Objective:To investigate the clinical value of ultrasonography combined with serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels in preoperative N staging and therapeutic effect evaluation in patients with thyroid cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 125 patients with thyroid cancer who underwent total thyroidectomy at The 903 Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force between January 2016 and December 2021. Based on the pathological results, the patients were divided into stages N0, N1a, and N1b. Consistency testing was performed to assess the consistency between ultrasonographic and pathological findings. The serological markers were compared between stage N0 and stage N1. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the correlation between antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and Tg and lymph node metastasis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum Tg, ultrasonography, and the combination of serum Tg with ultrasonography for lymph node metastasis.Results:Among the 125 patients, 51 cases were diagnosed with stage N1, including 36 cases of stage N1a and 15 cases of stage N1b. The pathological examination confirmed stage N0 in 74 cases. Ultrasonography results showed stage N0 in 96 cases, stage N1a in 7 cases, and stage N1b in 22 cases. The preoperative N staging of thyroid cancer patients by ultrasonography was moderately consistent with the pathological staging ( Kappa = 0.44, P < 0.001). Serum free triiodothyronine and Tg levels were higher in stage N1 compared with stage N0 ( P < 0.001), while serum TPOAb levels were lower in stage N1 than in stage N0 ( P = 0.017). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with lymph node metastasis as the dependent variable and the factors FT3, TPOAb, and Tg levels as independent variables. The analysis revealed that Tg was associated with lymph node metastasis ( OR = 1.02, P < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve for serum Tg level and ultrasonography for the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis were 0.67 and 0.65, respectively, which were significantly lower than the area under the curve (0.76) for the combined detection ( P < 0.001). Conclusion:The combined utilization of ultrasonography and serum Tg levels in the preoperative staging of thyroid cancer patients holds distinct clinical relevance. Notably, this combined approach offers a more precise diagnosis of lymph node metastasis compared with ultrasonography alone. Consequently, when making clinical judgments regarding preoperative lymph node metastasis, it is advisable to consider the results of both ultrasonography and serum Tg testing to facilitate surgical planning and evaluate surgical outcomes.

Objective:To explore the utility of applying low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the acute stage of ischemic stroke in terms of improving upper limb motor function.Methods:Eighty ischemic stroke survivors in the acute stage were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with 40 in each. In addition to routine rehabilitation, the experimental group was given low frequency rTMS, while the control group was provided with sham rTMS. Before and after 4-weeks of treatment, upper limb motor function was evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer rating scale (FMA), Wolf motor function tests (WMFTs), the modified Barthel index (MBI) and in terms of motor evoked potential (MEP) latency and amplitude.Results:There were no significant differences between the two groups before the treatment. Afterward, however, the average FMA, WMFT, MBI scores had improved significantly more in the experimental group, on average, as had the average MEP amplitude.Conclusion:Low frequency rTMS in the acute phase of ischemic stroke can improve upper limb motor function and ability in the activities of daily living.

Objective To explore the pulmonary ultrasound manifestations of pediatric infectious pneumonia and its combined diagnostic value with serum amyloid protein A(SAA)/hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)and procalcitonin(PCT).Methods A tatol of 107 children with infectious pneumonia admitted to the 903rd Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the People's Liberation Army of China from January 2019 to June 2023 were selected as the research group,and 50 healthy children who underwent physical examinations during the same period were selected as the control group.Both groups of children underwent lung ultrasound examination to analyze the ultrasound manifestations of children with infectious pneumonia,compare SAA/hs-CRP and PCT,and analyze the diagnostic value of lung ultrasound combined with SAA/hs-CRP and PCT detection for pediatric infectious pneumonia.Results Among 107 children with infectious pneumonia,104 were diagnosed positive by lung ultrasound,with a positive rate of 97.20％.The lung ultrasound score,SAA/hs-CRP,and PCT of the study group were higher than those of the control group(P＜0.05).The lung ultrasound score,SAA/hs-CRP,and PCT in children with severe infectious pneumonia were higher than those in mild cases(P＜0.05).The diagnostic efficacy of lung ultrasound combined with SAA/hs-CRP and PCT detection for pediatric infectious pneumonia is superior to that of individual detection,with a curve area of 0.923,sensitivity and specificity of 92.30％and 87.98％,respectively.The lung ultrasound score is positively correlated with SAA/hs-CRP and PCT(P＜0.05).Conclusion Pulmonary ultrasound can display the characteristics of pulmonary lesions in children with infectious pneumonia.The ultrasound manifestations of children are mostly abnormal pleural lines,increased B-lines,and pulmonary consolidation.Combined detection with SAA/hs-CRP and PCT can further improve the diagnostic efficiency of pediatric infectious pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE New inhaled formulations that act on the nose, mouth, respiratory tract, and whole body have received increasing attention. Meanwhile, the research and declaration of inhaled drugs have become hot spots amid infectious respiratory pandemic diseases worldwide. Due to the special anatomic structure of the nose, folds, grooves, and special structures may cause the specific uptake and deposition of inhaled substances. There are various epithelial tissues, glands, muscles, and cartilages in the vestibule, respiratory, and olfactory parts of the nose. Inhaled substances can generate irritating and toxic effects on various parts. The pathological diagnosis results from the preclinical safety evaluation of inhaled drugs are considered the gold standard for judging drug toxicology. The nose is composed of many bone components, and decalcification is required for the sectioning of hard bone tissues. Therefore, an efficient and high-quality decalcification method is the crucial pathological technique for evaluating inhaled drugs. METHODS In this study, 10% ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA), 10% formic acid, and 5% nitric acid decalcification solutions were selected. Besides, the decalcification time and effect of these decalcification solutions for rat nasal tissues were compared and analyzed under static room temperature and microwave conditions. Moreover, the quality of pathological bone tissue sections prepared through different decalcification methods was comprehensively evaluated. RESULTS Compared with the decalcification method under normal temperature, the decalcification time under the treatment of KOS decreased significantly. The treatment with the EDTA decalcification solution had the longest decalcification time under normal temperature, while the treatment with the nitric acid decalcification solution had the shortest decalcification time under microwaves. During section evaluation, the EDTA decalcification solution had a higher quality score under normal temperature and microwaves, which indicated that the section quality was favorable. The nitric acid decalcification solution had a lower section quality score under microwaves, which indicated that the section quality was unfavorable. There was medium section quality for the formic acid decalcification solution under microwaves and normal temperature and for the nitric acid decalcification solution under normal temperature. The HE staining results suggested that there were incomplete nasal mucosa epithelia, fragmentation, and pink nasal bone tissues in the tissue sections treated by the nitric acid decalcification solution, presenting a peracid state. In the tissue sections treated by the formic acid decalcification solution and the EDTA decalcification solution, the nucleus of epithelial cells was blue-purple, the cytoplasm and interstitial components were pink, and the epithelial tissue structure of nasal mucosa was intact. The MASSON staining results suggested that in the tissue sections treated by the nitric acid decalcification solution, the whole section staining was red, the positive area was not obvious, and the epithelial cell differentiation was not prominent, with a fuzzy structure. In the tissue sections treated by the formic acid decalcification solution, the sections were slightly detached during staining, and slight cracks were observed in submucosa tissues. In the tissue sections treated by the EDTA decalcification solution, the structure of positive regions and epithelial mucosa regions was clear, and the nuclear and interstitial components were clearly distinguished. The immunohistochemical staining (Ki67) results suggested that in the tissue sections treated by the nitric acid decalcification solution, the staining of positive regions was uneven, and there were nonspecific negative reactions in some regions. In addition, local epithelial cells were unstained. In the tissue sections treated by the formic acid decalcification solution, the local regions were not clearly stained, and nonspecific negative and positive reactions appeared in some local regions. In the tissue sections treated by the EDTA decalcification solution, the positive regions were prominent, the boundaries between negative regions and positive ones were clear, and each region of the sections was stained evenly. CONCLUSION Among the three decalcification solutions in this study, the nitric acid decalcification solution had the shortest decalcification time while the poor section and staining quality. The decalcification time of nasal tissues through the EDTA decalcification solution combined with microwaves was significantly shorter than that through the EDTA decalcification solution at normal temperature. Furthermore, this decalcification method achieved favorable section and staining quality.

Objective:To develop a risk prediction model for the recurrence of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in diabetic patients and primarily validate its predictive value.Methods:Meta-analysis combined with retrospective cohort study was conducted. The Chinese and English papers on risk factors related to DFU recurrence publicly published in China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, and the search time was from the establishment date of each database until March 31 st, 2022. The papers were screened and evaluated, the data were extracted, a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 statistical software to screen risk factors for DFU recurrence, and Egger's linear regression was used to assess the publication bias of the study results. Risk factors for DFU recurrence mentioned in ≥3 studies and with statistically significant differences in the meta-analysis were selected as the independent variables to develop a logistic regression model for risk prediction of DFU recurrence. The medical records of 101 patients with DFU who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January 2019 to June 2022 were collected. There were 69 males and 32 females, aged (63±14) years. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the predictive performance of the above constructed predictive model for DFU recurrence was drawn, and the area under the ROC curve, maximum Youden index, and sensitivity and specificity at the point were calculated. Dataset including data of 8 risk factors for DFU recurrence and the DFU recurrence rates of 10 000 cases was simulated using RStudio software and a scatter plot was drawn to determine two probabilities for risk division of DFU recurrence. Using the β coefficients corresponding to 8 DFU recurrence risk factors ×10 and taking the integer as the score of coefficient weight of each risk factor, the total score was obtained by summing up, and the cutoff scores for risk level division were calculated based on the total score × two probabilities for risk division of DFU recurrence. Results:Finally, 20 papers were included, including 3 case-control studies and 17 cohort studies, with a total of 4 238 cases and DFU recurrence rate of 22.7% to 71.2%. Meta-analysis showed that glycosylated hemoglobin >7.5% and with plantar ulcer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic peripheral vascular disease, smoking, osteomyelitis, history of amputation/toe amputation, and multidrug-resistant bacterial infection were risk factors for the recurrence of DFU (with odds ratios of 3.27, 3.66, 4.05, 3.94, 1.98, 7.17, 11.96, 3.61, 95% confidence intervals of 2.79-3.84, 2.06-6.50, 2.50-6.58, 2.65-5.84, 1.65-2.38, 2.29-22.47, 4.60-31.14, 3.13-4.17, respectively, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in publication biases of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic peripheral vascular disease, glycosylated hemoglobin >7.5%, plantar ulcer, smoking, multidrug-resistant bacterial infection, or osteomyelitis ( P>0.05), but there was a statistically significant difference in the publication bias of amputation/toe amputation ( t=-30.39, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of the predictive model was 0.81 (with 95% confidence interval of 0.71-0.91) and the maximum Youden index was 0.59, at which the sensitivity was 72% and the specificity was 86%. Ultimately, 29.0% and 44.8% were identified respectively as the cutoff for dividing the probability of low risk and medium risk, and medium risk and high risk for DFU recurrence, while the corresponding total scores of low, medium, and high risks of DFU recurrence were <37, 37-57, and 58-118, respectively. Conclusions:Eight risk factors for DFU recurrence are screened through meta-analysis and the risk prediction model for DFU recurrence is developed, which has moderate predictive accuracy and can provide guidance for healthcare workers to take interventions for patient with DFU recurrence risk.

Chronic cough can occur in children of all ages, and the incidence rate and consultation rate increase each year.Clarifying the cause of chronic cough is the key to treatment.At present, there are no convenient, operable and unified standards for etiological analysis of chronic cough in the world.Therefore, the etiological analysis of chronic cough has always been a hot topic in clinical research.With the development of diagnosis and treatment technology, the role of pulmonary function and exhaled nitric oxide in the diagnosis of chronic cough has attracted attention.This article reviews the application value of pulmonary function combined with exhaled nitric oxide in etiology analysis of chronic cough in children, to provide reference for etiology analysis of chronic cough in children.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel type of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), are generated from pre-mRNA by covalently backsplicing of a downstream 5′ splice donor site onto an upstream 3′ splice acceptor site. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs have diverse biological functions, such as acting as a miRNA sponge to repress miRNA function, participating in splicing of target genes and translating genes into protein. These functions are involved in pathogenesis and progression of many diseases, including viral infection. In this review, we provided a brief introduction on the biological characteristics and functions of circRNAs, and summarized recent findings on the emerging roles of circRNA in viral infections, which might provide a new angle to study pathogenic characteristics and to understand the virus-host interaction mechanism.

Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation is a unique post-translational modification that regulates many biological processes, such as DNA damage repair. During DNA repair, ADP-ribosylation needs to be reversed by ADP-ribosylhydrolases. A group of ADP-ribosylhydrolases have a catalytic domain, namely the macrodomain, which is conserved in evolution from prokaryotes to humans. Not all macrodomains remove ADP-ribosylation. One set of macrodomains loses enzymatic activity and only binds to ADP-ribose (ADPR). Here, we summarize the biological functions of these macrodomains in DNA damage repair and compare the structure of enzymatically active and inactive macrodomains. Moreover, small molecular inhibitors have been developed that target macrodomains to suppress DNA damage repair and tumor growth. Macrodomain proteins are also expressed in pathogens, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, these domains may not be directly involved in DNA damage repair in the hosts or pathogens. Instead, they play key roles in pathogen replication. Thus, by targeting macrodomains it may be possible to treat pathogen-induced diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
ADP-Ribosylation ; COVID-19/metabolism* ; DNA Repair/physiology* ; Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Models, Molecular ; N-Glycosyl Hydrolases/metabolism* ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases/metabolism* ; Protein Domains ; SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity*

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering of scarlet fever in Jinan, from 2014-2019, and to provide a basis for scarlet fever prevention and control. Methods The case data of scarlet fever in Jinan during 2013-2019 were extracted from the Chinese National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System. Descriptive epidemiology and spatiotemporal rearrangement scanning methods were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal distribution of scarlet fever. The RR values of scarlet fever in different towns (streets) were calculated, and the contour map of RR value was drawn. Results A total of 9 715 cases of scarlet fever were reported in Jinan from 2014 to 2019. During this period, the number of cases and the incidence rate showed a gradual increase, with two seasonal peaks in the winter and spring each year. Spatiotemporal clustering analysis detected a total of eight spatiotemporal aggregation areas, and the strongest one was in Licheng and Lixia Districts, from March 2017 to December 2019 (RR=3.45, LLR=577.88, P<0.001). The relative risk maps in each year from 2014 to 2019 were similar, and the areas with the highest risk were located in the central area of Jinan. Conclusion From 2014 to 2019, scarlet fever is highly prevalent in the central area of Jinan, with obvious spatial and temporal clustering. There are clustering areas in the central, southwest and eastern areas of Jinan, and there was a tendency for the disease to spread to Zhangqiu in the east and Pingyin in the southwest.

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) have enormous regulatory functions and play important roles in a variety of cellular processes including cell growth, differentiation, survival and apoptosis. Influenza A virus (FluA) is an important pathogen of serious threats to human health and livestock industry. The interaction mechanism between FluA and the host is very complicated. FluA infection can lead to differential expression of hundreds of host ncRNA, which has become a research hotspot in life sciences in recent years. This review summarizes the progress in different host-encoded ncRNA involved in regulating FluA infection, not only to study the interaction between viruses and hosts, but also to discover new antiviral strategies.