Objective To observe the value of non-parallel transmission(non-PTX)reduced field-of-view(rFOV)echo planar imaging(EPI)sequence applied in diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)for displaying prostate lesions.Methods Conventional EPI-DWI and non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were prospectively acquired in 30 patients with prostate lesions,including 22 cases of prostatic hyperplasia and 8 cases of prostate cancer.Subjective scoring of imaging quality,as well as objective evaluation on indexes including signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),contrast ratio(CR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and lesions'apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)values were performed and compared between two kinds of DWI.Results The subjective score of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI was higher than that of conventional EPI-DWI(P＜0.001).SNR,CR,CNR of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI and lesions'ADC values measured on non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were all higher than those of conventional EPI-DWI(all P＜0.05).Conclusion non-PTX rFOV-EPI DWI could display prostate lesions better than conventional EPI-DWI.

Background and Aims:Totally implantable venous access ports(TIVAP)are widely used in patients requiring long-term intravenous therapy.Traditional butterfly needle puncture fixation methods have limitations,including low success rates,increased pain,and risk of needle-stick injury.This study aimed to design an adjustable puncture protection kit for butterfly needles and evaluate its clinical utility using a simulated device.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 70 patients implanted with upper arm ports in the Hematology Department of Xiangya Hospital,Central South University,from January to December 2024.The patients were divided into a study group and a control group,with 35 cases in each,using a randomized block design.The study group underwent puncture with the simulated adjustable protection kit,while the control group used the traditional finger fixation method.Outcomes compared included first-attempt success rate,vertical puncture rate,pain score,puncture time,and complication rate.Results:The baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced.The study group had significantly higher first-attempt puncture success rate and vertical puncture rate than the control group(94.3%vs.77.1%;91.4%vs.57.1%,both P<0.05).In the experimental group compared with the control group,pain scores were lower(1.80±1.13 vs.2.94±1.33,P<0.05),and puncture time was shorter[(31.31±9.05)s vs.(41.80±23.97)s,P<0.05].There was no significant difference in the incidence of puncture-related complications between the two groups(2.9%vs.14.3%,P>0.05).Conclusion:The simulated adjustable butterfly needle puncture protection kit effectively improves puncture success,enhances efficiency,reduces patient pain,and demonstrates good clinical safety.This innovative design provides a promising solution for reducing needle-stick injury risks and optimizing port puncture procedures,although larger,multicenter,and long-term studies are warranted.

Objective To observe the value of non-parallel transmission(non-PTX)reduced field-of-view(rFOV)echo planar imaging(EPI)sequence applied in diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)for displaying prostate lesions.Methods Conventional EPI-DWI and non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were prospectively acquired in 30 patients with prostate lesions,including 22 cases of prostatic hyperplasia and 8 cases of prostate cancer.Subjective scoring of imaging quality,as well as objective evaluation on indexes including signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),contrast ratio(CR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and lesions'apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)values were performed and compared between two kinds of DWI.Results The subjective score of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI was higher than that of conventional EPI-DWI(P＜0.001).SNR,CR,CNR of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI and lesions'ADC values measured on non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were all higher than those of conventional EPI-DWI(all P＜0.05).Conclusion non-PTX rFOV-EPI DWI could display prostate lesions better than conventional EPI-DWI.

Background and Aims:Totally implantable venous access ports(TIVAP)are widely used in patients requiring long-term intravenous therapy.Traditional butterfly needle puncture fixation methods have limitations,including low success rates,increased pain,and risk of needle-stick injury.This study aimed to design an adjustable puncture protection kit for butterfly needles and evaluate its clinical utility using a simulated device.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 70 patients implanted with upper arm ports in the Hematology Department of Xiangya Hospital,Central South University,from January to December 2024.The patients were divided into a study group and a control group,with 35 cases in each,using a randomized block design.The study group underwent puncture with the simulated adjustable protection kit,while the control group used the traditional finger fixation method.Outcomes compared included first-attempt success rate,vertical puncture rate,pain score,puncture time,and complication rate.Results:The baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced.The study group had significantly higher first-attempt puncture success rate and vertical puncture rate than the control group(94.3%vs.77.1%;91.4%vs.57.1%,both P<0.05).In the experimental group compared with the control group,pain scores were lower(1.80±1.13 vs.2.94±1.33,P<0.05),and puncture time was shorter[(31.31±9.05)s vs.(41.80±23.97)s,P<0.05].There was no significant difference in the incidence of puncture-related complications between the two groups(2.9%vs.14.3%,P>0.05).Conclusion:The simulated adjustable butterfly needle puncture protection kit effectively improves puncture success,enhances efficiency,reduces patient pain,and demonstrates good clinical safety.This innovative design provides a promising solution for reducing needle-stick injury risks and optimizing port puncture procedures,although larger,multicenter,and long-term studies are warranted.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary dis-ease(COPD)is the most common chronic airway disease.The current status of treatment based mainly on bronchodilators and ICS is not sufficient for all of COPD patients.Various studies have at-tempted to use biologics targeting specific cyto-kines and their receptors in COPD patients to allevi-ate respiratory symptoms or reduce the risk of acute exacerbations.However,they failed to bring significant clinical benefits.More studies are need-ed to further determine the efficacy of targeted biotherapy for COPD.

Chronic cough is a common condition that imposes significant physical,psychological,and social burdens on patients.Although chronic cough is often associated with underlying condi-tions such as asthma,gastroesophageal reflux dis-ease,and eosinophilic bronchitis,some patients ex-perience uncontrollable coughing that is difficult to attribute to a specific cause.Many of these pa-tients exhibit clinical features of cough hypersensi-tivity syndrome,providing new directions for re-search into the treatment of chronic cough.As the pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic cough are further elucidated,treatment approaches for chronic cough are entering a new stage of develop-ment.This article summarizes and discusses the mechanisms and clinical evidence of central neuro-modulators used in the treatment of chronic cough,suggesting promising clinical applications for these drugs in the future.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common chronic airway disease. The current status of treatment based mainly on bronchodilators and ICS is not sufficient for all of COPD patients. Various studies have attempted to use biologics targeting specific cytokines and their receptors in COPD patients to alleviate respiratory symptoms or reduce the risk of acute exacerbations. However, they failed to bring significant clinical benefits. More studies are needed to further determine the efficacy of targeted biotherapy for COPD.

Chronic cough is a common condition that imposes significant physical, psychological, and social burdens on patients. Although chronic cough is often associated with underlying conditions such as asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and eosinophilic bronchitis, some patients experience uncontrollable coughing that is difficult to attribute to a specific cause. Many of these patients exhibit clinical features of cough hypersensitivity syndrome, providing new directions for research into the treatment of chronic cough. As the pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic cough are further elucidated, treatment approaches for chronic cough are entering a new stage of development. This article summarizes and discusses the mechanisms and clinical evidence of central neuromodulators used in the treatment of chronic cough, suggesting promising clinical applications for these drugs in the future.

BACKGROUND:Total knee arthroplasty is the main therapeutic regimen for end-stage osteoarthritis.However,diabetes mellitus can affect the treatment effect and prognosis. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of diabetes mellitus on perioperative blood loss and postoperative pain in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:A retrospective study was conducted on 154 patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty and met the inclusion criteria in the Osteonecrosis and Joint Reconstruction Ward of Xi'an Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from January to April 2021.Patients were divided into a non-diabetic group and a diabetic group according to their diagnosis,with 32 cases in the diabetic group,9 males and 23 females,aged 55 to 80(66.58±7.16)years and 122 cases in the non-diabetic group,34 males and 88 females,aged 44 to 83(66.69±6.63)years.Perioperative blood loss(including total blood loss,hidden blood loss,the falling value of hemoglobin and hematocrit)was calculated for both groups.Visual analog scale scores,hospital for special surgery knee score,and Caprini scores were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Total blood loss was significantly lower in the non-diabetic group(729.93±233.83 mL)than that in the diabetic group(853.69±184.91 mL)(P<0.05).Latent hidden blood loss was also significantly lower in the non-diabetic group(624.40±233.19 mL)than that in the diabetic group(749.08±179.49 mL)(P<0.05).(2)In the non-diabetic group,the visual analog scale scores preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively were significantly lower than those in the diabetic group(P<0.05).The differences in visual analog scale scores at 3 days and 3 months postoperatively between the non-diabetic group and the diabetic group were not statistically significant(P>0.05).(3)The hospital for special surgery knee score at 1 month postoperatively was significantly higher in the non-diabetic group than that in the diabetic group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in hospital for special surgery knee score between the two groups at 3 months postoperatively(P>0.05).(4)There was no statistically significant difference in preoperative and postoperative Caprini scores between the two groups(P>0.05).(5)It is concluded that having diabetes increases total and occult hidden blood loss in primary total knee arthroplasty.In the short term after total knee arthroplasty,diabetes increases the patient's pain and affects the recovery of joint function,but the negative effects fade with time.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary dis-ease(COPD)is the most common chronic airway disease.The current status of treatment based mainly on bronchodilators and ICS is not sufficient for all of COPD patients.Various studies have at-tempted to use biologics targeting specific cyto-kines and their receptors in COPD patients to allevi-ate respiratory symptoms or reduce the risk of acute exacerbations.However,they failed to bring significant clinical benefits.More studies are need-ed to further determine the efficacy of targeted biotherapy for COPD.