BackgroundWith the acceleration of population aging in China， studies have documented an increased prevalence of dementia in the elderly. Behavioral and psychological symptoms and impaired cognitive function are important problems affecting the quality of life in the elderly with dementia. It has been noted that there are certain limitations on the management of problems mentioned above by drug treatment alone， while its combination with music intervention is emerging as an effective approach. However， the application of this approach in the elderly with moderate to severe dementia is still in its relative infancy. ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of music assisted drug treatment on behavioral and psychological symptoms and cognitive function in the elderly with moderate to severe dementia， so as to provide insights for the development of effective intervention. MethodsA randomized controlled study was utilized to enroll a coherent of 43 elderly patients with moderate to severe dementia who were hospitalized in Geriatric Psychiatry of Deyang Mental Health Center from January to July 2023 and met the International Classification of Diseases， tenth edition （ICD-10） diagnostic criteria for dementia. Eligible subjects were divided into study group （n=22） and control group （n=21） based on random allocation using SPSS 26.0. Both groups received routine drug treatment and nursing care， while the study group added music intervention， which consisted of two 30-minute sessions per week for 8 weeks. Neuro Psychiatric Inventory （NPI） and Mini-Mental State Examination （MMSE） were administered to all patients before and after intervention. ResultsA total of 36 patients completed the study， including 20 case in study group and 16 case in control group. No statistical difference was noted in baseline NPI score and MMSE score between two groups （P>0.05）. After intervention， study group reported a statistical reduction in NPI total score ［58.00 （49.00， 79.25） vs. 78.50 （55.00， 95.50）， Z=-3.902， P<0.01）］ along with a clinically unremarkable increase in MMSE score （P>0.05） compared with baseline data. After intervention， NPI total score and scores on sub-domains including agitation/aggression， depression/dysphoria， anxiety and aberrant motor behavior were all significantly lower in study group than those in control group （Z=-2.183， -2.438， -2.691， -3.716， -2.250， P<0.05 or 0.01）， while there was no significant difference in MMSE score between two groups （P>0.05）. ConclusionMusic assisted drugintervention may ameliorate behavioral and psychological symptoms in the elderly with moderate to severe dementia， while no significant improvement is documented on cognitive function. ［Fund by the "14^th Five Year Plan" for Philosophy and Social Sciences Research in Deyang （number， DY232C002）］

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors for pyogenic liver abscess （PLA） comorbid with sepsis by analyzing clinical features， and to construct a predictive model. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 489 patients who were hospitalized and diagnosed with PLA in The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023， and according to the presence or absence of sepsis， they were divided into sepsis group with 306 patients and non-sepsis group with 183 patients. Related data were collected， including general information， laboratory markers， and outcome measures. The patients were further divided into a training set of 342 patients and a validation set of 147 patients at a ratio of 7∶3， and the training set was used for screening of variables and construction of a predictive model， while the validation set was used to test the performance of the model. An LASSO regression analysis was used for the screening of variables， and a multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to construct the predictive model and plot a nomogram. The calibration curve， the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve， and the decision curve analysis were used for the validation of the model， and internal validation was performed for assessment. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical variables between groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the sepsis group and the non-sepsis group in pulse rate， mean arterial pressure， duration pf symptoms， comorbidity of liver cirrhosis or malignant tumor， leukocyte count， neutrophil count， lymphocyte count， platelet count （PLT）， activated partial thromboplastin time， fibrinogen， C-reactive protein， aspartate aminotransferase， alanine aminotransferase， albumin， total bilirubin （TBil）， creatinine， potassium， and prognostic nutritional index （PNI） （all P<0.05）. In the training set， the LASSO regression analysis identified four predictive factors of pulse rate， PLT， TBil and PNI， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that pulse rate （odds ratio ［OR］=1.033， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.006‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.061， P=0.018）， PLT （OR=0.981， 95%CI： 0.975‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.987， P<0.001）， TBil （OR=1.086， 95%CI： 1.053‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.125， P<0.001）， and PNI （OR=0.935， 95%CI： 0.882‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.988， P=0.019） were independent influencing factors for the risk of sepsis in patients with PLA. The model constructed based on these factors showed a good predictive ability， with an area under the ROC curve of 0.948 （95%CI： 0.923‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.973） in the training set and 0.912 （95%CI： 0.848‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.976） in the validation set. The decision curve analysis showed that the model has a good net benefit within the range of 0.3‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.9 for threshold probability. ConclusionThe nomogram prediction model constructed based on pulse rate， PLT， TBil， and PNI has a certain clinical value and can well predict the risk of sepsis in patients with PLA.

BACKGROUND: Severe stroke has high rates of mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course, causes of worsening, and outcomes of severe ischemic stroke. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter cohort study enrolled adult patients admitted ≤30 days after ischemic stroke from nine hospitals in China between September 2017 and December 2019. Severe stroke was defined as a score of ≥15 on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Clinical worsening was defined as an increase of 4 in the NIHSS score from baseline. Unfavorable functional outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score ≥3 at 3 months and 1 year after stroke onset, respectively. We performed Logistic regression to explore baseline features and reperfusion therapies associated with clinical worsening and functional outcomes. RESULTS: Among 4201 patients enrolled, 854 patients (20.33%) had severe stroke on admission. Of 3347 patients without severe stroke on admission, 142 (4.24%) patients developed severe stroke in hospital. Of 854 patients with severe stroke on admission, 33.95% (290/854) experienced clinical worsening (median time from stroke onset: 43 h, Q1-Q3: 20-88 h), with brain edema (54.83% [159/290]) as the leading cause; 24.59% (210/854) of these patients died by 30 days, and 81.47% (677/831) and 78.44% (633/807) had unfavorable functional outcomes at 3 months and 1 year respectively. Reperfusion reduced the risk of worsening (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12-0.49, P  <0.01), 30-day death (adjusted OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.11-0.41, P  <0.01), and unfavorable functional outcomes at 3 months (adjusted OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08-0.68, P <0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.50, P  <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-fifth of patients with ischemic stroke had severe neurological deficits on admission. Clinical worsening mainly occurred in the first 3 to 4 days after stroke onset, with brain edema as the leading cause of worsening. Reperfusion reduced the risk of clinical worsening and improved functional outcomes. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03222024.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Ischemic Stroke/mortality* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Stroke ; Brain Ischemia

Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of different scanning conditions on the image quality of medical electron accelerator cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and provide a reference for the selection of scanning conditions for different body parts. Methods Set different scanning conditions, the Catphan 503 phantom was scanned using CBCT parameters to analyze the influence of spatial resolution, noise, uniformity, spatial geometric accuracy, and low-contrast resolution on the image quality of CBCT. RESULTS: For the head, chest, and abdomen, with the increase in scanning parameter values, the noise value decreased by 47.4%, 26.1%, and 51.3% respectively, and the uniformity values decreased by 30.2%, 26.6%, and 47.9% respectively. The low-contrast resolution values decreased by 50.6%, 34.2%, and 12.0%. The influence of different scanning conditions on spatial geometric accuracy and spatial resolution is not significant. CONCLUSION Different scanning parameters have a certain influence on the image quality of medical electron accelerator CBCT. Lower scanning parameters can be selected based on individual patients to reduce the additional radiation dose, providing a reference for the safe application of CBCT image guidance in radiotherapy.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/instrumentation* ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Particle Accelerators

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the expression of lysosomal-associated membrane protein 5 (LAMP5) and microRNA (miR)-302a-3p in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and their functional mechanism on the invasion and metastasis of OSCC. METHODS: The expression of LAMP5 in OSCC and its sensitivity as a prognostic indicator were analyzed on the basis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Western blot, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and cell immunocytochemistry were used to detect the expression of LAMP5 in OSCC tissues and cells. The effect of LAMP5 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells was evaluated through cell counting kit-8, immunocytochemistry, migration, and invasion assays, respectively. The miRNA targeting prediction websites were used to predict the miR that regulates LAMP5 and verify the targeted regulatory effect of miR-302a-3p on LAMP5. The effect of LAMP5 knockdown on OSCC tumor growth was evaluated in a nude mouse tumorigenesis model. RESULTS: LAMP5 was highly expressed in OSCC tissues and cells. It showed high sensitivity in the early diagnosis of OSCC. LAMP5 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells, whereas LAMP5 overexpression increased these cell activities. The expression of LAMP5 was regulated by miR-302a-3p. In vivo, LAMP5 knockdown significantly inhibited the growth of OSCC tumor. CONCLUSIONS LAMP5 promotes the malignant progression of OSCC by enhancing the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells. The expression of LAMP5 is negatively regulated by miR-302a-3p.
MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Mouth Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Humans ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics* ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Cell Proliferation ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Movement ; Lysosomal Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Mice ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of SpyGlass DS system laser lithotripsy and conventional fractional treatment under endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)in treatment of large calculus of common bile duct.Method 38 patients with large calculus of common bile duct(>2 cm)during ERCP from November 2021 to October 2023 were selected and divided into experimental group(n=18)and control group(n=20).The experimental group was treated with SpyGlass DS system combined with laser lithotripsy.The patients in the control group were treated with split treatment(the first biliary stent was placed,and the calculus of common bile duct were removed under conventional ERCP again 3 months later).The success rate of stone clearance and the incidence of complications after ERCP were compared between the two groups.Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography(MRCP)was performed 3 months after surgery to determine whether there were residual calculus of common bile duct.Results The surgical time of the experimental group was longer than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the stone clearance rate and the incidence of short-term complications between the two groups(P>0.05).The incidence of long-term complications in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group,but the difference was not statistically significant(P=0.090).Conclusion SpyGlass DS guided laser lithotripsy is effective and safe for the treatment of large calculus of common bile duct,with a low recurrence rate.

Background: Molecular markers associated with disease progression and prognosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) are still lacking in clinic. Aims: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of vanin 1 (VNN1) in intestinal mucosal tissue, serum and stool in patients with UC. Methods: A total of 100 UC patients and 100 healthy volunteers from Dec. 2018 to Jan. 2020 at the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were recruited, and colonoscopy biopsy tissue samples, blood samples and stool samples were collected. PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions of VNN1 in intestinal mucosal tissue, respectively. The expression of VNN1 in serum and stool was determined by ELISA. Results: The mRNA and protein expressions of VNN1 in intestinal mucosal tissue in patients with UC were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry results showed that VNN1 expression was significantly higher in intestinal mucosal tissue in patients with UC than in healthy controls (P<0.05). ELISA results showed that serum expression of VNN1 in patients with UC was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in expression of VNN1 in stool between patients with UC and healthy controls (P>0.05). Conclusions: The expressions of VNN1 in intestinal mucosal tissue and blood in UC patients are high, and can be used as a molecular marker of UC.

ObjectiveTo establish an early predictive model using serological markers based on LASSO regression for predicting the possibility of HBsAg clearance in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients treated with pegylated interferon α-2b （PEG-IFNα-2b）， and to investigate the diagnostic value of the model. MethodsA total of 136 HBeAg-negative CHB patients who received PEG-IFNα-2b treatment in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from April 2020 to October 2021 were enrolled， among whom 47 received PEG-IFNα-2b for the first time （previously untreated） and 89 received PEG-IFNα-2b after 48 weeks of treatment with nucleos（t）ide analogues （treatment-experienced）. The patients were randomly assigned to a training set with 95 patients and a validation set with 41 patients at a ratio of 7∶3， and related data were collected for both groups， including virological markers， routine blood test results， and liver function at baseline and week 12 of treatment. According to HBsAg status at week 48 of treatment， the patients were divided into seroconversion group with 38 patients and non-seroconversion group with 98 patients. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical variables between two groups. The LASSO regression analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to establish a nomogram model； the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess its predictive ability， and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） was used for comparison of predictive value. ResultsIn the training set， 95 HBeAg-negative CHB patients were treated with PEG-IFNα-2b for 48 weeks， among whom there were 27 patients in the seroconversion group and 68 in the non-seroconversion group. The univariate Logistic regression analysis， with P<0.2 as the criterion for screening， showed that 9 indicators were included in the LASSO regression analysis， i.e.， sex， baseline HBV DNA level， the reduction in HBV DNA in 0 — 12 weeks， baseline HBsAg level， the reduction in HBsAg in 0 — 12 weeks， baseline aspartate aminotransferase （AST） level， the reduction in AST in 0 — 12 weeks， baseline alanine aminotransferase （ALT） level， and the reduction in ALT in 0 — 12 weeks. The LASSO regression analysis showed that sex， baseline HBsAg level， the reduction in HBsAg in 0 — 12 weeks， and the reduction in ALT in 0 — 12 weeks were non-zero variables and were included in the multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis obtained 4 independent predictive factors， i.e.， sex （odds ratio ［OR］=5.38， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.11 — 34.21， P=0.049）， baseline HBsAg level （OR=0.12， 95%CI： 0.04 — 0.26， P<0.001）， the reduction in HBsAg in 0 — 12 weeks （OR=5.54， 95%CI： 1.97 — 19.18， P=0.003）， and the reduction in ALT in 0 — 12 weeks （OR=0.99， 95%CI： 0.97 — 1.00， P=0.039）. A nomogram model was established based on the results of the multivariate Logistic regression analysis， and the ROC curve was used to assess the predictive value of this nomogram model. This nomogram model had an AUC of 0.934 （95%CI： 0.886 — 0.981） in the training set and an AUC of 0.921 （95%CI： 0.838 — 1.000） in the validation set. In addition， the results of calibration curve and decision curve analyses showed that the model had good consistency and accuracy. ConclusionBased on general information and serological markers， the LASSO regression analysis is used to establish a nomogram model using sex， baseline HBsAg level， the reduction in HBsAg in 0 — 12 weeks， and the reduction in ALT in 0 — 12 weeks， and this model can be used to predict the probability of achieving HBsAg clearance in HBeAg-negative CHB patients treated with PEG-IFNα-2b， which provides important reference and theoretical support for the clinical treatment of patients.