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.

Objectives miR-207 has been identified as being expressed in natural killer (NK) cell exosomes that play a role in disease progression; however, to date, there are no studies specifically linking miR-207 to tuberculosis (TB). Methods Bioinformatics methods employed for prediction, followed by a dual luciferase reporter assay to determine whether lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) is targeted by miR-207. The experiments were divided into four groups using the liposome transfection method (OP-LAMP2 group: co-transfected with miR-207 mimics and LAMP2 overexpression plasmid; EP group: co-transfected with mimics NC and null-loaded plasmid; siLAMP2 group: transfected with siLAMP2; and siLAMP2-NC group: transfected with siLAMP2-NC). TB infection was modeled using H37Ra-infected Ana-1 cells. The impact of LAMP2 on intracellular mycobacterial load and clearance of extracellular residual mycobacteria were assessed by tuberculosis colony-forming unit counting. Flow cytometry was used to assess the total apoptosis rate. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was conducted to determine the relative expression of LAMP2, apoptosis genes, pyroptosis genes, and autophagy genes. Western blot analysis was performed to measure the relative expression of LAMP2 proteins, apoptosis proteins, pyroptosis proteins, and autophagy proteins. Results Dual luciferase reporter assay test showed that there was a targeting relationship between LAMP2 and miR-207. The transfection model was successfully constructed under real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot statistical analysis, and microscopic observation. The infection model was successfully established under microscopic observation. Colony forming unit counting revealed that the number of colonies in the OP-LAMP2 group was lower than that in the EP group, while the number of colonies in the siLAMP2 group was higher than that in the siLAMP2-NC group. Flow cytometry assay revealed that the total apoptosis in OP-LAMP2 group was lower than that in EP group, and the total apoptosis in siLAMP2 group was higher than that in siLAMP2-NC group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that the relative expression of apoptosis and pyroptosis-related proteins and genes in the control group was lower in the OP-LAMP2 group compared to the EP group, and higher in the siLAMP2 group compared to the siLAMP2-NC group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR detected that the relative expression of autophagy positively regulated genes Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and Beclin1 in the OP-LAMP2 group was higher in the OP-LAMP2 group compared to the EP group, and lower in the siLAMP2 group compared to the siLAMP2-NC group, while the relative expression of negatively regulated autophagy genes followed the opposite trend to that of autophagy positively regulated genes. The relative expression of autophagy-related proteins was consistent with the trend of autophagy genes. Conclusions miR-207 enhances macrophage apoptosis, cellular pyroptosis and inhibits autophagy, promoting survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by targeting the autophagy-related protein LAMP2, thus offering a novel therapeutic direction for tuberculosis.
Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 2/metabolism* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/physiology* ; Autophagy/genetics* ; Humans ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Apoptosis/genetics* ; Tuberculosis/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Pyroptosis/genetics*

Pulmonary diseases, as a prevalent category of respiratory system disorders, have become a significant global public health concern. The increasing incidence of these diseases, caused by environmental pollution and occupational hazards, poses a substantial threat to human health and the overall quality of life. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known for their remarkable immunomodulatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-apoptotic capabilities. Exosomes derived from MSCs, carrying a diverse array of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and other bio-active molecules, have demonstrated considerable therapeutic potential in treating pulmonary diseases, and have come to the forefront of medical research. This review summarized the therapeutic role of exosomes derived from various sources of mesenchymal stem cells in the context of pulmonary diseases, aiming to provide a robust foundation for their clinical application in diagnosis and treatment.
Exosomes/transplantation* ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Lung Diseases/therapy* ; Animals

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 explore the feasibility and clinical outcome of lateral cervical incision via sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach(SMIA)in the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism.Methods The clinical data of 64 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent unilateral parathyroid surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital,School of Medicine of Zhejiang University from January 2019 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.They were divided into lateral cervical incision via sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach group(SMIA group)and linea alba cervicalis approach group(LACA group)based on the surgical incision and access route.The differences in clinical features,surgery-related outcomes and postoperative functions of the anterior cervical region were compared between the two groups.The EQ-5D-5L scale was used to assess the subjective feeling of postoperative neck discomfort,while the Hollander Wound Assessment Scale was used to assess the clinical outcome of incision healing.Results There were no statistical differences between the two groups of patients in terms of age,gender,intraoperative bleeding,parathyroid hormone or blood calcium levels before and after surgery(P＞0.05).The duration of surgery was significantly shorter in the SMIA group than in the LACA group[(39.77±5.69)min vs.(54.41±4.66)min].There was a statistical difference between the two groups in functional protection of the anterior cervical region at 1 month and 12 months after surgery(1 month,84.67±3.74 vs.79.47±5.38,P＜0.001;12 months,93.80±2.52 vs.89.94±2.39,P＜0.001),and the SMIA group was better than the LACA group.The Hollander Incision Assessment Scale scores of the SMIA group were better than those of the LACA group at 6 months and 12 months after surgery,and the difference was statistically significant(6 months,1.93±0.58 vs.2.41±0.66,P=0.003;12 months,1.03±0.67 vs.1.74±0.62,P＜0.001).Conclusion Parathyroidectomy via sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach through lateral cervical incision is a simple,safe and effective surgical procedure,which makes it easier to search for parathyroid lesions and shortens the surgical time compared with the traditional incision,and has obvious advantages in the protection of anterior cervical region function.

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered mode of programmed cell death characterized by the accumulation of intracellular iron-dependent lipid peroxidation.Current research has mainly focused on the role of ferroptosis in the field of cancer,but increasing evidence shows that ferroptosis is also related to the occurrence of infectious diseases.Ferroptosis has accordingly been detected in cases of COVID-19,tuberculosis,and cryptococcal meningitis,as well as other diseases.This article reviews the role of ferroptosis in infectious diseases,to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of ferroptosis-related infectious diseases.

Purpose To investigate the diagnostic performance of ovarian-adnexal reporting and data system(O-RADS)combined with risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm(ROMA)index for predicting benign and malignant ovarian tumors.Materials and Methods The ultrasonic image data of all patients with ovarian tumors admitted to the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The adnexal masses were classified according to the O-RADS ultrasonic risk stratification standard.After surgery,the pathologic findings were taken as the"gold standard".The receiver operating characteristic curve was produced,and the diagnostic efficacy of O-RADS for predicting the malignancy of adnexal masses were calculated.For the tumor of O-RADS 4,diagnostic accuracy of O-RADS combined with ROMA was measured.Results The malignant rates of the tumors of O-RADS 2-5 were 0,2.7%,43.6%and 86.8%,respectively.The area under curve of O-RADS was 0.929,and the cut-off value was O-RADS 3.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of O-RADS for predicting the malignancy of ovarian tumors were 90.8%,89.4%,67.9%,97.5%and 89.7%,respectively.The coincidence rates of O-RADS 2-5 in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors were 100%,97.3%,43.6%and 86.8%,respectively.It was indicated that it was difficult to differentiate benign tumor from malignant tumors in O-RADS 4.The coincidence rate of O-RADS 4 combined with ROMA index increased from 43.6%to 72.7%.Conclusion O-RADS ultrasound risk stratification has good diagnostic performance in predicting the malignancy of ovarian tumors.However,O-RADS 4 is difficult to diagnose,combining O-RADS with ROMA index can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the disease burden of prostate cancer (PC) and assess key influencing factors associated with the disease expenditures of PC in the United States. METHODS: The total deaths, incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years of PC were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was used to estimate healthcare expenditures and productivity loss and to investigate patterns of payment and use of healthcare resources in the United States. A multivariable logistic regression model was conducted to identify key factors influencing expenditures. RESULTS: For patients aged 50 and older, the burden for all age groups showed a modest increase over the 6-year period. Annual medical expenditures were estimated to range from US$24.8 billion to US$39.2 billion from 2014 to 2019. The annual loss in productivity for patients was approximately US$1,200. The top 3 major components of medical costs were hospital inpatient stays, prescription medicines, and office-based visits. Medicare was the largest source of payments for survivors. In terms of drug consumption, genitourinary tract agents (57.0%) and antineoplastics (18.6%) were the main therapeutic drugs. High medical expenditures were positively associated with age (p=0.005), having private health insurance (p=0.016), more comorbidities, not currently smoking (p=0.001), and patient self-perception of fair/poor health status (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS From 2014 to 2019, the national real-world data of PC revealed that the disease burden in the United States continued to increase, which was partly related to patient characteristics.

Antiviral therapy can reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B. As for the first-line antiviral drugs, more studies have shown that tenofovir disoproxil fumarate may be better than entecavir in reducing the risk of HCC, especially among Asian patients; a limited number of studies have shown that tenofovir alafenamide fumarate may be better than tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in reducing the risk of HCC; interferon has a better effect than nucleos(t)ide analogues alone in reducing the risk of HCC. Among the currently available drugs, interferon combined with nucleos(t)ide analogues may be the best choice to reduce the risk of HCC in patients at a high risk of HCC. The level of evidence-based medicine is weak for comparing the effect of different drugs in reducing the risk of HCC, and randomized controlled trials are needed for further clarification. In practice, it is necessary to weigh the risk of HCC, drug tolerance and economic affordability based on the patient's basic conditions and actual situations, so as to develop individualized anti-viral strategies.

To study the molecular mechanism of salt stress response of peanut small GTP binding protein gene AhRabG3f, a 1 914 bp promoter fragment upstream of the start codon of AhRabG3f gene (3f-P) from peanut was cloned. Subsequently, five truncated fragments (3f-P1-3f-P5) with lengths of 1 729, 1 379, 666, 510 and 179 bp were obtained through deletion at the 5' end, respectively. Plant expression vectors where these six promoter fragments were fused with the gus gene were constructed and transformed into tobacco by Agrobacterium-mediated method, respectively. GUS expression in transgenic tobacco and activity analysis were conducted. The gus gene expression can be detected in the transgenic tobacco harboring each promoter segment, among which the driving activity of the full-length promoter 3f-P was the weakest, while the driving activity of the promoter segment 3f-P3 was the strongest. Upon exposure of the transgenic tobacco to salt stress, the GUS activity driven by 3f-P, 3f-P1, 3f-P2 and 3f-P3 was 3.3, 1.2, 1.9 and 1.2 times compared to that of the transgenic plants without salt treatment. This suggests that the AhRabG3f promoter was salt-inducible and there might be positive regulatory elements between 3f-P and 3f-P3 in response to salt stress. The results of GUS activity driven by promoter fragments after salt treatment showed that elements included MYB and GT1 between 1 930 bp and 1 745 bp. Moreover, a TC-rich repeat between 682 bp and 526 bp might be positive cis-elements responsible for salt stress, and an MYC element between 1 395 bp and 682 bp might be a negative cis-element responsible for salt stress. This study may facilitate using the induced promoter to regulate the salt resistance of peanut.
Arachis/genetics* ; Fabaceae/genetics* ; GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Glucuronidase/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Salt Stress ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Tobacco/genetics*