ObjectiveTo elucidate the effects of autonomic neuromodulators [calcium chloride (CaCl₂)-acetylcholine (ACh)] on atrial electrical remodeling and histopathological changes in rats, thereby providing evidence for further investigation into the pathological mechanisms by which autonomic imbalance induces atrial fibrillation (AF). MethodsTen 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into experimental and control groups, with 5 rats in each group. The experimental group received daily tail vein injections of a CaCl₂-ACh mixed solution for 28 days, while the control group received an equal volume of saline. Surface electrocardiograms were recorded before and after daily administration. On day 28 of administration, under isoflurane inhalation anesthesia, echocardiography was performed, and then the rats were euthanized by exsanguination under isoflurane anesthesia for tissue collection. Body weight and heart weight of rats were measured, and electrophysiological parameters including AF inducibility, conduction velocity, and conduction dispersion in isolated rat hearts were monitored using the MappingLab multichannel electrophysiological mapping system. HE staining was performed to evaluate atrial tissue architecture and inflammatory cell infiltration. The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) were analyzed by Western blotting. Masson staining was used to quantitatively analyze the proportional distribution of collagen fibers and myocardial fibers, and to calculate the area of collagen deposition, thereby evaluating the degree of myocardial fibrosis. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining was used to evaluate morphological changes of cardiomyocytes. Dihydroethidium (DHE) staining was used to detect the level of oxidative stress in atrial myocytes. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to detect atrial cell apoptosis. ResultsCompared with the control group, the experimental group showed obvious arrhythmias on electrocardiograms. Echocardiography after 28 days of administration revealed significant structural remodeling in the experimental group, with a marked increase in left atrial anteroposterior diameter (P < 0.05), and also showed cardiac dysfunction, with significant decreases in left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular fractional shortening (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed a significantly increased heart weight-to-body weight ratio (P < 0.05), a markedly higher AF inducibility (P < 0.001), a significantly slowed atrial conduction velocity (P < 0.05), an uneven isochronal map with irregular directions, and a significantly increased conduction dispersion (P < 0.01). HE staining showed that atrial myocytes in the experimental group were disorganized, with slight inflammatory cell infiltration. Western blotting showed that the expression levels of MMP-9 and IL-1β in the atrial tissue of the experimental group were significantly upregulated (P < 0.05). Masson staining showed a significant increase in collagen deposition and a significant increase in fibrosis area in the atrial tissue of the experimental group (P < 0.001). WGA staining showed that cardiomyocytes in the experimental group were significantly hypertrophied compared with the control group (P < 0.05). DHE staining and TUNEL staining revealed that the level of oxidative stress in atrial myocytes (P < 0.001) and the apoptotic rate (P < 0.01) were both significantly increased. Conclusion Daily tail vein injections of the autonomic neuromodulator CaCl₂-ACh mixed solution for 28 days can successfully induce AF in rats, accompanied by significant atrial structural remodeling, electrical remodeling, and oxidative stress.

Objective:To investigate the impact of postoperative complications on adverse outcomes following curative-intent resection for gallbladder cancer (GBC).Methods:The multi-center real-world study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 629 patients with GBC, who were admitted to 14 medical centers including The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from the national multicenter database of Biliary Surgery Group of Elite Group of Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery, from April 2020 to April 2024 were collected. There were 225 males and 404 females, aged (64±10)years. Patients underwent open curative-intent resection for GBC. Observation indicators: (1)surgery, postoperative complica-tions and adverse outcomes; (2) analysis of risk factors affecting postoperative adverse outcomes in patients and population attributable fraction (PAF). Missing data in predictor variables were addressed using multiple imputation with chained equations, while cases with missing outcome variables were addressed using the "multiple imputation then deletion (MID)" strategy. The severity of multicollinearity among independent variables was assessed using the variance inflation factor (VIF) test. Multivariable possion regression models with log link and robust error variance were construc-ted incorporating restricted cubic splines (3 knots) to address nonlinear relationships in continuous variables, calculating adjusted relative risk ( RR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval ( CI). Adjusted PAF was calculated for each imputed dataset using the AF package of R software, with subsequent pooling performed according to Rubin's rules. Results:(1) Surgery, postoperative complications and adverse outcomes. All 629 patients underwent curative-intent resection for GBC, of which 143 cases had postoperative complications, including 68 cases of intra-abdominal ascites, 39 cases of pulmonary infection, 21 cases of bile leakage, 12 cases of intra-abdominal hemorrhage, 11 cases of liver failure, 10 cases of pan-creatic fistula, 10 cases of wound infection, 10 cases of gastroparesis, 7 cases of cholangitis, 7 cases of sepsis. The same patient could have more than one kind of complication. Of 629 patients, there were 19 cases of postoperative 90-day death and 11 cases of missing data, 42 cases with post-operative 90-day reoperation and 7 cases with missing data, 44 cases with postoperative 90-day readmission and 3 cases with missing data, 155 cases with prolonged postoperative hospital stay and 3 cases with missing data. (2) Analysis of risk factors affecting the postoperative adverse outcomes in patients and PAF. Results of multivariate analysis showed that pulmonary infection and liver failure were independent risk factors for postoperative 90-day mortality ( RR=3.74, 12.15, 95% CI as 1.18-11.83, 1.98-74.48, P<0.05). Pulmonary infection demons-trated the highest PAF as 4.61% (95% CI as 3.94%-5.28%, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites, pulmonary infection, bile leakage, and intra-abdominal hemorrhage were independent risk factors for post-operative 90-day reoperation ( RR=4.80, 3.62, 3.46, 4.99, 95% CI as 2.49-9.26, 1.42-9.21, 1.34-8.92, 1.55-16.06, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites demonstrated the highest PAF as 8.65% (95% CI as 8.22%-9.08%, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites, bile leakage, and liver failure were independent risk factors for postoperative 90-day readmission ( RR=6.20, 3.33, 14.33, 95% CI as 3.21-11.95, 1.33-8.35, 3.72-55.28, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites demonstrated the highest PAF as 9.11% (95% CI as 8.85%-9.37%, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites, pulmonary infection, bile leakage, liver failure, and wound infection were independent risk factors for prolonged postoperative hospital stay ( RR=2.29, 2.21, 2.26, 2.14, 3.35, 95% CI as 1.63-3.23, 1.41-3.46, 1.32-3.86, 1.11-4.13, 1.70-6.60, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites demonstrated the highest PAF as 6.03% (95% CI as 5.71%-6.35%, P<0.05). Conclusion:Pulmonary infection is the most significant risk factor for postoperative 90-day mortality after curative-intent resection for GBC, while intra-abdominal ascites is the most significant risk factor for postoperative 90-day reoperation, postoperative 90-day readmission, and prolonged postoperative hospital stay.

Objective:To investigate the value of coronary CTA (CCTA)-based traditional features and radiomics of plaque in the identification of culprit lesions that caused acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods:This was a retrospective multicenter study. From July 2016 to November 2023, a total of 344 patients from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University (training cohort, n=184), Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University (validation cohort, n=88) and Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (test cohort, n=72) who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to AMI and underwent CCTA within 48 hours of AMI were enrolled. The culprit plaques and non-culprit plaques were identified using a combination of electrocardiogram, CCTA, and angiographic findings. The vessel, plaque location, plaque type, Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) score, high-risk plaque characteristics, plaque length, plaque volume, and burden were analyzed, and 1 904 radiomics features were extracted for each plaque. The traditional imaging model, the radiomics model, and the combined model were established by using multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of each model in identifying culprit lesions. The DeLong test was used for the comparison of AUC between every two models. The net reclassification index (NRI) was used to evaluate the incremental value of the combined model to the traditional imaging model and the radiomics model. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the clinical net benefit of these models. A correlation heatmap was used to evaluate the correlation between the radiomics score and traditional CCTA factors. The interpretable analysis of the decision process of the combined model was performed by the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results:In the validation cohort and the test cohort, the AUC of the traditional imaging model developed by the vessel, plaque type, positive remodeling and CAD-RADS score was 0.898 (95% CI 0.869-0.922) and 0.881 (95% CI 0.848-0.910), respectively. The radiomics model developed by six radiomics features was 0.863 (95% CI 0.831-0.891) and 0.863 (95% CI 0.827-0.864), respectively. The AUC of the combined model was 0.930 (95% CI 0.905-0.950)and 0.919 (95% CI 0.889-0.942), respectively. In the validation cohort and the test cohort, the AUC of the combined model was higher than that of the traditional imaging model ( Z=4.013, 4.272, P<0.001) and that of the radiomics model ( Z=4.819, 3.784, P<0.001), respectively. In the validation cohort, the combined model yielded an NRI of 20.43% (95% CI 10.43%-30.44%, P<0.001) and 20.21% (95% CI 9.62%-30.80%, P<0.001) for identifying culprit lesions compared with the traditional imaging model and the radiomics model, respectively. In the test cohort, the combined model yielded an NRI of 28.05% (95% CI 16.72%-39.38%, P<0.001) and 23.57% (95% CI 13.58%-33.56%, P<0.001) for identifying culprit lesions compared with the traditional imaging model and the radiomics model, respectively. DCA showed the combined model had the highest clinical net benefit. The correlation heatmap showed the radiomics score was not correlated or only weakly correlated with traditional CCTA factors. SHAP indicated the radiomics and CAD-RADS score contributed significantly to the model. Conclusion:The CCTA-based traditional features and radiomics of plaque have favorable performance for the identification of culprit plaques in patients with AMI.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of endoscopic nasal surgery for sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) with orbital invasion, the factors affecting the prognosis of patients, and the treatment strategies for preserving the eyeball.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study, including 60 cases of SNSCC with orbital invasion treated in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from October 2009 to October 2019. The cohort comprised 39 males and 21 females, aged 33-72 years. Orbital invasion was graded: Grade Ⅰ (destruction of the orbital bone wall), Grade Ⅱ (involvement of the periorbita/orbital fascia, extraconal fat, or medial lacrimal sac), and Grade Ⅲ (involvement of extraocular muscles, eyeball, orbital apex, or optic nerve). All cases underwent multi-disciplinary treatment (MDT), including otolaryngology, ophthalmology and oncology radiotherapy departments, and endoscopic nasal surgery. Survival curves were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test and Cox risk model were used for univariate and multivariate analysis, respectively.Results:Primary tumor sites were maxillary sinus in 19 cases (31.7%, including 6 cases of pterygopalatine fossa), ethmoid sinus in 25 cases (41.7%, 5 cases with skull base bone involvement but not dura mater), nasal cavity in 11 cases (18.3%), frontal sinus in 3 cases (5.0%), and sphenoid sinus in 2 cases (3.3%). Clinical stages included stage Ⅲ in 53 (88.3%) and stage Ⅳ in 7 (11.7%). The surgical methods of orbital invasion cases were as follows: 18 cases (30.0%) of grade I underwent orbital bone wall resection with orbital fascia and orbital contents preserved; 36 cases (60.0%) in Grade Ⅱ were resected the involved orbital fascia, extra-cone fat and lacrimal sac and preserved the internal cone structure of extra-ocular muscle. Six cases (10.0%) were grade Ⅲ, of which 2 cases were subjected to selective extraocular muscle resection with preserving eyeballs, and 4 cases were subjected to orbital contents removal. The 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of all patients were 76.7% and 63.3%, respectively, and the 5-year survival rate of the local recurrence-free group was significantly higher than that of the recurrence group (69.4% vs. 36.4%, χ2=3.91, P=0.048). The 5-year survival rates were significantly negatively correlated with the degrees of orbital invasions (83.3% for grade Ⅰ, 58.3% for grade Ⅱ and 33.3% for grade Ⅲ, ( χ2=10.49, P=0.005). The effects of T stages (66.7% in stage T3 vs. 33.3% in stage T4, χ2=7.21, P=0.007) and clinical stages (67.9% in stage III vs. 28.6% in stage IV, χ2=11.80, P=0.001) on survival rates were statistically significant. The 5-year survival rate of patients with cervical lymph node metastases was significantly lower than that of patients without metastasis (37.5% vs. 67.3%, χ2=8.32, P=0.004). The tumor-free survival rate was 56.7%. Cox multivariate analysis identified T stage [ HR=3.53 (95% CI: 1.31-9.52)] and clinical stage [ HR=35.14 (95% CI: 1.88-658.62)] as independent prognostic factors (both P<0.05). Conclusions:The outcomes of patients with orbital invasion in SNSCC are associated with T stage and clinical stage. If the muscle cone and the structures within the muscle cone are not invaded, eye-preserving surgery is feasible.

Multiple sclerosis(MS)is a complex autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammatory demyelination in the central nervous system.Prominent symptoms include damage to myelin sheaths in the brain,optic nerve,and spinal cord,as well as axonal dysfunction;however,the exact causes and mechanisms of MS remain unclear.Genetic and environmental factors are thought to interact via autoimmune mechanisms,potentially triggering the disease.Recent studies suggest that abnormal activation of the NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of MS.In this context,this review summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying NLRP3 activation and its connection to MS,considering relevant literature from the past decade.The findings aim to provide insights into the progression of MS and to identify potential therapeutic strategies by elucidating the underlying mechanisms.

Objective To explore method for improving the colonization efficiency of Helicobacter pylori(Hp)in the mouse stomach and to determine if the proton pump inhibitor(PPI)pantoprazole can act as a colonization adjuvant to enhance Hp colonization,with the aim of providing an effective tool for establishing an Hp infection mouse model.Methods The Hp Sydney strain 1(SS1)was introduced and solid plate and liquid culture systems were established.The effects of different doses of pantoprazole on gastric acid secretion in mice were compared.The impact of Hp inoculation,alone or combined with pantoprazole pretreatment,on Hp colonization efficiency was analyzed using rapid urease tests,bacterial plate cultures,and TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results PPI pretreatment inhibited gastric acid secretion and promoted Hp colonization in the mouse stomach,to some extent.Conclusions PPI can serve as colonization adjuvants to enhanc e the efficiency of constructing Hp infection mouse models.

Parkinson's disease(PD)is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease and a major cause of movement disorders.Neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PD.Icilin is a small molecule compound that has been reported to inhibit inflammation.Howev-er,its role in PD has not been reported.This study explored the effects of icilin on motor behavior,nerve damage,microglia activation,and neuroinflammation in MPTP-induced PD Meriones unguic-ulatus by behavioral experiments,immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and fluorescence quantifi-cation.The results showed that Icilin not only ameliorated motor dysfunction and neurological damage in MPTP-induced Meriones unguiculatus,but also inhibited microglia hyperactivation and its mediated neuroinflammation.The present study provides an evidence that icilin attenuates MPTP-induced neurodegenerative lesions in long-pawed gerbils,suggesting that it is a promising candidate for PD.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of CT myocardial perfusion imaging in chronic total occlusion(CTO)patients and explore its role in assessing coronary collateral circulation and viable myocardium.Methods A cohort of 50 CTO patients were enrolled and underwent both CT myocardial perfusion imaging and coronary angiography.Age,body mass index,gender,chronic comorbidities,coronary artery dominance and CT myocardial perfusion imaging parameters were compared across different patient groups:normal myocardial perfusion,matched myocardial perfusion(reduced resting and stress perfusion),mismatched myocardial perfusion(normal resting but reduced stress perfusion),and Rentrop grade-stratified subgroups(grade 0,1,2 and 3).Results No significant differences in age and body mass index were observed among normal myocardial perfusion group,matched myocardial perfusion group(P>0.05).However,gender distribution,chronic comorbidities and coronary artery dominance differed significantly between groups(P<0.05).Myocardial perfusion reduction on CT was predominantly observed in males,particularly those complicated by chronic diseases and right coronary artery dominance.There was no statistical significance in age and body mass index among patients stratified by Rentrop grade(0,1,2 and 3)(P>0.05),while significant differences emerged in gender distribution,chronic comorbidities and coronary artery dominance(P<0.05).The opening of collateral circulation predominantly occurred in males,particularly those with chronic comorbidities and right coronary artery dominance.Significant differences were found in myocardial blood flow(MBF),myocardial blood volume(MBV),mean transit time(MTT)and time to peak(TTP)among normal myocardial perfusion group,matched myocardial perfusion group and mismatched myocardial perfusion group(P<0.05).The differences in MBF,MBV,TTP and MTT among patients stratified by Rentrop grade(0,1,2,and 3)were significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Significant differences exist in CT myocardial perfusion imaging parameters among CTO patients with varying degrees of coronary collateral circulation and myocardial viability.These parameters may serve as important clinical evaluation indicators.

Objective To explore the correlation between the systemic immune-inflammation index(SII)and the clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with IgA nephropathy(IgAN).Methods A total of 350 patients who underwent renal biopsy and were initially diagnosed with primary IgAN were selected.The clinical and pathological data of the patients were collected,and SII was calculated.According to the median SII level of 554.78 in peripheral blood,the IgAN patients were divided into the low SII group(SII≤554.78,175 cases)and the high SII group(SII>554.78,175 cases).Based on the presence or absence of endocapillary hyperplastic(E)lesion,350 patients were also divided into the E0 group(279 cases,79.7%)and the E1 group(71 cases,20.3%).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the influencing factors of E1 in IgAN patients.A predictive model was established,and the predictive value of the model was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results There were higher systolic blood pressure(SBP),platelet count(PLT),neutrophil count(NEU),neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),total cholesterol(TC),serum creatinine(Scr),serum C3 and 24-hour urine protein levels in the high SII group than those of the low SII group,while the lymphocyte count(LYM)was lower(P＜0.05).In terms of pathological manifestations,the proportion of E1 was higher in the high SII group than that of the low SII group(P＜0.05).There were lower PLT,NEU,NLR,PLR,Scr and 24-hour urine protein in patients of the E0 group than those of the E1 group,while higher Hb,LYM and ALB levels in the E0 group than those of the E1 group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that elevated SII,Scr and 24-hour urine protein levels were independent risk factors for E1 lesion in IgAN patients(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of the predictive model for E1 lesion in IgAN patients was 0.781(95%CI:0.722-0.840).Conclusion SII can reflect the clinical and pathological severity in IgAN patients,providing new insights for clinical evaluation of the disease progression in IgAN patients.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of CT myocardial perfusion imaging in chronic total occlusion(CTO)patients and explore its role in assessing coronary collateral circulation and viable myocardium.Methods A cohort of 50 CTO patients were enrolled and underwent both CT myocardial perfusion imaging and coronary angiography.Age,body mass index,gender,chronic comorbidities,coronary artery dominance and CT myocardial perfusion imaging parameters were compared across different patient groups:normal myocardial perfusion,matched myocardial perfusion(reduced resting and stress perfusion),mismatched myocardial perfusion(normal resting but reduced stress perfusion),and Rentrop grade-stratified subgroups(grade 0,1,2 and 3).Results No significant differences in age and body mass index were observed among normal myocardial perfusion group,matched myocardial perfusion group(P>0.05).However,gender distribution,chronic comorbidities and coronary artery dominance differed significantly between groups(P<0.05).Myocardial perfusion reduction on CT was predominantly observed in males,particularly those complicated by chronic diseases and right coronary artery dominance.There was no statistical significance in age and body mass index among patients stratified by Rentrop grade(0,1,2 and 3)(P>0.05),while significant differences emerged in gender distribution,chronic comorbidities and coronary artery dominance(P<0.05).The opening of collateral circulation predominantly occurred in males,particularly those with chronic comorbidities and right coronary artery dominance.Significant differences were found in myocardial blood flow(MBF),myocardial blood volume(MBV),mean transit time(MTT)and time to peak(TTP)among normal myocardial perfusion group,matched myocardial perfusion group and mismatched myocardial perfusion group(P<0.05).The differences in MBF,MBV,TTP and MTT among patients stratified by Rentrop grade(0,1,2,and 3)were significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Significant differences exist in CT myocardial perfusion imaging parameters among CTO patients with varying degrees of coronary collateral circulation and myocardial viability.These parameters may serve as important clinical evaluation indicators.