Objective To explore the biological mechanism of radiation resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)and search for effective sensitization targets.Methods We retrieved 186 signaling pathways and related gene information from the MSigDB database.We also obtained RNA transcriptome data of ESCC patients using the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)databases.We collected clinical pathological characteristics and tissue samples of 97 ESCC patients in our hospital from 2013 to 2020.Gene set variation analysis(GSVA)was made to calculate KEGG signaling pathway score,radiotherapy resistance related signaling pathways were screened through random forest algorithm,key genes in the pathway were screened using DESeq2,and a radiotherapy efficacy prediction model was constructed based on support vector machine-recursive feature elimination(SVM-RFE).The results were validated through experiments such as Western blotting and clonogenic assay.Results Based on the KEGG signaling pathway and GSVA enrichment score,random forest analysis showed that in the TCGA and GSE45670 cohorts,the contribution of tryptophan metabolism pathway enrichment values to radiation resistance in ESCC was significantly better than that of the other pathways.DESeq2 analysis revealed that key molecules in the tryptophan metabolism pathway,namely,IDO1,ALDH1B1,AOC1,INMT,AFMID and ALDH7A1,were significantly differentially expressed in the resistant and sensitive groups of ESCC.Based on the SVM-RFE algorithm,the AUC was 0.77,which could accurately predict the radiotherapy efficacy of ESCC.Western blotting experiments showed that IDO1 was highly expressed in ESCC cells,and IDO1 inhibitor treatment significantly inhibited the survival ability and radiosensitivity of KYSE-410 cells.In the enrolled patients of our hospital,immunohistochemical studies showed that IDO1 was highly expressed in the radiotherapy resistant group of ESCC and was associated with poor radiotherapy prognosis in ESCC patients.In addition,further testing showed that the expression of IDO1 in patient samples from our hospital was positively correlated with its PD-L1 expression,but negatively correlated with the infiltration ratio of CD3/CD8 immune cells.Conclusion Tryptophan catabolism is associated with radiation resistance in ESCC,and the key enzyme IDO1 in tryptophan metabolism can be used as a therapeutic target for radiosensitization in ESCC.

Objective To explore the quantitative electroencephalography(qEEG)characteristics of the prefrontal cortex in patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI)during digital screening tasks for MCI screening.Methods A total of 592 MCI patients(MCI group)and 317 normal cognitively elderly individuals(control group)were recruited from 40 communities in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province,from July to August,2024.All participants were as-sessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Beijing Version(MoCA-BJ).Prefrontal EEG data were collected using a portable EEG device,and power spectral analysis was performed via Fast Fourier Transform.An XG-Boost algorithm was employed to construct an MCI identification model based on qEEG power features,and the model's performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Compared with the control group,prefrontal δ,α,and β band power increased during screening tasks in MCI group(P<0.05);δ power was negatively correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,and visuospatial/executive func-tion,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.269,-0.169,-0.133,-0.171,P<0.001);α power was negative-ly correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.113,-0.075,-0.091,P<0.05).The XGBoost model based on δ and α power was excellent in MCI identification,with an area under the curve of 0.91,accuracy of 0.81,precision of 0.89,F1 score of 0.84,recall of 0.80,and specificity of 0.81.Conclusion MCI patients exhibit increased power in the prefrontal δ and α frequency bands during digital screening tasks,which is associated with cognitive decline.An XGBoost model based on qEEG power features can enable early prediction of MCI.

Objective To explore the biological mechanism of radiation resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)and search for effective sensitization targets.Methods We retrieved 186 signaling pathways and related gene information from the MSigDB database.We also obtained RNA transcriptome data of ESCC patients using the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)databases.We collected clinical pathological characteristics and tissue samples of 97 ESCC patients in our hospital from 2013 to 2020.Gene set variation analysis(GSVA)was made to calculate KEGG signaling pathway score,radiotherapy resistance related signaling pathways were screened through random forest algorithm,key genes in the pathway were screened using DESeq2,and a radiotherapy efficacy prediction model was constructed based on support vector machine-recursive feature elimination(SVM-RFE).The results were validated through experiments such as Western blotting and clonogenic assay.Results Based on the KEGG signaling pathway and GSVA enrichment score,random forest analysis showed that in the TCGA and GSE45670 cohorts,the contribution of tryptophan metabolism pathway enrichment values to radiation resistance in ESCC was significantly better than that of the other pathways.DESeq2 analysis revealed that key molecules in the tryptophan metabolism pathway,namely,IDO1,ALDH1B1,AOC1,INMT,AFMID and ALDH7A1,were significantly differentially expressed in the resistant and sensitive groups of ESCC.Based on the SVM-RFE algorithm,the AUC was 0.77,which could accurately predict the radiotherapy efficacy of ESCC.Western blotting experiments showed that IDO1 was highly expressed in ESCC cells,and IDO1 inhibitor treatment significantly inhibited the survival ability and radiosensitivity of KYSE-410 cells.In the enrolled patients of our hospital,immunohistochemical studies showed that IDO1 was highly expressed in the radiotherapy resistant group of ESCC and was associated with poor radiotherapy prognosis in ESCC patients.In addition,further testing showed that the expression of IDO1 in patient samples from our hospital was positively correlated with its PD-L1 expression,but negatively correlated with the infiltration ratio of CD3/CD8 immune cells.Conclusion Tryptophan catabolism is associated with radiation resistance in ESCC,and the key enzyme IDO1 in tryptophan metabolism can be used as a therapeutic target for radiosensitization in ESCC.

Objective To explore the quantitative electroencephalography(qEEG)characteristics of the prefrontal cortex in patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI)during digital screening tasks for MCI screening.Methods A total of 592 MCI patients(MCI group)and 317 normal cognitively elderly individuals(control group)were recruited from 40 communities in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province,from July to August,2024.All participants were as-sessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Beijing Version(MoCA-BJ).Prefrontal EEG data were collected using a portable EEG device,and power spectral analysis was performed via Fast Fourier Transform.An XG-Boost algorithm was employed to construct an MCI identification model based on qEEG power features,and the model's performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Compared with the control group,prefrontal δ,α,and β band power increased during screening tasks in MCI group(P<0.05);δ power was negatively correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,and visuospatial/executive func-tion,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.269,-0.169,-0.133,-0.171,P<0.001);α power was negative-ly correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.113,-0.075,-0.091,P<0.05).The XGBoost model based on δ and α power was excellent in MCI identification,with an area under the curve of 0.91,accuracy of 0.81,precision of 0.89,F1 score of 0.84,recall of 0.80,and specificity of 0.81.Conclusion MCI patients exhibit increased power in the prefrontal δ and α frequency bands during digital screening tasks,which is associated with cognitive decline.An XGBoost model based on qEEG power features can enable early prediction of MCI.

Objective To systematically evaluate the experiences of drug self-management in elderly patients with multiple chronic illnesses,so as to provide references for the development of personalized drug self-management intervention programs.Methods Qualitative research on drug self-management experiences of elderly patients with multiple chronic diseases was retrieved from PubMed,Cochrane Library,Embase,CINAHL,Web of Science,Scopus,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP and SinoMed.The retrieval time limit is from the establishment of the databases to November 2023.The qualitative research quality evaluation criteria of the Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-based Health Care Center in Australia was used to evaluate quality of studies.The results were integrated by meta-integration method.Results A total of 9 studies were included,and 33 research results were extracted,and 4 integrated results and 12 categories were synthesized.The integration results included the objective dilemmas and challenges of drug self-management,the low level of drug literacy,willingness to engage in positive behavior attempts,need of multi-party assistance.Conclusion The objective dilemmas of drug self-management and low level of drug literacy in elderly patients with multimorbidity will seriously affect their health outcomes.Medical staffs should pay attention to the different experiences of patients in the process of drug self-management,identify the needs of patients,formulate targeted intervention support strategies,and improve the level of drug self-management in elderly patients.

Objective:To explore the real experience and needs of successful aging among urban elderly people who participated in intergenerational raising.Methods:This study was a qualitative study. From February to April 2023, purposive sampling was used to select 10 elderly individuals from Fanjingjiayuan Community in Changqing District, Jinan City who participated in intergenerational raising as the research subject. Semi-structured interviews and face-to-face nonverbal behavior observation methods were used to collect data, while Colaizzi's 7-step analysis method was used to summarize, analyze the data and extract themes.Results:A total of three themes and 10 sub-themes were extracted, namely positive psychological feelings (self-realization, obtaining emotional support, health benefits), negative psychological feelings (intergenerational raising pressure, decreased life satisfaction, mental stress, physical and mental exhaustion), and the need to promote successful aging (family support, community support, policy support) .Conclusions:Urban elderly people who participate in intergenerational raising have both negative and positive psychological experiences. Families and society should pay attention to the psychological feelings of participating in intergenerational raising of elderly people in urban communities, so as to promote successful aging of the elderly people.

Objective To investigate the short-term efficacy of dapagliflozin in the treatment of non-diabetic patients with severe aortic stenosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR).Methods A total of 84 non-diabetic patients with severe aortic stenosis after TAVR who were admitted to Zhengzhou Cardiovascular Hospital from March 2019 to September 2022 were selected as research subjects.According to the postoperative treatment,the patients were divided into control group and observation group,with 42 patients in each group.Patients in both groups underwent TAVR.The patients in the control group were given routine treatments such as antiplatelet drugs,cardiac remodeling improvement drugs,and diuretics after TAVR;patients in the observation group were given dapagliflozin 10 mg daily for 6 months in addition to treatment in the control group.The left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),aortic valve peak gradient(AVPG)and aortic valve peak velocity(AVPV)of patients in the two groups were measured by using an ultrasound diagnostic instrument before surgery,3 days and 6 months after TAVR;before surgery and 6 months after the TAVR,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)in serum of patients in the two groups was detected by direct measurement method,lipoprotein a[Lp(a)]level in serum was detected by latex agglutination reaction method,hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)level in serum was detected by rate scattering turbidimetry;the levels of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β)in serum were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;the glycated hemoglobin level of patients in the two groups was measured by ion exchange chromatography.Results There was no statistically significant difference in LVEF,LVESD and LVEDD of patients in the two groups before and 3 days after surgery(P＞0.05);after 3 days of surgery,the AVPG and AVPV of patients in the two groups were significantly lower than those before surgery(P＜0.05).Six months after surgery,the LVEF of patients in the two groups was significantly higher than that before and 3 days after surgery,while LVESD,LVEDD,AVPG and AVPV were significantly lower than those before and 3 days after surgery(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in LVEF,LVESD,LVEDD,AVPG and AVPV between the control group and the observation group before and 3 days after surgery(P＞0.05).After 6 months of surgery,the LVEF of patients in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group,while LVESD and LVEDD were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05);there was no statistically significant difference in AVPG and AVPV of patients between the observation group and control group(P＞0.05).Before surgery,there was no statistically significant difference in body mass index(BMI),LDL-C and Lp(a)of patients between the two groups(P＞0.05).Six months after surgery,the BMI,LDL-C and Lp(a)of patients in the two groups were significantly lower than those before surgery,and the BMI,LDL-C and Lp(a)of patients in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).Before surgery,there was no statistically significant difference in the hs-CRP,NT-proBNP,IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1 β of patients between the two groups(P＞0.05);six months after surgery,the hs-CRP,NT-proBNP,IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1 β of patients in the two groups were significantly lower than those before surgery,and the hs-CRP,NT-proBNP,IL-6,TNF-α and IL-lβ of patients in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in glycated hemoglobin of patients between the two groups before and six months after surgery(P＞0.05),and no statistically significant difference in glycated hemoglobin of patients in the two groups six months after surgery compared with that before surgery(P＞0.05).Conclusion Dapagliflozin can effectively improve cardiac structural remodeling,regulate lipid metabolism,reduce the expression of inflammatory factors and promote the recovery of heart function in non-diabetic patients with severe aortic stenosis after TAVR.

Objective To gain an in-depth understanding of the real experiences,feelings and needs of fathers of premature infants in NICU regarding hospital discharge preparation,and to provide a basis for medical institutions on the development of personalized health education plans and continuous nursing care plans for discharged premature infants.Methods By the purposive sampling method,15 fathers of premature infants in NICU of a tertiary obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Zhejiang Province from April 2022 to July 2022 on the day of discharge and 6 weeks after discharge were selected for semi-structured interviews,and the interview data were analyzed using the Colazzi's phenomenological 7-step analysis.Results The experiences and needs of NICU premature fathers in discharge preparation are divided into 4 themes.1.The father's problems coexist with the growth of premature infants,such as expecting to see premature infants on the day of discharge and having confidence in discharge care,experiencing various negative emotions after discharge,and increasing empathy and sense of responsibility after discharge.2.Inadequate ability to care for oneself,including a lack of access to professional care knowledge,a need to improve nursing skills,and an overreliance on premature mothers.3.Social role conflict in the family.4.Longing for assistance,including professional medical advice and more family support.Conclusion Fathers of premature infants in the NICU coexist with negative emotions and growth experiences as they prepare for discharge,with various needs such as reducing role conflict,enhancing independent care ability,and obtaining psychological and multi-party support.To improve their discharge preparation level,nursing staff should develop a personalized health education plan as well as a continuous nursing plan.

In clinical application, a microneedle system that continuously delivers drugs is of great value for the delivery of some vaccines and hormone drugs. In this study, a controlled-release chitosan-based microneedle array (PVA/CS-MN) was designed, combining microneedle patches with drugs for controlled-release of drugs. Here we report the optimization of the preparation process of PVA/CS-MN. The appearance, morphology, mechanical properties, dissolution and swelling properties, and in vitro penetration properties of the MN arrays were characterized. The PVA/CS-MN prepared by the optimal process showed good morphology and mechanical properties. PVA/CS-MN can smoothly open microchannels on the skin and achieve controllable dissolution and swelling functions. Ascorbic acid (l-ascorbic acid) was used as a model drug to prepare a Vc-PVA/CS-MN. In vitro transdermal diffusion experiments showed that the Vc-PVA/CS-MN released about 57% of the drug within 1 h. About 66.7% of the drug was slowly released within 12 h, and a total of 92% of the drug was released after 7 days. The controllable sustained-release properties and excellent drug delivery efficiency of PVA/CS-MN provide a new option for sustained transdermal drug delivery.
Ascorbic Acid ; Chitosan ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Hormones ; Vaccines

Objective:To study the inter-fraction setup errors, intra-fraction movement of patients and its influence on dosimetry, position repeatability of the supraclavicular area, and the plastic stability of the vacuum cushion and styrofoam when one of the three fixation method are applied in the clinical radiotherapy of breast cancer. The three fixation method include acuum negative pressure pad (VP), acuum negative pressure pad combined with a breast bracket (VB), and polyurethane styrofoam combined with a breast bracket (PB).Methods:A total of 96 breast cancer patients who received radiotherapy at Jiangsu Cancer Hospital during 2019-2021 were collected prospectively for study. They were randomly divided into three groups (VP, VB, and PB). Cone-Beam CT and a planning system were used to obtain inter-fraction setup errors, intra-fraction movement of patients and its influence on dosimetry, position repeatability of supraclavicular area, and the plastic stability of vacuum pad and polyurethane tyrofoam.Results:In the left-right (LR) direction, there were no statistical differences in the inter-fraction setup errors among the three groups. In the superior-inferior (SI) direction, inter-fraction setup errors of the PB group were smaller than those of the VB group (3.02 ± 2.04, 3.65 ± 2.64, t=2.35, P=0.031). In the anterior-posterior (AP) direction, the inter-fraction setup errors of both the VB and PB groups were smaller than those of the VP group (3.36 ± 2.93, 3.14 ± 0.98, 4.03 ± 2.55, t=2.29, 3.11, P< 0.05). In the AP direction, the intra-fraction movement of patients of the VP and PB groups were less than that of the VB group (1.31 ± 0.95, 1.24 ± 0.89, 1.88 ± 1.33, t=-2.04, -2.31, P< 0.05). Moreover, the intra-fraction movement of patients had no statistical effect on the dosimetric distribution ( P> 0.05), and the breast bracket did not improve the position repeatability of the supraclavicular region ( P>0.05). In addition, the plastic stability of polyurethane styrofoam was significantly better than that of the acuum negative pressure pad ( t=2.43-5.63, P< 0.05). Conclusions:The inter-fraction setup errors and intra-fraction movement of patients with breast cancer can be reduced by using PB. Compared to an acuum negative pressure pad, polyurethane styrofoam can keep plastic stability throughout the treatment of the patients.