Objective To investigate the predictive value of quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in evaluating kidneys from donation after brain death (DBD) for the occurrence of delayed graft function (DGF) in recipients. Methods The clinical data of 134 DBD donors and 202 corresponding kidneys and recipients were retrospective analyzed. The recipients were divided into DGF group (n=39) and non-DGF group (n=163) according to the renal function after kidney transplantation. Conventional ultrasound, CEUS parameters, and clinical data were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off values for predicting DGF using CEUS parameters, clinical parameters, and their combination, based on the highest Youden index. The predictive ability of different parameters for DGF was evaluated. Results There were statistically significant differences in cortical peak intensity (PIc), medullary peak intensity (PIm), donor albumin (ALB), serum creatinine (Scr) after admission, and the Na⁺ concentration of recipients between the two groups (all P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting DGF using the combination of CEUS parameters PIc and PIm was 0.711, with an optimal cut-off value of 0.193 and a Youden index of 0.382. The AUC for predicting DGF using the combination of CEUS parameters PIc, PIm and clinical parameters was 0.808, with an optimal cut-off value of 0.191 and a Youden index of 0.517. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.769 and 0.613 for the former, and 0.769 and 0.748 for the latter, respectively. The AUC for predicting DGF using CEUS parameters PIc and PIm combined with clinical parameters was significantly higher than that using CEUS parameters PIc and PIm (P<0.05). Conclusions The CEUS quantitative parameters PIc and PIm have good predictive value in assessing kidneys from DBD donors for DGF in recipients, and the diagnostic efficacy is better when combined with clinical parameters.

Retrograde adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are capable of infecting the axons of projection neurons and serve as a powerful tool for the anatomical and functional characterization of neural networks. However, few retrograde AAV capsids have been shown to offer access to cortical projection neurons across different species and enable the manipulation of neural function in non-human primates (NHPs). Here, we report the development of a novel retrograde AAV capsid, AAV-DJ8R, which efficiently labeled cortical projection neurons after local administration into the striatum of mice and macaques. In addition, intrastriatally injected AAV-DJ8R mediated opsin expression in the mouse motor cortex and induced robust behavioral alterations. Moreover, AAV-DJ8R markedly increased motor cortical neuron firing upon optogenetic light stimulation after viral delivery into the macaque putamen. These data demonstrate the usefulness of AAV-DJ8R as an efficient retrograde tracer for cortical projection neurons in rodents and NHPs and indicate its suitability for use in conducting functional interrogations.
Animals ; Haplorhini ; Axons ; Motor Neurons ; Interneurons ; Macaca ; Dependovirus/genetics* ; Genetic Vectors

Objective:To examine the associations of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with early childhood BMI trajectories.Methods:A total of 1 227 mother-child pairs from the Peking University Birth Cohort in Tongzhou were included in this study. In the cohort, maternal pre-pregnancy weight, height, gestational weight gain, and GDM diagnosis were collected. The children were followed up at birth and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age to obtain height/length and weight data. The longitudinal data-based k-means clustering algorithm was used to identify early childhood BMI trajectory groups. The associations of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and GDM with early childhood BMI trajectories were analyzed using the logistic regression model. We further explored whether there is an interaction effect between pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain on the risk of the high BMI trajectory in early childhood through multiplicative and additive interaction analyses. Results:The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity before pregnancy were 21.2% (260 cases) and 6.6% (81 cases) respectively. The prevalence of excessive gestational weight gain and GDM was 57.7% (708 cases) and 30.9% (379 cases). The early childhood BMI trajectories were named low, medium, and high trajectories, accounting for 30.5%, 45.4% and 24.1%, respectively. After controlling potential confounding factors, it was found that pre-pregnancy overweight ( OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.12-2.12), obesity ( OR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.41-3.85), and excessive gestational weight gain ( OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.10-1.97) were risk factors for being in the high BMI trajectory in early childhood. GDM was not significantly associated with early childhood BMI trajectories ( P>0.05). Compared with the independent effects of pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity ( OR=1.90, 95% CI: 1.17-3.09) and excessive gestational weight gain ( OR=1.45, 95% CI: 1.03-2.04), the risk of being in the high BMI trajectory in early childhood was greater when the two factors coexisted ( OR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.60-3.54). However, both the multiplicative and additive models showed no interaction effect between pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain. Conclusions:Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain are independent risk factors for children being in the high BMI trajectory in early childhood, providing scientific evidence for obesity prevention.

AIM To analyze the component composition of Xeriga-4 Powder,and to determine the contents of phellodendrine,chlorogenic acid,gardenoside,berberine,rutin and curcumin.METHODS The high performance liquid chromatography-Q-exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry(HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS)qualitative analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic Agilent ZORBAX SB-Aq column(4.6 mm×150 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-0.1%formic acid flowing at 0.35 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning.High performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS)quantitative analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,3 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-0.1%formic acid flowing at 0.25 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning with multiple reaction monitoring mode.RESULTS Total 65 constituents were identified,containing 19 alkaloids,13 organic acids,13 flavonoids,7 curcumins,6 iridoids,4 fatty acids,2 aldehydes,and 1 amino acid.Six constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 1),whose average recoveries were 96.44%-102.37%with the RSDs of 2.05%-3.74%.CONCLUSION This study can provide a reference for the quality control for Xieriga-4 Powder.

With the increasing proportion of human papilloma virus(HPV)infection in the pathogenic factors of oro-pharyngeal cancer,a series of changes have occurred in the surgical treatment.While the treatment mode has been im-proved,there are still many problems,including the inconsistency between diagnosis and treatment modes,the lack of popularization of reconstruction technology,the imperfect post-treatment rehabilitation system,and the lack of effective preventive measures.Especially in terms of treatment mode for early oropharyngeal cancer,there is no unified conclu-sion whether it is surgery alone or radiotherapy alone,and whether robotic minimally invasive surgery has better func-tional protection than radiotherapy.For advanced oropharyngeal cancer,there is greater controversy over the treatment mode.It is still unclear whether to adopt a non-surgical treatment mode of synchronous chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy combined with synchronous chemoradiotherapy,or a treatment mode of surgery combined with postopera-tive chemoradiotherapy.In order to standardize the surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer in China and clarify the indications for surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,this expert consensus,based on the characteristics and treat-ment status of oropharyngeal cancer in China and combined with the international latest theories and practices,forms consensus opinions in multiple aspects of preoperative evaluation,surgical indication determination,primary tumor re-section,neck lymph node dissection,postoperative defect repair,postoperative complication management prognosis and follow-up of oropharyngeal cancer patients.The key points include:① Before the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,the expression of P16 protein should be detected to clarify HPV status;② Perform enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the maxillofacial region before surgery to evaluate the invasion of oropharyngeal cancer and guide precise surgical resec-tion of oropharyngeal cancer.Evaluating mouth opening and airway status is crucial for surgical approach decisions and postoperative risk prediction;③ For oropharyngeal cancer patients who have to undergo major surgery and cannot eat for one to two months,it is recommended to undergo percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy before surgery to effectively improve their nutritional intake during treatment;④ Early-stage oropharyngeal cancer patients may opt for either sur-gery alone or radiation therapy alone.For intermediate and advanced stages,HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer general-ly prioritizes radiation therapy,with concurrent chemotherapy considered based on tumor staging.Surgical treatment is recommended as the first choice for HPV unrelated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(including primary and re-current)and recurrent HPV related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy;⑤ For primary exogenous T1-2 oropharyngeal cancer,direct surgery through the oral approach or da Vinci robotic sur-gery is preferred.For T3-4 patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer,it is recommended to use temporary mandibu-lectomy approach and lateral pharyngotomy approach for surgery as appropriate;⑥ For cT1-2N0 oropharyngeal cancer patients with tumor invasion depth＞3 mm and cT3-4N0 HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,selective neck dissection of levels ⅠB to Ⅳ is recommended.For cN+HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,therapeutic neck dissection in regions Ⅰ-Ⅴ is advised;⑦ If PET-CT scan at 12 or more weeks after completion of radiation shows intense FDG uptake in any node,or imaging suggests continuous enlargement of lymph nodes,the patient should undergo neck dissection;⑧ For patients with suspected extracapsular invasion preoperatively,lymph node dissection should include removal of surrounding muscle and adipose connective tissue;⑨ The reconstruction of oropharyngeal cancer defects should follow the principle of reconstruction steps,with priority given to adjacent flaps,followed by distal pedicled flaps,and finally free flaps.The anterolateral thigh flap with abundant tissue can be used as the preferred flap for large-scale postoperative defects.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab monoclonal antibody combined with molecular-targeted therapy in elderly patients with unresectable or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the patients with unresectable/advanced HCC who attended six hospitals from January 1,2019 to March 31,2021,and all patients received camrelizumab monoclonal antibody treatment,among whom 84.8%also received targeted therapy.According to the age of the patients,they were divided into elderly group(≥65 years)and non-elderly group(＜65 years).The two groups were assessed in terms of overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS),objective response rate(ORR),disease control rate(DCR),and immune-related adverse events(irAE).The chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups;the independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis,and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival curves.Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to determine the independent influencing factors for PFS and DCR at 6 months.Results A total of 99 HCC patients were enrolled,with 27 in the elderly group and 72 in the non-elderly group.The elderly group had an OS rate of 67.8%,an ORR of 44.4%,and a DCR of 74.1%at 12 months and a median PFS of 6.4(95%confidence interval[CI]:3.0-12.4)months,with no significant differences compared with the non-elderly group(all P＞0.05).The median OS was unavailable for the elderly group,while the non-elderly group had an OS of 18.9(95%CI:13.0-24.8)months;there was no significant difference between the two groups(P=0.485).The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that major vascular invasion(MVI)was an independent risk factor for PFS(hazard ratio[HR]=2.603,95%CI:1.136-5.964,P=0.024)and DCR(HR=3.963,95%CI:1.671-9.397,P=0.002)at 6 months,while age,sex,etiology of HBV infection,presence of extrahepatic metastasis,Child-Pugh class B,and alpha-fetoprotein＞400 ng/mL were not associated with PFS or DCR at 6 months.For the elderly group,the incidence rates of any irAE and grade 3/4 irAE were 51.9%and 25.9%,respectively,with no significant differences compared with the non-elderly group(P＞0.05),and skin disease was the most common irAE in both groups(39.4%).Conclusion Camrelizumab monoclonal antibody combined with molecular-targeted therapy has similar efficacy and safety in patients with unresectable/advanced HCC aged≥65 years and those aged＜65 years.MVI is associated with suboptimal response to immunotherapy and poor prognosis.

Objective: To investigate the impact of childhood traumatic experiences on individual risktaking decisions in early adulthood using functional nearinfrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), so as to provide the reference for clarifying the brain mechanisms underlying the impact of childhood trauma on individual risky decision. Methods: From December 2023 to March 2024, 28 children with childhood trauma experiences (trauma group) and 32 healthy college students (control group) were selected from Jining Medical University by a combination of stratified descent and convenient sampling methods. All subjects participated in the Iowa Game task fNIRS scanning. The brain activation, functional connectivity, graph theory properties (degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and local efficiency), and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed by using preprocessing fNIRS data. Results: Compared with control group, trauma group showed significantly fewer choice times in the inferior deck (Z=-0.88), and showed significantly decreased activation levels in the right frontalpolar (Z=-2.59), as well as showed significant decreased functional connectivity between left dorsolateral prefrontal and in right dorsolateral prefrontal (Z=-3.78), and between left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the right frontal pole (Z=-3.68)(P<0.05). The central index of right inferior frontal gyrus in the trauma group was higher than that in the control group, while the central index of left and right dorsolateral frontal lobes was lower than that in the control group (Z=2.13, -2.53, -2.12, P<0.05). The centrality index of the right inferior frontal gyrus in the trauma group was higher than that in the control group (Z=2.47, P<0.05). The local efficiency indicators of the right inferior frontal gyrus, left and right frontal pole in the trauma group were higher than those in the control group (Z=2.51, 2.17, 2.53, P<0.05). The results of the ROC curve analysis showed that the local efficiency achieved the highest area under the curve (AUC=0.68). Conclusions Young adults with childhood trauma experience tend to choose lower loss, and the frontal pole shows a lack of activation in the whole process of risk decision performance. The abnormalities in the brain connectivity and network properties might be the neural basis of excessive defense mechanisms that childhood trauma leads to risky decisions.

Objective To design a novel oxygenator to solve the existing problems of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)machine in high transmembrane pressure difference,low efficiency of blood oxygen exchange and susceptibility to thrombosis.Methods The main body of the oxygenator vascular access flow field was gifted with a flat cylindrical shape.The topology of the vascular access was modeled in three dimensions,and the whole flow field was cut into a blood inlet section,an inlet buffer,a heat exchange zone,a blood oxygen exchange zone,an outlet buffer and a blood outlet section.The oxygenator was compared with Quadrox oxygenator by means of ANSYS FLUENT-based simulation and prototype experiments.Results Simulation calculations showed the oxygenator designed was comparable to the clinically used ones in general,and gained advantages in transmembrane pressure difference,blood oxygen exchange and flow uniformity.Experimental results indicated that the oxygenator behaved better than Quadrox oxygenator in transmembrane pressure difference and blood oxygen exchange.Conclusion The oxygenator has advantages in transmem-brane pressure difference,temperature change,blood oxygen ex-change and low probability of thrombosis.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(3):23-28]

Background::Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by excessive proliferation of small pulmonary arterial vascular smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), endothelial dysfunction, and extracellular matrix remodeling. G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) plays an important role in the maintenance of vascular tone and blood flow. However, the role of GRK2 in the pathogenesis of PAH is unknown.Methods::GRK2 levels were detected in lung tissues from healthy people and PAH patients. C57BL/6 mice, vascular smooth muscle cell-specific Grk2-knockout mice ( Grk2?SM22), and littermate controls ( Grk2flox/flox) were grouped into control and hypoxia mice ( n = 8). Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was induced by exposure to chronic hypoxia (10%) combined with injection of the SU5416 (cHx/SU). The expression levels of GRK2 and Yes-associated protein (YAP) in pulmonary arteries and PASMCs were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The mRNA expression levels of Grk2 and Yes-associated protein ( YAP) in PASMCs were quantified with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Wound-healing assay, 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay, and 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining were performed to evaluate the proliferation and migration of PASMCs. Meanwhile, the interaction among proteins was detected by immunoprecipitation assays. Results::The expression levels of GRK2 were upregulated in the pulmonary arteries of patients with PAH and the lungs of PH mice. Moreover, cHx/SU-induced PH was attenuated in Grk2?SM22 mice compared with littermate controls. The amelioration of PH in Grk2?SM22 mice was accompanied by reduced pulmonary vascular remodeling. In vitro study further confirmed that GRK2 knock-down significantly altered hypoxia-induced PASMCs proliferation and migration, whereas this effect was severely intensified by overexpression of GRK2. We also identified that GRK2 promoted YAP expression and nuclear translocation in PASMCs, resulting in excessive PASMCs proliferation and migration. Furthermore, GRK2 is stabilized by inhibiting phosphorylating GRK2 on Tyr86 and subsequently activating ubiquitylation under hypoxic conditions. Conclusion::Our findings suggest that GRK2 plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of PAH, via regulating YAP expression and nuclear translocation. Therefore, GRK2 serves as a novel therapeutic target for PAH treatment.

Objective:To compare the association between body mass index(BMI)trajectories deter-mined by different methods and the risk of overweight in early childhood in a prospective cohort study,and to identify children with higher risk of obesity during critical growth windows of early childhood.Methods:A total of 1 330 children from Peking University Birth Cohort in Tongzhou(PKUBC-T)were included in this study.The children were followed up at birth,1,3,6,9,12,18,and 24 months and 3 years of age to obtain their height/length and weight data,and calculate BMI Z-score.Latent class growth mixture modeling(GMM)and longitudinal data-based k-means clustering algorithm(KML)were used to determine the grouping of early childhood BMI trajectories from birth to 24 mouths.Linear regres-sion was used to compare the association between early childhood BMI trajectories determined by different methods and BMI Z-score at 3 years of age.The predictive performance of early childhood BMI trajecto-ries determined by different methods in predicting the risk of overweight(BMI Z-score＞1)at 3 years was compared using the average area under the curve(AUC)of 5-fold cross-validation in Logistic regres-sion models.Results:In the study population included in this research,the three-category trajectories determined using GMM were classified as low,medium,and high,accounting for 39.7％,54.1％,and 6.2％of the participants,respectively.The two-category trajectories determined using the KML method were classified as low and high,representing 50.3％and 49.7％of the participants,respectively.The three-category trajectories determined using the KML method were classified as low,medium,and high,accounting for 31.1％,47.4％,and 21.5％of the participants,respectively.There were certain differ-ences in the growth patterns reflected by the early childhood BMI trajectories determined using different methods.Linear regression analysis found that after adjusting for maternal ethnicity,educational level,delivery mode,parity,maternal age at delivery,gestational week at delivery,children's gender,and breastfeeding at 1 month of age,the association between the high trajectory group in the three-category trajectories determined by the KML method(manifested by a slightly higher BMI at birth,followed by rapid growth during infancy and a stable-high BMI until 24 months)and BMI Z-scores at 3 years was the strongest.Logistic regression analysis revealed that the three-category trajectory grouping determined by the KML method had the best predictive performance for the risk of overweight at 3 years.The results were basically consistent after additional adjustment for the high bound score of the child's diet balanced index,average daily physical activity time,and screen time.Conclusion:This study used different methods to identify early childhood BMI trajectories with varying characteristics,and found that the high trajectory group determined by the KML method was better able to identify children with a higher risk of overweight in early childhood.This provides scientific evidence for selecting appropriate methods to de-fine early childhood BMI trajectories.