ObjectiveTo investigate the modifiable areal unit problem （MAUP） in the spatial pattern of Pseudostellaria heterophylla production regions and reveal the impact of statistical scales on the spatial distribution characteristics of this medicinal plant species. MethodsUsing multi-source data （literature records， field surveys， and statistical data）， we systematically analyzed the spatial patterns across three administrative levels （provincial， prefectural， and county scales）. Spatial autocorrelation （Moran's I） analysis， high-low clustering （Getis-Ord General G）， and hot/cold spot analysis （Getis-Ord Gi*） were employed. ResultsThe literature-based analysis showed that the production regions of P. heterophylla presented random distribution on the provincial scale and significant aggregation on the prefectural scale. The field survey data showed that the production regions displayed random distribution on the provincial scale but significant aggregation on both prefectural and county scales. The statistical data revealed that the production regions lacked spatial autocorrelation on the provincial scale but demonstrated significant aggregation on prefectural and county scales. ConclusionMAUP effects have substantive implications for understanding and decision-making in the arrangement of medicinal plant production regions. The county scale proves to be the most sensitive and explanatory level for analyzing the spatial pattern of P. heterophylla production regions， providing a critical foundation for habitat modeling， suitability evaluation， and ecological cultivation planning of medicinal plants.

Radiotherapy can cause functional and morphological changes in the brain tissues of patients with primary or metastatic malignant brain tumors, leading to radiation-induced brain injury. However, the pathogenesis of radiation-induced brain injury has not yet been unanimously determined, and its research advances and treatment protocols are yet to be elucidated and improved. In this study, we explore the pathogenesis of radiation-induced brain injury from the perspective of vascular injury, inflammatory reactions, neuronal dysfunction, glial cell injury, and gut microbiota and reviewed the advances in research on its treatment and prevention. The purpose is to provide a reference and theoretical basis for the research and clinical diagnosis and treatment of radiation-induced brain injury.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) for venous thrombo embolism (VTE) in patients with lung cancer.Methods The patients with lung cancer admitted and treated in Chengdu Municipal Second People's Hospital from March 2022 to October 2023 were selected as the study subjects and divided into the VTE group (n=33) and the non-VTE group (n=37) ac-cording to whether or not complicating VTE.The clinical characteristics and laboratory indexes were collect-ed.The multivariate logistic regress was used to analyze the influencing factors.The receiver operating charac-teristic (ROC) curve was drawn.The difference of the areas under curve (AUC) was compared.The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to evaluate the risk stratification capability of the related variables for VTE oc-currence in the patients with lung cancer.Results There were statistically significant differences in WBC,neutrophil,lymphocyte,albumin (ALB),D-dimer (D-D),plasma viscosity,neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and SII between the two groups (P<0.05).The multivariate lo-gistic regression analysis showed that high SII,tumor stage (Ⅲ-Ⅳ stage) and plasma viscosity were inde-pendent risk factors for VTE occurrence in the patients with lung cancer (P<0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that AUC of the Khorana score,SII,modified Khorana score,NLR and PLR were 0.747,0.776,0.866,0.754 and 0.672,respectively.The predictive efficiency of SII for VTE occurrence in the patients with lung cancer was better than that of Khorana score,NLR and PLR.Conclusion High SII is an independent risk factor for VTE occurrence in the patients with lung cancer,its risk stratification for VTE occurrence in the pa-tients with lung cancer is conducive to early recognize the high risk population.

Objective To monitor the antifungal resistance of clinical isolates of Candida spp.in the East China region.Methods MALDI-TOF MS or molecular methods were used to re-identify the strains collected from January 2018 to December 2022.Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution method.The susceptibility test results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of 2022 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)documents M27 M44s-Ed3 and M57s-Ed4.Results A total of 3 026 strains of Candida were collected,65.33％of which were isolated from sterile body sites,mainly from blood(38.86％)and pleural effusion/ascites(10.21％).The predominant species of Candida were Candida albicans(44.51％),followed by Candida parapsilosis complex(19.46％),Candida tropicalis(13.98％),Candida glabrata(10.34％),and other Candida species(0.79％).Candida albicans showed overall high susceptibility rates to the 10 antifungal drugs tested(the lowest rate being 93.62％).Only 2.97％of the strains showed dose-dependent susceptibility(SDD)to fluconazole.Candida parapsilosis complex had a SDD rate of 2.61％and a resistance rate of 9.42％to fluconazole,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida glabrata had a SDD rate of 92.01％and a resistance rate of 7.99％to fluconazole,resistance rates of 32.27％and 48.24％to posaconazole and voriconazole non-wild-type strains(NWT),respectively,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida tropicalis had resistance rates of 29.55％and 26.24％to fluconazole and voriconazole,respectively,resistance rates of 76.60％and 21.99％to posaconazole and echinocandins non-wild-type strains(NWT),and a resistance rate of 2.36％to echinocandins.Conclusions The prevalence and species distribution of Candida spp.in the East China region are consistent with previous domestic and international reports.Candida glabrata exhibits certain degree of resistance to fluconazole,while Candida tropicalis demonstrates higher resistance to triazole drugs.Additionally,echinocandins resistance has emerged in Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida tropicalis,and Candida parapsilosis.

Objective:To study effect of STIL gene on proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells and its mechanism.Methods:Expressions of STIL mRNA and STIL protein in cervical cancer tissues,adjacent tissues,cervical cancer cell lines HeLa,SiHa,caski and human normal cervical epithelial cells HUCEC were calculated by RT-qPCR and Western blot.HeLa cells were divided into control(NC)group,si-NC group,si-STIL group,si-STIL+IL-6 group.CCK-8 and plate cloning assay were utilized to detect cell proliferation and cloning ability,and flow cytometry was used to analyze cell apoptosis rate.Western blot was used to detect IL-6,IL-6R and p-STAT3 proteins levels.sh-STIL stably transfected HeLa cells were subcutaneously inoculated into back of nude mice to investigate effect of inhibiting STIL expression on tumor formation.Results:STIL mRNA and protein expressions in cervical cancer tissues were significantly higher than adjacent tissues(P<0.05).STIL mRNA and protein expressions in HeLa,SiHa,and caski cells were significantly higher than HUCEC cells(P<0.05).Compared with si-NC group,cell absorbance,number of clones,and protein levels of IL-6,IL-6R and p-STAT3 in si-STIL group were significantly reduced(P<0.05),and apoptosis rate was significantly in-creased(P<0.05).Compared with si-STIL group,cell absorbance,number of clones and protein levels of IL-6,IL-6R and p-STAT3 in si-STIL+IL-6 group were significantly increased(P<0.05),and apoptotic rate was significantly reduced(P<0.05).Inhibiting STIL significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo(P<0.05).Conclusion:STIL gene expression is up-regulated in cervical cancer,and inhi-biting STIL can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 pathway.

Objective:To investigate impacts of paeoniflorin-6′-O-benzene sulfonate(CP-25)on proliferation and apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells through Toll-like receptor 4(TLR-4)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway.Methods:CCK-8 assay was performed to measure the cell activity of human ovarian cancer cells A2780,SK-OV-3,HO8910 and normal ovarian cells HOSEpiC.A2780 cells were separated into control group(0.01%DMSO),CP-25 low(0.5 mg/ml CP-25),medium(1 mg/ml CP-25)and high(2 mg/ml CP-25)concentration groups and CP-25 high concentration+LPS group(2 mg/ml CP-25 and 0.1 μg/ml TLR-4 activator LPS).Cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 and clone formation assays;cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining;proliferating protein Ki67,apoptosis-related proteins(Cleaved caspase-3,Caspase-3,Bax,Bcl-2),TLR-4,p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB p65 protein expression levels were analyzed by Western blot;protein expressions of TLR-4 and NF-κB p65 were observed by immunofluorescence staining.Results:Compared with HOSEpiC cells,viabilities of A2780,SK-OV-3 and HO8910 cells were reduced gradually with the increased of CP-25 concentration(P<0.05),and CP-25 had about 50%inhibitory effect on the growth of A2780 cells at low,medium and high concentrations,so A2780 cells were used for the experiments.Compared with control group,the clone formation rate of A2780 cells in low,medium and high concentration groups of CP-25 reduced obviously,while apoptosis rate and apoptosis index rose obviously,expression levels of Ki67,Bcl-2,TLR-4,p-NF-κB p65 and nuclear NF-κB p65 were reduced obviously,while expression of Cleaved caspase-3/Caspase-3 and Bax were increased obviously in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05).Compared with CP-25 high concentration group,cell viability and clone formation rate were significantly increased in CP-25 high concentration+LPS group,while apoptosis rate and apoptosis index were decreased significantly,expression levels of Ki67,Bcl-2,TLR-4,p-NF-κB p65 and nuclear NF-κB p65 were increased significantly,while expressions of Cleaved caspase-3/Cas-pase-3 and Bax were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:CP-25 inhibits ovarian cancer cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis by inhibiting TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

A corresponding calibration method was proposed for the key performance parameters of the endoscopic liquid expansion pump,such as the pressure indication error,the flow rate indication error and the flow rate repeatability.4 different brands of endoscopic liquid expansion pumps in clinical use in the hospital were selected for calibration,and the feasibility of the calibration method was evaluated.In the pressure and flow range of the endoscope liquid expansion pump,3 calibration points of high,medium and low were selected,and each flow point was calibrated 3 times.The calibration results showed that the maximum error of pressure indication was 4.3%,the maximum error of flow indication was 9.3%,and the maximum repeatability of flow indication value was 0.8%,all of which met the technical requirements for the maximum allowable error of"Medical Endoscopes.Endoscope Functional Supply Units.Irrigation Pump"(YY/T 0864-2011)and"Calibration Specification for Syringe Pumps and Infusion Pumps"(JJF 1259-2018).The calibration method for endoscopic liquid expansion pump can improve the metrological traceability system of this type of equipment,ensure the accuracy and reliability of equipment values,improve product quality,and ensure medical safety.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that damages patients' memory and cognitive abilities. Therefore, the diagnosis of AD holds significant importance. The interactions between regions of interest (ROIs) in the brain often involve multiple areas collaborating in a nonlinear manner. Leveraging these nonlinear higher-order interaction features to their fullest potential contributes to enhancing the accuracy of AD diagnosis. To address this, a framework combining nonlinear higher-order feature extraction and three-dimensional (3D) hypergraph neural networks is proposed for computer-assisted diagnosis of AD. First, a support vector machine regression model based on the radial basis function kernel was trained on ROI data to obtain a base estimator. Then, a recursive feature elimination algorithm based on the base estimator was applied to extract nonlinear higher-order features from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. These features were subsequently constructed into a hypergraph, leveraging the complex interactions captured in the data. Finally, a four-dimensional (4D) spatiotemporal hypergraph convolutional neural network model was constructed based on the fMRI data for classification. Experimental results on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database demonstrated that the proposed framework outperformed the Hyper Graph Convolutional Network (HyperGCN) framework by 8% and traditional two-dimensional (2D) linear feature extraction methods by 12% in the AD/normal control (NC) classification task. In conclusion, this framework demonstrates an improvement in AD classification compared to mainstream deep learning methods, providing valuable evidence for computer-assisted diagnosis of AD.
Humans ; Alzheimer Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Neuroimaging/methods* ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; Brain ; Cognitive Dysfunction

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility of a novel liver fiducial marker implantation method for internal fixation and removal of rabbit livers, in order to use in Cyberknife tracking therapy.Methods:Experiments were conducted in vivo and in vitro. In the in vivo experiment, three fiducial markers were implanted percutaneously in each liver of ten rabbits under anesthesia, and the fourth fiducial marker with an external catheter and fixed thin wire was implanted ten days later. After the reference group (the first and the second maker), and the casing group (the first and the fourth marker) were respectively registered and tracked with the Cyberknife, the implantation success rate, registration accuracy, and removal safety of fiducial markers were assessed. The tensile test was performed using liver in vitro by measuring the resistance required to dislodge the spring coil fiducial markers and the fiducial markers without spring coil from liver. Results:The intrahepatic catheter implantation and removal of fiducial marker in rabbit liver had a success rate of 100% and no distant migration. The operation-related and postoperative complications were not occurred. All fiducial markers were successfully traced. Compared to the reference group, the casing group had slightly higher translational errors in supero-inferior and antero-posterior directions ( Z=-11.77, -4.57, P<0.05), and lower translational errors in left-right direction ( Z=-2.52, P<0.05). The dislodgement forces for spring coil fiducial markers was (2.23±0.85) N, significantly different with (0.81±0.13) N for fiducial markers without spring coil ( Z=- 2.31, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The spiral coil structure provides superior fixation in the punctured needle channel, the thin line limits the distant displacement of the fiducial marker outside the liver, and the catheter establishes a channel for the removal. The general operation is simple and easy.

Objective:To investigate the necessity and feasibility of the virtual simulation teaching experiment software of the bronchoscopy intelligent navigation-based fiducial marker implantation technology in the clinical application of radiotherapy.Methods:This study developed a 3D virtual operation and interactive system using the Unity3D engine, tools including 3Dmax and Maya, and the SQL database. The scenes in the system were produced using the currently popular next-generation production process. Targeting the priorities and difficulties in the implantation of fiducial markers, the system developed in this study allowed for simulated demonstration and training based on 12 steps and 10 knowledge points. Internal tests and remote evaluation tests were adopted in this system to obtain the test result of each subject. Then, the application value of the system was analyzed based on the test result.Results:As of May 1, 2022, the system had received 2 409 views and 425 test participants, with an test completion rate of 100% and an experiment pass rate of 96.5%. Moreover, this system won unanimous praise from 167 users, primarily including the students majoring in multilevel medical imaging technology and medical imaging science from the Fujian Medical University, as well as the radiotherapy-related staff of this university.Conclusions:The virtual simulation teaching experiment software of the bronchoscopy intelligent navigation-based fiducial marker implantation technology can be applied to the teaching of students and the training of related professionals.