The visual cortex is an essential part of the brain for processing visual information. It exhibits structural and functional plasticity, which is crucial for adapting to complex visual environments. The quintessential manifestation of visual cortical plasticity is ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period, which involves numerous cellular and molecular events. While previous studies have emphasized the role of visual cortical neurons and their associated functional molecules in visual plasticity, recent findings have revealed that structural factors such as the extracellular matrix and glia are also involved. Investigating how these molecules interact to form a complex network that facilitates plasticity in the visual cortex is crucial to our understanding of the development of the visual system and the advancement of therapeutic strategies for visual disorders like amblyopia.
Neuronal Plasticity/physiology* ; Dominance, Ocular/physiology* ; Visual Cortex/physiology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Neurons/physiology*

This study aimed to comprehensively examine the association of gallstones, cholecystectomy, and cancer risk. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to estimate the observational associations of gallstones and cholecystectomy with cancer risk, using data from a nationwide cohort involving 239 799 participants. General and gender-specific two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was further conducted to assess the causalities of the observed associations. Observationally, a history of gallstones without cholecystectomy was associated with a high risk of stomach cancer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-4.28), liver and bile duct cancer (aOR=2.46, 95% CI 1.17-5.16), kidney cancer (aOR=2.04, 95% CI 1.05-3.94), and bladder cancer (aOR=2.23, 95% CI 1.01-5.13) in the general population, as well as cervical cancer (aOR=1.69, 95% CI 1.12-2.56) in women. Moreover, cholecystectomy was associated with high odds of stomach cancer (aOR=2.41, 95% CI 1.29-4.49), colorectal cancer (aOR=1.83, 95% CI 1.18-2.85), and cancer of liver and bile duct (aOR=2.58, 95% CI 1.11-6.02). MR analysis only supported the causal effect of gallstones on stomach, liver and bile duct, kidney, and bladder cancer. This study added evidence to the causal effect of gallstones on stomach, liver and bile duct, kidney, and bladder cancer, highlighting the importance of cancer screening in individuals with gallstones.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Gallstones/complications* ; Female ; Male ; Cholecystectomy/statistics & numerical data* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Aged ; Adult ; Neoplasms/etiology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/epidemiology*

This report describes a 72-year-old male patient with occipitotemporal cavernous hemangioma(CCH).The patient presented with persistent pain in the right occipital and retro auricular areas for over one year.Physical examination detected a tender mass in the right occipital region.Imaging studies showed destruction of the right occipitotemporal bone with a heterogeneous signal mass and irregular enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).Positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT)examination revealed increased fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG)uptake(SUVmax=5.9),suggesting a benign lesion.Complete surgical excision of the tumor and involved skull was performed,with pathological diagnosis confirming cavernous hemangioma.The patient's symptoms completely resolved with no recurrence during three months of follow-up.This case represents the first report of PET/CT application in diagnosing occipitotemporal CCH,providing valuable reference for improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing misdiagnosis rates for this rare condition.

Objective:To investigate the effect of myo-inositol on the reactivation of ocular dominance plasticity in the visual cortex of adult mice and its mechanisms.Methods:Thirty-two male SPF-grade C57BL/6J mice at postnatal day 60 (P60) were randomly divided into four groups using a random number table: normal control group, monocular form deprivation (MD) group, myo-inositol group (myo-inositol administered to normal mice), and MD+ myo-inositol group (myo-inositol administered to MD mice), with 8 mice in each group.The right eyes of MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group received MD on P60.Mice in each group were housed until P64 when pattern visual evoked potential (P-VEP) recordings were performed in both eyes.The amplitude and peak time of P100 wave were measured, and the contralateral/ipsilateral ratio (C/I) was calculated to evaluate the shift of ocular dominance.Twenty-four mice were randomly divided into MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group using the random number table method, with 12 mice in each group.RNA was extracted from the visual cortex of the two groups of mice, and transcriptomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to screen differentially expressed genes.Six mice were randomly divided into MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group using the random number table method, with 3 mice in each group, and the expression changes of differentially expressed genes cell communication network factor 1( CCN1), fatty acid binding protein 7( Fabp7) and galectin-3 binding protein ( Lgals3bp) were verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.This study adhered to the Regulations on the Administration of Laboratory Animals (2017 Edition), and the research protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University (No.TMUaMEC2022004). Results:The P-VEP results showed that the right eye P100 amplitudes in the normal control, MD, myo-inositol and MD+ myo-inositol groups were (89.04±19.87), (83.04±9.42), (88.14±21.75) and (61.75±15.42)μV, and the P100 wave peak time were (102.40±5.64), (101.50±8.26), (101.33±8.66) and (111.30±7.17)ms, and C/I were 2.38±0.17, 2.35±0.22, 2.41±0.31, and 1.65±0.24, respectively, with statistically significant overall differences ( F=5.844, 2.221, 16.634; all P<0.05).Compared with the normal control group, MD group and myo-inositol group, the MD+ myo-inositol group had a significant decrease in the P100 wave amplitude in the right eye, a significant prolongation of the P100 wave peak time, and a significant decrease in the C/I, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in P100 wave amplitude or peak time in the left eyes among the normal control, MD, myo-inositol and MD+ myo-inositol groups ( F=0.249, 1.356; both P>0.05).The transcriptome sequencing results showed that there were significant differences in the expression of 93 genes between the MD+ myo-inositol group and the MD group, among which the differential expression of CCN1, Fabp7 and Lgals3bp genes related to visual plasticity was particularly significant.The real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR results verified that the expression of CCN1 in the MD+ myo-inositol group was significantly decreased, and the expression of Fabp7 and Lgals3bp was significantly increased, with statistically significant differences ( t=17.561, 9.237, 12.710; all P<0.001). Conclusions:Myo-inositol can effectively reactivate ocular dominance plasticity in the visual cortex in adult mice, and may mediate this process by regulating the expression of specific genes CCN1, Fabp7, and Lgals3bp.

Objective:To investigate the effect of monocular form deprivation (MD) during the pre-critical period of visual development on the density and morphology of dendritic spines in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) neurons.Methods:Twenty SPF male C57BL/6J mice with eyes opened on postnatal day 14 (P14) were selected and divided into MD and control groups using a random number table, with 10 mice in each group.The MD group was fed to P18 after 4 days of MD in the right eye, and the control group was raised to P18 under the same feeding conditions.All mice were decapitated after cardiac perfusion, and the sections were stained with the cell membrane fluorescent probe 1, 1′-dioctadecyl-3, 3′, 3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate, and imaged by laser scanning confocal microscopy to observe and compare the differences in density and morphology of dendritic spines in bilateral V1 neurons between the control group and the MD group.This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University (No.TMUaMEC2022004).Results:The total density of dendritic spines in the V1 area on the left side of the control group, the right side of the control group, the left side of the MD group, and the right side of the MD group were (7.57±0.25), (7.42±0.25), (6.54±0.18), and (7.51±0.29)spines/10 μm, respectively, with a statistically significant overall difference ( F=3.818, P<0.05).The total density of dendritic spines in the left V1 area of mice in the MD group was significantly lower than that in the left side of the control group and the right side of the MD group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05).There was a significant difference in the proportion of the four types of dendritic spines in V1 neurons on both sides between the two groups ( χ2=26.295, P=0.002).There was a significant difference in the proportion of the four types of dendritic spines between the left V1 of the MD group and the left and right V1 of the control group (both P<0.008 3).There was a significant difference in the filopodia-type dendritic spine density in bilateral V1 neurons between the two groups ( F=3.253, P<0.05).Compared with the left V1 area of the control group, the density of filopodia-type dendritic spines in the left V1 area of the MD group decreased significantly, with a statistical significance ( P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the density of thin-type, mushroom-type, and stubby-type dendritic spines in bilateral V1 area neurons between the two groups ( F=1.760, 2.618, 1.749; all P>0.05). Conclusions:MD during the pre-critical period of visual development can cause a decrease in the total density of dendritic spines and significant changes in the compositional proportions in the V1 contralateral to the deprived eye, and is mainly manifested by a decrease in the number of filopodia, suggesting that abnormal visual experience can cause plastic changes in the number and structure of synapses in the visual cortex during the pre-critical period of visual development.

Haglund syndrome (HS) is a common cause for posterior heel pain in ankle surgery, but the etiology of heel pain is so complicated that its pathogenic factors are currently unclear. For such diseases as posterior heel pain, conservative treatment should be carried out first. However, as their cause is not eliminated their symptoms are likely to recur. With the rapid development of biotechnology, imaging technology, and arthroscopy technology, biological therapy and minimally invasive surgery have gradually become the main treatments for HS. This review expounds on the factors, mechanisms, imaging diagnostic methods, options of conservative and surgical treatments concerning HS, hoping to help the clinical treatment of HS.

Objective To investigate alteration of blood routine parameters,blood gas analysis profile,coagulation function,and inflammatory factors during exposure to high-altitude hypoxic environments.Methods Rats were raised in a hypobaric oxygen chamber to simulate the altitude of 5 500 meters.The animals were divided into groups with exposure duration of 0(control),1,3,5,7,14,and 28 days.Arterial blood gas was measured using a blood gas analyzer.The routine blood test was performed by an automatic five-differential animal hematology analyzer.The coagulation function was measured by a fully automatic coagulation analyzer.The level of plasma D-dimer(DD),erythropoietin(EPO),interleukin-10(IL-10),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and C-reactive protein(CRP)was detected by ELISA method.The protein expression of IL-10,IL-6,and TNF-α in lung tissues of the animals was detected by Western blot.Results As compare to control group,the arterial partial pressure of ox-ygen(PaO2)decreased at different durations of hypoxia exposure.The PaO2 in the group exposed to hypoxia for 7 d was the lowest(P＜0.05).The red blood cell count(RBC),hemoglobin(HGB),hematocrit(HCT),mean cor-puscular volume(MCV),mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC)and mean platelet volume(MPV)were all higher than control group(P＜0.05).Erythropoietin(EPO),prothrombin time(PT),activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),thrombin time(TT),fibrinogen(FIB)and D-dimer(DD)all gradually increased(P＜0.05).The white blood cell count(WBC)and platelet count(PLT),as well as the plasma inflammatory fac-tors including interleukin-10(IL-10),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),C-reactive protein(CRP),and the expression of inflammatory factors in the lung tissue including IL-10,IL-6 and TNF-α pro-teins all showed a curve of increasing at beginning and then followed by a slow decrease with the prolongation of the hypoxia time(P＜0.05).Conclusions In high-altitude hypoxic environment,the blood circulation undergoes dy-namic evolution of functional remodeling with higher risk of inflammatory response.As the hypoxia time prolongs,the animals adapt the environment and the level of inflammatory cytokines gradually decline but remains at a level which is still higher than that of control animals.

Objective:To investigate the status and influencing factors of teaching competence of clinical teachers in the affiliated hospitals of University of Chinese Medicine, and provide a reference for improving the teaching competency of clinical teachers.Methods:Using both objective sampling and random sampling methods, 330 clinical teachers from 3 affiliated hospitals of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine were investigated using the Clinical Teaching Competence Scale for Clinical Teachers in Affiliated Hospitals of TCM Universities from January 22 to February 6, 2024. The main statistical analysis methods included statistical description, non-parametric test, and multivariable linear regression.Results:The total score of clinical teachers' teaching competence was (176.83±22.84) points, with a scoring rate of 84.20%. Regression analysis revealed that teaching title ( β=0.053), age ( β=0.003), general self-efficacy ( β=0.009), and the agreeableness ( β=0.012) and openness ( β=0.010) of the Big Five personality traits were the main influencing factors of teaching competence of clinical teachers ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The clinical teachers in the surveyed medical institutions showed relatively high overall teaching competence, but there is still a need to strengthen their teaching abilities. Colleges and universities should adopt measures to comprehensively enhance their teaching competence, such as paying attention to the growth needs of clinical teachers with low professional titles, increasing the motivation for clinical teachers with high professional titles to improve their teaching abilities, establishing mentorship systems for early-career teachers, encouraging clinical teachers to develop self-efficacy, and focusing on cultivating the personality traits of agreeableness and openness in clinical teachers.

Objective:To investigate the effect of myo-inositol on the reactivation of ocular dominance plasticity in the visual cortex of adult mice and its mechanisms.Methods:Thirty-two male SPF-grade C57BL/6J mice at postnatal day 60 (P60) were randomly divided into four groups using a random number table: normal control group, monocular form deprivation (MD) group, myo-inositol group (myo-inositol administered to normal mice), and MD+ myo-inositol group (myo-inositol administered to MD mice), with 8 mice in each group.The right eyes of MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group received MD on P60.Mice in each group were housed until P64 when pattern visual evoked potential (P-VEP) recordings were performed in both eyes.The amplitude and peak time of P100 wave were measured, and the contralateral/ipsilateral ratio (C/I) was calculated to evaluate the shift of ocular dominance.Twenty-four mice were randomly divided into MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group using the random number table method, with 12 mice in each group.RNA was extracted from the visual cortex of the two groups of mice, and transcriptomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to screen differentially expressed genes.Six mice were randomly divided into MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group using the random number table method, with 3 mice in each group, and the expression changes of differentially expressed genes cell communication network factor 1( CCN1), fatty acid binding protein 7( Fabp7) and galectin-3 binding protein ( Lgals3bp) were verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.This study adhered to the Regulations on the Administration of Laboratory Animals (2017 Edition), and the research protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University (No.TMUaMEC2022004). Results:The P-VEP results showed that the right eye P100 amplitudes in the normal control, MD, myo-inositol and MD+ myo-inositol groups were (89.04±19.87), (83.04±9.42), (88.14±21.75) and (61.75±15.42)μV, and the P100 wave peak time were (102.40±5.64), (101.50±8.26), (101.33±8.66) and (111.30±7.17)ms, and C/I were 2.38±0.17, 2.35±0.22, 2.41±0.31, and 1.65±0.24, respectively, with statistically significant overall differences ( F=5.844, 2.221, 16.634; all P<0.05).Compared with the normal control group, MD group and myo-inositol group, the MD+ myo-inositol group had a significant decrease in the P100 wave amplitude in the right eye, a significant prolongation of the P100 wave peak time, and a significant decrease in the C/I, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in P100 wave amplitude or peak time in the left eyes among the normal control, MD, myo-inositol and MD+ myo-inositol groups ( F=0.249, 1.356; both P>0.05).The transcriptome sequencing results showed that there were significant differences in the expression of 93 genes between the MD+ myo-inositol group and the MD group, among which the differential expression of CCN1, Fabp7 and Lgals3bp genes related to visual plasticity was particularly significant.The real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR results verified that the expression of CCN1 in the MD+ myo-inositol group was significantly decreased, and the expression of Fabp7 and Lgals3bp was significantly increased, with statistically significant differences ( t=17.561, 9.237, 12.710; all P<0.001). Conclusions:Myo-inositol can effectively reactivate ocular dominance plasticity in the visual cortex in adult mice, and may mediate this process by regulating the expression of specific genes CCN1, Fabp7, and Lgals3bp.

Objective:To investigate the effect of monocular form deprivation (MD) during the pre-critical period of visual development on the density and morphology of dendritic spines in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) neurons.Methods:Twenty SPF male C57BL/6J mice with eyes opened on postnatal day 14 (P14) were selected and divided into MD and control groups using a random number table, with 10 mice in each group.The MD group was fed to P18 after 4 days of MD in the right eye, and the control group was raised to P18 under the same feeding conditions.All mice were decapitated after cardiac perfusion, and the sections were stained with the cell membrane fluorescent probe 1, 1′-dioctadecyl-3, 3′, 3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate, and imaged by laser scanning confocal microscopy to observe and compare the differences in density and morphology of dendritic spines in bilateral V1 neurons between the control group and the MD group.This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University (No.TMUaMEC2022004).Results:The total density of dendritic spines in the V1 area on the left side of the control group, the right side of the control group, the left side of the MD group, and the right side of the MD group were (7.57±0.25), (7.42±0.25), (6.54±0.18), and (7.51±0.29)spines/10 μm, respectively, with a statistically significant overall difference ( F=3.818, P<0.05).The total density of dendritic spines in the left V1 area of mice in the MD group was significantly lower than that in the left side of the control group and the right side of the MD group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05).There was a significant difference in the proportion of the four types of dendritic spines in V1 neurons on both sides between the two groups ( χ2=26.295, P=0.002).There was a significant difference in the proportion of the four types of dendritic spines between the left V1 of the MD group and the left and right V1 of the control group (both P<0.008 3).There was a significant difference in the filopodia-type dendritic spine density in bilateral V1 neurons between the two groups ( F=3.253, P<0.05).Compared with the left V1 area of the control group, the density of filopodia-type dendritic spines in the left V1 area of the MD group decreased significantly, with a statistical significance ( P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the density of thin-type, mushroom-type, and stubby-type dendritic spines in bilateral V1 area neurons between the two groups ( F=1.760, 2.618, 1.749; all P>0.05). Conclusions:MD during the pre-critical period of visual development can cause a decrease in the total density of dendritic spines and significant changes in the compositional proportions in the V1 contralateral to the deprived eye, and is mainly manifested by a decrease in the number of filopodia, suggesting that abnormal visual experience can cause plastic changes in the number and structure of synapses in the visual cortex during the pre-critical period of visual development.