Objective To investigate the current distribution of radiotherapy resources in Gansu Province, evaluate the equity of resource allocation, and provide a scientific basis for optimizing regional resource allocation. Methods A questionnaire survey was carried out to assess radiotherapy resources in medical institutions across Gansu Province, China. The equity of radiotherapy resource distribution and associated disparities were assessed using the Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve, and Theil index. Results A total of 23 medical institutions in Gansu Province provided radiotherapy services, comprising 39 radiotherapy devices and 438 professionals, of whom medical physicists accounted for 16.9%. The radiotherapy frequency was 0.47 cases per thousand population. The Gini coefficients for radiotherapy resource distribution ranged from 0.38 to 0.56 by population and from 0.52 to 0.70 by geography. The Theil index for radiotherapy resources ranged from 1.36 to 3.67. Conclusion Radiotherapy resources in Gansu Province were insufficient, and the capacity of radiotherapy service was suboptimal. The equity of radiotherapy resource allocation by geography was worse than that by population. Therefore, it is imperative to address the shortage of radiotherapy resources, strengthen the professional workforce, enhance the capacity radiotherapy service and resource utilization, optimize resource allocation, and promote regional equity in radiotherapy provision in Gansu Province.

Objective: To investigate the barrier membrane fixation performance and enhanced guided bone regeneration (GBR) capability of a thermosensitive adhesive containing bioactive glass nanoparticles in order to provide a novel solution for membrane fixation during GBR procedures. Methods: M2NP@BGN (methoxyethyl acrylate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide-co-protocatechuic acid@Bioactive glass nanoparticle), a thermosensitive adhesive, was synthesized via free radical polymerization by compositing methoxyethyl acrylate, N-isopropylacrylamide, and protocatechuic acid into a basic adhesive that was modified with bioactive glass nanoparticle (BGN). The successful fabrication of basic adhesive M2NP was characterized by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The thermosensitive adhesive M2NP@BGN (BGN concentration of 1 mg/mL) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and a rheometer. By adjusting the BGN concentration (0.1 mg/mL, 0.5 mg/mL, 1 mg/mL, and 2 mg/mL), the adhesive and mechanical strengths were investigated with a universal testing machine. Biocompatibility was evaluated with a cell counting kit-8 assay and hemolysis test to identify the optimal formulation. The optimal material’s extract was co-cultured with mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and its osteogenic activity was examined in vitro by quantitative real-time PCR, alkaline phosphatase, and alizarin red S staining. The rat mandibular defect model was established, filled with bone graft, and divided into 3 groups based on membrane fixation method: M2NP@BGN (BGN concentration of 1 mg/mL) fixation group (M2NP@BGN), titanium nail fixation group (Nail), and unfixed control group (Negative). Bone regeneration was analyzed after 8 weeks by micro computed tomography and histological staining. Results: M2NP@BGN (BGN concentration of 1 mg/mL) was successfully synthesized and demonstrated rapid gelation under warm, humid conditions. The adhesive with a BGN concentration of 1 mg/mL exhibited the highest adhesive strength (P < 0.001) and significantly enhanced mechanical strength (P < 0.001) under 37℃ wet conditions. All formulations showed excellent biocompatibility, with cell viability > 80% and hemolysis ratio < 5%. M2NP@BGN (BGN concentration of 1 mg/mL) significantly upregulated the expression of Runx2 and Col I (P < 0.001) and enhanced the activity of osteogenic differentiation markers (P < 0.05). In the animal model, the M2NP@BGN group (BGN concentration of 1 mg/mL) achieved significantly higher bone volume fraction and better bone maturity compared to the negative and nail groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion M2NP@BGN (BGN concentration of 1 mg/mL) combines excellent wet adhesion with potent osteogenic activity, enhances the bone augmentation efficacy of membranes, and presents a novel fixation strategy with significant clinical translation potential for GBR therapy.

Objective To explore the clinical value of the platelet count(PLT)to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)ratio(PHR)in predicting poor prognosis after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI).Methods A total of 304 patients with ACI who received intravenous thrombolytic therapy in this hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were selected as the research sub-jects.According to the modified Rankin scale score at 6-month follow-up,the 304 patients with ACI were di-vided into the good prognosis group(n=216)and the poor prognosis group(n=88).Clinical data of all pa-tients were collected.The levels of PLT,HDL-C and PHR were compared between the two groups.The pre-dictive value of PLT,HDL-C and PHR for the prognosis of ACI patients was analyzed by using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Binary Logistic stepwise regression analysis was used to explore the in-fluencing factors of prognosis in ACI patients.Results Compared with the good prognosis group,the HDL-C level in the poor prognosis group decreased,while the PLT level and PHR increased(P＜0.05).The results of the ROC curve showed that the area under the curve(AUC)and 95％CI of PLT,HDL-C,and PHR for pre-dicting poor prognosis after intravenous thrombolysis in ACI patients was 0.829(0.784-0.874),0.743(0.693-0.788),and 0.918(0.873-0.968),respectively.The AUC of PHR in predicting poor prognosis af-ter intravenous thrombolysis in ACI patients was higher than that of PLT and HDL-C alone(Z=13.239,10.776,P＜0.001).The proportions of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score ≥8 points at admission,transformation of previous symptomatic hemorrhage,combined hypertension,and combined dia-betes in the poor prognosis group were all higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).The re-sults of binary Logistic stepwise regression showed that the NIHSS score at admission(OR=2.565,95％CI:1.292-5.094),the transformation of previous symptomatic hemorrhage(OR=2.073,95％CI:1.179-8.645),and PHR(OR=3.732,95％CI:2.037-6.839)were risk factors for poor prognosis in ACI patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion PHR is expected to become an important reference index for predicting the prognosis of ACI patients after intravenous thrombolysis therapy.PHR,NIHSS score at admission,and the transforma-tion of previous symptomatic hemorrhage are all influencing factors for the prognosis of ACI patients after in-travenous thrombolysis therapy.

A novel analytical method was developed in this study by combining online solid phase extraction with ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(Online SPE-UPLC-MS/MS)for simultaneous determination of 50 kinds of steroid hormones in surface water.Specifically,after high-speed centrifugation of 4 mL water samples,the supernatant was directly injected into an Oasis HLB online SPE column for enrichment and purification.Subsequently,the target compounds were transferred to the analytical column via valve switching for separation and analysis.The chromatographic separation was performed on a Thermo Acclaim RSLC C18 column(100 mm×2.1 mm,2.2 μm),using a mobile phase composed of 5 mmol/L ammonium fluoride aqueous solution and acetonitrile.Mass spectrometric detection was conducted in positive ion mode,utilizing multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)with quantification achieved by the internal standard method.The method validation demonstrated that the limits of detection(LOD)for the 50 kinds of steroid hormones ranged from 0.02 to 0.50 ng/L,while the limits of quantification(LOQ)were between 0.08 and 1.67 ng/L.The average recoveries in surface water samples at spiked concentrations of 5,20 and 200 ng/L were between 74.1％and 119％,with relative standard deviations(RSDs)of 0.2％to 9.9％.This method was applied to analyze 11 surface water samples collected from sites surrounding a pharmaceutical and chemical industrial park.A total of 44 kinds of steroid hormones were detected,with concentrations ranging from 0.11 to 88.6 ng/L,revealing the presence of hormone contamination in the environmental waters surrounding industrial areas.Compared with the traditional offline SPE methods,the proposed online SPE technique significantly reduced sample volume requirements and pretreatment time,while minimizing the loss of target compounds during the pretreatment process.Moreover,compared to reported online SPE techniques,this method achieved high-throughput analysis of multiple classes of steroid hormones,with lower detection limits and higher recoveries.Overall,this method provided rapid sample preparation,high sensitivity,and excellent stability,making it suitable for the direct analysis of trace steroid hormones in surface water.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis/blood* ; Adult ; Pelvic Pain/blood* ; Metabolomics ; Prostate/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Pain/blood* ; Metabolome ; Case-Control Studies ; Tryptophan/blood* ; Depression/blood* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology*

Objective:To explore the feasibility of the new auxiliary analysis software in chromosomal aberration analysis of radiation workers during occupational health examinations.Methods:Health examination data of 2 469 radiation workers in Henan province were collected. Manual analysis of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes was conducted using the new auxiliary software and the Ikaros software. Then, the chromosomal aberrations detected using both software tools were compared.Results:The new auxiliary software yielded a lower chromosomal aberration rate among radiation workers compared with the Ikaros software [(0.314 ± 0.014)% vs. (0.391 ± 0.022)%, χ2 = 9.24, P = 0.002]. Notably, the new auxiliary software yielded a significantly lower rate of acentric fragments (ace) [(0.136 ± 0.009)% vs. (0.209 ± 0.020)%, χ2= 17.76, P < 0.001]. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the result of the two software tools in the rates of dicentrics plus rings (dic + r) and translocations ( P > 0.05). According to the GBZ/T 248-2014 standard, the differences in abnormality rates of chromosomal aberrations between the two groups had no statistically significance ( P > 0.05), with both groups showing an abnormality rate of 0 for ace. Furthermore, the new auxiliary software could double the detection efficiency. Among pre-service radiation workers of various occupations, the differences in the chromosomal aberrations detected using the two software tools exhibited statistical significance ( χ2 = 10.26, P = 0.001). In contrast, the differences in the chromosomal aberrations among in-service and post-service radiation workers had no statistically different significance ( P>0.05). The Poisson regression analysis result demonstrated that the rate of chromosomal aberrations excluding ace was affected by age ( z = 2.73, P = 0.006), while gender, analysis method, service status, and occupation had no impact. Conclusions:The two software tools yielded largely consistent result in detecting chromosomal aberrations induced by exposure to ionizing radiation. Notably, the new auxiliary software can significantly improve detection efficiency, indicating the feasibility of applying it to chromosomal aberration analysis among radiation workers.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the impact of chronic kidney disease(CKD)on the growth,development,and cognitive function of offspring rats,and to evaluate the effects of esaxerenone(ESAX)intervention.METHODS:Thirty female non-pregnant Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups:sham operation+pregnancy(control group),UUO+pregnancy(model group),and UUO+pregnancy+esaxerenone(treatment group),with 10 rats in each group.CKD was induced in the UUO+pregnancy and UUO+pregnancy+esaxerenone groups by performing uni-lateral ureteral obstruction(UUO),while the sham operation+pregnancy group underwent a non-ligated and non-clipped ureter procedure.Rats in the treatment group received esaxerenone at a dosage of 1 mg·kg-1·d-1.Vaginal smears were per-formed weekly from the 8th week post-UUO to monitor the estrous cycle.Female and male rats in pre-estrus or estrus were paired in a 2∶1 ratio,and the day with the first appearance of sperm in vaginal smears was recorded as the first day of preg-nancy.Offspring were delivered 21 to 22 days post-gestation,and 10 offspring from each group were selected for further experimentation:sham-offspring(sham-offspr)group,UUO-offspro group,and esaxerenone treatment offspring(ESAX-offspr)group.At 21 days of age,offspring weight and tail length were measured.Behavioral tests,including the open field test,Y maze test,and Morris water maze test,assessed learning and memory abilities.Serum levels of aldosterone,5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)were measured using ELISA.Serum creati-nine(SCr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were assessed using conventional biochemical methods.Renal pathology was examined using Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE)staining.RESULTS:Offspring in the UUO-offspr group had reduced body weight and tail length compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.05).Behavioral tests indicated that exploration and memo-ry abilities were significantly impaired in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.05),while the ESAX-offspr group showed improved behavioral development compared to the UUO-offspr group(P＜0.05).ELISA results revealed decreased levels of serum 5-HT,BDNF,and aldosterone in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.01),with increased levels in the ESAX-offspr group(P＜0.05).Renal function tests showed elevated SCr and BUN levels in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.01),while levels in the ESAX-offspr group were reduced(P＜0.01).HE staining demonstrated mild tubular dilation and inflammatory cell infiltration in the UUO-offspr group,whereas the ESAX-offspr group had well-arranged tubules with reduced inflammation.CONCLU-SION:Chronic kidney disease adversely affects the growth,development,and cognitive function of offspring rats by 21 days of age.Esaxerenone intervention can mitigate these detrimental effects on growth,development,and cognitive abili-ties in offspring rats.

Objective To investigate the expressions of cyclin B2(CCNB2)and cyclin E1(Cyclin E1)in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and their significance for the prognosis of HCC.Methods Sixty HCC patients were admitted and treated from October 2013 to October 2016.The expressions of CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 in 60 HCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry,and the relationship between the two and the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients was analyzed;Spearman method was performed to analyze the correlation of CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 expression;Kaplan-Meier was performed to analyze the relationship between CCNB2,Cyclin E1 expression and clinical prognosis;and univariate and multivariate Cox regression were performed to analyze the influencing factors of clinical prognosis of HCC patients.Results The positive expression rates of CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 in HCC(61.67％,56.67％)were significantly higher than those in adjacent normal tissues(20.00％,13.33％,P＜0.05);the positive expressions of CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 were positively correlated with serum AFP level,liver cirrhosis status,tumor thrombus and recurrence(P＜0.05).The expressions of CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 in HCC tissues were positively correlated(r=0.487,P=0.000).The positive expressions of CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 in HCC tissues predicted a lower survival time(x2=7.104,7.140,P=0.008,0.008).In addition,the positive expressions of CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 were independent factors affecting the prognosis of HCC patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion CCNB2 and Cyclin E1 are highly expressed in HCC and are associated with serum AFP level,cirrhosis status,tumor thrombus and recurrence,and can be used as independent prognostic markers.

Cholesterol is a crucial lipid in the human body.Elevated levels of cholesterol can result in condi-tions such as hypercholesterolemia.3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase(HMGCR)serves as a pivotal en-zyme in the synthesis of cholesterol,acting as a rate-limiting factor.As a result,HMGCR plays a critical role in maintain-ing cholesterol balance,with the regulatory processes being intricate in vivo.This review outlines the advancements in un-derstanding the regulatory mechanisms of HMGCR,encompassing transcriptional control,degradation pathways,and en-zyme activity.

Objective:To conduct a scoping review on the critical values for lifestyle risk factors in young and middle-aged patients with prediabetes progressing to diabetes, so as to provide a reference for clinical screening, prevention, intervention, and patient self-management.Methods:Guided by the scoping review methodology and framework developed by Arksey et al., research questions were identified. Through systematic searches of Chinese and English literature databases, studies on risk factors in young and middle-aged patients with prediabetes progressing to diabetes published from the establishment of the database to August 11, 2024 were screened. Studies examining critical values for lifestyle risk factors were selected for data extraction, summary of findings, and qualitative analysis.Results:A total of 19 articles were ultimately included. Lifestyle risk factors encompassed diet, exercise, smoking, drinking, and step count. Specific indicators included daily sugar intake >25 grams, weekly exercise time <150 min, daily exercise time <30 min, weekly drinking ≥3 times with ≥180 ml of clear liquor per session, and daily step count <5 000 steps.Conclusions:There are different characteristics and critical values of the influence of various factors on the progress of diabetes. Future research should further standardize criteria and conduct large-scale, multicenter, long-term follow-up studies to establish optimal critical values for lifestyle factors, thereby providing evidence for diabetes screening, prevention, and intervention.