Objective To investigate the causes of the abnormally elevated gross α and gross β activity concentrations in the water of Nanbei Lake located near the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant. Methods Water and sediment samples were measured according to GB/T 5750.13-2023 Standard Examination Methods for Drinking Water. Results The gross α activity concentration in Nanbei Lake water was (0.135 ± 0.0108) Bq/L, and the gross β activity concentration was 0.345 ± 0.036 Bq/L, which were several times higher than those recorded during the same period in previous years. The spike recovery rates for Nanbei Lake water (gross α: 85.7% ± 4.7%; gross β: 101.8% ± 4.1%) showed no significant differences from those for tap water (gross α: 83.2% ± 3.6%; gross β: 105.1% ± 5.2%). Gross α activity concentration exhibited a positive correlation with sediment addition (r = 0.996), as did gross β activity concentration (r = 0.998). The gross α and gross β activity concentrations in sediments from Nanbei Lake were significantly higher than those in sediments from surrounding water bodies. The gross α (529 ± 41)Bq/L and gross β (927 ± 83)Bq/L activity concentrations in the residue retained on a 0.45 μm filter after filtering Nanbei Lake water were similar to those in the sediments of Nanbei Lake (gross α: (516 ± 35) Bq/L; gross β: (965 ± 68) Bq/L). Conclusion The elevated gross α and gross β activity concentrations in Nanbei Lake water could be attributed to dredging activities, which resuspended sediments into the water column, combined with the inherently high activity concentrations in the sediments.

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.

Objective To investigate the effects of composite nanoparticles E/Ce@MCSNs loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG)and cerium dioxide(CeO2)on the odonto/osteogenic differentiation of human stem cells from the apical papilla(SCAPs)and macrophage polarization under inflammatory conditions.Methods E/Ce@MCSNs were synthesized and characterized.Cell viabil-ity of SCAPs and RAW 264.7 cells treated with varying concentrations of E/Ce@MCSNs was assessed via CCK-8 assay.The antioxidant enzyme-mimetic activity of E/Ce@MCSNs was evaluated.Under simulated inflammatory conditions,intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)scavenging capacity was measured via DCFH-DA fluorescent probe.Alkaline phosphatase(ALP)staining/activity,alizarin red staining/semi-quantitative analysis,and RT-qPCR were performed to detect odonto/osteogenic differentiation markers,in-cluding dentin sialoprotein(DSPP),ALP,runt-related transcription factor 2(Runx-2),type Ⅰ collagen(COL-Ⅰ),and osteopontin(OPN)in SCAPs.The effects of E/Ce@MCSNs on the odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation of SCAPs under this condition were eval-uated.RT-qPCR were used to analyze cytokine expression(TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,iNOS,TGF-β,IL-10)and secreted TNF-α/IL-6 levels in RAW264.7 cells.The concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 in cell cul-ture supernatants were measured by ELISA.Results E/Ce@MCSNs exhibited excellent biocompatibility at concentrations≤100 μg/mL.They demonstrated potent ROS-scavenging activity(P＜0.05)and sig-nificantly enhanced ALP activity(P＜0.001),promoted calcium nodule formation(P＜0.001),and upregulated odonto/osteogenic gene expression(DSPP,ALP,Runx-2,COL-Ⅰ,OPN)in SCAPs under inflammatory conditions(P＜0.05).In RAW264.7 cells,E/Ce@MCSNs downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1 β,IL-6,iNOS)(P＜0.01)and upregulated anti-inflammatory factors(TGF-β,IL-10)(P＜0.001),while reducing TNF-α and IL-6 secretion(P＜0.001).Conclusion E/Ce@MCSNs exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in apical periodontitis by scavenging excessive ROS,thereby promoting odonto/osteogenic differentiation of SCAPs.

Objective: To investigate the seroepidemiological characteristics of hepatitis B among outpatients in medical institutions in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide a reference for formulating region-specific hepatitis B prevention and control strategies. Methods: From April to June 2024, outpatients were selected as study subjects from sentinel medical institutions in Jiaxing City. Information such as gender and age was collected. Venous blood samples were obtained and serological markers including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), hepatitis B e antibody (HBeAb), and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) were tested. Positive rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers were analyzed by genders and ages. Results: A total of 1 468 outpatients were included, among whom 721 were males (49.11%) and 747 were females (50.89%). The mean age was (46.41±19.66) years. The positive rates of HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBcAb were 7.29%, 44.75%, 1.84%, 23.50%, and 42.03%, respectively. The HBcAb positive rate in males was significantly higher than in females (46.05% vs. 38.15%, P<0.05), while no statistically significant gender differences were observed in the positive rates of other four HBV serological markers (all P>0.05). Except for HBsAb, the positive rates of the other four HBV serological markers showed statistically significant differences across different age groups (all P<0.05). Pairwise comparisons results showed that the HBsAg positive rates in age groups of 20-<40 years and 40-<60 years were 9.48% and 9.57%, respectively, which were higher than those in age groups of <20 years (1.43%) and ≥60 years (2.75%) (all P<0.05). A total of 17 HBV serological marker patterns were observed, among which the proportion of all markers negative was the highest, at 39.65%. The proportions of "small three positive" (HBsAg+, HBeAb+, HBcAb+) and "large three positive" (HBsAg+, HBeAg+, HBcAb+) patterns were 4.77% and 1.50%, respectively. Among HBsAg-positive individuals, the proportions of the "small three positive" pattern across age groups were 0, 45.45%, 90.00%, and 81.82%, while those of the "large three positive" were 0, 36.36%, 5.00%, and 0, with statistically significant differences across age groups (both P<0.05). Conclusions The positive rate of HBsAg among outpatients in medical institutions in Jiaxing City is relatively high, with a notable proportion of individuals showing either no immunity or non-response to vaccination. It is recommended to strengthen hepatitis B immunization efforts among the population aged 20-<60 years, and to enhance monitoring and interventional treatment for "small three positive" and "large three positive" patterns.

BackgroundNon-suicidal self-injury （NSSI） represents a prevalent clinical feature among adolescent patients with major depressive disorder. Existing research has suggested that interoceptive awareness might be linked to NSSI behaviors， but investigations into this association among adolescent patients with major depressive disorders remain limited. ObjectiveTo elucidate the correlation between NSSI behaviors and interoceptive awareness in adolescent patients with major depressive disorder， and to identify influencing factors of NSSI behaviors， in order to provide clinical prevention and treatment strategies. MethodsA total of 125 adolescent patients who met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） were recruited from the Fourth People's Hospital of Hefei from December 2022 to June 2024. These participants were subsequentially categorized into NSSI behavior group （n=60） and non-NSSI behavior group （n=65） based on the presence or absence of NSSI behaviors. Additionally， a control group comprising 40 healthy adolescents was concurrently assembled for comparison. The Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17） was used to assess the depressive symptoms of adolescent patients with major depressive disorder， and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness version 2- Chinese （MAIA-2） was used to evaluate the interoceptive awareness level of all subjects. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the correlation between HAMD-17 scores and MAIA-2 scores. Binary Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the influencing factors of NSSI behaviors in adolescent patients. Then the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was drawn to verify the predictive efficacy of MAIA-2 scores for NSSI behaviors in adolescent patients with major depressive disorder. ResultsSignificant differences were identified across six MAIA-2 subscales （noticing， not distracting， not worrying， attention regulation， emotional awareness， body listening） and the MAIA-2 total score among the three groups （F=18.475， 20.631， 6.044， 5.621， 18.456， 12.889， 12.741， P<0.01）. Correlation analysis underscored a notable negative correlation between the MAIA-2 total score and the HAMD-17 total score， as well as its scores on subscales pertaining to weight and cognitive impairment factors（r=-0.315， -0.203， -0.278， P<0.05）. Binary Logistic regression results indicated that longer disease duration （OR=1.112， 95% CI： 1.043–1.206） and higher HAMD-17 total score （OR=2.071， 95% CI： 1.361–3.150） were risk factors for NSSI behavior in adolescents with depressive disorder， while a higher MAIA-2 total score was a protective factor against NSSI behavior in this population （OR=0.580， 95% CI： 0.407–0.828）. The MAIA-2 total score demonstrated a relatively high predictive value for NSSI behaviors in adolescent patients with major depressive disorder （AUC=0.793）. ConclusionNSSI behaviors in adolescent patients with major depressive disorder are closely related to the disease course， severity of depression， and specific interoceptive awareness patterns. Moreover， interoceptive awareness may serve as a predictive indicator for the occurrence of their NSSI behaviors. ［Funded by the National Key Clinical Specialty Construction Project of China； Anhui Provincial Clinical Key Specialty Construction Project； the Hospital-Level Scientific Research Project of the Fourth People's Hospital of Hefei （number， HFSY2022YB07）］

Objective To investigate the effects of composite nanoparticles E/Ce@MCSNs loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG)and cerium dioxide(CeO2)on the odonto/osteogenic differentiation of human stem cells from the apical papilla(SCAPs)and macrophage polarization under inflammatory conditions.Methods E/Ce@MCSNs were synthesized and characterized.Cell viabil-ity of SCAPs and RAW 264.7 cells treated with varying concentrations of E/Ce@MCSNs was assessed via CCK-8 assay.The antioxidant enzyme-mimetic activity of E/Ce@MCSNs was evaluated.Under simulated inflammatory conditions,intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)scavenging capacity was measured via DCFH-DA fluorescent probe.Alkaline phosphatase(ALP)staining/activity,alizarin red staining/semi-quantitative analysis,and RT-qPCR were performed to detect odonto/osteogenic differentiation markers,in-cluding dentin sialoprotein(DSPP),ALP,runt-related transcription factor 2(Runx-2),type Ⅰ collagen(COL-Ⅰ),and osteopontin(OPN)in SCAPs.The effects of E/Ce@MCSNs on the odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation of SCAPs under this condition were eval-uated.RT-qPCR were used to analyze cytokine expression(TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,iNOS,TGF-β,IL-10)and secreted TNF-α/IL-6 levels in RAW264.7 cells.The concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 in cell cul-ture supernatants were measured by ELISA.Results E/Ce@MCSNs exhibited excellent biocompatibility at concentrations≤100 μg/mL.They demonstrated potent ROS-scavenging activity(P＜0.05)and sig-nificantly enhanced ALP activity(P＜0.001),promoted calcium nodule formation(P＜0.001),and upregulated odonto/osteogenic gene expression(DSPP,ALP,Runx-2,COL-Ⅰ,OPN)in SCAPs under inflammatory conditions(P＜0.05).In RAW264.7 cells,E/Ce@MCSNs downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1 β,IL-6,iNOS)(P＜0.01)and upregulated anti-inflammatory factors(TGF-β,IL-10)(P＜0.001),while reducing TNF-α and IL-6 secretion(P＜0.001).Conclusion E/Ce@MCSNs exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in apical periodontitis by scavenging excessive ROS,thereby promoting odonto/osteogenic differentiation of SCAPs.

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.

Objective To analyze the performances of electronic portal imaging device (EPID) in mechanical and dosimetry responses,and to investigate the feasibility of adopting EPID as a daily quality assurance (QA) equipment. Methods The EPID of Trilogy linear accelerator was tested for mechanical position repeatability and dose linear response. Then,a group of special fields were edited manually for simulations of field translation and symmetry deviations,and the sensitivities of EPID and MyQA Daily to field translation and symmetry deviations were evaluated,and moreover,the linear correlation between the set value and the measured value was analyzed. Finally,daily QA was conducted with EPID and MyQA Daily for 30 consecutive days,and the measurement results and time consumption were analyzed. Results The maximum deviation of EPID position repeatability was 0.4 mm,and the dose response was linearly correlated (R2>0.999). The symmetry deviation test results showed that both of EPID and MyQA Daily were capable to effectively detect the 0.2％ offset in symmetry,and a linear correlation was demonstrated between the set value and the measured results (R2>0.995). In translation test,the linear correlation of EPID was more explicit than that of MyQA Daily (R2=0.992 vs R2=0.976). In daily QA,all the measured results of EPID and MyQA Daily were within the clinic acceptance tolerance. Moreover,the mean value of Y-directional symmetry and flatness measured by EPID was approximately 1.00％ larger than MyQA Daily. The average time required by EPID was 50 s less than MyQA Daily[(129.97±4.16) s vs (184.53±4.23) s]. Conclusion EPID can be served as a reliable and efficient daily QA equipment for linear accelerator. However,it is not capable to be used as a criterion for evaluating linear accelerator performance.

Objective To analyze the performances of electronic portal imaging device (EPID) in mechanical and dosimetry responses,and to investigate the feasibility of adopting EPID as a daily quality assurance (QA) equipment. Methods The EPID of Trilogy linear accelerator was tested for mechanical position repeatability and dose linear response. Then,a group of special fields were edited manually for simulations of field translation and symmetry deviations,and the sensitivities of EPID and MyQA Daily to field translation and symmetry deviations were evaluated,and moreover,the linear correlation between the set value and the measured value was analyzed. Finally,daily QA was conducted with EPID and MyQA Daily for 30 consecutive days,and the measurement results and time consumption were analyzed. Results The maximum deviation of EPID position repeatability was 0.4 mm,and the dose response was linearly correlated (R2>0.999). The symmetry deviation test results showed that both of EPID and MyQA Daily were capable to effectively detect the 0.2％ offset in symmetry,and a linear correlation was demonstrated between the set value and the measured results (R2>0.995). In translation test,the linear correlation of EPID was more explicit than that of MyQA Daily (R2=0.992 vs R2=0.976). In daily QA,all the measured results of EPID and MyQA Daily were within the clinic acceptance tolerance. Moreover,the mean value of Y-directional symmetry and flatness measured by EPID was approximately 1.00％ larger than MyQA Daily. The average time required by EPID was 50 s less than MyQA Daily[(129.97±4.16) s vs (184.53±4.23) s]. Conclusion EPID can be served as a reliable and efficient daily QA equipment for linear accelerator. However,it is not capable to be used as a criterion for evaluating linear accelerator performance.

Objective To investigate the antibacterial performance and biocompatibility of silver nanoparticles-coated root canal nickel titanium instruments(AgNPs-NiTi).Methods AgNPs-NiTi was prepared using pulse electrochemical deposition.The morphol-ogy of AgNPs-NiTi was observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),and the elemental composition and con-tent were analyzed using X-ray diffraction(XRD)and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS).The mechanical properties of AgNPs-NiTi were tested.After Co-culturing AgNPs-NiTi with E.faecalis,the antibacterial effect was detected by colony-forming units method.By constructing an in vitro model of E.faecalis biofilm in the root canal of teeth,the antibacterial effect of AgNPs-NiTi was observed using FE-SEM and live/dead bacterial staining.In addition,AgNPs-NiTi was co-cultured with Raw 264.7 cells,and its cytotoxicity was de-tected by CCK-8.Results The pulse electrochemical deposition was used to construct a silver nanoparticle(AgNPs)coating on NiTi instruments with no significant change in the mechanical properties.AgNPs-NiTi significantly inhibited the proliferation of E.faecalis and damaged E.faecalis biofilm in the root canal.AgNPs-NiTi had no significant influence on the proliferation of Raw264.7 cells and had no cytotoxicity.Conclusion The mechanical properties of AgNPs-NiTi are similar to those of nickel titanium instruments.AgNPs-NiTi inhibits E.faecalis proliferation with good biocompatibility.