Bayesian modelling of time series data (BayModTS)-a FAIR workflow to process sparse and highly variable data.

MOTIVATION: Systems biology aims to better understand living systems through mathematical modelling of experimental and clinical data. A pervasive challenge in quantitative dynamical modelling is the integration of time series measurements, which often have high variability and low sampling resolution. Approaches are required to utilize such information while consistently handling uncertainties. RESULTS: We present BayModTS (Bayesian modelling of time series data), a new FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) workflow for processing and analysing sparse and highly variable time series data. BayModTS consistently transfers uncertainties from data to model predictions, including process knowledge via parameterized models. Further, credible differences in the dynamics of different conditions can be identified by filtering noise. To demonstrate the power and versatility of BayModTS, we applied it to three hepatic datasets gathered from three different species and with different measurement techniques: (i) blood perfusion measurements by magnetic resonance imaging in rat livers after portal vein ligation, (ii) pharmacokinetic time series of different drugs in normal and steatotic mice, and (iii) CT-based volumetric assessment of human liver remnants after clinical liver resection. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The BayModTS codebase is available on GitHub at https://github.com/Systems-Theory-in-Systems-Biology/BayModTS. The repository contains a Python script for the executable BayModTS workflow and a widely applicable SBML (systems biology markup language) model for retarded transient functions. In addition, all examples from the paper are included in the repository. Data and code of the application examples are stored on DaRUS: https://doi.org/10.18419/darus-3876. The raw MRI ROI voxel data were uploaded to DaRUS: https://doi.org/10.18419/darus-3878. The steatosis metabolite data are published on FairdomHub: 10.15490/fairdomhub.1.study.1070.1.

A meta-analysis of bariatric surgery in patients with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial disease, which is closely related to obesity. This study evaluated the efficacy of bariatric surgery on obesity complicated with PCOS through meta-analysis. PubMed, Cochrane, EMbase, and WOS databases were searched from 2012 to November 2022. Studies on the efficacy of bariatric surgery in the treatment of obesity combined with PCOS were included. Outcome indicators included menstrual abnormalities, BMI, free testosterone, hypertrichosis, and ovarian volume. Methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated, and statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Finally, 9 studies were included, and the results of meta-analysis were as follows: After weight loss surgery, menstrual irregularity decreased (RR = -0.83, 95%CI:-1.00∼-0.65, P < 0.00001), and BMI decreased significantly (MD = -13.64, 95%CI:-16.29∼-10.99, P < 0.00001). Free testosterone levels decreased (MD = -22.70, 95 % CI: -36.07 âˆ¼ -9.34, P < 0.00001), the incidence of hypertrichosis decreased (RR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.45-0.88, p = 0.007 < 0.01), and the ovarian volume decreased (MD = -3.09, 5%CI: -5.76 âˆ¼ -0.42, P < 0.00001).

Mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma of the ovary.

Mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma is a new class of rare subtypes of the female reproductive system. Its clinical symptoms are similar to other types of ovarian tumors. The diagnosis is based on pathological and immunohistochemical methods. The main treatment option is surgery combined with chemotherapy. Few cases have been reported at home and abroad. We reported a case of a 45-year-old woman with a cystic solid mass in the left adnexa. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma of the left ovary and mature cystic teratoma (partial infiltration of the small intestine). This case had no specific clinical symptoms. Immunohistochemical findings showed positive results of GATA3, TTF1, CD10, ER, and PR. Paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy were given after the operation. Currently, no specific criteria are available for diagnosis and treatment of the disease. This article aims to improve the understanding of clinicians in this disease and create a basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Upconversion-Powered Photoelectrochemical Bioanalysis for DNA Sensing.

In this work, we report a new concept of upconversion-powered photoelectrochemical (PEC) bioanalysis. The proof-of-concept involves a PEC bionanosystem comprising a NaYF4:Yb,Tm@NaYF4 upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) reporter, which is confined by DNA hybridization on a CdS quantum dots (QDs)/indium tin oxide (ITO) photoelectrode. The CdS QD-modified ITO electrode was powered by upconversion absorption together with energy transfer effect through UCNPs for a stable photocurrent generation. By measuring the photocurrent change, the target DNA could be detected in a specific and sensitive way with a wide linear range from 10 pM to 1 µM and a low detection limit of 0.1 pM. This work exploited the use of UCNPs as signal reporters and realized upconversion-powered PEC bioanalysis. Given the diversity of UCNPs, we believe it will offer a new perspective for the development of advanced upconversion-powered PEC bioanalysis.

Demonstrating Path-Independent Anyonic Braiding on a Modular Superconducting Quantum Processor.

Anyons, exotic quasiparticles in two-dimensional space exhibiting nontrivial exchange statistics, play a crucial role in universal topological quantum computing. One notable proposal to manifest the fractional statistics of anyons is the toric code model; however, scaling up its size through quantum simulation poses a serious challenge because of its highly entangled ground state. In this Letter, we demonstrate that a modular superconducting quantum processor enables hardware-pragmatic implementation of the toric code model. Through in-parallel control across separate modules, we generate a 10-qubit toric code ground state in four steps and realize six distinct braiding paths to benchmark the performance of anyonic statistics. The path independence of the anyonic braiding statistics is verified by correlation measurements in an efficient and scalable fashion. Our modular approach, serving as a hardware embodiment of the toric code model, offers a promising avenue toward scalable simulation of topological phases, paving the way for quantum simulation in a distributed fashion.

Advances in diagnosis and treatment of perimenopausal syndrome.

With the development and progress of society, people's average life expectancy has increased, and relevant literature reports that the number of postmenopausal women in China continues to increase. With lifespans extended, the transition period and post-menopause period have become the longest essential period in every woman's life. The life quality of women troubled by perimenopausal syndrome has been significantly reduced, which also places a burden on families and society. It is well known that hormone replacement therapy plays a vital role in improving women's menopause-related symptoms and is the most effective medical measure. With research ongoing into the treatment of menopausal symptoms in different patients, dose size, treatment duration, and medication regimens for hormones are still hot topics of discussion. This article reviews the definition, clinical diagnosis, staging, clinical manifestations, and treatment of menopause and explores the current diagnosis and treatment scenarios of perimenopausal syndrome.

Deep-Learning-Based Mixture Identification for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Applied to Plant Flavors.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a crucial technique for analyzing mixtures consisting of small molecules, providing non-destructive, fast, reproducible, and unbiased benefits. However, it is challenging to perform mixture identification because of the offset of chemical shifts and peak overlaps that often exist in mixtures such as plant flavors. Here, we propose a deep-learning-based mixture identification method (DeepMID) that can be used to identify plant flavors (mixtures) in a formulated flavor (mixture consisting of several plant flavors) without the need to know the specific components in the plant flavors. A pseudo-Siamese convolutional neural network (pSCNN) and a spatial pyramid pooling (SPP) layer were used to solve the problems due to their high accuracy and robustness. The DeepMID model is trained, validated, and tested on an augmented data set containing 50,000 pairs of formulated and plant flavors. We demonstrate that DeepMID can achieve excellent prediction results in the augmented test set: ACC = 99.58%, TPR = 99.48%, FPR = 0.32%; and two experimentally obtained data sets: one shows ACC = 97.60%, TPR = 92.81%, FPR = 0.78% and the other shows ACC = 92.31%, TPR = 80.00%, FPR = 0.00%. In conclusion, DeepMID is a reliable method for identifying plant flavors in formulated flavors based on NMR spectroscopy, which can assist researchers in accelerating the design of flavor formulations.

Organic Electrochemical Transistor with MoS2 Nanosheets Modified Gate Electrode for Sensitive Glucose Sensing.

An organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) with MoS2 nanosheets modified on the gate electrode was proposed for glucose sensing. MoS2 nanosheets, which had excellent electrocatalytic performance, a large specific surface area, and more active sites, were prepared by liquid phase ultrasonic exfoliation to modify the gate electrode of OECT, resulting in a large improvement in the sensitivity of the glucose sensor. The detection limit of the device modified with MoS2 nanosheets is down to 100 nM, which is 1~2 orders of magnitude better than that of the device without nanomaterial modification. This result manifests not only a sensitive and selective method for the detection of glucose based on OECT but also an extended application of MoS2 nanosheets for other biomolecule sensing with high sensitivity.

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery for deep infiltrating endometriosis based on retroperitoneal pelvic spaces anatomy: a retrospective study.

Transumbilical single-port laparoscopy is widely used in gynecological surgery. However, it is rarely used in the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis due to its own shortcomings and the complex condition of deep infiltrating endometriosis. The study aims to introduce a transumbilical single-port laparoscopic surgery based on retroperitoneal pelvic spaces anatomy, which can complete the operation of deep infiltrating endometriosis more easily. A retrospective analysis of 63 patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis treated by transumbilical single-port laparoscopy using this method was conducted. The operation duration was 120.00 (85.00 ± 170.00) (35-405) min, the estimated blood loss was 68.41 ± 39.35 ml, the postoperative hospital stay was 5.00 (4.00-6.00) days, and the incidence of postoperative complications was 4.76% (3/63). 1 patient was found to have intestinal injury during operation, 1 patient had ureteral injury after operation, and 1 patient had postoperative pelvic infection, with a recurrence rate of 9.52%. The postoperative scar score was 3.00 (3.00-4.00) and the postoperative satisfaction score was 9.00 (8.00-10.00). In summary, this study demonstrates the feasibility of transumbilical single-port laparoscopic surgery for deep infiltrating endometriosis based on retroperitoneal pelvic spaces anatomy. Hysterectomy, adenomyosis resection, etc. are also feasible with this method, boasting more obvious advantages. This method can make transumbilical single-port laparoscopy more widely used in deep infiltrating endometriosis.

Identification of m6A-related lncRNAs for thyroid cancer recurrence.

Background: Although the prognosis of thyroid cancer (THCA) is generally good, many patients have a high risk of recurrence after treatment. N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been extensively studied in recent years. However, the potential of m6A-related lncRNAs to predict recurrence in THCA is unknown. Methods: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data and clinical information for THCA were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were identified using the R package DESeq2. A coexpression network based on m6A-related genes and lncRNAs was constructed. The CIBERSORT algorithm and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used for immune-infiltrating cell estimation and clustering functional enrichment analysis, respectively. A Kaplan-Meier plot was used for prognostic analysis based on m6A-associated lncRNA risk patterns. The expression of lncRNAs in recurrent and nonrecurrent THCA tissues was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: A network of m6A-related lncRNAs containing 8 lncRNAs was constructed with good predictive power for recurrence in THCA. A total of 3 clusters were obtained, and cluster 1 was most associated with THCA recurrence. We found significantly lower levels of CD8 T cells and follicular helper T cells, and significantly higher levels of dendritic cells (DCs), M2 macrophages, resting DCs, regulatory T cells, and mast cells in cluster 1 patients. Pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment in natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, butyrate metabolism, and cell adhesion molecules in cluster 1. The m6A-related lncRNA risk model was effective in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with THCA recurrence. RT-qPCR analysis based on 40 THCA clinical samples from our center found the risk model to be a good predictor of recurrence in THCA patients. Conclusions: In summary, m6A-related lncRNAs may provide a novel predictive method for prognostic relapse in THCA patients.

Advances in targeting of miR­10­associated lncRNAs/circRNAs for the management of cancer (Review).

With advancements in sequencing technologies, an increasing number of aberrantly expressed long-non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified in various types of cancer. lncRNAs and circRNAs are now well-established tumor-influencing factors in cancer, driving not only tumor proliferation and invasion, but also cancer progression, drug resistance and metastatic recurrence. The majority of lncRNAs and circRNAs influence cancer progression by targeting microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs). miR-10a and miR-10b, key members of the miR-10 family, have been shown to play important regulatory roles in cell proliferation, differentiation to cancer progression, and development. Manual evaluation and grouping according to different types of competing endogenous RNA and tumor was performed. The review outlined the current state of knowledge on the regulation of miR-10 family-related lncRNAs and circRNAs. The involvement of lncRNAs and circRNAs in the biogenesis, maturation and function of malignant tumors through the miR-10 family, and the key gene targets and signaling cascades that lncRNAs and circRNAs regulate through the miR-10 family were summarized. Based on the findings of this review, it can be hypothesized that lncRNAs and circRNAs targeting the miR-10 family may serve as diagnostic/prognostic markers and/or therapeutic targets for the management of cancer.

Engineering superconducting qubits to reduce quasiparticles and charge noise.

Identifying, quantifying, and suppressing decoherence mechanisms in qubits are important steps towards the goal of engineering a quantum computer or simulator. Superconducting circuits offer flexibility in qubit design; however, their performance is adversely affected by quasiparticles (broken Cooper pairs). Developing a quasiparticle mitigation strategy compatible with scalable, high-coherence devices is therefore highly desirable. Here we experimentally demonstrate how to control quasiparticle generation by downsizing the qubit, capping it with a metallic cover, and equipping it with suitable quasiparticle traps. Using a flip-chip design, we shape the electromagnetic environment of the qubit above the superconducting gap, inhibiting quasiparticle poisoning. Our findings support the hypothesis that quasiparticle generation is dominated by the breaking of Cooper pairs at the junction, as a result of photon absorption by the antenna-like qubit structure. We achieve record low charge-parity switching rate (<1 Hz). Our aluminium devices also display improved stability with respect to discrete charging events.

Can laparoscopic nerve-sparing ultra-radical hysterectomy play a role in locally advanced cervical cancer? A single-center retrospective study.

Background and objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the outcomes of concurrent platinum-based chemoradiation therapy (CCRT), laparoscopic nerve-sparing ultra-radical hysterectomy (LNSURH), and open radical hysterectomy (ORH) on patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma (LACC). Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted on LACC patients who received CCRT, ORH, or LNSURH from January 2011 to December 2019. Data on age, tumor size, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and early and late morbidities were collected. After 24 months of treatment, patients were asked a series of questions about their urinary, bowel, and sexual activities. Early morbidities were defined as those occurring during or within a month of treatment, whereas late morbidities and complications were defined as those occurring a month after treatment. The postoperative complications were classified with reference to the Clavien-Dindo classification (CD) system. Results: The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed no significant differences in OS and DFS among the three groups (P = 0.106 for DFS and P = 0.190 for OS). The rates of early complications in the CCRT group were comparable with those in the operated groups (P = 0.46). However, late complications were significantly lower in the ORH and LNSURH groups relative to those in the CCRT group. The scores of urinary and bowel functions were restored to the pretreatment state, although the sexual function scores were not satisfactory. Conclusions: The treatments of CCRT, ORH, and LNSURH can be considered options for patients with LACC, as their OS and DFS showed no significant difference. In addition, LNSURH exhibited a lower incidence of late complications and high sexual function scores.

Application of modified subtotal resection of adenomyosis combined with LNG-IUS and GnRH-a sequential therapy in severe adenomyosis: A case series.

Background and Objective: Adenomyosis focus resection has always been the main surgical method for patients with uterine preservation, but its curative effect and surgical method are still controversial. We improved this method on the basis of the "double-flap method" and combined it with the levonorgestrel intrauterine delivery system (LNG-IUS) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) sequential treatment to determine the clinical effect and feasibility of this scheme in the treatment of severe adenomyosis. Methods: This is a retrospective review. A total of 64 patients with severe adenomyosis were treated in the Department of Gynecology of Changzhou Second People's Hospital, which is affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, from December 2017 to September 2021. The transabdominal approach and laparoscopic approach were adopted for the purposes of treatment in this study. Hence, the patients were subdivided into the transabdominal approach subgroup and the laparoscopic approach subgroup. The hemoglobin, visual analog score (VAS) score, menstruation score, and other indices of each patient before and after treatment were observed, recorded, and analyzed. Results: All 64 patients underwent the operation successfully. After the completion of sequential treatment, the CA125 decreased significantly 1 month after the operation, the average uterine volume significantly reduced, the hemoglobin value increased to a certain extent 3 months after the operation, and the menstrual score and dysmenorrhea during the first menstruation were significantly lower than they were before the operation. After the treatment, the therapeutic results of the transabdominal approach subgroup and endoscopic approach subgroup were compared on the basis of the observed indices, and no significant difference was observed (P > 0.05). Only one patient had a downward movement of the LNG-IUS, and the vaginal ultrasound showed that the upper end of the LNG-IUS was approximately 1.5 cm from the bottom of the uterine cavity. The average follow-up period was 24.02 ± 11.77 months, and no lesion progression was found in any patients. Conclusion: For patients suffering from severe adenomyosis who have no pregnancy plans and require uterine preservation, transabdominal or laparoscopic subtotal resection of the focus of adenomyosis, combined with the LNG-IUS + GnRH-a sequential treatment, may be a safe and effective alternative when conservative treatments such as drugs fail.

A preliminary clinical report of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation in the treatment of moderate and severe pelvic organ prolapse.

Objective: To study the efficacy and safety of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation in the treatment of moderate and severe pelvic organ prolapse. Design: Patients were selected into this study on a voluntary basis to evaluate the short-term efficacy of this surgery by comparing the OP-Q scores before the operation, three months after the operation, and six months after the operation. Setting and Patients: Evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety by a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of the 18 patients with POP-Q grade III-IV pelvic organ prolapse treated by the Department of Gynecology of Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital from April 2020 to November 2020, and their post-operation follow-ups. Interventions: Patients with postoperative follow-ups found no obvious relapse without intervention measures. Measurements and Main Results: The transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation was performed successfully, and the anterior and posterior walls of vagina and/or trans-vaginal hysterectomy were repaired as appropriate. Except the total vaginal length (TVL), the P values of numerical analysis for all points before, three months after, and six months after the operation were all <0.05, being statistically significant. Conclusion: This method is effective in the treatment of moderate and severe pelvic organ prolapse with few complications, but more cases and longer-term follow-up data are needed to determine the long-term effect of this procedure. For the selection of puncture sites, more anatomical data are needed to get more accurate result.

Preliminary Analysis of Safety and Feasibility of a Single-Hole Laparoscopic Myomectomy via an Abdominal Scar Approach.

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the safety and feasibility of a single-hole laparoscopic myomectomy through an abdominal scar approach. Method: The clinical data of seven patients who underwent the single-hole laparoscopic myomectomy via the abdominal scar approach from January to November 2021 in the Department of Gynecology, the Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, were studied retrospectively. The duration of operation, the intraoperative blood loss, the decrease of postoperative hemoglobin, and the postoperative visual analogue score (0 points: no pain, 10 points: maximum pain) were recorded. Results: All seven patients received the operation successfully, without changing to the conventional laparoscopic operation or open appendectomy. The average blood loss was 101.42 ± 7.89 ml, the average length of hospital stay was 5 ± 0.53 days, the average operation duration was 130 ± 26.86 min, and the 24-h pain score was 1.57 ± 0.53. The seven patients had no intraoperative or postoperative complications and no damage to the ureter or bladder. All patients could urinate spontaneously without urinary retention or urinary tract infection after catheter removal. No analgesic drugs were used after the operation. Conclusion: The single-hole laparoscopic myomectomy via the abdominal scar approach is a more aesthetic and feasible option for eligible patients, but more cases and studies are needed for further confirmation.

Deep Learning-Based Method for Compound Identification in NMR Spectra of Mixtures.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is highly unbiased and reproducible, which provides us a powerful tool to analyze mixtures consisting of small molecules. However, the compound identification in NMR spectra of mixtures is highly challenging because of chemical shift variations of the same compound in different mixtures and peak overlapping among molecules. Here, we present a pseudo-Siamese convolutional neural network method (pSCNN) to identify compounds in mixtures for NMR spectroscopy. A data augmentation method was implemented for the superposition of several NMR spectra sampled from a spectral database with random noises. The augmented dataset was split and used to train, validate and test the pSCNN model. Two experimental NMR datasets (flavor mixtures and additional flavor mixture) were acquired to benchmark its performance in real applications. The results show that the proposed method can achieve good performances in the augmented test set (ACC = 99.80%, TPR = 99.70% and FPR = 0.10%), the flavor mixtures dataset (ACC = 97.62%, TPR = 96.44% and FPR = 2.29%) and the additional flavor mixture dataset (ACC = 91.67%, TPR = 100.00% and FPR = 10.53%). We have demonstrated that the translational invariance of convolutional neural networks can solve the chemical shift variation problem in NMR spectra. In summary, pSCNN is an off-the-shelf method to identify compounds in mixtures for NMR spectroscopy because of its accuracy in compound identification and robustness to chemical shift variation.

Survival Impacts of Perineural Invasion on Patients Under Different Radical Hysterectomies Due to Early Cervical Cancer.

Objective: Cervical cancer is a common gynecological malignancy. In addition to the open radical hysterectomy (ORH) and laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH), laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (LNSRH) could be another treatment option since it could preserve urinary, colorectal, and sexual functions. However, LNSRH might result in early cancer metastasis and recurrence due to inadequate tumor resection. Additionally, whether LNSRH should be considered based on perineural invasion (PNI) status remains controversial. To assess different types of hysterectomy on the outcome of early cervical cancer with PIN. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in early cervical cancer patients who received ORH, LRH, or LNSRH between January 2012 and December 2019. Age, FIGO cancer stages, histopathological types, tumor size, histological grade, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular space invasion, and PNI were documented. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were recorded. Results: A total of 174 patients were included, with 33, 69, and 72 patients received LRH, ORH, and LNSRH, respectively. Twenty-one patients (12.1%) had PNI. DFS (P = 0.000) and OS (P = 0.022) periods were shortened in positive PNI patients than in negative PNI patients (P = 0.000 and 0.022, respectively). In patients with positive PNI, lymph node metastasis, but not the surgery type, was an independent risk factor for DFS and OS (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Early cervical cancer patients with PNI had shorter postoperative DFS and OS periods. In these patients, lymph node metastasis, but not the type of hysterectomy, was independently associated with DFS and OS.

Safety and Feasibility of Vaginal Delivery in Full-Term Pregnancy After Transvaginal-Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery: A Case Series.

Study Objective: The aim was to investigate the outcome of vaginal delivery of full-term pregnancies in patients after transvaginal-natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) treatment for gynecological disorders. Design: A case series report. Setting: A medical university hospital. Patients: 12 cases of successful delivery after transvaginal-natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. Interventions: Long-term follow-up of patients with fertility needs after transvaginal-natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. Measurements and Main Results: From 2018 to 2021, 163 cases of gynecological diseases were treated by vNOTES. One hundred forty-seven patients were followed up, with a follow-up rate of 90.1%. The average follow-up time was 28 (15-47) months, including 66 cases with fertility requirements. Among these 66 patients, 12 patients successfully got pregnant and completed delivery, including 10 cases of vaginal delivery and 2 cases of cesarean section, with no adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with vNOTES arising. Conclusion: Vaginal delivery of a full-term pregnancy after transvaginal-natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery appears to be safe and feasible and would not be one of the bases for elective cesarean delivery.

lncRNA TUG1 protects intestinal epithelial cells from damage induced by high glucose and high fat via AMPK/SIRT1.

he incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing year by year and shows a trend towards younger age groups worldwide. It has become a disease that endangers the health of individuals all over the world. Among numerous weight loss surgeries, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has become one of the most common surgical strategies for the treatment of T2DM. However, SG­mediated alterations to the molecular mechanism of metabolism require further investigation. Thus, reverse transcription­quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression levels of long non­coding (lnc)RNA taurine­upregulated gene 1 (TUG1), Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), AMP­activated protein kinase (AMPK) and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in the serum of T2DM patients, as well as in HIEC­6 and SW480 cells following treatment with high glucose and high fat (HGHF). Protein expression was detected by western blotting. Cell Counting Kit­8 assays were performed to analyze cell viability, and flow cytometry and a TUNEL assay was performed to evaluate cell apoptosis. The secretion of ILs in the culture medium was detected by conducting ELISAs. The results showed that lncRNA TUG1 and UCP2 expression was upregulated, SIRT1 and AMPK expression levels were decreased by SG. Under HGHF conditions, HIEC­6 and SW480 cell viability was inhibited, apoptosis was promoted, TUG1 expression was downregulated, and SIRT1 and AMPK expression levels were upregulated. The secretory levels of IL­1ß, IL­6 and IL­8 were increased, whereas the secretion of IL­10 was decreased under HGHF conditions. lncRNA TUG1 overexpression significantly reversed the effects of HGHF on cell viability, apoptosis and SIRT1, AMPK, UCP2 and Bcl­2 expression levels. Together, the findings of the present study demonstrated that lncRNA TUG1 alleviated the damage induced by HGHF in intestinal epithelial cells by downregulating SIRT1 and AMPK expression, and upregulating UCP2 expression. Thus, the lncRNA TUG1/AMPK/SIRT1/UCP2 axis may serve an important role in the treatment of T2DM.