Objective: The CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) demonstrates high specificity with relatively limited sensitivity for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. This study aimed to explore the possibility of improving sensitivity by combining CT/MRI LI-RADS v2018 with second-line contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) LI-RADS v2017 using sulfur hexafluoride (SHF) or perfluorobutane (PFB). Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter data included high-risk patients with treatment-naive hepatic observations. The reference standard was pathological confirmation or a composite reference standard (only for benign lesions). Each participant underwent concurrent CT/MRI, SHF-enhanced US, and PFB-enhanced US examinations. The diagnostic performances for HCC of CT/MRI LI-RADS alone and three combination strategies (combining CT/ MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or a modified algorithm incorporating the Kupffer-phase findings for PFB [modified PFB]) were evaluated. For the three combination strategies, apart from the CT/MRI LR-5 criteria, HCC was diagnosed if CT/MRI LR-3 or LR-4 observations met the LR-5 criteria using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB. Results: In total, 281 participants (237 males; mean age, 55 ± 11 years) with 306 observations (227 HCCs, 40 non-HCC malignancies, and 39 benign lesions) were included. Using LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, and modified PFB, 20, 23, and 31 CT/MRI LR-3/4 observations, respectively, were reclassified as LR-5, and all were pathologically confirmed as HCCs. Compared to CT/MRI LI-RADS alone (74%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 68%–79%), the three combination strategies combining CT/MRI LI-RADS with either LI-RADS SHF, LI-RADS PFB, or modified PFB increased sensitivity (83% [95% CI: 77%–87%], 84% [95% CI: 79%–89%], 88% [95% CI: 83%–92%], respectively; all P < 0.001), while maintaining the specificity at 92% (95% CI: 84%–97%). Conclusion The combination of CT/MRI LI-RADS with second-line CEUS using SHF or PFB improved the sensitivity of HCC diagnosis without compromising specificity.

Background Temporal kurtosis (without frequency weighting, i.e., Z-weighted kurtosis) can evaluate noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). However, few studies have considered the function of frequency weighting (A- or C-weighted) kurtosis on NIHL. Objective To study the significance of A- and C-weighted kurtosis adjustment for equivalent sound level (L'_{EX,8 h}) in evaluating occupational hearing loss. Methods A cross-sectional survey was used to select 973 noise-exposed workers in seven industries as the subjects. The noise exposure of all workers was assessed by distributions of A-, C-, and Z-weighted kurtosis (e.g., K_A, K_C, and K_Z) and respective adjusted equivalent sound level (e.g., L'_{EX,8 h}-K_A, L'_{EX,8 h}-K_C, and L'_{EX,8 h}-K_Z). The significance of A- and C-weighted kurtosis in evaluating NIHL was evaluated by correlations between three types of L'_{EX,8 h} and NIHL, and improvement of noise-induced permanent threshold shift (NIPTS) underestimation predicted by the ISO prediction model (Acoustics—Estimation of noise-induced hearing loss, ISO 1999-2013). Results The median K_A, K_C, and K_Z were 68.33, 28.22, and 19.82, respectively. The binary logistic regression showed that L_{EX, 8 h}-K_A, L_{EX, 8 h}-K_C, and L'_{EX, 8 h}-K_Z were risk factors for NIHL (OR>1, P<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that when the outcome variable was noise-induced hearing impairment (NIHI), the areas under the curves corresponding to L'_{EX,8 h}-K_A, L'_{EX,8 h}-K_C, and L'_{EX,8 h}-K_Z were 0.625, 0.628, and 0.625, respectively. When the outcome variable was high-frequency noise-induced hearing loss (HFNIHL), the areas under the curves corresponding to L'_{EX,8 h}-K_A, L'_{EX, 8 h}-K_C, and L'_{EX,8 h}-K_Z were 0.624, 0.623, and 0.622, respectively (P<0.05). The order of underestimation improvement values predicted by L'_{EX,8 h} for NIPTS₁₂₃₄ was: L'_{EX,8 h}-K_A (4.68 dB HL)>L'_{EX,8 h}-K_C (4.38 dB HL)>L'_{EX,8 h}-K_Z (4.28 dB HL) (P<0.001). The order of underestimation improvement values predicted by L'_{EX,8 h}-K for NIPTS₃₄₆ was: L'_{EX,8 h}-K_A (7.20 dB HL)>L'_{EX,8 h}-K_C (6.83 dB HL)>L'_{EX,8 h}-K_Z (6.71 dB HL) (P<0.001). Conclusion The adjustment of A- and C-weighted kurtosis to equivalent sound level L_{EX,8 h} can effectively improve the accuracy of the ISO 1999 prediction model in NIPTS prediction, and compared with the C-weighted, the A-weighted kurtosis can improve the result of the ISO 1999 prediction model in terms of underestimating NIPTS.

Objective Aedes albopictus is the primary vector of the dengue virus.Screening and the analysis of immune-related genes in DENV2-infected Ae.albopictus provides a scientific basis for further research on blocking the extrinsic incubation period of the dengue virus.Methods Through the approach of literature mining,thirty-three potential immune-related genes were screened from species such as Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae,which have a close genetic relationship with Ae.albopictus.The protein—protein interaction(PPI)analysis is employed to explore the interaction relationship of the proteins encoded by genes.The alterations in mRNA expression levels of the relevant genes in DENV2-infected Ae.albopictus midgut were detected using the qRT-PCR method.Results The PPI results indicates that TLR and Spz of Ae.albopictus;Rel1,Rel2,DefC,Spz,PIWI,Ago2,DOME and HOP of Ae.aegypti;and Rel1,Rel2,CACT,STAT and DOME of An.gambiae exhibit PPI relationships.After Ae.albopictus was infected with DENV2,10 genes showed significant difference in expression.Ago3(7.39,P<0.05),DOMEa(1.63,P<0.01),DOMEb(21.29,P<0.001),and TLRb(1.61,P<0.05)were significantly up-regulated.Rel1(0.62,P<0.001),CACTl(0.65,P<0.001),Rel2a(0.65,P<0.01),Rel2b(0.24,P<0.001),GATAa(0.64,P<0.01)and DefC(0.28,P<0.05)were significantly down-regulated.Conclusions The concordance of Ae.albopictus with Ae.aegypti was higher than that with An.gambiae.DOMEb,Ago3,Rel2b and DefC,can serve as the preferred target genes for subsequent studies on DENV2 immune blockade.

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze the association between novel coronavirus (“SARS-CoV-2”) infection and clinical symptoms in inpatients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, so as to provide evidence for improving clinical diagnostic ability. MethodsFrom January 13 to March 2, 2023, respiratory tract specimens of 456 inpatients with SARI were collected from 8 sentinel institutions, SARS-CoV-2 was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Whole genome sequencing and sequence analyses were performed to samples with a cycle threshold (Ct) value of <35. At the same time, demographic information, clinical characteristics and underlying disease condition of the cases were collected, and the association between age, symptoms and nucleic acid positive rates was evaluated by χ² test and Spearman correlation analysis. ResultsA total of 456 cases were included, the median (P₂₅, P₇₅) age was 70 (69, 85) years old, of which 200 cases were novel coronavirus nucleic acid positive for SARS-CoV-2, with a positive rate of 43.86%. The positive rate was the highest in the 80-year-old group (56.82%), and the positive rate increased significantly with age (r=0.15, P=0.002). The proportion of oppression in chest, sore throat and expectoration in novel coronavirus nucleic acid positive cases was significantly higher than that in negative cases (all P<0.05). The 33 viruses sequenced successfully were all Omicron subvariants, with BF.7 (51.52%) and BA.5.2 (42.42%) being the predominant ones. ConclusionA positive correlation was observed between advanced age and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in patients with SARI. The symptoms of expectoration, oppression in chest and sore throat are more common in positive cases, which can be used as a prompt indicator for key screening and clinical identification of elderly SARI cases.

Due to the wide application of silver-containing dressings and silver-coated medical devices in clinical treatment; the extensive use of antibacterial agents and heavy metal agents in feed factories, Escherichia coli has formed the tolerance to silver ions. To systematically understand the known silver ion resistance mechanisms of E. coli, this article reviews the complex regulatory network and various physiological mechanisms of silver ion tolerance in E. coli, including the regulation of outer membrane porins, energy metabolism modulation, the role of efflux systems, motility regulation, and silver ion reduction. E. coli reduces the influx of silver ions by missing or mutating outer membrane porins such as OmpR, OmpC, and OmpF. It adapts to high concentrations of silver ions by altering the expression of ArcA/B and enhances the efflux capacity of silver ions under high-concentration silver stress via the endogenous Cus system and exogenous Sil system. Furthermore, the motility of bacteria is related to silver tolerance. E. coli has the ability to reduce silver ions, thereby alleviating the oxidative stress induced by silver ions. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the formation and spread of bacterial tolerance and provide directions for the development of next-generation silver-based antimicrobials and therapies.
Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Silver/pharmacology* ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Porins/metabolism*

In situ bioimaging is a powerful tool for directly observing the localization, expression, and interactions of nucleic acids or protein targets within cells, providing essential insights into cell function and disease mechanisms. In recent years, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, a revolutionary gene-editing tool, has been applied to develop efficient in situ imaging techniques. This paper reviews recent CRISPR/Cas9-based imaging methods utilizing Cas9 protein, engineered single-guide RNA (sgRNA), and coupled fluorescent tags, and compares their application in living and fixed cells. It focuses on the specificity, signal amplification efficiency, and multi-modal imaging capabilities of these methods, with further discussion based on current research, aiming to offer a comprehensive overview of CRISPR/Cas9-based in situ bioimaging techniques, with some valuable reference and guidance for research in related fields.

In order to explore effective ways to reduce non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among female adolescents, a total of 45 female adolescent patients with NSSI in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Guizhou Second Provincial People's Hospital from June 2021 to June 2024 were selected randomly that divided into groups A, B and C, with 15 cases in each group. Group A was treated with repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and bipolar depression triple therapy, and group B was treated with bipolar depression triple therapy to compare the effectiveness and safety. Group C received bipolar depression triple therapy combined with sham stimulation which only produced stimulating sounds but no stimulating magnetic field as a control in the study. After treatment, the Hamilton Anxiety Score (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Score (HAMD) and Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR) in group A were significantly lower than those in group B and C ( P < 0.01). rTMS combined with bipolar depression triple therapy has a definite effect on reducing NSSI in female adolescents, which can reduce the incidence rate of short-term NSSI behavior in patients.
Humans ; Female ; Adolescent ; Self-Injurious Behavior/prevention & control* ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods* ; Bipolar Disorder/therapy* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Most patients are diagnosed at a locally advanced or metastatic stage. Systemic therapy has become the key to improve survival. To bridge the differences in guidelines across Asian countries and address regional clinical practice needs, 14 leading experts in the Asia-Pacific region developed the “Asian Consensus on systemic therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma” on the Delphi method. The consensus centers on 14 core recommendations (R1-R14) and proposes stratified management strategies based on disease stage. For resectable PDAC, adjuvant modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) is the preferred option, while for the patients with poor performance status gemcitabine plus capecitabine, S-1 monotherapy, and other regimens can be selected. For borderline resectable PDAC, neoadjuvant therapy is recommended, with GnP or FOLFIRINOX as the preferred regimens. For locally advanced PDAC, combination or monochemotherapy is selected based on their performance status. For metastatic PDAC, first-line options include GnP, NALIRIFOX, or mFOLFIRINOX, with second-line therapy the cross-use of gemcitabine-based and 5-FU-based regimens are emphasized. This consensus provides for the first time a comprehensive and standardized management framework for systemic therapy of PDAC in Asia, aiming to enhance regional homogeneity in clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. This article interpreted the consensus content with the goal of guiding clinical practice.

As a patented characteristic medicine of Yi ethnic minority， Pingxuan capsules have the effects of nourishing the liver and kidney， pacifying the liver， and subduing Yang. With the main indications of dizziness， headache， palpitations， tinnitus， insomnia， dreaminess， waist and knee soreness caused by liver-kidney deficiency and liver Yang upward disturbance， Pingxuan capsules are widely used in the treatment of posterior circulation ischemic vertigo， vestibular migraine， benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. However， the current knowledge is limited regarding the efficacy， syndrome differentiation， and safety of this medicine. On the basis of summarizing the experience of clinicians and the existing evidence， this study invites clinical experts of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， pharmaceutical experts， and methodological experts from relevant fields across China to conduct evidence-based evaluation of Pingxuan capsules. The evaluation follows the Specifications for the Development of Clinical Expert Consensus on Chinese Patent Medicines issued by the Standardization Office of the China Association of Chinese Medicine， and reaches 5 recommendations and 16 consensus suggestions. The consensus clarifies the clinical applications， efficacy， dose， course of treatment， combination of medicines， precautions， and contraindications of Pingxuan capsules in the treatment of vertigo and explains the safety of clinical application. This consensus is applicable to clinicians （traditional Chinese medicine， Western medicine， and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine） and pharmacists in tertiary hospitals， secondary hospitals， and community-level medical and health institutions across China， providing a reference for the rational use of Pingxuan capsules in the treatment of vertigo. It is hoped that the promotion of this consensus can facilitate the rational use of drugs in clinical practice， reduce the risk of drug use， and give full play to the advantages of Pingxuan capsules in the treatment of vertigo diseases. This consensus has been reviewed and published by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， with the number GS/CACM330-2023.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-associated death globally. Liver transplantation (LT) has emerged as a key treatment for patients with HCC, and the Milan criteria have been adopted as the cornerstone of the selection policy. To allow more patients to benefit from LT, a number of expanded criteria have been proposed, many of which use radiologic morphological characteristics with larger and more tumors as surrogates to predict outcomes. Other groups developed indices incorporating biological variables and dynamic markers of response to locoregional treatment. These expanded selection criteria achieved satisfactory results with limited liver supplies. In addition, a number of prognostic models have been developed using clinicopathological characteristics, imaging radiomics features, genetic data, and advanced techniques such as artificial intelligence. These models could improve prognostic estimation, establish surveillance strategies, and bolster long-term outcomes in patients with HCC. In this study, we reviewed the latest findings and achievements regarding the selection criteria and post-transplant prognostic models for LT in patients with HCC.