Objective:To investigate the effect of semaglutide on the metabolomics of obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complicated by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).Methods:A prospective non-randomized controlled study was conducted. Obese patients with T2DM complicated by MAFLD who attended the Department of Endocrinology of Shijiazhuang People′s Hospital from October 2022 to June 2023 were selected as the semaglutide group, and healthy individuals from the physical examination center were selected as the control group. Clinical data of both groups were collected. The semaglutide group was subcutaneously injected with semaglutide following a basic hypoglycemic regimen (starting dose of 0.25 mg once a week, which was changed to 0.5 mg once a week after 1 week for 12 weeks). Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used for qualitative and quantitative analyses of plasma metabolites, and multivariate analysis methods were used to analyze the metabolomics data.Results:In total, 69 patients in the semaglutide group completed the treatment, with 49 males (71%) and a median age of 46 (36, 54) years, and the healthy control group consisted of 100 individuals, with 38 males (38%) and a median age of 40 (35, 45) years. The body mass index and levels of fasting blood glucose, alanine aminotransferase, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the semaglutide group before treatment were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.001). The body mass index [23.65 (22.33, 24.45) vs. 28.72 (27.50, 32.07) kg/m 2], liver stiffness measurement [1.61 (0.91, 2.00) vs. 5.78 (5.51, 6.10) kPa], and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index [5.10 (2.90, 7.95) vs. 9.00 (6.25, 11.80)] in the semaglutide group were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment (all P<0.001), and the blood glucose, blood lipid, liver function indicator, and IL-6 levels all significantly decreased after treatment. Metabolomics analysis revealed that there were 219 differential metabolites (131 up-regulated and 88 down-regulated) between the semaglutide group ( n=27) before treatment and the control group ( n=12), with glycerophospholipids and free fatty acids being significantly up-regulated. The semaglutide group showed 203 differential metabolites (121 up-regulated and 82 down-regulated) after treatment compared with before, with significant down-regulation of long-chain fatty acids and significant up-regulation of metabolites including carnitines, branched-chain amino acids, and taurine. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that the differential metabolites identified before and after semaglutide treatment were involved in several signaling pathways, such as biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid metabolism, aldosterone synthesis and secretion, and the mTOR signaling pathway, etc. Conclusion:Semaglutide alters the serum metabolite levels in obese patients with T2DM complicated by MAFLD.

Objective:To investigate the effect of semaglutide on the metabolomics of obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complicated by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).Methods:A prospective non-randomized controlled study was conducted. Obese patients with T2DM complicated by MAFLD who attended the Department of Endocrinology of Shijiazhuang People′s Hospital from October 2022 to June 2023 were selected as the semaglutide group, and healthy individuals from the physical examination center were selected as the control group. Clinical data of both groups were collected. The semaglutide group was subcutaneously injected with semaglutide following a basic hypoglycemic regimen (starting dose of 0.25 mg once a week, which was changed to 0.5 mg once a week after 1 week for 12 weeks). Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used for qualitative and quantitative analyses of plasma metabolites, and multivariate analysis methods were used to analyze the metabolomics data.Results:In total, 69 patients in the semaglutide group completed the treatment, with 49 males (71%) and a median age of 46 (36, 54) years, and the healthy control group consisted of 100 individuals, with 38 males (38%) and a median age of 40 (35, 45) years. The body mass index and levels of fasting blood glucose, alanine aminotransferase, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the semaglutide group before treatment were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.001). The body mass index [23.65 (22.33, 24.45) vs. 28.72 (27.50, 32.07) kg/m 2], liver stiffness measurement [1.61 (0.91, 2.00) vs. 5.78 (5.51, 6.10) kPa], and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index [5.10 (2.90, 7.95) vs. 9.00 (6.25, 11.80)] in the semaglutide group were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment (all P<0.001), and the blood glucose, blood lipid, liver function indicator, and IL-6 levels all significantly decreased after treatment. Metabolomics analysis revealed that there were 219 differential metabolites (131 up-regulated and 88 down-regulated) between the semaglutide group ( n=27) before treatment and the control group ( n=12), with glycerophospholipids and free fatty acids being significantly up-regulated. The semaglutide group showed 203 differential metabolites (121 up-regulated and 82 down-regulated) after treatment compared with before, with significant down-regulation of long-chain fatty acids and significant up-regulation of metabolites including carnitines, branched-chain amino acids, and taurine. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that the differential metabolites identified before and after semaglutide treatment were involved in several signaling pathways, such as biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid metabolism, aldosterone synthesis and secretion, and the mTOR signaling pathway, etc. Conclusion:Semaglutide alters the serum metabolite levels in obese patients with T2DM complicated by MAFLD.

Objective:To compare the treatment effect of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography/endoscopic sphincterotomy plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ERCP/EST+ LC) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy plus laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LC+ LCBDE) for patients with choledocholithiasis combined with gallbladder stones.Methods:Clinical data of 172 patients with choledocholithiasis combined with gallbladder stones treated in Heze Municipal Hospital from March 2018 to March 2021 were retrospectilvely analyzed, including 78 males and 94 females, aged (66.88±9.72) years. According to surgical method, patients were divided into the ERCP/EST+ LC group ( n=86) and LC+ LCBDE group ( n=86). The initial clearance rate of choledochal stones, operation time, intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. Results:The initial clearance rate of the choledochal stones of the ERCP/EST+ LC group is 76.5%(13/17), lower than 96.3%(26/27) of LC+ LCBDE group when the diameter of stones was over 1.2 cm ( χ2=4.07, P=0.044). When the number of choledochal stones were more than 3, the initial clearance rate of the ERCP/EST+ LC group is 78.9%(15/19), lower than that of the LC+ LCBDE group [96.7%(29/30), χ2=3.99, P=0.046]. The operation time of LC+ LCBDE group was longer than that of ERCP/EST+ LC group [(129.07±19.33)min vs. (101.86±27.48)min, t=7.51, P<0.001]. The median intraoperative blood loss of LC+ LCBDE group and ERCP/EST+ LC group was 25.0 (20.0, 30.0) ml and 13.0 (10.0, 15.0) ml, respectively ( Z=916.00, P<0.001). The age, gender, maximum diameter of stones, number of stones, preoperative common bile duct diameter, surgical success rate, postoperative hospital stay, total stone clearance rate, and complication rate were comparable between the groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Both LC+ LCBDE and ERCP/EST+ LC are safe and feasible for choledocholithiasis combined with cholecystolithiasis. When the maximum diameter of choledochal stones is ≥1.2 cm or the number of choledochal stones is ≥3, LC+ LCBDE should be favored. When patient is in poor general condition, ERCP/EST+ LC might be more feasible.

Purpose To identify hemangioma(HE)and Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma(KHE)by constructing two ultrasonography-based radiomics models to evaluate the application value of two models in distinguishing HE from KHE,and to compare the diagnostic efficiency of two models.Materials and Methods A total of 90 lesions of subcutaneous HE or KHE confirmed clinically or pathologically from Henan Provincial People's Hospital from August 2020 to May 2022,were retrospectively analyzed.Imaging features were extracted by using Pyradiomics and screened out by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm.Support vector machine and random forest were used to construct the radiomics models.Then the diagnostic efficacy of different models was compared.Results Based on the selected 10 radiomics features,the area under the curve,accuracy,sensitivity,specificity,positive and negative prediction the training group and validation group of the support vector machine model were 0.902(95%CI 0.887-0.917),92.1%,85.0%,92.3%,90.9%,93.5%and 0.827(95%CI 0.787-0.856),85.2%,70.0%,94.1%,90.9%,85.0%,respectively;and those in the training group and validation group of the random forest model were 0.960(95%CI 0.938-0.983),98.4%,96.4%,97.8%,98.1%,97.2%and 0.742(95%CI 0.699-0.785),77.8%,57.1%,82.3%,79.6%,62.5%,respectively.The area under the curve between two models in the training group and validation group was statistically significant(Z=-3.306,-2.009;P<0.05).Conclusion Ultrasonography-based radiomics can distinguish HE from KHE,support vector machine model shows more stable diagnostic performance in small sample data.

Objective:To assess the effectiveness of a 6-month Ba Duan Jin exercise program in improving the balance of community-dwelling older adults.Methods:A two arms, parallel-group, cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 1 028 community residents aged 60-80 years in 40 communities in 5 provinces of China. Participants in the intervention group (20 communities, 523 people) received Ba Duan Jin exercise 5 days/week, 1 hour/day for 6 months, and three times of falls prevention health education, and the control group (20 communities, 505 people) received falls prevention health education same as the intervention group. The Berg balance scale (BBS) score was the leading outcome indicator, and the secondary outcome indicators included the length of time of standing on one foot (with eyes open and closed), standing in a tandem stance (with eyes open and closed), the closed circle test, and the timed up to test.Results:A total of 1 028 participants were included in the final analysis, including 731 women (71.11%) and 297 men (28.89%), and the age was (69.87±5.67) years. After the 3-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 3.05 (95% CI: 2.23-3.88) points ( P<0.001). After the 6-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 4.70 (95% CI: 4.03-5.37) points ( P<0.001). Ba Duan Jin showed significant improvement ( P<0.05) in all secondary outcomes after 6 months of exercise in the intervention group compared with the control group. Conclusions:This study showed that Ba Duan Jin exercise can improve balance in community-dwelling older adults aged 60-80. The longer the exercise time, the better the improvement.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of hemoperfusion (HP) and gammaglobulin on the treatment of Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura (HSP) with gastrointestinal bleeding in children.Methods:Case-control study.A total of 39 HSP children combined with gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosed in the Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Rheumatology and Immunology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively recruited.They were divided into the HP group and the gammaglobulin group according to the therapeutic strategy.Clinical data were collected, and a 6-month follow-up survey was conducted for monitoring the relapse of gastrointestinal bleeding and the occurrence of kidney injury.The differences between groups were compared by Fisher′s exact test, two independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and One-Way ANOVA. Results:(1) There were 20 cases in the HP group and 19 cases were included in the gammaglobulin group.The gammaglobulin group was younger than the HP treatment group.(2) In addition to gastrointestinal bleeding, children in both groups had other clinical symptoms, such as abdominal pain, angioneurotic edema, and hematuria.(3)Comparison of laboratory indexes: Inflammatory indexes: white blood cell count (WBC), C-creative protein (CRP) and coagulation function indexes: fibrin degradation products (FDP), D-dimer (DD) were significantly elevated before treatment in the 2 groups, and there was no difference between the 2 groups ( P>0.05); WBC, CRP and FDP, DD declined in the 2 groups after treatment compared with the former, and there was no difference between the 2 groups ( P>0.05); (4) Comparison of clinical manifestations: when HP was applied with gammaglobulin in the treatment window within 3 d, the difference in the time of abdominal pain relief in the HP group was shorter than that of the gammaglobulin group [1.00(1.00, 1.00) d vs.2.00(1.75, 6.50) d, P=0.011]; comparing the time of gastrointestinal bleeding stopping when HP was applied with gammaglobulin comparison, the difference in gastrointestinal bleeding cessation time was not statistically significant ( P>0.05); (5) Comparison of hospitalization time: within 3 d application of HP compared with other window period hospitalization time were significantly reduced [(16.89±4.99) d than (19.20±2.39) d than (34.83±8.40) d, both P<0.05]; (6) Comparison of hospitalization costs: within 3 d application of HP compared with other window period hospitalization costs were significantly reduced [25 554.03 (22 168.61, 28 527.30) yuan than 33 619.48 (32 661.18, 36 971.47) yuan than 51 290.34 (34 163.04, 64 772.66) yuan, both P<0.05]; There were no statistically significant difference in the hospitalization time and hospitalization cost between and within the gammaglobulin group (all P>0.05); (7) Comparison of hormone dosages: the difference in the results of the initial dose of hormone use, pre-treatment dose of gammaglobulin/HP, and post-treatment dose of gammaglobulin/HP between the two groups of children was not statistically significant(all P>0.05). Safety profile was comparable between groups.The difference in hormone dosage before and after treatment within the gammaglobulin and HP treatment group was statistically different ( P<0.001). Conclusions:For children with severe HSP accompanied by gastrointestinal bleeding, early treatment with blood purification can rapidly relieve clinical symptoms and reduce the number of hospital days and hospitalization costs.For cases where blood purification is not available or suitable, gammaglobulin treatment is another option.

Objective·To construct a cervical vertebra image segmentation model by using a diffusion model with the Transformer deep learning algorithm,and evaluate its segmentation performance,to address the clinical challenge of accurately assessing complex changes in skeletal morphology during the growth and developmental peaks of malocclusion.Methods·Accurate cervical vertebra segmentation was performed on cephalometric radiographs from 185 orthodontic patients(44 cases from the Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and 141 cases from the Stomatological Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University)by using a method combining Transformer and diffusion models.First,the images were preprocessed to crop out the cervical vertebra region of interest,and all data were randomly divided into a training set(79.6%)and a test set(20.4%).The diffusion model and a conditional model based on U-Net were utilized for feature extraction,with a Transformer module introduced to learn the interaction between noise and semantic features.Multi-scale images were fused to enhance fine structure and boundary texture features in low-contrast images.The proposed method was compared with U-Net and SOLOv2 methods.The segmentation performance was quantitatively evaluated by two metrics,Dice Similarity Coefficient(DSC)and Intersection over Union(IoU),and also qualitatively assessed through physicians'manual annotations and model visualization results.Results·The cervical vertebra segmentation method based on Transformer and diffusion models achieved DSC and IoU scores of 93.3%and 87.5%,respectively,significantly outperforming the U-Net and SOLOv2 methods(with improvements of 3.0%and 4.1%in DSC,and 5.2%and 7.1%in loU,respectively).Despite the longer processing time for a single image,segmentation accuracy was significantly improved.Compared with U-Net and SOLOv2,the proposed method also showed higher stability and robustness in processing complex,low-contrast and blurred-boundary images,and was able to accurately segment the cervical vertebrae with clear boundaries and complete structures.Conclusion·The Transformer-based diffusion model for cervical vertebra segmentation can enhance the edge and texture features in cervical vertebra images and recognize the boundaries of different vertebrae more easily.Thus,automatic,accurate,and robust cervical vertebra segmentation results are achieved,which can assist in cervical vertebral maturation analysis.

Objective:To compare the treatment effect of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography/endoscopic sphincterotomy plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ERCP/EST+ LC) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy plus laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LC+ LCBDE) for patients with choledocholithiasis combined with gallbladder stones.Methods:Clinical data of 172 patients with choledocholithiasis combined with gallbladder stones treated in Heze Municipal Hospital from March 2018 to March 2021 were retrospectilvely analyzed, including 78 males and 94 females, aged (66.88±9.72) years. According to surgical method, patients were divided into the ERCP/EST+ LC group ( n=86) and LC+ LCBDE group ( n=86). The initial clearance rate of choledochal stones, operation time, intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. Results:The initial clearance rate of the choledochal stones of the ERCP/EST+ LC group is 76.5%(13/17), lower than 96.3%(26/27) of LC+ LCBDE group when the diameter of stones was over 1.2 cm ( χ2=4.07, P=0.044). When the number of choledochal stones were more than 3, the initial clearance rate of the ERCP/EST+ LC group is 78.9%(15/19), lower than that of the LC+ LCBDE group [96.7%(29/30), χ2=3.99, P=0.046]. The operation time of LC+ LCBDE group was longer than that of ERCP/EST+ LC group [(129.07±19.33)min vs. (101.86±27.48)min, t=7.51, P<0.001]. The median intraoperative blood loss of LC+ LCBDE group and ERCP/EST+ LC group was 25.0 (20.0, 30.0) ml and 13.0 (10.0, 15.0) ml, respectively ( Z=916.00, P<0.001). The age, gender, maximum diameter of stones, number of stones, preoperative common bile duct diameter, surgical success rate, postoperative hospital stay, total stone clearance rate, and complication rate were comparable between the groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Both LC+ LCBDE and ERCP/EST+ LC are safe and feasible for choledocholithiasis combined with cholecystolithiasis. When the maximum diameter of choledochal stones is ≥1.2 cm or the number of choledochal stones is ≥3, LC+ LCBDE should be favored. When patient is in poor general condition, ERCP/EST+ LC might be more feasible.

Objective·To construct a cervical vertebra image segmentation model by using a diffusion model with the Transformer deep learning algorithm,and evaluate its segmentation performance,to address the clinical challenge of accurately assessing complex changes in skeletal morphology during the growth and developmental peaks of malocclusion.Methods·Accurate cervical vertebra segmentation was performed on cephalometric radiographs from 185 orthodontic patients(44 cases from the Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and 141 cases from the Stomatological Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University)by using a method combining Transformer and diffusion models.First,the images were preprocessed to crop out the cervical vertebra region of interest,and all data were randomly divided into a training set(79.6%)and a test set(20.4%).The diffusion model and a conditional model based on U-Net were utilized for feature extraction,with a Transformer module introduced to learn the interaction between noise and semantic features.Multi-scale images were fused to enhance fine structure and boundary texture features in low-contrast images.The proposed method was compared with U-Net and SOLOv2 methods.The segmentation performance was quantitatively evaluated by two metrics,Dice Similarity Coefficient(DSC)and Intersection over Union(IoU),and also qualitatively assessed through physicians'manual annotations and model visualization results.Results·The cervical vertebra segmentation method based on Transformer and diffusion models achieved DSC and IoU scores of 93.3%and 87.5%,respectively,significantly outperforming the U-Net and SOLOv2 methods(with improvements of 3.0%and 4.1%in DSC,and 5.2%and 7.1%in loU,respectively).Despite the longer processing time for a single image,segmentation accuracy was significantly improved.Compared with U-Net and SOLOv2,the proposed method also showed higher stability and robustness in processing complex,low-contrast and blurred-boundary images,and was able to accurately segment the cervical vertebrae with clear boundaries and complete structures.Conclusion·The Transformer-based diffusion model for cervical vertebra segmentation can enhance the edge and texture features in cervical vertebra images and recognize the boundaries of different vertebrae more easily.Thus,automatic,accurate,and robust cervical vertebra segmentation results are achieved,which can assist in cervical vertebral maturation analysis.

Background::The study aimed to describe the aortic valve morphology in Chinese patients underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS), and the impact of sizing strategies and related procedural outcomes.Methods::Patients with severe AS who underwent TAVR were consecutively enrolled from 2012 to 2019. The anatomy and morphology of the aortic root were assessed. "Downsize" strategy was preformed when patients had complex morphology. The clinical outcomes of patients who performed downsize strategy were compared with those received annular sizing strategy. The primary outcome was device success rate, and secondary outcomes included Valve Academic Research Consortium-3 clinical outcomes variables based on 1-year follow-up.Results::A total of 293 patients were enrolled. Among them, 95 patients (32.4%) had bicuspid aortic valve. The calcium volume (Hounsfield Unit-850) of aortic root was 449.90 (243.15-782.15) mm 3. Calcium is distributed mostly on the leaflet level. Downsize strategy was performed in 204 patients (69.6%). Compared with the patients who performed annular sizing strategy, those received downsize strategy achieved a similar device success rate (82.0% [73] vs. 83.3% [170], P= 0.79). Aortic valve gradients (downsize strategy group vs. annular sizing group, 11.28 mmHg vs. 11.88 mmHg, P = 0.64) and percentages of patients with moderate or severe paravalvular regurgitation 2.0% (4/204) vs. 4.5% (4/89), P = 0.21) were similar in the two groups at 30 days after TAVR. These echocardiographic results were sustainable for one year. Conclusions::Chinese TAVR patients have more prevalent bicuspid morphology and large calcium volume of aortic root. Calcium is distributed mostly on the leaflet level. Compare with annular sizing strategy, downsize strategy provided a non-inferior device success rate and transcatheter heart valve hemodynamic performance in self-expanding TAVR procedure.