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.

The effect of aspirin eugenol ester(AEE)on the metabolism of rats was investigated to provide theoretical references for the clinical rational use of the drug.Firstly,the appropriate con-centration of AEE suspension was prepared.Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups:the normal group,the AEE low-dose group(18 mg/kg),and the AEE high-dose group(72 mg/kg).The rats in the dosing group were dosed once daily,and the Wistar rats in the normal group were dosed once daily with an equal volume of 0.5％sodium carboxymethylcellulose solution.The feces and urine were collected after 7 days of continuous gavage,and the feces and urine were ana-lyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spec-trometry(UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)for non-targeted metabolomics and Metabo Analyst 5.0 was used for metabolic pathway enrichment.The results showed that the dose of AEE selected in this experiment was not toxic to the growth of rats.The results of the metabolomics study found that 10 and 8 differential metabolites were identified in rat feces and urine,respectively,involving meta-bolic pathways such as phenylalanine,tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis,phenylalanine metabo-lism,steroid hormone biosynthesis,biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids,aminosugar and nucleo-tide sugar metabolism,fatty acid biosynthesis,and β-alanine metabolism.AEE had no significant effect on the body weight of rats(P＞0.05),but AEE could affect the metabolism of rat organ-ism.Fecal metabolites were mainly involved in metabolic pathways including unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis,tyrosine metabolism,fatty acid biosynthesis,and steroid hormone biosynthesis;urina-ry metabolites were mainly involved in metabolic pathways including purine metabolism,fatty acid biosynthesis,arginine,and proline metabolism.Therefore,the metabolic effects of AEE on rats are mainly closely related to the regulation of lipid metabolism,amino acid metabolism,and energy metabolism.The results of this experiment can provide some references for the efficacy and clinical application of AEE in animals.

Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 3 (SMPD3) encodes neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2), which plays an important role in tumor development as a key enzyme regulating cell growth variation and inducing apoptosis with the important messenger molecule ceramide. On one hand, the common epigenetic alteration of SMPD3 methylation mediates carcinogenesis through the disruption of gene expression by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Meanwhile, SMPD3 also induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in tumor cells through its hydrolysis products. On the other hand, SMPD3 is also closely related to pro-cancer processes such as exosome secretion, inflammatory response, and tumor cell proliferation. In this paper, the biological action of SMPD3 in tumor diseases was reviewed to enhance the understanding of the role of SMPD3 in the development of different tumors and provide broader ideas for basic research and clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumor diseases.

Background:Following the short-term outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)in December 2022 in China,clinical data on kidney transplant recipients(KTRs)with COVID-19 are lacking.Methods:We conducted a single-center retrospective study to describe the clinical features,complications,and mortality rates of hospitalized KTRs infected with COVID-19 between Dec.16,2022 and Jan.31,2023.The patients were followed up until Mar.31,2023.Results:A total of 324 KTRs with COVID-19 were included.The median age was 49 years.The median time between the onset of symptoms and admission was 13 d.Molnupiravir,azvudine,and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were administered to 67(20.7%),11(3.4%),and 148(45.7%)patients,respectively.Twenty-nine(9.0%)patients were treated with more than one antiviral agent.Forty-eight(14.8%)patients were treated with tocilizumab and 53(16.4%)patients received baricitinib therapy.The acute kidney injury(AKI)occurred in 81(25.0%)patients and 39(12.0%)patients were admitted to intensive care units.Fungal infections were observed in 55(17.0%)patients.Fifty(15.4%)patients lost their graft.The 28-d mortality rate of patients was 9.0%and 42(13.0%)patients died by the end of follow-up.Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that cerebrovascular disease,AKI incidence,interleukin(IL)-6 level of>6.8 pg/mL,daily dose of corticosteroids of>50 mg,and fungal infection were all associated with an increased risk of death for hospitalized patients.Conclusions:Our findings demonstrate that hospitalized KTRs with COVID-19 are at high risk of mortality.The administration of immunomodulators or the late application of antiviral drugs does not improve patient survival,while higher doses of corticosteroids may increase the death risk.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of preoperative γ-glutamyl transferase/lymphocyte count ratio (GLR) levels for postoperative tumor recurrence in liver transplant recipients with liver cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 158 recipients who were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (hereinafter referred to as liver cancer) and received liver transplantation at the No. 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from January 2008 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. X-tile software, the Kaplan-Meier method, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, and other statistical methods were performed. The predictive value of preoperative GLR levels for postoperative tumor recurrence in liver transplant recipients with liver cancer and the risk factors for tumor recurrence in liver cancer patients post-liver transplantation were analyzed.Results:The X-tile software analysis confirmed that 96.8 was the optimal cutoff value for the preoperative GLR level to predict recurrence. The grouping threshold for survival analysis using the GLR cutoff value was 96.8. The tumor recurrence rates at 1, 3, and 5 years after surgery in the low-level GLR group (90 cases) and the high-level GLR group were 19.3% vs. 44.2%, 31.8% vs. 60.0%, and 34.1% vs. 62.9% (68 cases), respectively, and the differences were statistically significant between the two groups ( P<0.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis results showed that the overall postoperative survival rate and recurrence-free survival rate were significantly lower in the high-level GLR group than the low-level GLR group ( P<0.05). The univariate Cox analysis result showed that there were statistically significant differences in preoperative aspartate aminotransferase, alpha fetoprotein, surgery time, maximum diameter of a solitary tumor, presence or absence of microvascular invasion, presence or absence of portal vein tumor thrombus, and preoperative GLR levels between the two groups ( P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis results showed that preoperative alpha-fetoprotein ≥400 ng/ml, GLR≥96.8, and the maximum diameter of a solitary tumor ≥5.0 cm were independent risk factors for postoperative tumor recurrence in liver transplant recipients with liver cancer ( P<0.05). Conclusion:GLR levels have a certain predictive value for postoperative tumor recurrence in liver transplant recipients with liver cancer. Furthermore, the postoperative tumor recurrence rate is relatively high when the preoperative GLR level in liver transplant recipients with liver cancer is ≥96.8.

Objective:To analyze the sensitivity of cytoplasmic light-chain immunofluorescence with fluorescence in situ hybridization in bone marrow smears (new FISH) for detecting cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma (MM) .Methods:42 MM patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from April 2022 to October 2023 were enrolled. The patients with MM were detected by new FISH and CD138 immunomagnetic bead sorting technology combined with FISH (MACS-FISH) or cytoplasmic immunoglobulin FISH (cIg-FISH) to analyze cytogenetic detection results using combination probes which included 1q21/1p32, p53, IgH, IgH/FGFR3 [t (4;14) ], and IgH/MAF [t (14;16) ].Results:In 23 patients with MM, the abnormality detection rates of cIg-FISH and new FISH were 95.7% and 100.0%, respectively ( P>0.05). The detection rates of 1q21+, 1p32-, p53 deletion, and IgH abnormalities by cIg-FISH and new FISH were consistent, which were 52.2%, 8.7%, 17.4%, and 65.2%, respectively. The results of the two methods further performed with t (4;14) and t (14;16) in patients with IgH abnormalities were identical. The positive rate of t (4;14) was 26.7%, whereas t (14;16) was not detected. In 19 patients with MM, the abnormality detection rates of MACS-FISH and new FISH were 73.7% and 63.2%, respectively ( P>0.05). The positivity rate of 1q21+, 1p32- and IgH abnormalities detected by MACS-FISH were slightly higher than those detected by new FISH; however, the differences were not statistically significant (all P values >0.05) . Conclusion:The new FISH method has a higher detection rate of cytogenetic abnormalities in patients with MM and has good consistency with MACS-FISH and cIg-FISH.

Schizothorax argentatus that only distributes in the Ili River basin in Xinjiang is one of the rare and endangered species of schizothorax in China, thus has high scientific and economic values. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of S. argenteus with a length of 16 580 bp was obtained by high-throughput sequencing. The gene compositions and arrangement were similar to those of typical vertebrates. It contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a non-coding region (D-loop). The nucleotide compositions were A (30.25%), G (17.28%), C (27.20%), and T (25.27%), respectively, showing obvious AT bias and anti-G bias. Among the tRNA genes, only tRNA-Ser^(GCU) could not form a typical cloverleaf structure due to the lack of dihydrouracil arm. The AT-skew and GC-skew values of the ND6 gene were fluctuating the most, suggesting that the gene may experience different selection and mutation pressures from other genes. The mitochondrial control region of S. argenteus contained three different domains, i.e., termination sequence region (ETAS), central conserved region (CSB-F, CSB-E, CSB-D, and CSB-B), and conserved sequence region (CSB1, CSB2, and CSB3). The conserved sequence fragment TT (AT) nGTG, which was ubiquitous in Cypriniformes, was identified at about 50 bp downstream CSB3. Phylogenetic relationships based on the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of 28 Schizothorax species showed that S. argenteus had differentiated earlier and had a distant relationship with other species, which may be closely related to the geographical location and the hydrological environment where it lives.
Animals ; Genome, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Cyprinidae/genetics* ; RNA, Transfer/genetics* ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Genes, Mitochondrial

There is currently a huge worldwide demand for donor kidneys for organ transplantation. Consequently, numerous marginal donor kidneys, such as kidneys with microthrombi, are used to save patients' lives. While some studies have shown an association between the presence of microthrombi in donor kidneys and an increased risk for delayed graft function (DGF) (McCall et al., 2003; Gao et al., 2019), other studies have demonstrated that microthrombi negatively impact the rate of DGF (Batra et al., 2016; Hansen et al., 2018), but not graft survival rate (McCall et al., 2003; Batra et al., 2016; Gao et al., 2019). In contrast, Hansen et al. (2018) concluded that fibrin thrombi were not only associated with reduced graft function six months post-transplantation but also with increased graft loss within the first year of transplantation. On the other hand, Batra et al. (2016) found no significant differences in the DGF rate or one-year graft function between recipients in diffuse and focal microthrombi groups. To date, however, the overall influence of donor kidney microthrombi and the degree of influence on prognosis remain controversial, necessitating further research.
Humans ; Thrombotic Microangiopathies ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Tissue Donors ; Kidney ; Allografts

Perianal Paget's disease (PPD) is a rare malignant cutaneous tumor. This paper reported a case of PPD complicated by lung adenocarcinoma and anal canal cancer. The patient, a 76-year-old female, had been experiencing recurrent lower abdominal pain and perianal pruritus for the past 5 years. Upon physical examination, a cauliflower-like neoplasm in size of 5 cm×6 cm was observed on the right perianal skin, with local skin ulceration and a small amount of fluid discharge. The left perianal skin was also involved. In thoracoknee position, a hard mass was palpable in the rectal submucosa at 5-6 points 2 cm from the anal verge. Chest CT revealed multiple lesions in both lungs, indication of metastatic tumors. Further evaluation with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) indicated multiple hypermetabolic nodules in the lungs, hypermetabolic lymph nodes throughout the body, early FDG uptake in a small patch of skin on the left hip, and increased FDG uptake in the anorectal region. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. This resulted in the patient being diagnosed with PPD, lung adenocarcinoma, anal canal cancer, and systemic multiple lymph node metastasis. The combination of PPD with gastrointestinal tumors and other metachronous malignant tumors is highly prevalent. Colonoscopy, FDG-PET/CT, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry play crucial roles in early identification of local lymph node and distant involvement, facilitating the evaluation of potential malignant tumors and differential diagnosis. Treating methods for PPD are currently diverse, including postoperative combined or single chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and photodynamic therapy. As trerapeutical options continue to develop, the extent and efficacy of surgery need to be reassessed.
Female ; Humans ; Aged ; Paget Disease, Extramammary/pathology* ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/complications* ; Lung Neoplasms/complications*

Despite exciting achievements with some malignancies, immunotherapy for hypoimmunogenic cancers, especially glioblastoma (GBM), remains a formidable clinical challenge. Poor immunogenicity and deficient immune infiltrates are two major limitations to an effective cancer-specific immune response. Herein, we propose that an injectable signal-amplifying nanocomposite/hydrogel system consisting of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and imiquimod-loaded antigen-capturing nanoparticles can simultaneously amplify the chemotactic signal of antigen-presenting cells and the "danger" signal of GBM. We demonstrated the feasibility of this strategy in two scenarios of GBM. In the first scenario, we showed that this simultaneous amplification system, in conjunction with local chemotherapy, enhanced both the immunogenicity and immune infiltrates in a recurrent GBM model; thus, ultimately making a cold GBM hot and suppressing postoperative relapse. Encouraged by excellent efficacy, we further exploited this signal-amplifying system to improve the efficiency of vaccine lysate in the treatment of refractory multiple GBM, a disease with limited clinical treatment options. In general, this biomaterial-based immune signal amplification system represents a unique approach to restore GBM-specific immunity and may provide a beneficial preliminary treatment for other clinically refractory malignancies.