Objective: To investigate whether membrane vesicles (MVs) of Streptococcus mutans （S.mutans） contain autoinducer-2 (AI-2) and to preliminarily explore the effects of these MVs on the growth and biofilm formation of S. mutans. Methods: MVs were isolated from the S. mutans UA159 strain using differential centrifugation. The isolated MVs were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis for particle size and concentration and observed by transmission electron microscopy. The presence of AI-2 was identified using the Vibrio harveyi BB170 bioluminescence assay: the BB170 diluent was supplemented with AB medium (control group), MV extract (MVs group), pre-ultrafiltration supernatant (Sup group), or post-ultrafiltration supernatant (Sup-af group). The effects of MVs on growth and biofilm formation were assessed using the S.mutans UA159 strain or a luxS deletion mutant as the control group, compared with experimental groups stimulated with gradient concentrations of MVs (MVs-2.0E+7, MVs-2.0E+8, and MVs-2.0E+9 groups). Growth curves, MTT assay, and colony-forming unit (CFU) counts were used to determine changes in growth capacity. Biofilm formation was evaluated using crystal violet staining, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and the anthrone method for polysaccharide quantification. Results: Enriched S. mutans MVs were successfully obtained, with an average particle size of approximately 94.19 nm and a concentration of 1.87E+11 particles/mL. The bioluminescence assay showed that the luminescence intensity of the Sup group was higher than that of the Sup-af group, and the MVs group exhibited higher intensity than the control group. Assessments via growth curves, MTT assay, and CFU counts indicated no significant differences in the growth capacity of the various S. mutans strains after treatment with different concentrations of MVs. Crystal violet staining quantification and confocal laser scanning microscopy observations revealed that high-concentration MV treatment (2.0E+9 particles/mL group) resulted in lower biofilm mass compared to the control. The anthrone method showed that the production of both water-soluble and water-insoluble polysaccharides was significantly lower in the high-concentration MV group than in the control. Conclusion S. mutans MVs contain the quorum sensing signal molecule AI-2. These MVs do not significantly affect the growth of S. mutans, but they can regulate biofilm formation and exhibit an inhibitory effect at high concentrations.

Objective To construct a nomogram model for predicting pulmonary hemorrhage associated with the positioning of pulmonary nodules with the new four-hook positioning needle based on clinical-CT imaging features and evaluate its predictive efficacy.Methods We made a retrospective analysis of the clinical,imaging and pathological data of 449 patients with pulmonary nodules positioned by the new four-hook positioning needle.According to the random number table method(7∶3),they were divided into a training set of 314 cases and a validation set of 135 cases.Each data set was further divided into positive group and negative group for pulmonary hemorrhage according to the presence or absence of pulmonary hemorrhage.We evaluated the CT imaging features of pulmonary nodules,including nodule nature(pure ground-glass density,mixed ground-glass density,solid nodule),nodule diameter,distance from the nodule to the pleural surface(hereinafter referred to as length),nodule positioning time,and association with pulmonary hemorrhage.Independent sample t-test,Mann-Whitney U test and x2 test were used to compare the correlations of clinical and CT features of pulmonary nodules with pulmonary hemorrhage.LASSO regression and multivariate Logistic regression were employed to screen the independent risk factors related to pulmonary hemorrhage and construct a nomogram model.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model,and the calibration curve and decision curve were respectively used for the verification of the nomogram model and evaluation of the clinical net benefit.Results The results of LASSO regression showed that the nature of pulmonary nodules,underlying diseases,smoking and length were the characteristic variables related to pulmonary hemorrhage.Based on the minimum akaike information criterion(AIC),the screened characteristic variables were included in the multivariate Logistic backward stepwise regression analysis.The results showed that the nature of pulmonary nodules,underlying diseases,smoking and length were all independent risk factors related to pulmonary hemorrhage.A nomogram was established according to the above independent risk factors and the ROC curve was drawn.The AUC of the training set was 0.86(95％CI:0.80-0.91),and the AUC of the validation set was 0.88(95％CI:0.80-0.96),with no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).The calibration curve suggested that the predicted values of the nomogram were close to the actual values,and the decision curve analysis showed that the net benefit of the model was good.Conclusion The nomogram model established by combining clinical-CT features such as the nature of pulmonary nodules,underlying diseases,smoking and length can effectively predict pulmonary hemorrhage associated with the positioning of pulmonary nodules with the new four-hook positioning needle.

Objective To explore the impact of an intelligent puncture navigation used by different physicians with varying years of experience to perform the lung puncture biopsy surgery.Methods A retrospective selection was conducted of 182 patients who completed lung puncture biopsy surgery.The primary parameters were recorded included puncture time,the number of needle adjust-ments,dose length product(DLP),and complications.The physicians were categorized into high-experience and low-experience groups based on their years of clinical practice.The differences of navigation guidance and manual puncture were compared between the two groups.Results The use of navigation guidance significantly reduced the procedure time for both groups of physicians(P<0.05).Additionally,for the low-experience group,navigation guidance notably decreased the number of needle adjustments(P<0.05)and reduced the radiation dose received by patients(P<0.05).Conclusion The application of intelligent puncture navigation can shorten the procedure time,reduce the number of needle adjustments,and lower the radiation dose received by patients in lung puncture biopsy procedures.It also bridges the operational performance gap between low-experience and high-experience physicians,making it a val-uable imaging-guided tool for widespread adoption.

Pulpitis is a common infective oral disease in clinical situations. The regulatory mechanisms of immune defense in pulpitis are still being investigated. Osteomodulin (OMD) is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan family member distributed in bones and teeth. It is a bioactive protein that promotes osteogenesis and suppresses the apoptosis of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). In this study, the role of OMD in pulpitis and the OMD-induced regulatory mechanism were investigated. The OMD expression in normal and inflamed human pulp tissues was detected via immunofluorescence staining. Intriguingly, the OMD expression decreased in the inflammatory infiltration area of pulpitis specimens. The cellular experiments demonstrated that recombined human OMD could resist the detrimental effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. A conditional Omd knockout mouse model with pulpal inflammation was established. LPS-induced inflammatory impairment significantly increased in conditional Omd knockout mice, whereas OMD administration exhibited a protective effect against pulpitis. Mechanistically, the transcriptome alterations of OMD overexpression showed significant enrichment in the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Interleukin-1 receptor 1 (IL1R1), a vital membrane receptor activating the NF-κB pathway, was significantly downregulated in OMD-overexpressing hDPSCs. Additionally, the interaction between OMD and IL1R1 was verified using co-immunoprecipitation and molecular docking. In vivo, excessive pulpal inflammation in Omd-deficient mice was rescued using an IL1R antagonist. Overall, OMD played a protective role in the inflammatory response via the IL1R1/NF-κB signaling pathway. OMD may optimize the immunomodulatory functions of hDPSCs and can be used for regenerative endodontics.
Pulpitis/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Dental Pulp/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Lipopolysaccharides

Objective To explore the impact of an intelligent puncture navigation used by different physicians with varying years of experience to perform the lung puncture biopsy surgery.Methods A retrospective selection was conducted of 182 patients who completed lung puncture biopsy surgery.The primary parameters were recorded included puncture time,the number of needle adjust-ments,dose length product(DLP),and complications.The physicians were categorized into high-experience and low-experience groups based on their years of clinical practice.The differences of navigation guidance and manual puncture were compared between the two groups.Results The use of navigation guidance significantly reduced the procedure time for both groups of physicians(P<0.05).Additionally,for the low-experience group,navigation guidance notably decreased the number of needle adjustments(P<0.05)and reduced the radiation dose received by patients(P<0.05).Conclusion The application of intelligent puncture navigation can shorten the procedure time,reduce the number of needle adjustments,and lower the radiation dose received by patients in lung puncture biopsy procedures.It also bridges the operational performance gap between low-experience and high-experience physicians,making it a val-uable imaging-guided tool for widespread adoption.

Objective To construct a nomogram model for predicting pulmonary hemorrhage associated with the positioning of pulmonary nodules with the new four-hook positioning needle based on clinical-CT imaging features and evaluate its predictive efficacy.Methods We made a retrospective analysis of the clinical,imaging and pathological data of 449 patients with pulmonary nodules positioned by the new four-hook positioning needle.According to the random number table method(7∶3),they were divided into a training set of 314 cases and a validation set of 135 cases.Each data set was further divided into positive group and negative group for pulmonary hemorrhage according to the presence or absence of pulmonary hemorrhage.We evaluated the CT imaging features of pulmonary nodules,including nodule nature(pure ground-glass density,mixed ground-glass density,solid nodule),nodule diameter,distance from the nodule to the pleural surface(hereinafter referred to as length),nodule positioning time,and association with pulmonary hemorrhage.Independent sample t-test,Mann-Whitney U test and x2 test were used to compare the correlations of clinical and CT features of pulmonary nodules with pulmonary hemorrhage.LASSO regression and multivariate Logistic regression were employed to screen the independent risk factors related to pulmonary hemorrhage and construct a nomogram model.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model,and the calibration curve and decision curve were respectively used for the verification of the nomogram model and evaluation of the clinical net benefit.Results The results of LASSO regression showed that the nature of pulmonary nodules,underlying diseases,smoking and length were the characteristic variables related to pulmonary hemorrhage.Based on the minimum akaike information criterion(AIC),the screened characteristic variables were included in the multivariate Logistic backward stepwise regression analysis.The results showed that the nature of pulmonary nodules,underlying diseases,smoking and length were all independent risk factors related to pulmonary hemorrhage.A nomogram was established according to the above independent risk factors and the ROC curve was drawn.The AUC of the training set was 0.86(95％CI:0.80-0.91),and the AUC of the validation set was 0.88(95％CI:0.80-0.96),with no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).The calibration curve suggested that the predicted values of the nomogram were close to the actual values,and the decision curve analysis showed that the net benefit of the model was good.Conclusion The nomogram model established by combining clinical-CT features such as the nature of pulmonary nodules,underlying diseases,smoking and length can effectively predict pulmonary hemorrhage associated with the positioning of pulmonary nodules with the new four-hook positioning needle.

Objective:To analyze the effects of two decomposition algorithms of dual-energy cone beam CT (DECBCT) (direct decomposition and iterative decomposition) on the image quality and material decomposition accuracy of different sizes of phantoms.Methods:Different sizes of imaging parts of patients were simulated using the combination of CatPhan604 phantoms and customized annuluses. CBCT with high energy of 140 kVp and low energy of 100 kVp were acquired using the Varian Edge CBCT system. Then the material decomposition of DECBCT images was performed using the two algorithms. The electron density (ED) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of each material in the CTP682 module were calculated. They were used to assess the decomposition accuracy and image quality of the two algorithms.Results:Based on the values in the Catphan604 manual, both algorithms have high ED accuracy. Only the ED accuracy of four materials of the smallest sized phantom showed statistical difference ( z = -4.21, 4.30, 2.87, 5.45, P < 0.05), but the average relative error was less than 1%. The CNR of the iterative decomposition algorithm was significantly higher than that of the direct decomposition, increasing by 51.8%-703.47%. The increase in the phantom size significantly reduced the accuracy of ED, and the increased amplitude of the relative error was up to a maximum of 2.52%. The large phantom size also reduced the image quality of iterative decomposition, and the decreased amplitude of CNR was up to a maximum of 39.71. Conclusions:Compared with the direct decomposition, the iterative decomposition algorithm can significantly reduce the image noise and improve the contrast without losing the accuracy of electron density in the DECBCT construction of different sizes of phantoms.

【Objective】 To establish a predictive model for patients with hemorrhage after CT-guided coaxial core needle lung biopsy （CCNB） based on logistic regression. 【Methods】 A total of 489 patients who had undergone CCNB were retrospectively recruited. The potential risk factors of hemorrhage after lung biopsy were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression， through which we screened the independent risk factors and established a prediction model for hemorrhage. We evaluated the discrimination， calibration and clinical usefulness of the model. 【Results】 There were 141 cases （42.6%） of hemorrhage in the development group and 66 cases （41.8%） of hemorrhage in the validation group； there was no case of severe hemorrhage or hemothorax. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that fibrinogen degradation products， pulmonary interstitial fibrosis， largest diameter and puncture depth were independent predictive factors of hemorrhage. Hemorrhage prediction model was established and presented in the form of a nomogram. Discrimination of the model： the AUC was 0.837 in the development group and 0.777 in the validation group. The calibration curve showed good agreement between predicted probability and actual probability of hemorrhage. The unreliability test yielded a P value of 0.849 in the development group and 0.147 in the validation group. The DCA curve showed that the hemorrhage predictive model could increase the benefit of patients. 【Conclusion】 The predictive model of hemorrhage in patients after CCNB based on logistic regression can be used in clinical practice.

Objective To design a kind of nasal feeding nutritional tube that can carry 125I particles,to use this tube for the treatment of upper digestive tract malignant occlusive disease in order to achieve double effect of nasal feeding nutrition and brachytherapy.Methods 125I particles were put into a 3F catheter,then both ends of the catheter were sealed off to make 125I particle chain.By using binding technology,the 125I particle chain was fixed on the nasal feeding tube.Under DSA guidance,the nasal feeding tube carrying 125I particle chain was inserted into the esophagus,with the 125I particle chain segment crossing over the section of esophageal stenosis or occlusion to conduct brachytherapy.This technique was employed in 6 patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma.The technical success rate,operation time and complications were recorded.Two months after the treatment,the Karnofsky score,visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score,Neuhaus dysphagia grading,esophagus patency on esophageal radiography,and local tumor control rate were determined.Results The preparation of nasal feeding nutritional tube carrying 125I particle chain was simple.The technical success rate was 100％,the mean operation time was 15.5 min,no serious complications such as bleeding or infection occurred.Two months after the treatment,the Karnofsky score,VAS pain score and Neuhaus dysphagia grading were significantly improved when compared with the preoperative data (P＜0.O1).On esophageal radiography,the contrast agent passed through the narrow area smoothly.Partial remission (PR) of local tumor was obtained in all patients,and the local tumor control rate was 100％.The patients were followed up for 2-6 months,one patient developed recurrent obstruction.Conclusion It is simple and easy to prepare a nasal feeding nutritional tube carrying 125I particle chain,the use of this kind of tube can achieve both parenteral nutrition and brachytherapy at the same time.Therefore,this technique opens a new way for the treatment of esophageal malignant tumor.

Objective To investigate the correlation between retinal deformation degree and retina thickness (RT) detected by optic coherent tomography (OTC) in patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane (IMEM). Methods The 66 eyes (56 patients) with IMEM diagnosed by OCT were retrospectively analyzed in this study. After best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), ocular fundus and OCT examination, patients were divided into three groups (mild, medium and severe) according to retinal deformation degrees. The RT value was measured manually. Results There were significant differences in RT values between mild, moderate and severe groups:(311.95 ±51.78) μm, (447.13±41.95) μm and (560.00± 58.23) μm (P<0.05). The values of BCVA were 0.78±0.16, 0.38±0.12 and 0.27±0.14 for mild, moderate and severe groups, there were significant differences between them (P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between RT and BCVA in mild group (r=-0.352,P=0.128). There was negative correlation between RT and BCVA in medium group and serious group (r=-0.768 and-0.482,P<0.05). Conclusion The retinal deformation degree and RT are two objective indicators to assess visual performance in patients of IMEM. When RT is more than 400 μm, it can be used as objective criteria for surgical intervention.