ObjectiveTo investigate the differences in clinical features and mortality rate between native patients with chronic liver failure （CHF） and migrated patients with CHF after treatment with double plasma molecular adsorption system （DPMAS） in high-altitude areas. MethodsA total of 63 patients with CHF who received DPMAS treatment in the intensive care unit of General Hospital of Tibet Military Command from January 2016 to December 2021 were enrolled， and according to their history of residence in high-altitude areas， they were divided into native group with 29 patients and migrated group with 34 patients. The two groups were compared in terms of baseline data and clinical features before and after DPMAS treatment. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the paired t-test was used for comparison before and after treatment within each group； the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used for comparison before and after treatment within each group； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison of the risk of death. ResultsCompared with the native group， the migrated group had a significantly higher proportion of Chinese Han patients （χ²=41.729， P<0.001）， and compared with the migrated group， the native group had a significantly longer duration of the most recent continuous residence in high-altitude areas （Z=3.364， P<0.001）. Compared with the native group， the migrated group had significantly higher MELD score and incidence rates of hepatic encephalopathy， hepatorenal syndrome， and gastrointestinal bleeding （Z=2.318， χ²=6.903， 5.154， and 6.262， all P<0.05）. Both groups had significant changes in platelet count （PLT）， hemoglobin count （HGB）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， albumin， total bilirubin （TBil）， direct bilirubin （DBil）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， creatinine （Cr）， and international normalized ratio （INR） after DPMAS treatment （all P<0.05）. Before DPMAS treatment， compared with the native group， the migrated group had significantly higher levels of ALT， AST， TBil， DBil， LDH， Cr， BUN， and INR （all P<0.05） and a significantly lower level of HGB （P<0.05）； after DPMAS treatment， compared with the native group， the migrated group had significantly greater reductions in PLT and HGB （both P<0.05） and still significantly higher levels of ALT， AST， TBil， DBil， LDH， BUN， and INR （all P<0.05）. The 60-day mortality rate of patients after DPMAS treatment was 52.5% （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 41.7 — 63.8） in the native group and 81.3% （95%CI： 77.9 — 85.6） in the migrated group. Compared with the native group （hazard ratio ［HR］=0.47， 95%CI： 0.23 — 0.95）， the migrated group had a significant increase in the risk of death on day 60 （HR=2.14， 95%CI： 1.06 — 4.32， P=0.039）. ConclusionCompared with the native patients with CHF in high-altitude areas， migrated patients have a higher degree of liver impairment， a lower degree of improvement in liver function after DPMAS treatment， and a higher mortality rate. Clinical medical staff need to pay more attention to migrated patients with CHF， so as to improve their survival rates.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of Phellodendron amurense polysaccharides （PAP） on improving gouty nephropathy （GN） in rats， and to investigate its mechanism primarily by interfering the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）/nuclear factor-κB（NF-κB）/tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）. METHODS Sixty rats were randomly divided into normal group （water）， model group （water）， allopurinol group （positive control， 20 mg/kg）， PAP high-dose， medium-dose and low-dose groups （100， 50， 25 mg/kg， by raw material） after being stratified by body weight， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， the other groups were induced to construct GN model by giving 1 500 mg/kg potassium oxazinate and 100 mg/kg adenine intragastrically for 14 days. After modeling， the rats in each group were given relevant medicine/water intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 28 days. After the last medication， the levels of biochemical parameters related to renal function [uric acid， creatinine （Cr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， xanthine oxidase （XOD）] were detected in rats， and the histopathological changes in the rat kidney were observed. The protein expressions of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1），TNF-α and interleukin-6（IL-6） as well as the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 protein were determined in renal tissue of rats. RESULTS Compared with the normal group， the model group suffered from the dilatation of renal tubules， structural damage to glomeruli， accompanied by inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis； the contents of uric acid， Cr， BUN and XOD， the protein expressions of MCP-1，TNF-α and IL-6 and the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 protein were all increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the pathological symptoms of renal tissue in rats had been improved to varying degrees in different dose groups of PAP； the contents of uric acid， Cr， BUN and XOD， protein expressions of MCP-1， TNF-α and IL-6， the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 protein in PAP high-dose and PAP medium-dose groups were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS PAP exhibits an anti-GN effect， the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting the p38 MAPK/NF-κB/TNF-α signaling pathway.

Objective:The objective of this study is to sequence whole genome of the rabies virus in the saliva specimen of a suspected rabies case with onset of rabies from a wildlife (hog badger) bite wound in Sichuan province, where the genetic variation characteristics of the virus was analyzed at the molecular level, so as to understand the prevalence and mutation of wildlife rabies virus in Sichuan province.Methods:Total viral RNA was extracted from the saliva specimen of the suspected rabies case. Then, rabies virus sequences were amplified using PCR with specific primers; the gene fragments obtained were sequenced, and the sequences obtained were spliced using biological software to obtain the whole genome sequence of the rabies virus strain. The genetic variation characteristics of the whole genome were analyzed.Results:The whole genome nucleotide sequence of a strain of rabies virus of hog badger origin (hereinafter referred to as SCR23-052) was obtained by sequencing, and NCBI online BLAST and comparison with several reference sequences showed that the composition and structure of the whole genome sequence of SCR23-052 conformed to the characteristics of the Lyssavirus under the Rhabdoviridae; the highest similarity in nucleotide and amino acid sequences in various gene regions was observed between SCR23-052 and the strains of Ningxia (J) and Chongqing (CQ92, 02050CHI). The sequence variability of SCR23-052 genome was significantly lower at the amino acid level than that at the nucleotide level, which indicated that most of the nucleotide variants in the protein-coding genes belonged to synonymous mutations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that SCR23-052 belonged to genotype V, which did not show any obvious mutation in the major antigenic site of the glycoprotein, underwent amino acid glycosylation at positions 56 and 338 by the online site prediction, and showed the least amino acid difference compared with the signal peptide sequence of the vaccine strain CTN181. The virus in this study has an A→T mutation at position 332 in the nucleoprotein major antigenic site with all reference vaccine strains, and an L→V mutation at position 379 in the B-cell epitope with the CTN181 vaccine strain. SCR23-052 was consistent with both genotype V reference strains at the nucleoprotein study site.Conclusions:The whole genome sequence of a wildlife strain of genotype V rabies virus of hog badger origin was obtained, which was different from that of the genotype I strain of rabies virus of dog origin that previously reported to be prevalent in Sichuan. The genome sequence of SCR23-052 differed from that of the reference vaccine strains to a varying degree, but the main virulence characteristics remained unaltered.

Objectives:To evaluate the impact of global longitudinal strain(GLS)for prognosis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)patients after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI). Methods:We enrolled 156 STEMI patients who underwent PCI and spackle tracking imaging(STI)during hospitalization from September 2020 to August 2023.Patients with Killip Ⅱ-Ⅳ at baseline were excluded,138 patients were finally included.GLS was detected by STI.Patients were divided into more impaired group(GLS>-11.7%,n=57)and less impaired group(GLS≤-11.7%,n=81)according to Youden index.Clinical characteristics and echocardiography data were analyzed.Patients were followed up for a median of 21(13,28)months.Heart failure events were compared between the two groups. Results:The peak troponin I(TnI)was significantly higher in patients with GLS>-11.7%than those with GLS≤-11.7%at admission(85 160[31 297,214 226]pg/ml vs.34 942[13 571,92 713]pg/ml,P<0.001).Culprit vessel was different between the 2 groups(P<0.001).Compared with patients with GLS≤-11.7%,patients with GLS>-11.7%had lower left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)([60.1±8.7]%vs.[49.2±8.3]%,P<0.001),higher proportion of regional wall motion abnormality(90.1%vs.100%,P=0.015).Both LVEF and GLS recovered in patients with GLS>-11.7%during follow-up,but remained lower as compared to patients with GLS≤-11.7%(both P<0.001).The median follow-up time was 21(13,28)months.After adjusting age,sex,culprit vessel and peak TnI,the risk of heart failure of patients with GLS>-11.7%was significant higher(HR=9.123,95%CI:1.720-43.394,P=0.009). Conclusions:STEMI patients with more impaired GLS have a higher risk of heart failure post PCI.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation (PTPBD) combined with flexible ureteroscopy-guided dual-frequency double-pulse ND:YAG (FREDDY) laser lithotripsy (PTPBD-FREDDY) for the treatment of giant (>1.5 cm diameter) common bile duct stones.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 26 patients with large-diameter difficult choledocholithiasis admitted to two medical centers from December 2017 to October 2021. Among these patients, four could not tolerate surgery or endoscopic treatment, six experienced failure of endoscopic treatment, and 16 refused to undergo endoscopic or surgical treatment. All patients underwent the PTPBD-FREDDY procedure. The FREDDY laser lithotripsy was performed under ureteroscopic guidance, followed by a balloon to push the stones into the duodenum. The primary endpoint was the technical success rate, and the secondary endpoints included the rate of stone recurrence and related complications.Results:All 26 patients successfully completed the operation, achieving a technical success rate of 100%. The average lithotripsy frequency and operation time for bilirubin stones were significantly higher than those of mixed stones and cholesterol stones ( P<0.01). The main postoperative complications included mild fever ( n=3), abdominal pain ( n=3), nausea ( n=2) and vomiting ( n=1). One patient experienced biliary tract bleeding, which improved after conservative treatment. No serious complications such as pancreatitis, sepsis, or biliary perforation were observed. After 2 years of follow-up, no cases of stone recurrence were observed. Conclusions:PTPBD-FREDDY is a safe and effective treatment for patients with giant common bile duct stones. It provides a new therapeutic option for patients with giant choledocholithiasis who can not tolerate surgery or have failed endoscopic treatment, demonstrating promising prospects.

Objective:To study the precision of 3D printing coplanar template (3D-PCT) assisted CT-guided radioactive particle implantation using two types of phantoms, and compare the differences between the phantoms, in order to provide reference for radioactive particle implantation.Methods:The needle inserting path was designed in the brachytherapy treatment planning system (BTPS) and the needle tip coordinates were obtained. Following the needle inserting path, the implant needles were inserted into the custom and the liver phantoms, respectively. Then gold markers were implanted through the needles. Subsequently, the needles were withdrawn by 10 mm, and the cold sources were implanted. The coordinates of needle tips, gold markers, and cold sources were recorded. The precision of implanted needles, first particles, and particles after needle withdrawal were obtained by calculating the distance between two points in the space. Finally, the differences between the two phantoms were compared through independent samples t-test. Results:In the 3D-PCT-assisted CT-guided radioactive particle implantation, the precision of implanted needles, first particles, and particles after needle withdrawal in the custom and the liver phantoms was (1.89±0.72) and (2.14±0.88 ) mm ( P>0.05), (2.03±1.14) and (2.42±1.12) mm ( P>0.05), and (-1.96±1.29) and (-2.82±0.91) mm ( t=2.09, P=0.046), respectively. Conclusions:The 3D-PCT-assisted CT-guided radioactive particle implantation is efficient, stable, and precise, showing slight precision differences between the two phantoms.

Objective:To explore the effects of multimodal imaging on the performance of automatic segmentation of glioblastoma targets for radiotherapy based on a deep learning approach.Methods:The computed tomography (CT) images and the contrast-enhanced T1 weighted (T1C) sequence and the T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2- FLAIR) sequence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 30 patients with glioblastoma were collected. The gross tumor volumes (GTV) and their corresponding clinical target volumes CTV1 and CTV2 of the 30 patients were manually delineated according to the criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). Moreover, four different datasets were designed, namely a unimodal CT dataset (only containing the CT sequences of 30 cases), a multimodal CT-T1C dataset (containing the CT and T1C sequences of 30 cases), a multimodal CT-T2-FLAIR dataset (containing the CT and T2- FLAIR sequences of the 30 cases), and a trimodal CT-MRI dataset (containing the CT, T1C, and T2- FLAIR sequences of 30 cases). For each dataset, the data of 25 cases were used for training the modified 3D U-Net model, while the data of the rest five cases were used for testing. Furthermore, this study evaluated the segmentation performance of the GTV, CTV1, and CTV2 of the testing cases obtained using the 3D U-Net model according to the indices including Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), 95% Hausdorff distance (HD95), and relative volume error (RVE).Results:The best automatic segmentation result of GTV were achieved using the CT-MRI dataset. Compared with the segmentation result using the CT dataset (DSC: 0.94 vs. 0.79, HD95: 2.09 mm vs. 12.33 mm, and RVE: 1.16% vs. 20.14%), there were statistically significant differences in DSC ( t=3.78, P<0.05) and HD95 ( t=4.07, P<0.05) obtained using the CT-MRI dataset. Highly consistent automatic segmentation result of CTV1 and CTV2 were also achieved using the CT-MRI dataset (DSC: 0.90 vs. 0.91, HD95: 3.78 mm vs. 2.41 mm, RVE: 3.61% vs. 5.35%). However, compared to the CT dataset, there were no statistically significant differences in DSC and HD95 of CTV1 and CTV2 ( P>0.05). Additionally, the 3D U-Net model yielded some errors in predicting the upper and lower bounds of GTV and the adjacent organs (e.g., the brainstem and eyeball) of CTV2. Conclusions:The modified 3D U-Net model based on the multimodal CT-MRI dataset can achieve better segmentation result of glioblastoma targets and its application potentially benefits clinical practice.

Objective:To analyze the molecular characteristics of E genes of imported dengue virus (DENV) in Sichuan province from 2012 to 2021, such as serotypes and genotypes, and so to provide the basis for virus traceability.Methods:DENV E genes of the 28 serum samples which were tested DENV positive by real time RT-qPCR from 2012 to 2021 in Sichuan province were amplified and sequenced by RT-PCR. Bioinformatics software Mega Align5.0 was used for the alignment analyses of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences, and bioinformatics software Mega7.0 was used to draw phylogenetic trees.Results:RT-PCR and sequencing indicated that 28 E genes of DENV were obtained. The serotypes and genotypes of DENV were revealed by homology and phylogenetic analysis based on E genes of DENV; 20 virus strains of Sichuan belonged to DENV serotype 1 (DENV-1), of which 16 virus strains were genotype I (G-I), 4 virus strains were genotype V (G-V); 7 virus strains belonged to DENV serotype 2 (DENV-2), of which 4 virus strains were G-I, 3 virus strains were genotype II (G-II); 1 virus strain belonged to DENV serotype 3 (DENV-3), G-I. The phylogenetic trees showed that Sichuan strains had more homology with strains of Southeast Asia and Guangdong province in China, that is consistent with the epidemiological data.Conclusions:In 2012 to 2021, the imported DENV in Sichuan province had 3 serotypes and multiple genotypes, and they were most likely transmitted from Southeast Asian countries.

"The Expert Group on Tumor Ablation Therapy of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, The Tumor Ablation Committee of Chinese College of Interventionalists, The Society of Tumor Ablation Therapy of Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and The Ablation Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology" have organized multidisciplinary experts to formulate the consensus for thermal ablation of pulmonary subsolid nodules or ground-glass nodule (GGN). The expert consensus reviews current literatures and provides clinical practices for thermal ablation of GGN. The main contents include: (1) clinical evaluation of GGN, (2) procedures, indications, contraindications, outcomes evaluation and related complications of thermal ablation for GGN and (3) future development directions.
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Objective:To verify the accuracy and feasibility of radioactive 125I seed implantation assisted by an optical navigation system and a 3D-printing non-coplanar template in the treatment of recurrent head and neck cancers. Methods:A total of 12 patients with recurrent head and neck cancer treated with radioactive 125I seed implantation assisted by an optical navigation system and 3D-printing non-coplanar template were enrolled from Dec 2018 to Dec 2019.The pre-plan and post-implant implantation needle number and implanted seed number were recorded.Meanwhile, their dosimetric parameters were compared, including D90, minimum peripheral dose (MPD), V100, V150, V200, conformity index (CI), external index (EI), and the homogeneity index (HI) of the target volume. Results:The median lesion volume was 31.5 cm 3, the median number of seeds was 61.5, and the median prescription dose was 130 Gy.The means of the pre-plan D90, MPD, V100, V150 and V200 were 134.2, 64.6, 93.3, 75.3 and 39.3 Gy, respectively, while those of post-implant D90, MPD, V100, V150, and V200 were 146.7, 68.94, 97.47, 80.40 and 48.30 Gy, respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). Meanwhile, there was no statistically significant difference between the pre-plan and post-implantation needle number, implanted seed number, CI, HI, and EI ( P>0.05). In terms of postoperative dose quality assessment, eight cases were rated excellent (66.6%) and four cases were rated good (33.3%). Conclusions:Radioactive 125I seed implantation assisted by an optical navigation system and 3D-printing non-coplanar template can be accurately performed in the treatment of recurrent head and neck cancer, with good consistency between pre-plan and post-implant dosimetric parameters and thus of prospective potential in clinical application.