ObjectiveTo investigate pulmonary function levels and associated influencing factors among rural elderly in Guangzhou， to identify high-risk populations for poor pulmonary function， and to reveal the relationship between the influencing factors of pulmonary function. MethodsWe recruited 1 500 residents aged 60 to 94 years from rural area of Conghua District， Guangzhou City using convenience sampling in 2023. Data on demographics， body measurements， medical history and lifestyle were collected via face-to-face questionnaires and physical examination. Meanwhile， expiratory function parameters including forced expiratory volume in one second （FEV1）， forced vital capacity （FVC）， FEV1/FVC， and the prevalence of airflow obstruction （AFO） were assessed using a portable spirometer. Age and sex distribution of pulmonary function in older adults at 5-year intervals was reported， and risk factors of AFO using multifactorial logistic regression models were analyzed. Furthermore， path analysis was further employed to explore the role of lifestyle in the association between other influencing factors and lung function. ResultsAmong the 1 500 participants， the median age was 71 years （67-75）， and 44.2% were male. Subjects identified as AFOs were generally older， more likely male， less educated， and had lower rates of moderate to vigorous physical activity （＜1 time/week） and lower lean body mass. Mean FEV1/FVC ratio was （82.0±16.4） %. FEV1/FVC was （79.80±17.58） % in men and （83.66±15.22） % in women. Older age， lower education， male sex and leanness were negatively associated with all pulmonary function outcomes （all P values＜0.05）. Path analysis identified that age， gender， marital status， occupation and income may influence pulmonary function indirectly through lifestyle. ConclusionRural elderly in Guangzhou exhibited lower pulmonary function levels， and male sex， non-married status， advanced age， lower education， smoking habits， insufficient engagement in moderate to vigorous physical activity， and lean body type were all associated with worse pulmonary function.

Background::Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a fatal cardiovascular disease, the pathogenesis of which has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to identify and validate the diagnostic markers of TAA to provide a strong theoretical basis for developing new methods to prevent and treat this disease.Methods::Gene expression profiles of the GSE9106, GSE26155, and GSE155468 datasets were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the "limma" package in R. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE), random forest, and binary logistic regression analyses were used to screen the diagnostic marker genes. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to estimate immune cell infiltration in TAA.Results::A total of 16 DEGs were identified. The enrichment and functional correlation analyses showed that DEGs were mainly associated with inflammatory response pathways and collagen-related diseases. Collagen type I alpha 1 chain ( COL1A1) and synaptotagmin like 2 ( SYTL2) were identified as diagnostic marker genes with a high diagnostic value for TAA. The expression of COL1A1 and SYTL2 was considerably higher in TAA vascular wall tissues than in the corresponding normal tissues, and there were significant differences in the infiltration of immune cells between TAA and normal vascular wall tissues. Additionally, COL1A1 and SYTL2 expression were associated with the infiltration of immune cells in the vascular wall tissue. Single-cell analysis showed that COL1A1 in TAA was mainly derived from fibroblasts and SYTL2 mainly from cluster of differentiation (CD)8 + T cells. In addition, single-cell analysis indicated that fibroblasts and CD8 + T cells in TAA were significantly higher than those in normal arterial wall tissue. Conclusions::COL1A1 and SYTL2 may serve as diagnostic marker genes for TAA. The upregulation of SYTL2 and COL1A1 may be involved in the inflammatory infiltration of the vessel wall and poor extracellular matrix remodeling, promoting the progression of TAA.

Objective:To explore the application value of intraoperative ultrasound localization in laparoscopic surgery for non extraluminal gastrointestinal stromal tumors.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 13 patients with non extraluminal gastrointestinal stromal tumors treated with laparoscopic surgery at Zhejiang Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2023 to March 2024. Ultrasound localization was used during the surgery. An analysis was conducted on indicators such as the patient′s surgical approach, surgical duration, intraoperative blood loss, time of first postoperative meal intake, length of hospital stay, and incidence of postoperative complications.Results:Among the 13 patients, there were 7 males and 6 females, and all patients successfully completed the surgery. The operation time was (71.54±19.51)minutes, the intraoperative blood loss was (20.0±16.8)ml, the first postoperative feeding time was (3.08±1.38)days, and the postoperative hospitalization time was (6.92±2.69)days. All 13 patients did not undergo conversion to open surgery during the operation, and the operation was smooth. There was no major bleeding or iatrogenic injury during the operation. There was no bleeding, abdominal infection, anastomotic fistula, anastomotic stenosis, etc. after the operation. There were no unplanned cases of reoperation, and all recovered well and were discharged smoothly. There were no discomfort symptoms during the 3-month follow-up after the operation.Conclusions:Intraoperative ultrasound can accurately locate tumors in laparoscopic non cavity growth gastrointestinal stromal tumor surgery, which is beneficial for the smooth progress of the surgery and the formulation of surgical strategies, and has obvious safety and reliability.

Objective:To investigate the clinical manifestations, serological and cerebrospinal fluid test results for syphilis, imaging features, and prognoses of cerebral syphilitic gumma.Methods:The clinical data of 1 patient with cerebral syphilitic gumma admitted to Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Papers about cerebral syphilitic gumma were searched from journals in Journal Citation Reports Q1 from 2000 to 2019, journals from 2020 to 2024 in PubMed, WOS, Embase, and Scopus databases, and journals from 2000 to 2024 in Wanfang Database, CNKI, and VIP database; the clinical data of 54 patients with cerebral syphilitic gumma reported in above databases and 1 patient in our hospital were collected for pooled analysis.Results:The main clinical manifestations of 55 cerebral syphilitic gumma patients included headache (32, 58.2%), lateral limb/facial weakness (25, 45.5%), nausea and vomiting (14, 25.5%), dizziness (11, 20.0%), sensory disturbances (10, 18.2%), blurred vision (7, 12.7%), seizure (5, 9.1%)), hearing loss (5, 9.1%), tinnitus (5, 9.1%), memory loss (3, 5.5%), aphasia (3, 5.5%), dysarthria (2, 3.6%), drop attack (2, 3.6%), weakness in opening eyes (2, 3.6%), unresponsiveness (1, 1.8%), Argyll-Robertson pupil (1, 1.8%), tabes dorsalis gait (1, 1.8%), and fever (1, 1.8%). In 51 patients who reported complete serologic test results, 45 patients (88.2%) were positive for non-specific antibodies to syphilis, and all patients were positive for specific antibodies to syphilis. In 34 patients underwent cerebrospinal fluid examination, 25 (73.5%) were positive for non-specific antibodies to syphilis, and 32 (94.1%) were positive for specific antibodies to syphilis. Isolated intracranial lesion (43, 78.2%) was mostly common in imaging test, and the frequently involved cranial sites were, orderly, the frontal lobe (14, 25.5%), parietal lobe (14, 25.5%), temporal lobe (5, 9.1%), frontotemporal lobe (3, 5.5%), frontoparietal lobe (2, 3.6%), parieto-occipital lobe (2, 3.6%), nucleus pulposus (1, 1.8%), clivus (1/55, 1.8%), and cerebral peduncle of the midbrain (1, 1.8%). Thirty patients (54.5%) were misdiagnosed as having other intracranial space-occupied diseases, orderly, glioma (11, 36.7%), metastatic tumors (5, 16.7%), meningiomas (4, 13.3%), other unexplained intracranial space-occupying (4, 13.3%), brain abscess (3, 10.0%), cavernous hemangioma (1, 3.3%), intracranial lymphoma (1, 3.3%), auditory nerve and pituitary tumors (1, 3.3%). Of the 42 patients who reported prognosis after anti-syphilitic treatments, 41 had varying degrees of improvement, and one died of brain herniation.Conclusion:Because of atypical clinical manifestations and lack of clear diagnostic criteria, cerebral syphilitic gumma is often misdiagnosed as intracranial tumors; cerebral syphilitic gumma should be considered in patients with positive non-specific antibodies to syphilis/specific antibodies to syphilis in serum and cerebrospinal fluid having neurological symptoms and intracranial space-occupied foci; timely diagnosed and treated patients can prognosed well.

Objective To analyze the interventional effect of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNC) therapy in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) combined with hypercapnia. Methods A total of 45 patients with stable COPD complicating with hypercapnia who require long-term oxygen therapy were selected as study subjects. They were divided into three groups based on different respiratory support modes: long-term home oxygen therapy (LTOT) group, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) group, and HFNC group, with 15 patients in each group. The general condition, blood gas index, lung function index, respiratory status, quality of life, and walking test results of the three groups were compared after discharge. Results During the follow-up period, the number of admission and acute exacerbation in the HFNC group and NIV group was lower than that in the LTOT group (P < 0.05). At 6 and 12 months after discharge, the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide [p_a(CO₂)] in the three groups was lower than before discharge, while the arterial partial pressure of oxygen[p_a(O₂)], pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) were higher than before discharge. Moreover, the changes in the above indicators in the HFNC group were greater than those in the NIV group and LTOT group (P < 0.05). At 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month after discharge, the scores of dyspnea scale of the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) and the St. George′s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) in the three groups gradually decreased, and the 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) gradually increased. Additionally, the changesin the above indicators in the HFNC group were greater than those in the NIV group and LTOT group (P < 0.05). Conclusion HFNC can effectively alleviate dyspnea symptoms, improve lung function, promote the recovery of blood gas indicators, enhance quality of life and exercise tolerance, and reduce re-hospitalization rates in patients with stable COPD combined with hypercapnia.

Osteoporosis， as a systemic bone disease with high incidence rate and high disability rate， has become a research hotspot in recent years. The daidzein in soybean isoflavones can bind with estrogen receptors， simulating the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis with estrogen-like effect. Its mechanism of action includes promoting osteoblast formation and differentiation by activating the Wnt signaling pathway， increasing bone density， and improving bone tissue health； inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and slowing down bone resorption by reducing receptor activator of nuclear factors κB ligand/ osteoprotegerin ratio， downregulating the expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor （M-CSF）； collaborating antioxidant and immune regulation to achieve the goal of preventing and treating osteoporosis. In addition， different doses of daidzein have different effects on bone density and osteoporosis， which may be related to factors such as study design， sample selection， and individual differences.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is associated with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), which is a rare cerebrovascular disorder in children. Systemic anticoagulation with heparin is the standard therapy for CVST, and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has been described as a salvage treatment for adult anticoagulant refractory CVST, However, it has never been reported in children. We describe a case of MT for refractory CVST in a child with NS. A 13-year-old boy with newly diagnosed NS presented to an emergency department with acute headache. A head computed tomography showed acute thrombus in the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and transverse sinus. The child was started on heparin therapy, but clinically deteriorated and became unresponsive. In view of the rapid deterioration of the condition after anticoagulation treatment, the patient received intravascular treatment. Several endovascular technologies, such as stent retriever and large bore suction catheter have been adopted. After endovascular treatment, the patient’s neurological condition was improved within 24 hours, and magnetic resonance venography of the head demonstrated that the CVST was reduced. The child recovered with normal neurological function at discharge. This case highlights the importance of considering MT for refractory CVST, and we suggest that MT may be considered for refractory CVST with NS in children.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of the novel double disc-shaped gastrointestinal occluder (hereinafter referred to as occluder) in treatment of refractory tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF).Methods:From July 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021, 10 patients with refractory TEF treated with occluder at Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University were collected. The patients′ clinical data such as gender, age, body mass index and fistula diameter were recorded. The success rate of operation, intraoperative and postoperative complications, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, efficacy of fistula closure and postoperative recovery were analyzed. The Karnofsky score and body mass index of patients 1 month and 3 months after operation were compared with those before operation for curative effect evaluation. Paired t test was used for statistical analysis. Results:Among the 10 TEF patients, there were 7 males and 3 females, the median age was 64.5 years old (ranged from 49.0 to 78.0 years old), the body mass index was (18.0±2.5) kg/m 2 and the diameter of the fistula was (1.2±0.6) cm. Occluder placement was successful in all patients. The operation time was (17.6±7.8) min (ranged from 7.0 to 30.0 min). Two cases had little bleeding during the operation, and there was no bleeding after the operation. The postoperative hospital stay was (5.9±4.0) d (ranged from 1.0 to 12.0 d). Among the 10 TEF patients, fistula of 5 patients were completely blocked, 4 cases were partially blocked and 1 case was ineffectively blocked, the effective rate of blocking was 9/10. One month follow-up after operation showed that the symptoms of choking and coughing during eating were significantly improved in 9 patients, and the symptoms of choking and coughing during eating were significantly improved in 1 patient after waist diameter of 12 mm occluder was replaced with the occluder of 15 mm. The 3-month follow-up after operation showed that the occluders were in the right place in 8 patients, the occluder was displaced in 1 patient and the occluder was removed and treated with enteral nutrition. One patient died due to the recurrence of esophageal cancer. The Karnofsky score of TEF patients 3 months after operation and the body mass index of TEF patients 1 month and 3 months after operation were higher than those before operation (70.0±34.0 vs. 46.0±10.7, (19.32±2.59) and (19.73±2.92) kg/m 2 vs. (18.03±2.50) kg/m 2), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-3.09, -2.37 and -2.82, all P<0.05). Conclusions:Gastrointestinal occluder is safe and effective in the treatment of refractory TEF.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combination of submucosal tunneling endoscopic septum division (STESD) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for the treatment of esophageal epiphrenic diverticulum with esophagogastric junction (EGJ) outflow tract disorder.Methods:From October 2017 to August 2021, 6 patients with esophageal epiphrenic diverticulum complicated with EGJ outflow tract disorder receiving combination of STESD and POEM in the Endoscopic Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled. The clinical characteristics of the patients were retrospectively analyzed, which included the ratio of male to female, age, course of disease, length of diverticula, location, whether with multiple diverticula, type of EGJ outflow tract disorders, whether the endoscopic technique was successful (the completion of all steps under endoscopy, including tunnel establishment and diverticulum cristae, lower esophageal sphincter and cardia muscularis propria incision); operation time, changes in the severity of clinical symptoms before and after operation (including weight loss, dysphagia, retrosternal pain, and reflux assessed using the Eckardt score), intraoperative and postoperative complications, and follow-up, including whether achieved clinical success (complete or nearly complete improvement of dysphagia, vomiting after eating, retrosternal pain, regurgitation, weight loss, no need for repeat endoscopic intervention during follow-up) and adverse events. Descriptive methods were used for statistical analysis.Results:The male to female ratio of the 6 patients was 3 to 3, the median age was 69.2 years old, and the median disease course was 92.3 months. The median length of the diverticula was 47.5 mm. Diverticulum was located in the right wall of esophagus in 4 cases and in the left wall of esophagus in 2 cases, of which 1 patient was multiple diverticulum of esophagus. Achalasia was found in 5 cases, and EGJ outflow obstruction was found in 1 case. All the 6 patients successfully completed combination of STESD and POEM, and all achieved successful edoscopic technique. The operation time (range) was 55 min (40 to 70 min). Clinical symptom Eckardt score (range) before and after operation was 9.0 (7.0 to 11.0) and 1.3 (1.0 to 2.0), respectively. After operation the clinical symptom improved compared with that before operation. There were no delayed bleeding, perforation, infection, subcutaneous emphysema and other complications and severe adverse events. Six patients were all cured and discharged. Follow-up period was 1 to 50 months. The symptoms of dysphagia, vomiting after eating, retrosternal pain, regurgitation and weight loss were all significantly improved compared with those before operation. There were no severe adverse events and all achieved clinical success.Conclusions:Combination of STESD and POEM is safe and effective in the treatment of esophageal epiphrenic diverticulum with EGJ outflow tract disorder, and has good short-term and long-term effects.

Closed-loop hospital management can effectivly cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to ensure the continuity of treatments for hemodialysis patients under closed-loop management and minimize possible medical and infection risks, Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University and 9 hospitals in Shanghai established a hemodialysis alliance in January 2021.The alliance optimized hemodialysis resources within the region through overall planning by preparing sites, materials and personnel shifts in advance, and establishing management systems and work processes to ensure that patients could be quickly and orderly diverted to other blood dialysis centers for uninterrupted high-quality hemodialysis services, in case that some hemodialysis centers in the alliance under closed-loop management.From November 2021 to April 2022, 317 of 1 459 hemodialysis patients in the alliance were diverted to other centers for treatment, accumulating 1 215 times/cases of treatments without obvious adverse reactions. The practice could provide a reference for medical institutions to quickly establish mutual support mode under major public health events.