Objective To analyze the scanning parameters and radiation dose characteristics of pediatric CT examinations in Jiangxi Province, China, and to provide a basis for optimizing radiation protection in children. Methods The data of 1021 CT scans in children aged 0-15 years were collected from seven hospitals in Jiangxi Province, including one provincial hospital, four municipal hospitals, and two county-level hospitals. The data consisted of 405 head scans, 352 chest scans, and 264 abdominal scans. The scanning parameters kV, mAs, and scan length as well as the dose metrics weighted CT dose index and dose length product (DLP) were analyzed. Differences across age groups, anatomical regions, and hospitals were compared using one-way analysis of variance, and the results were compared with domestic and foreign studies. Results There were significant differences in scanning parameters and radiation doses among children of different age groups in CT examinations, and the differences between hospitals were also significant. The chest mAs and DLP in Hospital E were significantly higher than those in Hospital A, and the abdominal DLP in Hospital D was 4.3 times that of Hospital A. Compared with domestic and foreign studies, the DLP values of various anatomical regions in the < 1 year group were generally higher in the present study. The abdominal DLP in the < 1 year group (232.4 mGy·cm) was 3.3 times that in Tianjin. The head DLP in the 1-5 year group was higher than those in Germany and the United States. The chest DLP of the 11-15 year group was higher than that in Germany but lower than that in Henan Province. Conclusion There are significant differences in radiation doses received by children during CT examination in Jiangxi Province by age, anatomical region, and hospital, with some metrics exceeding domestic and international levels. Recommendations include optimizing scanning parameters (e.g., reducing mA/kV and adopting automatic exposure control technology), standardizing scan ranges, and establishing local diagnostic reference levels to mitigate radiation risks.

Objective:To investigate the current situation of the use of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for portal hypertension, which should aid the development of TIPS in China.Methods:The China Portal Hypertension Alliance (CHESS) initiated this study that comprehensively investigated the basic situation of TIPS for portal hypertension in China through network research. The survey included the following: the number of surgical cases, main indications, the development of Early-TIPS, TIPS for portal vein cavernous transformation, collateral circulation embolization, intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurement, commonly used stent types, conventional anticoagulation and time, postoperative follow-up, obstacles, and the application of domestic instruments.Results:According to the survey, a total of 13 527 TIPS operations were carried out in 545 hospitals participating in the survey in 2021, and 94.1% of the hospital had the habit of routine follow-up after TIPS. Most hospitals believed that the main indications of TIPS were the control of acute bleeding (42.6%) and the prevention of rebleeding (40.7%). 48.1% of the teams carried out early or priority TIPS, 53.0% of the teams carried out TIPS for the cavernous transformation of the portal vein, and 81.0% chose routine embolization of collateral circulation during operation. Most of them used coils and biological glue as embolic materials, and 78.5% of the team routinely performed intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurements. In selecting TIPS stents, 57.1% of the hospitals woulel choose Viator-specific stents, 57.2% woulel choose conventional anticoagulation after TIPS, and the duration of anticoagulation was between 3-6 months (55.4%). The limitation of TIPS surgery was mainly due to cost (72.3%) and insufficient understanding of doctors in related departments (77.4%). Most teams accepted the domestic instruments used in TIPS (92.7%).Conclusions:This survey shows that TIPS treatment is an essential part of treating portal hypertension in China. The total number of TIPS cases is far from that of patients with portal hypertension. In the future, it is still necessary to popularize TIPS technology and further standardize surgical indications, routine operations, and instrument application.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization （TACE） combined with anti-angiogenic drugs for the treatment of unresectable primary liver cancer （PLC）. METHODS Retrieved from Chinese and English databases such as CNKI， the Cochrane Library， Google， and Baidu Academic， randomized controlled trial （RCT） about TACE combined with anti-angiogenic drugs for the treatment of unresectable PLC were collected from the inception to May 27， 2024. After screening the literature， extracting data， and evaluating the quality of the literature， network meta-analysis was performed using R 4.2.2 and Stata 17.0. RESULTS A total of 44 RCT were included， involving 5 607 patients and 8 interventions. The network meta-analysis results showed that for prolonging median overall survival （mOS） and median progression- free survival （mPFS）， TACE+apatinib had the best efficacy， with TACE+apatinib and TACE+sorafenib ranking as the top two. For improving objective response rate （ORR） and disease control rate （DCR）， TACE+donafenib had the best efficacy， with TACE+ donafenib and TACE+ lenvatinib ranking as the top two. In terms of safety， TACE+donafenib was the best， with TACE+donafenib and TACE+apatinib ranking as the top two. CONCLUSIONS TACE+apatinib and TACE+donafenib have good efficacy for patients with unresectable PLC， and TACE+donafenib has the best safety profile.

Objective To investigate the serological and molecular characteristics of twenty blood samples carrying ABO?AW.37 allele and to analyze ABO allelic enhancement.Methods The ABO phenotype of the twenty samples was de-termined by serological methods and the genotype of 1-7 ABO exons was analyzed by Sanger sequencing.Results Sequen-cing analysis showed that all twenty samples contained a c.940A>G(p.Lys314Glu)mutation of A allele,which was defined as ABO?AW.37.When ABO?AW.37 and B alleles were inherited simultaneously in 9 cases,in forward typing anti-A anti-bodies all agglutinated and the serological phenotype was Aw B.Among the 11 cases with ABO?AW.37 and O alleles inherited simultaneously,there was no agglutination of anti-A in forward typing.For absorption and elution tests,5 cases were weakly positive and the serological phenotype was Ael,while 6 cases were negative for absorption and elution tests and the serologi-cal phenotype was O type.Conclusion Allelic enhancement occured when both ABO?AW.37 allele and B allele were in-herited simultaneously.When ABO? AW.37 was inherited simultaneously with O allele,the serological phenotype was Aelor O type and attention should be paid to blood type identification.

Objective:To observe the mechanism of electroacupuncture on nerve repair in mice with neuropathic pain based on the protein kinase C(PKC)-purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 3(P2X3)signal pathway.Methods:A total of 48 mice were randomly divided into sham group,model group,acupuncture group and electroacupuncture group,with 12 mice in each group.Except the sham group,the other mice were constructed with chronic constriction injury(CCI)model.On the 8th day after operation,acupuncture group and electroacupuncture group received acupuncture and electroacupuncture interventions for 7 days.Mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT)and thermal withdrawal latency(TWL)were measured before operation and 3rd,5th,7th,10th,12th and 14th day after operation.All mice were killed 15 days after operation.The histomorphology of sciatic nerve was ob-served by HE staining.The levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in spinal cord were detected by ELISA.PKC and P2X3 levels in spinal cord tis-sue were detected by Western blot.PKC and P2X3 expressions in spinal cord neurons were detected by Immunofluorescence.Results:In the sham group,the neuronal cells were of different sizes,the cell membrane was intact,the cytoplasm was fine and granular,the nucleus was large and round,and the nucleolus was clearlyvisible in the middle.Atrophic neurons could be seen in the model group,myelinated nerve fibers were disordered,axons were swollen,and spaces were formed between neurons.Compared with the model group,the number of atrophic neurons decreased in the acupuncture group and the electroacupuncture group(P<0.05),the arrange-ment of myelinated nerve fibers improved and the improvement in the electroacupuncture group was more obvious than that in the acu-puncture group.Compared with the sham group at the same time point,on the 3rd,5th,7th,10th,12th and 14th day after opera-tion,the MWT and TWL values of the model group,acupuncture group and electroacupuncture group decreased significantly(P<0.05),while the expressions of IL-1β,TNF-α,PKC,P2X3,the numbers of PKC and P2X3 positive cells and the average optical den-sity increased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the values of MWT and TWL in the acupuncture group and electroacupunc-ture group increased significantly on the 10th,12th and 14th day after operation(P<0.05),while the expression of IL-1β,TNF-α,PKC,P2X3,the number of PKC and P2X3 positive cells and the average optical density decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the acu-puncture group,the values of MWT and TWL in the electroacupuncture group increased significantly on the 10th,12th and 14th day after operation(P<0.05),while the expressions of IL-1β,TNF-α,PKC,P2X3,the numbers of PKC and P2X3 positive cells and the average optical density decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:Electroacupuncture can reduce the neuroinflammatory reaction of CCI model mice,reduce the expression levels of PKC and P2X3,improve the morphology of sciatic nerve cells and the arrangement of myelinated nerve fibers,reduce the gap between neurons,increase the values of MWT and TWL,and relieve the degree of neuropathic pain.

Purpose To explore the application value of contrast enhancement boost(CE-Boost)technique in image quality of tumors and their feeding arteries in preoperative evaluation of renal cancer patients.Materials and Methods A total of 36 renal cancer patients in People's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from August 2022 to May 2023 with pathologically confirmed were retrospective collected.All patients underwent renal enhanced CT.The cortical phase images were post-processed using the CE-Boost technique to obtain CE-Boost images.The cortical phase images were set as group A and the CE-Boost images were set as group B.The CT value and image noise(SD)of abdominal aorta,renal artery,tumor and its adjacent renal cortex,and SD of the vertical spinal muscle on both sides of the spine of two groups were measured and recorded,and then the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of tumor,abdominal aorta and renal artery were calculated.The image quality of the tumor,tumor feeding artery and renal artery was scored on 4 points by 2 doctors with double-blind method.Results The signal-to-noise ratio,contrast-to-noise ratio and CT value of group B were significantly higher than those of group A(t=-27.385--5.267,all P<0.05).The SD of tumor,abdominal aorta,right and left renal artery were not significantly different between group A and B(t=-1.849-0.993,all P>0.05).The subjective score of tumor in group A and B were no significant difference(Z=-1.490,P=0.136).However,the subjective score of tumor feeding arteries and renal arteries were significantly higher in group B than in group A(Z=-3.512,P=0.000;Z=-2.127,P=0.033).Conclusion The CT CE-Boost technique can improve the image quality of renal enhanced CT and provide visualization of tumor feeding arteries.

Neutrophils as the first immune responders to infection can quickly identify and eliminate pathogens. The mainly rely on glycolysis to exert their killing functions. Although researches on the metabolic shifs that affect neutrophil functions began early, little is known about how neutrophils undergo metabolic transformation during the anti-infection process. It has been proven that glycogen metabolism plays an important role in regulating the functions of neutrophils. Other metabolic pathways besides glycolysis, such as mitochondrial metabolism and fatty acid oxidation during neutrophil differentiation, have potential contributions to the regulation of neutrophils′ functions. This review summaries current studies about metabolic regulatory effects of neutrophils on anti-infection responses, intending to provide reference for further study on the metabolism of neutrophils.

Chronic hepatitis B （CHB） is still a malignant infectious disease that seriously threatens human health， and currently nucleos（t）ide analogues and interferon are the main treatment methods for CHB， but they cannot achieve functional cure. The development and progression of CHB are closely associated with immune function dysregulation in the host， and therefore， regulating host immunity has become a key link in the treatment of CHB. Recent studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine exerts a therapeutic effect on CHB by regulating host immune function. This article introduces the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine theory and immunity and summarizes the theoretical basis and related studies for traditional Chinese medicine in the immune regulation of CHB， in order to provide new ideas for integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy for CHB.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the molecular reasons of weak expression of B antigen on the red cell. METHODS: Serological test for blood group was carried out, including red cell and plasma grouping, and anti-A1 and anti-H testing, and confirming weak A or B antigens by adsorption and elution. Exons 1-7 were sequenced directly, and one of them was cloned and sequenced. RESULTS: All of the 23 samples showed the weak B antigen by serological method. The alleles of the subgroups were identified by DNA sequencing, including 2 Bel subgroup, 4 B3 subgroup, 14 Bw subgroup, 2 CisAB subgroup and a novel allele. The novel allele showed a nucleotide substitution 662G>A in the exon 7, and the sequence was submitted to Blood Group Antigen Gene Mutation Database, and the novel allele was named Bel10. CONCLUSION Nucleotide substitution in exon results in blood subgroup, which showed that the antigens were weakened, and Bw phenotype was the most frequently subgroup.
ABO Blood-Group System/genetics* ; Alleles ; Exons ; Genotype ; Humans ; Nucleotides ; Phenotype

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among inpatients with AIDS and its influencing factors, so as to provide the evidence for improving the psychological health among inpatients with AIDS. Methods: The inpatients with AIDS that were hospitalized in an infectious disease hospital in Chengdu City were recruited using the convenient sampling method. The demographic features, depression and anxiety were collected using a self-designed questionnaire, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale ( SDS ), respectively, and factors affecting the development of depression and anxiety were identified using a multivariable linear regression model among inpatients with AIDS. Results: The 228 AIDS inpatients included 186 men (81.58%) and 42 women ( 18.42% ), and had a mean age of ( 48.04±16.03 ) years. There were 113 inpatients ( 49.56% ) with a CD4+T cell count of ≤200 cells/μL, and the mean SAS and SDS standardized scores were 35.87±8.01 and 42.07±11.08 among AIDS inpatients, which were both significantly greater than in normal populations ( P<0.05 ). The prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and comorbid anxiety and depression were 5.26%, 16.23% and 4.82% among the participants, respectively. Multivariable linear regression analysis identified unemployment as a risk factor of anxiety ( β'=0.168, P<0.05 ), and CD4+T cell count as a risk factor of anxiety ( β'=-0.151, P<0.05 ) and depression ( β'=-0.238, P<0.05 ) among inpatients with AIDS. Conclusions Anxiety and depression are prevalent among inpatients with AIDS. Unemployment and a low CD4+T cell count may cause a rise in the risk of developing anxiety and depression among inpatients with AIDS.