Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of directional atherectomy with anti-restenosis therapy(DAART,drug-coated balloon)versus conventional balloon angioplasty(bare-metal stent,BMS)in elderly patients with femoropopliteal artery disease.Methods A retrospec-tive cohort study was conducted on 116 elderly patients undergoing endovascular intervention due to femoropopliteal artery disease in our hospital between May 2016 and September 2019,divided into DAART group(57 cases)and BMS group(59 cases).Results No statistical differences were observed between the DAART and BMS groups in terms of age,risk factors,distribution of Ruth-erford classification,lesion length,lesion type,lesion location,Global Limb Anatomic Staging Sys-tem grade,infra-popliteal runoff status,or preoperative ankle-brachial index(P＞0.05).However,the BMS group had significantly larger proportion of chronic limb-threatening ischemia than the other group(P＜0.05).Both groups achieved a 100％success rate of surgery.The DAART group obtained obviously higher primary patency rates at 1 and 2 years than the BMS group(90.4％vs 75.0％,76.3％vs 57.3％;P＜0.045).There were no significant differences in the rate of freedom from target lesion revascularization at 1 and 2 years between the two group(96.1％vs 88.8％,91.6％vs 77.7％;P＞0.05).In 2 years of follow-up,the incidence of major adverse events was 10.0％(5 cases)in the DAART group and 20.8％(12 cases)in the BMS group,but no obvious difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion DAART demonstrates superior mid-term efficacy than BMS in treating femoropopliteal artery disease in elderly patients.However,comprehensive preoperative assessment is essential to optimize individualized treatment strategies for this population.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic interstitial lung disease, is characterized by aberrant wound healing, excessive scarring and the formation of myofibroblastic foci. Although the role of alternative splicing (AS) in the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis has garnered increasing attention, its specific contribution to pulmonary fibrosis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified an up-regulation of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (SRSF7) in lung fibroblasts derived from IPF patients and a bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model, and further characterized its functional role in both human fetal lung fibroblasts and mice. We demonstrated that enhanced expression of Srsf7 in mice spontaneously induced alveolar collagen accumulation. Mechanistically, we investigated alternative splicing events and revealed that SRSF7 modulates the alternative splicing of pyruvate kinase (PKM), leading to metabolic dysregulation and fibroblast activation. In vivo studies showed that fibroblast-specific knockout of Srsf7 in conditional knockout mice conferred resistance to bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Importantly, through drug screening, we identified lomitapide as a novel modulator of SRSF7, which effectively mitigated experimental pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, our findings elucidate a molecular pathway by which SRSF7 drives fibroblast metabolic dysregulation and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Stresses induced by the deficiency or excess of trace mineral elements, such as manganese (Mn), represent a common limiting factor for the production of crops like Brassica napus. To identify key genes involved in Mn allocation in B. napus and elucidate the underlying mechanisms, a member of the metal tolerance protein (MTP) family obtained in the previous screening of cDNA library of B. napus under Mn stress was selected as the research subject. Based on the sequence information and phylogenetic analysis, it was named as BnMTP10. It belongs to the Mn-cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) subfamily. Expression of BnMTP10 in yeast significantly improved the tolerance of transformants to excessive Mn and iron (Fe) and reduced the accumulation of Mn and Fe. However, the yeast transformants exhibited no significant changes in tolerance to excess cadmium, boron, aluminum, zinc, or copper. The qRT-PCR results demonstrated that the flowers of B. napus had the highest expression of BnMTP10, followed by roots and leaves. Subcellular localization studies revealed that BnMTP10 was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Compared with wild-type plants, transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing BnMTP10 exhibited enhanced tolerance to excessive Mn stress but showed no significant difference under Fe stress. Correspondingly, under excessive Mn stress, the Mn content in the roots of transgenic Arabidopsis increased significantly. However, under excessive Fe stress, the Fe content in transgenic Arabidopsis did not alter significantly. According to the results, we hypothesize that BnMTP10 may alleviate excessive Mn stress in plants by mediating Mn transport to the ER. This study facilitated our understanding of efficient mineral nutrients, and provided theoretical foundations and gene resources for breeding B. napus.
Brassica napus/genetics* ; Manganese/metabolism* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Phylogeny ; Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism* ; Stress, Physiological

Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of directional atherectomy with anti-restenosis therapy(DAART,drug-coated balloon)versus conventional balloon angioplasty(bare-metal stent,BMS)in elderly patients with femoropopliteal artery disease.Methods A retrospec-tive cohort study was conducted on 116 elderly patients undergoing endovascular intervention due to femoropopliteal artery disease in our hospital between May 2016 and September 2019,divided into DAART group(57 cases)and BMS group(59 cases).Results No statistical differences were observed between the DAART and BMS groups in terms of age,risk factors,distribution of Ruth-erford classification,lesion length,lesion type,lesion location,Global Limb Anatomic Staging Sys-tem grade,infra-popliteal runoff status,or preoperative ankle-brachial index(P＞0.05).However,the BMS group had significantly larger proportion of chronic limb-threatening ischemia than the other group(P＜0.05).Both groups achieved a 100％success rate of surgery.The DAART group obtained obviously higher primary patency rates at 1 and 2 years than the BMS group(90.4％vs 75.0％,76.3％vs 57.3％;P＜0.045).There were no significant differences in the rate of freedom from target lesion revascularization at 1 and 2 years between the two group(96.1％vs 88.8％,91.6％vs 77.7％;P＞0.05).In 2 years of follow-up,the incidence of major adverse events was 10.0％(5 cases)in the DAART group and 20.8％(12 cases)in the BMS group,but no obvious difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion DAART demonstrates superior mid-term efficacy than BMS in treating femoropopliteal artery disease in elderly patients.However,comprehensive preoperative assessment is essential to optimize individualized treatment strategies for this population.

Objective:To explore the different metabolites in the follicular fluids (FFs) of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and non-PCOS patients and their effects on the maturation of mouse oocytes and the developmental potential of in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos. Methods:The clinical data were collected for the retrospective cohort study. Animal experiments were conducted in a randomized controlled trial. This study included PCOS ( n=71) and non-PCOS ( n=70) patients who underwent the first IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle in Shanghai JIAI Genetics & IVF institute from June 2019 to June 2020. The patients' FFs were collected and the clinical data from these patients were analyzed. Raman spectroscopy analysis technology was used to detect differences in the metabolic spectra of FFs between the two groups. Mouse GV phase oocytes were placed in FFs from PCOS patients and non-PCOS patients for in vitro maturation (IVM) culture respectively, then the matured mouse oocytes were collected for IVF. The effects of differential metabolites in FFs on mouse oocyte maturation and embryonic development were further explored. The Raman spectrum was also applied to identify the differences of the IVM spent culture media. Results:The MⅡ rate [82.19% (886/1 078)] and day 3 available embryo rate [51.30% (553/1 078)] from PCOS group were significantly lower than those of the non-PCOS group [85.85% (625/728), P=0.038; 53.30% (388/728), P=0.042]. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and the cumulative live birth rate (all P>0.05). Raman was capable of distinguishing PCOS from non-PCOS FFs. The characteristic Raman displacement difference between the two groups is mainly concentrated in the 600-1 000 cm -1, as well as 1 168 cm -1, 1 344 cm -1, 1 440 cm -1, 1 504 cm -1, 1 632 cm -1 and 1 664 cm -1. The Raman characteristic shift database showed that the different metabolites of the two sets of FFs samples were mainly concentrated in protein, lipids, free nucleic acis, glucose, cholesterol, carotenoids, and amino acids. Mouse oocyte IVM results showed that the PCOS-FF group had a lower MⅡ rate [49.04% (77/157)] than that of non-PCOS group [65.07% (95/146), P=0.005). IVF results showed the PCOS-FF group had a significantly lower cleavage rate [46.75% (36/77)] than that of non-PCOS group [63.16% (60/95), P=0.031], but there was no significant difference in the blastocyst rate between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Differential metabolites detected by Raman spectrum in the PCOS FFs may cause defected maturation of the oocytes, leading to infertility, and Raman spectroscopy is an effective approach towards PCOS diagnosis and the identification of metabolomics differences.

Objective:To explore the different metabolites in the follicular fluids (FFs) of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and non-PCOS patients and their effects on the maturation of mouse oocytes and the developmental potential of in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos. Methods:The clinical data were collected for the retrospective cohort study. Animal experiments were conducted in a randomized controlled trial. This study included PCOS ( n=71) and non-PCOS ( n=70) patients who underwent the first IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle in Shanghai JIAI Genetics & IVF institute from June 2019 to June 2020. The patients' FFs were collected and the clinical data from these patients were analyzed. Raman spectroscopy analysis technology was used to detect differences in the metabolic spectra of FFs between the two groups. Mouse GV phase oocytes were placed in FFs from PCOS patients and non-PCOS patients for in vitro maturation (IVM) culture respectively, then the matured mouse oocytes were collected for IVF. The effects of differential metabolites in FFs on mouse oocyte maturation and embryonic development were further explored. The Raman spectrum was also applied to identify the differences of the IVM spent culture media. Results:The MⅡ rate [82.19% (886/1 078)] and day 3 available embryo rate [51.30% (553/1 078)] from PCOS group were significantly lower than those of the non-PCOS group [85.85% (625/728), P=0.038; 53.30% (388/728), P=0.042]. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and the cumulative live birth rate (all P>0.05). Raman was capable of distinguishing PCOS from non-PCOS FFs. The characteristic Raman displacement difference between the two groups is mainly concentrated in the 600-1 000 cm -1, as well as 1 168 cm -1, 1 344 cm -1, 1 440 cm -1, 1 504 cm -1, 1 632 cm -1 and 1 664 cm -1. The Raman characteristic shift database showed that the different metabolites of the two sets of FFs samples were mainly concentrated in protein, lipids, free nucleic acis, glucose, cholesterol, carotenoids, and amino acids. Mouse oocyte IVM results showed that the PCOS-FF group had a lower MⅡ rate [49.04% (77/157)] than that of non-PCOS group [65.07% (95/146), P=0.005). IVF results showed the PCOS-FF group had a significantly lower cleavage rate [46.75% (36/77)] than that of non-PCOS group [63.16% (60/95), P=0.031], but there was no significant difference in the blastocyst rate between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Differential metabolites detected by Raman spectrum in the PCOS FFs may cause defected maturation of the oocytes, leading to infertility, and Raman spectroscopy is an effective approach towards PCOS diagnosis and the identification of metabolomics differences.

Objective:To explore the curative effect of surgical treatment for Crohn′s disease (CD), to investigate the timing of surgical intervention and the choice of surgical methods.Methods:From January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2020, at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, the clinical data of 123 patients with CD and receiving surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed, which included the type of lesion, the location of lesion, clinical manifestation, surgical method, preoperative inflammatory and nutritional indicators, postoperative recovery of digestive tract function, and the development and treatment of postoperative complications. CD was diagnosed according to Consensus opinion on diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease ( Beijing 2018). Patient was classitied according to the Montreal Classification. Postoperative complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo Criteria. Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis. Results:Among 123 patients, according to the Montreal classification, two cases (1.6%) were diagnosed at ≤16 years old (type A1), 66 cases (53.7%) were diagnosed at 17 to 40 years old (type A2), and 55 cases (44.7%) were diagnosed at >40 years old (type A3). The lesions were 52 cases (42.3%) of terminal ileum (L1) type, 20 cases (16.3%) of colon (L2) type, and 51 cases (41.5%) of ileocolon (L3) type. Four cases (3.2%) were non-stenosis and non-penetrating (B1) type, 87 cases (70.7%) were stenosis (B2) type, and 32 cases (26.0%) were penetrating (B3) type. Eighteen patients (14.6%) underwent emergency surgery due to complete intestinal obstruction (10 cases), gastrointestinal perforation (five cases), gastrointestinal bleeding (two cases), and rectovesical fistula complicated with septic shock (one case). One hundred and five patients (85.4%) received selective surgery due to poor conservative treatment effects. 51 cases (41.5%) underwent traditional open surgery and 72 cases (58.5%) underwent laparoscopic surgery. Nineteen patients (15.4%) received temporary or permanent ostomy. The preoperative C reactive protein level of patients with emergency surgery was higher than that of patients undergoing selective surgery ((39.23±24.13) mg/L vs. (11.48±2.68) mg/L), while the levels of plasma albumin (ALB) and pre-ALB were lower than those of patients receiving selective surgery ((29.90±10.60) g/L vs. (38.38±8.30) g/L, (146.00±125.49) mg/L vs. (209.06±61.19) mg/L), and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=9.603, 8.754 and 7.111, all P<0.01). During the follow-up, a total of 23 cases (18.7%) developed postoperative complications, including one case of postoperative intra-abdominal hemorrhage and underwent re-operation (Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ complication); four cases of anastomotic leakage after operation; six cases of postoperative paralytic ileus; 11 cases of surgical site infection, all of which were Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅱ complications, and one case of deep venous thrombosis of lower extremity. No patient with severe intraoperative complication was observed, and no patients died during the operation or hospitalization. The postoperative exhaust time of patients was (3.2±1.4) d, the time of open fluid diet was (5.8±0.8) d, the length of hospital stay was (18.0±14.1) d, and the length of postoperative hospital stay was (11.2±8.8) d. Conclusions:The concept of multidisciplinary collaboration should be emphasized in the treatment of CD. Surgical treatment can effectively control the complications and improve the quality of life of patients, but the timing of operation and the choice of surgical methods should be decided prudently after perioperative treatment, multi-disciplinary participated and regulation of the internal environment. The standardized and targeted treatments for the surgical difficulties of inflammatory bowel disease should be conducted.

The Singapore Health Services cluster (SingHealth) radiology film archives are a valuable repository of local radiological cases dating back to the 1950s. Some of the cases in the archives are of historical medical interest, i.e. cerebral angiography in the workup of patients with hemiplegia. Other cases are of historical social interest, being conditions seen during earlier stages of Singapore's development, i.e. bound feet. The archives form a unique portal into the development of local radiology as well as the national development of Singapore. A selection from the archives is published in commemoration of the International Day of Radiology in 2020, as well as the 200th anniversary of the Singapore General Hospital in 2021. This pictorial essay comprises gastroenterology, musculoskeletal and obstetrics and gynaecology cases from the archives.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor-α biologics have been widely used in the treatment of Crohn′s disease. A variety of new biological agents have been approved this year and entered clinical use.Clinical benefits and risks should be fully balanced according to the disease conditions for special population, and shared decision making should be conducted to select appropriate biological agents and develop individualized treatment regimen which will help to improve efficacy and safety of biologics.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor-α biologics have been widely used in the treatment of Crohn′s disease. A variety of new biological agents have been approved this year and entered clinical use.Clinical benefits and risks should be fully balanced according to the disease conditions for special population, and shared decision making should be conducted to select appropriate biological agents and develop individualized treatment regimen which will help to improve efficacy and safety of biologics.