Purpose: Our previous study showed that circulating tumor cell (CTC) count combined with gene mutation detection might help differentiate benign and malignant pulmonary nodules (PNs). Herein, we aimed to expand the study cohort and conduct further sequencing analysis. Materials and Methods: Patients with PNs were included, and CTCs were identified before operation. Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (LC-WGS) and lung cancer-related targeted gene sequencing were performed on CTCs. The diagnostic efficacy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The differences in CTC counts among subgroups classified by demographic–clinical characteristics were analyzed. LC-WGS–based copy number variation (CNV) analysis and targeted gene mutation analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 172 patients were included. CTC count of 2.5 was identified by the ROC curves as the optimal diagnostic cutoff. The sensitivity and specificity of CTC count for differentiating benign and malignant PNs were 54.2% and 78.6%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of combined CTC count, radiological nodule type, and any malignant imaging features were 84.7% and 71.4%, respectively. The CTC counts were significantly greater in patients with aggressive tumors, later stage, and spread through air spaces. CTCs from malignant cases had more CNVs than those from benign cases. Conclusion CTC count can be used in identifying malignant PNs. The diagnostic efficacy can be improved if combined with computed tomography imaging characteristics. Further CNV analysis might help differential diagnosis. Greater CTC count might suggest more aggressive tumors. CTC detection can provide important information and guidance for subsequent management of PNs.

Epicardial adipose tissue(EAT)is a type of fat tissue that is closely adjacent to the coronary arteries and myocardium,and it caused physiological and pathological changes to the body through the secretion of autocrine and paracrine active factors.EAT is regarded as a diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases,and it is of great significance to segment and quantify EAT.This article introduced the evolution of the EAT segmentation and quantification methods from the aspects of traditional imaging,atlas,and artificial intelligence.Furthermore,it reviewed the research progresses on automatically quantified EAT indices in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective:To explore latent categories of decent work perception among nurses in tuberculosis wards and analyze their influencing factors.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select tuberculosis ward nurses from 13 general or specialized hospitals in China in July 2024 for the study. General Information Questionnaire, Decent Work Perception Scale (DWPS), Work-Family Support Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to survey the tuberculosis ward nurses. Mplus 8.3 software was used for latent profile analysis of decent work perception of nurses in tuberculosis wards. Unordered multicategorical Logistic regression was used to explore the factors influencing the latent categories of decent work perception for nurses in tuberculosis wards.Results:A total of 920 questionnaires were distributed, and 833 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a valid recovery rate of 90.54%. The mean DWPS item score of 833 tuberculosis ward nurses was [3.44 (2.94, 3.88) ]. Decent work perceptions of tuberculosis ward nurses were classified into three latent categories, namely, low decent perception-low occupational recognition type (15.61%, 130/833), medium decent perception-moderate occupational recognition type (50.54%, 421/833), and high decent perception-high occupational recognition type (33.85%, 282/833). Unordered multicategorical Logistic regression analysis revealed that organizational support, psychological resilience, job title, monthly income, hospital class, and number of monthly night shifts were the influencing factors of latent categories of decent work perception among nurses in tuberculosis wards.Conclusions:The decent work perception of nurses in tuberculosis wards is at a medium level. Nursing managers should focus on nurses with low decent perception-low occupational recognition and manage and support nurses according to the characteristics and influencing factors of different categories.

Objective:To explore latent categories of decent work perception among nurses in tuberculosis wards and analyze their influencing factors.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select tuberculosis ward nurses from 13 general or specialized hospitals in China in July 2024 for the study. General Information Questionnaire, Decent Work Perception Scale (DWPS), Work-Family Support Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to survey the tuberculosis ward nurses. Mplus 8.3 software was used for latent profile analysis of decent work perception of nurses in tuberculosis wards. Unordered multicategorical Logistic regression was used to explore the factors influencing the latent categories of decent work perception for nurses in tuberculosis wards.Results:A total of 920 questionnaires were distributed, and 833 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a valid recovery rate of 90.54%. The mean DWPS item score of 833 tuberculosis ward nurses was [3.44 (2.94, 3.88) ]. Decent work perceptions of tuberculosis ward nurses were classified into three latent categories, namely, low decent perception-low occupational recognition type (15.61%, 130/833), medium decent perception-moderate occupational recognition type (50.54%, 421/833), and high decent perception-high occupational recognition type (33.85%, 282/833). Unordered multicategorical Logistic regression analysis revealed that organizational support, psychological resilience, job title, monthly income, hospital class, and number of monthly night shifts were the influencing factors of latent categories of decent work perception among nurses in tuberculosis wards.Conclusions:The decent work perception of nurses in tuberculosis wards is at a medium level. Nursing managers should focus on nurses with low decent perception-low occupational recognition and manage and support nurses according to the characteristics and influencing factors of different categories.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nebulized inhalation of recombinant human interferon (IFN) α1b injection in the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchiolitis) in children.Methods:A randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled add-on design was used.Children with pneumonia or bronchiolitis aged 2 months to 5 years who tested positive for RSV antigen within 72 hours of onset from 30 clinical trial sites including Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University between February 2021 and December 2022 were included in this study and randomly divided into 2 groups at a ratio of 1∶1 based on a stratified-block method.Both groups received basic treatments such as cough control, asthma relieving, expectorant treatment, fever reduction, oxygen therapy, etc.The experimental group received additional nebulized inhalation of IFN α1b injection at a dose of 2.0 μg/(kg·time), twice a day.The control group received nebulized inhalation of placebo twice a day.Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on indicators such as the duration of clinical symptoms and signs, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the median and 95% CI of the duration of clinical symptoms and signs.The Log-rank test was used to compared data between groups.Safety was assessed through the incidence of adverse reactions and laboratory tests, and the Chi-square test was used to analyze the difference between groups. Results:There were 123 children in the experimental group and 122 children in the control group.The median durations of all the 5 clinical symptoms and signs [including shortness of breath, wheezing, dyspnea (visible retractions), decreased transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and abnormal mental state] in the experimental group after treatment were slightly shortened than those in the control group [2.7 d(95% CI: 1.9-3.0 d)] vs.[2.9 d(95% CI: 2.6-3.6 d), P=0.027].The improvement in dyspnea (retractions) was especially pronounced in the experimental group, with a relief rate of 50.0% (0, 100%) on the first day of administration[compared with 0 (0, 50.0%) in the control group ( Z=2.002, P=0.025)].The median duration of dyspnea in the experimental group was nearly 1 day shorter than that in the control group [1.0 d(95% CI: 0.7-1.7 d) vs.1.8 d(95% CI: 1.0-2.5 d), P=0.046].There were no significant difference in hospital stay [6.0(5.0, 8.0) d vs.6.5(5.0, 8.0) d, Z=0.675, P=0.500], oxygen therapy duration [32.0(14.0, 96.3) h vs.39.0 (24.0, 83.2) h, Z=0.094, P=0.925], the recovery rate from clinical symptoms during treatment [(105/106, 99.1%) vs.(96/101, 95.0%)], and recurrence rate [(0/106, 0) vs.(2/101, 2.0%)] between the 2 groups (all P>0.05).However, the above-mentioned four indicators in the experimental group showed a trend of clinical benefits.The quantitative virus detection results showed that the RSV viral load in both groups decreased after treatment compared to before treatment.After 2 days of treatment, the decline rate of RSV viral load from the baseline was 0.90 lg copies/(mL·d) in the experimental group and 0.25 lg copies/(mL·d)in the control group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05).Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups ( P>0.05).Importantly, no drug-related serious adverse reactions occurred in both groups. Conclusions:The nebulized inhalation therapy of IFN α1b demonstrates efficacy and safety in treating pediatric RSV associated lower respiratory tract infections.It particularly offers outstanding clinical therapeutic value for severe children.

Objectives:To investigate the physical growth status of pediatric patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) and analyze the effects of treatment-related and socioeconomic factors on physical growth.Methods:Based on the specialized thalassemia database from gene therapy clinical research at the Institute of Hematology & Hospital of Blood Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, we collected data on height and weight development, family economic status, and medical records of 338 pediatric patients with TDT from October 2023 to May 2024. The length/height-for-age and body mass index (BMI) -for-age were classified based on the Growth Standard for Children under 7 Years of Age, Standard for Height Level Classification among Children and Adolescents Aged 7-18 Years, and Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the effects of family economic status and disease-related treatment on length/height-for-age and BMI-for-age.Results:Among the 338 patients, 118 were children and 220 were adolescents (192 males and 146 females), with a median age of 12 years (range: 0.8-18) and a median diagnosis duration of 10.3 years (range: 0.5-17.9). Subtypes included α-thalassemia [21 cases (6.2%) ], β-thalassemia [288 cases (85.2%) ], and combined αβ-thalassemia[29 cases (8.6%) ]. The monthly household income of patients was concentrated in 3 000-5 000 yuan (39.9%) and 5 001-10 000 yuan (34.9%), whereas 67.2% of the families had monthly medical expenses of <3 000 yuan. Of the patients, 75.5% received their first transfusion before 1 year of age. The proportions of children and adolescents with pretransfusion hemoglobin (HGB) of ≤70 g/L were 4.2% and 6.4%, respectively. Adolescents demonstrated significantly higher rates of transfusion frequency of <4 weeks/session, monthly red blood cell infusion of >2 U, serum ferritin (SF) of ≥5 000 μg/L, iron chelation therapy, and splenectomy compared with children (all P<0.05). Of the 338 patients, 26.0%, 22.8%, and 8.9% demonstrated stunted growth, underweight, and concurrent stunted growth with underweight, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the stunted growth rates between children (22.9%) and adolescents (27.7%) ( P=0.402). However, the underweight rate in adolescents (26.8%) was significantly higher than that in children (15.3%) ( P=0.023). The multivariate analysis determined the following risk factors for stunted growth: monthly household income of <10 000 yuan (5 001-10 000 yuan: OR=5.49, 95% CI: 1.48-35.76; 3 000-5 000 yuan: OR=6.87, 95% CI: 1.88-44.60; <3 000 yuan: OR=9.29, 95% CI: 2.20-64.77), pretransfusion HGB of ≤70 g/L ( OR=3.25, 95% CI: 1.07-10.18), and SF of ≥5 000 μg/L ( OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.20-7.70). Longer diagnostic duration was associated with underweight ( OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.20) . Conclusions:Children and adolescents with TDT with pretransfusion SF of ≥5 000 μg/L, HGB of ≤70 g/L, low monthly household income, or longer diagnosis duration were significantly more likely to experience delayed physical growth.

Objective:To investigate alterations in the immune lineage of T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) at the single-cell transcriptome level and to elucidate its pathogenic mechanisms.Methods:Peripheral blood samples were collected from 5 T-LGLL patients before and after treatment (from June 2019 to December 2020) and 3 healthy controls at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, CAMS & PUMC. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing libraries were prepared and sequenced using 10× Genomics technology. Differentially expressed genes in immune cells were compared between patients and healthy donors, followed by pathway enrichment analyses.Results:Profiling 67,237 immune cells revealed that, in T-LGLL: 1) Effector CD8+ T cells exhibited increased numbers, enhanced cytotoxicity, and greater proliferative capacity. Following effective immunosuppressive therapy, both the proliferative capacity and effector functions of these cells significantly decreased ( P<0.05). 2) The proportion of regulatory T (Treg) cells was reduced, accompanied by increased apoptosis. After effective immunosuppressive therapy leading to remission, Treg cell proportions increased, and apoptotic pathways were downregulated ( P<0.05). 3) Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) showed enhanced functionality. Monocytes and dendritic cells were enriched in antigen synthesis and presentation pathways, while B cells displayed increased antigen-binding capacity and were enriched in pathways related to T-cell activation ( P<0.05). 4) Natural killer (NK) cells exhibited attenuated cytotoxic function but demonstrated an enhanced regulatory capacity over T cells ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:T-LGLL patients present a characteristic immunological profile marked by an imbalance in immune homeostasis. This profile includes abnormal activation and expansion of effector CD8 + T cells, and a reduction in Treg cell numbers accompanied by functional impairment. Furthermore, APCs and NK cells were found to positively regulate T-lymphocyte activation, differentiation, and proliferation.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of cyclophosphamide in patients with T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) and the maintenance of treatment-free remission (TFR) following drug discontinuation.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 37 patients with T-LGLL who received oral cyclophosphamide at the Regenerative Medicine Clinic of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital between June 2019 and March 2024. Patient clinical characteristics, treatment efficacy, and long-term TFR were analyzed.Results:The median age of the 37 patients was 60 years (range: 37-86), and 22 (59.5%) were male. Anemia was observed in 30 patients (81.1%), and 28 (75.7%) met the diagnostic criteria for secondary pure red cell aplasia. Neutropenia occurred in 15 patients (40.5%), lymphocytosis in 11 (29.7%), and thrombocytopenia in three (8.1%). Sixteen patients (43.2%) had not received prior immunosuppressive therapy (treatment-naive group), while 21 patients (56.8%) were refractory to or had relapsed after immunosuppressive treatment (refractory/relapsed group). All patients met the treatment criteria and received oral cyclophosphamide at doses of 50-100 mg/day. Among the 36 evaluable patients, hematologic remission was achieved in 25 (69.4%), with a median time of 2.0 months (range: 0.7-7.0). There was no statistically significant difference in remission rates between the treatment-naive and refractory/relapsed groups (68.5% vs. 66.7%, P=0.589). Among the 25 patients who achieved hematologic remission, 24 discontinued cyclophosphamide. With a median follow-up of 39.0 months (range: 8.0-56.0), the median TFR duration was not reached. The estimated TFR rates were (90.87± 6.16) % at 12 months and (75.72±11.04) % at 36 months. No significant difference in TFR was observed between the treatment-naive and refractory/relapsed groups ( P=0.451) . Conclusion:Oral cyclophosphamide is effective in the treatment of T-LGLL, and patients may maintain long-term TFR following drug discontinuation.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided high ankle block (HAB) on the quality of postoperative recovery of patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, 90 patients of either sex, aged 18-64 yr, with a body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ-Ⅲ, scheduled for elective foot and ankle surgery, were divided into 2 groups ( n=45 each) using a random number table method: HAB group and spinal anesthesia group (SA group). Patients underwent ultrasound-guided HAB on the affected side in HAB group, while patients received spinal anesthesia in SA group. The Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores were recorded at 24 and 48 h postoperatively. Additional data collected included anesthesia preparation and operation time, sensory and motor grading after anesthesia, anesthetic effect grading, surgery duration, intraoperative tourniquet time, block duration, time to first ambulation, and postoperative length of hospital stay. The time of first rescue analgesia and requirement for rescue algesia within 48 h postoperatively and the occurrence of adverse reactions such as hypotension, headache, nausea and vomiting, and urinary retention after anesthesia were also recorded. Results:Compared to SA group, QoR-15 scores and motor grading after anesthesia were significantly increased, the time to first ambulation and postoperative length of hospital stay were shortened, the duration of block and anesthesia preparation and operation time were prolonged at 24 h postoperatively, the rate of rescue analgesia wthin 48 h after operation and incidence of adverse reactions after anesthesia were decressed, and the time to first rescue analgesia was pronlonged in HAB group ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in sensory grading after anesthesia, anesthetic effect grading, intraoperative use of tourniquet time, and QoR-15 scores at 48 h postoperatively ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided HAB provides better quality of postoperative recovery than spinal anesthesia for the patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of robot-assisted laparoscopic technology via abdominal approach for patients with primary retroperitoneal tumors.Methods:A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted for the clinical data of 71 patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic resection of primary retroperitoneal tumor via abdominal approach at the Department of Urology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2015 to December 2023. There were 35 male and 36 female patients. The age ( M(IQR)) was 56(21) years (range: 21 to 83 years). The median tumor diameter was 46 (31) mm (range: 15 to 134 mm). Postoperative pathology revealed 58 benign and 13 malignant cases. Patients were divided into non-adherent group ( n=47) and adherent group ( n=24) based on whether the tumor was adhered to major organs or vessels. Perioperative and postoperative situation were compared between the two groups. Data comparisons were conducted using independent samples t-test for normally distributed continuous variables, Mann-Whitney U tests for non-normally distributed data, χ2 test or Fisher′s exact test for categorical variables. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was employed to estimate 3-year recurrence or metastasis rate and 3-year mortality rate. Results:Operative time was 120(60) minutes (range: 45 to 440 minutes), intraoperative blood loss was 50 (80) ml (range: 10 to 2 000 ml). The median change of intraoperative mean arterial pressure was 40 (19) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)(range: 10 to 112 mmHg). Intraoperative blood transfusion was required in 7 cases, whereas 64 cases did not necessitate transfusion. The change in hemoglobin levels before and after surgery was (17.9±13.6) g/L (range:-16 to 53 g/L), and the median change in serum creatinine levels was 2.0 (14.5) μmol/L (range:-71.0 to 100.4 μmol/L). Postoperative fasting duration was 2.0 (1.5) days (range: 1 to 6 days), and the median hospital stay was 10.0 (7.5) days (range: 4 to 24 days). No perioperative mortality occurred in any of the patients. The non-adherent group had shorter operation time, less estimated blood loss, lower blood transfusion rate, smaller delta value of hemoglobin before and after surgery, larger delta value of creatinine before and after surgery, fewer postoperative complications, shorter postoperative fasting time, and shorter length of hospital stay than the adherent group(all P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in mean arterial pressure fluctuation between the two groups ( P>0.05). Follow-up data were available for 69 patients, with a median follow-up duration of 39 (43) months (range: 4 to 88 months). Among these patients, 40 completed the 3-year follow-up. The 3-year recurrence or metastasis rate was 10.14%, and the 3-year mortality rate was 2.90%. Conclusions:Robot-assisted laparoscopic technology via abdominal approach for resection of primary retroperitoneal tumors is safe and feasible. It can also achieve secure surgical outcome for primary retroperitoneal tumors adherent to surrounding organs or vessels, albeit with increased surgical complexity and slower postoperative recovery compared to non-adherent cases.