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 assess the quality of gross α and β radioactivity measurements conducted by radiological health service institutions and disease prevention and control centers in Gansu Province, China, and regulate their measurement methods. Methods The samples were distributed by Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention as the organizer of the inter-comparison through mail. The institutions participated in the inter-comparison carried out the measurements in accordance with national standards, and submitted the inter-comparison reports in the form required by the inter-comparison scheme. Results A total of 13 institutions participated in the 2023 inter-comparison of gross α and β radioactivity measurement capabilities, and all measurement results met the required standards. The absolute Z-scores for gross α inter-comparison ranged from 0 to 1.21, and the absolute Z-scores for gross β inter-comparison ranged from 0.08 to 1.85. The comprehensive scores ranged from 74.5 to 93.0. Conclusion The measurement capacities of the institutions participated in the 2023 inter-comparison showed improvement compared with the previous year. However, 12 institutions participated in the inter-comparison showed issues in data processing, report formatting, and laboratory quality control. It is necessary to strengthen technical training, standardize the measurement procedures, and improve the measurement capabilities and skills to ensure the quality of services.

In recent years, the widespread application of chest computed tomography (CT) screening has led to a significant increase in the detection rate of pulmonary nodules. As a critical diagnostic tool for early-stage lung cancer, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has emerged as the preferred therapeutic approach for pulmonary nodules. Clinical evidence demonstrates that precise preoperative localization significantly enhances surgical success rates (reducing conversion to thoracotomy), minimizes complications, and shortens operation time. This comprehensive review systematically evaluates six cutting-edge localization techniques: percutaneous puncture-assisted localization, electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) localization, 3D-printed auxiliary localization, basin-analysis-based localization, robotic navigation system localization, and mixed reality (MR)-guided localization. By critically analyzing their operational principles, efficacy, safety profiles, and clinical applicability, this paper aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for optimizing clinical decision-making in pulmonary nodule management.
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Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging* ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted/methods* ; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective:To study the regional distribution, temporal trend, and health inequity of burn incidence in the world from 1990 to 2019.Methods:The data related to burns worldwide from 1990 to 2019 were collected from the database of Global Burden of Disease (GBD). Based on the number of burn cases and age-standardized incidence rates, the incidence of burn was observed by age, region, socio-demographic index (SDI) area (divided into 5 categories of SDI areas: high, medium-high, medium, medium-low and low, the higher the area, the higher the degree of social development) and country, all of which were expressed as estimated values. Joinpoint regression analysis of the age-standardized incidence of burns from 1990 to 2019 was performed using Joinpoint 4.8.0.1 software to observe the average annual percentage change (AAPC). Rstudio software was used to analyze the Spearman correlation between the age-standardized incidence of burns and SDI from 1990 to 2019. The global inequities of burn incidence were evaluated using the slope index and concentration index from the health equity assessment toolkit, where the slope index reflected the absolute difference in burn incidence between countries with the lowest and highest SDI, and the concentration index indicated the degree to which burn incidence was concentrated in countries with low or high SDI.Results:From 1990 to 2019, the number of global burncases increased from 8 378 121.71 to 8 955 227.68, with an increase of 6.89%. However, the age-standardized incidence rate of burns showed an overall downward trend, from 149.86/100 000 in 1990 to 117.51/100 000 in 2019, with an AAPC of -0.80%. The incidence of burns in the population aged 10-19 years ranked the first in all age groups during the 30 years. Among the six regions of the world, the number of burn cases and the age-standardized incidence rate of burn in the Americas were the highest in 2019, but these two indexes were lower than those in 1999. In 2019, the number of burn patients in medium SDI areas was the highest, and the number of burn patients in low SDI areas was the lowest. The age-standardized incidence of burns was the highest in high SDI areas, and the lowest in medium-low SDI areas. From 1990 to 2019, the number of patients in high and medium-high SDI areas decreased, and the number of patients in other SDI areas increased. Compared with 1990, the age-standardized incidence rates of burns decreased in all SDI regions in 2019, with the greatest decline seen in high SDI and medium-high SDI regions. Cuba had the highest standardized incidence of burns, while Pakistan had the lowest. Spearman correlation analysis showed that from 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized incidence rates of burns in 204 countries and regions were positively correlated with SDI (all P<0.05), and the correlation coefficient decreased from 0.49 in 1990 to 0.37 in 2019. The health inequality slope index decreased from 212.90/100 000 in 1990 to 59.12/100 000 in 2019, and the concentration index decreased from 21.77% in 1990 to 8.38% in 2019. Conclusion:From 1990 to 2019, the global burn incidence rates are disproportionately concentrated in countries and regions with better development status. A significant reduction in the global burn incidence has been accompanied by a significant reduction in these inequities.

Objective To investigate the effects of different extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)bypass modes on the prognosis of patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema(CPFE)during lung transplantation.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 44 CPFE patients who underwent lung transplantation,and they were divided into the venous-venous ECMO(VV-ECMO)group(30 cases)and the venous-arterial ECMO(VA-ECMO)group(14 cases).The preoperative,intraoperative,postoperative and follow-up related indicators of two groups were compared.Results Compared with the VV-ECMO group,the patients in the VA-ECMO group were younger,had higher pulmonary artery pressure before surgery,fewer posterolateral incision types,longer operation times,and higher incidence of postoperative bronchopleural fistula(all P<0.05).The pulmonary artery pressure decreased after surgery in both groups,with a greater decrease in the VA-ECMO group(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative survival rates between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusions Both VA-ECMO and VV-ECMO are safe and effective in lung transplant patients with CPFE.The bypass mode has no significant impact on the short and medium-term prognosis of the patients.VA-ECMO is more suitable for patients with higher preoperative pulmonary artery pressure.

Objective:To study the regional distribution, temporal trend, and health inequity of burn incidence in the world from 1990 to 2019.Methods:The data related to burns worldwide from 1990 to 2019 were collected from the database of Global Burden of Disease (GBD). Based on the number of burn cases and age-standardized incidence rates, the incidence of burn was observed by age, region, socio-demographic index (SDI) area (divided into 5 categories of SDI areas: high, medium-high, medium, medium-low and low, the higher the area, the higher the degree of social development) and country, all of which were expressed as estimated values. Joinpoint regression analysis of the age-standardized incidence of burns from 1990 to 2019 was performed using Joinpoint 4.8.0.1 software to observe the average annual percentage change (AAPC). Rstudio software was used to analyze the Spearman correlation between the age-standardized incidence of burns and SDI from 1990 to 2019. The global inequities of burn incidence were evaluated using the slope index and concentration index from the health equity assessment toolkit, where the slope index reflected the absolute difference in burn incidence between countries with the lowest and highest SDI, and the concentration index indicated the degree to which burn incidence was concentrated in countries with low or high SDI.Results:From 1990 to 2019, the number of global burncases increased from 8 378 121.71 to 8 955 227.68, with an increase of 6.89%. However, the age-standardized incidence rate of burns showed an overall downward trend, from 149.86/100 000 in 1990 to 117.51/100 000 in 2019, with an AAPC of -0.80%. The incidence of burns in the population aged 10-19 years ranked the first in all age groups during the 30 years. Among the six regions of the world, the number of burn cases and the age-standardized incidence rate of burn in the Americas were the highest in 2019, but these two indexes were lower than those in 1999. In 2019, the number of burn patients in medium SDI areas was the highest, and the number of burn patients in low SDI areas was the lowest. The age-standardized incidence of burns was the highest in high SDI areas, and the lowest in medium-low SDI areas. From 1990 to 2019, the number of patients in high and medium-high SDI areas decreased, and the number of patients in other SDI areas increased. Compared with 1990, the age-standardized incidence rates of burns decreased in all SDI regions in 2019, with the greatest decline seen in high SDI and medium-high SDI regions. Cuba had the highest standardized incidence of burns, while Pakistan had the lowest. Spearman correlation analysis showed that from 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized incidence rates of burns in 204 countries and regions were positively correlated with SDI (all P<0.05), and the correlation coefficient decreased from 0.49 in 1990 to 0.37 in 2019. The health inequality slope index decreased from 212.90/100 000 in 1990 to 59.12/100 000 in 2019, and the concentration index decreased from 21.77% in 1990 to 8.38% in 2019. Conclusion:From 1990 to 2019, the global burn incidence rates are disproportionately concentrated in countries and regions with better development status. A significant reduction in the global burn incidence has been accompanied by a significant reduction in these inequities.

Due to the non-targeted release and low solubility of anti-gastric cancer agent,apatinib(Apa),a first-line drug with long-term usage in a high dosage often induces multi-drug resistance and causes serious side effects.In order to avoid these drawbacks,lipid-film-coated Prussian blue nanoparticles(PB NPs)with hyaluronan(HA)modification was used for Apa loading to improve its solubility and targeting ability.Furthermore,anti-tumor compound of gamabufotalin(CS-6)was selected as a partner of Apa with reducing dosage for combinational gastric therapy.Thus,HA-Apa-Lip@PB-CS-6 NPs were constructed to synchro-nously transport the two drugs into tumor tissue.In vitro assay indicated that HA-Apa-Lip@PB-CS-6 NPs can synergistically inhibit proliferation and invasion/metastasis of BGC-823 cells via downregulating vascular endothelial growth factor receptor(VEGFR)and matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9).In vivo assay demonstrated strongest anti-tumor growth and liver metastasis of HA-Apa-Lip@PB-CS-6 NPs adminis-tration in BGC-823 cells-bearing mice compared with other groups due to the excellent penetration in tumor tissues and outstanding synergistic effects.In summary,we have successfully developed a new nanocomplexes for synchronous Apa/CS-6 delivery and synergistic gastric cancer(GC)therapy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of transforming growth factor-beta 1(TGF-β1)and bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2)in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP).METHODS A cohort of 44 CRSwNP patients and 32 control subjects was included in the study.The expression levels of TGF-β1 and BMP-2 proteins in the peripheral blood and nasal polyp tissues of CRSwNP patients were measured.The correlations with Lund-Mackay scores and global osteitis scoring scale(GOSS)scores were analyzed.RESULTS Compared to the control group,the peripheral blood level of TGF-β1 protein in CRSwNP patients was significantly reduced(t=2.650,P=0.009),while the expression difference of BMP-2 was not statistically significant.In the nasal polyp tissues,both TGF-β1(t=13.180,P<0.001)and BMP-2(t=8.699,P<0.001)protein expressions were decreased.TGF-β1 was most abundantly expressed in the glandular epithelium of the polyps,whereas BMP-2 showed higher expression in the mucosal epithelium.CONCLUSION The expression of TGF-β1 is downregulated in CRSwNP patients;an increase in BMP-2 may assist in the identification of refractory CRSwNP cases.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to use modified articular disc anchorage in treating old irreducible temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement with perforation and rupture, as well as to explore its efficacy. METHODS: A total of 31 patients (34 sides) with 47 TMJ disc perforations who underwent surgical treatment in the Affiliated Stomatolo-gical Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2018 to December 2021 were selected. According to the location of disc perforation, it has five types: posterior disc perforation (typeⅠ), anterior disc perforation (typeⅡ), lateral disc perforation (type Ⅲ), composite disc perforation, and destruction disc perforation. The modified methods of disc anchoring were divided into two types according to the location of the perforation. TypesⅠandⅢ disc perforation were trea-ted by posterior anchoring method. For posterior ancho-ring, a screw was implanted into the posterolateral side of the condylar neck, and the disc was fixed on the screw by horizontal mattress suture. TypeⅡdisc perforation and compo-site disc perforation combined typeⅡperforation were treated by anterior and posterior double-anchoring method. For anterior anchoring, anchor screws or holes were placed at the anterior edge of the condylar neck, and horizontal mattress suture was performed at the posterior edge of the anterior perforation with an anchor wire. The articular disc was then fixed on the anchor screws or holes. For the posterior anchoring method, it was the same as the previous one. Paired t test was used to analyze the visual analog scale (VAS), maximum interincisal opening (MIO), and TMJ disorder index (CMI) of the patient before surgery and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Disk-condyle position relationship by magnetic resonance imaging and postoperative quality of life in postoperative were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of perforation was 41.2% (14/34) in typeⅠ, 11.8% (4/34) in typeⅡ, 8.8% (3/34) in typeⅢ, 29.4% (10/34) in composite type, and 8.8% (3/34) in destruction type. The VAS, MIO, and CMI at 3, 6 months after operation significantly improved compared with those before operation (P<0.05). The effective reduction rate of disc was 96.77% (30/31). The quality of life at 6 months after surgery was 47.22±2.13, and the rate of excellent evaluation was 96.4% (27/28). CONCLUSIONS Modified articular disc anchorage achieves a good curative effect for treating temporomandibular joint disc perforation and rupture. Nevertheless, its long-term effect requires further observation.
Humans ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc/surgery* ; Quality of Life ; Joint Dislocations/surgery* ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/surgery* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Temporomandibular Joint/pathology* ; Mandibular Condyle

Although carbon monoxide (CO)-based treatments have demonstrated the high cancer efficacy by promoting mitochondrial damage and core-region penetrating ability, the efficiency was often compromised by protective autophagy (mitophagy). Herein, cannabidiol (CBD) is integrated into biomimetic carbon monoxide nanocomplexes (HMPOC@M) to address this issue by inducing excessive autophagy. The biomimetic membrane not only prevents premature drugs leakage, but also prolongs blood circulation for tumor enrichment. After entering the acidic tumor microenvironment, carbon monoxide (CO) donors are stimulated by hydrogen oxide (H₂O₂) to disintegrate into CO and Mn²⁺. The comprehensive effect of CO/Mn²⁺ and CBD can induce ROS-mediated cell apoptosis. In addition, HMPOC@M-mediated excessive autophagy can promote cancer cell death by increasing autophagic flux via class III PI3K/BECN1 complex activation and blocking autolysosome degradation via LAMP1 downregulation. Furthermore, in vivo experiments showed that HMPOC@M+ laser strongly inhibited tumor growth and attenuated liver and lung metastases by downregulating VEGF and MMP9 proteins. This strategy may highlight the pro-death role of excessive autophagy in TNBC treatment, providing a novel yet versatile avenue to enhance the efficacy of CO treatments. Importantly, this work also indicated the applicability of CBD for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy through excessive autophagy.