Temporal interference (TI) is a form of stimulation that epitomizes an innovative and non-invasive approach for profound neuromodulation of the brain, a technique that has been validated in mice. Yet, the thin cranial bone structure of mice has a marginal influence on the effect of the TI technique and may not effectively showcase its effectiveness in larger animals. Based on this, we carried out TI stimulation experiments on rats. Following the TI intervention, analysis of electrophysiological data and immunofluorescence staining indicated the generation of a stimulation focus within the nucleus accumbens (depth, 8.5 mm) in rats. Our findings affirm the viability of the TI methodology in the presence of thick cranial bones, furnishing efficacious parameters for profound stimulation with TI administered under such conditions. This experiment not only sheds light on the intervention effects of TI deep in the brain but also furnishes robust evidence in support of its prospective clinical utility.
Animals ; Deep Brain Stimulation/methods* ; Nucleus Accumbens/physiology* ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Time Factors

Covalently closed circular DNA(cccDNA)in hepatocytes is the replication intermediate of hepa-titis B virus(HBV),which is closely related to HBV replication.Meanwhile,it is the transcriptional template of pregenomic RNA(pgRNA),and most of the HBV RNA in serum is derived from unreversed transcribed pgRNA.In recent years,many studies have demonstrated that HBV RNA has an important role in monitoring disease progression and predicting the prognosis of chronic HBV-infected patients,and is a potential biomarker of chronic viral hepatitis B.This article provides an overview of the molecular characterisation of HBV RNA,detection methods and research progress in clinical applications.

Objective:To comprehensively evaluate the tricuspid valve, right heart anatomical characteristics and related dynamic parameters in patients with different degrees of functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) using four-dimensional auto tricuspid valve quantitative(4D Auto TVQ), four-dimensional auto right ventricle quantitative(4D Auto RVQ), and four-dimensional auto left atrium quantitative(4D Auto LAQ), and to investigate the structural and functional changes of the tricuspid valve and right heart in them.Methods:Sixty-three patients with FTR diagnosed by echocardiography at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from February to July 2022 were prospectively selected as the case group, including 30 patients with mild FTR and 33 patients with moderate or above FTR, and 30 healthy subjects were selected as the control group. Transthoracic echocardiography was used for two-dimensional and three-dimensional image acquisition of the heart. The tricuspid regurgitation volume, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), right ventricular global strain (RVGS) were measured by 2D images, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) were measured from the tricuspid regurgitation pressure difference. The 3D images were imported into EchoPAC 204 to obtain the tricuspid valve, right heart structure and related dynamic parameters. The annulus area (AA), annulus perimeter(AP), spherical index (SI), annulus area change fraction (AC), coaptation point height (CPH), and tenting volume (TV) were measured by 4D Auto TVQ. The right atrial maximum volume (RAVmax) and right atrial minimum volume (RAVmin) were measured by 4D Auto LAQ. Right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), right ventricular end-systolic volume (RVESV), right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) were measured by 4D Auto RVQ. After standardizing the dimension parameters with body surface area (BSA), the differences in the above parameters were compared between the three groups, the correlation between regurgitant volume and each parameter was compared by correlation analysis, and the independent factors of increased tricuspid regurgitant volume were investigated by univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis.Results:There were statistically significant differences in PASP, AA/BSA, AP/BSA, AC, TV, RAVmax/BSA, RAVmin/BSA, RVFAC, RVGS, and TAPSE between the three groups (all P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in LVEF, CPH, RVEDV/BSA, and RVESV/BSA in the moderate and above FTR group compared with the control and mild FTR groups (all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that RAVmin was the most highly correlated with tricuspid regurgitant volume ( r=0.875, P<0.001) and TV and end-systolic annulus area(ESAA) were highly correlated with tricuspid regurgitant volume ( r=0.747, 0.683; both P<0.001) in patients with FTR. Multifactorial linear regression showed that RAVmin, TV and regurgitant volume were independently positively correlated (β=0.721, 0.205; both P<0.05). Conclusions:The four quantification technique can provide valid structural and functional information by quantifying the tricuspid valve as well as the right heart in patients with FTR, and RAVmin and TV are independent correlates of increased tricuspid regurgitant volume.

Objective:To survey the post competency of general practitioners who completed residency training in Suzhou Municipal Hospital.Methods:A questionnaire survey on post competency of general practitioners was conducted from January to March 2022. General practitioners who completed standardized residential training in Suzhou Municipal Hospital from 2009 to 2021 were randomly selected for the survey. The self-designed questionnaire included the basic information and post competency in terms of clinical, public health, research and teaching abilities as well as medical ethics and humanism. A self-evaluation was also performed and the abilities were graded (A 86-100, B 70-85, C 55-69, D 0-54), and grade A was classified as excellent.Results:A total of 163 questionnaires were distributed and 157 valid ones were collected with a recovery rate of 96.3%. Among 157 respondents 62 (39.5%) were males. The participants mainly worked in urban community health service institutions (78 (49.7%)), and most of them worked as general practice (119 (75.8%)). For the self-assessment of clinical skills, the proportion of respondents with excellent abilities in history taking, basic drug use, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases, and chronic disease management was 58.8% (70/119), 57.1% (68/119), 54.6% (65/119) and 54.6% (65/119), respectively. The proportion of respondents with excellent abilities in evidence-based clinical decision making, physical examination, tests interpretation, referral services, family medical services, rehabilitation services, first aid, and psychological counseling and treatment was 43.7% (70/119), 42.9% (52/119), 38.7% (46/119), 37.8% (45/119), 33.6% (40/119), 22.7% (27/119), 21.0% (25/119), and 16.8% (20/119), respectively. For the self-assessment of basic public health service ability, the proportion of respondents with excellent abilities in health education, disease prevention and control, health management, health care for key and special groups, handling public health emergencies, management of infectious diseases, epidemiology-based community diagnosis and community health leadership was 38.7% (46/119), 33.6% (40/119), 33.6% (40/119), 26.1% (31/119), 25.2% (30/119), 2.7% (27/119), 22.7% (27/119), and 21.0% (25/119), respectively. For humanistic literacy, the proportion of respondents with excellent abilities in privacy protection, sense of responsibility for patients, understanding patients′ needs, effective communication and cooperation with patients was 82.4% (98/119), 73.9% (88/119), 61.3% (73/119), 55.5% (66/119) and 2.1% (62/119), respectively. For research and teaching, the proportion of respondents with excellence abilities in continuous learning and innovation, training and teaching and literature retrieval was 47.9% (57/119), 10.9% (13/119), 10.1% (12/119), respectively. In addition 56.3% (67/119) of respondents were interested in scientific research, 23.5% (28/119) had published articles as the first author or correspondence author, and only 6.7% (8/119) had scientific research projects in the last 5 years.Conclusion:The post competency of general practitioners who received standardized residency training in our hospital varies in different aspects, their abilities in basic public health service, scientific research and teaching are relatively low, which need to be strengthened.

Objective:Factors influencing the prognosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in adults were analyzed based on multicentric data.Methods:Clinical data of 124 adult patients with HLH diagnosed in eight medical centers in the Huaihai Lymphoma Working Group from March 2014 to July 2020 were collected. The optimal truncation value of continuous variables was obtained based on the Maxstat algorithm, X-Tile software, and restricted cubic spline. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to construct the adult HLH risk prediction model, and the visualization of the model was realized through the histogram. The bootstrap resampling method was used to verify the model, C-index and calibration curve was used to verify the histogram, and the prediction accuracy was checked. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the survival rate and draw the survival curve. Furthermore, the differences between groups were tested by log-rank.Results:The median age of the 124 patients was 55 (18-84) years, including 61 (49.19%) males. The most common etiology was infection. Serum ferritin increased in 110 cases (88.71%) , hepatosplenomegaly in 57 cases (45.97%) . Of the 124 patients, 77 (62.10%) died, and the median survival time of the patients was 7.07 months. Univariate results showed that the prognosis of adult HLH was influenced by sex, age, fibrinogen, serum creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, and albumin ( P<0.05) . The results of multivariate analysis showed that gender, platelet, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and treatment regimens were independent influencing factors for prognosis. Based on the above five risk factors, the prediction model of the histogram was established, and the C-index of the model was 0.739. Finally, the calibration chart showed good consistency between the observed and predicted values of HLH. Conclusion:The prognosis of the adult hemophagocytic syndrome is influenced by many factors. Gender, platelet, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and treatment regimens are independent risk factors. Therefore, the established histogram provides a visual tool for clinicians to evaluate the prognosis of adult HLH.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of annular pancreas in neonates. METHODS: Clinical data of 114 neonates with annular pancreas admitted in the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University from January 2009 to December 2018 were reviewed. The demographic parameters (gestational age, birth weight), clinical manifestations, onset time, results of antenatal examination, associated anomalies, radiological findings, operations, postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and two cases were examined by abdominal echography, in which 68 cases showed duodenal obstruction, 4 cases showed annular pancreas. Plain abdomen X-ray examination performed in 113 cases before operation, 76 cases presented double-bubble sign, 12 cases presented single-bubble sign and 5 cases had high-position intestinal obstruction. Upper gastrointestinal radiography (UGI) was performed in 103 cases, which suggested duodenal obstruction in 102 cases. Operations were performed in all cases, of which 69 cases were operated under laparoscopy including 1 case converted to open laparotomy. The mean fasting time after surgery was (7.8±2.7) d, and the mean length of hospital stay was (16.9±10.1) d. Five patients had postoperative complications. The incidence of postoperative complications in antenatal abnormal group was lower than that in the antenatal non-abnormal group (<0.05); the average fasting time in laparoendscopic surgery group was shorter than that in traditional laparotomy group (<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Neonates with recurrent vomiting early after birth should be highly suspected to have annular pancreas. The fetal chromosome examination should be performed with abnormal antenatal screening. Surgery is the only effective way to diagnose and treat annular pancreas, and laparoscopic surgery could be the first choice for experienced doctors.
Duodenal Obstruction ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Laparoscopy ; Pancreas ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Pancreatic Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To investigate the role of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) in breast cancer metastasis and its possible mechanism. Methods: A total of 45 cases of primary breast cancer tissues and brain metastatic breast cancer tissues were collected from patients, who underwent mastectomy in Yunnan Cancer Hospital from October 2015 to April 2018, including 30 cases of primary lesions and 15 cases of brain metastasis. qPCR was used to detect the expression of COX-2 in breast cancer tissues and brain metastatic breast cancer tissues. Recombinant viruses with COX-2 over-expression (LV6-COX2) or COX-2 knockdown (LV3-COX2 shRNA1, LV3-COX2 shRNA2) were transfected into human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells; After obtaining the stable expression cell lines, the effect of COX-2 expression on the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells was detected by CCK-8, and the effects of COX-2 expression on the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells were detected by scratch test and Transwell assay, respectively. The mRNAand protein expressions of COX-2 in each group were examined by qPCR and WB, respectively. The effect of COX-2 expression on the expression of EMT-related genes in MDA-MB-231 cells was analyzed by qPCR. Results: The expression of COX-2 in tissues of patients with brain metastases was significantly higher than that in patients with primary breast cancer tissues (P<0.01), and it was correlated with tumor TMN stage in breast cancer patients. MDA-MB-231 cell lines with stable COX-2 over-expression/knockout were successfully constructed. Over-expression of COX-2 promoted the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells (all P<0.01), and significantly increased the expressions of MMP2, MMP1, N-cadherin and vimentin (all P<0.01), but exerted insignificant effect on cell proliferation. The effect of COX-2 silence exerted the opposite effect and promoted cell proliferation (P<0.05). Conclusion: COX-2 is highly expressed in brain metastatic breast cancer tissues, which may promote the migration and invasion of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells by regulating EMT processes.

Objective:To study the origin traceability of anemarrhenae rhizoma from Bozhou and Hebei based on multi-element fingerprints technology , and establish a discrimination model .Methods:The contents of 48 elements were determined by using induc-tively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ( ICP-MS) for 44 samples of anemarrhenae rhizome from Bozhou and Hebei province .Princi-pal component analysis ( PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis ( OPLS-DA) were applied in the data analy-sis to screen out the significant elements .And then Fisher linear discrimination analysis was used to determine the origin of anemarrhe-nae rhizoma and the discrimination models were developed .Results:Two discrimination models were developed by the discrimination a-nalysis of the whole model method with nine significant elements identified by PCA and OPLS -DA, and 100％correct classification and 95.5％cross validation were achieved by the models .Conclusion: It is a promising approach to classify the geographical origin of anemarrhenae rhizome based on multi-element fingerprints analysis combined with multivariate statistical analysis .The discrimination models are good enough to be applied in the origin traceability of anemarrhenae rhizome.

AIM:To explore the influence of exogenous hydrogen sulfide ( H2 S) on coagulation and fibrinoly-sis in ferric chloride ( FeCl3 )-induced mouse carotid artery thrombosis .METHODS: The mice were divided into sham control group, model group, different concentrations (12.5, 25 and 50μmol/kg) of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, H2S do-nor) groups and 30 mg/kg clopidogrel ( positive control ) group.Intraperitoneal injection of NaHS at different concentra-tions and oral administration of clopidogrel bisulfate were performed for 3 d prior to FeCl 3-induced carotid artery thrombo-sis.The frozen sections of the carotid artery were collected to perform HE staining , and the thrombus pattern and the chan-ges of vascular pathology were observed .The thrombus was weighed to calculate thrombosis inhibitory rate .Prothrombin time ( PT) , activated partial thromboplastin time ( APTT) , fibrinogen ( FIB) and fibrinogen degradation product ( FDP) in the mice were also measured by a coagulometer .The plasma levels of thromboxane B 2 ( TXB2 ) , 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1α(6-keto-PGF1α) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) were detected by ELISA.RESULTS: Compared with model group, NaHS dose-dependently inhibited the formation of carotid artery thrombus .NaHS treatment reduced the contents of TXB2 and PAI, and recovered 6-keto-PGF1αcontent in thrombosis model group .In NaHS treatment groups , 6-keto-PGF1α/TXB2 and thrombus weight was negatively correlated .NaHS treatment prolonged PT and APTT , reduced the content of FIB, but increased the level of FDP in thrombosis model group .CONCLUSION:Hydrogen sulfide prevents FeCl 3-induced carotid artery thrombosis by inhibiting coagulation and activating fibrinolysis .

Objective To observe the clinical effects by endoscopic implantation of accurate and slow-release particles for advanced esophageal carcinoma. Methods Under endoscopy, we dividing the whole focus into several layers by each 1.0 cm and implanting one slow-release particles (about 10 mg) in each point whose interval is 1.0 cm. One course of treatment includes three-time implantation and each treatment needs four weeks, by the way the details depend on the state of illness. In this research, all of patients complete the treatment smoothly. By comparing the patients’ situation before treatment, three-month treatment and six-month treatment, which include the remission of clinical symptom, the changing of focus area, the improvement of swallow function, untoward effect and life quality, et al. Results The results show several test indexes changed a lot. When treated for 3 months and 6 months, the levels of focus area and swallow difficulty classification were decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as compared with those before treatment; but the patients’ life quality didn’t have significant statistical difference (P > 0.05), by the way there isn’t individual difference appearing because of a little short of testing time and a few of samples. In addition, the WBC had a significant statistical difference between before treatment and three-month treatment (P < 0.05), and the ratio of complication didn’t have a significant change. Conclusions Endoscopic implantation of 5-Fu slow-release particles for the treatment of advanced esophageal carcinoma is a safety, high efficacy, low toxic and good tolerant palliative treatment.