OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of failure mode and effect analysis(FMEA)on management of hospi-tal-associated infections(HAIs)in hemodialysis center.METHODS In Nov.2023,the risk priority number(RPN)integrated with action priority(AP)was adopted to identify,analyze and evaluate the risk factors in man-agement of HAIs in hemodialysis center of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College,Huazhong Uni-versity of Science and Technology by FMEA method.The high risk points that needed to be taken interventions were screened out,and the targeted measures were formulated to control the risks.At the end of the intervention period,a second round of risk assessment was carried out for improvement status of the high-risk points in Nov.2024,and the effect on the management of HAIs was evaluated.RESULTS The risk assessment was carried out for 48 risk points covering eight aspects,including organizational structure,self-inspection and supervision,staff management,environmental layout,cleaning and disinfection,surveillance,operation procedures and i-tem management.There were 9 risk points with the RPN values greater than 125,3 of which were with the AP value of"H".There were 8 risk points with the RPN value less than 125 and 6 risk points with the AP value drop-ping down to L after the targeted intervention measures were taken,indicating that the risk management has a-chieved favorable effect.CONCLUSIONS The RPN and AP integrated with FMEA can accurately identify the high-risk points in the quality management of the hemodialysis center.It is necessary to take targeted interven-tion measures so as to boost the effect on prevention and control of HAIs in the hemodialysis center and reduce the risk of HAIs in the hemodialysis patients.

Objective:To analyze the correlation between thymus dose-volume parameters and lymphopenia in patients with early-stage breast cancer (BC) receiving adjuvant radiotherapy (RT).Methods:Medical records of 54 patients with early-stage BC who received postoperative adjuvant RT in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) were collected at 1 month before (baseline) and weekly during RT. Lymphopenia was graded based according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events version 5.0 and nadir/baseline ALC was calculated. The thymus was delineated according to anatomical boundaries in the original RT planning system. Dosimetric parameters were obtained from the dose volume histograms. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the factors associated with nadir/baseline ALC. The cutoff values of dosimetric parameters for predicting ≥grade 3 lymphopenia were obtained using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The proportion of 54 patients experiencing ≥ grade 3 lymphopenia was 38.9%. The median value of thymus volume, mean dose, V 5 Gy, V 10 Gy were 14.02 cm 3, 4.95 Gy, 36.18%, and 6.61%, respectively. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that baseline ALC ( P=0.005), quadrant location ( P=0.005) and mean thymus dose ( P<0.001) were significantly associated with nadir/baseline ALC. ROC curve analysis indicated that the cutoff values of thymus mean dose, V 5 Gy and V 10 Gy for predicting ≥ grade 3 lymphopenia were 6.12 Gy, 35.2%, and 7.4%, respectively. Conclusions:Lymphopenia in early-stage BC patients is significantly correlated with high dosimetric parameters of the thymus during postoperative adjuvant RT. Thymus may be considered as an organ at risk during RT.

Background and Aims:Elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer often experience decreased sleep quality,which may hinder postoperative recovery.Although pharmacological interventions are commonly used in clinical practice to improve postoperative sleep,conventional medications may lead to adverse effects such as delirium and dependence.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a non-pharmacological intervention—buccal acupuncture combined with ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block(SGB)—on postoperative sleep quality in elderly patients.Methods:A total of 60 elderly patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer at the Forth Hospital of Changsha from February to August 2024 were enrolled.Using a random number table,the patients were divided into two groups:30 in the control group(SGB alone)and 30 in the study group(SGB combined with buccal acupuncture).Perioperative mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scores,and the incidence of adverse events were recorded and analyzed.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups(all P>0.05).The study group showed significantly lower intraoperative and postoperative HR and MAP compared to the control group(all P<0.05).VAS scores at 6,24,and 48 h postoperatively,as well as PSQI scores on postoperative days 1,3,and 5,were significantly lower in the study group(all P<0.05).Additionally,the incidence of drowsiness was significantly reduced(P<0.05).No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of nausea,vomiting,or agitation(all P>0.05).Conclusion:The combination of buccal acupuncture and SGB during the perioperative period can effectively improve postoperative sleep quality,alleviate pain,and reduce adverse reactions in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer.This safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention holds promising clinical application value.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and advantages of applying visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus in postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for breast cancer.Methods:Forty patients with breast cancer treated with PMRT in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June 2023 to June 2024 were prospectively selected. They were randomly divided into test and control groups (also referred to as groups A and B, respectively), with 20 patients in each group. Group A, underwent two CT scans: the first scan without bolus (image A1) and the second scan with visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus (image A2). They were treated with visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus. Group B also underwent two CT scans: the first scan without bolus (image B1) and the second scan with conventional commercial bolus (image B2), and then were treated with conventional commercial bolus. In the radiotherapy planning, images A1 and A2 were designed as A1-Plan and A2-Plan, and A3-Plan was created by transferring the A1-Plan onto image A2. Images B1 and B2 were designed as B1-Plan and B2-Plan, and B3-Plan was created by transferring the B1-Plan onto image B2. The radiation fields and target optimization functions were identical. The dosimetric differences and skin toxicity reactions between different plans were compared.Results:In Group A, A1-Plan and A2-Plan manifested no statistically significant differences ( P > 0.05) in the doses to organs at risk (OARs), including the ipsilateral lung ( V5 Gy, V10 Gy, V20 Gy), heart ( Dmean), contralateral breast ( Dmean), and skin ( Dmax and Dmean), target homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), prescription dose volume ( V50 Gy), depth of maximum dose ( Dmax), and monitor unit (MU). In Group B, B3-Plan compared to B1-Plan showed reduced V50 Gy (89.9% vs. 95%), HI (0.153 vs. 0.136), and CI (0.817 vs. 0.810), while the two plans displayed no statistically significant differences in doses to OARs. In contrast, A3-Plan and B3-Plan exhibited statistically significant differences ( t = 2.78, 2.29, -0.47, 0.51, 3.13, P < 0.05) in V50 Gy (94.05% vs. 89.90%), Dmax (5 665.4 cGy vs. 5 632.7 cGy), HI (0.148 vs. 0.163), CI (0.83 vs. 0.82), and skin Dmean (5 153.6 cGy vs. 5 048.2 cGy). Compared to the conventional commercial bolus of the same thickness, the visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus yielded a significantly reduced air cavity volume (3 833 mm 3vs. 21 498 mm 3,t = -9.65, P < 0.05). Both groups experienced only grade I skin toxicity reactions. Conclusions:Compared to the conventional commercial bolus of the same thickness, the visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus shows a more effective dosimetric distribution in terms of target coverage, HI, and CI, a higher fit to the skin, highly visualized air cavity, and higher positional repeatability in fractionated radiotherapy, demonstrating high practicality and safety.

Objective To analyze the medication patterns of LAN Shi Mi Cang in treating diseases related to the spleen and stomach.Methods Search for prescriptions for treating spleen and stomach-related diseases in LAN Shi Mi Cang,a total of 95 prescriptions and 150 traditional Chinese medicines were included.The usage frequency,four Qi,five Wei and channel tropism of traditional Chinese medicine were analyzed,and the correlation degree,core drugs and new formula combinations were analyzed by using correlation analysis,cluster analysis and complex network analysis.Medication rules of Li Dongyuan in treating diseases related to spleen and stomach were summarized.Results The top three most frequently used herbs are Danggui,Shengma,and Gancao.These herbs generally exhibit warm,neutral,or cold properties,with flavors predominantly pungent,sweet,or bitter,primarily affecting the spleen and stomach meridians.The most closely associated herb pair is Danggui-Shengma.Core herbs include Huangqi,Shengma,and Chaihu,et al.Cluster analysis identified four distinct herbal combinations.Conclusion Li Dongyuan's treatment of diseases related to the spleen and stomach mainly focuses on tonifying the spleen and stomach,harmonizing Qi and blood,sweet and warm to remove heat,and raising Yang to disperse fire.It also treats external infections and internal injuries,as well as symptoms of excess and root deficiency.

Objective:To analyze the correlation between thymus dose-volume parameters and lymphopenia in patients with early-stage breast cancer (BC) receiving adjuvant radiotherapy (RT).Methods:Medical records of 54 patients with early-stage BC who received postoperative adjuvant RT in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) were collected at 1 month before (baseline) and weekly during RT. Lymphopenia was graded based according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events version 5.0 and nadir/baseline ALC was calculated. The thymus was delineated according to anatomical boundaries in the original RT planning system. Dosimetric parameters were obtained from the dose volume histograms. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the factors associated with nadir/baseline ALC. The cutoff values of dosimetric parameters for predicting ≥grade 3 lymphopenia were obtained using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The proportion of 54 patients experiencing ≥ grade 3 lymphopenia was 38.9%. The median value of thymus volume, mean dose, V 5 Gy, V 10 Gy were 14.02 cm 3, 4.95 Gy, 36.18%, and 6.61%, respectively. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that baseline ALC ( P=0.005), quadrant location ( P=0.005) and mean thymus dose ( P<0.001) were significantly associated with nadir/baseline ALC. ROC curve analysis indicated that the cutoff values of thymus mean dose, V 5 Gy and V 10 Gy for predicting ≥ grade 3 lymphopenia were 6.12 Gy, 35.2%, and 7.4%, respectively. Conclusions:Lymphopenia in early-stage BC patients is significantly correlated with high dosimetric parameters of the thymus during postoperative adjuvant RT. Thymus may be considered as an organ at risk during RT.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of failure mode and effect analysis(FMEA)on management of hospi-tal-associated infections(HAIs)in hemodialysis center.METHODS In Nov.2023,the risk priority number(RPN)integrated with action priority(AP)was adopted to identify,analyze and evaluate the risk factors in man-agement of HAIs in hemodialysis center of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College,Huazhong Uni-versity of Science and Technology by FMEA method.The high risk points that needed to be taken interventions were screened out,and the targeted measures were formulated to control the risks.At the end of the intervention period,a second round of risk assessment was carried out for improvement status of the high-risk points in Nov.2024,and the effect on the management of HAIs was evaluated.RESULTS The risk assessment was carried out for 48 risk points covering eight aspects,including organizational structure,self-inspection and supervision,staff management,environmental layout,cleaning and disinfection,surveillance,operation procedures and i-tem management.There were 9 risk points with the RPN values greater than 125,3 of which were with the AP value of"H".There were 8 risk points with the RPN value less than 125 and 6 risk points with the AP value drop-ping down to L after the targeted intervention measures were taken,indicating that the risk management has a-chieved favorable effect.CONCLUSIONS The RPN and AP integrated with FMEA can accurately identify the high-risk points in the quality management of the hemodialysis center.It is necessary to take targeted interven-tion measures so as to boost the effect on prevention and control of HAIs in the hemodialysis center and reduce the risk of HAIs in the hemodialysis patients.

Background and Aims:Elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer often experience decreased sleep quality,which may hinder postoperative recovery.Although pharmacological interventions are commonly used in clinical practice to improve postoperative sleep,conventional medications may lead to adverse effects such as delirium and dependence.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a non-pharmacological intervention—buccal acupuncture combined with ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block(SGB)—on postoperative sleep quality in elderly patients.Methods:A total of 60 elderly patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer at the Forth Hospital of Changsha from February to August 2024 were enrolled.Using a random number table,the patients were divided into two groups:30 in the control group(SGB alone)and 30 in the study group(SGB combined with buccal acupuncture).Perioperative mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scores,and the incidence of adverse events were recorded and analyzed.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups(all P>0.05).The study group showed significantly lower intraoperative and postoperative HR and MAP compared to the control group(all P<0.05).VAS scores at 6,24,and 48 h postoperatively,as well as PSQI scores on postoperative days 1,3,and 5,were significantly lower in the study group(all P<0.05).Additionally,the incidence of drowsiness was significantly reduced(P<0.05).No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of nausea,vomiting,or agitation(all P>0.05).Conclusion:The combination of buccal acupuncture and SGB during the perioperative period can effectively improve postoperative sleep quality,alleviate pain,and reduce adverse reactions in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer.This safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention holds promising clinical application value.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and advantages of applying visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus in postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for breast cancer.Methods:Forty patients with breast cancer treated with PMRT in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June 2023 to June 2024 were prospectively selected. They were randomly divided into test and control groups (also referred to as groups A and B, respectively), with 20 patients in each group. Group A, underwent two CT scans: the first scan without bolus (image A1) and the second scan with visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus (image A2). They were treated with visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus. Group B also underwent two CT scans: the first scan without bolus (image B1) and the second scan with conventional commercial bolus (image B2), and then were treated with conventional commercial bolus. In the radiotherapy planning, images A1 and A2 were designed as A1-Plan and A2-Plan, and A3-Plan was created by transferring the A1-Plan onto image A2. Images B1 and B2 were designed as B1-Plan and B2-Plan, and B3-Plan was created by transferring the B1-Plan onto image B2. The radiation fields and target optimization functions were identical. The dosimetric differences and skin toxicity reactions between different plans were compared.Results:In Group A, A1-Plan and A2-Plan manifested no statistically significant differences ( P > 0.05) in the doses to organs at risk (OARs), including the ipsilateral lung ( V5 Gy, V10 Gy, V20 Gy), heart ( Dmean), contralateral breast ( Dmean), and skin ( Dmax and Dmean), target homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), prescription dose volume ( V50 Gy), depth of maximum dose ( Dmax), and monitor unit (MU). In Group B, B3-Plan compared to B1-Plan showed reduced V50 Gy (89.9% vs. 95%), HI (0.153 vs. 0.136), and CI (0.817 vs. 0.810), while the two plans displayed no statistically significant differences in doses to OARs. In contrast, A3-Plan and B3-Plan exhibited statistically significant differences ( t = 2.78, 2.29, -0.47, 0.51, 3.13, P < 0.05) in V50 Gy (94.05% vs. 89.90%), Dmax (5 665.4 cGy vs. 5 632.7 cGy), HI (0.148 vs. 0.163), CI (0.83 vs. 0.82), and skin Dmean (5 153.6 cGy vs. 5 048.2 cGy). Compared to the conventional commercial bolus of the same thickness, the visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus yielded a significantly reduced air cavity volume (3 833 mm 3vs. 21 498 mm 3,t = -9.65, P < 0.05). Both groups experienced only grade I skin toxicity reactions. Conclusions:Compared to the conventional commercial bolus of the same thickness, the visualized thermosensitive color-changing bolus shows a more effective dosimetric distribution in terms of target coverage, HI, and CI, a higher fit to the skin, highly visualized air cavity, and higher positional repeatability in fractionated radiotherapy, demonstrating high practicality and safety.

BACKGROUND: The main cause of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is the excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Lin28a has been reported to play critical regulatory roles in this process. However, whether CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins β (C/EBPβ) binds to the Lin28a promoter and drives the progression of restenosis has not been clarified. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to clarify the role of C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis in restenosis. METHODS: Restenosis and atherosclerosis rat models of type 2 diabetes ( n   =  20, for each group) were established by subjecting to PTA. Subsequently, the difference in DNA methylation status and expression of C/EBPβ between the two groups were assessed. EdU, Transwell, and rescue assays were performed to assess the effect of C/EBPβ on the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. DNA methylation status was further assessed using Methyltarget sequencing. The interaction between Lin28a and ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) was analysed using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay. Student's t -test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: C/EBPβ expression was upregulated and accompanied by hypomethylation of its promoter in restenosis when compared with atherosclerosis. In vitroC/EBPβ overexpression facilitated the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and was associated with increased Lin28a expression. Conversely, C/EBPβ knockdown resulted in the opposite effects. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further demonstrated that C/EBPβ could directly bind to Lin28a promoter. Increased C/EBPβ expression and enhanced proliferation and migration of VSMCs were observed after decitabine treatment. Further, mechanical stretch promoted C/EBPβ and Lin28a expression accompanied by C/EBPβ hypomethylation. Additionally, Lin28a overexpression reduced C/EBPβ methylation via recruiting TET1 and enhanced C/EBPβ-mediated proliferation and migration of VSMCs. The opposite was noted in Lin28a knockdown cells. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis is a driver of restenosis progression, and presents a promising therapeutic target for restenosis.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Rats ; DNA Methylation/physiology* ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta/genetics* ; Male ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/cytology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Cells, Cultured ; Coronary Restenosis/metabolism*