Objective:To investigate the denoising performance of different deep learning (DL) strategies on low-dose brain 18F-FDG PET images. Methods:This retrospective methodological study was conducted on brain PET/CT images of 50 patients (35 males, 15 females, age 20-87 years) who received 3.7MBq/kg 18F-FDG at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between May 2023 and January 2024. Full-dose PET data were acquired with 2min scan. CT scans were acquired before PET scanning. Low-dose PET sinograms were generated by down-sampling the full-dose list mode data to 1/2, 1/4, and 1/20 of full-dose count level. Both full-dose and low-dose sinograms were reconstructed with random, CT-based attenuation and scatter corrections using the three-dimensional (3D) ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm (2 iterations, 20 subsets). A total of 4 DL denoising methods were established: (1) 3D conditional generative adversarial networks (GAN) using only low-dose PET as input (GAN-1); (2) 3D attention-based GAN (AttGAN) with low-dose PET input (AttGAN-1); (3) 3D AttGAN with low-dose PET and CT inputs (AttGAN-2); (4) 3D AttGAN with frequency-separation using low-dose PET and CT inputs (AttGAN-FS-2). For AttGAN-FS-2, during the frequency division process, high- and low-frequency components were extracted from the PET reconstructed images via Fourier transform, then inversed Fourier transform, denoised separately, and finally combined to produce the final denoised images. The dataset was separated into training (70%), validation (10%) and testing (20%) sets using simple random sampling without replacement with a fixed random seed. A 5-fold cross-validation scheme was then applied to test all 50 patients. Performance was evaluated against full-dose PET using normalized mean square error (NMSE), structural similarity (SSIM), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), SUV mean and SUV max bias of selected brain ROIs. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze the differences between the denoising methods. Results:AttGAN-FS-2 showed the best performance among all dose levels, with statistical difference as compared by low-dose PET and GAN-1 denoised images for NMSE, SSIM, PSNR, and CNR ( Z values: 2.92-6.15, all P<0.005). NMSE, SSIM quantitative evaluation results (median) of each model at 1/20 dose were: GAN-1: 0.08, 0.87, AttGAN-1: 0.08, 0.88, AttGAN-2: 0.07, 0.89, AttGAN-FS-2: 0.06, 0.91, respectively ( Z values: 3.24-5.77, all P<0.005). Conclusion:The DL-based method combined with multiple strategies AttGAN-FS-2 shows improved denoising performance for low-dose brain PET images.

Healthy dental pulp is essential for preserving teeth and maintaining their normal function. Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is widely used in clinical applications because it aims to preserve vital pulp and enhance the long-term survival of teeth. An accurate diagnosis of pulp vitality is a prerequisite for successful VPT. However, accurately assessing pulp viability remains challenging in clinical practice. Pulp viability is influenced by various factors, including the type of pulp exposure, caries status, periodontitis, trauma, treatment factors, patient age, and individual differences. Assessing pulp viability requires a comprehensive consideration of medical history and clinical manifestations, along with a combination of various auxiliary methods, such as pulp sensibility tests, pulp blood flow tests, imaging techniques and molecular diagnostics. In the future, the technology for assessing pulp vitality should evolve toward chairside, visualization, and precision techniques, to achieve consistency between clinical and histological diagnoses, thereby providing patients with the most effective treatment.

Objective:To investigate the denoising performance of different deep learning (DL) strategies on low-dose brain 18F-FDG PET images. Methods:This retrospective methodological study was conducted on brain PET/CT images of 50 patients (35 males, 15 females, age 20-87 years) who received 3.7MBq/kg 18F-FDG at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between May 2023 and January 2024. Full-dose PET data were acquired with 2min scan. CT scans were acquired before PET scanning. Low-dose PET sinograms were generated by down-sampling the full-dose list mode data to 1/2, 1/4, and 1/20 of full-dose count level. Both full-dose and low-dose sinograms were reconstructed with random, CT-based attenuation and scatter corrections using the three-dimensional (3D) ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm (2 iterations, 20 subsets). A total of 4 DL denoising methods were established: (1) 3D conditional generative adversarial networks (GAN) using only low-dose PET as input (GAN-1); (2) 3D attention-based GAN (AttGAN) with low-dose PET input (AttGAN-1); (3) 3D AttGAN with low-dose PET and CT inputs (AttGAN-2); (4) 3D AttGAN with frequency-separation using low-dose PET and CT inputs (AttGAN-FS-2). For AttGAN-FS-2, during the frequency division process, high- and low-frequency components were extracted from the PET reconstructed images via Fourier transform, then inversed Fourier transform, denoised separately, and finally combined to produce the final denoised images. The dataset was separated into training (70%), validation (10%) and testing (20%) sets using simple random sampling without replacement with a fixed random seed. A 5-fold cross-validation scheme was then applied to test all 50 patients. Performance was evaluated against full-dose PET using normalized mean square error (NMSE), structural similarity (SSIM), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), SUV mean and SUV max bias of selected brain ROIs. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze the differences between the denoising methods. Results:AttGAN-FS-2 showed the best performance among all dose levels, with statistical difference as compared by low-dose PET and GAN-1 denoised images for NMSE, SSIM, PSNR, and CNR ( Z values: 2.92-6.15, all P<0.005). NMSE, SSIM quantitative evaluation results (median) of each model at 1/20 dose were: GAN-1: 0.08, 0.87, AttGAN-1: 0.08, 0.88, AttGAN-2: 0.07, 0.89, AttGAN-FS-2: 0.06, 0.91, respectively ( Z values: 3.24-5.77, all P<0.005). Conclusion:The DL-based method combined with multiple strategies AttGAN-FS-2 shows improved denoising performance for low-dose brain PET images.

ObjectiveTo provide technical support for the molecular surveillance of pathogenic bacteria strains carrying mobile colistin resistance-1 （mcr⁃1） gene isolate from inlet of wastewater treatment plants （WWTP）. MethodsThe Enterobacteriaceae strains carrying mcr⁃1 resistance gene isolate from inlet of WWTP during April 1 to June 30， 2023 in Shanghai were cultured on blood-rich and SS culture medium and were identified using a mass spectrometry analyzer. The mcr⁃1 gene and copy number were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Drug susceptibility test was performed by microbroth dilution method. The copy numbers of Escherichia coli carrying mcr⁃1 gene isolated from wastewater and human fecel were statistically analyzed by SPSS 25.0. ResultsA total of 14 strains carrying the mcr⁃1 gene were isolated from 49 WWTP samples， and the positive isolation rate was 28.6%， including 12 non-diarrheal E. coli strains and 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The drug susceptibility results showed that all 14 strains were multi-drug resistant bacteria. They were all sensitive to imipenem and tigecycline， but were ampicillin- and cefazolin-resistant. There was no significant difference in the copy number between human-sourced diarrheal E. coli and wastewater-sourced non-diarrheal E. coli （t=0.647， P>0.05）. ConclusionThe isolation and identification of strains carrying the mcr⁃1 gene from inlet of WWTP samples were firstly established in Shanghai. The multi-drug resistance among the isolated strains is severe. To effectively prevent and control the spread of colistin-resistant bacteria， more attention should be paid to the surveillance of mcr⁃1 gene.

Background::Artificial intelligence (AI) technology represented by deep learning has made remarkable achievements in digital pathology, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of diagnosis and prognosis evaluation. The spatial distribution of CD3 + and CD8 + T cells within the tumor microenvironment has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate CD3 CT (CD3 + T cells density in the core of the tumor [CT]) prognostic ability in patients with CRC by using AI technology. Methods::The study involved the enrollment of 492 patients from two distinct medical centers, with 358 patients assigned to the training cohort and an additional 134 patients allocated to the validation cohort. To facilitate tissue segmentation and T-cells quantification in whole-slide images (WSIs), a fully automated workflow based on deep learning was devised. Upon the completion of tissue segmentation and subsequent cell segmentation, a comprehensive analysis was conducted.Results::The evaluation of various positive T cell densities revealed comparable discriminatory ability between CD3 CT and CD3-CD8 (the combination of CD3 + and CD8 + T cells density within the CT and invasive margin) in predicting mortality (C-index in training cohort: 0.65 vs. 0.64; validation cohort: 0.69 vs. 0.69). The CD3 CT was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor, with high CD3 CT density associated with increased overall survival (OS) in the training cohort (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12–0.38, P <0.001) and validation cohort (HR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05–0.92, P = 0.037). Conclusions::We quantify the spatial distribution of CD3 + and CD8 + T cells within tissue regions in WSIs using AI technology. The CD3 CT confirmed as a stage-independent predictor for OS in CRC patients. Moreover, CD3 CT shows promise in simplifying the CD3-CD8 system and facilitating its practical application in clinical settings.

[摘 要] 目的：探究益气活血汤对恶性肿瘤患者癌痛及癌因性疲乏（CRF）的疗效。方法: 选取2020年1月至2022年12月间安徽省中医药大学第二附属医院收治的82例确诊发生CRF的恶性肿瘤患者（气血亏虚证），采用随机数字表余数分组法将其分为对照组与观察组，每组各41例。对照组患者采用常规止痛、止吐、化痰等对症治疗及健康、心理指导，观察组患者在对照组干预的基础上联合益气活血汤治疗，4周为1个疗程。治疗前及治疗4周后，对两组患者进行中医证候积分评估，以积分变化评估中医临床疗效；采用修订版Piper疲乏量表（RPFS）评估CRF的改善情况；采用数字疼痛分级法（NRS）评分比较癌痛情况；检测患者外周血纤维蛋白原（FIB）、D-二聚体（D-D）评价凝血功能差异，检测患者肝、肾功能指标以评估益气活血汤治疗的安全性。结果：治疗前，两组患者在中医证候积分、RPFS评分、NRS评分及外周血FIB、D-D方面的差异均无显著统计学意义（均P>0.05）。治疗4周后，两组患者在神疲乏力、面色淡白或萎黄、自汗、失眠健忘、手足麻木的证候评分及总积分均较治疗前明显降低（均P<0.05），且观察组各项评分均低于对照组（均P<0.05），中医临床疗效明显高于对照组（P<0.05）；两组患者RPFS各维度评分及总分均较治疗前降低（均P<0.05），观察组行为、情感、感觉维度RPFS评分及总分均低于对照组（均P<0.05），观察组CRF的改善明显优于对照组（P<0.05）；两组患者NRS评分及外周血FIB、D-D指标均较治疗前降低（均P<0.05），且观察组均低于对照组（均P<0.05）。两组患者治疗期间均未发生肝功能、肾功能等明显异常，说明益气活血汤安全性良好。结论：益气活血汤可纠正气血亏虚之证，改善机体凝血功能，促进恶性肿瘤患者CRF及癌痛的减轻，临床应用价值较高。

Objective:To explore the intervention effect of Shumu Peitu herb-partitioned moxibustion on clinical signs and symptoms and negative emotions of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) patients with liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency pattern.Methods:A total of 72 patients with IBS-D of liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency pattern treated in the Department of Gastroenterology of Nanjing Vniversity of Chinese Medicine from September 2021 to June 2022 were selected for randomized controlled trial. The patients were randomly divided into the observation group (2 cases dropped off, 34 cases in total) and control group (1 case dropped off, 35 cases in total) by random number table method. The patients in control group were treated with Tongxieyaofang (TXYF). The patients in observation group were treated with oral administration of TXYF and Shumu Peitu herb-partitioned moxibustion, and both groups were treated for 4 weeks. The clinical efficacy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome integral, IBS Quality of Life Questionnaire (IBS-QOL), IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), Bristol Stool Form Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were compared before and after treatment.Results:After treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was 94.12%(32/34), which was higher than the 71.43%(25/35) in the control group, the difference was significant ( χ2 = 6.18, P<0.05). After treatment, the TCM syndrome integral in the observation group was (7.62 ± 4.08), which was lower than the (9.89 ± 4.71) in the control group, the difference was significant ( t = 2.14, P<0.05). After treatment of 3 days, the scores of quality of life in the five dimensions of dysthymia, behavior disorder, health worry, avoidance of eating and social function in the observation group were (82.44 ± 11.46), (80.25 ± 11.67), (76.23 ± 12.67), (59.80 ± 15.14) and (79.23 ± 11.59) points, which were different with the (73.57 ± 12.39), (72.35 ± 15.48), (69.76 ± 13.11), (50.00 ± 16.17) and (73.04 ± 13.11) points in the control group, the difference were significant ( t values were -3.09 - -2.08, all P<0.05). Three days after treatment, the score of IBS-SSS and Bristol fecal character in the observation group were (118.24 ± 40.64) and (5.09 ± 0.62) points, which were lower than the (146.86 ± 60.09) and (5.51 ± 0.66) points in the control group, the difference were significant ( t = 2.31 and 2.76, both P<0.05). After treatment, the score of HADS-A and HADS-D in the observation group were (6.26 ± 1.75) and (5.29 ± 1.47), which were different with the (7.26 ± 2.19) and (6.17 ± 2.11) in the control group, the difference were significant ( t = 2.08 and 2.00, both P<0.05). Conclusions:Shumu Peitu herb-partitioned moxibustion can effectively improve IBS-D patients with liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency pattern, relieve clinical symptoms, reduce negative emotions, and improve quality of life.

Objective:To analyze the patterns of antibacterial agents in Chinese children surveyed by the China multi-center monitoring network for the application of antibacterial agents in children and neonates in 2019 by using World Health Organization (WHO) Access, Watch, Reserve and Not-recommended (AWaRe) and typical anatomical/therapeutic/chemical (ATC) in this study.Methods:The cross-sectional method was adopted.A multi-center cross-sectional survey was conducted on one day from September to December 2019.The information of all inpatients taking antibiotics was uploaded to the network-based data collection system (https: //garpec-31.mobilemd.cn/login.aspx? relogin=true). This study covered 13 hospitals from 10 provinces and cities in China.All hospitalized children in the Respiratory Department, Infectious Disease Department, General Surgery Department, Pediatric Intensive Care Units, Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Neonatology joined in this survey.The clinically used antibacterial agents were classified by AWaRe and ATC, and the AWaRe and ATC distributions of antibacterial agents prescribed for Chinese children and neonates were described.Results:Of the 2 644 antibiotic prescriptions included from 13 hospitals, 2 134 (80.71%) were for children and 510 (19.29%) were for neonates.Of all antibiotic prescriptions, there were 368 (13.92%) Access antibiotics prescriptions, 1 973 (74.62%) Watch prescriptions, 60 (2.27%) Reserve prescriptions and 243 (9.19%) Not-recommended prescriptions.The top-five antibiotics prescribed for children and neonates were third-generation cephalosporins (1 056, 39.94%), macrolides (492, 18.61%), carbapenems (275, 10.40%), beta lactam-beta lactamase inhibitors (246, 9.30%), and second-generation cephalosporins (136, 5.14%). The use ratios of Access, Watch, Reserve and Not-recommended antibiotics in each center ranged from 0 to 30.00%, 36.67% to 97.20%, 0 to 17.02% and 0 to 33.33%, respectively.In 1 360 antibiotic prescriptions for children and neonates with pneumonia, there were 152 (11.18%) Access antibiotics, 1 051 (77.28%) Watch antibiotics, 37 (2.72%) Reserve antibiotics, and 120 (8.82%) Not-recommended antibiotics.The top-five antibiotics prescribed for children with pneumonia were third-generation cephalosporins (522, 38.38%), macrolides (388, 28.53%), beta lactam-beta lactamase inhibitors (141, 10.37%), carbapenems (117, 8.6%) and penicillins (49, 3.60%).Conclusions:Watch antibiotics and broad spectrum antibiotics such as third-generation cephalosporins and macrolides prone to induce resistance are the main antibacterial agents used in Chinese children and neonates with pneumonia.Broad-spectrum antibiotics may be overused in Chinese children and neonates.

Objective:To observe the effect of shift work on the stability of the circadian clock and insulin sensitivity in non-overweight/obese individuals with normal blood glucose, and explore underlying connection.Methods:Female shift working nurses in the Department of Blood Transplantation and non-shift working nurses in the Health Management Center in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were divided into shift worker group (SW group) and non-shift worker group (NSW group). Serum inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)], adipokines (adiponectin, leptin, chemerin, visfatin), and melatonin levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Realtime fluorescence quantitative PCR was performed to detect peripheral blood circadian clock genes circadian locomotor output cycles protein kaput(Clock) and brain and muscle ARNT-like protein 1(Bmal1). Cortisol and fasting insulin were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, and HbA 1C was measured by capillary electrophoresis. In addition, visceral fat area (VFA) was assessed with bioelectrical impedance analyzer, and mid-sleep time composite phase deviations (CPD) was calculated based on the International Physical Activity Short Questionnaire. Results:SW group had lower serum level of melatonin ( P=0.023) and higher cortisol ( P=0.001) than the NSW group, and altered mRNA expression of Clock and Bmal1 ( P=0.034, P=0.047). Fasting blood glucose and HbA 1C in the SW group, although in the normal range, had been higher than in the NSW group ( P=0.011, P=0.033). Although body mass index was normal in SW group, VFA had been higher than that of the NSW group ( P=0.010). And homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), IL-6, TNF-α, leptin, chemerin, and visfatin were significantly higher in the SW group than NSW group ( P=0.033, P=0.012, P=0.001, P=0.011, P=0.021, P=0.007). In addition, adjusting for body mass index and activity factors revealed a significant positive correlation between CPD and VFA ( r=0.434, P=0.049), inflammatory factors IL-6 ( r=0.514, P=0.017) and TNF-α ( r=0.700, P<0.001) and pro-inflammatory adipokines leptin ( r=0.473, P=0.030), chemerin ( r=0.439, P=0.047), visfatin ( r=0.521, P=0.015). Conclusion:Shift work can affect circadian clock, with increased visceral adiposity, pro-inflammatory adipokines, inflammatory factors and decreased insulin sensitivity in women without overweight/obese.

Objective:To investigate the effect of NEMO binding domain peptide (NBDP) on lung inflammation and apoptosis in mice with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and its mechanism.Methods:Thirty-six male BALB/c mice were divided into normal saline (NS) control group, ARDS model group, NBDP negative control group and 6, 12 and 18 μg NBDP pretreatment group by random number table method, with 6 mice in each group. ARDS mouse model was reproduced by aerosol inhalation lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 50 μL. An equivalent among of NS was inhaled in NS control group. The mice in NBDP negative control group were inhaled the materials similar to the non-functional NBDP 30 minutes before the aerosol inhalation LPS; 6, 12 and 18 μg of NBDP 50 μL were respectively inhaled in NBDP pretreatment groups. After inhalation of LPS for 6 hours, mice were sacrificed to get lung tissue and observe the degree of pathological injury and edema. Western blotting was used to detect the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway related proteins [NF-κB inhibitor (IκB) kinaseα/β(IKKα/β), IκBα and NF-κB p65; p-IKKα/β, p-IκBα, p-p65] and the expression of caspase-3 in lung tissue. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and the levels of inflammatory markers such as myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukins (IL-1β, IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results:ARDS model group had severe edema and hemorrhage, alveolar structure destruction, pulmonary hemorrhage and hyaline membrane formation etc. under light microscope, consistent with the pathological characteristics of ARDS lung tissue, suggesting that the ARDS model was successfully reproduced. ELISA showed that MPO, IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α levels of BALF in ARDS model group were obviously higher than those in NS control group. There were no significant differences in the above inflammatory indicators between NBDP negative control group and ARDS model group. The levels of MPO, IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α in NBDP pretreatment groups were significantly lower than those in ARDS model group in a dose-dependent manner, especially in 18 μg NBDP, the differences were statistically significant as compared with ARDS model group [MPO (ng/L): 393.32±19.35 vs. 985.87±101.50, IL-1β (ng/L): 43.05±5.11 vs. 97.68±10.88, IL-8 (ng/L): 84.64±2.32 vs. 204.00±17.37, TNF-α (ng/L): 229.13±17.03 vs. 546.73±62.72, all P < 0.05]. Western blotting showed that p-IKKα/β, p-IκBα, p-p65 and caspase-3 protein expressions in ARDS model group were significantly higher than those in NS control group. There was no significant difference in above NF-κB pathway and apoptosis-related protein expression between the NBDP negative control group and ARDS model group. The p-IKKα/β, p-IκBα, p-p65 and caspase-3 protein expression in NBDP pretreatment groups were significantly lower than those in ARDS model group in a dose-dependent manner, especially in 18 μg NBDP, the differences were statistically significant as compared with ARDS model group [p-IKKα/β protein (p-IKKα/β/β-actin): 0.15±0.02 vs. 0.42±0.04, p-IκBα protein (p-IκBα/β-actin): 0.10±0.01 vs. 0.93±0.30, p-p65 protein (p-p65/β-actin): 0.22±0.05 vs. 1.37±0.21, all P < 0.05]. Conclusion:NBDP can inhibit inflammatory response and apoptosis in ARDS lung tissue in a dose-dependent manner, and its mechanism is associated with interference NF-κB signaling pathway transduction.