OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection frequently develop central nervous system damage, yet the mechanisms driving this pathology remain unclear. This study investigated the primary pathways and key factors underlying brain tissue damage induced by the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant (lineage B.1.351). METHODS: K18-hACE2 and C57BL/6 mice were intranasally infected with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant. Viral replication, pathological phenotypes, and brain transcriptomes were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to identify altered pathways. Expression changes of host genes were verified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: Pathological alterations were observed in the lungs of both mouse strains. However, only K18-hACE2 mice exhibited elevated viral RNA loads and infectious titers in the brain at 3 days post-infection, accompanied by neuropathological injury and weight loss. GO analysis of infected K18-hACE2 brain tissue revealed significant dysregulation of genes associated with innate immunity and antiviral defense responses, including type I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll-like receptor signaling components, and interferon-stimulated genes. Neuroinflammation was evident, alongside activation of apoptotic and pyroptotic pathways. Furthermore, altered neural cell marker expression suggested viral-induced neuroglial activation, resulting in caspase 4 and lipocalin 2 release and disruption of neuronal molecular networks. CONCLUSION These findings elucidate mechanisms of neuropathogenicity associated with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant and highlight therapeutic targets to mitigate COVID-19-related neurological dysfunction.
Animals ; COVID-19/genetics* ; Mice ; Brain/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pyroptosis ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Male ; Female

Objective To explore the application effect of isokinetic strength combined with conventional training in the rehabilitation after elbow joint release surgery.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 82 patients who underwent elective elbow joint release surgery in our hospital from June 2022 to June 2023.They were divided into the control group and the observation group,with 41 cases in each group.Patients in the control group received routine training,while patients in the observation group received isokinetic strength training on the basis of the control group.The elbow joint function,elbow joint range of motion,pain degree,and ability of daily living before and after surgery of patients in the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results Three months after surgery,compared with the control group,the Mayo elbow function score of patients in the observation group were higher(P<0.05),the elbow flexion,extension,forearm supination,and forearm pronation ranges of motion of patients in the observation group were greater(P<0.05),the VAS score of patients in the observation group was lower(P<0.05),the ability of daily living of patients in the observation group was better(P<0.05).Conclusion The application of isokinetic strength combined with conventional training in elbow joint release surgery can promote elbow joint functional recovery,alleviate pain degree,and enhance ability of daily living.

For middle-aged and elderly patients with conditions such as spinal fractures and degenerative spinal diseases, spinal internal fixation is a core surgical procedure for reconstructing spinal stability, heavily relying on the biomechanical stability provided by pedicle screw systems. Whereas, these patients are often complicated by osteoporosis that can significantly compromise the stability of the bone-pedicle screw interface, leading to a marked increase in pedicle screw loosening and surgical failure rates. The bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique, which involves injecting bone cement into the vertebral body or screw trajectory to optimize the mechanical properties of the bone-pedicle screw composite, has been proven to significantly enhance fixation strength and effectively prevent screw-related failures, thereby reducing the incidence of internal fixation failure in high-risk populations undergoing spinal fusion. However, the widespread clinical application of this technique has faced challenges such as inaccurate clinical decision-making (indication and contraindication selection), non-standardized operative practices, and insufficient awareness of complication prevention, resulting in considerable variability in clinical outcomes and even severe complications. To address this, Prof. Luo Fei from First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University initiated the project and the Chinese Association Orthopaedic Surgeons organized relevant experts to develop the Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique ( version 2025), based on current evidence. The guidelines put forward 8 recommendations regarding the clinical value, scope of application, and operational standards of the technique, aiming to provide evidence-based medical support and technical standardization for clinical decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the long-term prognosis and related factors in children with multiphasic myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD).Methods:A bidirectional cohort study was conducted. This study included 41 children with MOGAD who were treated at the Children′s Medical Center of Peking University First Hospital between January 2013 and December 2024, with a disease duration of ≥5 years. Demographic characteristics, clinical episodes, therapy, and prognostic indicators (including the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and modified Rankin scale (mRS)) were collected. Children were stratified into relapse and non-relapse groups based on the presence or absence of relapse within 5 years of the last follow-up. χ2 test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze factors associated with relapse. The Log-rank test was used to compare relapse-free rates between children with disease onset 0-<5 years and those with onset at 5-10 years. Results:A total of 41 children were enrolled, including 20 boys and 21 girls. The age at onset was 5.3 (3.8, 8.5) years, the age at last follow-up was 16.1 (13.2, 17.5) years, and the disease duration was 9.4 (8.1, 10.9) years. The annualized relapse rate (ARR) during follow-up was 0.34 (0.19, 0.56) times/year. The duration to first relapse was 0.8 (0.4, 1.5) years. At the last follow-up, the EDSS score was 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) score, and the mRS score was 0 (0, 0) score. A total of 40 children (98%) experienced relapses within the first 5 years after onset, while only 1 child (2%) relapsed at 6.7 years. The relapse rate between 5-10 years was lower than that between 0-<5 years ( HR=0.27, 95% CI 0.16-0.47, P<0.001). A total of 25 children (61.0%) exhibited clustered relapses during the disease course. There were 20 children (49%) in non-relapse groups, who were aged 16.6 (14.8, 17.6) years, disease duration 9.8 (9.3, 10.8) years at the last follow-up. Among those 20 children, 15 children (75%) had discontinued corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. The relapse group had higher clinical event rates and ARR compared to the relapse-free group (both P<0.01), the age at last follow-up was yonger ( P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed in age at onset, disease duration, or timing of immunosuppressant use (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Pediatric multiphasic MOGAD generally has a favorable prognosis, about half of patients remain relapse-free for ≥5 years at last follow-up. Relapses predominantly occur early in the disease course (mostly within 5 years of onset) and often exhibit a clustered pattern.

Objective To develop a deep learning model based on fundus retinal images to improve the detection rate of mild cognitive impairment(MCI)in patients with coronary heart disease,achieve early intervention and improve prognosis.Methods The study was a single-center cross-sectional study that retrospectively included patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease(CHD)by coronary angiography(≥50％ stenosis of at least one coronary vessel)from Beijing Anzhen Hospital between November 2021 and December 2022.The whole data set was randomly divided into the training set and the testing set according to the ratio of 8∶2 for model development.After that,the patient data of the same center from January 2023 to April 2023 were included in the time verification method to verify the model.The diagnostic criteria for MCI were MMSE＜27 or MoCA＜26.Four kinds of convolutional neural network(CNN)architectures were used to train fundus images,and a comprehensive vision model of MCI detection was established through model integration.The area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity and specificity of the receiver operating curve(ROC)were used to evaluate the performance of the AI model.Results We collected 5 880 eligible fundus images from 3 368 CHD patients.Based on the results of the MMSE scale,the algorithm was labeled,including 2 898 males and 527 MCI patients.The AUC of the deep learning model in the test group is 0.733(95％CI 0.688-0.778),and the sensitivity of the algorithm in the test group is 0.577(95％CI 0.528-0.625)by using the operating point with the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity.With a specificity of 0.758(95％CI 0.714-0.802),corresponding to a validated AUC of 0.710(95％CI 0.601-0.818).Based on the results of the MoCA scale,the algorithm labels 2 437 males and 1 626 MCI patients.The AUC of the deep learning model in the test group was 0.702(95％CI 0.671-0.733).The operating point with the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity was selected,and the sensitivity of the algorithm was 0.749(95％CI 0.719-0.778)and the specificity was 0.561(95％CI 0.527-0.595),corresponding to the AUC value of the verification group was 0.674(95％CI 0.622-0.726).Conclusions The deep learning algorithm model based on fundus images has good diagnostic performance,and may be used as a new non-invasive,convenient and rapid screening method for MCI in CHD population.

Isoflavones which mainly distributed in leguminous plants have plenty of health benefits.Isoflavone synthase(IFS)is a membrane-associated cytochrome P450 enzyme(CYP450)which carries out the unique aryl-ring migration and hydroxylation.So far,few crystal structures of plant P450s have been obtained.We determined the crystal structure of IFS from Medicago truncatula at 1.9 ? by MAD method using a selenomethionine substituted crystal and conducted molecular docking and mutagenesis study.The structure of IFS complexed with imidazole exhibits the helix Ⅰa-loop-helix Ⅰβ motif which cor-responds to helix Ⅰ of other P450s.Compared with structures of common P450s,IFS/imidazole structure contains an extra domain,i.e.,the γ-domain.The structure reveals a homodimer in which the γ-domain of one molecule interacts with the β-domain of another.The plane of heme group makes an angle of ap-proximately 40° with the helix Ⅰa-loop-helix Ⅰβ motif.Molecular docking combined with mutagenesis study suggested that Trp-128 and Asp-300 might play important roles in substrate binding and recogni-tion.Phe-301,Ser-303 and Gly-305 from the helix Ⅰa-loop-helix Ⅰβ motif may play important roles in the aryl-ring migration.These novel structural features reveal insights into the unique reaction mechanism of IFS and provide a basis for engineering IFS in leguminous crops for health purpose.

For middle-aged and elderly patients with conditions such as spinal fractures and degenerative spinal diseases, spinal internal fixation is a core surgical procedure for reconstructing spinal stability, heavily relying on the biomechanical stability provided by pedicle screw systems. Whereas, these patients are often complicated by osteoporosis that can significantly compromise the stability of the bone-pedicle screw interface, leading to a marked increase in pedicle screw loosening and surgical failure rates. The bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique, which involves injecting bone cement into the vertebral body or screw trajectory to optimize the mechanical properties of the bone-pedicle screw composite, has been proven to significantly enhance fixation strength and effectively prevent screw-related failures, thereby reducing the incidence of internal fixation failure in high-risk populations undergoing spinal fusion. However, the widespread clinical application of this technique has faced challenges such as inaccurate clinical decision-making (indication and contraindication selection), non-standardized operative practices, and insufficient awareness of complication prevention, resulting in considerable variability in clinical outcomes and even severe complications. To address this, Prof. Luo Fei from First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University initiated the project and the Chinese Association Orthopaedic Surgeons organized relevant experts to develop the Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique ( version 2025), based on current evidence. The guidelines put forward 8 recommendations regarding the clinical value, scope of application, and operational standards of the technique, aiming to provide evidence-based medical support and technical standardization for clinical decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the long-term prognosis and related factors in children with multiphasic myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD).Methods:A bidirectional cohort study was conducted. This study included 41 children with MOGAD who were treated at the Children′s Medical Center of Peking University First Hospital between January 2013 and December 2024, with a disease duration of ≥5 years. Demographic characteristics, clinical episodes, therapy, and prognostic indicators (including the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and modified Rankin scale (mRS)) were collected. Children were stratified into relapse and non-relapse groups based on the presence or absence of relapse within 5 years of the last follow-up. χ2 test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze factors associated with relapse. The Log-rank test was used to compare relapse-free rates between children with disease onset 0-<5 years and those with onset at 5-10 years. Results:A total of 41 children were enrolled, including 20 boys and 21 girls. The age at onset was 5.3 (3.8, 8.5) years, the age at last follow-up was 16.1 (13.2, 17.5) years, and the disease duration was 9.4 (8.1, 10.9) years. The annualized relapse rate (ARR) during follow-up was 0.34 (0.19, 0.56) times/year. The duration to first relapse was 0.8 (0.4, 1.5) years. At the last follow-up, the EDSS score was 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) score, and the mRS score was 0 (0, 0) score. A total of 40 children (98%) experienced relapses within the first 5 years after onset, while only 1 child (2%) relapsed at 6.7 years. The relapse rate between 5-10 years was lower than that between 0-<5 years ( HR=0.27, 95% CI 0.16-0.47, P<0.001). A total of 25 children (61.0%) exhibited clustered relapses during the disease course. There were 20 children (49%) in non-relapse groups, who were aged 16.6 (14.8, 17.6) years, disease duration 9.8 (9.3, 10.8) years at the last follow-up. Among those 20 children, 15 children (75%) had discontinued corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. The relapse group had higher clinical event rates and ARR compared to the relapse-free group (both P<0.01), the age at last follow-up was yonger ( P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed in age at onset, disease duration, or timing of immunosuppressant use (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Pediatric multiphasic MOGAD generally has a favorable prognosis, about half of patients remain relapse-free for ≥5 years at last follow-up. Relapses predominantly occur early in the disease course (mostly within 5 years of onset) and often exhibit a clustered pattern.

The lack of clear definition and classification for “moderate ulcerative colitis (UC)” creates ambiguity regarding the suitability of step-up versus top-down treatment approaches. In this paper, experts address crucial gaps in assessing and managing moderate UC. The Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition comprised 24 experts who convened to share, discuss and vote electronically on management recommendations for moderate UC. Experts emphasized that the goal of treating UC is to attain clinical, biomarker, and endoscopic remission using cost-effective strategies such as 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASAs), well-tolerated therapy that can be optimized to improve outcomes. Experts agreed that 5-ASA therapy could be optimized by maximizing dosage (4 g/day for induction of remission), combining oral and topical administration, extending treatment duration beyond 8 weeks, and enhancing patient adherence through personalized counselling and reduced pill burden. Treatment escalation should ideally be reserved for patients with predictors of aggressive disease or those who do not respond to 5-ASA optimization. Premature treatment escalation to advanced therapies (including biologics and oral small molecules) may have long-term health and financial consequences. This paper provides consensus-based expert recommendations and a treatment algorithm, based on current evidence and practices, to assist decision-making in real-world settings.