Objective To evaluate the value of 2D ultrasound and elastic strain ratio (SR) in diagnosis of thyroid nodule by fine needle aspiration (FNA).Methods 196 thyroid nodules were analyzed retrospectively with 2D ultrasound,elastography and FNA results,pathology results as the golden standard.A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the best cut-off point of SR.The Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the variables effectiveness on age,nodule echo,calcification and SR.Tried to discuss how to use SR before or after US-FNA in diagnosis of thyroid nodule.Results The SR of the malignant nodules group was significantly different from the benign nodules group,and the best cut-off point was 0.5 with sensitivity 91.7％,specificity 90.2 ％ and accuracy 90.8 ％.The Logistic analysis results were SR,age,echo,calcification according to the odds ratio.SR can screened nodules without puncture necessary before FNA,and increase the FNA sensitivity,specificity and accuracy after FNA.Conclusions SR has good application value in diagnosis thyroid malignant tumor.SR can reduce unnecessary FNA and make a supplementary diagnosis of FNA.

Objective To study the effect of S1P on HLF cell fibrosis and its mechanism. Methods (1) The expression of ECM in HLF cells was analyzed by using Western Blot after treatment by S1P(1 μmol/L), FTY720-P(5μmol/L),ponesimod(5μmol/L)and SEW2871(5μmol/L)24 h;(2)The HLF cells were pre-treated using selective S1PR antagonist W146(1 μmol/L),JTE-013(0.2 μmol/L),and TY-52156(1.25 μmol/L)1 h before incubation by S1P and S1PR agonists 24 h and then the expression of ECM was analyzed;(3)The HLF cells were pre-incubated using JTE-013(0.2μmol/L)and TY-52156(1.25μmol/L)for 1 h and then the expression of ECM was analyzedafter being treated by S1P and S1PR agonists 24 h. Results (1)S1P and selective S1P receptor agonist increased the expression of ECM to various extents;(2)The S1P1R antagonist W146 did not affectthe expression of ECM induced by S1P and S1PR agonists and S1P2R antagonist JTE-013 and S1P3R antagonist TY-52156 both decreased the expression of ECM induced by S1P and S1PR agonists;(3)The expression of ECM induced by S1P and S1PR agonists further decreased using both JTE-013 and TY-52156 but not using ponesimod. Conclusion S1P2R and S1P3R are activated under the influence of S1P so as to increase the synthesis of ECM and promote fibrosis gene expression in HLF cells.

Objective To evaluate the value of elastic strain ratio (SR) in ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (US-FNA) of thyroid nodule.Methods A total of 222 thyroid nodules from 216 patients were reviewed and analyzed by Logistic regression of clinical data,2D ultrasound,and SR.The odds ratios of variables in the equation were compared to assess various variables,especially of SR in the diagnosis.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the SR method,US-FNA method,and combined method were calculated.Results Three statistically significant features finally entered the Logistic regression model,followed by SR,echo,and age according to the odds ratio.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the SR method,US-FNA method and combined method were 85.4％,82.1％,83.3％ ; 91.5％,82.1％,85.6％ ; 97.6％,94.3％,95.5％ respectively.Conclusions SR＜0.5 is the most important risk factor in differential diagnosis of thyroid malignant nodules from benign nodules.SR raises the sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of US-FNA method and plays an important role in diagnosing thyroid nodules via US-FNA.

Objective To investigate the value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis.Methods Twenty-two cases of clinically suspected sarcoidosis underwent bronchoscopy and ultrasound bronchoscopy examination,including endobronchial biopsy (EBB),transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB),and EBUS-TBNA.The biopsy samples of EBB,TBLB,and EBUS-TBNA were paraffin-embedded for hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining and acid-fast staining,respectively.Differences in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis were compared among EBB,TBLB,and EBUS-TBNA.The diagnostic performance of EBUS-TBNA was evaluated.Interventional pulmonology diagnostic strategy of sarcoidosis was analyzed.Results Among all the 22 patients with suspected sarcoidosis,20 cases were diagnosed as sarcoidosis,1 case was small cell lung cancer,and 1 case was lymphoma.The number of patients who were diagnosed by EBB,TBLB,and EBUS-TBNA was 6 cases,9 cases,and 16 cases,respectively;and their diagnostic yield was 30.0％,45.0％,and 80.0％,respectively.The diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA was significantly better than the other two (P =0.005).Combined EBB and EBUS-TBNA,the diagnostic yield was 85.0％.Combined TBLB and EBUS-TBNA,the diagnostic yield was 90.0％.Combined those three,the diagnostic yield was 95.0％.EBUS-TBNA diagnostic yield was affected by the location and size of lymph nodes.The diagnostic yield of subcarinal lymph nodes and paratracheal lymph nodes by EBUS-TBNA was significantly better than that of Hilar lymph nodes (x2 =4.29,P ＜0.05),EBUS-TBNA showed better diagnostic yield for the lymph nodes whose diameter was greater than 2cm (x2 =4.067,P ＜ 0.05).EBUS-TBNA had fewer complications.Most patients only had a little bleeding in puncture site.Conclusions EBUS-TBNA contributed to diagnose sarcoidosis,while TBLB and EBB had a complementary value in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis by EBUS-TBNA.

Objective To evaluate the effects of sevoflurane on hippocampal neurogenesis in den-tate gyrus (DG) of mice of different ages. Methods Ninety-six SPF healthy male C57BL∕6 mice, aged 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 months and 20 months (24 mice for each age, 12 mice for each group), were divided into 2 groups (n＝48 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C) and sevoflurane group (group S). Group S inhaled 3. 0% sevoflurane for 2 h once a day for 3 consecutive days, while group C inhaled the mixture of air and O2. Six mice of each age were selected, and 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) 50 mg∕kg was intraperitoneally injected immediately before and after inhalation once a day for 3 consecutive days in two groups. Mice were sacrificed at 24 h after the last inhalation (T1), brains were re-moved and hippocampi isolated for determination of the number of nestin and doublecortin ( DCX) positive cells in DG by immunohistochemistry. Mice were sacrificed at 4 weeks after the last inhalation ( T2), brains were removed and hippocampi isolated for determination of the number of neuronal nuclei antigen (NeuN)∕BrdU and glial fibrillary acid protein ( GFAP )∕BrdU positive cells by immunofluorescence. Re-sults Compared with group C, the number of nestin and DCX positive cells was significantly reduced at T1, and the number of NeuN∕BrdU and GFAP∕BrdU positive cells was reduced at T2in mice of 2 weeks and 20 months old (P＜0. 05), and no significant change was found in the indices mentioned above in mice of 6 weeks and 9 months old in group S ( P＞0. 05). Conclusion Three percent sevoflurane can inhibit hipp-ocampal neurogenesis in DG of immature and old mice and exerts no influence on hippocampal neurogenesis in DG of juvenile and adult mice.

Objective To explore the research hotspots and trends in the field of CSCs through the bibliometric analysis of the literature on CSCs. Methods Based on the core database of Web of Science, CiteSpace was used to analyze the annual distribution of published articles, authors, institutions, countries, journals, citations and keywords, and to explore the frequency, centrality and clustering of key words. Results (1) A total of 8131 articles were included after screening. China was the country with the largest number of articles, and Sun Yat-Sen University was the organization with the largest number of articles; (2) The hot spots in the field of CSCs are the research of CSCs in breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, the research of CSCs sorting and identification of molecular markers ALDH and genes PTEN, Sox2, C-myc, EZH2, the mechanism of EMT inducing the production of CSCs and promoting tumor metastasis, cellular and molecular mechanisms of CSCs resistance to chemical, radiation and targeted drug attacks, Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and tumor microenvironment regulate the differentiation of CSCs and targeted inhibition of CSCs in the treatment of malignant tumors; (3) The research trend of CSCs is CSCs stem research-biological mechanism of CSCs-CSCs application in the treatment of cancer. Conclusion The focus and direction of CSCs research are EMT inducing CSCs to promote tumor metastasis, CSCs resisting chemical attack, mesenchymal stem cells regulating CSCs, the metabolism of CSCs, and inhibitors targeting CSCs at present and in the future.

BACKGROUND: Reliable in vitro cellular models are needed to study the phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in health and disease. The aim of this study was to optimize gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)/alginate hydrogels for bioprinting three-dimensional (3D) SMC constructs. METHODS: Four different hydrogel groups were prepared by mixing different concentrations (% w/v) of GelMA and alginate: G1 (5/1.5), G2 (5/3), G3 (7.5/1.5), and G4 (7.5/3). GelMA 10% was used as control (G5). A circular structure containing human bladder SMCs was fabricated by using an extrusion-based bioprinter. The effects of the mixing ratios on printability, viability, proliferation, and differentiation of the cells were investigated. RESULTS: Rheological analysis showed that the addition of alginate significantly stabilized the change in mechanical properties with temperature variations. The group with the highest GelMA and alginate concentrations (G4) exhibited the highest viscosity, resulting in better stability of the 3D construct after crosslinking. Compared to other hydrogel compositions, cells in G4 maintained high viability ([ 80%), exhibited spindle-shaped morphology, and showed a significantly higher proliferation rate within an 8-day period. More importantly, G4 provided an optimal environment for the induction of a SMC contractile phenotype, as evidenced by significant changes in the expression of marker proteins and morphological parameters. CONCLUSION Adjusting the composition of GelMA/alginate hydrogels is an effective means of controlling the SMC phenotype. These hydrogels support bioprinting of 3D models to study phenotypic smooth muscle adaptation, with the prospect of using the constructs in the study of therapies for the treatment of urethral strictures.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the urodynamics quality in Southwest China, and find out the main issues of urodynamics quality in Southwest China and try to find out the improvement ways.Methods:In this study, a two-stage sampling method was used.In the first stage, 10 medical institutions in Southwest China were selected by cluster sampling from March to June, 2020.In the second stage, according to the development of UDS in Southwest China, the sample size estimation formula was adopted, and the loss of follow-up rate in reports extraction was considered, the initial sample size was 350. As the workload of UDS in the 10 medical institutions involved in the study was equivalent, 35 urodynamics traces from each medical institution were selected. The initial samples should also meet the inclusion criteria: ①patients with clear medical history and complete clinical data; ②UDS traces were clear; ③UDS system was water filled system; ④age>18, and 150 urodynamic traces were included in the final study. We evaluated the quality of enrolled urodynamics traces, and the quality evaluation standard according to the guidelines established by the International Continence Society (ICS). The evaluation conducted by two independent urologist with more than 10 years working experience. Artifacts were divided into non-technical artifacts: abnormal abdominal pressure changes, urine volume <150 ml when did the uroflow test, and technical artifacts: non-standard zero setting, fail to record all urodynamics parameters, baseline drift, catheter displacement, misjudgment of detrusor physiological contraction and detrusor overactive in voiding phase, misjudgment between detrusor overactive and bladder low compliance in filling phase.Results:non-technical artifacts: 32 cases were found abnormal abdominal pressure changes (21.3%), 21 cases (14.0%) were found when did the uroflow test the urine volume <150 ml, and technical artifacts: Non-standard zero setting in 28 cases (18.7%), fail to record all urodynamics parameters in 8 cases, baseline drift in 16 cases, catheter displacement in 9 cases and misjudgment of detrusor physiological contraction and detrusor overactive in voiding phase in 12 cases, misjudgment between detrusor overactive and bladder low compliance in filling phase in 24 cases (16.0%).Conclusions:At present, the urodynamics quality in Southwest China need to be improved. The main issues were that the operator didn’t obey the basic operation and quality control process, and the operator did not have enough basic knowledge of urodynamics. It can be improved by strictly carry out the operation standard of UDS, identifying and correcting artifacts in time, and promoting the standardized urodynamic training courses.

Objective To investigate the research hotspots and trends in the field of immunotherapy for liver cancer in 2011-2020 based on bibliometric methods. Methods The Web of Science-SCI Expanded database was searched with the following search strategy: #1 TS = (Liver Neoplasms OR Neoplasms, Hepatic OR Neoplasms, Liver OR Liver Neoplasm OR Neoplasm, Liver OR Hepatic Neoplasms OR Hepatic Neoplasm OR Neoplasm, Hepatic OR Cancer of Liver OR Hepatocellular Cancer OR Cancers, Hepatocellular OR Hepatocellular Cancers OR Hepatic Cancer OR Cancer, Hepatic OR Cancers, Hepatic OR Hepatic Cancers OR Liver Cancer OR Cancer, Liver OR Cancers, Liver OR Liver Cancers OR Cancer of the Liver OR Cancer, Hepatocellular) AND #2 TS = (Immunotherapy OR Immunotherapies OR Immunity therapy); time span: 2011-2020; type of literature: Article; language: English. CiteSpace software was used to perform a visualized analysis of the articles in the field of immunotherapy for liver cancer published in 2011-2020 from the aspects of the distributions of year, country, institution, author, journal, and fund, times cited, and keywords, and the frequency, centrality, and clustering of keywords were discussed. Results A total of 1972 articles on immunotherapy for liver cancer were included, and the analysis showed that China was the country with the largest number of articles, Sun Yat-sen University was the institution with the largest number of articles, and Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer was the journal with the largest number of articles. The research hotspots in this field included tumor-associated macrophages, oncolytic virus (such as adenovirus), tumor vaccine therapy, adoptive cellular immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and combined immunotherapy. The trend of this field was tumor vaccine therapy → immunotherapy for oncolytic virus → adoptive cellular immunotherapy → immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Conclusion Immunotherapy for liver cancer has undergone continuous development in the recent ten years, and with the research and development of tumor vaccine therapy, oncolytic virus, and immune checkpoint inhibitors and the improvement of immune checkpoint inhibitors, combined treatment based on immunotherapy is expected to further improve the clinical outcome of liver cancer.