Objective To verify the safety and effectiveness of a new percutaneous controllable curved plasma radiofrequency instrument for nucleus pulposus ablation. Methods A new percutaneous controllable curved plasma radiofrequency instrument were designed (controllable curved group), and its ablation effect was compared with the currently used straight head non-bendable plasma ablation instrument (non-bendable group) on gross specimens. The ablation instrument was placed through the right intervertebral foramen, and continuous ablation on the same intervertebral disc was conducted for three times. The ablation range and trajectory were recorded, and the temperature changes in the front, back, left, and right of the ablation center during and 15 seconds after ablation were monitored by the inserted temperature probe. Results There were no difference in temperature changes in the front, back, right regions of the ablation center during and 15 seconds after ablation between the two groups. The temperature changes in the left region of the ablation center both during and 15 seconds after 3rd ablation were larger than those in the non-bendable group (P＜0.01). Compared with the non-bendable group, the controllable curved group achieved angle control and larger single ablation area (2.282 5 mm² vs 1.135 8 mm², P＜0.000 1). Conclusions This new percutaneous controllable curved plasma ablation instrument can achieve angle control and ablation on the side opposite to the puncture site, increase ablation volume, and is safe.

This study was aimed at developing an in vitro fluorescent substrate assay for the activity of leucyl aminopeptid-ase(LAP)from Echinococcus multilocularis and comparing it with the chemical chromogenic substrate enzyme activity assay.Through the establishment of reaction conditions for the fluorescent substrate-based in vitro enzyme activity assay,we com-pared the differences between the fluorescent substrate L-Leucine-7-amido-4-methylocoumarin(Leu-AMC)and the chemical chromogenic substrate L-Leucine-4-nitroanilide(Leu-pNA)through molecular docking,inhibition rates,and precision measures.Molecular docking revealed that the fluorescent substrate Leu-AMC had higher affinity for the protein than the chemical chromogenic substrate Leu-pNA.Through analysis of the effects of varying reaction conditions on fluorescence intensi-ty,we optimized the fluorescent substrate enzyme activity assay to demonstrate favorable performance at a reaction temperature of 37℃,a pH of 9.0,a protein concentration of 800 nmol/L,and a reaction duration of 60 minutes.Leu-AMC exhibited significant and distinct responses at a 5 μmol/L substrate concentration,under varying substrate conditions.The fluo-rescent substrate assay demonstrated more significant intergroup differences than the chemical chromogenic substrate assay when various inhibitors were added.This study established a fluorescence-based enzyme activity assay for leucyl aminopeptidase from Echinococcus multilocularis by using Leu-AMC as the substrate;this method demonstrated a more significant intergroup difference and sensitivity than the chemical chromogenic substrate assay.

Objective To compare of the efficacy of two distinct debridement techniques in membrane induction therapy for chronic tibial osteomyelitis.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 52 patients with Cierny-Mader type IV A/B chronic tibial osteomyelitis who were treated at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University between July 2016 and December 2023.Five patients were diagnosed and treated before 2020,while 47 were managed from 2020 onward.Patients were divided into two groups:a local debridement group(n=28)and an en bloc osteotomy group(n=24).Perioperative outcomes—including operative time,incision length,intraoperative blood loss,and length of hospital stay—were assessed,along with clinical efficacy at 6 months,12 months,and final follow-up.Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery(HSS)knee score,the American Orthopaedic Foot&Ankle Society(AOFAS)ankle-hindfoot score,joint range of motion(knee flexion-extension and ankle plantarflexion-dorsiflexion),recurrence rate,and the Paley classification for infectious bone defects.Results The local debridement group exhibited significantly less intraoperative blood loss(P<0.05),shorter operative time(P<0.05),and reduced hospital stay(P<0.05),as well as higher AOFAS and HSS scores at both 6 and 12 months postoperatively(P<0.05).In contrast,the osteotomy group demonstrated superior Paley classification outcomes at 6 months,12 months,and final follow-up(P<0.05),along with lower rates of infection recurrence.Longitudinal analysis indicated significant improvements in AOFAS scores,HSS scores,and joint mobility over time in both groups(P<0.05).However,no statistically significant differences were observed between groups in terms of functional scores or joint mobility parameters at final follow-up(P>0.05).Conclusion En bloc osteotomy combined with the induced membrane technique(Masquelet technique)enables more comprehensive debridement,minimizes the necessity for repeated surgical interventions,reduces postoperative complications,lowers the risk of recurrence,and promotes enhanced bone healing.

Purpose To provide technical support for the use of echo-planar imaging(EPI)in the diagnosis of brain diseases,the image quality and diagnostic effect of single-shot echo-planar imaging(ssEPI)diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)and multi-shot echo-planar imaging(msEPI)DWI sequences in the detection of brain diseases at 5.0T MR are analyzed.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 42 patients with intracranial diseases who underwent T2-FLAIR,ssEPI DWI and msEPI DWI scans on a 5.0T MR system in the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC from August to September 2023.Two radiologists independently assessed image quality,measured distortion displacement,and compared signal-to-noise ratio,lesion-to-normal tissue contrast,contrast-to-noise ratio and apparent diffusion coefficient.Results msEPI sequence demonstrated significantly superior subjective scores,including geometric distortion,susceptibility artifacts,edge sharpness and overall image quality compared with those of ssEPI sequence(Z=5.728,4.197,5.766,5.777,all P<0.001).Quantitative analysis revealed substantial reduction in distortion displacement in msEPI sequence,including frontal lobe[(5.91±1.41)mm vs.(15.63±2.21)mm,t=34.050,P<0.001],anterior temporal lobe[(4.17±0.78)mm vs.(7.18±1.87)mm,t=12.263,P<0.001],posterior temporal lobe[(4.76±1.36)mm vs.(8.38±2.01)mm,t=21.336,P<0.001],cerebral diameter[(4.37±1.65)mm vs.(12.74±2.84)mm,t=23.255,P<0.001]and brainstem diameter[(0.80±0.63)mm vs.(1.98±1.63)mm,t=7.092,P<0.001],compared with ssEPI sequence.However,no statistically significant differences were observed in signal-to-noise ratio or contrast-to-noise ratio between the two sequences(P=0.848,0.638).Notably,msEPI sequences exhibited significantly enhanced lesion-normal tissue contrast compared with ssEPI sequences[221(131,311)vs.150(90,240),Z=3.89,P<0.001].Conclusion At 5.0T MRI,msEPI demonstrated superior image quality and diagnostic performance for craniocerebral diseases compared to ssEPI DWI sequences.

Objective To explore the imaging data and pathological factors affecting the postoperative recurrence of solitary fibrous tumor(SFT)of the central nervous system.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 40 patients with SFT confirmed by pathology.All patients were divided into recurrence group(n=12)and non-recurrence group(n=28)based on the follow-up results.Univariate analysis and Cox proportional hazards model were used to screen the risk factors of recurrence,and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the recurrence-free survival(RFS)among different groups.Results Univariate analysis showed that the Ki-67 index in the recurrence group was significantly higher than that in the non-recurrence group(median 38.5%vs 10.0%,P<0.001),and the proportion of WHO grade 3 was higher than that in the non-recurrence group(66.67%vs 7.14%,P<0.001).MRI features were significantly associated with recurrence,including the maximum diameter of the tumor[(6.63±1.10)cm vs(4.16±1.64)cm,P<0.001],peritumoral edema(91.67%vs 28.57%,P<0.001),and midline structure shift(83.33%vs 17.86%,P<0.001).Multivariate analysis suggested that the risk of recurrence increased by 122%for each 1 cm increase in the maximum diameter of the tumor[hazard ratio(HR)=2.22,95%confidence interval(CI)1.33-3.72],and by 27%for each 1%increase in the Ki-67 index(HR=1.27,95%CI 1.02-1.61),respectively.Conclusion MRI features such as maximum diameter of the tumor,significant peritumoral edema,and midline structure shift should be alert to high recurrence risk,and with pathological grading and Ki-67 index,it can provide significant basis for prognosis evaluation.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy(GFAP-A),in order to improve the understanding of the disease among clinical physicians.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations,imaging examination,laboratory examination of a patient with GFAP-A who was admitted to the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province and diagnosed on May 11,2023.Results:A female patient with GFAP-A,aged 67 years,presented with meningoencephalomyelitis.The head MRI showed abnormalities,with extensive lesions in the bilateral basal ganglia,pons,and lateral paraventricular white matter areas,and enhancement of the lateral ventricular ependyma and pia mater.Long segment spinal cord abnormal signals were observed,and cerebrospinal fluid anti GFAP antibodies were positive.After hormone treatment,the prognosis was good,and there was no recurrence during follow-up.Conclusion:The main clinical manifestations of GFAP-A are acute or subacute onset meningitis and/or encephalitis,myelitis and meningitis.Detection of autoimmune antibodies in ce-rebrospinal fluid can provide a clear diagnosis,and timely treatment can improve prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the possible mechanisms underlying the involvement of the gut microbiota metabolite trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) in the pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) .Methods:From June 2023 to June 2024, 67 CSU patients were enrolled from the Dermatology and Cosmetic Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, and 69 age-matched healthy controls were also collected at the same time. Serum TMAO levels in both groups were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) , and D-dimer levels were collected from the CSU patients. A degranulation model was established in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells using anti-DNP IgE/DNP-BSA (IgE/Ag group) ; these cells were additionally grouped to be treated with different concentrations of TMAO (IgE/Ag+10 μmol/L TMAO group, IgE/Ag + 50 μmol/L TMAO group, IgE/Ag + 100 μmol/L TMAO group) ; untreated RBL-2H3 cells served as a blank control group. To investigate the effect of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation inhibitor U0126 on the action of TMAO, RBL-2H3 cells were divided into another 5 groups: blank group, IgE/Ag group, IgE/Ag + 1 μmol/L U0126 group, IgE/Ag + 100 μmol/L TMAO group, and IgE/Ag + 100 μmol/L TMAO + 1 μmol/L U0126 group. In vivo, a localized allergic reaction model was established in the ears of C57BL/6 mice using anti-DNP IgE/DNP-BSA (IgE/Ag group) , and additional groups included blank group, IgE group, IgE/Ag + solvent (DMSO) group, and IgE/Ag + 10 μg/μl TMAO group. ELISA was performed to detect levels of inflammatory mediators in cell culture supernatants and mouse serum. Toluidine blue staining was employed to observe mast cell degranulation in the cell experiment and mouse ear tissue samples, Evans blue staining to assess vascular permeability in mouse ear tissue samples, and Western blot analysis to detect the ERK phosphorylation levels. The t test was used for comparisons between two groups, and one-way analysis of variance for multiple comparisons. Results:Serum TMAO levels were significantly higher in the 67 CSU patients than in the 69 healthy controls ( t = 13.27, P < 0.001) . Among the 32 CSU patients with available data about D-dimer, serum TMAO levels were positively correlated with D-dimer levels ( r = 0.62, P < 0.001) . In RBL-2H3 cell experiments, degranulation rates were significantly higher in the IgE/Ag + 10, 50, and 100 μmol/L TMAO groups than in the IgE/Ag group; morphologically, RBL-2H3 cells treated with 10, 50, and 100 μmol/L TMAO became increasingly rounded; 50 and 100 μmol/L TMAO significantly promoted the production of β-hexosaminidase (β-Hex) , interleukin-6 (IL-6) , and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (all P < 0.01) , and upregulated ERK phosphorylation levels ( P < 0.01) ; the levels of ERK phosphorylation, IL-6, TNF-α, and β-Hex were significantly lower in the IgE/Ag + U0126 group than in the IgE/Ag group, as well as lower in the IgE/Ag + TMAO + U0126 group than in the IgE/Ag + TMAO group (all P < 0.001) . In the mouse model of localized allergic reaction, the IgE/Ag + TMAO group showed increased vascular permeability, edema degree, and mast cell degranulation, as well as significantly elevated ERK phosphorylation levels and TNF-α expression in mouse ear tissues compared with the IgE/Ag + DMSO group (both P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Elevated serum TMAO may participate in the pathogenesis of CSU by upregulating ERK phosphorylation levels in mast cells and skin tissues, thereby promoting IgE/Ag-mediated degranulation of effector cells and production of inflammatory mediators.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of baricitinib combined with ruxolitinib cream in the treatment of progressive nonsegmental vitiligo.Methods:Clinical data were retrospectively collected from patients with progressive nonsegmental vitiligo in Boao Super Hospital. All the patients were treated with oral baricitinib daily (2 mg/day for patients weighing ≤ 50 kg; 4 mg/day for those > 50 kg) in combination with topical application of ruxolitinib cream twice daily for 24 consecutive weeks. Disease severity was assessed using the facial vitiligo area scoring index (F-VASI) and total body VASI (T-VASI) at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Adverse reactions were monitored throughout the treatment course.Results:Six patients with progressive nonsegmental vitiligo were collected, including 3 males and 3 females, aged 26 - 42 years, with the disease duration ranging from 0.5 to 25 years. At week 12, 3 patients achieved a 50% ~ < 75% improvement in facial vitiligo lesions (F-VASI 50), 1 patient achieved F-VASI 75 (75% ~ < 90% improvement), and 1 patient achieved T-VASI 50; at week 24, 4 patients achieved F-VASI 50, 1 patient achieved F-VASI 75, 1 patient achieved F-VASI 90 (≥ 90% improvement), and 3 patients achieved T-VASI 50. During the treatment, upper respiratory infection occurred in 1 patient, acne in 1 patient, pruritus in 2 patients, elevation of total cholesterol levels in 2 patients, and increase of high-density lipoprotein levels in 2 patients. No severe adverse events were observed during the treatment.Conclusion:The combination therapy with baricitinib and ruxolitinib cream may have potential efficacy and safety in the treatment of progressive nonsegmental vitiligo.

A 53-year-old female patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus,hypertension,and hyperlipidemia,on long-term therapy with metformin,gliclazide,dapagliflozin,sacubitril/valsartan,lercanidipine,and atorvastatin,was initiated on semaglutide due to obesity and suboptimal glycemic control.Patient using semaglutide 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg without adverse effects,and developed gastric discomfort after adjusting dose to 0.75 mg.She remained on this dose for 7 weeks.Upon further dose escalation to 1 mg,she experienced persistent nausea,vomiting,and diarrhea.Fifteen days later,she was admitted to the hospital with impaired consciousness.Laboratory findings revealed blood urea nitrogen of 35.4 mmol·L-1 and serum creatinine of 825 μmol·L-1.The patient was diagnosed with acute kidney injury(AKI),which was considered related to semaglutide,metformin,dapagliflozin,and sacubitril/valsartan.All medications were discontinued.Following symptomatic treatment including fluid resuscitation,volume expansion,and hemodialysis,the patient's renal function gradually recovered.The association between AKI and semaglutide,metformin,dapagliflozin,and sacubitril/valsartan was evaluated using the Naranjo's Assesment Scale,the results were all"probable".This case highlighted that clinical use of semaglutide requires careful consideration of concomitant medications and vigilance for renal impairment.In the event of AKI,prompt assessment,discontinuation of medications with potential renal impairment and symptomatic management were necessary to ensure safe medication administration.

Objective:To explore the research hotspots and developmental trends in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the health management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) .Methods:Literature related to the application of AI in COPD health management published between 1999 and 2024 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Visualization analyses were performed using Scimago Graphica, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace software. National geographic maps, author and institutional collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence graph, keyword clustering views, and burst detection analysis were constructed to identify research hotspots and trends in this field.Results:A total of 192 publications were included, with an overall increasing trend in annual publication volume. The United States ranked first in publication count. Collaboration among authors and research teams was relatively dispersed. Current research hotspots focus on COPD risk assessment and prediction, health promotion interventions for COPD patients, and improving diagnostic accuracy. Future research trends are expected to emphasize the broader application of AI algorithms, the development of predictive models to improve forecasting performance, integration of diverse technical approaches for differential diagnosis, and enhancement of patient adherence.Conclusions:The application of AI in COPD health management is expanding, yet international and inter-author collaboration remains insufficient. There is a need to broaden and deepen research in this field. Future work may focus more on optimizing and applying algorithmic technologies and improving system construction to enhance patient adherence.