Objective:To explore the initiation patterns of disease-modifying treatment(DMT)in patients with multiple sclerosis(MS)in Chongqing,China.Methods:The clinical and imaging data of patients with relapsing-remitting MS(RRMS)who commenced DMT(teriflunomide,dimethyl fumarate,sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators,or ofatumumab)for the first time at the Depart-ment of Neurology,The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2018 to January 2024 were obtained.The analysis focused on the distribution,persistence rate,and safety of initial DMT prescriptions,post-treatment disease activity,and risk factors affecting disease activity.Results:A total of 138 patients with RRMS were included.The distribution of initial DMT pre-scriptions was as follows:teriflunomide(46.4%),dimethyl fumarate(20.3%),sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators(21.7%),and ofatumumab(11.6%).Throughout the follow-up period,72.5%of patients complied with their initial prescription,whereas 23.2%of patients altered their treatments,predominantly transitioning to ofatumumab.No drug-related death or hospitalization was docu-mented during the use of the four DMT prescriptions.However,sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators exhibited the highest in-cidence of adverse events(43.3%).An analysis of post-treatment disease activity in 115 patients indicated that 47.0%of patients dis-played disease activity.Independent risk factors for disease activity comprised incomplete recovery after the initial onset of MS(odds ratio[OR]=3.645,95%CI=1.321-10.06,P=0.013)and smoking(OR=10.052,95%CI=1.025-98.556,P=0.048).Conclusion:In the last five years,the majority of initial DMT prescriptions for patients with RRMS in Chongqing,China,were low-to moderate-efficacy drugs.A considerable percentage of patients exhibited disease activity despite commencing DMT.Prompt commencement of high-efficacy DMT may be more effective in diminishing disease activity and postponing disability progression in patients with MS.

Objective To explore the effects of sigma-1 receptor(Sig-1R)on brain function in rats after cardiopulmo-nary resuscitation and its protective role in brain injury.Methods Rats were randomly assigned to four groups with 20 in each:sham-operated control(sham group),6-hour post-resuscitation(PR 6 h group),12-hour post-resuscitation(PR 12 h group)and 24-hour post-resuscitation(PR 24 h group).In the latter three groups,cardiac arrest was induced by as-phyxiation,and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed 6 minutes after cardiac arrest.The rats were scored for neu-rological deficits at 6,12 and 24 hrs after resuscitation,respectively;after that,the rats were executed,and the expres-sion of Sig-1R protein,mitochondrial function index,and endoplasmic reticulum stress index apoptosis index were detec-ted by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.The correlation between Sig-1R and mitochondrial,endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis indexes was evaluated.Results Compared with the sham-operated group,the rats in test group showed a gradual decrease in neurological deficit scores,Sig-1R protein expression,brain tissue adenosine triphos-phate(ATP)concentration and mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)levels at 6,12,and 24 hrs of PR(P＜0.05);CHOP protein,activated cleaved caspase-12 and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression were consistently elevated(P＜0.05).In addition,Sig-1R was negatively correlated with brain tissue endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis(P＜0.05)but positively correlated with mitochondrial membrane potential level(P＜0.05).Conclusions Sig-1R ex-pression in rat brain tissue correlates with brain injury after cardiopulmonary resuscitation and potential mechanism seems to be neuronal protection through modulating mitochondrial function and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

To investigate the effectiveness of a self-developed intelligent medical record writing assistant in enhancing the efficiency of discharge record writing and improving the quality of discharge records, and to assess physicians' satisfaction with the assistant.

Objective To assess the intervention effect of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) on the mouse model of hematotoxicity induced by subacute benzene exposure. Methods Benzene exposure and NMN intervention were adopted in a 2×2 factorial design, as benzene exposure and non-exposure, and NMN intervention and non-intervention. Male specific pathogen-free C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to negative control group, NMN control group, simple benzene exposure group and NMN intervention group, with 12 mice in each group. Benzene exposure of mice in simple benzene exposure group and NMN intervention group was conducted by dynamic inhalation of benzene at a concentration of 325 mg/m³ for six hours per day, five days per week for four weeks (28 days). Mice in the negative control and NMN control group inhaled clean air. During benzene exposure, mice in the NMN control group and NMN intervention group received NMN in drinking water at a dose of 300 mg/kg body weight. Peripheral blood samples of mice were collected for complete blood count analysis and calculation of composite inflammatory indices after 28 days. Results Interaction analysis showed that the counts of peripheral white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet of mice in the simple benzene exposure group were lower than those in the negative control group (all P<0.05). Neutrophil and platelet counts in the NMN intervention group were higher than those in the simple benzene exposure group (all P<0.05). The results of main effect analysis showed that the monocyte count of peripheral blood, systemic inflammatory index, systemic inflammatory response index, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio of mice in the benzene exposure group increased (all P<0.05), and the basophil count and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio decreased (all P<0.05), compared with the control group. Conclusion Oral NMN alleviates subacute benzene-induced decreases in peripheral neutrophil and platelet counts in mice. This protective effect may be related to the targeted intervention of NMN on mitochondrial energy metabolism disorder and oxidative damage induced by benzene exposure in male mice.

Objective To explore the value of vesical imaging reporting and data system(VI-RADS)combined with absolute tumor-wall contact length(ABTCL)and actual tumor-wall contact length(ACTCL)in diagnosing muscle invasive bladder cancer(MIBC).Methods The MRI data of 113 patients with pathologically confirmed bladder cancer(BCa)were analyzed retrospectively.All patients underwent conventional MRI,diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)and dynamic contrast enhanced(DCE)MRI before sur-gery.Two radiologists independently evaluated MRI images based on VI-RADS score,and measured quantitative parameters,inclu-ding ABTCL and ACTCL.The Chi-square test was used to compare the difference of VI-RADS scores between MIBC and non-mus-cle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).Quantitative parameters between MIBC and NMIBC were compared by Mann-Whitney U test.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of VI-RADS,quantitative parameters and VI-RADS combined with quantitative parameters in the diagnosis of MIBC.Results VI-RADS,ABTCL and ACTCL had significant differences between MIBC and NMIBC(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for VI-RADS,ABTCL and ACTCL in diagno-sing MIBC were 0.89,0.76 and 0.77,respectively.There was no significant difference between the AUC for ABTCL and ACTCL(P＞0.05).The AUC for VI-RADS combined with ABTCL or ACTCL in diagnosing MIBC was 0.93,higher than that of only VI-RADS(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of VI-RADS with either ABTCL or ACTCL can effectively improve the diagnostic performance of MIBC.ABTCL obtainedby linear measurement is easier to implement in clinical practice than ACTCL obtained by curved measurement.

Background Salidroside (SAL) has a protective effect on multiple organ systems. Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in the atmosphere may lead to disruptions in gut microbiota and impact intestinal health. The regulatory effect of SAL on the gut microbiota of mice exposed to PM_2.5 requires further investigation. Objective To evaluate gut microbiota disruption in mice after being exposed to PM_2.5 and the potential effect of SAL. Methods Forty male C57BL/6 mice, aged 6 to 8 weeks, were randomly divided into four groups: a control group, an SAL group, a PM_2.5 group, and an SAL+PM_2.5 group, each containing 10 mice. In the SAL group and the SAL+PM_2.5 group, the mice were administered SAL (60 mg·kg⁻¹) by gavage, while in the control group and the PM_2.5 group, sterile saline (10 mL·kg⁻¹) was administered by gavage. In the PM_2.5 group and the SAL+PM_2.5 group, PM_2.5 suspension (8 mg·kg⁻¹) was intratracheally instilled, and in the control group and SAL group, sterile saline (1.5 mL·kg⁻¹) was intratracheally administered. Each experiment cycle spanned 2 d, with a total of 10 cycles conducted over 20 d. Histopathological changes in the ileum tissue of the mice were observed after HE staining. Colon contents were collected for gut microbiota sequencing and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) measurements. Results The PM_2.5 group showed infiltration of inflammatory cells in the ileum tissue, while the SAL+PM_2.5 group exhibited only a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared to the control group, the PM_2.5 group showed decreased Shannon index (P<0.05) and increased Simpson index (P<0.05), indicating that the diversity of gut microbiota in this group was decreased; the SAL+PM_2.5 group showed increased Shannon index compared to the PM_2.5 group (P<0.05) and decreased Simpson index (P<0.05), indicating that the diversity of gut microbiota in mice intervened with SAL was increased. The principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed a significant separation between the PM_2.5 group and the control group, while the separation trend was less evident among the control group, the SAL group, and the SAL+PM_2.5 group. The unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA) clustering tree results showed that the control group and the SAL group clustered together first, followed by clustering with the SAL+PM_2.5 group, and finally, the three groups clustered with the PM_2.5 group. The PCoA and UPGMA clustering results indicated that the uniformity and similarity of the microbiota in the PM_2.5 group were significantly decreased. Compared to the control group, the PM_2.5 group showed decreased abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes and Candidatus_Saccharimonas (P<0.05) and increased abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, genus Escherichia, genus Bacteroides, genus Prevotella, genus Enterococcus, and genus Proteus (P<0.05). Compared to the PM_2.5 group, the SAL+PM_2.5 group showed decreased abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, phylum Actinobacteria, genus Prevotella, and genus Proteus (P<0.05), and increased abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas (P<0.05). The PM_2.5 group showed reduced levels of propionic acid, valeric acid, and hexanoic acid compared to the control group (P<0.05), while the SAL+PM_2.5 group showed increased levels of propionic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, and hexanoic acid compared to the PM_2.5 group (P<0.05). Conclusion Exposure to PM_2.5 can cause pathological alterations, microbial dysbiosis, and disturbing production of SCFAs in intestinal tissue in mice. However, SAL can provide a certain degree of protective effect against these changes.

Objective:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and human β-defensin-2(HBD2) in children with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and gastritis.Methods:Eighty-one children who were hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology at Beijing Children′s Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 and underwent endoscopic examination were collected.They were divided into Hp infection group and non-Hp infection group according to whether they were infected with Hp.The expression levels of VDR and HBD2 between two groups, and the correlation between VDR, HBD2 expression levels and gastritis were compared and analyzed.Results:Among 81 cases, 48 cases were Hp positive, including 24 males and 24 females, with an average age of (11.4±2.7) years; 33 cases were Hp negative, including 14 males and 19 females, with an average age of (11.3±2.6) years.There were no significant differences in sex and age between two groups ( P>0.05). The positive rates of VDR and HBD2 expression in gastric mucosa of children with Hp infection were higher than those of children without Hp infection, and the differences were statistically significant (87.5% vs.39.4%, 79.2% vs.63.6%, all P<0.05). The expressions of VDR and HBD2 had no correlation with age and sex ( P>0.05). The expressions of VDR and HBD2 were positively correlated with granular degeneration of gastric mucosa ( r=0.384, P<0.001; r=0.258, P=0.020). The expression of VDR was positively correlated with the degree of gastric inflammation ( r=0.365, P=0.001), while the expression of HBD2 was not correlated with the degree of gastric inflammation ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The expression levels of VDR and HBD2 in gastric mucosa of children infected with Hp are increased.The expression level of VDR is correlated with the degree of gastritis and the granular degeneration of gastric mucosa.The expression level of HBD2 is correlated with the granular degeneration of gastric mucosa.But there is no correlation between the level of HBD2 expression and the degree of gastritis.

Precise segmentation of lung field is a crucial step in chest radiographic computer-aided diagnosis system. With the development of deep learning, fully convolutional network based models for lung field segmentation have achieved great effect but are poor at accurate identification of the boundary and preserving lung field consistency. To solve this problem, this paper proposed a lung segmentation algorithm based on non-local attention and multi-task learning. Firstly, an encoder-decoder convolutional network based on residual connection was used to extract multi-scale context and predict the boundary of lung. Secondly, a non-local attention mechanism to capture the long-range dependencies between pixels in the boundary regions and global context was proposed to enrich feature of inconsistent region. Thirdly, a multi-task learning to predict lung field based on the enriched feature was conducted. Finally, experiments to evaluate this algorithm were performed on JSRT and Montgomery dataset. The maximum improvement of Dice coefficient and accuracy were 1.99% and 2.27%, respectively, comparing with other representative algorithms. Results show that by enhancing the attention of boundary, this algorithm can improve the accuracy and reduce false segmentation.
X-Rays ; Algorithms ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; Thorax/diagnostic imaging* ; Lung/diagnostic imaging* ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

Objective:To investigate the modulatory function of interleukin-7 (IL-7)/CD 127 signaling pathway on CD 8+T cells in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods:Fifty-seven treatment-naive MG patients who were hospitalized in Department of Neurology, Nanyang Central Hospital between 2017 and 2020 as well as 35 healthy controls were enrolled. Peripheral blood was collected, while plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated. Plasma IL-7 and soluble CD 127 (sCD 127) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Membrane-bound CD 127 (mCD 127) percentage in CD 8+T cells was measured by flow cytometry. The differences of above indices between different gender, onset age, afflicting with thymoma, or different Osserman type and their correlation with Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) score were analyzed. Purified CD 8+T cells from MG patients were stimulated with recombinant human IL-7 (5 μg/L). Changes of sCD 127 and mCD 127 level were analyzed. Levels of perforin, granzyme B, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the cultured supernatants were measured by ELISA. Immune checkpoint molecules mRNA in CD 8+T cells was semi-quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results:Plasma IL-7 level was up-regulated in MG patients compared with controls [(293.4±74.7) pg/ml vs (233.8±70.8) pg/ml, t=3.78, P<0.001], while sCD 127 level was down-regulated in MG patients compared with controls [(102.7±13.7) pg/ml vs (131.2±20.9) pg/ml, t=7.91, P<0.001]. Peripheral CD 8+T cells percentage was up-regulated in MG patients compared with controls (35.4%±7.1% vs 30.2%±7.5%, t=3.31, P=0.001), and mCD 127+CD 8+T cell percentage was also elevated (45.5%±7.7% vs 34.7%±11.5%, t=5.44, P<0.001). There were no significant differences of above indices between different gender, onset age, afflicting with thymoma, or different Osserman type. There was no significant correlation between above indices and QMG score. There were no significant differences of sCD 127 in cultured supernatants, mCD 127+CD 8+T cell percentage, or immune checkpoint molecules mRNA expression between CD 8+T cells from MG patients with and without IL-7 stimulation. IL-7 stimulation promoted the secretion of perforin [(208.1±67.2) pg/ml vs (168.8±46.2) pg/ml, t=2.16, P=0.038], granzyme B [(941.8±273.9) pg/ml vs (782.4±137.2) pg/ml, t=2.33, P=0.025], and IFN-γ [(19.1±5.2) pg/ml vs (15.3±4.5) pg/ml, t=2.47, P=0.018] by CD 8+T cells. However, there was no remarkable difference of TNF-α production between CD 8+T cells with and without IL-7 stimulation. Conclusion:Elevated IL-7-mediated signaling pathway enhanced the secretion of cytotoxic molecules and cytokines by CD 8+T cells, leading to increased activity of CD 8+T cells in MG patients.

Objective : To study the effect of EFHD2 protein deletion in Sertoli cells on Occludin，a component of tight junction protein and the localization and expression of EF-hand domain family member D2 (EFHD2) in mouse testis． Methods : Total RNA and protein were extracted from adult mice's heart ，liver ，spleen ，lung ，kidney， brain and testis tissues．The mRNA and protein levels of EFHD2 in each organ tissue were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot．Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry detected the localization and expression of EF- HD2 in testicular tissues．SiRNA interference was used to reduce EFHD2 in Sertoli cells to detect Occludin protein expression. Results : qRT-PCR showed that the expression of EFHD2 was the highest in the testis．Western blot results showed that the expression level increased in testis tissue．Indirect immunofluorescence and immunohisto- chemistry results showed that the protein was mainly distributed in Sertoli cells and co-localized with cytoskeletal Vimentin，indicating that the protein was expressed in Sertoli cells．After the decrease of EFHD2 protein expres- sion，Occludin protein expression also decreased． Conclusion The expression of EFHD2 protein in the testis is relatively high，mainly distributed in Sertoli cells of the testis，co-localized with Vimentin，and can affect the nor- mal expression of tight junction protein Occludin．It is suggested that EFHD2 can promote and maintain the junction structure of Sertoli cells and provide a stable microenvironment for spermatogenesis.