ObjectiveTo analyze the expression level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 （TREM-1） in serum and ascites of patients with cirrhotic ascites， and to investigate its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory markers and its role in the diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation. MethodsA total of 110 patients with cirrhotic ascites who were hospitalized in The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled， and according to the presence or absence of intra-abdominal infection， they were divided into infection group with 72 patients and non-infection group with 38 patients. The patients with infection were further divided into improvement group with 38 patients and non-improvement group with 34 patients. Clinical data and laboratory markers were collected from all patients. Serum and ascites samples were collected， and ELISA was used to measure the level of TREM-1. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of each indicator， and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. ResultsThe level of TREM-1 in ascites was significantly positively correlated with that in serum （r=0.50， P<0.001）. Compared with the improvement group， the non-improvement group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-2.391， P=0.017） and serum （Z=-2.544， P=0.011）， and compared with the non-infection group， the infection group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-3.420， P<0.001）， while there was no significant difference in the level of TREM-1 in serum between the two groups （P>0.05）. The level of TREM-1 in serum and ascites were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， white blood cell count， and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio （r=0.288， 0.344， 0.530， 0.510， 0.534， 0.454， 0.330， and 0.404， all P<0.05）. The ROC curve analysis showed that when PCT， CRP， and serum or ascitic TREM-1 were used in combination for the diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites with infection， the AUCs were 0.715 and 0.740， respectively. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP （odds ratio ［OR］=1.019， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.038， P=0.043） and serum TREM-1 （OR=1.002， 95%CI： 1.000‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.003， P=0.016） were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection， and the combination of these two indicators had an AUC of 0.728 in predicting poor prognosis. ConclusionThe level of TREM-1 is closely associated with the severity of infection and prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites， and combined measurement of TREM-1 and CRP/PCT can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infection and provide support for prognostic evaluation.

BACKGROUND:Studies have reported that alendronate intake significantly increases bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To analyze and compare the changes in metabolites before and after alendronate intervention in ovariectomized rats by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and to further explore the specific mechanism and target of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS:A total of 36 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group,alendronate sodium group and sham operation group.The osteoporosis model was established by ovariectomy in the first two groups.Four weeks after modeling,the rats in the alendronate group were intragastrically given alendronate sodium,while those in the sham operation group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline.After 12 weeks of continuous gavage,the metabolites of the lumbar spine were analyzed by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and the common differential metabolites were obtained,which were analyzed by bioinformatics such as Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Totally 17 different metabolites were obtained in the three groups.The enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes showed that alendronate sodium could regulate unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis,linoleic acid metabolism and other pathways to protect ovariectomized rats.These results indicate that alendronate sodium may exert its anti-osteoporosis effect by interfering with unsaturated fatty acid bioanabolism and linoleic acid metabolism,so as to achieve the purpose of preventing osteoporosis

ObjectiveTo evaluate a third-generation applicator template for intracavitary combined with interstitial brachytherapy （IC-ISBT） suitable for locally advanced cervical cancer， aiming to improve therapeutic outcomes. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on patients with stage IB3-ⅣB cervical cancer treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from January 2023 to October 2023. Magnetic resonance imaging data before and after external beam radiation therapy were collected and analyzed. According to the residual tumor after external beam radiation， high-risk clinical target volumes （HR-CTV） were delineated， based on which a third-generation IC-ISBT applicator template was designed. The dosimetric and therapeutic differences between using this applicator template （template implantation group） and traditional freehand interstitial implantation （freehand implantation group） were further compared. Statistical methods were used to analyze the data from both groups to test the efficacy and safety of the two approaches. ResultsThe third-generation applicator template could accommodate different cervical structures and optimize needle path layout. The tumor volume in the template implantation group was significantly larger than in the freehand implantation group， showing statistical differences. In terms of dosimetric coverage （V_100%）， the template implantation group exhibited significant statistical differences compared with the freehand implantation group， demonstrating superior dose coverage. Additionally， the third-generation template showed advantages in protecting the rectum and sigmoid colon by potentially reducing high-dose points， while there were no significant differences in bladder dosimetry between the two methods. The primary cervical lesion remission rates were similar between the two groups. ConclusionThe third-generation IC-ISBT applicator template is scientifically and rationally designed， especially for patients with larger tumor volumes and later stages. It is easy to operate， highly reproducible， and shows significant advantages in dose distribution and protection of surrounding critical organs. The template has the potential to be widely applied as a routine treatment option.

Objective:To exploring the value of MR neuroimaging for quantitative assessment of the facial nerve and peripheral lymph nodes in patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis. Methods:Based on a prospective experimental design, 32 patients with idiopathic peripheral facial palsy were enrolled in the experiment. Based on MR neuroimaging technology, MR high-resolution thin-layer images of bilateral facial nerves were acquired. The diameters of different segments of the bilateral facial nerve were measured, including the labyrinthine segment, the geniculate ganglion, the horizontal segment, the vertical segment, the stem-mammary foramen segment, the trunk of the parotid segment, the temporal trunk, and the cervical trunk, as well as the quantitative indicators of peri-auricular and parotid lymph nodes（number, length and diameter of the largest lymph nodes）. Differences in quantitative indices of nerve diameter and peripheral lymph nodes between the paraplegic and healthy sides were compared using the paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results:The diameter of geniculate ganglion, mastoid foramen stem, parotid main trunk, temporal facial trunk, and cervical facial trunk were notably increased on the facial paralysis side compared to the contralateral side（P<0.05）. However, no significant differences were observed in the diameter of labyrinthine segment, horizontal segment, or vertical segment compared to the contralateral side. There were significantly more periauricular lymph nodes on the facial paralysis side than the contralateral side（P=0.001）. Conclusion:MR neuroimaging enables the quantitative assessment of structural changes in the facial nerve of patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis, demonstrating nerve enlargement in the geniculate ganglion, stylomastoid foramen segment, main trunk of the parotid segment, temporal facial trunk, and cervical facial trunk. Additionally, an increased number of periauricular lymph nodes is observed on the affected side. These findings may aid clinicians in assessing the efficacy of treatments and predict the prognosis of these patients.
Humans ; Facial Nerve/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Prospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Neuroimaging/methods* ; Lymph Nodes/diagnostic imaging* ; Facial Paralysis/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of the BNIP3-PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in mediating the inhibitory effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWT) on mitochondrial autophagy in human synovial fibroblasts from rheumatoid arthritis patients (FLS-RA) cultured under a hypoxic condition. METHODS: Forty normal Wistar rats were randomized into two groups (n=20) for daily gavage of BYHWT or distilled water for 7 days to prepare BYHWT-medicated or control sera. FLS-RA were cultured in routine condition or exposed to hypoxia (10% O₂) for 24 h wigh subsequent treatment with IL-1β, followed by treatment with diluted BYHWT-medicated serum (5%, 10% and 20%) or control serum. AnnexinV-APC/7-AAD double staining and T-AOC kit were used for detecting apoptosis and total antioxidant capacity of the cells, and the changes in ROS, ATP level, mitochondrial membrane potential and Ca²⁺ homeostasis were analyzed. The changes in mRNA and protein expressions of BNIP3, PI3K and AKT and mRNA expressions of LC3, Beclin-1 and P62 were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Treatment with BYHWT-medicated serum dose-dependently lowered apoptosis rate of IL-1β-induced FLS-RA with hypoxic exposure. The treatment significantly decreased T-AOC concentration, increased ROS production, autophagosome formation and ATPase levels, and lowered mitochondrial membrane potential and Ca²⁺ level in the cells. In IL-1β-induced FLS-RA with hypoxic exposure, treatment with BYHWT-medicated serum significantly increased BNIP3 protein expression, decreased the protein expressions of PI3K and AKT, increased the mRNA expressions of BNIP3 and P62, and lowered the mRNA expressions of PI3K, AKT, LC3 and Beclin-1 without significantly affecting Beclin-1 protein expression. The cells treated with 5% and 10% BYHWT-medicated serum showed no significant changes in LC3 expression. CONCLUSIONS BYHWT inhibits mitochondrial autophagy in IL-1β-induced FLS-RA with hypoxic exposure possibly by inhibiting BNIP3-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/pathology* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Humans ; Fibroblasts/cytology* ; Rats, Wistar ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Rats ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Hypoxia ; Synovial Membrane/cytology* ; Male ; Mitochondrial Proteins

Objective:This study aimed to assess the awareness of trainees in physician standardized training towards the consequences of scientific misconduct and identify the main influencing factors, additionally, to provide targeted suggestions.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted among 6 200 trainees from 17 National standardized training bases for residencies in Guangxi. The cognitive status of the consequences of scientific misconduct were analyzed and factors affecting trainees' cognition were examined in terms of grade, education level, research experience, publication experience, research integrity training experience, and research integrity knowledge level.Results:The findings indicated that the awareness of trainees towards the consequences of scientific misconduct requires improvement. Notably, trainees from the 2020 and 2021 grade cohorts, with a master′s degree or above, having led research projects, having participated in research integrity training, and with a high level of research integrity knowledge scored higher on the cognitive assessment of the impact of research misconduct.Conclusions:Training bases should prioritize the education of research integrity among trainees, enhance their identification with scientific research integrity, raise their awareness of the seriousness of the consequences of scientific misconduct, and uphold the belief of adhering to the bottom line of academic ethics.

Objective:To evaluate the healthcare accessibility and quality of diagnosis and treatment services of Internet hospitals in China.Methods:One hundred and eighty Internet hospitals in 60 cities were seleted based on the sampling of development levels in the eastern, central and western regions of China. From April to May 2023, standardized patients methodology was applied to evaluate the accessibility(including the number of Internet hospitals, functional settings, online doctor status, the doctor′s attending rate and consultation fees) and diagnosis and treatment service quality(including the diagnosis and treatment services quality, response speed and patient′s evaluation) of Internet hospitals.Results:The average opening rate of Internet hospitals in China was 52.9% (560/1 058), the average online rate of doctors was 64.2% (1 099/1 713), the average doctor′s attending rate was 33.6% (112/333), the average consultation fee was 4.85 yuan, the average score of consultation was 1.92 out of 9, the average score of diagnosis and treatment was 1.12 out of 4, the average score of the response speed was 1.70 out of 3, and patient satisfaction was 2.73 out of 3.Conclusions:The Internet hospital accessibility in China is unevenly developed, and the overall quality of diagnosis and treatment is low. It is recommended to accurately position and optimize the function of Internet hospital, establish the incentive mechanism for online consultation doctors, construct and improve the regulatory system of Internet hospital diagnosis and treatment, so as to improve the accessibility and quality of diagnosis and treatment of Internet hospitals.

Objective:To construct an evidence-based prediction model for early recurrence after surgery of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on Meta-analysis and to do external validation study.Methods:The literatures in Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD), Chinese Social Science Citation System (CCSCI), PubMed, Web of Science and IEEE databases between January 2019 and December 2023 were searched based on the subject words. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 literatures were included to screen the risk factors affecting the early recurrence of HCC. When the same risk factor was found in ≥5 included literatures, Meta-analysis was performed by using Review Manager 5.4.1 software. External validation data were collected from 401 patients with primary HCC who underwent surgery in Liaoning Cancer Hospital between March 2014 and March 2017. The patients were divided into early recurrence group (176 cases) and early non-recurrence group (225 cases) according to whether they relapsed 2 years after surgery. The OR values of all risk factors obtained in the Meta-analysis were converted into modeling, and postoperative early recurrence rate of HCC in the Meta-analysis was used to calculate β 0, and finally the logistic model was obtained. The OR value was incorporated into the logit (P) model, and the morbidity (P) of the external validation data was calculated. Taking the recurrence 2 years after surgery or not as the dependent variable and P as the independent variable, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to calculate the area under the curve (AUC). Results:A total of 8 risk factors for early HCC recurrence were screened out from 9 literatures (x 1: alpha-fetoprotein ≥ 400 ng/ml; x 2: tumor number ≥ 2; x 3: the longest tumor diameter ≥ 5 cm; x 4: Barcelona staging B-C; x 5: microvascular invasion; x 6: moderate to low differentiation; x 7: incomplete capsule; x 8: nonanatomic hepatectomy). The Meta-analysis included 1 757 HCC cases, with 960 postoperative early recurrences and an early recurrence rate of 45.36%, finally the β 0 value was -0.201. The predictive model for 2-year recurrence of HCC was constructed and calculated as logit (P) = -0.201+0.835x 1+0.905x 2+0.783x 3+1.008x 4+0.765x 5+0.831x 6+1.533x 7+0.940x 8. Analysis of variance by external validation data showed that the differences in ascites, alpha-fetoprotein, tumor number, tumor diameter, Barcelona staging, microvascular invasion, tumor differentiation degree, capsule invasion, resection type, and systemic inflammation index were statistically significant between early recurrence group and early non-recurrence group (all P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that AUC of postoperative early recurrence of HCC predicted by the model was 0.718, (95% CI: 0.689-0.753), the optimal cut-off value was 3.11, the Yoden index was 0.288, the sensitivity was 69.32%, and the specificity was 69.56%. Conclusions:The evidence-based prediction model constructed based on Meta-analysis for postoperative early recurrence of HCC has a high predictive value. However, further verification and optimization with big data is still needed.

Objective To assess the safety and therapeutic impact of propofol target-controlled infusion combined with alfentanil for vocal polyp excision.Methods From January 2023 to January 2024,vocal polyp ectomy removal surgery patients 80 cases in Ganzhou People's Hospital's were selected and randomly assigned into group A(40 cases)and group F(40 cases).In the anesthetic induction sequence,the two subject groups in the clinical trial had their propofol plasma target concentration set at 3.5μg/ml.Rocuronium bromide was administered at a dosage of 0.6mg/kg,followed by a slow and careful injection.In group F,this was succeeded by an injection of fentanyl at 3μg/kg.In contrast,group A received an intravenous injection of alfentanil at a dosage of 20μg/kg.In both groups,tracheal intubation was executed when muscle relaxation had been achieved.Monitoring and documentation of hemodynamic fluctuations during the perioperative stages.Records were kept for the procedure's conclusion time,the time frame for regaining consciousness and extubation,and any adverse effects experienced.Results While the contrast of mean arterial pressure(MAP)and heart rate(HR)between two groups at each time point from To to T4 were statistically non-significant(P＞0.05).Compared with preoperative baseline(To),MAP and HR were lower in both groups at all time points within group at T1,T2,T3 and T4(P＜0.05),the within-group examination of these parameters across time points and their interactions did show quantifiable differences(P＜0.05).The interval from regaining consciousness to extubation was shorter in group A than that in group F(P＜0.05).Additionally,the quantity of propofol and the number of unanticipated effects were diminished in group A than those in group F(P＜0.05).Conclusion In the context of vocal polypectemy,the administration of propofol via a targeted infusion combined with alfentanil maintains hemodynamic stability,minimizes propofol dosing in contrast to fentanyl,and is linked to faster awakening times and a lower occurrence of adverse effects.