BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea （OSA） represents a prevalent sleep disordered breathing condition characterized by complex pathophysiology. The arousal threshold （ArTH）， a core non-anatomical contributor to OSA pathogenesis， is intimately tied to the disease severity and clinical phenotypes. To date， research regarding factors associated with ArTH has yielded inconsistent findings， and ArTH profiles and disparities across populations with different genetic backgrounds are not fully elucidated. ObjectiveTo explore the differences of ArTH in OSA patients with different genetic backgrounds and analyze the key factors affecting ArTH， thereby providing evidence for understanding OSA pathophysiology and formulating targeted treatment regimens. MethodsA total of 285 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for OSA， as defined by the Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea， were retrospectively enrolled in this study. All participants underwent overnight polysomnography （PSG） at the Sleep Medicine Center of Inner Mongolia Mental Health Center from December 2022 to May 2024. Based on the study design， the cohort was stratified into two distinct genetic background subgroups （group A and group B）. Demographic and clinical characteristics， the Epworth Sleepiness Scale （ESS） score， and overnight PSG data were collected. The apnea hypopnea index （AHI）， the lowest pulse oxygen saturation （LSpO₂）， and fraction of hypopneas （F_Hypopneas） were utilized as surrogate indicators to estimate ArTH in OSA patients. The influencing factors of low ArTH were tested by binary Logistic regression analysis. ResultsAmong the 285 OSA patients， there were 227 cases （79.65%） in group A and 58 cases （20.35%） in group B. Comparisons between the two genetic background subgroups revealed no statistically significant differences in the proportion of low ArTH， ESS score， PSG parameters， and the three markers for low ArTH （AHI<30 events/h， LSpO₂>82.5%， F_Hypopneas>58.3%） （P>0.05）. Binary Logistic regression analysis identified sex （OR=2.421， 95% CI： 1.070–5.478）， BMI （OR=0.847， 95% CI： 0.770–0.932）， N1 sleep duration （OR=0.974， 95% CI： 0.963–0.985）， and hypertension （OR=0.348， 95% CI： 0.143–0.848） as independent factors associated with low ArTH in the total cohort. Stratified analysis by genetic backgrounds revealed that sex（OR=3.799， 95% CI： 1.389–10.392）， BMI（OR=0.819， 95% CI：0.723–0.929）， and N1 sleep duration（OR=0.973， 95% CI： 0.961–0.986） were independent factors of low ArTH in group A. In contrast， only N1 sleep duration （OR=0.951， 95% CI： 0.911–0.993） remained a significant factor in group B. ConclusionArthur may have conservative characteristics in patients with OSA with different genetic backgrounds， but the pathophysiological mechanism of OSA may have population heterogeneity. ［Funded by Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Natural Science Fundation Project （number， 2024QN08050）； Intra-institutional Scientific Research Project of Inner Mongolia Mental Health Center （number， 2022QNWN0010）］

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the ingested dose of amlodipine and the severity of shock in affected patients by analyzing clinical data from documented cases.Methods:This study respectively included adult patients treated for amlodipine poisoning-induced shock at the emergency department of Peking University Third Hospital between January 2018 and December 2022. Additionally, cases reported in the literature from January 1997 to December 2022 were also included. Patients were categorized into two groups: non-refractory shock and refractory shock. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data between the two groups.Results:This study included a total of 80 patients, with 37 experiencing non-refractory shock patients and 43 presenting with refractory shock patients. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of sex distribution ( P=0.037) and the ingested amlodipine dose ( P=0.001). Through binary logistic regression analysis, the amlodipine dose was identified as an independent predictor of shock severity ( OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.12-1.84, P=0.005). A subgroup analysis was performed on patients who were poisoned by ingesting amlodipine alone, further confirming the significant dose difference ( P=0.003) between the non-refractory shock and refractory shock categories. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting refractory shock in patients with amlodipine poisoning was 0.723 (95% CI: 0.613-0.833). The optimal cutoff dose for predicting refractory shock was 347.5 mg, with a sensitivity of 0.651 and a specificity of 0.784. Sensitivity analyses, excluding cases of mixed poisoning, yielded a higher AUC of 0.795 (95% CI: 0.634-0.956), with a slightly adjusted cutoff dose of 350 mg, a sensitivity of 0.867, and a specificity of 0.737. The dose-response relationship table between medication dosage and incidence of refractory shock shows that as the dosage increases, the proportion of refractory shock also increases. Conclusions:In adult patients with amlodipine poisoning, the severity of shock was correlated with the ingested dose of the drug. When the ingested amlodipine dose exceeds 347.5 mg, it is crucial to be cautious of the development of refractory shock.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of bumetanide in comparison with other diuretics for the prevention and management of postoperative pleural effusion in patients undergoing hepatobiliary surgery.Methods A total of 168 patients undergoing routine hepatobiliary surgery were randomly assigned to either the bumetanide group or the control group(other diuretics).Patients in the bumetanide group received bumetanide injection at a dose of 1 mg intravenously once daily.In contrast,the control group received one of the following treatments:furosemide injection at 20 mg intravenously once daily,furosemide tablets at 40 mg orally twice daily,or a combination of furosemide tablets(40 mg orally twice daily)and spironolactone tablets(60 mg orally twice daily).All treatments were administered for three days postoperatively.The incidence of postoperative pleural effusion,length of hospital stay,and drug-related adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Additionally,multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent risk factors for moderate-to-severe pleural effusion after surgery.Results A total of 82 patients were enrolled in the bumetanide group and 86 in the control group.No significant differences were observed in the general demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups(P>0.05),except for sex and ALT levels(P<0.05).The incidence of moderate-to-severe pleural effusion was higher in the control group than in the bumetanide group,with rates of 9.3％and 1.2％,respectively(all P<0.05).Additionally,the length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the control group(19.94±0.90 days)compared to the bumetanide group(17.15±1.06 days)(all P<0.05).Thora-centesis was performed in 2 cases in the bumetanide group and 8 cases in the control group,but this difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).The primary adverse drug reactions in both groups included hypokalemia,hypochloremia,hyponatremia,and hypocalcemia.The overall incidence of adverse drug reactions was 35.4％in the bumetanide group and 34.9％in the control group,showing no significant difference(P>0.05).Multivariate regression analysis revealed that a history of hepatitis B,cirrhosis,and the use of bumetanide were independent predictors of moderate-to-severe pleural effusion during routine hepatobiliary surgery(all P<0.05).Conclusions Bumetanide demonstrates superior efficacy compared to other conventional diuretics in the prevention and manage-ment of postoperative pleural effusion in hepatobiliary surgery,suggesting potential clinical application value.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis(C.pseudotuberculosis)is a group of intracellular Gram-positive bacteria that can cause zoonotic diseases.This study investigated the mechanisms of inflammatory mediator secretion and the phagocytic and bactericidal functions of mouse peritoneal macrophages following C.pseudotuberculosis infection.Initially,transcriptomic sequencing was em-ployed to identify genes critical for C.pseudotuberculosis infection in macrophages.Subsequently,gene knockout mice were utilized to assess the impact of these key genes on inflammatory media-tor secretion,activation of inflammatory signaling pathways,and the phagocytic and bactericidal functions of macrophages infected with C.pseudotuberculosis.Techniques such as ELISA,Western blot,and immunofluorescence were employed in this analysis.Further,transcriptomic sequencing was conducted to identify key downstream genes.Following C.pseudotuberculosis infection,GO enrichment analysis was performed,and TLR2 was identified as the focal point of the study.Perito-neal macrophages from C57BL/6J and TLR2 knockout(TLR2-/-)mice were infected with C.pseudotuberculosis.ELISA results revealed that the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-10 were signifi-cantly downregulated in TLR2-/-macrophages compared to C57BL/6J macrophages post-infec-tion.Western blot demonstrated that the absence of TLR2 led to a marked decrease in M APK(p38 and ERK)signaling pathway phosphorylation following C.pseudotuberculosis infection.Immuno-fluorescence results indicated that the phagocytic rate of TLR2-/-macrophages was significantly higher than that of C57BL/6J macrophages after infection.Subsequently,transcriptomic analysis of C57BL/6J and TLR2-/-macrophages infected with C.pseudotuberculosis was performed,followed by GO enrichment analysis of differential genes.IL-36a,Cx3cr1,TLR1,and TLR2 were identified as key differential genes.TLR2 plays a crucial role in the inflammatory response induced by C.pseudotuberculosis infection in mice,influencing the progression of the inflammatory response and host outcomes through the secretion of inflammatory mediators,activation of signaling pathways,and modulation of phagocytic and bactericidal functions.IL-36a and Cx3cr1 were identified as key downstream factors in this process.

Objective To study the relationship between the expression of long non-coding RNA lung adenocarcinoma metastasis-associated transcript 1(lncRNA MALAT1)and microRNA(miR)-181a-5p in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and the signal pathway of Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3),clinicopathological features and prognosis.Methods 218 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who had surgical resection at our institution between January 2018 and May 2021 had their cancer tissues and nearby normal lung tissues collected,the levels of lncRNA MALAT1,miR-181a-5p and key factors of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway(JAK2 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA)in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).The correlation between the expression levels of lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-181a-5p in cancer tissues of lung adenocarcinoma patients and the levels of key factors in JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway were analyzed by Pearson test.The relationship between the expression levels of lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-181a-5p and the clinicopathological features of lung adenocarcinoma patients were analyzed.Patients with lung adenocarcinoma were followed up for 3 years,and their prognosis was counted,the 3-year overall survival rate of lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-181a-5p low/high expression groups were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method.The prognostic factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate COX risk proportional regression models.Results In lung adenocarcinoma tissues,the expression levels of lncRNA MALAT1,JAK2,and STAT3 mRNA were substantially greater(P＜0.05)than in neighboring normal lung tissues,whereas the expression level of miR-181a-5p was significantly lower(P＜0.05)in compared to nearby normal lung tissues.Pearson test results showed that,lncRNA MALAT1 was positively correlated with JAK2 and STAT3 mRNA expression levels in cancer tissues of patients with lung adenocarcinoma(P＜0.05,r=0.526、0.483),and miR-181a-5p was negatively correlated with JAK2 and STAT3 mRNA expression levels in cancer tissues of patients with lung adenocarcinoma(P＜0.05,r=-0.430、-0.493).lncRNA MALAT1 had a considerably greater expression rate and miR-181a-5p had a significantly lower expression rate in patients with TNM stage Ⅲa,lymph node metastasis and poorly differentiated lung adenocarcinoma than in patients with TNM stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ,without lymph node metastasis and moderately well differentiated lung adenocarcinoma(P＜0.05).Three patients were lost during the 3-year follow-up of 218 patients with lung adenocarcinoma,and the 3-year overall survival rate was 58.14％(125/215).The 3-year overall survival rate of the lncRNA MALAT1 high expression group was considerably lower than that of the lncRNA MALAT1 low expression group.The miR-181a-5p high expression group had a substantially greater(P＜0.05).Lymph node metastasis,TNM stage Ⅲ a,decreased expression level of miR-181a-5p,and increased expression level of lncRNA MALAT1 are risk factors for the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma(P＜0.05).Conclusion The low expression of miR-181a-5p and the high expression of lncRNA MALAT1 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues are related to TNM stage Ⅲa,lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis,which may promote the progression of lung adenocarcinoma and cause poor prognosis by activating JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

The Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) control natural killer (NK) cells development and cytotoxic functions, however, whether long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in this pathway remains unknown. We found that miR155HG was elevated in activated NK cells and promoted their proliferation and effector functions in both NK92 and induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived NK (iPSC-NK) cells, without reliance on its derived miR-155 and micropeptide P155. Mechanistically, miR155HG bound to miR-6756 and relieved its repression of JAK3 expression, thereby promoting the JAK-STAT pathway and enhancing NK cell proliferation and function. Further investigations disclosed that upon cytokine stimulation, STAT3 directly interacts with miR155HG promoter and induces miR155HG transcription. Collectively, we identify a miR155HG-mediated positive feedback loop of the JAK-STAT signaling. Our study will also provide a power target regarding miR155HG for improving NK cell generation and effector function in the field of NK cell adoptive transfer therapy against cancer, especially iPSC-derived NK cells.

Real-time, noninvasive programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) testing using molecular imaging has enhanced our understanding of the immune environments of neoplasms and has served as a guide for immunotherapy. However, the utilization of radiotracers in the imaging of human brain tumors using positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) remains limited. This investigation involved the synthesis of [¹⁸F]AlF-NOTA-PCP2, which is a novel peptide-based radiolabeled tracer that targets PD-L1, and evaluated its imaging capabilities in orthotopic glioblastoma (GBM) models. Using this tracer, we could noninvasively monitor radiation-induced PD-L1 changes in GBM. [¹⁸F]AlF-NOTA-PCP2 exhibited high radiochemical purity (>95%) and stability up to 4 h after synthesis. It demonstrated specific, high-affinity binding to PD-L1 in vitro and in vivo, with a dissociation constant of 0.24 nM. PET/CT imaging, integrated with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, revealed significant accumulation of [¹⁸F]AlF-NOTA-PCP2 in orthotopic tumors, correlating with blood-brain barrier disruption. After radiotherapy (15 Gy), [¹⁸F]AlF-NOTA-PCP2 uptake in tumors increased from 9.51% ± 0.73% to 12.04% ± 1.43%, indicating enhanced PD-L1 expression consistent with immunohistochemistry findings. Fractionated radiation (5 Gy × 3) further amplified PD-L1 upregulation (13.9% ± 1.54% ID/cc) compared with a single dose (11.48% ± 1.05% ID/cc). Taken together, [¹⁸F]AlF-NOTA-PCP2 may be a valuable tool for noninvasively monitoring PD-L1 expression in brain tumors after radiotherapy.

Objective To investigate the potential role of plasma adiponectin concentration in predicting the response of patients with depression to electroconvulsive therapy(ECT).Methods This study enrolled depressive patients scheduled for ECT at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between January 2022 and March 2024.Patients were categorized as either ECT responders(>50%reduction)or non-responders(≤50%reduction)based on post-ECT reduction rate of the 24-item Hamilton depression scale(HAMD)scores from baseline.Plasma adiponectin levels were measured in all patients before their first ECT treatment.To identify predictors of ECT response in patients with depression,the predictive value of plasma adiponectin was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Results A total of 80 patients with depression were enrolled including 44 in the ECT-responsive group and 36 in the non-responsive group.The plasma adiponectin level was significantly higher in the responsive group than in the non-responsive group[5.67(3.64,10.55)μg/mL vs.4.01(2.59,5.04)μg/mL,P=0.002].Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between plasma adiponectin levels and the HAMD reduction rate(r=0.300,P=0.007).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that plasma adiponectin was independently associated with the response to ECT in patients with depression(OR=1.218,95%CI:1.009-1.470,P=0.040).Furthermore,ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the curve(AUC)for adiponectin in predicting ECT response was 0.748(95%CI:0.583-0.813).Conclusion Pretreatment plasma adiponectin may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting response to ECT in patients with depression.

Objective:To explore the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of a total pelvic floor resection procedure as a component of combined resection of pelvic organs for locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer.Methods:This was a descriptive case series. Relevant clinical data of patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer without extrapelvic metastasis or with only oligometastasis who had undergone combined pelvic organ resection with resection of the entire pelvic floor in the Department of Anorectal Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2024 were collected from a Chinese database of combined pelvic organ resection for rectal cancer. The study cohort comprised 143 patients, 74 of whom were male (51.7%) and 69 were female (48.3%); their ages averaged 54 (range: 31–75) years; 57 of the patients (39.9%) had locally advanced rectal cancer and 86 (60.1%) locally recurrent rectal cancer. In our institution, the pelvic floor is categorized into two anatomical layers: the levator ani/presacral anterior tissue, and the bone/ligament/pelvic floor soft tissue. The entire pelvic floor was resected en bloc after making incisions on both sides of the pelvic floor, followed by presacral sacral dissection, and abdominoperineal dissection of the anterior side of the pelvic floor. The main factors studied were related to the following: (1) surgical conditions, comprising the scope of surgical resection, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, tissue reconstruction; (2) postoperative recovery, comprising time to recovery of intestinal function, time to removal of drainage tubes, and time to healing of the empty pelvic cavity; and (3) postoperative complications, classified according to the international Clavien-Dindo classification. Results:Combined pelvic organ resection with entire pelvic floor resection was successfully completed in all patients. The operation time was 480 (390 to 1,020) minutes, intraoperative blood loss 800 (50 to 3,500) mL, and volume of blood transfused intraoperatively 1, 000 (400 to 7, 400). R0 resection was achieved in 116 cases (81.1%) and R1 resection in 27 (18.9%). The first layer of the pelvic floor wall (levator ani/sacral anterior tissue) was resected in 79 cases (55.2%) and the second layer of the pelvic floor wall (bone/ligament/pelvic floor soft tissue) in 64 (44.8%). The procedure was completed in the lithotomy position in 114 cases (79.7%) were and in the lithotomy + prone jackknife position in 29 (20.3%). The pelvic floor was reconstructed with mesh in 140 cases (97.7%) and with mesh plus pedicled omental flaps in 92 cases (64.3%). The urinary tract was reconstructed in 92 cases (64.3%). The time to recovery of intestinal function was 3.6 (2.0 to 7.0) days, to removal of drainage tubes 29.4 (24.0 to 54.0) days, and to healing of the empty pelvic cavity 36.2 (27.0 to 56.0) days. Twenty-three patients (16.1%) had Grade I - II complications and 36 (25.2%) Grade IIIa - IV complications. The median duration of follow-up was 15.5 (0.5 to 30.0) months. Six of the patients (4.2%) died, including two (1.4%) who died within 30 days after surgery.Conclusions:Pelvic floor en bloc resection has a high R0 resection rate and is a safe and feasible procedure for pelvic organ resection surgeries in patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer.