Objective To assess the effects of “dual low” scanning technology in conjunction with an individualized injection protocol in enhancing the quality of abdominal contrast-enhanced CT images. Methods A total of 200 patients who underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced CT examinations at the Hainan Western Central Hospital between January 2022 and January 2024 were selected for the study. Using a random number table, participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 100, sub-hypertonic contrast agent + conventional tube voltage + individualized injection protocol) or an observation group (n = 100, isotonic contrast agent + tube voltage of 100 kV + individualized injection protocol). The study compared the impact of these two methodologies on the quality of abdominal contrast-enhanced CT images. Results During the arterial phase, the CT value of the abdominal aorta was significantly higher in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), suggesting that isotonic contrast agent and low tube voltage more effectively enhanced vascular signal. During the portal vein phase, the CT value was higher and the liver parenchymal noise was lower in the observation group those in the control group (P < 0.05), further validating the advantages of the “dual low” approach during the portal venous phase. The radiation dose was significantly lower in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that the “dual low” protocol effectively reduced radiation dose while enhancing patient safety. During the arterial phase, both the abdominal aorta noise and liver parenchymal noise were lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05), demonstrating that the “dual low” strategy effectively reduced image noise and enhanced image clarity. The image quality scores were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that high image quality could be achieved even at reduced radiation doses and contrast agent concentrations. Conclusion The “dual low” scanning technology, combined with an individualized injection protocol, not only effectively enhances the contrast of arteries and veins, reduces image noise, and improves the overall image quality, but also decreases radiation dose and enhances patient safety. Therefore, this technology is worth being widely promoted.

Objective:This study investigated the efficacy and safety of denosumab (DENOS) versus zoledronic acid (ZOL) in the bone disease treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.Methods:The clinical data of 80 patients with myeloma bone disease (MBD) at the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital between March 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Eighteen patients with severe renal impairment (SRI, endogenous creatinine clearance rate<30 ml/min) were treated with DENOS, and 62 non-SRI patients were divided into DENOS (30 patients) and ZOL group (32 patients) .Results:Hypocalcemia was observed in 26 (33%) patients, and 22 patients developed hypocalcemia during the first treatment course. The incidence of hypocalcemia in the non-SRI patients of DENOS group was higher than that in the ZOL group [20% (6/30) vs 13% (4/32), P=0.028]. The incidence of hypocalcemia in SRI was 89% (16/18). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that endogenous creatinine clearance rate<30 ml/min was significantly associated with hypocalcemia after DENOS administration ( P<0.001). After 1 month of antiresorptive (AR) drug application, the decrease in the serum β-C-terminal cross-linked carboxy-telopeptide of collagen type I concentrations of SRI and non-SRI patients in the DENOS group were significantly higher than that in the ZOL group (68% vs 59% vs 27%, P<0.001). The increase in serum procollagen type Ⅰ N-terminal propeptide concentrations of patients with or without SRI in the DENOS group were significantly higher than that in the ZOL group (34% vs 20% vs 11%, P<0.05). The level of intact parathyroid hormone in each group increased after AR drug treatment. None of the patients developed osteonecrosis of the jaw and renal adverse events, and no statistically significant differences in the overall response rate, complete remission and stringent complete remission rates were found among the groups ( P>0.05), and the median PFS and OS time were not reached ( P>0.05) . Conclusions:In the treatment of MBD, DENOS minimizes nephrotoxicity and has strong AR effect. Hypocalcemia is a common adverse event but is usually mild or moderate and manageable.

Objective:To explore diagnostic value of magnetic resonance apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)combined with dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI)for parotid lymphoma of parotid gland.Methods:Clinical data of 74 patients with tumors of parotid gland who admitted to Hainan Western Central Hospital from September 2021 to September 2023 were selected to carry out retrospective analysis,and they were divided into malignant tumor group(15 cases)and benign tumor group(59 cases)according to the diagnosis of surgical pathology.And then,the benign tumor group was further divided into two subgroups according to the result of surgical pathology,which included pleomorphic adenoma group(35 cases)and"parotid lymphoma of parotid gland"group(24 cases).The differences in ADC values and DCE-MRI parameters(Ve,Kep,Ktrans)were compared between malignant tumors and benign tumors,and between pleomorphic adenoma and parotid lymphoma of parotid gland.The efficacies of ADC values and DCE-MRI parameters in diagnosing malignant tumors were analyzed by means of the receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curve.Results:The ADC value,Ve value and Kep of benign tumor group were respectively(1.17±0.41)×10-3 mm2/s,(0.46±0.15)and(1.56±0.57)min,which were significantly higher than those[0.86±0.19× 103mm2/s,0.35±0.08,and 0.80±0.27 min]of malignant tumor group(t=2.841,2.733,5.004,P＜0.05),respectively.Results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that ADC,Ve and Kep were respectively influence factors on benign and malignant parotid tumors(OR=0.045,0.001,0.004,P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC values of single ADC,Ve,Kep,and the combination of them were respectively 0.726,0.715,0.903 and 0.915 in diagnosing benign and malignant parotid tumors.There was not significant difference in Ktrans value between pleomorphic adenoma group and"parotid lymphoma of parotid gland"group(P＞0.05).The ADC value and Ve value of"parotid lymphoma of parotid gland"group were lower than those of pleomorphic adenoma group,while Kep value of"parotid lymphoma of parotid gland"group was higher than that of pleomorphic adenoma group,and the differences of them between two groups were significant(t=4.568,4.897,4.805,P＜0.05),respectively.Binary logistic regression analysis showed that ADC,Ve and Kep were influential factors of occurring parotid lymphoma of parotid gland(OR=0.042,0.000,13.452,P＜0.05),respectively.ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC values of single ADC,Ve and Kep,and the combined diagnosis of them were respectively 0.742,0.784,0.763 and 0.959 for parotid lymphoma of parotid gland.Conclusion:Magnetic resonance ADC value and DCE-MRI parameter have favorable value in identifying benign and malignant parotid tumors,and in identifying and diagnosing parotid lymphoma of parotid gland and pleomorphic adenoma,and the combined diagnosis has higher diagnostic value.

Cardiovascular disease is a health hazard to humans and systolic heart failure due to myocardial infarction is a major cause of death.It was previously thought that myocardial cells of the adult mammalian heart possess a limited ability to proliferate and self-renew.However,it has been widely reported that mammals have the ability to regenerate the myocardium,which is restricted to early postnatal life,and that it is strong enough to repair damaged heart tissue.The discovery of myocardial regeneration in neonatal hearts has provided an ideal animal model to investigate the mechanisms that affect myocardial regeneration,and many mechanisms that reverse myocardial cell cycle arrest and promote myocardial regeneration have been revealed.In this article,we review the factors affecting gene expression for myocardial regeneration(e.g.,ncRNAs and transcription factors),myocardial regeneration-related signaling pathways,and the regulation of myocardial regeneration by non-myocardial cells(e.g.,extracellular matrix,immune response,and epicardium)to provide directions for achieving myocardial regeneration after myocardial injury in adult mammals.

Objective:To evaluate the cerebral infarct volume and the nerve fiber connectivity between cortical and neurogenesis-related regions in the mouse model of reperfusion after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by 11.7 Tesla(11.7 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods:MCAO models were established in SPF grade adult male C57BL/6 mice using the suture-occluded method.MRI scans were performed at 3 days before and 1 day after modeling.Infarct volumes were calculated, and nerve fiber tracking was performed on specific brain regions to analyze the nerve fiber number and the parameters of fractional anisotropy(FA), mean diffusivity(MD), axial diffusivity (AD)and radial diffusivity(RD). SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis, and paired t test was used to compare the data before and after modeling. Results:(1) After MCAO-induced ischemia, the infarct volume was up to (35.11±17.57)mm 3, and the FA value of the infarct area was significantly reduced compared with that of before modeling( t=4.73, P<0.01). (2) At the anterior-posterior(AP): + 1.2 mm section, the results of fiber tracking showed that compared with before modeling, the number of fiber bundles originating from the dorsal horn of the lateral sub-ventricle zone(SVZ)to the cortex reduced ((92 584.20±14 751.00) vs (59 815.60±6 752.46), t=4.87, P<0.01), and the number of fiber bundles projected to the infarcted area reduced ((107 671.40±10 497.57) vs (61 658.60±10 178.21), t=6.43, P<0.01). FA, AD, MD, and RD values were all decreased in different degrees( t=3.38-6.43, all P<0.05). (3) At the AP: -3.8 mm section, the number of fiber bundles originating from the dorsal horn of the SVZ to the cortex decreased (after modeling(96 944.00±18 331.09), before modeling(58 767.80±16 445.25), t=2.99, P<0.05), and the values of FA, AD, MD and RD decreased after ischemia ( t=7.30, 5.05, 6.74, 4.13, all P<0.05). Conclusion:The ultra-high field strength of 11.7 T MRI can accurately detect the following results that the number of nerve fiber bundles from the SVZ to the cortex or infarct area are both significantly reduced, and diffusion tensor parameters are consistently changed in mice after 1 day of ischemia-reperfusion.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of daratumumab as a maintenance treatment after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) .Methods:The clinical data, hematological and renal response, and safety of 15 post-transplant patients with NDMM who had received daratumumab maintenance between May 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Fifteen patients (11 males and 4 females) with a median age of 58 (41-72) years were included. Thirteen patients did not receive daratumumab during induction therapy and auto-HSCT, 6 patients had renal impairment, and nine patients had high-risk cytogenetics. The median infusion of daratumumab was 12 (6-17) times, and the median duration of maintenance was 6 (1.5-12) months. The treatment efficacy was evaluated in all 15 patients, and daratumumab maintenance therapy increased the rate of stringent complete response from 40% to 60%. The renal response rate and median estimated glomerular filtration rate of six patients with RI-NDMM were also improved. During daratumumab maintenance therapy, the most common hematological grade 3 adverse event (AE) was lymphopenia [4 of 15 patients (26.67%) ], whereas the most common nonhematologic AEs were infusion-related reactions [7 of 15 patients (46.67%) ] and grade 3 pneumonia [5 of 15 patients (33.33%) ]. The five patients with pneumonia were daratumumab naive [5 of 13 patients (38.46%) ], with a median of 8 (6-10) infusions. Among them, the chest computed tomography of three patients showed interstitial infiltrates, and treatment with methylprednisolone was effective. With a median follow-up of 12 months, the 1-year overall survival rate was 93.33%, and only one patient died (which was not related to daratumumab treatment) .Conclusions:Daratumumab was safe and effective as a maintenance agent for post-auto-HSCT patients with NDMM, and AEs were controllable. The most common nonhematologic AE was grade 3 pneumonia, and a less dose-intense maintenance regimen for the first 8 weeks could reduce the incidence of pneumonia.

Objective:To document any effect of combining respiratory-muscle resistance training with feedback respiratory electrical stimulation in rehabilitating the diaphragm function and lung function of stroke survivors.Methods:Sixty hemiplegic stroke survivors were randomly assigned to an observation group or a control group, each of 30. Both groups were given conventional rehabilitation, including respiratory-muscle resistance training. The observation group additionally received feedback respiratory electrical stimulation twice a day, six days a week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment, ultrasound was used to measure the end-inspiratory and end-expiratory thickness of the diaphragm. Diaphragm movement during quiet breathing and deep breathing was also observed, and the diaphragm thickening fraction was calculated. The incidence of diaphragm dysfunction on the affected and healthy sides of the two groups before and after the treatment was also analyzed and compared.Results:Diaphragm dysfunction on either side had decreased significantly more in the observation group than in the control group after the treatment. The observation group also showed significantly greater average improvement in the thickening functions and in diaphragm movement on both the affected and healthy sides during quiet breathing and deep breathing. All of the pulmonary function indicators improved significantly in both groups after the treatment, but those of the observation group were, on average, significantly better than the control group′s averages.Conclusions:Combining 3 weeks of respiratory muscle resistance training with electrical stimulation feedback can effectively increase the bilateral thickness of the diaphragm and diaphragm movement in deep breathing of hemiplegic stroke survivors. That reduces the incidence of diaphragm dysfunction.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a primary lymphocytic cicatricial alopecia, and is generally considered to be a subtype of lichen planopilaris due to similar histopathological changes. Its etiology is still unclear. With the deepening of research on this disease, more and more cases of frontal fibrosing alopecia have been reported in China and other countries. This review summarizes research progress in pathogenesis, clinical and pathological characteristics, and treatment of frontal fibrosing alopecia.

Background Metallic nickel and nickel compounds are classified as possibly carcinogic and carninogic to humans respectively, but the exact carcinogenic mechanism has not been clarified. Objective To analyze the carcinogenic research trend and hotspots of nickel and nickel compounds, and provide research directions for this topic. Methods Literature search on the carcinogenesis of nickel and nickel compounds was conducted through authoritative databases at home and abroad: Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed at the US National Library of Medicine, and Elsevier’s biomedical research database EMBASE. VOS viewer 1.6.17 visual analysis software was applied to perform the bibliometric analysis and present results with charts on annual number of publications, distribution of author’s affiliations, country/region distribution, journal distribution, and keywords of literature that meet a predetermined inclusion criteria. Results A total of 242 Chinese documents and 878 foreign documents (languages included English, German, and Japanese) related to the carcinogenic research of nickel and nickel compounds were found. In terms of Chinese articles, the earliest publication of relevant research was in 1974; Guangzhou Medical University (including Guangzhou Medical College and Institute of Chemical Carcinogenesis of Guangzhou Medical College) was the institution that published most articles in this field (35 articles); Industrial Health and Occupational Diseases was the journal that published the most articles (19 articles). In terms of foreign articles, the earliest publication was in 1950; the United States ranked the country having the highest number of published articles (304 articles), and China took the second place (83 articles); Cancer Research was the journal that published the most articles (40 articles). The keyword co-occurrence analysis showed that the domestic studies on the carcinogenesis of nickel and nickel compounds mainly focused on nickel smelting fume, nickel sulfate, nickel chloride, and other nickel and its compounds in association with DNA damage, DNA methylation, induction of human bronchial epithelial cell transformation, and other carcinogenic mechanisms. The international studies focused on population epidemiological studies on occupational risk factors, incidence, and mortality on carcinogenesis of nickel and nickel compounds, and studies on histone modification, oxidative stress, DNA damage, cell transformation, and other carcinogenic mechanisms. Conclusion Studies have shown that the hotspots of carcinogenic research on nickel and nickel compounds involved studies on carcinogenic mechanisms related to DNA damage, DNA methylation, histone modification, oxidative stress, and induction of human bronchial epithelial cell transformation, and population epidemiological studies on occupational risk factors, incidence, and mortality. In recent years, the number of published articles on the carcinogenesis of nickel and its compounds in China has been decreasing. In view of the large number of occupational nickel-exposed population in China, more efforts should be made to study the carcinogenesis of nickel and nickel compounds in the future.

Objective:To observe any short-term effect of combining respiratory muscle training with feedback respiratory electrical stimulation on the pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength of stroke survivors.Methods:Sixty stroke survivors were randomly divided into an observation group ( n=30) and a control group ( n=30). Both groups were given conventional rehabilitation 6 days a week for 3 weeks, but the observation group also received respiratory muscle training with feedback electrical stimulation. Before and after the treatment, both groups′ pulmonary functioning and respiratory muscle strength were measured, and also their trunk control, skill in the activities of daily living and fatigue level. The trunk impairment scale (TIS), modified Barthel index (MBI) and fatigue severity scale (FSS) were used. The incidence of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) was also compared between the two groups. Results:After the treatment, average forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, maximum voluntary ventilation, peak expiratory flow, maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, as well as the average TIS and MBI scores of both groups had improved significantly, and there was a significant decrease in the average FSS scores. After the intervention, all of the average measurements of the experimental group were significantly better than the control group′s averages except their MBI scores. There was no significant difference in the incidence of SAP.Conclusions:Three weeks of respiratory muscle training combined with electrical stimulation feedback can effectively improve the pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength and inspiratory muscle endurance of stroke survivors, resulting in better coughing ability, trunk control and reduced fatigue.