Objective: The CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) demonstrates high specificity with relatively limited sensitivity for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. This study aimed to explore the possibility of improving sensitivity by combining CT/MRI LI-RADS v2018 with second-line contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) LI-RADS v2017 using sulfur hexafluoride (SHF) or perfluorobutane (PFB). Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter data included high-risk patients with treatment-naive hepatic observations. The reference standard was pathological confirmation or a composite reference standard (only for benign lesions). Each participant underwent concurrent CT/MRI, SHF-enhanced US, and PFB-enhanced US examinations. The diagnostic performances for HCC of CT/MRI LI-RADS alone and three combination strategies (combining CT/ MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or a modified algorithm incorporating the Kupffer-phase findings for PFB [modified PFB]) were evaluated. For the three combination strategies, apart from the CT/MRI LR-5 criteria, HCC was diagnosed if CT/MRI LR-3 or LR-4 observations met the LR-5 criteria using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB. Results: In total, 281 participants (237 males; mean age, 55 ± 11 years) with 306 observations (227 HCCs, 40 non-HCC malignancies, and 39 benign lesions) were included. Using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, and modified PFB, 20, 23, and 31 CT/MRI LR-3/4 observations, respectively, were reclassified as LR-5, and all were pathologically confirmed as HCCs. Compared to CT/MRI LI-RADS alone (74%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 68%–79%), the three combination strategies combining CT/MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB increased sensitivity (83% [95% CI: 77%–87%], 84% [95% CI: 79%–89%], 88% [95% CI: 83%–92%], respectively; all P < 0.001), while maintaining the specificity at 92% (95% CI: 84%–97%). Conclusion The combination of CT/MRI LI-RADS with second-line CEUS using SHF or PFB improved the sensitivity of HCC diagnosis without compromising specificity.

Objective:This study aims to systematically compare the differences in severity, clinical manifestations, and treatment processes between patients with foodborne and iatrogenic botulism, thereby providing evidence-based support for clinical diagnosis and management.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on botulism patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2010 and July 2024. The foodborne group was diagnosed according to the WS/T 83-1996 standard. The iatrogenic group required a documented history of type A botulinum toxin injection and typical clinical manifestations. Individuals with comorbid neurological disorders or incomplete clinical data were excluded. The severity of poisoning was classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe, according to the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Botulism". SPSS 26.0 software was used to statistically analyze the distribution of poisoning severity between groups and to compare clinical symptoms and course indicators across severity grades.Results:A total of 220 botulism patients were included in this study, comprising 86 cases of foodborne poisoning (39.1%) and 134 cases of iatrogenic poisoning (60.9%). There was a significant difference in the distribution of poisoning severity between the two groups ( P=0.001), the proportion of severe poisoning was significantly higher in the foodborne group. Analysis of clinical symptoms indicated that, among patients with mild poisoning, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in the foodborne group, compared to that in the iatrogenic group (44.0% vs. 16.4%, P=0.006). In patients with moderate poisoning, the iatrogenic group exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of hoarseness (60.5% vs. 35.7%, P=0.041) and neck weakness (53.5% vs. 17.9%, P=0.003) compared to the foodborne group. Conversely, the foodborne cohort experienced a notably longer interval before seeking medical attention when compared to their iatrogenic counterparts (2.25 d vs. 1.50 d, P=0.003). Among severe poisoning patients, the foodborne group exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing fever (51.5% vs. 25.0%, P=0.044) and abdominal distension accompanied by constipation (69.7% vs. 41.7%, P=0.034) when compared to the iatrogenic group. Furthermore, the foodborne cohort demonstrated a significantly shorter incubation period (1.00 d vs. 2.45 d, P<0.001), an extended length of hospitalization (22.0 d vs. 16.00 d, P=0.001), and a prolonged duration of antitoxin therapy (14.00 d vs. 9.50 d, P<0.001), alongside a markedly higher total dosage administered (315 900 U vs. 163 300 U, P<0.001) compared to their iatrogenic counterparts. Conclusions:Statistically significant differences exist between food-borne and iatrogenic botulism. Food-borne botulism is characterized by acute onset, greater severity, and a prolonged course, predominantly featuring systemic symptoms and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In contrast, iatrogenic botulism primarily manifests with ocular and oropharyngeal muscle symptoms and is generally less severe.

Objective To measure radiation filed distribution in the treatment room of the Varian Halcyon medical linear accelerator, and to provide a basis for shielding design and potential exposure analysis of treatment rooms for this type of accelerator. Methods Under the 6 MV X-ray (FFF) mode at a maximum dose rate of 800 MU/min and a maximum irradiation field of 28.00 cm × 28.00 cm, a total of 540 MU was delivered during gantry rotation. Radiation field distribution was measured using thermoluminescence dosimeters located at multiple points in the room. The measured data were then applied to shielding calculations, and the results were compared with those obtained using empirical formulas. Results The overall radiation levels in the treatment room were in the range of 12.2 µGy/540 MU to 5.520 Gy/540 MU, with the highest dose (5.520 Gy/540 MU) observed at the isocenter, and the lowest dose (12.2 µGy/540 MU) recorded at approximately 6.5 m from the gantry head. The radiation levels at most points were within the range of 100-1000 µGy/540 MU. At heights of 0.5, 1.1, and 1.7 m, the radiation field exhibited a rapid attenuation from the beam center outward, with a faster decay along the treatment couch direction (Y-axis) than along the perpendicular direction (X-axis). Shielding calculations based on the measured radiation field yielded required wall thicknesses of 1219 mm (east wall), 949 mm (south wall), 1235 mm (west wall), and 1252 mm (north wall), all of which were smaller than those calculated using empirical formulas. Conclusion Thermoluminescence dosimeter is suitable for multi-point in situ measurement of radiation field distribution in Halcyon accelerator treatment rooms. The measurement results can be used to optimize the shielding design of Halcyon accelerator treatment rooms.

Objective:To examine the validity and reliability of the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale(BPNSFS)in the adult population.Methods:A total of 488 adults were recruited and random-ly divided into 2 groups.One half(n=244)was utilized for item analysis and exploratory factor analysis,while the other half(n=244)was reserved for confirmatory factor analysis.One month later,a convenient sample of 100 in-dividuals was selected for retesting.The Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21(DASS-21)and the Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS)were employed as criterion measures.Results:Both subscales of the BPNSFS demonstrated a 3-factor structure,explaining a total variance of 60.99％and 60.31％,respectively.The 3-factor model exhibited good fit indices(x2/df=1.85,2.47;RMSEA=0.06,0.08;CFI=0.95,0.94;TLI=0.94,0.92;SRMR=0.04,0.05).Scores on both subscales and their dimensions were significantly correlated with DASS-21 and SWLS scores(|r|=0.16-0.57,Ps＜0.001).The Cronbach α coefficients for the 2 subscales were 0.87 and 0.89,with Cronbach α values for each dimension ranging from 0.73 to 0.81.The test-retest reliabilities(ICC)for the 2 sub-scales were 0.84 and 0.80,with ICC values for each dimension ranging from 0.65 to 0.83.Conclusion:The validi-ty and reliability of the Chinese version of the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale demon-strate good measurement properties in assessing the adult population.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

Objective: The CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) demonstrates high specificity with relatively limited sensitivity for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. This study aimed to explore the possibility of improving sensitivity by combining CT/MRI LI-RADS v2018 with second-line contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) LI-RADS v2017 using sulfur hexafluoride (SHF) or perfluorobutane (PFB). Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter data included high-risk patients with treatment-naive hepatic observations. The reference standard was pathological confirmation or a composite reference standard (only for benign lesions). Each participant underwent concurrent CT/MRI, SHF-enhanced US, and PFB-enhanced US examinations. The diagnostic performances for HCC of CT/MRI LI-RADS alone and three combination strategies (combining CT/ MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or a modified algorithm incorporating the Kupffer-phase findings for PFB [modified PFB]) were evaluated. For the three combination strategies, apart from the CT/MRI LR-5 criteria, HCC was diagnosed if CT/MRI LR-3 or LR-4 observations met the LR-5 criteria using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB. Results: In total, 281 participants (237 males; mean age, 55 ± 11 years) with 306 observations (227 HCCs, 40 non-HCC malignancies, and 39 benign lesions) were included. Using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, and modified PFB, 20, 23, and 31 CT/MRI LR-3/4 observations, respectively, were reclassified as LR-5, and all were pathologically confirmed as HCCs. Compared to CT/MRI LI-RADS alone (74%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 68%–79%), the three combination strategies combining CT/MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB increased sensitivity (83% [95% CI: 77%–87%], 84% [95% CI: 79%–89%], 88% [95% CI: 83%–92%], respectively; all P < 0.001), while maintaining the specificity at 92% (95% CI: 84%–97%). Conclusion The combination of CT/MRI LI-RADS with second-line CEUS using SHF or PFB improved the sensitivity of HCC diagnosis without compromising specificity.

Objective This study focuses on the analysis of disaster vulnerability among multiple hospital districts to ex-plore the core of integrated emergency management among these districts.Methods Taking the First Affiliated Hospital of Guan-gzhou Medical University as an example,the Kaiser model analysis tool was used to identify risk events in the three hospital dis-tricts.A 42-item questionnaire was developed based on four dimensions,and surveys were conducted among administrative de-partment heads and some frontline staff in the three districts.After selecting valid data,the arithmetic mean of single-item scores from multidimensional scorers was calculated as the final single-item score for risk evaluation.Results The analysis revealed significant differences in the ranking of the top 10 risk events among the three hospital districts.The top risk event in the riverside district was typhoon,with a risk coefficient of 60.2％,which was higher than the top risk events in the Tan Sha district(55.2％)and Hai Yin district(52.8％).This indicates that the overall risk coefficient in the riverside district is higher,with a higher probability of different types of risk events occurring.Conclusion The study found differences in risk events among multiple hospital districts and identified conflicts in the implementation of integrated collaborative emergency management.To ad-dress these differences and conflicts,it is necessary to establish a unified command system,enhance information sharing,in-tegrate resources,strengthen risk assessment,and optimize management culture,thereby achieving efficient operation of compre-hensive emergency management in multiple hospital districts.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of combined detection strategies using multiple technologies for the genetic testing and prenatal diagnosis for pedigrees affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) for optimizing genetic counseling and reproductive guidance. METHODS: This study has involved 142 subjects from 65 suspected DMD families who had visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2018 to December 2023. A combination of multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), quantitative fluorescence PCR, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used. After confirming the genetic diagnosis of the probands, prenatal diagnosis was provided for carrier mothers. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: 2021-264). RESULTS: Among the 142 subjects tested, 73 cases of large deletions/duplications and 15 cases of small variants of the DMD gene were detected. The hotspot regions for the variants were exons 45 to 55. A total of 41 variant types were identified, of which 3 were previously unreported. In 19 families with suspected patients, 7 exonic deletions, 2 exonic duplications, and 3 small variants were identified. Prenatal diagnosis was performed on 48 fetuses from 46 families, revealing 16 affected male fetuses (including 12 with deletion variants, 2 with duplication variants, and 2 with small variants). Seven carrier females were identified among the 16 female fetuses (including 6 with deletions and 1 with duplication). Among the couples with an affected fetus, 16 had opted to terminate the pregnancy, while the parents of 32 fetuses had chosen to continue with the pregnancy. In families undergoing prenatal diagnosis, 53 (79.1%) pregnant women and their family members were found to carry mutations of the DMD gene. CONCLUSION The combined detection strategy of MLPA, qPCR, and NGS can encompass large deletions/duplications and small variants of the DMD gene, providing timely and accurate prenatal diagnosis for families affected by DMD. In conjunction with genetic counseling, this can effectively reduce the risk of producing affected offspring, which is crucial for the prevention and control of this disease.
Humans ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/diagnosis* ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Female ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pedigree ; Genetic Testing/methods* ; Dystrophin/genetics* ; Adult ; Genetic Counseling ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods* ; Exons

Objective: The CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) demonstrates high specificity with relatively limited sensitivity for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. This study aimed to explore the possibility of improving sensitivity by combining CT/MRI LI-RADS v2018 with second-line contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) LI-RADS v2017 using sulfur hexafluoride (SHF) or perfluorobutane (PFB). Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter data included high-risk patients with treatment-naive hepatic observations. The reference standard was pathological confirmation or a composite reference standard (only for benign lesions). Each participant underwent concurrent CT/MRI, SHF-enhanced US, and PFB-enhanced US examinations. The diagnostic performances for HCC of CT/MRI LI-RADS alone and three combination strategies (combining CT/ MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or a modified algorithm incorporating the Kupffer-phase findings for PFB [modified PFB]) were evaluated. For the three combination strategies, apart from the CT/MRI LR-5 criteria, HCC was diagnosed if CT/MRI LR-3 or LR-4 observations met the LR-5 criteria using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB. Results: In total, 281 participants (237 males; mean age, 55 ± 11 years) with 306 observations (227 HCCs, 40 non-HCC malignancies, and 39 benign lesions) were included. Using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, and modified PFB, 20, 23, and 31 CT/MRI LR-3/4 observations, respectively, were reclassified as LR-5, and all were pathologically confirmed as HCCs. Compared to CT/MRI LI-RADS alone (74%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 68%–79%), the three combination strategies combining CT/MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB increased sensitivity (83% [95% CI: 77%–87%], 84% [95% CI: 79%–89%], 88% [95% CI: 83%–92%], respectively; all P < 0.001), while maintaining the specificity at 92% (95% CI: 84%–97%). Conclusion The combination of CT/MRI LI-RADS with second-line CEUS using SHF or PFB improved the sensitivity of HCC diagnosis without compromising specificity.

Objective To analyze the research status and hotspots in the field of astragalus polysaccharides;To provide references for further research.Methods Research literature about astragalus polysaccharides was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,PubMed,and Web of Science databases from 1st,Jan.2013 to 1st,July 2023.NoteExpress 3.7 software was used to manage the literature and ultimately establish a database.Excel 2019,CiteSpace 6.2.2R and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used to visually analyze the publication volume,authors,institutions,and keywords of the included literature.Results A total of 2 462 articles were included,with 1 284 Chinese articles and 1 178 English articles.The main research institutions were Gansu University of Chinese Medicine,Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.The core authors of Chinese literature were Liu Yongqi,Wang Hongxin,Lu Meili,etc.The core authors of English literature included Zhang Wei,Li Ke,Yang Xiaojun,etc.High-frequency keywords of Chinese literature included Astragali Radix,rats,polysaccharides,cell apoptosis,and oxidative stress,etc.High frequency keywords in English literature included expression,in vitro,oxidative stress,apoptosis,etc.Conclusion The research on astragalus polysaccharides focuses on their pharmacological effects and mechanisms.Intestinal flora,immune regulation,autophagy and apoptosis are the hot action mechanisms in this field.The focus of disease research involves tumor and diabetes,and antiviral,anti infection and other pharmacological effects are the research trend.