Objective To analyze the clinical significance of subjective visual vertical (SVV) tests at different head deflection angles in assessing utricle function in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Methods A total of 61 BPPV patients who were treated at the Hearing Impairment and Vertigo Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from August 2022 to May 2023 were retrospectively included, and 29 healthy adults were selected as controls. SVV tests were performed on all research subjects at different head deflection angles: upright head (0°), left head 45° (L45°), right head 45° (R45°). The test results between the two groups were compared. Results SVV absolute value at R45° in BPPV group was lower than that in the control group (P＝0.003); there was no significant difference in SVV values at 0° and L45° between the two groups. There was no statistical difference in SVV values at different head deflection angles between the control group and the left BPPV group. SVV absolute value at R45° in right BPPV group was lower than that in the control group (P＜0.001); there was no statistical difference in SVV values at 0° and L45° between the two groups. Conclusions SVV test can provide subjective information about the utricle, and SVV tests at different head deflection angles can fine-tune evaluate the function of the utricle in BPPV patients.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between symptoms of vertigo and vestibular functions and short-term hearing outcomes in patients with flat descending sudden sensorineural hearing loss （SSNHL）. Methods:A retrospective review was conducted of the vestibular symptoms observed in 48 patients with unilateral flat-down sudden sensorineural hearing loss treated at the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Symptoms of vertigo and the results of cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials （cVEMP）, ocular VEMP （oVEMP）, caloric test and video head-impulse test （vHIT） were collected to determine whether these factors could predict therapeutic efficacy. Results:The symptoms of vertigo was not correlated with prognosis （P>0.05） or with abnormal vestibular functions （P>0.05）. Patients with abnormal cVEMP, oVEMP, caloric test or vHIT showed significantly lower effective rates （32.0%, 44.0%, 32.0%, and 24.0%, respectively）; the greater the number of abnormal tests, the poorer the outcome. Patients with all four tests abnormal gained only （3.13±15.97） dB HL in hearing recovery, whereas those with normal cVEMP, oVEMP, caloric test or vHIT showed better chances of hearing improvements by （29.22±20.31）, （31.18±21.59）, （26.17±21.31）, and （26.38±24.05） dB HL, respectively. Conclusion:Vestibular function effectively predicts prognosis in flat descending SSNHL. Patients with abnormal vestibular tests, regardless of symptoms of vertigo, responded poorly to treatment, whereas those with normal cVEMP, oVEMP, caloric test and vHIT results achieved better hearing recovery. Abnormal vestibular function implies more extensive and severe inner-ear lesions in patients with SSNHL.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Prognosis ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Vertigo/diagnosis* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/diagnosis* ; Young Adult ; Hearing Loss, Sudden/diagnosis* ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most prevalent chronic liver condition globally, lacks adequate and effective therapeutic remedies in clinical practice. Recent studies have increasingly highlighted the close connection between the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the progression of MASLD. This relationship is crucial for understanding the disease's underlying mechanism. As a sophisticated process, the UPS govern protein stability and function, maintaining protein homeostasis, thus influencing a multitude of elements and biological events of eukaryotic cells. It comprises four enzyme families, namely, ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2), ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3), and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). This review aims to delve into the array of pathways and therapeutic targets implicated in the ubiquitination within the pathogenesis of MASLD. Therefore, this review unveils the role of ubiquitination in MASLD while spotlighting potential therapeutic targets within the context of this disease.

Acute liver injury (ALI) serves as a critical precursor and major etiological factor in the progression and ultimate manifestation of various hepatic disorders. The prevention and treatment of ALI is still a serious global challenge. Given the limited therapeutic options for ALI, exploring novel targeted therapeutic agents becomes imperative. The potential therapeutic efficacy of inhibiting RIPK2 is highlighted, as it may provide significant benefits by attenuating the MAPK pathway and NF-κB signaling. Herein, we propose a CMD-OPT model, a two-stage molecular optimization tool for the rapid discovery of RIPK2 inhibitors with optimal properties. Compound RP20, which targets the ATP binding site, demonstrated excellent kinase specificity, ideal oral pharmacokinetics, and superior therapeutic effects in a model of APAP-induced ALI, positioning RP20 as a promising preclinical candidate. This marks the first application of RIPK2 inhibitors in ALI treatment, opening a novel therapeutic pathway for clinical applications. These results highlight the efficacy of the CMD-OPT model in producing lead compounds from known active molecules, showcasing its significant potential in drug discovery.

Sennoside A (SA), a typical prodrug, exerts its laxative effect only after its transformation into rheinanthrone catalyzed by gut microbial hydrolases and reductases. Hydrolases have been identified, but reductases remain unknown. By linking a photoreactive group to the SA scaffold, we synthesized a photoaffinity probe to covalently label SA reductases and identified SA reductases using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). From lysates of an active strain, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum (B. pseudocatenulatum), 397 proteins were enriched and subsequently identified using mass spectrometry (MS). Among these proteins, chromate reductase/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) phosphate (NADPH)-dependent flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductase/oxygen-insensitive NADPH nitroreductase (nfrA) was identified as a potent SA reductase through further bioinformatic analysis and The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) database screening. We also determined that recombinant nfrA could reduce SA. Our study contributes to further illuminating mechanisms of SA transformation to rheinanthrone and simultaneously offers an effective method to identify gut bacterial reductases.

Objective To establish the methods of galvanic vestibular stimulation-vestibular evoked myogenic potentials(GVS-VEMPs)in healthy children and to obtain the normal value of GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP in these children in China.Methods Twenty(3～14 years)healthy children and 24 healthy adults(18～30 years)were enrolled for conventional examinations of GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP.Using the galvanic stimulation in-tensity under 3 mA/1 ms for children and 5 mA/1 ms for adults.The characteristics of elicitation and parameter re-sults of GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP in children and adults,as well as the pain scores and the elicitation of differ-ent stimulus intensities in the two age groups were recorded.Results The elicitation of GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP were both 100.0％in children and adult groups.The p1 latency,n1 latency and p1-n1 interval latency of GVS-cVEMP were 10.46±1.84 ms,16.98±2.12 ms and 6.52±1.42 ms respectively in children group,the n1 la-tency and p1-n1 interval latency were significantly shorter than the adult group(P＜0.05).The n1 latency,p1 la-tency and p1-n1 interval latency of GVS-oVEMP were 8.87±1.40 ms,12.25±1.80 ms and 3.39±1.07 ms re-spectively in children group with no significant difference between the two groups.The thresholds of GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP in children group were significantly lower than adult group(P＜0.01),but no differences were found in adult group regarding on the amplitude and interaural amplitude asymmetry ratio.In addition,with the in-crease of the intensity of galvanic stimulation,the correlation between pain scores and the elicitation rates of GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP also increased.Conclusion Using appropriate stimulus intensity and recording methods,GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP could be successfully assessed and detected in healthy children over 3 years old and adolescents.The latency of GVS-cVEMP in children is slightly shorter than that in adults,therefore we recommend selecting the matched age group for assessment in the children group.

Objective To explore the presence and potential interactions of microbes and bacteriophages in the blood of healthy individuals by employing in-depth bioinformatics mining to analyze the structure and function of the blood microbi-ome ecosystem.Methods Blood plasma samples from 1 600 voluntary blood donors collected at Mianyang Central Blood Station from 2012 to 2018 were subjected to DNA extraction and library construction.High-throughput sequencing was con-ducted using the Illumina HiSeq 4500 platform,followed by extensive bioinformatics analysis.Microbial abundance in blood samples was analyzed using metagenomic analysis software such as Bowtie2,Trimmomatic and Kraken.Subsequent phage-ome analysis included sequence quality control,assembly,identification,clustering and functional annotation using software such as Megahit,geNomad,CheckV and eggNOG-mapper.Phylogenetic trees,species annotation and host analysis and pre-diction for the identified blood bacteriophages were constructed using iTOL,BLAST and PhaBOX software.Results Met-agenomic sequencing identified microbes across 36 phyla,151 orders,338 families,338 genera and 3 757 species in the plasma samples.At the species level,the most abundant species included Bacillus cereus,Lactobacillus murinus,L.johnso-nii,Faecalibacterium prausnitzii,B.thuringiensis,L.reuteri,Cutibacterium acnes,Dietzia sp.JS16-p6b,Mycoplasma hyo-rhinis,M.hyopneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.Through phageome analysis,202 viral Operational Taxonomic Units(vOTUs)were identified,revealing 24 types of bacteriophages.Host analysis using the viral host database completed mat-ches for 15 potential bacteriophage hosts,including Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Rhodoferax lacus,Pseudoalteromonas marina,Thalassotalea loyana,Vibrio alginolyticus,V.tasmaniensis,V.vulnificus,Pseudomonas sp.,Agrobacterium sp.ST15.13/040,Enterococcus gallinarum,Flavobacterium sp.,Thermotoga naphthophila,Chryseobacterium sp.RU33C,L.acidipiscis and Neisseria mucosa.Conclusion The study of the healthy human blood microbiome and phageome reveals the presence of microbes and phages in the blood,which may have profound impacts on human health.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of multimodal echocardiography on right heart function in patients with pulmonary hypertension.Methods A total of 80 patients with pulmonary hypertension treated in Jinhua Municipal Center Hospital from January 2022 to August 2023 were selected into observation group,and they were divided into mild group[40-50mmHg(1mmHg=0.133kPa),36 cases],moderate group(51-70mmHg,20 cases)and severe group(>70mmHg,24 cases)according to their pulmonary artery systolic blood pressure.A total of 80 healthy subjects were included in control group.All subjects underwent multimodal echocardiography.The diagnostic efficacy of multimodal echocardiography on right ventricular systolic function in patients with pulmonary hypertension was evaluated by comparing the data of subjects.Results Right ventricular end diastolic volume(RVEDV),right ventricular end systolic volume(RVESV),right ventricular global waste work(RVGWW)in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group,while right ventricular stroke volume(RVSV),right ventrical ejection fraction(RVEF),tricuspid annular plane systolic excusion(TAPSE),global longitudinal strain(GLS),right ventricular global work efficiency(RVGWE),right ventricular global work index(RVGWI),right ventricular global constructive work(RVGCW)were significantly lower than those in control group(P<0.05).RVEDV,RVESV and RVGWW in severe group were significantly higher than those in moderate and mild groups,while RVSV,RVEF,RVGWE,RVGWI and RVGCW were significantly lower than those in moderate and mild groups(P<0.05).The area under the curve of TAPSE,GLS,RVSV,RVEF and RVGWI in combined diagnosis of right heart function in patients with pulmonary hypertension was 0.911,the sensitivity was 92.23%and the specificity was 96.45%.Conclusion Multimodal echocardiography can effectively evaluate right ventricular systolic function in patients with pulmonary hypertension and is worthy of clinical application.

【Objective】 To explore the safety and efficacy of a modified one-piece posterior laparoscopic total nephroureterectomy with cystic sleeve resection in the treatment of upper urinary tract uroepithelial carcinoma (UTUC). 【Methods】 A total of 24 patients treated during Jan. and Jun. 2022 were involved, including 16 males and 8 females, aged 62 to 90 (average 73) years. The UTUC was in the left side in 15 cases, and in the right side in 9 cases. There were 10 cases of renal pelvis tumor, 6 cases of upper ureteral tumor and 8 cases of lower ureteral tumor. 【Results】 All operations were successful without conversion to open surgery. The operation time ranged from 60 to 100 minutes, average (71.25±9.80) minutes. The intraoperative bleeding volume was 20 to 200 mL, average (30.03±8.13) mL. No significant intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. The postoperative hospital stay was 4 to 7 days, average (5.83±1.44) days. Bladder perfusion chemotherapy was performed after surgery. 【Conclusion】 The modified one-piece posterior laparoscopic total nephroureterectomy plus cystic sleeve resection for UTUC is an effective and feasible procedure with satisfactory tumor control, which is worth further promotion in clinical practice.

【Objective】 To investigate the efficacy and safety of single position transabdominal and extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy in the treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). 【Methods】 Clinical data of 31 UTUC cases treated in our hospital during Nov.2018 and Jun.2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 11 tumors in the right side, and 20 in left side. There were 14 cases of renal pelvic carcinoma, 16 cases of ureter carcinoma, and 1 case of renal pelvic carcinoma plus ureter carcinoma. 【Results】 All surgeries were successfully performed without conversion to open surgery. The mean operation time was (81.45±19.80) min, and the estimated blood loss was (69.03±24.13) mL. No serious perioperative complications were observed. The average postoperative hospital stay was (6.13±2.44) d, and the median follow-up was 28 (3.0-49.0) months. At the last follow-up, 2 patients died, 3 had recurrence, but no contralateral recurrence was observed. 【Conclusion】 Single position transabdominal and extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy is safe, effective and feasible in the treatment of UTUC. It is worth clinical popularization.