Objective To analyze the PLCβ4 gene mRNA expression and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on TCGA database. Methods Based on the data on 424 clinical samples (including 374 cases of HCC tissues and 50 cases of nontumor liver tissues) in the TCGA database, Kaplan–Meier method, Cox regression analysis, and immune infiltration analysis were performed to evaluate the relationship between PLCβ4 gene and the clinical characteristics and survival prognosis of HCC patients. Correlation analysis between PLCβ4 gene and 24 types of immune cells was applied to investigate the relationship between PLCβ4 gene and immune cell infiltration and mRNA expression level of TP53 gene, a high-frequency mutation gene in HCC. In addition, paraffin sections of highly, moderately, and poorly differentiated tumor tissues and normal liver tissues from HCC patients were collected. The histopathological observation was carried out via HE staining method, and the expression levels of PLCβ4 and Ki-67 proteins in each clinical sample were verified through the immunohistochemical method. Results The expression level of PLCβ4 gene in HCC was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P<0.01), and all patients in the PLCβ4 high-expression group had a significantly longer overall survival than those in the low-expression group (P<0.05), which suggested that PLCβ4 substantially affected the prognosis of HCC patients. Correlation analysis showed that the expression level of PLCβ4 gene was highly correlated with immune cell infiltration and the expression level of TP53 gene. As verified by clinical sample experiments, HE staining experiments and immunohistochemical results revealed that PLCβ4 gene expression in HCC tissue samples was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P<0.001), and it was negatively correlated with the degree of differentiation. Conclusion PLCβ4 may serve as an independent prognostic factor in HCC and is expected to be a novel molecular target for HCC treatment.

Objective To understand the current status of radiation diagnosis and treatment resources and their use in Taiyuan City, China, and provide data support for optimizing resource allocation and standardizing diagnosis and treatment. Methods A census-based approach was implemented using a standardized questionnaire to collect basic information on radiation diagnosis and treatment institutions in Taiyuan City. The number and use frequency of radiation diagnosis and treatment resources were calculated based on the resident population of Taiyuan City at the end of 2023. Results There were a total of 562 radiation diagnosis and treatment institutions in Taiyuan City, with 3970 workers and 1354 pieces of equipment. The numbers of radiation diagnosis and treatment institutions, workers, and equipment per 1 000 000 population were 103, 728, and 248, respectively. There were significant differences in radiation diagnosis and treatment resources among different districts and counties. There were 526 (93.59%) radiation diagnosis and treatment institutions and 25 (96.15%) tertiary hospitals in the six urban districts. All institutions offering nuclear medicine diagnosis and treatment and radiotherapy were located in the urban districts. There were substantial disparities among hospitals of different levels. The average numbers of radiation workers and equipment were in the order of tertiary hospitals (99.42, 17.15) > secondary hospitals (13.31, 4.62) > primary and unrated hospitals (1.43, 1.38). The frequency of radiation diagnosis and treatment in tertiary hospitals was 112 149 per hospital, which is 5 times that of secondary hospitals and 44 times that of primary and unrated hospitals. The use frequency of radiation diagnosis and treatment was 975.79 per 1000 population. The use frequency was 941.12 per 1000 population for X-ray diagnosis, 21.68 per 1000 population for interventional radiology, 8.70 per 1000 population for nuclear medicine diagnosis, 2.33 per 1000 population for nuclear medicine treatment, and 1.95 per 1000 population for radiotherapy. Conclusion There are abundant radiation diagnosis and treatment resources in Taiyuan City. The use frequency of radiation diagnosis and treatment has reached the level of Class II medical and health care regions, and there remains considerable room for growth and improvement. At present, the distribution of radiation diagnosis and treatment resources and services is unbalanced among different districts and counties as well as among institutions of different levels, mainly concentrated in urban districts and tertiary hospitals. The health administrative department needs to make overall plans and allocate resources scientifically.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of clavicular hook plate fixation in the treatment of acromioclavicular joint dislocation and distal clavicle fractures. METHODS: A clinical data of 90 patients, who underwent clavicular hook plate fixation between January 2014 and June 2023, was retrospectively analyzed. There were 40 patients with distal clavicle fractures (fracture group) and 50 with acromioclavicular joint dislocations (dislocation group). There was no significant difference in the baseline data of gender, age, cause of injury, side of injury, time from injury to operation, and constituent ratio of osteoporosis patients between the two groups ( P>0.05). The time to remove the internal fixators and the occurrence of complications were recorded. Before removing the internal fixator and at 3 months after removing, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate the degree of pain, and the mobility of the shoulder joint in forward flexion, elevation, and abduction was measured. Before removing the internal fixators, the Constant-Murley score and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score were used to evaluate the function of the shoulder joint. X-ray films of the shoulder joint were taken during follow-up to observe the occurrence of subacromial osteolysis, acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and distal clavicle bone atrophy. Subgroup comparison was conducted between patients with and without subacromial osteolysis in the two groups. RESULTS: All incisions healed by first intention in both groups. All patients were followed up 1-9 years, with a median of 5 years; the difference in follow-up time between the two groups was not significant ( P>0.05). During follow-up, subacromial osteolysis occurred in 74 cases, including 41 cases of typeⅠand 33 cases of type Ⅱ, distal clavicle bone atrophy in 15 cases, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis in 8 cases. There were significant differences in the removal time of internal fixators, the incidence of bone atrophy, and the incidence of osteoarthritis between the two groups ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of subacromial osteolysis ( P>0.05). Before removing the internal fixators, there was no significant difference in VAS score, UCLA score, and Constant-Murley score between the two groups ( P>0.05), while there were significant differences in shoulder joint range of motion in all directions ( P<0.05). After removing the internal fixators, only the difference in elevation was significant ( P<0.05). Within the group comparison, the VAS score and mobility of shoulder joint in abduction and elevation after removing the internal fixators were significantly superior to those before removing ( P<0.05). In the fracture and dislocation groups, there was only a significant difference in plate length between the subgroup with and without subacromial osteolysis ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the above other indicators ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION Clavicular hook plate is a good choice for treating acromioclavicular dislocation or distal clavicle fractures, but the incidence of subacromial osteolysis is higher, and the degree of bone resorption is more severe in fracture patients. After removal of the internal fixator, the shoulder functions significantly improve. It is recommended to remove the internal fixator as soon as possible within the allowable range of the condition.
Humans ; Clavicle/surgery* ; Acromioclavicular Joint/surgery* ; Bone Plates ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Joint Dislocations/surgery* ; Aged ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Young Adult ; Postoperative Complications

OBJECTIVES: To explore the active components that mediate the therapeutic effect of Centella asiatica on psoriasis and their therapeutic mechanisms. METHODS: TCMSP, TCMIP, PharmMapper, Swiss Target Prediction, GeneCards, OMIM and TTD databases were searched for the compounds in Centella asiatica and their targets and the disease targets of psoriasis. A drug-active component-target network and the protein-protein interaction network were constructed, and DAVID database was used for pathway enrichment analysis. In a RAW264.7 macrophage model of LPS-induced inflammation, the anti-inflammatory effect of 7.5, 15, 30, and 60 μmol/L quercetin, asiaticoside, and asiatic acid, which were identified as the main active components in Centella asiatica, were tested by measuring cellular production of NO, TNF‑α and IL-6 using Griess method and ELISA and by detecting mRNA expressions of IL-23, IL-17A, TNF-α and IL-6 and protein expressions of p-STAT3 (Tyr705) and p-STAT3 (Ser727) with RT-qPCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: A total of 139 targets of Centella asiatica and 4604 targets of psoriasis were obtained, and among them CASP3, EGFR, PTGS2, and ESR1 were identified as the core targets. KEGG analysis suggested that quercetin, asiaticoside, and asiatic acid in Centella asiatica were involved in cancer and IL-17 and MAPK signaling pathways. In the RAW264.7 macrophage model of inflammation, treatment with quercetin significantly reduced cellular production of NO, TNF‑α and IL-6, and lowered mRNA expressions of IL-23, IL-17A, TNF‑α and IL-6 and protein expressions of p-STAT3 (Tyr705) and p-STAT3 (Ser727). CONCLUSIONS Quercetin, asiaticoside and asiatic acid are the main active components in Centella asiatica to mediate the therapeutic effect against psoriasis, and quercetin in particular is capable of suppressing cellular production of NO, TNF‑α and IL-6 and regulating the IL-23/IL-17A inflammatory axis by mediating STAT3 phosphorylation to inhibit inflammatory response.
Quercetin/pharmacology* ; Psoriasis/metabolism* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Mice ; Animals ; Centella/chemistry* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Phosphorylation ; Interleukin-17/metabolism* ; Interleukin-23/metabolism* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Pentacyclic Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Macrophages/drug effects* ; Signal Transduction ; Plant Extracts

Loss of protein homeostasis is a hallmark of cellular senescence, and ribosome pausing plays a crucial role in the collapse of proteostasis. However, our understanding of ribosome pausing in senescent cells remains limited. In this study, we utilized ribosome profiling and G-quadruplex RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing techniques to explore the impact of RNA G-quadruplex (rG4) on the translation efficiency in senescent cells. Our results revealed a reduction in the translation efficiency of rG4-rich genes in senescent cells and demonstrated that rG4 structures within coding sequence can impede translation both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, we observed a significant increase in the abundance of rG4 structures in senescent cells, and the stabilization of the rG4 structures further exacerbated cellular senescence. Mechanistically, the RNA helicase DHX9 functions as a key regulator of rG4 abundance, and its reduced expression in senescent cells contributing to increased ribosome pausing. Additionally, we also observed an increased abundance of rG4, an imbalance in protein homeostasis, and reduced DHX9 expression in aged mice. In summary, our findings reveal a novel biological role for rG4 and DHX9 in the regulation of translation and proteostasis, which may have implications for delaying cellular senescence and the aging process.
G-Quadruplexes ; Cellular Senescence ; Ribosomes/genetics* ; Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; DEAD-box RNA Helicases/genetics* ; Protein Biosynthesis ; RNA/chemistry* ; Neoplasm Proteins

Objective To analyze the prognosis and influencing factors in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 52 patients with RAIR-DTC who underwent ineffective ¹³¹I therapy at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2016 to January 2020. Patients were categorized into progression and stable groups based on disease progression within five years post-treatment. Differences between groups were analyzed using chi-square test and logistic regression. Independent prognostic risk factors were identified using a Cox proportional hazards model. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used to evaluate the impact of treatment on the prognosis of the progression group. Results The 3-year and 5-year survival rates of the 52 patients with RAIR-DTC were 88.5% and 73.1%, respectively. In the progression group, the rates were 81.8% and 57.6%. In the stable group, the rates were 100% and 100%. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, presence of extrathyroidal extension, and the initial ¹³¹I treatment dose (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis indicated that the age, pre-ablation stimulated thyroglobulin level before the first ¹³¹I treatment, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio before the first treatment, and the sites of recurrence and metastasis were significantly associated with overall survival (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that age > 55 years (HR=12.40, 95% CI= 2.09-73.57, P=0.001) and distant metastasis (HR=24.47, 95% CI=4.17-143.75, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that local surgery and/or targeted therapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival in the progression group (P < 0.001). Conclusion The prognosis for RAIR-DTC is poor, with advanced age and distant metastasis significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes. In elderly patients and those with extrathyroidal invasion, the treatment dose during initial ¹³¹I therapy may be appropriately increased to delay disease progression. For patients with disease progression, prompt local surgical intervention and/or targeted therapy is recommended.

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are rare but therapeutically challenging neuroendocrine tumors in urology. Surgical treatment has been recognized as a definitive treatment. However, traditional surgical methods present certain risks and limitations. The Da Vinci robotic surgery offers a new approach for treating these tumors. This review elucidates the technical features, clinical applications, and treatment outcomes of Da Vinci robotic surgery and the progress in the treatment of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. In addition, this review discusses the prospects of combining Da Vinci robotic surgery with other emerging technologies, emphasizing the further research to validate its long-term efficacy and safety.

Objective To understand the basic information of the number, classification, and distribution of radiation work units in non-medical institutions in Shanxi Province, China, and to analyze the status quo of health management and radiation protection measures for radiation workers, so as to provide a scientific basis for occupational exposure protection in non-medical radiation work units and better protect the occupational health rights and interests of radiation workers. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate some non-medical institutions in Shanxi Province. On-site testing was carried out to determine the risk factors for radioactive occupational diseases in the selected non-medical institutions. Results In 220 non-medical institutions, there were 340 radiation devices and 2284 radioactive sources. The rate of individual dose monitoring was 92.7% and the rate of occupational health examination was 87.2%. These devices were equipped with 325 detection instruments for radiation protection, 1316 personal protective equipment, and 730 personal dose alarms. Radiation occupational disease risk factors were investigated in 101 institutions. Conclusion The occupational health management of radiation workers in non-medical institutions in Shanxi Province is generally in line with the national standards. However, there is still a big gap with the level of occupational health management in medical institutions. The health administration departments should clarify the management measures for non-medical institutions and strengthen their supervision and management functions.

Objective To analyze the prognosis and influencing factors in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 52 patients with RAIR-DTC who underwent ineffective ¹³¹I therapy at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2016 to January 2020. Patients were categorized into progression and stable groups based on disease progression within five years post-treatment. Differences between groups were analyzed using chi-square test and logistic regression. Independent prognostic risk factors were identified using a Cox proportional hazards model. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used to evaluate the impact of treatment on the prognosis of the progression group. Results The 3-year and 5-year survival rates of the 52 patients with RAIR-DTC were 88.5% and 73.1%, respectively. In the progression group, the rates were 81.8% and 57.6%. In the stable group, the rates were 100% and 100%. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, presence of extrathyroidal extension, and the initial ¹³¹I treatment dose (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis indicated that the age, pre-ablation stimulated thyroglobulin level before the first ¹³¹I treatment, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio before the first treatment, and the sites of recurrence and metastasis were significantly associated with overall survival (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that age > 55 years (HR=12.40, 95% CI= 2.09-73.57, P=0.001) and distant metastasis (HR=24.47, 95% CI=4.17-143.75, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that local surgery and/or targeted therapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival in the progression group (P < 0.001). Conclusion The prognosis for RAIR-DTC is poor, with advanced age and distant metastasis significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes. In elderly patients and those with extrathyroidal invasion, the treatment dose during initial ¹³¹I therapy may be appropriately increased to delay disease progression. For patients with disease progression, prompt local surgical intervention and/or targeted therapy is recommended.

Objective This study assesses the effect of 6S standard operation procedure(SOP)on the centralized man-agement of flexible endoscopes within a disinfection supply center.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the cen-tralized management of 38 flexible endoscopes in the Disinfection and Supply Center of Foshan Maternal and Child Health Hospi-tal.From January to June 2022,the endoscopes were managed conventionally without the 6S SOP,as the routine group.From Ju-ly to December 2022,the endoscopes were managed with the 6S SOP,as the research group.The two groups were compared in terms of the adherence to cleaning and disinfection standards,pass rate of cleaning and disinfection,incidence of adverse events,and satisfaction degrees of healthcare providers.Results The research group under the 6S SOP management showed an signifi-cant improvement in the disinfection pass rate compared to the routine group,although the difference was not statistically signifi-cant.However,it presented a significant reduction in the incidence of adverse endoscopic events(P＜0.05)and a significant in-crease in healthcare provider satisfaction(P＜0.05).Conclusion The 6S SOP in the centralized management of flexible endo-scopes in the disinfection supply centers effectively enhances the quality of endoscope cleaning and disinfection,ensures their safe usage,and provides patients with efficient and secure care.