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.

Objective To explore the efficiency of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging-guided hepatectomy and its short-term prognosis in patients with primary liver carcinoma. Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on 166 patients diagnosed with primary liver carcinoma and admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Shanghai General Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from June 2018 to June 2021. Patients were categorized into ICG group (n=72) and non-ICG group (n=94) based on the utilization of ICG during surgery. Moreover, the clinical information of preoperation, intraoperation, and postoperation were collected and compared between the two groups. ICG fluorescence images of the lesions in the ICG group were recorded for analysis. Results ICG fluorescence intensity is associated with the histopathology, differentiation grade of primary liver cancer, and the presence of liver cirrhosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma lesions predominantly displayed partial fluorescence, while intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma lesions showed circular fluorescence. Well differentiated tumors exhibited complete fluorescence (7/11), moderately differentiated tumors demonstrated partial fluorescence (28/51), and poorly differentiated tumors displayed circular fluorescence (7/10). Most patients with liver cirrhosis exhibited partial fluorescence (18/35) or complete fluorescence (13/35).Compared to the non-ICG group, the ICG group demonstrated higher serum albumin levels on the first (34.6 g/L vs. 31.4 g/L) and the third postoperative days (32.4 g/L vs. 31.2 g/L)(P<0.001). Conversely, the ICG group showed shorter operation time (170 min vs. 210 min), lower rate of intraoperative hepatic portal blockade (9.7% vs. 33.0%), less intraoperative blood loss (400 mL vs. 430 mL), shorter postoperative hospital stay (10 d vs. 14 d), and lower incidence of short-term postoperative complications (4.2% vs. 20.2%) (P<0.05) compared to the non-ICG group. Conclusions ICG fluorescence intensity is associated with the histopathology, differentiation grade of primary liver cancer, and the presence of liver cirrhosis.The judicious application of ICG fluorescence imaging technology alongside surgical techniques holds promise for improving short-term prognosis and expediting the postoperative recovery.

Objective:To conduct a thorough analysis of the clinical characteristics in patients with trisomy 8 syndrome and autoimmune diseases, and to provide a new perspective on the diagnosis and management of the fever of unknown origin (FUO).Methods:Patients who were admitted to Huashan Hospital, Fudan University between July 1st, 2021 and May 1st, 2024 for FUO and subsequently diagnosed with trisomy 8 syndrome with autoimmune diseases were included. In this retrospective cohort study, patients were divided into infection and non-infection group according to the etiological evidence, and the clinical characteristics and treatments were collected and compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results:Among the nine enrolled patients, one case was associated with Behet syndrome (BD) without myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and without co-occurring infection, eight cases were associated with MDS, among which six cases had both BD and MDS, one case had allergic pneumonia, and one case had rheumatoid arthritis. Six MDS cases had infections. The C-reactive protein (CRP) level in the infection group was significantly higher than that in the non-infection group(72.39(14.62, 132.70) mg/L vs 3.68(2.30, 10.09) mg/L; Z=1.00, P=0.048). There were no statistically significant differences in other inflammatory markers (such as white blood cell count, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ferritin, and neutrophil CD64 index) between the infection and non-infection groups (all P>0.05). In the infection group, one had bacterial infection, five had fungal infections, including two cases of disseminated aspergillosis, one case of mixed bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, one case of mucormycosis combined with Enterococcus faecalis infection, and one case of pulmonary aspergillosis combined with disseminated Mycobacterium abscessus infection. Among the nine patients, eight patients received immunosuppressive treatment centered on the glucocorticoids and (or) thalidomide, and all six infected patients received the above immunosuppressive treatment based on the anti-infection therapy. Eight of the nine cases were stable and followed up regularly, while one case died due to worsening of illness. Conclusions:Autoimmune diseases associated with trisomy 8 syndrome is rare. In addition to anti-infection treatment, glucocorticoids, thalidomide or other immunosuppressive drugs should be administrated to suppress the inflammatory response in patients with co-infection, and the disease could be well controlled.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the transcriptomal charactersistics of the striatum in the chronic social defeat stress(CSDS)model mice by using spatial transcriptome analysis and to address the underlying mechanism of the striatum in regulating depressive states.METHODS The CSDS para-digm was employed to establish a depression-like mouse model.The depressive indicators of behavioral despair,anhedonia,and social disorders were assessed through a battery of tests,including the tail suspension test,forced swim test,sucrose preference test,and social interaction experiments.The control mice and the mice exhibiting CSDS-sensitive depression-like behaviors were selected for spatial tran-scriptome sequencing of the striatal region.This sequencing aimed to identify highly expressed genes,followed by KEGG and GO enrichment analyses using the DAVID database.RESULTS The CSDS mouse model effectively induced behavioral despair,anhedonia and social avoidance(P<0.05,P<0.01).Spatial transcriptome analysis revealed 193 differentially expressed genes in the striatum of normal mice.KEGG and GO analyses indicated that these genes were primarily associated with striatal devel-opment,locomotor behaviors,and drug addiction.They were strongly implicated in signaling pathways such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate,cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase G,calcium signaling,Ras-related protein 1,and mitogen-activated protein kinase,and synaptic linked to GABAergic and dopaminergic neurons.In contrast,CSDS modeling mice led to the identification of 298 differentially expressed genes in the striatum compared with the normal control mice.These genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to neurodegenerative diseases,including Huntington disease,Alzheimer disease,and Parkinson disease.CONCLUSION Depressive states induced by CSDS are associated with the pathological processes underlying neurodegenerative diseases in the striatum.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children in Jiangsu Province from 2014 to 2023.Methods:The acute respiratory infection cases in children aged 0-14 years were selected from outpatient/emergency or inpatient departments in 2 surveillance sentinel hospitals, respectively, in Nanjing, Suzhou and Taizhou of Jiangsu from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2023, and RSV nucleic acid test was conducted and the intensity of the RSV infection was accessed by WHO influenza epidemiological threshold method, and case information and clinical data were collected. χ2 test was used to compare the differences between groups, and the Bonferroni method was used for pairwise comparisons between groups. Results:In 4 946 cases of acute respiratory infections, the RSV positive rate was 8.21% (406/4 946), and the age M( Q1, Q3) of the cases was 1 (0, 3) years. The RSV positive rate was 10.92% (258/2 362) during 2014-2019 and 6.06% (118/1 948) during 2019-2023, the difference was significant ( χ2=31.74, P<0.001). RSV infection mainly occurred from October to March during 2014-2019, with the incidence peak in December and moderate or higher intensity. The seasonality of RSV infection was not obvious during 2019-2023, with low intensity. The RSV positive rate was highest in children in age group 0- years (17.85%, 151/846), and the positive rate declined gradually with age ( χ2=184.51, P<0.001). The RSV positive rate was higher in inpatient cases (9.84%, 244/2 480) than in outpatient/emergency cases (6.57%, 162/2 466) ( χ2=17.54, P<0.001). In the 155 RSV infection cases with complete clinical data, the clinical symptoms mainly included cough (99.35%, 154/155), fever (55.48%, 86/155), and shortness of breath (45.16%, 70/155). In the cases aged <6 months, the proportion of those with fever was low, but the proportion of those with shortness of breath, transferred to intensive care units, and receiving oxygen therapy were higher (all P<0.05). Children aged <6 months and those with underlying diseases were more likely to have severe RSV infection (all P<0.05). Conclusions:RSV infection in children in Jiangsu Province showed seasonal prevalence in winter from 2014 to 2019. Since 2020, the seasonal characteristics of the epidemic have changed, the epidemic period has been dispersed and the epidemic intensity has decreased. Infants <1 year old were at high risk for RSV infection, and those <6 months old and with underlying diseases might have severe infection.

Objective:To conduct a thorough analysis of the clinical characteristics in patients with trisomy 8 syndrome and autoimmune diseases, and to provide a new perspective on the diagnosis and management of the fever of unknown origin (FUO).Methods:Patients who were admitted to Huashan Hospital, Fudan University between July 1st, 2021 and May 1st, 2024 for FUO and subsequently diagnosed with trisomy 8 syndrome with autoimmune diseases were included. In this retrospective cohort study, patients were divided into infection and non-infection group according to the etiological evidence, and the clinical characteristics and treatments were collected and compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results:Among the nine enrolled patients, one case was associated with Behet syndrome (BD) without myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and without co-occurring infection, eight cases were associated with MDS, among which six cases had both BD and MDS, one case had allergic pneumonia, and one case had rheumatoid arthritis. Six MDS cases had infections. The C-reactive protein (CRP) level in the infection group was significantly higher than that in the non-infection group(72.39(14.62, 132.70) mg/L vs 3.68(2.30, 10.09) mg/L; Z=1.00, P=0.048). There were no statistically significant differences in other inflammatory markers (such as white blood cell count, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ferritin, and neutrophil CD64 index) between the infection and non-infection groups (all P>0.05). In the infection group, one had bacterial infection, five had fungal infections, including two cases of disseminated aspergillosis, one case of mixed bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, one case of mucormycosis combined with Enterococcus faecalis infection, and one case of pulmonary aspergillosis combined with disseminated Mycobacterium abscessus infection. Among the nine patients, eight patients received immunosuppressive treatment centered on the glucocorticoids and (or) thalidomide, and all six infected patients received the above immunosuppressive treatment based on the anti-infection therapy. Eight of the nine cases were stable and followed up regularly, while one case died due to worsening of illness. Conclusions:Autoimmune diseases associated with trisomy 8 syndrome is rare. In addition to anti-infection treatment, glucocorticoids, thalidomide or other immunosuppressive drugs should be administrated to suppress the inflammatory response in patients with co-infection, and the disease could be well controlled.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of ultrasound and acoustic and laser cleaning of curved root canals. METHODS: A total of 92 molars with independent root canals with a curvature of 20°-40° were prepared and standardized at 04 25# and stained with gentian violet solution for 72 h. Among them, 52 were randomly divi-ded into four groups for final rinsing (n=13): NI group, PUI group, EDDY group, and PIPS group. Ten samples in each group were cut horizontally along the long axis perpendicular to the root and divided into curved upper, curved, and apical segments. Images were taken with a stereomicroscope and Image J measurements were taken to calculate the depth of rinse penetration. The remaining three samples from each group were split along the long axis of the dentin, photographed by scanning electron microscope to record the dentin tubule exposure and staining layer, and scored for staining layer by double-blind method. SPSS 26.0 software was used to perform statistical analysis and select the best flushing method. An extra 40 samples were randomly divided into four groups for detection of flushing fluid penetration depth (n=10): 10, 20, 30, and 40 s. RESULTS: In the upper part, the mean depth of infiltration was not significantly different between the experimental and control groups (P>0.05). The PIPS group had a significantly lower smear layer score than the control group and the EDDY group (P<0.01). In the curved segment, the mean depth of infiltration was significantly greater in the PUI group than in the control group (P<0.05); the tarnish layer score was lower in each experimental group than in the control group. At the top, the mean depth of infiltration was greater in the PUI and PIPS groups than in the control group (P<0.05), and the smear layer score was lower in the PIPS group than in the other groups (P<0.05). After the time was changed, the depth of infiltration of PUI increased only in the apical segment as the flushing time increased. CONCLUSIONS The PUI and PIPS methods facilitate the penetration of irrigation solution into the dentin canal in curved root canals, especially in the apical segment. The PIPS technique is effective in removing the smear layer in curved root canals.
Humans ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Root Canal Irrigants ; Root Canal Preparation/methods* ; Smear Layer ; Sodium Hypochlorite ; Therapeutic Irrigation/methods* ; Double-Blind Method

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.04.002.].

Objective     To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) guided by echocardiography alone versus fluoroscopy. Methods     The databases of PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, VIP, Wanfang Data and CNKI from January 2000 to October 2021 were searched by computer for relevant research literature. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and evaluated the quality according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results     A total of 19 cohort studies and 1 randomized controlled study were collected, including 2 825 patients. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score for cohort studies was≥7 points. Meta-analysis showed that there was no statistical difference in the operative success rate (RR=1.01, 95%CI 1.00 to 1.02, P=0.17), incidence of occluder displacement/shedding (RR=0.77, 95%CI 0.26 to 2.27, P=0.63), incidence of arrhythmia (RR=0.50, 95%CI 0.21 to 1.14, P=0.10), incidence of pericardial effusion (RR=0.98, 95%CI 0.32 to 2.98, P=0.97), operative time (MD=–0.23, 95%CI –7.56 to 7.10, P=0.95) or cost (SMD=–0.39, 95%CI –1.09 to 0.30, P=0.27) between the two groups. The echocardiography group reduced the incidence of total postoperative complications (RR=0.42, 95%CI 0.30 to 0.60, P<0.001) and residual shunt (RR=0.70, 95%CI 0.50 to 0.98, P=0.04), and shortened length of hospital stay (MD=–0.43, 95%CI –0.77 to 0.09, P=0.01). Conclusion     Compared with traditional fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous closure of ASD, echocardiography guidance alone is equivalent in terms of operative success rate, major postoperative complications, operative time and total cost, but it reduces the incidence of total postoperative complications and residual shunt, and has a shorter length of hospital stay.

ObjectiveTo monitor the microbes in urban drinking water in Jiangxi from 2016 to 2020， to analyze the change in microbial qualification rate， and to provide a scientific basis for government decision-making. MethodsAccording to the Standard Examination Method for Drinking Water （GB/T 5750‒2006） and the Standards for Drinking Water Quality （GB 5749‒2006）， the water samples were collected， tested and evaluated for hygienic safety. The chi-square test was used to compare the qualification rates among different water periods， water source types， water supply modes， water samples， treatment processes， and disinfection methods. ResultsA total of 10 584 water samples were collected and examined from 2016 to 2020，with a qualification rate of 97.72%. The qualified rate of the microbiological index increased gradually over the years. There was no statistically significant difference in the microbiological qualification rate of water samples monitored in different water periods （χ²=0.718，P=0.398）， and the qualification rates were 97.85% and 97.60% in dry and abundant water periods respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the qualification rates of water samples monitored in different water source types （χ²=79.560，P=0.398）， with groundwater having a higher qualification rate of 98.83% than surface water （97.70%）. The microbiological pass rate of water samples differed among different water supply methods （χ²=201.836，P<0.001）. The microbiological pass rates of municipal centralized water supply， self-built centralized water supply and secondary water supply were 97.51%， 88.94% and 96.56% respectively. The microbiological pass rates of water samples differed among different treatment processes. There were differences in the qualification rates of the water samples between different treatment processes（χ²=855.034，P<0.001）， with 98.22%， 67.19%， 95.60% and 53.13% of the conventionally treated， precipitated filtered， disinfected only and untreated water samples， respectively. The differences in the microbiological qualification rates of the monitored water samples between different disinfection methods were statistically significant （χ²=904.993，P<0.001）. Chlorination disinfection， chlorine dioxide disinfection， other disinfection methods and non-disinfected water samples had the pass rates of 98.35%， 98.19%， 84.38% and 60.16%， respectively. ConclusionThe qualified rate of the microbiological index of drinking water in Jiangxi increases year by year， but there are still some drinking water without appropriate disinfectants and water quality treatment processes. There is still a need to strengthen the purification， disinfection and monitoring of drinking water.