[Short-term efficacy and safety of cardiac contractility modulation in patients with heart failure].

Objective: To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) in patients with heart failure. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with heart failure who underwent CCM placement at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February to June 2022. With a follow-up of 3 months, CCM sensation, impedance, percent output, and work time were monitored, and patients were compared with pre-and 3-month postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values, and 6-minute walk test distance and New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function classification, and the occurrence of complications was recorded. Results: CCM was successfully implanted in all 9 patients. Seven(7/9) of them were male, aged (56±14) years, 3 patients had ischaemic cardiomyopathy and 6 patients had dilated cardiomyopathy. At 3-month postoperative follow-up, threshold was stable, sense was significantly lower at follow-up than before (right ventricle: (16.3±7.0) mV vs. (8.2±1.1) mV, P<0.05; local sense: (15.7±4.9) mV vs. (6.7±2.5) mV, P<0.05), and impedance was significantly lower at follow-up than before (right ventricle (846±179) Ω vs. (470±65) Ω, P<0.05, local sense: (832±246) Ω vs. (464±63) Ω, P<0.05). The CCM output percentage was (86.9±10.7) %, the output amplitude was (6.7±0.4) V, and the daily operating time was (8.6±1.0) h. LVEF was elevated compared to preoperative ((29.4±5.2) % vs. (38.3±4.3) %, P<0.05), the 6-minute walk test was significantly longer than before ((96.8±66.7)m vs. (289.3±121.7)m, P<0.05). No significant increase in the number of NYHA Class Ⅲ-Ⅳ patients was seen (7/9 vs. 2/9, P>0.05). The patient was not re-hospitalised for worsening heart failure symptoms, had no malignant arrhythmic events and experienced significant relief of symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. No postoperative complications related to pocket hematoma, pocket infection and rupture, electrode detachment, valve function impairment, pericardial effusion, or cardiac perforation were found. Conclusions: CCM has better short-term safety and efficacy in patients with heart failure.

[Research advances on the role of aerobic glycolysis in skin fibrosis diseases].

Skin fibrosis diseases mainly include hypertrophic scar, keloid, and systemic sclerosis, etc. The main pathological features are excessive activation of fibroblasts and abnormal deposition of extracellular matrix. In recent years, studies have shown that aerobic glycolysis is closely related to the occurrence and development of skin fibrosis diseases. Drugs targeting aerobic glycolysis has provided new ideas for skin anti-fibrosis treatment. This article reviews the role of enzymes and products related to aerobic glycolysis in the occurrence and development of skin fibrosis diseases and the drugs targeting aerobic glycolysis for the treatment of skin fibrosis diseases.

Developing risk models and subtypes of autophagy-associated LncRNAs for enhanced prognostic prediction and precision in therapeutic approaches for liver cancer patients.

Background: Limited research has been conducted on the influence of autophagy-associated long non-coding RNAs (ARLncRNAs) on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We analyzed 371 HCC samples from TCGA, identifying expression networks of ARLncRNAs using autophagy-related genes. Screening for prognostically relevant ARLncRNAs involved univariate Cox regression, Lasso regression, and multivariate Cox regression. A Nomogram was further employed to assess the reliability of Riskscore, calculated from the signatures of screened ARLncRNAs, in predicting outcomes. Additionally, we compared drug sensitivities in patient groups with differing risk levels and investigated potential biological pathways through enrichment analysis, using consensus clustering to identify subgroups related to ARLncRNAs. Results: The screening process identified 27 ARLncRNAs, with 13 being associated with HCC prognosis. Consequently, a set of signatures comprising 8 ARLncRNAs was successfully constructed as independent prognostic factors for HCC. Patients in the high-risk group showed very poor prognoses in most clinical categories. The Riskscore was closely related to immune cell scores, such as macrophages, and the DEGs between different groups were implicated in metabolism, cell cycle, and mitotic processes. Notably, high-risk group patients demonstrated a significantly lower IC50 for Paclitaxel, suggesting that Paclitaxel could be an ideal treatment for those at elevated risk for HCC. We further identified C2 as the Paclitaxel subtype, where patients exhibited higher Riskscores, reduced survival rates, and more severe clinical progression. Conclusion: The 8 signatures based on ARLncRNAs present novel targets for prognostic prediction in HCC. The drug candidate Paclitaxel may effectively treat HCC by impacting ARLncRNAs expression. With the identification of ARLncRNAs-related isoforms, these results provide valuable insights for clinical exploration of autophagy mechanisms in HCC pathogenesis and offer potential avenues for precision medicine.

miR-125b reverses cisplatin resistance by regulating autophagy via targeting RORA/BNIP3L axis in lung adenocarcinoma.

The platinum-based chemotherapy is one of the most frequently used treatment protocols for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and chemoresistance, however, usually results in treatment failure and limits its application in the clinic. It has been shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in tumor chemoresistance. In this study, miR-125b was identified as a specific cisplatin (DDP)-resistant gene in LUAD, as indicated by the bioinformatics analysis and the real-time quantitative PCR assay. The decreased serum level of miR-125b in LUAD patients was correlated with the poor treatment response rate and short survival time. MiR-125b decreased the A549/DDP proliferation, and the multiple drug resistance- and autophagy-related protein expression levels, which were all reversed by the inhibition of miR-125b. In addition, xenografts of human tumors in nude mice were suppressed by miR-125b, demonstrating that through autophagy regulation, miR-125b could reverse the DDP resistance in LUAD cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanistic studies indicated that miR-125b directly repressed the expression levels of RORA and its downstream BNIP3L, which in turn inhibited autophagy and reversed chemoresistance. Based on these findings, miR-125b in combination with DDP might be an effective treatment option to overcome DDP resistance in LUAD.

Development and validation of a nomogram model for predicting distant metastasis of aged ≥50 patients with thyroid carcinoma: a SEER database analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to construct and validate a model for predicting distant metastasis (DM) in thyroid carcinoma (TC) patients aged≥50. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The research data were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program databases via SEER*Stat software (https://seer.cancer.gov/). Logistics regression was used to screen the independent risk factors for TC patients. The nomogram was constructed and validated based on the logistics regression results for predicting DM occurrence in TC patients. Moreover, the characteristic curves (ROC) were used to assess the predictive performance. The decision analysis curve (DCA) and the calibration curve were used to test this nomogram's accuracy and discrimination. Additionally, we analyzed survival and risk scores in TC patients with metastasis using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method. RESULTS: A total of 11,166 TC patients were divided into a training set and a validation set. The results showed that topography (T), lymph node metastasis (N), and (grade) G were crucial risk factors for predicting DM. ROC analysis showed that the model had a good discriminative ability both in the training and validation set. The DCA curve showed greater net benefits across a range of DM risks for the nomogram in the training and validation set. Survival analyses showed that the metastasis cases with low-risk scores have shown a poorer prognosis in this study, both in the training and validation set. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram model had excellent predictive performance and net benefit for predicting DM of TC patients aged ≥50. The model can help doctors develop treatment plans for their patients.

Causal association between complement system FHR-5, CTRP9, and breast carcinoma in situ: a Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: Breast carcinoma in situ accounts for a significant number of newly diagnosed breast cancer cases. However, the cause of this type of cancer is unclear, which has led to debates regarding treatment strategies. A Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to explore whether complement system or complement C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related proteins (CTRPs) are causally associated with breast carcinoma in situ. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This two-sample multivariable MR study used genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for all complement system factors and CTRPs. Summary-level statistics were obtained from the breast carcinoma in situ GWAS database. The study employed the MR-Egger method, inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, and weighted median method. Additionally, sensitivity analyses, including the MR-Egger intercept, funnel plot, and leave-one-out analysis, were conducted to address uncertainties and enhance the reliability of the findings. RESULTS: The study indicated that certain immunomodulatory molecules might increase the risk of breast carcinoma in situ, with consistent results. Specifically, CTRP9 showed a 57.0% increased risk [IVW: odds ratio (OR) 0.570 (0.350, 0.928), p < 0.05], and complement factor H (FH)-related protein 5 (FHR-5) was linked to a 67.2% higher risk [IVW: OR 0.672 (0.477, 0.947), p < 0.05]. However, no associations were found with other molecules, suggesting the relationship between immunomodulatory molecules and cancer may be context-specific. CONCLUSIONS: This MR study marks the initial identification of a direct link between FHR-5 and CTRP9 and the susceptibility to breast carcinoma in situ. Delving into the roles of immunomodulatory molecules and immune responses within the tumor microenvironment holds considerable importance for the management of breast carcinoma in situ.

[Clinicopathological features of Sjogren's syndrome complicated with liver injury].

Objective: To study the clinicopathological features of Sjogren's syndrome (SS) with liver injury and to improve the understanding of this disease. Methods: Forty-nine patients with SS complicated with liver injury were collected from Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2008 to January 2022. All patients underwent ultrasound-guided liver biopsy, and all specimens were stained with HE. The histopathologic characteristics were observed and the pathologic indexes were graded. Immunohistochemical stains for CK7, CK19, CD38, MUM1 and CD10 were performed by EnVision method; and special histochemical stains for reticulin, Masson's trichrome, Rhodanine, Prussian blue, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and D-PAS stains were conducted. Results: The age of patients ranged from 31 to 66 years, including 3 males and 46 females. SS combined with drug-induced liver injury was the most common (22 cases, 44.9%), followed by autoimmune liver disease (13 cases, 26.5%, including primary biliary cholangitis in eight cases, autoimmune hepatitis in 3 cases, and PBC-AIH overlap syndrome in 2 cases), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, 9 cases, 18.4%) and other lesions (5 cases, 10.2%; including 3 cases of nonspecific liver inflammation, 1 case of liver amyloidosis, and 1 case of porto-sinusoidal vascular disease). Among them, 28 cases (57.1%) were associated with obvious interlobular bile duct injury, mainly in SS combined with PBC group and drug-induced liver injury group. Twenty-three cases (46.9%) were associated with hepatocyte steatosis of varying degrees. In SS with autoimmune liver disease group, ISHAK score, degree of fibrosis bile duct injury, bile duct remodeling, lymphocyte infiltration of portal area, and plasma cell infiltration, MUM1 and CD38 expression; serum ALP and GGT, IgM; elevated globulin; positive AMA, proportion of AMA-M2 positive and IgM positive were all significantly higher than those in other groups(all P<0.05). Serum ALT, direct bilirubin and SSA positive ratio in SS combined with drug liver group were significantly higher than those in other groups(all P<0.05). The serum total cholesterol level in SS combined with PBC group (P=0.006) and NALFD group (P=0.011) were significantly higher than those in other groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: The pathologic manifestations of SS patients with liver injury are varied. The inflammatory lesions of SS patients with autoimmune liver disease are the most serious, and the inflammatory lesions of SS patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-specific inflammation are mild. Comprehensive analysis of liver histopathologic changes and laboratory findings is helpful for the diagnosis of SS complicated with different types of liver injury.

Added value of spectral computed tomography quantitative parameters for differentiating tuberculosis-associated fibrosing mediastinitis from endobronchial lung cancer: initial results.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the added value of spectral computed tomography (CT) parameters to conventional CT features for differentiating tuberculosis-associated fibrosing mediastinitis (TB-associated FM) from endobronchial lung cancer (EBLC). METHODS: Chest spectral CT enhancement images from 109 patients with atelectasis were analyzed retrospectively. These patients were divided into two distinct categories: the TB-associated FM group (n = 77) and the EBLC group (n = 32), based on bronchoscopy and/or pathological findings. The selection of spectrum parameters was optimized with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis. The relationship between the spectrum parameters and conventional parameters was explored using Pearson's correlation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to build spectrum model. The spectrum parameters in the spectrum model were replaced with their corresponding conventional parameters to build the conventional model. Diagnostic performances were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. RESULTS: There was a moderate correlation between the parameters ㏒(L-AEFNIC) - ㏒(L-AEFC) (r= 0.419; p< 0.0001), ㏒(O-AEF40KeV) - ㏒(O-AEFC) (r= 0.475; p< 0.0001), [L-A-hydroxyapatite {HAP}(I)] - (L-U-CT) (r= 0.604; p< 0.0001), {arterial enhancement fraction (AEF) derived from normalized iodine concentration (NIC) of lymph node (L-AEFNIC), AEF derived from CT40KeV of bronchial obstruction (O-AEF40KeV), arterial-phase Hydroxyapatite (Iodine) concentration of lymph node [L-A-HAP(I)], AEF derived from conventional CT (AEFC), unenhanced CT value (U-CT)}. Spectrum model could improve diagnostic performances compared to conventional model (area under curve: 0.965 vs 0.916, p= 0.038). CONCLUSION: There was a moderate correlation between spectrum parameters and conventional parameters. Integrating conventional CT features with spectrum parameters could further improve the ability in differentiating TB-associated FM from EBLC.

Development of the Clinical pHysical rEsilience assEssment Scale (CHEES) in Chinese Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Physical resilience is an emerging concept that describes an individual's capacity to recover from stressors. However, few instruments are currently available for assessing physical resilience. OBJECTIVE: To develop a scale to assess physical resilience in older adults. DESIGN: Development of a clinical scale. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 172 hospitalized older adults were recruited. MEASUREMENTS: This study comprised two stages. First, a pool of physical resilience scale items was created through a literature review, and the Delphi method was used to establish an initial scale. Second, the initial physical resilience scale was tested on hospitalized older adults. RESULTS: Five primary and 19 secondary items were identified after reviewing the literature. After two rounds of expert consultations, three primary and 16 secondary items were determined. The overall Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.760. Except for items N2, N4, N5, N8, and N14, Pearson's correlation between the scores of the remaining items and the total score ranged from 0.407 to 0.672. Except for items N2, N4, and N5, the corrected item-total correlation results ranged from 0.301 to 0.580, indicating good consistency between each item and the overall scale. Factor analysis showed that except for N7, the factor loadings of the remaining items were between 0.584 and 0.844. After expert discussions, items N2, N4, N7, and N14 were included in the scale, and items N5 and N8 were removed. CONCLUSION: A 14-item physical resilience scale, CHEES, was developed to assess physical resilience levels in older adults.

[Analysis of language and influencing factors of children with speech disorder in Beijing].

Objective: To investigate the features and influencing factors of language in children with various types of speech disorders. Methods: A case-control study was carried out, 262 children with speech disorder had been diagnosed at the language-speech clinic of the Center of Children's Healthcare, Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2021 to November 2023, the children with speech sound disorder as the speech sound disorder group, the children with developmental stuttering as the stuttering group. There were 100 typically-developed children who underwent physical checkups at the Center of Healthcare during the same period as the healthy group. All children experienced a standardized evaluation of language with diagnostic receptive and expressive assessment of mandarin-comprehensive(DREAM-C) and questionnaire, One-way ANOVA and LSD test were conducted to compare the differences in overall language, receptive language, expressive language, semantics, and syntax scores among 3 groups of children. According to the results of DREAM-C, the children with speech disorder were divided into language normal group and language delay group. Chi-square test and multivariate Logistic regression were implemented to analyze the association between the linguistic development of children with speech disorder and potential influential factors. Results: There were 145 children in the speech sound disorder group, including 110 males and 35 females respectively, with an age of (5.9±1.0) years; 117 children in the stuttering group, including 91 males and 26 females, with an age of (5.8±1.0) years; 100 children in the healthy group, including 75 males and 25 females, with an age of (5.7±1.2) years. The variations in overall language, expressive language, and syntax scores among 3 groups of children were statistically significant (92±18 vs.96±11 vs. 98±11, 81±18 vs. 84±14 vs. 88±13, 87±16 vs. 89±11 vs. 91±10, F=5.46, 4.69, 3.68, all P<0.05). Pairwise comparison revealed that the speech sound disorder group had lower scores in overall language, expressive language, and syntactic compared to the healthy group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01) and the overall language score was lower than that of children with stuttering (P<0.05). In terms of overall language and expressive language, there was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of language delay among the three groups of children (15.9% (23/145) vs. 20.5% (24/117) vs. 7.0% (7/100), 46.2% (67/145) vs. 39.3% (46/117) vs. 26.0% (26/100); χ2=7.93, 10.28; both P<0.05). In terms of overall language, the stuttering group took up the highest proportion. In terms of expressive language, the speech sound disorder group accounted for the highest amount. The incidence of language delay in children with speech disorder was 44.3% (116/262). Non-parent-child reading, daily screen time ≥1 hour and screen exposure before 1.5 years of age are risk factors for the development of language in children with speech disorder (OR=1.87, 2.18, 2.01; 95%CI 1.07-3.27, 1.23-3.86, 1.17-3.45; all P<0.01). Negative family history are protective factors for the progress of language ability (OR=0.37, 95%CI 0.17-0.81, P<0.05). Conclusions: Children with speech disorder tend to have easy access to language delay, especially in expressive language and syntax. The occurrence of language delay in children with speech disorder is tightly connected with factors such as the family medical history, parent-child reading, screen time, etc. Attention should be paid to the development of language in children who suffer from speech disorder.

[Intraductal carcinomas of the salivary glands: a clinicopathological and molecular genetic analysis of twenty-seven cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, molecular genetic features, and differential diagnosis of intraductal carcinomas (IDC) of the salivary glands. Methods: Twenty-five cases of salivary gland IDC diagnosed at the Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital and two cases from Department of Pathology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China from January 2008 to July 2023 were collected. Their clinical and pathological features were analyzed retrospectively. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and Sanger sequencing were performed. The patients were followed up and related literatures were reviewed. Results: There were 27 patients with IDC, including 15 males and 12 females, ranging in age from 20.0 to 80.0 years (mean 55.9 years). Clinically, the tumor often presented as a painless mass with a tumor diameter of 1.0-3.0 cm (mean 2.0 cm). All patients received surgical treatment. Twenty patients were followed up. One of them (1/20) died of lung cancer, while the rest survived without tumor recurrence. Histologically, IDC were classified as: intercalated (63.0%, 17/27), apocrine (25.9%, 7/27), oncocytic (7.4%, 2/27) and mixed (3.7%, 1/27) types. Intercalated tumors showed positive S-100 and negative androgen receptor (AR) immunoreactivity. Ki-67 proliferation index was low (about 1%-5%). Nine cases had the RET gene disruption, and 2 cases showed the BRAF V600E mutation. Apocrine tumors showed strong AR immunoreactivity but no S-100 immunoreactivity. Ki-67 proliferation index was high (about 10%-60%), and the RET gene rupture was detected in 1 case. Oncocytic tumors were similar to that of intercalated type in 2 cases, and RET gene disruption was detected in the both cases. Mixed tumors showed histologic features of oncocytic and apocrine patterns and harbored the RET gene disruption. Conclusions: IDC is a rare low-grade malignant tumor of the salivary gland and easily confused with other salivary gland tumors with similar morphology. Molecular testing is helpful for its differential diagnosis.

Estimating Periodontitis Susceptibility Cases for Epidemiological Studies with Multiple Imputation.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: Our proposed estimate of periodontitis susceptibility cases addresses the issue of missing teeth, offering an innovative solution through a generative missing data imputation model. The implications of our findings extend to fostering more robust investigations into the relationships between periodontal health and systemic diseases, thereby offering valuable insights to clinicians for informed decision-making. Moreover, the study's capacity to shape clinical practices and interventions in public health will further fortify health policy strategies.

Hsa_circ_0008360 promotes high glucose-induced damage in HK-2 cells via miR-346/WNT2B axis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Recent researches have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) could affect the progress of DN, but the mechanism is still indistinct. In this work, we explored the roles of hsa_circ_0008360 in DN. METHODS: The levels of hsa_circ_0008360, microRNA-346 (miR-346) and Winglesstype family member 2B (WNT2B) were indicated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in DN tissues and HK2 cells. Meanwhile, the protein level of WNT2B was quantified by Western blot analysis. Besides, the function of cells was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, flow cytometry assay, western blot, and ELISA kit. Furthermore, the interplay between miR-346 and hsa_circ_0008360 or WNT2B was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: The levels of hsa_circ_0008360 and WNT2B were increased, and the miR-346 level was decreased in the serum of DN patients and HG-treated HK2 cells. For functional analysis, hsa_circ_0008360 deficiency promoted cell viability, inhibits cell apoptosis, inflammatory response, and the synthesis of related fibrotic proteins in HG-treated HK2 cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-346 induced the proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of HG-induced HK2 cells by inhibiting WNT2B expression. In mechanism, hsa_circ_0008360 acted as a miR-346 sponge to regulate the level of WNT2B. CONCLUSION: Hsa_circ_0008360 can regulate miR-346/WNT2B axis in HG-induced HK2 cells, providing an underlying targeted therapy for DN patients.

Dexamethasone relieves the inflammatory response caused by inguinal hernia meshes through miR-155.

BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernia is a relatively common condition. Most patients with inguinal hernia require surgery. At present, mesh repair is one of the most effective methods to treat inguinal hernia, but insertion of the mesh can cause inflammation. Dexamethasone (DEX) can treat inflammation, but the mechanism by which DEX alleviates inflammation caused by inguinal hernia mesh placement remains unclear. METHOD: We randomly divided rats into groups: negative control (NC), inguinal hernia (IH), polypropylene mesh (PM), DEX treatment, and miR-155 treatment groups. RT-qPCR was performed to determine the expression of miR-155. ELISA was implemented to determine the secretion of IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-18. Western blotting was used to detect caspase-1, JAK1, p-JAK1, STAT3, and p-STAT3 expression. A dual-luciferase reporter gene array identified a connection between miR-155 and JAK1. RESULTS: The results revealed that the expression of miR-155, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-18 was upregulated in the PM group. After DEX treatment, the secretion of miR-155, caspase-1, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-18 decreased. Dual luciferase results confirmed that miR-155 induced the targeted downregulation of JAK1, while a miR-155 mimic reversed the therapeutic effect of DEX, and the expression levels of p-JAK1 and p-STAT3 increased. CONCLUSION: DEX regulates the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway through miR-155 to relieve inflammation caused by inguinal hernia meshes.

Characterization of novel polysulfide polymer coated fly ash and its application in mitigating diffusion of contaminants.

Fly ash consists of a considerable amount of hazardous elements with high mobility, posing substantial environmental risks during storage in surface impoundments and landfills. This hinders its efficient reuse in construction or material industries. To enhance the versatility of fly ash applications, a novel surface modification technique, termed SuMo, has been developed to create a hydrophobic polysulfide polymer coating on the surface of fly ash particles. The physicochemical properties of SuMo fly ash samples were examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and leaching of hazardous elements was tested under practical environmental conditions (pH 4-12) based on the EPA's leaching environmental assessment framework (LEAF). The successful coating of polysulfide polymer on fly ash surface was verified through an increased percentage of C, S, and O in elemental mapping, coupled with the identification of S-O, CO, and C-H functional groups consistent with the chemical structure of polysulfide polymer. While the SuMo fly ash particles maintained their spherical shape, they exhibited increased surface roughness, robust hydrophobicity, and thermal stability up to 250 °C. Notably, owing to the coating's resilience against water leaching, the SuMo fly ash demonstrated a substantial reduction (up to 60-fold) in leachate concentrations of multiple concerning elements, including B, Be, Ba, Mn, Zn, As, Cr, Hg, etc., under various pH conditions compared to the uncoated fly ash. Furthermore, the polysulphide polymer coating effectively prevented Hg volatilization from fly ash below 163 °C. This study highlights the efficacy of the developed polysulfide polymer coating in mitigating the diffusion of hazardous elements from fly ash, thereby enhancing its potential reutilization in material, construction, and agriculture industries.

[Investigation of the effects and mechanisms of berberine on a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome: based on intestinal flora analysis].

Objective: To examine the impact of berberine on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in mice, and to investigate the effects of berberine on the intestinal flora and the intestinal flora on PCOS. Methods: A mouse model of PCOS was established by administering dehydroepiandrosterone in combination with high fat diet, and the mouse model was given a berberine treatment. The study consisted of a blank control group (C group), a PCOS model group (M group) and a berberine treatment group (T group). During the experiment, the mice were closely monitored through timed body weight measurements and estrous cycle monitoring; intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were done. Upon completion of the pharmacological intervention, the wet weights of liver, ovary and fat deposits of mice were assessed and subjected to HE staining to confirm the success of PCOS modeling and the efficacy of berberine. Additionally, fecal samples were analyzed for intestinal flora through 16S rRNA analysis. Results: The PCOS model was established successfully, berberine alleviated the disturbance of estrous cycle in mice, and significantly alleviated fat accumulation and metabolic abnormalities of glucose in mice. The cross-sectional area of fat pad cells in T group was (2 858±146) µm², which was significantly lower than that in M group [(9 518±347) µm²], and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The blood glucose levels in T group were significantly lower than those in M group (P<0.05). The composition and structure of intestinal flora in mice of M group with PCOS (compared with C group) and in mice of T group after berberine intervention (compared with M group) were significantly altered. However, alpha diversity did not change significantly among three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Berberine could alleviate PCOS by intervening in the alterations of gut microbiota.

[Therapeutic strategy for totally thoracoscopic repeat mitral valve surgery under moderate hypothermia-induced ventricular fibrillation].

Objective: To examine the therapeutic strategy and its impacting factors by analyzing the perioperative outcomes of total thoracoscopic repeat mitral valve surgery under moderate hypothermia-induced ventricular fibrillation with cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods: This study is a retrospective case series. Totally 63 patients who underwent repeat mitral valve surgery by the same surgeon from January 2021 to December 2023 in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital were retrospectively enrolled. There were 28 males and 35 females with an age of (58.3±15.9) years (range: 13 to 84 years). Surgery was performed using a totally thoracoscopic approach under moderate hypothermia-induced ventricular fibrillation. Mitral valvuloplasty was completed in 32 cases and mitral valve replacement in 31 cases. Preoperative baseline data and perioperative outcomes of the patients were collected and Logistic regression was used to analyze independent influencing factors of premature ventricular contractions in the early postoperative period. Results: The intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass time was (191.5±50.9) minutes (range: 95 to 286 minutes), and the hypothermic ventricular fibrillation time was (99.0±39.8) minutes (range: 34 to 203 minutes). The anal temperature before the start of cardiopulmonary bypass was (36.3±0.5) ℃ (range: 35.2 to 38.0 ℃), the lowest intraoperative anal temperature was (27.3±1.3) ℃(range: 23.7 to 30.1 ℃), and the anal temperature at the time of the cessation of cardiopulmonary bypass was (36.3±0.4) ℃ (range: 35.2 to 37.0 ℃), and excessive rewarming was observed in 33 cases. Six cases applied the artificial heart assist device. Seventeen cases developed premature ventricular contractions in the early postoperative period. Two cases developed neurologic complications. Five cases developed respiratory complications. One case developed urological systemic complications. Six cases were mechanically ventilated for more than 3 days, and the duration of ICU stay in 16 cases was more than 3 days and the postoperative discharge time of (M(IQR)) 8.0 (3.5) days (range: 3 to 26 days). Two cases died or were discharged voluntarily. Logistic regression results showed that persistent preoperative atrial fibrillation (OR=11.424, 95%CI: 1.477 to 144.564, P=0.033) and excessive rewarming (OR=15.249, 95%CI: 1.357 to 279.571, P=0.038) were independent risk factors for the appearance of premature ventricular contractions in the early postoperative period. Conclusions: The technique of total thoracoscopic surgery under induced moderate hypothermic ventricular fibrillation with cardiopulmonary bypass could be applied to repeated mitral valve surgeries with less trauma and faster recovery. Persistent preoperative atrial fibrillation and excessive rewarming are independent risk factors for the occurrence of premature ventricular contractions in the early postoperative period.