Objective To investigate any potential and independent demographic and serologic risk factors contributing to bone destruction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) . Methods A total of 445 patients with RA were recruited in this study. Three autoantibodies including rheumatoid factor ( RF) , anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody ( anti-CCP antibody) and anti-citrullinated alpha-enolase peptide 1 antibody ( anti-CEP-1 antibody) were quantified by using specific ELISA kits. The hand radiographs of all subjects were graded by using the modified Sharp/van der Heijde score ( Sharp score) . The potential and in-dependent risk factors were assessed by using univariate linear regression analyses and the stepwise multiple regression analysis, respectively. Results Based upon the univariate regression analyses, 7 covariates were identified as the potential risk factors for bone destruction in patients with RA, which were female (β=0. 100, P=0. 035), longer disease duration (β=0. 498, P=3. 26×10-29), RF (β=0. 096, P=0. 042), younger age at onset (β=-0. 312, P=1. 60 × 10-11 ), anti-CCP antibody positive (β=0. 202, P=1.74×10-5), anti-CEP-1 antibody positive (β=0.148, P=0.017) and positive for either anti-CCP or anti-CEP-1 antibodies (β=0. 157, P=1. 42×10-3). However, smoking (β=-0. 121, P=0. 018) were identi-fied as the potential protective factors. The multiple regression analysis indicated that the longer disease du-ration (P=2. 24×10-15) and anti-CCP antibody positive (P=0. 012) were independent risk factors for bone destruction. Conclusion Female, longer disease duration, younger age at onset, RF, anti-CCP and anti-CEP-1antibodies are potential risk factors for bone damage in patients with RA. Moreover, longer disease du-ration and anti-CCP antibody are two independent risk factors contributing to bone destruction in RA.

Background and Aim:Sulfotransferase(SULT)-mediated sulfation and steroid sulfatase(STS)-mediated desulfation represent two critical mechanisms that regulate the chemical and functional homeostasis of endogenous and exogenous molecules.STS catalyzes the hydrolysis of steroid sulfates to form hydrox-ysteroids.Oxygenated cholesterol derivative oxysterols are known to be endogenous ligands of the liver X receptor(LXR),a nuclear receptor with anti-cholestasis activity,whereas the sulfated oxysterols antagonize LXR signaling.The conversion of sulfated oxysterols to their non-sulfated counterparts is catalyzed by STS.The aim of this study is to determine whether STS can alleviate cholestasis by increasing the activity of LXR. Methods:Liver-specific STS transgenic mice were created and subject to the lithocholic acid(LCA)-induced model of cholestasis. Results:Transgenic overexpression of STS in the liver promoted bile acid elimination and alleviated LCA-induced cholestasis.The protective effect of the STS transgene was associated with the activation of LXR and induction of LXR target genes,likely because of the increased conversion of the antagonistic oxy-sterol sulfates to the agonistic oxysterols. Conclusions:STS has a novel function in controlling the homeostasis of bile acids by regulating endog-enous LXR ligands.

Objective:To optimize the scheme and process of chest CT scanning and control the dose level to the examined individuals by establishing the diagnostic reference level (DRL) and warning dose value from chest CT examinations in our hospital.Methods:The medical records for 205 511 examined individuals, who had undergone chest CT scans in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Medical College from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019, were reviewed consecutively. For the two-year examination periods, these examined individuals were divided into two groups, one for 2018 totalling 90 507 and another for 2019 with a total of 115 004. The mean value of doses from chest CT scans in 2018 was set as the DRL for the hospital, with the 75th and 25th percentiles as the upper and lower limits of diagnostic reference range (DRR) and the 97.5th percentiles as the warning dose values. The doses above the upper limit of DRR were considered to be relatively-high whearas the ones exceeding the warning dose value to be over-high. Based on the analysis of the over high dose in 2018, the scanning scheme and inspection process of the chest CT scans were improved in 2019. The number of examinations were estimated for the 2018 period for chest plain CT scans, chest enhancement CT scans, lung cancer screening low-dose CT scans, and relatively-high and over-high dose CT scans, as well as the single scanning doses to the examined in the two groups. The number of examinations resulting in high dose to the examined due to different reasons before and after the improvement were studied. The various parameters on the examined in the two groups were compared statistically.Results:After the improvement, the average dose from chest plain CT scans decreased by 8.67 %, with the statistically significant difference as compared with before improvement ( t=55.71, P<0.05). The average dose from low-dose chest CT scans fell by 20.13% with statistically significant difference ( t=81.99, P<0.05). The fraction of the examinations with slightly-high doses arising from chest plain CT scans and low dose chest CT scans dropped by 3.66% and 17.15%, respectively. The fraction of the examinations with slightly-high dose from chest enhanced CT increased by 1.7%. The fraction of the examinations with over-high dose from chest plain CT scans, enhanced CT scans and low-dose CT scans decreased by 0.55%, 1.06% and 1.74%, respectively. After improvement, the optimized fraction of the examinations with over-high dose, dropped by 4.72%, 31.49% and 19.18% respectively. Conclusions:The establishment of the DRL and the warming dose value of for chest CT examinations in our hospital is helpful to find out the cause of high dose scanning, promote the optimization of dose, reduce the average dose to the examinedes, and avoid using excessive dose during scanning.

Objective:To analyze and compare the X-ray procedures and radiation dose composition of ophthalmic inpatients, and to explore the changes of the X-ray examination mode in recent years and the effect of optimization in imaging technology on the radiation dose level of the patients.Methods:The simple random sampling method was used to retrospectively select the imaging data of the ophthalmic inpatients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July 1st to November 31st in 2019 and from July 1st to November 31st in 2020. A total of 516 cases were selected according to the imaging time, including 258 cases in 2019 and 258 cases in 2020. Based on our previous research and the related documents of low-dose CT screening, a series of optimizations on CT scanning parameters and process were carried out in 2020, including the frequency of DR and CT scanning, the number of examinations per capita, the composition ratio of CT and DR, and X-ray dose per capita.Results:In 2020, the average effective doses of chest CT and orbital CT for ophthalmic inpatients were (2.587±1.586) mSv and (0.877±0.733) mSv, significantly lower than those in 2019 ( F=0.52, 0.72, P<0.05), and decreased by 34.82% and 37.13%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the average effective dose of chest DR and head CT between 2020 and 2019 ( F=6.01, 1.81, P>0.05). The number of X-ray examination per capita increased by 0.15 times, and the effective dose increased by 1.44 times (1.589 mSv). Chest DR was the main type of X-ray examination, accounting for 68.79% of all examinations in 2019, while chest CT was the main type, accounting for 71.05% in 2020. The composition of chest CT in 2020 increased by 63.17% compared with 2019, and the compositions of chest DR, orbital CT and cranial CT were decreased by 53.88%, 5.79% and 2.89%, respectively. Conclusions:With dose optimization measures, the single CT dose of ophthalmic inpatients in 2020 was lower than that in 2019. Chest CT increased significantly in frequency, and became main X-ray examination instead of chest DR which made the effective dose of ophthalmic inpatients increasing significantly.

Objective:To examine the effects of Zishenwan Prescription on bile acid metabolism in mice with diabetic encephalopathy; To explore its mechanism of improvement of diabetic encephalopathy.Methods:Male C57BL/6J mice were used to replicate the mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus by using high-fat chow and a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (120 mg/kg). The mice were screened for diabetic encephalopathy by using the Morris water maze test after 8 weeks of continuous stimulation with hyperglycemia, and were divided into model group and Zishenwan Prescription group according to random number table method, with 12 mice in each group. The mice in the Zishenwan Prescription group were treated with the crude extract of Zishenwan Prescription (9.36 g/kg) by gavage, and the normal group and the model group were treated with the same volume of distilled water once a day for 8 weeks. At the end of the treatment, Morris water maze test was used to investigate the cognitive function of diabetic encephalopathy mice; cresyl violet staining was used to detect the number of granule neurons in the hippocampus; serum and feces were collected to detect the content of bile acids by liquid-liquid coupling; hepatic bile acid synthase CYP7a1 and CYP27a1, farnesol X receptor (FXR), fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15), fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4), and ileocecal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter protein (ABST) mRNA levels were detected by using fluorescence quantitative PCR assay.Results:Compared with the model group, mice in the Zishenwan Prescription group had shorter evasion latency time ( P<0.05 or P<0.01), decreased time to first reach the platform ( P<0.01), increased number of times to traverse the platform ( P<0.01), and reduced neuronal cell damage in hippocampal area; mice in the Zishenwan Prescription group showed decreased serum and fecal total bile acid content ( P<0.05 or P<0.01); the liver CYP7a1 and CYP27a1 mRNA expressions increased ( P<0.01), and FXR and FGF15 mRNA expressions decreased ( P<0.01); ileal ABST mRNA expression decreased ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Zishenwan Prescription may regulate bile acid metabolism, inhibit FRX-FGF15/FGFR4 signaling and ABST expression to promote new bile acid synthesis and conjugated bile acid reabsorption, and thus improve cognitive function in diabetic encephalopathy mice.

Objective: To translate the English version of the Pressure Ulcer Risk Primary or Secondary Evaluation Tool (PURPOSE T) into Chinese and evaluate its reliability and validity. Methods: Firstly, PURPOSE T was translated and revised, cross-cultural debugging, and then 213 inpatients from Jiangsu University Affiliated Hospital from November 2017 to May 2018 were selected for investigation. Choosing the total item content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) and the content validity of the item level content validity index (I-CVI) to evaluate content validity, using the Chinese version of the Braden scale as the criterion to measure the validity-related validity of the Chinese version of PURPOSE T. The internal consistency reliability Cronbach α coefficient, the assessor reliability, and the test-retest reliability measure the reliability. Results: The Chinese version of PURPOSET S-CVI was 0.967; I-CVI was 0.6-1.0, The coefficients between PURPOSET and Braden scale in mobility, activity ability, perception status, nutritional status and humidity were 0.600, 0.661, 0.699, 0.519, and 0.783. The PURPOSET and Braden scales had a correlation coefficient of 0.407 in predicting the risk of pressure injury. The Cronbach α=0.859 of the evaluation tool, the assessor reliability were 0.87 and the correlation coefficient of the 2 measurements of the test-retest reliability were 0.91. Conclusions The Chinese version of PURPOSET has good reliability and validity and can be used as a risk assessment tool for pressure injury in hospitalized patients in China.