Objective To investigate the setup error in patients with spinal bone metastasis who underwent radiotherapy under the guidance of kilovoltage cone-beam CT (KV-CBCT). Methods A total of 118 patients with spinal metastasis who underwent radiotherapy, including 17 cases of cervical spine, 62 cases of thoracic spine, and 39 cases of lumbar spine, were collected. KV-CBCT scans were performed using the linear accelerators from Elekta and Varian’s EDGE system. CBCT images were registered with reference CT images in the bone window mode. A total of 973 data were collected, and 3D linear errors were recorded. Results The patients with spinal bone metastasis were grouped by site, height, weight, and BMI. The P value of the patients grouped only by site was P<0.05, which was statistically significant. Conclusion When grouped by site in the 3D direction, the positioning effect of cervical spine is better than that of thoracic and lumbar spine. The positioning effect of the thoracic spine is better in the head and foot direction but worse in the left and right direction compared with that of the lumbar spine. Instead of extending or narrowing the margin according to the BMI of patients with spinal metastasis, the margin must be changed according to the site of spinal bone metastasis.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of different ligation methods in laparoscopic radi-cal resection of rectal cancer and sigmoid colon cancer and the influencing factors of anastomotic leakage.Methods A total of 82 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer and sigmoid co-lon cancer in this hospital from December 2022 to December 2023 were selected and divided into the low-liga-tion group(n=42)and the high-ligation group(n=40)according to different surgical methods.The inferior mesenteric artery(IMA)classification,IMA length,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,total number of lymph node dissections,number of lymph node dissections in group 253,postoperative hospital stay,exhaust time,incidence of urinary retention,incidence of anastomotic leakage,and incidence of preventive stoma were compared between the two groups.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze the influencing factors of anastomotic leakage in patients undergoing radical resection of rectal cancer and sigmoid colon cancer.Results There was no statistically significant difference in IMA length,IMA classi-fication proportion,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,the total number of lymph node dissections,the number of lymph node dissections in group 253,and the postoperative hospital stay between the two groups(P>0.05).Compared with the high-ligation group,the low-ligation group had a shorter exhaust time,lower incidence of anastomotic leakage and preventive ostomy,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Anastomotic leakage occurred in 7 patients.Univariate analysis showed that whether left colic artery(LCA)was preserved,tumor location,presence of underlying diseases,and preventive stoma were associated with anastomotic leakage in patients undergoing radical resection of rectal cancer and sigmoid colon cancer(P<0.05).Multivariate logistics analysis showed that whether LCA was preserved,tumor location,presence of underlying diseases,and presence of preventive stoma were not influencing factors for anastomotic leakage in patients undergoing radical resection of rectal cancer or sigmoid colon cancer(P>0.05).Conclusion In laparoscopic radical resection of rectal and sigmoid colon cancer,the clinical efficacy of preserving LCA is com-parable to that of not preserving LCA,and it can reduce the risk of anastomotic leakage and the probability of preventive stoma,promoting the early recovery of intestinal function.

Objective:To determine the prevalence of self-reported food allergies among children in the grasslands of North China and to analyze its associated risk factors.Methods:In this study, a cross-sectional epidemiological survey method was used to select children under 14 years old by multi-stage, stratified and random cluster sampling in the grassland ecological area of Zhangbei County, Hebei Province, China from May to July 2018. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered to gather food allergy-related information from the participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors associated with self-reported food allergy.Results:A total of 2 086 children completed the survey. The prevalence of self-reported food allergies was 22.0%(459/2 086). The prevalence of multiple food allergies (≥3 types) was 3.1%(64/2 086) versus 16.3% (341/2 086) for a single food allergy among all children. Mango allergy (6.1%, 127/2 086) was the most common, followed by peach allergy (4.1%, 85/2 086). Children who reported food allergies had a significantly higher prevalence of all 4 atopic disorders (eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis than those without food allergies(35.73% vs. 20.65%, 5.88% vs. 2.77%, 17.86% vs. 7.38%, 16.78% vs. 10.45%, χ2 =44.663 1, 10.434 3, 45.038 3, 13.728 4, all P<0.001).Significantly associated risk factors of food allergy were found to be pollen allergy ( OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.80-2.92) and drug allergy ( OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.12-2.09). Conclusions:The prevalence of self-reported food allergies among children in the Zhangbei County area of the North China Grassland was relatively high. Pollen allergy and drug allergy are major risk factors.

Objective:To investigate the difference in brain activity intensity between methamphetamine (MA) dependent patients (MA group) and healthy controls (control group) using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), and to establish a classification model between these two groups using support vector machine (SVM).Methods:From February 2014 to October 2019, a total of 46 male MA-dependent patients and 46 male healthy controls were recruited from the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Ningbo University. The study collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data and analyzed the differences in brain functional activity between the two groups. This analysis was conducted using both static and dynamic fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (d-fALFF). Additionally, the study examined the correlation between fALFF/d-fALFF values in specific brain regions and the total scores, as well as each factor score, of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Furthermore, the relationship between fALFF/d-fALFF values and the age of first use and total dose of MA in the MA group was investigated. Finally, the fALFF map and d-fALFF map of brain regions with significant differences between groups were used as features for constructing classification.Results:Compared to the healthy control group, those dependent on MA showed significantly increased fALFF mainly in the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, thalamus, and amygdala nucleus( t=-5.21--2.72, all P<0.05). The MA group exhibited decreased fALFF in the superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, orbital gyrus, and cingulate gyrus( t=3.59-5.00, all P<0.05). Most of the brain regions with decreased d-fALFF overlapped with those exhibiting decreased fALFF( t=3.33-4.87, all P<0.05). The results of the correlation analysis showed that the fALFF value of the right nucleus accumbens was positively correlated with the age of first use of MA ( r=0.537, P<0.001). There is no significant relationship between the abnormal fALFF and d-fALFF values in the MA group and the total scores and each factor scores of BPRS, as well as the total dose of MA taken (after removing outliers). Based on fALFF and d-fALFF values, the SVM classifier achieved accuracies of 90.33%±6.89% and 71.56%±7.80%, respectively. Conclusions:There are significant abnormalities in the low-frequency fluctuation of the resting brain in patients dependent on MA. These abnormalities reflect the rigidity of prefrontal cortex activity, functional impairment, and dysfunction of the anti-reward system. These factors may be one of the causes for MA dependent behavior and repeated episodes. In addition, the fALFF values may be helpful for distinguishing MA dependent individuals from the control group.

Objective:To determine the prevalence of self-reported food allergies among children in the grasslands of North China and to analyze its associated risk factors.Methods:In this study, a cross-sectional epidemiological survey method was used to select children under 14 years old by multi-stage, stratified and random cluster sampling in the grassland ecological area of Zhangbei County, Hebei Province, China from May to July 2018. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered to gather food allergy-related information from the participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors associated with self-reported food allergy.Results:A total of 2 086 children completed the survey. The prevalence of self-reported food allergies was 22.0%(459/2 086). The prevalence of multiple food allergies (≥3 types) was 3.1%(64/2 086) versus 16.3% (341/2 086) for a single food allergy among all children. Mango allergy (6.1%, 127/2 086) was the most common, followed by peach allergy (4.1%, 85/2 086). Children who reported food allergies had a significantly higher prevalence of all 4 atopic disorders (eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis than those without food allergies(35.73% vs. 20.65%, 5.88% vs. 2.77%, 17.86% vs. 7.38%, 16.78% vs. 10.45%, χ2 =44.663 1, 10.434 3, 45.038 3, 13.728 4, all P<0.001).Significantly associated risk factors of food allergy were found to be pollen allergy ( OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.80-2.92) and drug allergy ( OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.12-2.09). Conclusions:The prevalence of self-reported food allergies among children in the Zhangbei County area of the North China Grassland was relatively high. Pollen allergy and drug allergy are major risk factors.

Objective:To investigate the difference in brain activity intensity between methamphetamine (MA) dependent patients (MA group) and healthy controls (control group) using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), and to establish a classification model between these two groups using support vector machine (SVM).Methods:From February 2014 to October 2019, a total of 46 male MA-dependent patients and 46 male healthy controls were recruited from the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Ningbo University. The study collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data and analyzed the differences in brain functional activity between the two groups. This analysis was conducted using both static and dynamic fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (d-fALFF). Additionally, the study examined the correlation between fALFF/d-fALFF values in specific brain regions and the total scores, as well as each factor score, of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Furthermore, the relationship between fALFF/d-fALFF values and the age of first use and total dose of MA in the MA group was investigated. Finally, the fALFF map and d-fALFF map of brain regions with significant differences between groups were used as features for constructing classification.Results:Compared to the healthy control group, those dependent on MA showed significantly increased fALFF mainly in the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, thalamus, and amygdala nucleus( t=-5.21--2.72, all P<0.05). The MA group exhibited decreased fALFF in the superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, orbital gyrus, and cingulate gyrus( t=3.59-5.00, all P<0.05). Most of the brain regions with decreased d-fALFF overlapped with those exhibiting decreased fALFF( t=3.33-4.87, all P<0.05). The results of the correlation analysis showed that the fALFF value of the right nucleus accumbens was positively correlated with the age of first use of MA ( r=0.537, P<0.001). There is no significant relationship between the abnormal fALFF and d-fALFF values in the MA group and the total scores and each factor scores of BPRS, as well as the total dose of MA taken (after removing outliers). Based on fALFF and d-fALFF values, the SVM classifier achieved accuracies of 90.33%±6.89% and 71.56%±7.80%, respectively. Conclusions:There are significant abnormalities in the low-frequency fluctuation of the resting brain in patients dependent on MA. These abnormalities reflect the rigidity of prefrontal cortex activity, functional impairment, and dysfunction of the anti-reward system. These factors may be one of the causes for MA dependent behavior and repeated episodes. In addition, the fALFF values may be helpful for distinguishing MA dependent individuals from the control group.

Objective To explore the value of 3D amide proton transfer weighted imaging(APTWI),diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)and the combination for differentiating benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors.Methods Non-contrast MRI,APTWI and DWI of pelvis or lower extremity were prospectively acquired in 96 patients with bone and soft tissue tumors.MTRasym and ADC maps were obtained based on APTWI and DWI calculation with an offset of 3.5 ppm,respectively,and the maximum asymmetric magnetization transfer rate(MTRasym)(MTRasymmax),the mean MTRasym(MTRasymmean)and the minimum MTRasym(MTRasymmin),as well as the maximum apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)(ADCmax),the mean ADC(ADCmean)and the minimum ADC(ADCmin)values were measured.The above parameters were compared between benign and malignant tumors.Then receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn,and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of APTWI,DWI and the combination.Results Among 96 patients,there were 41 benign and 55 malignant pelvic or lower limb bone and soft tissue tumors.In benign tumors,MTRasym(3.5 ppm)values,including MTRasymmax.MTRasymmean and MTRasymmin were significantly higher,whereas ADC values including ADCmax,ADCmeanand ADCmin were significantly lower than those in malignant tumors(all P＜0.05).AUC of MTRasymmax and ADCmin for differentiating benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors was 0.791 and 0.873,respectively,being not statistically different(P=0.122),but both lower than that of their combination(AUC=0.944,P＜0.001,P=0.041).Conclusion APTWI combined with DWI had high efficacy for differentiating benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors.

Objective To investigate the effect of Xuebijing injection on the inflammatory and coagulation response of complicated intra-abdominal infection by sepsis.Methods A retrospective study was conducted.A total of 274 patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection by sepsis admitted to Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang from June 2020 to July 2023 were enrolled.According to whether Xuebijing was used or not,the patients were divided into an observation group(141 cases)and a control group(133 cases).The patients in both groups were treated with conventional western medicine,and those in the observation group were additionally given Xuebijing(Xuebijing injection 100 mL in 0.9%NaCl solution 100 mL via intravenous infusion,twice per day for a continuous application of 5 days).The differences of clinical prognosis and the serum levels of inflammatory indicators[interleukin-6(IL-6),procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein(CRP)and endotoxin]and coagulation indexes[D-dimer,fibrinogen(FIB),prothrombin time(PT)and activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT)before treatment and on the 2nd,3rd,5th day respectively after treatment were compared,and the clinical prognosis was observed.Results There were no significant differences in the indexes of inflammation and coagulation function between the two groups before treatment.With the extension of therapy duration,following treatment in two groups,the serum levels of inflammatory indicators and coagulation indexes(D-dimer,FIB)decreased,as did coagulation indexes(PT,APTT),reaching the lowest levels on the 5th day.The inflammatory markers and coagulation indexes of observation group were significantly lower than those of control group[IL-6(ng/L):18.89±8.22 vs.24.59±10.39,PCT(μg/L):0.30±0.16 vs.0.52±0.20,CRP(mg/L):13.13±6.54 vs.28.87±8.66,endotoxin(kEU/L):0.17±0.06 vs.0.22±0.08,D-dimer(mg/L):1.75±0.61 vs.1.96±0.77,FIB(g/L):2.50±0.78 vs.3.10±0.94,PT(s):14.16±1.90 vs.15.05±1.46,APTT(s):34.52±5.40 vs.36.21±4.72,both P<0.05].The intensive care unit(ICU)stay time and total hospitalization time were shortened in the observation group than those in the control group[ICU stay time(days):5.71±2.22 vs.6.86±2.99,hospitalization time(days):15.50±6.39 vs.17.02±5.70,both P<0.05];the mortality was significantly lower in the observation group than that in the control group[21.27%(30/141)vs.32.33%(43/133),P<0.05].Conclusion The treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infection by sepsis with Xuebijing injection while receiving conventional western medicine treatment can effectively decrease inflammatory and coagulation response,have high efficacy of inflammatory and coagulation co-treatment,and have some important clinical values.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) imaging with time-dependent diffusion MRI (td-dMRI) in the diagnosis of malignant breast lesions.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. The clinical, pathological and imaging data of patients with breast lesions admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March to August 2023 were prospectively analyzed. All patients firstly underwent T 2WI, diffusion-weighted imaging, followed by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), and finally APTw imaging and td-dMRI were performed for breast lesions using DCE-MRI as reference. Reconstructed images from APTw imaging measured lesions with a frequency shift of 3.5 ppm asymmetric magnetic susceptibility MTR asym(+3.5 ppm). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values at different oscillating frequency gradients (ADC PGSE, ADC 17 Hz, ADC 33 Hz values) were measured using reconstructed td-dMRI images. Independent sample t-test was used to compare APTw imaging, td-dMRI parameter differences between benign and malignant breast tumors, breast malignant tumors with different molecular types [estrogen receptor (ER) negative and positive, progesterone receptor (PR) negative and positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) negative and positive, proliferation index (Ki-67) low and high expression] and different histological grades (grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ). Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the efficacy of APTw imaging and td-dMRI parameters in differentiating benign and malignant breast tumors, molecular classification and histological grading of malignant breast lesions. Results:There were 171 lesions in 171 patients, including 103 malignant lesions and 68 benign lesions. Histological grades were grade Ⅱ in 51 cases and grade Ⅲ in 38 cases of 89 cases of invasive carcinoma. Totally 98 cases of malignant lesions were included in molecular typing analysis, 36 cases were ER negative and 62 cases were ER positive. PR was negative in 51 cases and positive in 47 cases. There were 33 negative HER-2 patients, 65 positive HER-2 patients. There were 50 cases of low Ki-67 expression and 48 cases of high Ki-67 expression. The MTR asym(+3.5 ppm) value of malignant breast lesions was higher than that of benign lesions ( t=5.76, P<0.001), and the ADC PGSE, ADC 17 Hz and ADC 33 Hz values were lower than those of benign breast lesions ( t was 4.84, 4.62, 4.01, respectively, all P<0.001). MTR asym(+3.5 ppm) had the highest AUC value (0.83) and the highest specificity (90.38%), and ADC PGSE had the highest sensitivity (85.86%). There were no significant differences in MTR asym(+3.5 ppm), ADC PGSE, ADC 17 Hz and ADC 33 Hz between grade Ⅱ and grade Ⅲ histological grades of malignant breast lesions (all P>0.05). The ADC PGSE value of ER negative was higher than that of ER positive ( t=2.34, P=0.018), and the AUC for distinguishing ER positive from negative was 0.64. The ADC PGSE and ADC 17 Hz values of PR negative were higher than those of PR positive ( t=2.87, 2.81, P=0.004, 0.006, respectively), and their AUCs for identifying PR positive versus negative breast malignant lesions were 0.68 and 0.67, respectively. The ADC 33 Hz value of negative HER-2 was lower than that of positive HER-2 ( t=3.00, P=0.003), and the AUC for distinguishing positive and negative HER-2 was 0.67. There were no significant differences in other parameters among different subtypes of breast malignant lesions (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Compared with td-dMRI, APTw imaging is more effective in differentiating benign and malignant lesions of breast tumors, and ADC values at different gradient oscillation frequencies obtained by td-dMRI show better diagnostic efficacy in differentiating different molecular types of breast malignant lesions.

Objective:To explore the expression of PICK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical significance.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. Cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues (1cm from the edge of cancer tissues) were collected from 30 HCC patients undergoing surgical resection in Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital from August 2020 to April 2023. The relative expression level of PICK1 mRNA in 30 fresh HCC samples was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The clinicopathological data from 132 HCC patients undergoing surgical resection in Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital from January 2015 to November 2018 were collected. Meanwhile, paraffin specimens were collected from cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues, and relative expression level of PICK1 protein was detected by using immunohistochemistry method. According to the PICK1 protein expression, 132 HCC patients were divided into the low expression group (immunohistochemistry scores < 3 points) and the high expression group (immunohistochemistry scores ≥ 3 points). Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of the 2 groups, and log-rank test was also performed.Results:The result of qRT-PCR showed that the relative expression level of PICK1 mRNA in fresh cancer tissues of 30 HCC patients was lower than that in corresponding paracancerous tissues (0.43±0.38 vs. 1.10±0.12), and the difference was statistically significant ( t = -13.66, P < 0.001). Among 132 HCC patients, 86 (65.2%) cases had PICK1 protein low expression and 46 (34.8%) cases had PICK1 protein high expression; among the corresponding paracancerous tissues, 37 (28.0%) tissues had PICK1 protein low expression and 95 (72.0%) tissues had PICK1 protein low expression. The high expression rate of PICK1 protein in HCC tissues was lower than that in paracancerous tissues, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 35.07, P < 0.001). There were statistically significant differences in PICK1 protein expression level of HCC patients with different tumor diameter, tumor number, tumor type, TNM staging, encapsulation or not and vascular invasion (all P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the median OS time was 54.9 months (95% CI: 41.0 months-not reached) and 17.8 months (95% CI: 13.1-25.0 months), respectively in the PICK1 high expression group and the PICK1 low expression group after surgery; and the OS in the PICK1 high expression group was better than that in the the PICK1 low expression group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). The median DFS time was 43.0 months (95% CI: 31.0 months-not reached), 15.0 months (95% CI: 11.1 months-20.1months), respectively in the PICK1 high expression group and the PICK1 low expression group; and the DFS in the PICK1 high expression group was better than that in the PICK1 low expression group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Conclusions:PICK1 is lowly expressed in HCC tissues, and HCC patients with PICK1 low expression have poor prognosis.