Objective:To investigate the efficacy of radiotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 137 patients with Stage Ⅳ esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated at our hospital from January 2018 to May 2023. These patients were divided into two groups: a group treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy combined with radiotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group, n = 43) and a group treated with only chemoimmunotherapy ( n = 94). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to balance baseline characteristics between the groups. With overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as study endpoints, the survival data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and the Cox regression method. Results:Before calibration, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group significantly outperformed the sole chemoimmunotherapy group in median PFS (13.6 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.501, 95% CI: 0.309-0.811, P = 0.005). After calibration using the COX proportional-hazards model for age, gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, smoking history, T/N/M stage, and tumor location, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group still had significant advantages in PFS (14.7 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.441, 95% CI: 0.261-0.745, P = 0.002). IPTW analysis further confirmed this trend (13.9 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.492, 95% CI: 0.304-0.795, P < 0.001). Specifically, the median OS of the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group demonstrated significant improvement in all analyses: pre-calibration (29.5 months vs. 18.0 months; HR: 0.507, 95% CI: 0.297-0.867, P = 0.013), after calibration using the Cox model (27.5 months vs. 16.7 months; HR: 0.470, 95% CI: 0.266-0.830, P = 0.009), and after calibration using IPTW (29.5 months vs. 16.9 months; HR: 0.448, 95% CI: 0.262-0.764, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The combination of radiotherapy and first-line chemoimmunotherapy can significantly improve survival outcomes of patients with advanced ESCC, suggesting its potential as a standard treatment strategy.

Obesity is characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue or ectopic lipid deposition, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and related metabolic disorders. Calsyntenin 3β(CLSTN3β) is a recently discovered protein that is specifically expressed in adipocytes. This article summarizes its role in obesity, from molecular mechanisms to clinical associations. Mechanistic studies have shown that mouse CLSTN3β, as an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein, promotes lipid droplet multilocularity and lipid utilization in thermogenic adipocytes, while also facilitating lipid droplet maturation and lipid storage in white adipocytes. Clinical studies have revealed that the transcriptional profile of the human CLSTN3B gene in white adipose tissue tightly associated with obesity, and key metabolic traits, and that its genetic variation may play an important role. These findings will provide new insights and directions for intervention strategies aimed at improving obesity-associated metabolic disorders.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of radiotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 137 patients with Stage Ⅳ esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated at our hospital from January 2018 to May 2023. These patients were divided into two groups: a group treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy combined with radiotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group, n = 43) and a group treated with only chemoimmunotherapy ( n = 94). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to balance baseline characteristics between the groups. With overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as study endpoints, the survival data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and the Cox regression method. Results:Before calibration, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group significantly outperformed the sole chemoimmunotherapy group in median PFS (13.6 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.501, 95% CI: 0.309-0.811, P = 0.005). After calibration using the COX proportional-hazards model for age, gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, smoking history, T/N/M stage, and tumor location, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group still had significant advantages in PFS (14.7 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.441, 95% CI: 0.261-0.745, P = 0.002). IPTW analysis further confirmed this trend (13.9 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.492, 95% CI: 0.304-0.795, P < 0.001). Specifically, the median OS of the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group demonstrated significant improvement in all analyses: pre-calibration (29.5 months vs. 18.0 months; HR: 0.507, 95% CI: 0.297-0.867, P = 0.013), after calibration using the Cox model (27.5 months vs. 16.7 months; HR: 0.470, 95% CI: 0.266-0.830, P = 0.009), and after calibration using IPTW (29.5 months vs. 16.9 months; HR: 0.448, 95% CI: 0.262-0.764, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The combination of radiotherapy and first-line chemoimmunotherapy can significantly improve survival outcomes of patients with advanced ESCC, suggesting its potential as a standard treatment strategy.

Objective To analyze the impact of digital conversion of screen-film chest radiographs on image quality in patients with pneumoconiosis. Methods Ten high-kilovoltage screen-film chest radiographs from pneumoconiosis patients were digitally converted using three devices, including a digital single-lens reflex camera, a smartphone, and a medical film scanner. The image quality and optical density values before and after image adjustment were compared across different image formats. Results Before adjustment, among the 30 JPEG images, 24 had diagnostic defect areas and 26 had unqualified optical density values. In RAW format, optical density values were not qualified in 18 out of 30 images. In DICOM format, optical density values were not qualified in nine of ten images. After adjustment, optical density values were not qualified in 13 JPEG images, 12 RAW images, and one DICOM image. Comparisons of chest radiograph quality grade distributions before and after adjustment showed significant differences for all three image formats (all P<0.05). Conclusion After being digitally converted by taking images in RAW format with digital photographic equipment and undergoing post-processing adjustment, the quality of screen-film chest radiographs for pneumoconiosis can meet the diagnostic requirements.

Objective To explore the clinical,pathological,imaging characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of primary pericardial mesothelioma(PPM).Methods The clinical,pathological and imaging data of 11 PPM patients diagnosed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2014 to 2024 were retrospectively collected,the Kaplan-Meier curve was calculated by Log-Rank test to determine the prognostic factors of the patients.Results The median age of the 11 patients was 48 years,including one well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma,and ten malignant mesothelioma.CA125 was elevated in all patients.PET/CT all indicated increased pericardial metabolism.Male patients and patients with ECOG score>2 points had worse prognosis(P=0.018,P=0.01,re?spectively).Compared with the untreated group(4 cases),both immunotherapy(3 cases)and chemotherapy(3 ca?ses)can prolong patient survival(P=0.025,P=0.025,respectively),and the benefit of immunotherapy was greater than chemotherapy(P=0.049 9).Conclusions This study is the largest single center pericardial mesothe?lioma cohort in China.CA125 and PET/CT contributes to the diagnosis of PPM,and immunotherapy might be the future direction of PPM treatment.

Obesity is characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue or ectopic lipid deposition, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and related metabolic disorders. Calsyntenin 3β(CLSTN3β) is a recently discovered protein that is specifically expressed in adipocytes. This article summarizes its role in obesity, from molecular mechanisms to clinical associations. Mechanistic studies have shown that mouse CLSTN3β, as an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein, promotes lipid droplet multilocularity and lipid utilization in thermogenic adipocytes, while also facilitating lipid droplet maturation and lipid storage in white adipocytes. Clinical studies have revealed that the transcriptional profile of the human CLSTN3B gene in white adipose tissue tightly associated with obesity, and key metabolic traits, and that its genetic variation may play an important role. These findings will provide new insights and directions for intervention strategies aimed at improving obesity-associated metabolic disorders.

Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.

Objective: To investigate the association between high normal blood pressure, hypertension and microalbuminuria (MAU), so as to provide the basis for early screening and prevention of renal injury caused by hypertension. Methods: A multi-stage cluster random sampling method was used to select permanent residents aged 18 to 75 years from six provinces including Hebei, Hunan, Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Qinghai and Jiangxi from September to October 2021. Basic information and lifestyle behaviors were collected through questionnaires. Indices including height, weight and blood pressure were measured. Urinary microalbumin and creatinine were measured in 24-hour urine samples. The associations between high normal blood pressure, hypertension, and MAU were analyzed by using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 1 982 residents were surveyed, with 996 residents aged <50 years (50.25%) and 986 residents aged ≥50 years (49.75%). There were 958 males (48.34%) and 1 024 females (51.66%). Normal blood pressure was observed in 653 residents (32.95%), high normal blood pressure in 748 (37.74%) and hypertension in 581 (29.31%). MAU was detected in 164 participants, with a detection rate of 8.27%. The detection rates of MAU among residents with normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, and hypertension were 2.14%, 8.16% and 15.32%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, age, educational level, smoking, alcohol consumption, regular exercise and body mass index, the residents with high normal blood pressure (OR=3.535, 95%CI: 1.898-6.585) and hypertension (OR=7.232, 95%CI: 3.808-13.732) had higher risks of MAU compared to those with normal blood pressure; the residents with hypertension (OR=1.914, 95%CI: 1.340-2.735) had a higher risk of MAU compared to those with high normal blood pressure. Conclusions High normal blood pressure and hypertension are associated with an increased risk of MAU.

Objective To explore a method for assessing the irregular small opacities profusion associated with occupational pneumoconiosis in chest computed tomography (CT). Methods A total of 20 occupational pneumoconiosis patients whose primary manifestation was irregular small opacities on chest digital radiography (DR) were collected as the research subjects using a retrospective study method. Comparative analysis was performed between chest DR and five mm coronal multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) of chest CT images to identify the causes of irregular small opacities. An evaluation method for the profusion of associated images of irregular small opacities in chest CT was established using technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution-analytic hierarchy process (TOPSIS-AHP), and the results were compared against GBZ 70-2015 Diagnosis of Occupational Pneumoconiosis. Results The abnormal image distribution on the five mm coronal chest CT MPR images of the 20 patients was as follows: three cases of high-density small circular opacities, seven cases of low-density circular small opacities, six cases of diffuse low-density ground-glass opacities (GGO), four cases of reticular opacities, three cases of plate-like GGO, three cases of honeycomb opacities, and four cases of increasing lung texture. The CT values of abnormal images, from high to low were: honeycomb opacities > plate-like GGO > low-density circular small opacities > diffuse low-density GGO (all P<0.05). The consistency test results indicated that the evaluation method for the profusion of associated images of irregular small opacities in chest CT showed high level of agreement with the profusion determination criteria outlined in GBZ 70-2015 Diagnosis of Occupational Pneumoconiosis (Kappa=0.78). Conclusion Irregular small opacities observed on chest DR are formed by the superposition of multiple images of abnormal pulmonary fibrosis in patients with occupational pneumoconiosis. TOPSIS-AHP can be used to establish an evaluation method of the profusion of associated image of irregular small opacity in chest CT.

Objective To investigate whether a stable and reliable hyperuricemia model can be established in mice with an ICR background via a triple-modeling method(combined potassium oxazine,hypoxanthine,and 30％yeast paste),and to evaluate the effect of the positive drug febuxostat on the model.Methods A hyperuricemia model of ICR mice was established using a single drug or double-or triple-drug combinations.Serum uric acid and creatinine concentrations,xanthine oxidase(XOD)and urate oxidase(UOX)activity,and uric acid transporter(URAT)1,glucose transporter(Glut)9,anion transporter(OAT)1,and ATP-binding box subfamily G member(ABCG)2 mRNA levels were detected to evaluate whether the hyperuricemia model was formed successfully.Results The serum uric acid levels of ICR mice were not significantly changed by potassium oxazine alone,as they showed an increase but were not significantly different to those of the 30％yeast paste diet or hypoxanthine combined groups.Serum uric acid levels in the triple administration group were significantly increased at 7 days(P＜0.01),while XOD enzyme activity had increased(P＜0.01)and UOX enzyme activity decreased(P＜0.001)at the same timepoint.There were increased expression levels of URAT1 and Glut9(P＜0.05,P＜0.001),and decreased expression levels of OAT1 and ABCG2(P＜0.001).During dynamic monitoring,the blood uric acid levels of triple administration-induced ICR mice peaked at 7 days.In addition,triple administration-induced hyperuricemia in ICR mice was sensitive to the positive drug febuxostat,which caused a significant decrease in blood uric acid levels(P＜0.001).Conclusions A hyperuricemia model in ICR mice can be stably induced by triple administration for 7 days.