Objective To investigate the current distribution of radiotherapy resources in Gansu Province, evaluate the equity of resource allocation, and provide a scientific basis for optimizing regional resource allocation. Methods A questionnaire survey was carried out to assess radiotherapy resources in medical institutions across Gansu Province, China. The equity of radiotherapy resource distribution and associated disparities were assessed using the Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve, and Theil index. Results A total of 23 medical institutions in Gansu Province provided radiotherapy services, comprising 39 radiotherapy devices and 438 professionals, of whom medical physicists accounted for 16.9%. The radiotherapy frequency was 0.47 cases per thousand population. The Gini coefficients for radiotherapy resource distribution ranged from 0.38 to 0.56 by population and from 0.52 to 0.70 by geography. The Theil index for radiotherapy resources ranged from 1.36 to 3.67. Conclusion Radiotherapy resources in Gansu Province were insufficient, and the capacity of radiotherapy service was suboptimal. The equity of radiotherapy resource allocation by geography was worse than that by population. Therefore, it is imperative to address the shortage of radiotherapy resources, strengthen the professional workforce, enhance the capacity radiotherapy service and resource utilization, optimize resource allocation, and promote regional equity in radiotherapy provision in Gansu Province.

This paper explores the research progress of acupuncture for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis. According to the fundamental pathogenesis of AD in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which attributes to kidney deficiency, marrow depletion, and impaired mental faculties, as well as the governor vessel's connection between the kidney and brain, the concept of the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis is proposed. The theoretical basis of the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis is analyzed based on the meridian pathway and physiological functions of the governor vessel, as well as the interdependent and mutually reinforcing relationships among the kidney, governor vessel, and brain. The relationship between AD and the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis is elucidated from both traditional medical theories and modern biological perspectives. Integrating clinical and mechanistic research on AD prevention and treatment based on this axis, it is suggested that the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis provides valuable insights and references for future research on AD prevention and treatment.
Humans ; Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Kidney/blood supply* ; Brain/blood supply* ; Meridians ; Blood Vessels/physiopathology*

Acute lung injury (ALI) has been a kind of acute and severe disease that is mainly characterized by systemic uncontrolled inflammatory response to the production of huge amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the lung tissue. Given the critical role of ROS in ALI, a Fe₃O₄ loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocluster (BF) was developed to act as a nanomedicine for the treatment of ALI. Combining with NIR irradiation, it exhibited excellent ROS scavenging capacity. Significantly, it also displayed the excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced macrophages (RAW264.7), and Sprague Dawley rats via lowering intracellular ROS levels, reducing inflammatory factors expression levels, inducing macrophage M2 polarization, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell ratios, as well as upregulating HSP70 and CD31 expression levels to reprogram redox homeostasis, reduce systemic inflammation, activate immunoregulation, and accelerate lung tissue repair, finally achieving the synergistic enhancement of ALI immunotherapy. It finally provides an effective therapeutic strategy of BF + NIR for the management of inflammation related diseases.

Objective To analyze the composition of the aqueous extract of Polygonatum Cyrtonema Hua(PCHE)and evaluate its antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo.Our aim is to provide a theoretical basis for the further development and utilization of Polygonatum Cyrtonema Hua.Methods(1)PCHE was prepared by aqueous extraction,and the chemical composition of PCHE was analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and phenol-sulfuric acid method.The inhibitory activity on tumor cells proliferation of PCHE was detected by CCK-8 assay.Cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry,and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax was detected by Western Blot.The inhibitory activity of PCHE-containing serum on cell proliferation was detected.(2)A B16 tumor-bearing mice model was constructed and model mice were randomly divided into the model group(saline),the positive drug group(CTX:50 mg·kg-1),and PCHE low-,medium-,and high-dose groups(55.9,111.8,223.6 mg·kg-1),and treated by gavage for 7 days.Changes in body weight and tumor volume of mice were observed during the treatment period.The mice were executed after the treatment,and the histopathological changes of heart,liver,spleen,lung,kidney and tumor were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.The protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC).Results The polysaccharide content of PCHE reached(10.07±1.3)%,and the flavonoid content was(0.044±0.004)%,and thirty-nine components were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS,which contained antitumor components such as flavonoids(baicalein,quercetin,luteolin and rutin),organic acids(ferulic acid)and polyphenols(gallic acid),etc.PCHE exhibited the inhibitory effects on Hela,A549,4T1,B16,MFC and HepG2 cells,among which the inhibitory effect on B16 cells was the most significant(P＜0.001),and PCHE induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase in B16 cells(P＜0.001).The results of double-staining flow cytometry and Western Blot showed that PCHE significantly promoted apoptosis of B16 cells,decreased the expression of Bcl-2,and promoted the expression of Bax(P＜0.01,P＜0.001).and PCHE constituents absorbed into blood also had an inhibitory effect on B16 cells(P＜0.001).In addition,the results of in vivo activity assay showed that different doses of PCHE could inhibit tumor growth,induce tumor cell necrosis,reduce Bcl-2 expression,and increase Bax expression compared with the model group.Conclusion The ingredients in PCHE are abundant.It contains a variety of antitumor active ingredients,which can inhibit tumor growth,induce tumor cell apoptosis,show strong anti-tumor effects and be worthy of in-depth study.

Nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR1) interacts with various nuclear receptors and regulates the anabolism and catabolism of lipids. An imbalance in lipid/energy homeostasis is also an important factor in obesity and metabolic syndrome development. In this study, we found that the deletion of NCoR1 in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) mainly activated the nuclear receptor PPARα and attenuated metabolic syndrome by stimulating thermogenesis. The increase in brown adipose tissue thermogenesis was mediated by gut-derived tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate succinate, whose production was significantly enhanced by PPARα activation in the fed state. Additionally, NCoR1 deletion derepressed intestinal LXR, increased cholesterol excretion, and impaired duodenal lipid absorption by decreasing bile acid hydrophobicity, thereby reversing the possible negative effects of intestinal PPARα activation. Therefore, the simultaneous regulatory effect of intestinal NCoR1 on both lipid intake and energy expenditure strongly suggests that it is a promising target for developing metabolic syndrome treatment.

Objective Based on the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectormetry (LC-MS/MS), to study the effects of Pogostemon cablin on serum metabolism of Guizhou miniature pigs， and to explore its pharmacological mechanism.MethodsNine healthy Guizhou miniature pigs were divided into two groups, namely Pogostemon cablin drug group (n=5) and control group (n=4). The pigs in Pogostemon cablin drug group were orally fed with traditional Chinese medicine formula granules, each 0.5 g per day, for consecutive 8 days, while those in control group were given normal feeding without additional treatment. After the feeding experiment, serum samples were collected and analyzed using the LC-MS/MS technology. The metabolomics data was annotated and compared with KEGG, HMDB and Lipidmaps databases. Bioinformatics analysis methods including partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), intergroup clustering, differential metabolite analysis and functional enrichment were used to screen differential metabolic biomarkers and their possible metabolic pathways.Results Forty-four differential metabolites (P<0.05) were screened out from the 443 metabolites, eight differential metabolites were significantly up-regulated (P<0.01), namely cinnamoylglycine, N-benzyl-N-isopropyl-N'-[4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenyl]urea, hypotaurine, D-glucose 6-phosphate, cis-2-decenoic acid, 11(Z),14(Z)-eicosadienoic acid, prostaglandin A2 and 10-hydroxydecanoic acid, and three differential metabolites were significantly down-regulated (P<0.01), namely lysophosphatidyl choline 22:5, lysophosphatidic acid 22:6 and lysophosphatidic acid 22:5. The differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism (MapID: map00250) and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism (MapID: map00430).Conclusion Pogostemon cablin can significantly affect the metabolism of lysophosphatidic acids in porcine, and relieve the disorder of amino acids metabolism and regulate the occurrence of inflammation by affecting the metabolic pathways of alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism.

Exercise therapy is an important part of the comprehensive treatment of peripheral vascular diseases, including walking, high-intensity intermittent exercise, resistance exercise and other forms. This article reviews the intensity (exercise load, severity of claudication during exercise, increase of exercise volume) and duration (duration of each exercise, exercise rest ratio, weekly exercise frequency, duration of treatment course) of exercise, and points out that medical and nursing staff should formulate personalized "exercise prescriptions" according to patients' tolerance, and provide personalized nursing guidance to patients, so that patients with peripheral vascular diseases can obtain great benefits in exercise therapy.

Objective To evaluate the value of high-frequency color ultrasound for different types of thyroid nodules during healthy examinations. Methods A total of 150 subjects with ultrasound diagnosis of thyroid nodule abnormality were enrolled. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of ultrasound diagnosis for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules were evaluated with histopathological examinations of surgical thyroid specimens as a gold standard. Results A single thyroid nodule was found in all patients, and histopathological examinations identified 102 benign thyroid nodules and 48 malignant nodules. Microcalcification showed the highest accuracy for prediction of benign and malignant thyroid nodules (98.1%; χ² = 45.67, P = 0.001), followed by taller than wider shape of thyroid nodule (92.1%; χ² = 34.06, P = 0.001), central vascularity (82.0%; χ² = 13.29, P = 0.001), halo (76.0%; χ² = 6.15, P = 0.008) and hypoechogenicity (70.3%; χ² = 10.63, P = 0.001). In addition, ultrasound diagnosis showed a 100.0% sensitivity, a 94.1% specificity, a 88.9% positive predictive value, a 100.0% negative predictive value and a 96.0% accuracy for differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules (χ² = 41.830, P < 0.001). Conclusion High-frequency color ultrasound has a high diagnostic accuracy for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and microcalcification and taller than wider shape of thyroid nodule exhibit high values for predicting the malignancy of thyroid nodules.

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound-guided transperineal systematic prostate biopsy(SPB)and cognitive fusion multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging(mpMRI) suspicious transperineal targeted biopsy(CFTB) in the prostate cancer with different serum prostate specific antigen(PSA) levels.Methods:A retrospective analyses were performed in 527 patients with suspected prostate cancer who underwent ultrasound-guided SPB from January 2018 to December 2019 in Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated 6th People′s Hospital. According to the PSA levels, they were divided into group A(PSA 4-10 μg/L) and group B(PSA>10 μg/L). All the patients underwent ultrasound-guided SPB, 376 patients with suspicious mpMRI had two additional targeted biopsies. The detection rates of ultrasound-guided SPB and CFTB in prostate cancer were tested by χ 2 test. Compared with pathological results, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of two methods were calculated and tested by χ 2 test, and a P<0.05 was defined as statistically significant difference. Results:Prostate cancer was detected in 319 of 527 patients(60.5%). One hundred and three cases of 198 patients in group A were diagnosed as prostate cancer, with an overall detection rate was 52.0%. Among them, ultrasound-guided SPB detected 72 cases of prostate cancer, the detection rate was 36.4%, sensitivity was 67.9%, specificity was 17.7%, accuracy was 26.5%, the detection rate, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CFTB were 39.9%, 75.6%, 91.6% and 88.8%, respectively. In this group, there were no statistically significant differences in the detection rate and sensitivity of the two methods in the diagnosis of prostate cancer (χ 2=0.525, 0.005, both P>0.05), and the differences in specificity and accuracy were statistically significant (χ 2=108.340, 79.829, respectively, both P<0.05). Two hundred and sixteen cases of 329 patients in group B were diagnosed as prostate cancer, with an overall detection rate was 65.7%. Among them, 160 cases of perineal prostate cancer were detected by ultrasound-guided SPB, with the detection rate was 48.6%, sensitivity was 78.2%, specificity was 37.6% and accuracy was 49.5%. A total of 189 cases of prostate cancer detected by CFTB, the detection rate was 57.4%, the sensitivity was 89.3%, the specificity was 90.6%, and the accuracy was 90.2%. All the differences were statistically significant in group B(χ 2=5.131, 4.391, 61.339, 38.982, all P<0.05). Conclusions:When PSA is greater than 10 μg/L, CFTB has a higher diagnostic efficiency than SPB.When PSA is 4-10 μg/L, there are no significant differences between the two methods in the detection rate and sensitivity of prostate cancer.

Objective:To evaluate the identification rate of separating gel or HB&L pretreatment methods of MALDI-TOF-MS, thereby to provide a new idea for the rapid and accurate identification of pathogens of bloodstream infections in daily clinic practice.Methods:A total of 149 alarmed positive blood culture samples of single bacterial infection by routine laboratory methods were collected between January to December 2020 from the Sixth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital. Samples were pretreated with the separation gel accelerating tube method or the HB&L microbial culture system, followed by direct MALDI-TOF MS bacterial identification, the identification rates of the two pretreatment methods were compared and results from the traditional method were used as the standard control.Results:Among the 149 positive blood culture samples, 47.0% (70/149) were gram-negative (G -) bacteria and 53.0% (79/149) were gram-positive (G +) bacteria. Identification rate of G -strain level was 78.6% (55/70) by serum separation gel coagulation tube method and 91.4% (64/70) by HB&L microbial culture system, the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.033). Identification rate of G +strain levels was 73.4% (58/79) by serum separation gel coagulation tube method and 87.3% (69/79) by HB&L microbial culture system, the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.028). For G -bacteria in the range of 3.000-2.300, the identification rate was 22.9% (16/70) by serum separation gel accelerating tube method and 38.6% (27/70) by the HB&L microbial culture system, the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.044). For G +bacteria in the range of 3.000-2.300, the identification rate was 19.0% (15/79) by serum separation gel accelerating tube method and 34.2% (27/79) by the HB&L microbial culture system, the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.031). Conclusion:The identification rate of HB&L microbial culture system is higher than that of serum separation gel coagulation tube method. Direct MALDI-TOF MS identification of pathogenic bacteria in positive blood culture samples after pretreatment is feasible in daily clinical practice.