Objective To evaluate the effect of low-dose ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) injection on image quality in pediatric patients, calculate the whole-body effective dose and absorbed doses to critical organs, and provide a reference for clinical protection in pediatric low-dose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination. Methods A total of 67 pediatric patients aged 4-14 years who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG whole-body PET/CT imaging in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University between January 2024 and December 2025 were enrolled in a retrospective study. According to the injected ¹⁸F-FDG dose, patients were divided into a full-dose group (37 cases, 2.96-3.7 MBq/kg, PET acquisition duration of 10 min) and a low-dose group (30 cases, 1.85-2.4 MBq/kg, PET acquisition duration of 15 min). All scans were performed using a uEXPLORER PET/CT scanner. The standardized uptake value, standard deviation, and signal-to-noise ratio were measured for the liver and mediastinal blood pool. Image quality was compared between the two groups. The PET effective dose was calculated based on body mass index, and the total effective dose was obtained by combining PET effective dose with CT effective dose. The doses to critical organs were calculated according to ICRP Publication 128. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and Prism 9.0 software. Differences were compared between groups. Results There were no significant differences in age, sex, weight, height, or body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05), while the injected dose showed a significant difference (P<0.001). In terms of image quality, there were no significant differences in standardized uptake value, standard deviation, and signal-to-noise ratio between the two groups. In terms of radiation dose, compared with the full-dose group, the low-dose group showed a 35.13% reduction in PET effective dose and a 15.22% reduction in total effective dose (P<0.05), whereas the CT effective dose was reduced by 2.4% and the difference was not significant (P=0.0892). The doses to critical organs (gonads, breasts, thyroid, red bone marrow, lungs) in the low-dose group were significantly lower than those in the full-dose group (P<0.01). Conclusion Under the premise of meeting clinical diagnostic requirements, low-dose ¹⁸F-FDG whole-body PET/CT imaging in pediatric patients can reduce the overall radiation exposure by 15%, and decrease the doses to critical organs, including the gonads, by more than 20%.

Objective To evaluate the effect of low-dose ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) injection on image quality in pediatric patients, calculate the whole-body effective dose and absorbed doses to critical organs, and provide a reference for clinical protection in pediatric low-dose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination. Methods A total of 67 pediatric patients aged 4-14 years who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG whole-body PET/CT imaging in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University between January 2024 and December 2025 were enrolled in a retrospective study. According to the injected ¹⁸F-FDG dose, patients were divided into a full-dose group (37 cases, 2.96-3.7 MBq/kg, PET acquisition duration of 10 min) and a low-dose group (30 cases, 1.85-2.4 MBq/kg, PET acquisition duration of 15 min). All scans were performed using a uEXPLORER PET/CT scanner. The standardized uptake value, standard deviation, and signal-to-noise ratio were measured for the liver and mediastinal blood pool. Image quality was compared between the two groups. The PET effective dose was calculated based on body mass index, and the total effective dose was obtained by combining PET effective dose with CT effective dose. The doses to critical organs were calculated according to ICRP Publication 128. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and Prism 9.0 software. Differences were compared between groups. Results There were no significant differences in age, sex, weight, height, or body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05), while the injected dose showed a significant difference (P<0.001). In terms of image quality, there were no significant differences in standardized uptake value, standard deviation, and signal-to-noise ratio between the two groups. In terms of radiation dose, compared with the full-dose group, the low-dose group showed a 35.13% reduction in PET effective dose and a 15.22% reduction in total effective dose (P<0.05), whereas the CT effective dose was reduced by 2.4% and the difference was not significant (P=0.0892). The doses to critical organs (gonads, breasts, thyroid, red bone marrow, lungs) in the low-dose group were significantly lower than those in the full-dose group (P<0.01). Conclusion Under the premise of meeting clinical diagnostic requirements, low-dose ¹⁸F-FDG whole-body PET/CT imaging in pediatric patients can reduce the overall radiation exposure by 15%, and decrease the doses to critical organs, including the gonads, by more than 20%.

Objective To evaluate the effect of low-dose ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) injection on image quality in pediatric patients, calculate the whole-body effective dose and absorbed doses to critical organs, and provide a reference for clinical protection in pediatric low-dose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination. Methods A total of 67 pediatric patients aged 4-14 years who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG whole-body PET/CT imaging in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University between January 2024 and December 2025 were enrolled in a retrospective study. According to the injected ¹⁸F-FDG dose, patients were divided into a full-dose group (37 cases, 2.96-3.7 MBq/kg, PET acquisition duration of 10 min) and a low-dose group (30 cases, 1.85-2.4 MBq/kg, PET acquisition duration of 15 min). All scans were performed using a uEXPLORER PET/CT scanner. The standardized uptake value, standard deviation, and signal-to-noise ratio were measured for the liver and mediastinal blood pool. Image quality was compared between the two groups. The PET effective dose was calculated based on body mass index, and the total effective dose was obtained by combining PET effective dose with CT effective dose. The doses to critical organs were calculated according to ICRP Publication 128. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and Prism 9.0 software. Differences were compared between groups. Results There were no significant differences in age, sex, weight, height, or body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05), while the injected dose showed a significant difference (P<0.001). In terms of image quality, there were no significant differences in standardized uptake value, standard deviation, and signal-to-noise ratio between the two groups. In terms of radiation dose, compared with the full-dose group, the low-dose group showed a 35.13% reduction in PET effective dose and a 15.22% reduction in total effective dose (P<0.05), whereas the CT effective dose was reduced by 2.4% and the difference was not significant (P=0.0892). The doses to critical organs (gonads, breasts, thyroid, red bone marrow, lungs) in the low-dose group were significantly lower than those in the full-dose group (P<0.01). Conclusion Under the premise of meeting clinical diagnostic requirements, low-dose ¹⁸F-FDG whole-body PET/CT imaging in pediatric patients can reduce the overall radiation exposure by 15%, and decrease the doses to critical organs, including the gonads, by more than 20%.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on postoperative delirium (POD) in diabetic patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, 92 diabetic patients of either sex, aged 30-80 yr, with a body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia, were divided into 2 groups ( n=46 each) using a table of random numbers: control group (group C) and acupuncture group (group A). Group A received acupuncture at the Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24) and Sishencong (EX-HN1) acupoints before anesthesia. The needles were retained for 30 min, with manual stimulation applied every 10 min for 10 s each time. After 4 stimulations, routine anesthesia was carried out. Group C received routine anesthesia only. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation was recorded on admission to the operating room (T 0), after anesthesia induction (T 1), at the start of surgery (T 2), at the end of surgery (T 3), and immediately after tracheal extubation (T 4). The POD developed within 3 days after surgery was assessed. The occurrence of needle-related adverse effects such as fainting, subcutaneous bleeding, and local paresthesia was recorded. Results:Compared with group C, the incidence of POD was significantly reduced, and the regional cerebral oxygen saturation was increased at T 1, 4 in group A ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Acupuncture can decrease the development of POD in diabetic patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia, which is related to an increase in regional cerebral oxygen saturation.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) on the outcome of microscopic testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in patients with non-mosaic Klinefelter syndrome (KS) of the clinical data and to identify effective predictors for successful micro-TESE.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted on the clinical data of 118 non-mosaic KS patients treated at the Center for Reproductive Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between May 2018 and September 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether sperm were successfully retrieved via micro-TESE: the sperm retrieved group ( n=45) and the no sperm retrieved group ( n=73). Differences between the two groups were compared, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing sperm retrieval. Changes in testicular volume and sex hormone levels before and after surgery were also assessed. Results:The sperm retrieval rate was 38.1% (45/118). Patients in the sperm retrieved group were significantly younger [(26.93±3.80) years] than those in the no sperm retrieved group [(28.27±3.92) years, P=0.029], and the AMH level was significantly higher [0.44 (0.18, 1.13) μg/L] than that in the no sperm retrieved group [0.10 (0.03, 0.22) μg/L, P<0.001]. AMH was identified as an independent predictor of micro-TESE outcome in non-mosaic KS patients ( OR=7.867, 95% CI: 2.727-27.242, P=0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.802 (95% CI: 0.722-0.883), and the optimal reference threshold for AMH was ≥0.265 μg/L. Postoperatively, testosterone levels decreased significantly by a median of 0.27 μg/L ( P=0.019), while luteinizing hormone levels increased by a median of 2.08 U/L ( P=0.049), with a more significant decline in testosterone levels observed in the no sperm retrieved group by a median of 0.29 μg/L ( P=0.022). Conclusion:AMH can predict successful micro-TESE in non-mosaic KS patients, with higher AMH levels indicating a higher likelihood of success.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of 18F-FDG PET/CT image in assisting CT-guided puncture of pancreatic tumor.Methods One hundred and thirteen patients with pancreatic tumors were selected and then divided into 18 F-FDG PET/CT image-assisted CT-guided group(abbreviation 18F-FDG PET/CT-assisted group)(n=54)and CT-guided group(n=59)according to the different guided puncture methods.The diagnostic efficacy and safety of the two guided puncture biopsy methods were analyzed and compared.Results All patients successfully completed the biopsy.The accuracy(the agreement rate between pathological diagnosis and final clinical diagnosis),sensitivity,and complication rate of the 18F-FDG PET/CT-assisted group were 96.30％(52/54),96.15％(50/52),and 3.70％(2/54);and those of the CT-guided group were 84.75％(50/59),83.64％(46/55),and 15.25％(9/59).Ultimately,it was found that the 18F-FDG PET/CT-assisted group performed better in terms of accuracy and complications than CT-guided group,and the differences were statistically significant(x2=4.280 9,P=0.038 5;x2=5.211 4,P=0.022 4).No serious complications such as hemorrhage,abdominal infection,pancreatic fistula,intestinal fistula and so on occurred in all patients.Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT image in assisting CT-guided pancreatic tumor puncture possesses more efficient,precise,and safe characteristics,which is the innovation and expansion of traditional CT image-guided puncture biopsy.However,there is still improvement room in terms of economy and feasibility.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationship between malnutrition and coronary inflammation,and explore the interaction and mediating effects of coronary inflammation in the association between malnutrition and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 428 patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease at the Central China Fuwai Hospital from May 2018 to July 2022.All patients underwent coronary angiography(CAG)and coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA).The TCB index(triglycerides×total cholesterol×body weight)and the coronary fat attenuation index around the proximal right coronary artery(RCA-FAI)were used to assess patients' nutritional state and the degree of coronary inflammation,respectively.The study endpoint was MACE.We used linear regression models to analyze the correlation between TCBI and RCA-FAI,cox regression models to assess the correlation of TCBI and RCA-FAI with MACE,and mediation analysis to investigate whether RCA-FAI mediated the relationship between TCBI and MACE.Results A total of 428 patients were included in the study.There was a negative correlation between RCA-FAI and TCBI(r=-0.224,P<0.001).After adjusting for potential confounders,each standard deviation decrease in the TCBI index was associated with a 2.20 HU increase in RCA-FAI(95%CI:-3.40～-1.19,P<0.001).During a mean follow-up period of 2.15 years,51 MACE occurred.MACE risk in the low TCBI/high RCA-FAI group was 6.58 times higher than that in the high TCBI/low RCA-FAI group(adjusted HR=6.580,95%CI:2.237～19.360,P=0.001),and the interaction between TCBI and RCA-FAI was identified.Mediation analysis revealed that RCA-FAI mediated 37.5%of the associations between TCBI and MACE.Conclusions In patients with coronary artery disease,malnutrition is associated with increased coronary inflammation.There is a significant interaction between malnutrition and coronary inflammation in the risk of MACE,and coronary inflammation partially mediates the relationship between malnutrition and MACE.The combination of the TCBI index and RCA-FAI can help identify patients at high cardiovascular risk.Improving malnutrition and controlling coronary inflammation may provide addi-tional benefits for patients with coronary artery disease.

Total-body PET/CT, with its long axial field of view and high sensitivity detector, has shown potential for reducing the dose of radiopharmaceuticals. However, pediatric patients are significantly more sensitive to radiation and have a higher long-term cancer risk than adults, posing fundamental challenges for dose management in PET/CT examinations for these patients. In this article, the technical characteristics of total-body PET/CT and its radiation exposure status in children were systematically analyzed. The radiation exposure could be controlled by the following optimization strategies: adjusting the CT exposure parameters, optimizing the scanning mode, adding reconstruction algorithm, and reducing the injected dose of radioactive tracer. By addressing both external and internal radiation during the PET/CT scanning process, the overall radiation dose received by pediatric patients can be reduced within a certain range. In addition, this article also discusses the technical differences between “total-body” and “whole-body” concepts, and emphasizes that the future optimization of radiation dose in pediatric PET/CT should be realized by integration of personalized scanning protocols. Through reasonable management of scanning protocols and processes, low-dose and high-quality PET/CT imaging can be achieved in clinical environments, thus maximizing protection of pediatric patient health while minimizing the risks associated with ionizing radiation exposure.

Objective: To explore the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution and depressive symptom among school aged children and adolescents, so as to provide evidences for informing constitution based regulation and prevention of depressive symptom. Methods: From June to December 2024, a total of 4 729 students aged 6-14 were recruited by cluster random sampling from 10 primary schools in Baoding (Hebei Province), Heze and Liaocheng (Shandong Province). General information, TCM constitution and depressive symptom were collected. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to analyze related factors and threshold effects of depressive symptom. Binary Logistic regression was applied to examine the association between depressive symptom and TCM constitution, with subgroup analyses conducted. Results: The detection rate of depressive symptom among the included children and adolescents was 25.82%. RCS analyses indicated non linear associations between depressive symptom and age (inflection point at 10 years old), bedtime (inflection point at 22:00), and wake up time (inflection point at 6:30 ) (all P non linearity <0.01). Linear associations were observed with body mass index (BMI) and sleep duration (all P non linearity > 0.05 ). After adjusting for covariates such as age, BMI and sleep status, binary Logistic regression analyses showed that Yin deficient constitution ( OR =1.26, 95% CI =1.09-1.45) and Phlegm-dampness constitution ( OR =1.42, 95% CI =1.11-1.82) were significantly associated with depressive symptom among children and adolescents (all P <0.05). Conclusions Depressive symptom among school aged children and adolescents is primarily associated with Yin deficiency and Phlegm dampness constitutions in TCM constitution. Active attention should be paid to susceptible TCM constitution among children and adolescents. Targeted health guidance and interventions should be implemented to improve TCM constitution health status for preventing the occurrence of depressive symptom.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of linaclotide combined with compound polyethylene glycol (PEG) on bowel preparation, and compare it with traditional PEG 3 L and oral sulfate solution (OSS) 3 L methods.Methods:Patients aged 18-70 years who underwent colonoscopy at the Digestive Diseases Hospital, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital from January to June 2023 were continuously enrolled in the randomized controlled trial and randomly divided into 3 groups using the random number table. Intestinal preparation was conducted according to the protocols of each group, Group A: 3 L PEG; Group B: 3 L OSS; Group C: 290 μg of linaclotide + 2 L PEG. The effects of bowel preparation, adverse reactions, satisfaction, and willingness for repeated bowel preparation were compared.Results:A total of 360 patients were included in the analysis, with 120 patients in each group. There were no statistically significant differences in the median Boston bowel preparation score for each intestinal segment or the total score among the 3 groups (left colon: 3 VS 2 VS 3, H=0.371, P=0.831; transverse colon: 3 VS 3 VS 3, H=0.487, P=0.784; right colon: 2 VS 2 VS 2, H=1.088, P=0.580; total score: 8 VS 8 VS 8, H=0.017, P=0.991). Among the adverse reactions, the incidence of nausea and vomiting in Group B [3.33% (4/120)] was lower than that in Group A [12.50% (15/120), χ2=8.042, P=0.018], and there were no statistically significant differences in other adverse reactions among the 3 groups ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the satisfaction level among the 3 groups ( χ2=11.840, P=0.158). The willingness to undergo bowel preparation again in Group C [95.83% (115/120)] and Group B [96.67% (116/120)] was higher than that in Group A [85.00% (102/120)] (Group C VS Group A: χ2=8.127, P=0.004; Group B VS Group A: χ2=9.808, P=0.002), and there was no significant difference between Group C and B ( χ2=0.000, P=1.000). Conclusion:Linaclotide combined with 2 L PEG offers comparable bowel preparation efficacy and safety to 3 L PEG or 3 L OSS, with improved patient compliance due to reduced water intake, suggesting its potential as an enhanced bowel preparation regimen.