more studies have shown that NLRP3 inflammatory micro-molecules are involved in the occurrence and development of leukemia,and it is expected to become an impor-tant therapeutic target for leukemia in the future.In this review,the structure,biological function,activation pathway of NLRP3 inflammasome and its relationship with different types of leukemia were reviewed,and its potential application in the treatment of leukemia was discussed.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ultrasound characteristics of category 4 thyroid nodules in the Chinese version of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System(C-TI-RADS),and to analyze the value of ultrasonography combined with elastography scoring in the correction of nodule properties.METHODS Data from 80 patients with 105 nodules from April 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Fine-needle aspiration biopsy or surgical pathology was used as the gold standard.The Kappa test was employed to evaluate diagnostic consistency,while the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was utilized to assess the differentiation and accuracy of the diagnostic methods.RESULTS Sixty-eight malignant nodules and 37 benign nodules were confirmed by surgical pathology or puncture biopsy.After enhancement by ultrasonography,the percentage of malignant nodules with low intensity,centripetal enhancement,inhomogeneous enhancement,blurred boundary of enhanced nodules,enlarged enhanced nodules,and irregular enhanced nodules was significantly higher than that of the benign group,while the percentage of circumferential enhancement was lower than that of the benign group(P<0.05).The overall compliance rate of ultrasonography scoring in diagnosing C-TI-RADS category 4 thyroid nodules was 83.81%(88/105),and when compared with the pathological gold standard,the Kappa value was 0.644.The ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity of ultrasonography scoring in diagnosing benign and malignant nodules was 84.51%,the specificity was 82.35%,the correctness index was 0.669,the negative likelihood ratio was 0.188,and the positive likelihood ratio was 4.789.The overall compliance rate of elastography score in diagnosing C-TI-RADS category 4 thyroid nodules was 85.71%(90/105),and when compared with the pathological gold standard,the Kappa value was 0.689.The ROC curve analysis revealed that the sensitivity of elastography score in diagnosing benign and malignant nodules was 88.24%,the specificity was 81.08%,the correctness index was 0.693,the negative likelihood ratio was 0.145,and the positive likelihood ratio was 4.664.Ultrasonography enhancement features,along with the combination of ultrasonography score and elastography score,had an AUC=0.922(0.876-0.968),with an accuracy of 92.91%,demonstrating a strong ability to identify truly malignant nodules versus benign nodules.CONCLUSION Ultrasonography combined with elastography scoring is valuable in the correction of C-TI-RADS category 4 nodules in the thyroid gland and helps to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that severely affects the quality of life of the elderly.Its main pathological features include the deposition of β-amyloid protein to form senile plaques,neurofibrillary tangles caused by abnormal phosphorylation of tau pro-tein,as well as extensive neuronal loss and synaptic dysfunction.In recent years,mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)and their exosomes(MSC-Exos)have attracted extensive attention due to their poten-tial in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.MSCs possess multidirectional differentiation po-tential,immunomodulatory capacity,and significant neuroprotective and repair effects.As an impor-tant signaling mediator of MSCs,MSC-Exos are a type of nanoscale double-layer membrane-structured vesicles secreted by MSCs,capable of carrying and delivering various bioactive substances.MSCs and their derived MSC-Exos have demonstrated good safety and efficacy in the treatment of AD.This arti-cle systematically reviewed the basic and translational research progress on MSCs and MSC-Exos in the treatment of AD in recent years.

ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy and safety of Uyghur medicine Yangxin Dawayimixike Honey Paste （养心达瓦依米西克蜜膏， YDMHP） in the treatment of stable angina pectoris （SAP） of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA randomized ， double-blind， positive-controlled，multi-center clinical trial was conducted， in which 370 patients with SAP of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group（279 cases）and control group（91cases）at a ratio of 3∶1. The treatment group was orally administered with YDMHP， 3 g each time， and placebo of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule （血府逐瘀胶囊）， 2.4 g each time， while the control group was treated with Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule， 2.4 g each time， and placebo of YDMHP， 3 g each time， both twice a day for a course of 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the effect of angina pectoris symptom. The secondary outcomes include single angina symptom scores such as number of attacks， duration of attacks， pain intensity and usae of nitroglycerin scores， the total angina symptom score before and after the treatment， the usage of nitroglycerin， the exercise duration in treadmill exercise test （TET） and the Duck treadmill score among patients，the scores of Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ） on five dimensions including physical limitations， anginal stability， anginal frequency， treatment satisfaction， and disease perception， and efficacy of TCM syndrome and of each single TCM symptom after treatment. The safety were evaluated by examine blood routine， urine routine， liver and kidney function， fasting blood sugar， electrocardiogram， adverse events. ResultsThe total effective rate of angina symptom in the treatment group was 71.69% （200/279）， significantly higher than 51.64% （47/91） in the control group （P＜0.01）. The curative and markedly effective rate of TCM syndrome in the treatment group was 53.05% （148/279）， which was significantly higher than 25.27% （23/91） in the control group （P＜0.01）. After treatment， scores of the number as well as duration of angina attacks and pain severity， the total score of angina symptoms， and the usage of nitroglycerin significantly decreased in both groups， and more changes were seen in the treatment group than in the control group； the scores of physical limitations， anginal stability， anginal frequency， treatment satisfaction， and disease perception in both groups significantly increased， and more improvement were shown in the experimental group regarding the anginal stability， anginal frequency and treatment satisfaction （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The effects of chest pain， chest tightness， palpitation， shortness of breath and fatigue in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. There was no significant difference in the exercise duration of treadmill test and Duke score among patients between the two groups either before or after treatment （P＞0.05）. Adverse events occurred in 66 cases （23.66%） of the experimental group and 16 cases （17.58%） of the control group， with no statistical significance between the two groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionThe Uyghur medicine YDMHP can effectively improve symptoms of angina pectoris， reduce the number， duration， and intensity of attacks， decrease the dosage of nitrogly-cerin and improve the individual TCM symptoms and has good safety in the treatment of SAP patients of qi stagnation and blood stasis.

Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations and pathogenic variant in a family with epilepsy, developmental delay and brain deformity.Methods:Clinical data of the child and his family members who had visited the Department of Pediatrics, Linyi People's Hospital on July 2, 2022 were collected. The child, his sister and parents were subjected to high-throughput sequencing, and the result was verified by Sanger sequencing.Results:The child was a 6-year-old boy with developmentally delay and had epileptic seizures with fever sensitivity for four years. Cranial imaging showed brain dysplasia, while the video electroencephalogram showed abnormal discharge. High-throughput sequencing showed the child has harbored a heterozygous c. 5G>T (p.Arg2Leu) variant of TUBB2A gene, which was unreported previously. His sister also carried the variant and had similar clinical manifestations, whilst his parents were of the wild-type and had normal clinical phenotypes. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant was classified as pathogenic (PS2+ PM2_Supporting+ PM5+ PP1+ PP2+ PP3). Conclusion:The heterozygous c. 5G>T (p.Arg2Leu) variant of the TUBB2A gene, in the form of gonadal mosaicism, probably underlay the disorders in this family.

Objective:To explore the clinical features and genetic etiology of a child with Baraitser-Winter syndrome (BWS).Methods:A BWS child who had sought medical attention at the Linyi People′s Hospital on April 8, 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected, and peripheral blood samples were obtained from the child and his parents. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.Results:The child, a 5-year-and-6-month-old male, had typical clinical features of BWS including congenital non-myogenic ptosis, arched eyebrows, wide philtrum, and pointed chin. Neurological symptoms included microcephaly, developmental delay, epilepsy, and deafness. Cranial MRI revealed enlarged frontal lobes, decreased white matter, and hydrocephalus. WES has identified a heterozygous c. 430G>A (p.Asn144Tyr) missense variant in the ACTG1 gene. Sanger sequencing confirmed that neither of his parents has carried the same variant. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PS2+ PM2_Supporting+ PP3_Moderate+ PP4). Conclusion:The heterozygous c. 430G>A (p.Asn144Tyr) missense variant of the ACTG1 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis of BWS in this child. Above finding has enriched the mutation spectrum of BWS-related genes and provided a basis for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling.

Blinding is an important method to control the measure bias in clinical trials.As a complex and invasive intervention,acupuncture has more difficulty in blinding implementation compared to drugs and has a higher risk of unblinding breakage.This article provides an overview of the blinding in acupuncture clinical study and summarized the key aspects,including:there is no standard for the application and reporting of sham acupuncture design and blinding measures,appropriate sham acupuncture devices still need to be developed,currently there are no effective methods of operator blinding,blinding assessment has not been given due attention,sham acupuncture design should be standardized and reported.Researchers should conduct further studies to address critical questions and challenges to provide methodological support to improve and promote the quality of acupuncture clinical research.

In recent years, the number of people living in short-term and long-term period in high-altitude has been continuously increasing, with over 81.6 million people living in areas with an altitude of ≥ 2, [KG*9]500 meters. In China, there are over 10 million people who frequently reside at high altitudes, and over 20 million people enter the plateau every year. The unique plateau climate has triggered a series of plateau related diseases, among which high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is one of the most serious diseases. If patients are not treated promptly and appropriately, they may die from cerebral hernia within 24 hours. However, the exact mechanism of the development of HACE is not fully understood, which makes the clinical prevention and treatment of HACE challenging. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and their exosomes (MSC-Exos) have the ability to repair damaged tissues and cells, resist oxidative stress, inhibit inflammatory reactions, and regulate autophagy, which may potentially become new drugs for preventing and treating HACE. This article elucidated the pathogenesis of high altitude brain edema and the potential roles of MSC and MSC-Exos based on relevant literatureat home and abroad, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of HACE by MSC and MSC-Exos.

Background Previous research indicated that isomers and alternatives of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) probably disturb glucose metabolism; however, current epidemiological evidence on the associations of PFAS with fasting blood glucose is inconsistent. Besides, studies on the joint association of multiple components of PFAS and fasting blood glucose as well as the key component are scarce. Objective To evaluate the associations of PFAS isomers and alternatives with fasting blood glucose and their joint effects, as well as identify the key component among population without glucose metabolism problems. Methods We selected 923 adults without glucose metabolism problems or missing data from the Isomers of C8 Health Project in China (2015—2016). Serum PFAS isomers and alternatives and fasting blood glucose were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and automatic biochemical analyzer. We applied multiple linear regression to explore the associations of 16 pollutants which were detected among over 80% participants with fasting blood glucose. Meanwhile, we utilized qgcomp and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models to explore the joint effects of PFAS isomers and alternatives mixture on target outcome indicators and identify the key component. Results The average age among the 923 participants in this study was (62.4±13.8) years old, including 472 men (51.1%) and 451 women (48.9%). Among selected PFAS isomers and alternatives, the highest serum concentration was ∑3+4+5m-PFOS (perfluoro-3/4/5-methylheptanesulfonate) with a median concentration of 10.20 ng·mL⁻¹. The concentrations of linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (n-PFOS, 9.61 ng·mL⁻¹), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, 4.55 ng·mL⁻¹), linear perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (n-PFHxS, 2.48 ng·mL⁻¹), 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ethersulfonic acid (6:2 Cl-PFESA, 1.90 ng·mL⁻¹), perfluoro-6-methylheptanesulfonate (iso-PFOS, 1.85 ng·mL⁻¹), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, 1.81 ng·mL⁻¹), perfluorinated n-nonanoic acid (PFNA, 1.39 ng·mL⁻¹), and perfluoro-1-methylheptanesulfonate (1m-PFOS, 1.27 ng·mL⁻¹) were higher than 1.00 ng·mL⁻¹. After being adjusted for selected confounders, PFAS isomers and alternatives were positively associated with fasting blood glucose. With 1 ln unit concentration increment of 6:2 Cl-PFESA and PFNA, the estimated changes of fasting blood glucose were 0.18 (95%CI: 0.13, 0.23) mmol·L⁻¹ and 0.24 (95%CI: 0.18, 0.30) mmol·L⁻¹, respectively. The multi-pollutant models indicated a joint association of PFAS isomers and alternatives mixture with fasting blood glucose. The BKMR models reveals that as the quantiles of mixture elevated from the 50^th to the 75^th percentile, the values of fasting blood glucose increased 0.25 (95%CI: 0.21, 0.30) mmol·L⁻¹, and the posterior inclusion probability of PFNA was 0.92, implying that PFNA was the key component. Conclusion PFAS isomers and alternatives are positively associated with fasting blood glucose. PFNA is the key component of the joint association.

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotype and gene sequencing results of a child with hyperekplexia, and to clarify her genetic etiology.Methods:The clinical information of the child was collected, and the whole exome sequencing of the child and her parents was performed. The suspected pathogenic variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.Results:There was a 12 years old girl, who was hospitalized in the Department of Pediatric Neurology of Linyi People′s Hospital because of "paroxysmal limb stiffness for more than 11 years and aggravated for half a month" on July 4, 2022. The girl showed exaggerated startle reflexes and generalized siffness in response to external sudden, unexpected stimuli, occasionally accompanied by apnea and cyanosis, frequent attacks occurred several times a day, lasting for 1-30 minutes, and early head and abdomen flexion can be relieved. She showed normal growth and development, no abnormality in brain magnetic resonance imaging and video electroencephalogram during seizure. The whole exome sequencing showed that there was a missense heterozygous mutation c.643T>C(p.W215R) in the SLC6A5 gene of the child. Neither of the parents carried this mutation, which was a novel and de novo variant. According to the guidelines of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, this variant was a likely pathogenic variant [PS2: de novo (both maternity and paternity confirmed) in the patient with the disease and no family history; PM2: undetected variants in the normal population; PP3: multiple softwares predicted that this mutation would have harmful effects on genes or gene products], and highly conserved. Swiss modeling found that the hydrogen bond of the modified amino acid also changed. Conclusions:Hyperekplexia is relatively rare and prone to misdiagnosis. The main clinical features are excessive startle reflexes (limb shaking, or jumping) to unexpected external stimuli, resulting in overall stiffness, normal growth and development, and normal video electroencephalogram during the seizure. The likely pathogenic heterozygous missense variant c.643T>C (p.W215R) of SLC6A5 gene is the genetic cause of this case.