Objective: To investigate the awareness rate of non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) for AIDS and its influencing factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Methods: From January to June 2024, MSM aged ≥16 years in Yangzhou City were recruited using the snowball sampling method. Basic information, sexual behavior characteristics, awareness and usage of nPEP, and awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for AIDS were collected through questionnaire surveys. Factors affecting awareness of nPEP among MSM were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 740 participants were enrolled, with a median age of 29 (interquartile range, 14) years. There were 497 participants with a college degree and above educational level, accounting for 67.16%. A total of 541 participants resided in urban areas, accounting for 73.11%. The awareness rate of nPEP was 57.30%. The primary channels for awareness were the internet and healthcare institution promotions, with 159 and 119 participants, accounting for 37.50% and 28.07%, respectively. A total of 57 participants had utilized nPEP, with a usage rate of 7.70%. The main reason for using nPEP was having unprotected sex, with 21 participants, accounting for 36.84%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that unmarried MSM (OR=2.369, 95%CI: 1.236-4.540) and those who were aware of PrEP (OR=28.067, 95%CI: 17.664-44.597) had a significantly higher likelihood of being aware of nPEP. Conclusions The awareness rate and usage rate of nPEP among MSM in Yangzhou City are both relatively low. Awareness of nPEP is mainly influenced by marital status and whether participants are aware of PrEP.

OBJECTIVE: Several epidemiological observational studies have related particulate matter (PM) exposure to Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but many confounding factors make it difficult to draw causal links from observational studies. The objective of this study was to explore the causal association between PM _2.5 exposure, its absorbance, and IBD. METHODS: We assessed the association of PM _2.5 and PM _2.5 absorbance with the two primary forms of IBD (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]) using Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the causal relationship. We conducted two-sample MR analyses with aggregated data from the UK Biobank genome-wide association study. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms linked with PM _2.5 concentrations or their absorbance were used as instrumental variables (IVs). We used inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary analytical approach and four other standard methods as supplementary analyses for quality control. RESULTS: The results of MR demonstrated that PM _2.5 had an adverse influence on UC risk (odds ratio [ OR] = 1.010; 95% confidence interval [ CI] = 1.001-1.019, P = 0.020). Meanwhile, the results of IVW showed that PM _2.5 absorbance was also causally associated with UC ( OR = 1.012; 95% CI = 1.004-1.019, P = 0.002). We observed no causal relationship between PM _2.5, PM _2.5 absorbance, and CD. The results of sensitivity analysis indicated the absence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy, ensuring the reliability of MR results. CONCLUSION Based on two-sample MR analyses, there are potential positive causal relationships between PM _2.5, PM _2.5 absorbance, and UC.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/genetics* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Crohn Disease/genetics* ; Colitis, Ulcerative/genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Risk Factors ; Environmental Exposure

Objective:To investigate the value of a cross-combination machine learning approach in constructing a PET radiomics score (RadScore) for predicting early treatment response and prognosis in patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PGI-DLBCL).Methods:This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 108 patients (59 males and 49 females, age (55.6±12.1) years) diagnosed with PGI-DLBCL between November 2016 and December 2021 at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University ( n=85) and West China Hospital, Sichuan University ( n=23). Patients were divided into a training set ( n=86) and a validation set ( n=22) with the ratio of 8∶2 using stratified random sampling method. Seven machine learning models were employed to generate 49 feature selection-classification candidates, and the optimal candidate was selected to construct the RadScore, with five-fold cross-validation applied to determine the best-performing model. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for early treatment response, and a radiomics nomogram was developed by integrating RadScore with clinical predictors. Survival results between different groups of RadScore was compared by log-rank test. Results:Nineteen predictive features were selected from 111 radiomic features to construct the RadScore. In the training set, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (odds ratio ( OR)=3.53, 95% CI: 1.21-10.31, P=0.021), intestinal involvement ( OR=3.04, 95% CI: 1.04-8.88, P=0.042), total lesion glycolysis (TLG; OR=6.73, 95% CI: 2.23-20.29, P<0.001) and RadScore ( OR=15.11, 95% CI: 3.95-57.80, P<0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for predicting early treatment response. The combined model integrating RadScore, LDH, intestinal involvement, and TLG demonstrated good discriminatory ability for early treatment response (AUC=0.860 in the training set; AUC=0.902 in the validation set). Significant differences were observed in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between different RadScore groups ( χ2 values: 13.92 and 8.56, both P<0.01). Conclusions:The machine learning-based RadScore may effectively predict survival outcomes in patients with PGI-DLBCL. The combined model integrating RadScore, clinical factors, and metabolic indicators can predict early treatment response in PGI-DLBCL patients.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among residents aged 60 years and older in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province from 2013 to 2022, so as to provide the evidence for the improvement of PTB prevention and control measures in this population. Methods: Data of PTB cases aged 60 years and older in Yangzhou City from 2013 to 2022 were collected from the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The temporal, population, and regional distribution characteristics of PTB cases were analyzed using the descriptive epidemiological method. Results: A total of 8 726 PTB cases aged 60 years and older were registered in Yangzhou City from 2013 to 2022, including 4 167 cases positive for pathogenic tests, with a positive rate of 47.75%. The registered incidence rates and the positive rates of pathogenic tests of PTB among residents aged 60 years and older in Yangzhou City showed downward trends from 2013 to 2022 (both P<0.05). The average annual registered incidence rate of PTB was 83.95/105, and the average annual registered incidence rate of PTB positive for pathogenic tests was 40.09/105. The average annual registered incidence rate of PTB in males was higher than that in females (138.57/105 vs. 31.76/105, P<0.05). The registered incidence rate of PTB showed an increasing trend with age (P<0.05), with the highest rate observed in the age group of 75-<80 years (110.37/105). The top three regions with the highest average annual registered incidence rates of PTB were Jiangdu District (94.34/105), Baoying County (91.61/105) and Hanjiang District (84.93/105). Conclusions The registered incidence of PTB among residents aged 60 years and older in Yangzhou City showed a downward trend from 2013 to 2022. Particular attention should be payed to males, residents aged 75- <80 years, and the elderly in Jiangdu District and Baoying County.

Objective: o analyze the epidemic characteristics of five sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including syphilis, gonorrhea, condyloma acuminatum, genital herpes and genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province from 2019 to 2023, so as to provide the reference for the prevention and control strategies of STDs. Methods: Data of the onset time and diagnostic types of STDs cases in Yangzhou City from 2019 to 2023 were collected from the Infectious Disease Surveillance System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The temporal, regional and population characteristics of five types of STDs was analyzed using the descriptive epidemiological method. Results: A total of 10 895 cases of STDs were reported in Yangzhou City from 2019 to 2023, with an average annual reported incidence rate of 47.83/105. The average annual reported incidence rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, condyloma acuminatum, genital herpes and genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections were 41.11/105, 2.83/105, 2.59/105, 0.43/105 and 0.85/105, respectively. The reported incidence rate of STDs showed a decreasing trend from 2019 to 2023 (P<0.05), with an average annual growth rate of -3.44%. The reported incidence rates of syphilis and gonorrhea showed a decreasing trend (both P<0.05), with average annual growth rates of -4.26% and -6.47%, respectively. The reported incidence rate of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection showed an increasing trend (P<0.05), with an average annual growth rate of 22.32%. Baoying County, Guangling District and Hanjiang District had the top three reported incidence rates of STDs, at 56.61/105, 55.61/105 and 46.50/105, respectively. The average annual reported incidence rate of STDs among males was higher than that among females (53.19/105 vs. 42.54/105, P<0.05). The STD cases were primarily people aged 50 years and above, with 6 641 cases accounting for 60.95%. The occupations of STD cases were mainly farmers, housekeepers and unemployed, with 4 670 and 3 273 cases accounting for 42.86% and 30.04%, respectively. Conclusions The overall reported incidence of STDs in Yangzhou City from 2019 to 2023 showed a downward trend, while the reported incidence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection showed an upward trend. The individuals aged 50 years and above, farmers, housekeepers and the unemployed were identified as high-risk groups for STDs.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, bleeding site distribution, and factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management in patients with refractory posterior epistaxis.Methods:This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed data from 3 473 patients with refractory posterior epistaxis treated at ENT department or Emergency Department of Affiliated Zhangzhou Hospital of Fujian Medical University, between January 2018 and December 2024. The demographic and clinical data of patients were collected. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were applied to identify factors associated with hospitalization for surgical intervention.Results:Among 3 473 patients (65.94%(2 290 cases) male; mean age (54±21) years), 46.96% (1 631 cases)were aged 41-69 years. Bleeding predominantly occurred at night (89.66%, 3 114 cases) and in winter (29.92%, 1 039 cases). The most frequent bleeding sites were the olfactory cleft (25.22%,876 cases) and inferior meatus vault (25.63%,890 cases), followed by the posterior regions of middle meatus (11.26%,391 cases), the foremost regions of nasal cavity (11.20%,389 cases), the nasal septum surface (11.23%,390 cases), the bottom of nasal cavity (9.42%,327 cases), and the others or uncertain sites (6.05%,210 cases). Endoscopic electrocautery was performed in 75.01% of cases. Overall, 2 715 patients required hospitalization for surgery. Univariate analysis identified older age (≥70 years), male sex, alcohol use, nighttime onset, winter season, hypertension, diabetes, and anticoagulant use as significantly associated with hospitalization ( χ2=6.51, 8.03, 5.11, -0.17, 7.53, 12.52, 6.83, 5.18, all P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression confirmed older age ( OR=2.45, 95% CI: 1.81-7.50), winter season ( OR=9.55, 95% CI: 2.26-9.38), nighttime onset ( OR=6.78, 95% CI: 1.84-6.96), alcohol use ( OR=27.71, 95% CI: 11.97-64.14), hypertension ( OR=7.93, 95% CI: 1.64-11.84), and anticoagulant use ( OR=6.39, 95% CI: 1.06-9.47) as independent positive factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Refractory posterior epistaxis most commonly affects individuals aged 41-69 years, with bleeding frequently originating from the olfactory cleft or inferior meatus vault, and exhibits seasonal (winter) and diurnal (nighttime) patterns. Independent factors significantly associated with the need for hospitalization and surgical intervention include older age, winter onset, nighttime onset, alcohol use, hypertension, and anticoagulant use. Identifying these factors may aid in risk stratification and clinical decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the value of a cross-combination machine learning approach in constructing a PET radiomics score (RadScore) for predicting early treatment response and prognosis in patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PGI-DLBCL).Methods:This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 108 patients (59 males and 49 females, age (55.6±12.1) years) diagnosed with PGI-DLBCL between November 2016 and December 2021 at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University ( n=85) and West China Hospital, Sichuan University ( n=23). Patients were divided into a training set ( n=86) and a validation set ( n=22) with the ratio of 8∶2 using stratified random sampling method. Seven machine learning models were employed to generate 49 feature selection-classification candidates, and the optimal candidate was selected to construct the RadScore, with five-fold cross-validation applied to determine the best-performing model. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for early treatment response, and a radiomics nomogram was developed by integrating RadScore with clinical predictors. Survival results between different groups of RadScore was compared by log-rank test. Results:Nineteen predictive features were selected from 111 radiomic features to construct the RadScore. In the training set, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (odds ratio ( OR)=3.53, 95% CI: 1.21-10.31, P=0.021), intestinal involvement ( OR=3.04, 95% CI: 1.04-8.88, P=0.042), total lesion glycolysis (TLG; OR=6.73, 95% CI: 2.23-20.29, P<0.001) and RadScore ( OR=15.11, 95% CI: 3.95-57.80, P<0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for predicting early treatment response. The combined model integrating RadScore, LDH, intestinal involvement, and TLG demonstrated good discriminatory ability for early treatment response (AUC=0.860 in the training set; AUC=0.902 in the validation set). Significant differences were observed in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between different RadScore groups ( χ2 values: 13.92 and 8.56, both P<0.01). Conclusions:The machine learning-based RadScore may effectively predict survival outcomes in patients with PGI-DLBCL. The combined model integrating RadScore, clinical factors, and metabolic indicators can predict early treatment response in PGI-DLBCL patients.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, bleeding site distribution, and factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management in patients with refractory posterior epistaxis.Methods:This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed data from 3 473 patients with refractory posterior epistaxis treated at ENT department or Emergency Department of Affiliated Zhangzhou Hospital of Fujian Medical University, between January 2018 and December 2024. The demographic and clinical data of patients were collected. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were applied to identify factors associated with hospitalization for surgical intervention.Results:Among 3 473 patients (65.94%(2 290 cases) male; mean age (54±21) years), 46.96% (1 631 cases)were aged 41-69 years. Bleeding predominantly occurred at night (89.66%, 3 114 cases) and in winter (29.92%, 1 039 cases). The most frequent bleeding sites were the olfactory cleft (25.22%,876 cases) and inferior meatus vault (25.63%,890 cases), followed by the posterior regions of middle meatus (11.26%,391 cases), the foremost regions of nasal cavity (11.20%,389 cases), the nasal septum surface (11.23%,390 cases), the bottom of nasal cavity (9.42%,327 cases), and the others or uncertain sites (6.05%,210 cases). Endoscopic electrocautery was performed in 75.01% of cases. Overall, 2 715 patients required hospitalization for surgery. Univariate analysis identified older age (≥70 years), male sex, alcohol use, nighttime onset, winter season, hypertension, diabetes, and anticoagulant use as significantly associated with hospitalization ( χ2=6.51, 8.03, 5.11, -0.17, 7.53, 12.52, 6.83, 5.18, all P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression confirmed older age ( OR=2.45, 95% CI: 1.81-7.50), winter season ( OR=9.55, 95% CI: 2.26-9.38), nighttime onset ( OR=6.78, 95% CI: 1.84-6.96), alcohol use ( OR=27.71, 95% CI: 11.97-64.14), hypertension ( OR=7.93, 95% CI: 1.64-11.84), and anticoagulant use ( OR=6.39, 95% CI: 1.06-9.47) as independent positive factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Refractory posterior epistaxis most commonly affects individuals aged 41-69 years, with bleeding frequently originating from the olfactory cleft or inferior meatus vault, and exhibits seasonal (winter) and diurnal (nighttime) patterns. Independent factors significantly associated with the need for hospitalization and surgical intervention include older age, winter onset, nighttime onset, alcohol use, hypertension, and anticoagulant use. Identifying these factors may aid in risk stratification and clinical decision-making.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of syphilis in Yangzhou City from 2013 to 2023, to understand the syphilis epidemic trends, and provide a scientific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies. Methods Syphilis case reports in Yangzhou City from 2013 to 2023 were collected through the infectious disease surveillance module of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Information System. The annual average reported incidence rate and annual average growth rate were calculated. Descriptive epidemiological methods were employed to analyze the overview of syphilis and its temporal, geographical and demographic distribution characteristics. Linear trend chi-square tests were conducted to analyze the syphilis epidemic trends. Results A total of 19, 457 syphilis cases were reported in Yangzhou City from 2013 to 2023, with an annual average reported incidence rate of 39.17/100, 000. The overall incidence of syphilis showed an upward trend, with the reported incidence rate increasing from 37.26/100, 000 in 2013 to 43.27/100, 000 in 2023 (χ²= 50.528, P < 0.001), representing an annual average growth rate of 1.51%. The majority of reported cases were latent syphilis, accounting for 64.99% (12, 646/19, 457). The number of reported cases of primary, secondary and congenital syphilis revealed an overall decreased trend, while the number of reported cases of tertiary and latent syphilis increased trend. There was no significant seasonality or periodicity in the reported incidence rate of syphilis in Yangzhou City from 2013 to 2023. The top three districts with the highest annual average reported incidence rates were the Development District, Guangling District and Hanjiang District, with incidence rates of 50.93/100, 000, 50.89/100, 000 and 43.18/100, 000, respectively. There were 10, 290 male syphilis cases (52.89%) and 9, 167 female syphilis cases (47.11%). The top three occupations were farmers (8, 682 cases), homemakers and unemployed individuals (5, 379 cases) and retired personnel (2, 559 cases), accounting for 85.42% (16, 620/19, 457) of the reported cases. Conclusion The incidence of syphilis in Yangzhou City generally shows an upward trend, and the disease epidemic spectrum changes annually, with latent syphilis currently being the primary form. The prevention and control situation is severe. Therefore, syphilis prevention and control efforts should be further strengthened to block its transmission and prevalence.

Objective:To explore the value of baseline PET/CT parameters for predicting prognosis in patients with double-expression lymphoma (DEL).Methods:The clinical and 18F-FDG PET/CT data of 118 patients (66 males, 52 females; age: 28-85 years) with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) diagnosed in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2015 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal thresholds for SUV max, total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) in predicting overall survival (OS) rate were determined using ROC curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses, along with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed to construct a survival prediction model. The effect of the model was evaluated by the calibration curve for the model, the time-dependent ROC curve analysis and decision curve analysis. Results:As of the last follow-up, 25 patients died, and the OS rate was 78.8%(93/118). The AUC of the ROC curve for TMTV was 0.705, with a corresponding optimal threshold of 230.9 cm 3. In multivariate analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score (hazard ratio ( HR)=3.886, 95% CI: 1.455-10.375; P=0.007) and TMTV ( HR=4.649, 95% CI: 1.665-12.979; P=0.003) were identified as independent predictors of OS. The combined model of ECOG PS score and TMTV was superior to ECOG PS score model and TMTV model alone in predicting OS. Conclusion:TMTV, a metabolic indicator, and ECOG PS score, a clinical risk factor, are independent predictors of OS in patients with DEL, and their combination can provide more accurate prognostic predictions.