Objective To investigate the application value of ultrasonic artificial intelligence(AI)combined with serine/threonine-protein kinase(BRAF)V600E gene testing in differentiating benign-malignant and invasive thyroid nodules.Methods A total of 150 patients with malignant thyroid nodules(the malignant group)and 150 patients with benign thyroid nodules(the benign group)were selected.According to whether the pathological diagnosis of the malignant group involved capsule,vascular,nerve invasion or lymph node metastasis,patients were divided into the invasive group(66 cases)and the non-invasive group(84 cases).General clinical characteristics,ultrasonic AI parameters and BRAF V600E gene testing results were compared between groups.Discrepancies between ultrasonic AI,BRAF V600E gene testing and postoperative pathological diagnoses were analyzed.ROC curves and Delong tests were usd to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasonic AI,BRAF V600E gene and their joint inspection.Results The malignant group exhibited higher probabilities of nodule maximum diameter(＞1 cm),solid structure,hypoechoic/very hypoechoic echogenicity,microcalcification,blurred margin,irregular shape,aspect ratio(＞1),internal and mixed blood flow distribution and high blood flow richness(gradesⅢ—Ⅴ)compared to those of the benign group(P＜0.05).The invasive subgroup showed higher probabilities of nodule maximum diameter(＞1 cm),solid structure,hypoechoic/very hypoechoic echogenicity,microcalcification,blurred margin,irregular shape,internal and mixed blood flow distribution,and high blood flow richness(grades Ⅲ—Ⅴ)than those of the non-invasive subgroup(P＜0.05).For diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules,ultrasonic AI demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.00%and specificity of 80.67%.For invasive malignant nodules,sensitivity was 84.85%and specificity was 83.33%.BRAF V600E gene testing showed a sensitivity of 72.67%,specificity of 90.00%for malignant nodules.For invasive nodules,sensitivity was 74.24%and specificity was 88.10%.Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)analysis revealed that the AUCs(95%CI)for ultrasonic AI,BRAF V600E gene and their joint inspection in diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules were 0.853(0.807-0.900),0.813(0.762-0.864)and 0.941(0.917-0.966),with the joint inspection outperforming individual tests(P＜0.05).For invasive malignant nodules,the AUCs were 0.841(0.773-0.909),0.812(0.737-0.886)and 0.924(0.880-0.967),respectively,with the joint inspection showing superior performance(P＜0.05).Conclusion The joint inspection ultrasound AI with BRAF V600E gene significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules,and assessing their invasive potential.

Objective To examine the changing prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Burkholderia cepacia in 52 hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were collected from 52 hospitals between January 1,2015 and December 31,2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility of the strains was tested using Kirby-Bauer method or automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems according to a unified protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released in the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)guidelines(2023 edition).Results A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were isolated from all age groups,especially elderly patients.The proportion was 11.1％(1 032 strains)in children,significantly lower than the proportion in adults.About half(46.5％,4 310/9 261)of the strains were isolated from patients at least 60 years old and 42.3％(3 919/9 261)of the strains were isolated from young adults.Most isolates(71.1％)were isolated from sputum and respiratory secretions,followed by urine(10.7％)and blood samples(8.1％).B.cepacia isolates were highly susceptible to the five antimicrobial agents recommended in the CLSI M100 document(33rd edition,2023).B.cepacia isolates showed relatively higher resistance rates to meropenem and levofloxacin.However,the resistance rates to ceftazidime,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,and minocycline remained below 8.1％.The percentage of B.cepacia strains resistant to levofloxacin was the highest compared to other antibiotics in any of the three age groups(from 12.4％in the patients＜18 years old to 20.6％in the patients aged 60 years or older).Conclusions B.cepacia is one of the clinically important non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria.Accurate and timely reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility test results and ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance are helpful for rational prescription of antimicrobial agents and proper prevention and control of nosocomial infections.

Objective To investigate the application value of ultrasonic artificial intelligence(AI)combined with serine/threonine-protein kinase(BRAF)V600E gene testing in differentiating benign-malignant and invasive thyroid nodules.Methods A total of 150 patients with malignant thyroid nodules(the malignant group)and 150 patients with benign thyroid nodules(the benign group)were selected.According to whether the pathological diagnosis of the malignant group involved capsule,vascular,nerve invasion or lymph node metastasis,patients were divided into the invasive group(66 cases)and the non-invasive group(84 cases).General clinical characteristics,ultrasonic AI parameters and BRAF V600E gene testing results were compared between groups.Discrepancies between ultrasonic AI,BRAF V600E gene testing and postoperative pathological diagnoses were analyzed.ROC curves and Delong tests were usd to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasonic AI,BRAF V600E gene and their joint inspection.Results The malignant group exhibited higher probabilities of nodule maximum diameter(＞1 cm),solid structure,hypoechoic/very hypoechoic echogenicity,microcalcification,blurred margin,irregular shape,aspect ratio(＞1),internal and mixed blood flow distribution and high blood flow richness(gradesⅢ—Ⅴ)compared to those of the benign group(P＜0.05).The invasive subgroup showed higher probabilities of nodule maximum diameter(＞1 cm),solid structure,hypoechoic/very hypoechoic echogenicity,microcalcification,blurred margin,irregular shape,internal and mixed blood flow distribution,and high blood flow richness(grades Ⅲ—Ⅴ)than those of the non-invasive subgroup(P＜0.05).For diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules,ultrasonic AI demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.00%and specificity of 80.67%.For invasive malignant nodules,sensitivity was 84.85%and specificity was 83.33%.BRAF V600E gene testing showed a sensitivity of 72.67%,specificity of 90.00%for malignant nodules.For invasive nodules,sensitivity was 74.24%and specificity was 88.10%.Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)analysis revealed that the AUCs(95%CI)for ultrasonic AI,BRAF V600E gene and their joint inspection in diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules were 0.853(0.807-0.900),0.813(0.762-0.864)and 0.941(0.917-0.966),with the joint inspection outperforming individual tests(P＜0.05).For invasive malignant nodules,the AUCs were 0.841(0.773-0.909),0.812(0.737-0.886)and 0.924(0.880-0.967),respectively,with the joint inspection showing superior performance(P＜0.05).Conclusion The joint inspection ultrasound AI with BRAF V600E gene significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules,and assessing their invasive potential.

Objective To summarize the changing prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales based on the data of CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021 for improving antimicrobial treatment in clinical practice.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a commercial automated susceptibility testing system according to the unified CHINET protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 31st ed in 2021.Results Over the seven-year period(2015-2021),the overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)was 9.43％(62 342/661 235).The prevalence of CRE strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae,Citrobacter freundii,and Enterobacter cloacae was 22.38％,9.73％,and 8.47％,respectively.The prevalence of CRE strains in Escherichia coli was 1.99％.A few CRE strains were also identified in Salmonella and Shigella.The CRE strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.23±2.80)％,followed by blood(20.88±3.40)％and urine(18.40±3.45)％.Intensive care units(ICUs)were the major source of the CRE strains(27.43±5.20)％.CRE strains were resistant to all the β-lactam antibiotics tested and most non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents.The CRE strains were relatively susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxins with low resistance rates.Conclusions The prevalence of CRE strains was increasing from 2015 to 2021.CRE strains were highly resistant to most of the antibacterial drugs used in clinical practice.Clinicians should prescribe antimicrobial agents rationally.Hospitals should strengthen antibiotic stewardship in key clinical settings such as ICUs,and take effective infection control measures to curb CRE outbreak and epidemic in hospitals.

Objective To characterize the changing species distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of respiratory isolates in hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Commercial automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems and disk diffusion method were used to test the susceptibility of respiratory bacterial isolates to antimicrobial agents following the standardized technical protocol established by the CHINET program.Results A total of 589 746 respiratory isolates were collected from 2015 to 2021.Overall,82.6％of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria and 17.4％were Gram-positive bacteria.The bacterial isolates from outpatients and inpatients accounted for(6.0±0.9)％and(94.0±0.1)％,respectively.The top microorganisms were Klebsiella spp.,Acinetobacter spp.,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Haemophilus spp.,Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Escherichia coli,and Streptococcus pneumoniae.Each microorganism was isolated from significantly more males than from females(P＜0.05).The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)was 39.9％.The prevalence of penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was 1.4％.The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL)-producing E.coli and K.pneumoniae was 67.8％and 41.3％,respectively.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Enterobacter cloacae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and Acinetobacter baumannii was 3.7％,20.8％,9.4％,29.8％,and 73.3％,respectively.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 96.1％in Moraxella catarrhalis and 60.0％in Haemophilus influenzae.The H.influenzae isolates from children(＜18 years)showed significantly higher resistance rates to β-lactam antibiotics than the isolates from adults(P＜0.05).Conclusions Gram-negative bacteria are still predominant in respiratory isolates associated with serious antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be strengthened in clinical practice to support accurate etiological diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.

Purpose To explore the consistency between T2 mapping and three-dimensional water-selective cartilage(3D-WATSc)sequence measurement of knee cartilage volume.Materials and Methods A total of 30 healthy volunteers were recruited and underwent 3D-WATSc and T2 mapping sequence scans of the left knee joint in the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo University from May to December 2022.A total of 20 subjects'T2 mapping sequences were randomly selected and eight groups of raw images with different TE(13,26,39,52,65,78,91,104 ms)were analyzed.The quality of the raw images was rated by two observers,and the consistency of two observers'scores were subjected by Kappa test.The TE value with the best image quality was determined via Welch analysis of variance and Games-Howell text post hoc test.Based on T2 mapping and 3D-WATSc sequences,semi-automatic segmentation measurements were performed on the cartilage volume of femoral condyle,tibial plateau and patellar posterior margin in 30 subjects.Intra group correlation coefficient(ICC)and Bland-Altman plot were used to test the consistency of cartilage volume between two observers under T2 mapping sequence,as well as between T2 mapping and 3D-WATSc sequences.Results The consistency of the scores of the two observers was moderate except for poor consistency at TE 104 ms(Kappa=0.318)and no statistical difference at TE 78 ms(P=0.052),with Kappa values greater than 0.40 and P<0.05,further analysis showed that the cartilage display quality score was optimal at TE 26 ms(M=2.90).Comparing TE 26 ms with the scores of the other seven groups in Games Howell text,except for TE 26 ms and TE 13 ms(M=2.55),TE 26 ms and TE 39 ms(M=2.62),which had no statistically significant difference in scores(P>0.05),there were significant differences in scores between TE 26 ms and the other TE groups(all P<0.05).On the T2 mapping(TR 2 000 ms,TE 26 ms)sequence,the ICC values of the cartilage volumes of each part segmented by two observers were all greater than 0.6,P<0.05,with the consistency of femoral condyle cartilage volume being the best(ICC=0.877,P<0.01).The consistency of the cartilage volumes of each part measured by 3D-WATSc and T2 mapping sequences was good(ICC>0.75,P<0.01),with the consistency of tibial plateau cartilage volume being the best(ICC=0.857,P<0.01).Conclusion The T2 mapping original grayscale image(TR 2 000 ms,TE 26 ms)can clearly display the morphology of knee joint cartilage,the consistency between T2 mapping and 3D-WATSc sequences in quantifying knee cartilage volume is good,and the T2 mapping single sequence provides a reliable scanning scheme for one-stop quantitative analysis of knee joint cartilage morphology and function.

Objective:To explore highly efficient ventilation protection technology for large-space workplaces adapted to the production process in composite material impregnation.Methods:A composite material impregnation room was selected as the research subject from August to December 2023. Occupational health investigation, on-site detection, and physical simulation of air distribution were used to analyze the distribution of the xylene concentrations in the impregnation room. In addition, the causes for excessive concentrations were analyzed, and the combination ventilation design of enclosed negative pressure cabinets and jet directional supply of fresh air was proposed. The concentration of xylene, the capture velocity and the differential pressure of ventilation facilities before and after the transformation were tested on the spot. The rationality of the airflow organization was determined through smoke testing, and the ventilation protection effects before and after the transformation were analyzed.Results:The time-weighted average allowable concentration ( CTWA) of xylene was reduced from 41.73 mg/m 3 to 7.78 mg/m 3, and the CTWA of xylene were reduced by 81.4%. The values of capture velocity at all areas were higer than 0.5 m/s, and the values of velocity unevenness in all regions were lower than or equal to 0.25. The differential pressure between the enclosed cabinet and the impregnation room corridor was -2 to -1 Pa. The overall velocity distribution at all areas was relatively uniform, the airflow organization was reasonable, and negative pressure was formed inside the enclosed cabinet. Conclusion:The combination ventilation design of xylene, the capture velocity and the differential pressure of ventilation facilities effectively reducing the xylene concentration in the workplace, and provide a reference for ventilation protection of xylene workplace.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of continuous Bougie tube use in symmetrical three-port laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 105 patients who underwent symmetrical three-port LSG at The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from October 2021 to October 2024 were collected. There were 57 males and 48 females, aged 27(range, 19-59)years. Of the 105 patients, 52 cases with continuous Bougie tube use during the surgery were divided into continuous group, while 53 cases with intermittent Bougie tube use were divided into intermittent group. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) complications. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Results:(1) Surgical situations. All 105 patients underwent symmetrical three-port LSG. The operation time was (57±4)minutes versus (76±4)minutes for the continuous group and the intermittent group, volume of intraoperative blood loss was (26±6)mL versus (59±9)mL, time to first out-of-bed activities was (218±8)minutes versus (299±9)minutes, time to first anal exhaust was (19.6±2.9)hours versus (25.8±2.8)hours, visual analogue scale score for pain at 6 hours postoperatively was 2.3±1.0 versus 4.7±1.0, and duration of postoperative hospital stay was (1.5±0.6)days versus (3.1±0.9)days for the two groups, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups( t=26.92, 22.31, 48.91, 11.15, 13.25, 10.21, P<0.05). (2) Complications. No severe postopera-tive complication occurred in any of the 105 patients. There were 26 cases and 38 cases with nausea and vomiting at 2 hours postoperatively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=5.19, P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared to intermittent Bougie tube use, continuous Bougie tube use during symmetrical three-port LSG can significantly shorten operation time and duration of postoperative hospital stay, reduce intraoperative bleeding and postoperative pain, accelerate recovery of patients, and lower the incidence of complications.

Objective To explore the risk prediction value of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(Gd-EOB-MRI)liver imaging reporting and data system version 2018(LI-RADS v2018)with contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)LI-RADS version 2017(LI-RADS v2017)in high-risk patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The clinical and imaging data of 122 high-risk patients for HCC(with a total of 134 liver lesions)who underwent both Gd-EOB-MRI and CEUS examination at the same time and obtained pathological results within one month were retrospectively col-lected.The nodules were classified according to the CT/MRI LI-RADS v2018 and CEUS LI-RADS v2017 criteria,and the LI-RADS classification results of the two imaging methods were subjected to Cohen's Kappa test.Using pathological results as the gold stand-ard,the diagnostic efficacy of LI-RADS v2018 and LI-RADS v2017 with LR-5 as the standard for HCC was calculated separately.Results The overall consistency between the Gd-EOB-MRI LI-RADS v2018 and CEUS LI-RADS v2017 classification standards was good(Kappa=0.691,P＜0.001).Using LR-5 as the standard for diagnosing HCC,the sensitivity of Gd-EOB-MRI and CEUS was 84.7％and 81.2％,the specificity was 79.6％and 73.5％,the positive predictive value was 87.8％and 84.1％,the negative predictive value was 75.0％and 69.2％,and the accuracy was 82.8％and 78.4％,respectively.There was no statistically significant difference in the diagnostic efficacy of the diagnosis of HCC by LR-5 between the two imaging methods(P＞0.05).Conclusion The Gd-EOB-MRI LI-RADS v2018 and CEUS LI-RADS v2017 classifica-tion standards show good overall agreement.The diagnostic efficacy of Gd-EOB-MRI for HCC using LR-5 classification is better than that of CEUS.

Objective: To evaluate the incremental vaccine effectiveness (VE) of two dose of the mumps containing vaccine (MuCV) in chidren, so as to provide a basis for optimizing mumps immunization strategies. Methods: A 1∶2 frequency matched case-control study was conducted by using reported mumps cases in childcare centers or schools from Lu an, Hefei, Ma anshan and Huainan cities of Anhui Province from September 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, as a case group(383 cases). And healthy children in the same classroom were selected as a control group(766 cases). The MuCV immunization histories of participants were collected to estimate the incremental VE of the second dose of MuCV against mumps. Group comparisons were performed using the Chi square test or t-test. For matched case-control pairs, the Cox regression model was employed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for two dose MuCV vaccination and to estimate the incremental vaccine effectiveness (VE). Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the case and control groups regarding gender, age, dosage of MuCV vaccination and the time interval since the last dose vaccination( χ 2/t=0.05, 0.20, 0.94, -0.02, P >0.05). The proportions of the case and control groups vaccinated with two doses of MuCV were 26.63% and 29.37%, respectively, and the overall incremental VE of the second dose of MuCV was 40.73% (95% CI=3.03%-63.77%, P <0.05). Subgroup analyses revealed that the incremental VE for children with a period of ≥1 year between the two doses of MuCV was 54.13% (95% CI=1.90%-78.56%, P <0.05), while for children with a period of <1 year, it was 30.63% (95% CI=-28.59%-62.58%, P >0.05). The incremental VE of the second dose of MuCV was 30.36% (95% CI=-25.95%-61.50%, P >0.05) in kindergarten children and 66.73% (95% CI=14.92%-86.99%, P <0.05) in elementary and secondary school students. The incremental VE was 28.78% (95% CI=-27.46%-60.21%, P >0.05) within five years of the last dose of MuCV vaccination and 66.07% (95% CI=-41.56%-91.87%, P >0.05) for vaccinations administered beyond five years. Conclusions The second dose of MuCV may offer additional protection for children; however, extending the interval between two dose of MuCV (<1 year) has shown limited incremental protective effects. Therefore, it is crucial to consider optimizing current immunization strategies for mumps.