Objective: To optimize the method of simultaneous determination of four aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) of ginger by the ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method and high-throughput method. Methods: The aflatoxins were extracted from ginger by methanol-water (80:20, V/V) solution, concentrated and dried with nitrogen. The aflatoxins were detected by UPLC-MS/MS by using Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 chromatographic column. The mobile phase was 0.1% formic acid water (A phase) -0.1% formic acid methanol (B phase), gradient elution, flow rate 0.35 ml/min, mass spectrometry was electrospray ion source, positive ion scanning mode, multi reaction ion monitoring were using. Results: Quantification of four aflatoxins by matrix matching standard curve. The linear was good in the range of 0.125-20.000 ng/ml, and the correlation coefficients were all greater than 0.999 0. The ginger sample detection was 0.125-0.300 μg/kg and 0.125-1.000 μg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries were 81.7%-96.0%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 7.53%. Conclusions This method is simple, rapid, sensitive and low limit of detection, which can meet the requirements for the detection of trace aflatoxins residues in ginger.

Purpose: Plasma osmolality, a marker of dehydration, is associated with cardiovascular mortality. We aimed to investigate whether elevated plasma osmolality is associated with case fatality within 1 year after severe acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: We included severe ischemic stroke patients (defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≥15 score) within 24 hours from symptom onset admitted to the Department of Neurology, West China Hospital between January 2017 and June 2019. Admission plasma osmolality was calculated using the equation 1.86 * (sodium+potassium)+1.15 * glucose+urea+14. Elevated plasma osmolality was defined as plasma osmolality >296 mOsm/kg, indicating a state of dehydration. Study outcomes included 3-month and 1-year case fatalities. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine independent associations between plasma osmolality and case fatalities at different time points. Results: A total of 265 patients with severe acute ischemic stroke were included. The mean age was 71.2±13.1 years, with 51.3% being males. Among the included patients, case fatalities were recorded for 31.7% (84/265) at 3 months and 39.6% (105/265) at 1 year. Elevated plasma osmolality (dehydration) was associated with 3-month case fatality [odds ratio (OR) 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–3.66, p=0.029], but not 1-year case fatality (OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.84–2.72, p=0.165), after full adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusion Elevated plasma osmolality was independently associated with 3-month case fatality, but not 1-year case fatality, for severe acute ischemic stroke.

Purpose: Plasma osmolality, a marker of dehydration, is associated with cardiovascular mortality. We aimed to investigate whether elevated plasma osmolality is associated with case fatality within 1 year after severe acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: We included severe ischemic stroke patients (defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≥15 score) within 24 hours from symptom onset admitted to the Department of Neurology, West China Hospital between January 2017 and June 2019. Admission plasma osmolality was calculated using the equation 1.86 * (sodium+potassium)+1.15 * glucose+urea+14. Elevated plasma osmolality was defined as plasma osmolality >296 mOsm/kg, indicating a state of dehydration. Study outcomes included 3-month and 1-year case fatalities. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine independent associations between plasma osmolality and case fatalities at different time points. Results: A total of 265 patients with severe acute ischemic stroke were included. The mean age was 71.2±13.1 years, with 51.3% being males. Among the included patients, case fatalities were recorded for 31.7% (84/265) at 3 months and 39.6% (105/265) at 1 year. Elevated plasma osmolality (dehydration) was associated with 3-month case fatality [odds ratio (OR) 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–3.66, p=0.029], but not 1-year case fatality (OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.84–2.72, p=0.165), after full adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusion Elevated plasma osmolality was independently associated with 3-month case fatality, but not 1-year case fatality, for severe acute ischemic stroke.

Massive brain infarction is a major type of severe ischaemic stroke, for which malignant brain oedema is a common cause for poor prognosis. Existing studies and guidelines mostly focused on the intensive care and surgical treatment for malignant brain oedema, whilst there is insufficient evidence to guide the widely applicable interventions specifically targeting malignant brain oedema. We propose that early prediction and prevention may be more feasible and beneficial in practice, than the treatment for malignant brain oedema. Future research is urgently needed to a) dynamically illustrate its natural history and explore the time window for prevention; b) investigate risk factors and early predictors, to guide the selection of high-risk patients for individualised interventions. Clinical doctors should be aware of the importance of early presentation of massive brain infarction, dynamically record changes in symptoms and sign, and provide individualised and comprehensive management, with an aim to reduce the development of malignant brain oedema, and finally reduce stroke burden.

Objective:To investgate the effect of endovascular therapy (EVT) on the requirement for decompressive craniectomy (DC) and functional outcomes in patients with large anterior circulation ischemic stroke.Methods:Patients with large anterior circulation ischemic stroke within 24 hours of onset admitted to the Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University between September 2017 and December 2019 were included. Outcome indicators included DC demand and poor outcome at 3 months. The latter was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score >2. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent factors of DC requirement and functional outcomes at 3 months. Results:A total of 381 patients with large anterior circulation ischemic stroke were enrolled, including 203 males (53.3%), and the mean age was 70.7±14.3 years. The median time from onset to admission was 4.5 hours. The median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 17 and median baseline Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) was 7. Totally 139 patients (36.5%) received EVT, and 64 (16.8%) required DC; 376 patients (98.7%) completed a 3-month follow-up (5 who did not complete follow-up did not require DC, of which 2 received EVT), 312 (83.0%) had poor outcome at 3 months, and 146 (38.8%) died. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that EVT was an independent predictor for the requiremet of DC (odds ratio [ OR] 4.42, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.81-10.81; P=0.001), higher baseline ASPECTS ( OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71-0.89; P<0.001) and successful recanalization ( OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.15-0.90; P=0.028) were independent protective factors of reducing the requirement of DC. Successful recanalization ( OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.72; P=0.023) and antiplatelet therapy ( OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11-0.76; P=0.012) were independent predictors for reduced risk of poor outcome. In 139 patients who received EVT, 27 (19.4%) received intravenous thrombolysis, 96 (69.1%) achieved successful recanalization, 88 (63.3%) had hemorrhagic transformation, 61 (43.9%) had symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation, and 34 (24.5%) required DC; 137 (98.6%) completed a 3-month follow-up, 116 (84.7%) had poor outcome at 3 months, and 67 (48.9%) died. For patients receiving EVT, a higher baseline ASPECTS ( OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.60-0.88; P=0.001) and successful recanalization ( OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14-0.90; P=0.029) were independent predictors of reducing the requirement of DC, while successful recanalization ( OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.71; P=0.022) was an independent predictor for reduced risk of poor outcome. Among 64 patients who required DC, 22 (34.4%) received DC. Receiving DC significantly reduced the mortality within 3 months ( OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07-0.86; P=0.028), but had no significant effect on functional outcome at 3 months ( OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.03-4.38; P=0.412). There was no significant interaction of either EVT or successful recanalization in the effect of DC on 3-month death ( P for interaction > 0.05). Conclusions:Successful recanalization after EVT reduces requirement for DC in patients with large anterior circulation ischemic stroke and improves functional outcome at 3 months. DC can reduce the mortality in patients required DC, and have no interactive effect with EVT or successful recanalization.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) shows unique advantages in the field of adjuvant treatment of gastric cancer. The main mechanism of TCM in improving gastric cancer includes regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, reversing cell resistance, reducing the ability of invasion and metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, regulating immune function, inhibiting neovascularization, regulating autophagy exosome, and ferroptosis.

Severe ischemic stroke carries a high rate of disability and death. The severity of stroke is often assessed by the degree of neurological deficits or the extent of brain infarct, defined as severe stroke and large infarction, respectively. Critically severe stroke is a life-threatening condition that requires neurocritical care or neurosurgical intervention, which includes stroke with malignant brain edema, a leading cause of death during the acute phase, and stroke with severe complications of other vital systems. Early prediction of high-risk patients with critically severe stroke would inform early prevention and treatment to interrupt the malignant course to fatal status. Selected patients with severe stroke could benefit from intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment in improving functional outcome. There is insufficient evidence to inform dual antiplatelet therapy and the timing of anticoagulation initiation after severe stroke. Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) <48 h improves survival in patients aged <60 years with large hemispheric infarction. Studies are ongoing to provide evidence to inform more precise prediction of malignant brain edema, optimal indications for acute reperfusion therapies and neurosurgery, and the individualized management of complications and secondary prevention. We present an evidence-based review for severe ischemic stroke, with the aims of proposing operational definitions, emphasizing the importance of early prediction and prevention of the evolution to critically severe status, summarizing specialized treatment for severe stroke, and proposing directions for future research.
Humans ; Ischemic Stroke/pathology* ; Brain Edema/surgery* ; Stroke/prevention & control* ; Brain/pathology* ; Brain Infarction/pathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the value of 99Tc m-hydrazinonicotinamide (HYNIC)-prostate specific membrane antigen(PSMA) SPECT/CT imaging in biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer (PCa). Methods:From January 2018 to March 2023, 112 patients with biochemical recurrence of PCa (age (72.6±6.1) years) who underwent 99Tc m-HYNIC-PSMA SPECT/CT imaging in Henan Provincial People′s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA), patients were divided into 0.2 μg/L2 μg/L group. According to the Gleason score, patients were divided into Gleason score≥8 group and Gleason score <8 group. The detection rate between groups was analyzed by χ2 test, and the difference of the PSA level between groups was compared by Mann-Whitney U test. Results:PSMA imaging was positive in 77 cases and negative in 35 cases, with the detection rate of 68.8%(77/112). The detection rates of local recurrence, lymph node metastasis, bone metastasis and lung metastasis were 8.9%(10/112), 43.8%(49/112), 28.6%(32/112) and 0.9%(1/112), respectively. The detection rates of 0.2 μg/L2 μg/L groups were 44.7%(21/47), 8/12 and 90.6%(48/53), respectively ( χ2=24.44, P<0.001). The detection rates of Gleason score ≥8 group and <8 group were 76.4%(55/72) and 55.0%(22/40) ( χ2=5.47, P=0.032); the PSA level between the two groups was statistically different (3.11(0.75, 5.91) and 0.84(0.44, 2.92) μg/L; z=-2.99, P=0.003). Of the patients with PSMA positive imaging, 84.4%(65/77) changed their treatment regimen and 15.6%(12/77) continued to observe or maintain the original treatment plan. Of the patients with PSMA negative imaging, 40.0%(14/35) changed the treatment plan, 51.4%(18/35) continued to observe or maintain the original treatment plan, and 8.6%(3/35) discontinued the original treatment because no tumor metastasis was found. Conclusion:99Tc m-HYNIC-PSMA SPECT/CT imaging can provide reference for the lesion detection, treatment decision-making and follow-up observation of biochemical recurrence of PCa.

Objective:To investigate the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with esophageal cancer (EC).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 8 458 EC patients who were admitted to Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were collected. There were 6 923 males and 1 535 females, aged (64±9)years. There were 3 187 patients undergoing surgical treatment, and 5 271 cases undergoing non-surgical treatment. Observation indicators: (1) incidence of VTE in EC patients; (2) treatment and outcomes of patients with VTE. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and comparison between groups was analyzed using the nonparameter rank sum test. Count data were expressed as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the nonparameter rank sum test. Results:(1) Incidence of VTE in EC patients. Of 8 458 EC patients, 175 cases developed VTE, with an incidence rate of 2.069%(175/8 458). Among 175 VTE patients, there were 164 cases of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), 4 cases of pulmonary embolism (PE), 7 cases of DVT and PE. There were 59 surgical patients and 116 non-surgical patients. There was no significant difference in thrombus type between surgical and non-surgical EC patients with VTE ( χ2=1.95, P>0.05). Of 3 187 surgical patients, the incidence of VTE was 1.851%(59/3 187), including an incidence of 0.157%(5/3 187) of PE. PE accounted for 8.475%(5/59) of surgical patients with VTE. Of 5 271 non-surgical patients, the incidence of VTE was 2.201%(116/5 271), including an incidence of 0.114%(6/5 271) of PE. PE accounted for 5.172%(6/116) of non-surgical patients with VTE. There was no significant difference in the incidence of VTE or PE between surgical patients and non-surgical patients ( χ2=1.20, 0.05, P>0.05). (2) Treatment and outcomes of patients with VTE. Among 175 EC patients with VTE, 163 cases underwent drug treatment, and 12 cases did not receive treatment. Among 163 cases with drug therapy, 158 cases underwent anticoagulant therapy, 5 cases were treated with thrombolysis. All the 163 patients were improved and discharged from hospital. Conclusions:The incidence of VTE in patients with EC is relatively low, as 2.069%. There is no significant difference in the incidence of VTE or thrombus type between surgical EC patients and non-surgical EC patients.