OBJECTIVE: In order to enhance the efficacy of anti-breast cancer, paclitaxel nanoparticles (PTX NPs) and polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy NPs) were combined with photothermal therapy and chemotherapy. At the same time, the two dosage forms of PTX NPs and PTX NPs gel were compared. METHODS: PTX NPs were prepared by self-assembly method, and then the cytotoxicity in vitro was investigated by Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and other methods, and the efficacy and side effects in vivo were further investigated. RESULTS: The average hydrated diameter, PDI and electric potential of PTX NPs were (210.20 ± 1.57) nm, (0.081 ± 0.003) mV and (15.80 ± 0.35) mV, respectively. MTT results showed that the IC₅₀ value of PTX NPs on 4 T1 cells was 0.490 μg/mL, while that of PTX injection was 1.737 μg/mL. The cell inhibitory effect of PTX NPs was about 3.5 times higher than that of PTX injection. The tumor inhibition rates of PTX NPs and gel were 48.64% and 56.79%, respectively. Together with local photothermal stimulation, the tumor inhibition rate of the PTX NPs reached 91.05%, surpassing that of the gel under the same conditions (48.98%), moreover, the organ index and H&E staining results of PTX NPs showed a decrease in toxicity. CONCLUSION This combination therapy can significantly enhance the effect of anti-breast cancer, and the synergistic effect of chemotherapy and light and heat provides a feasible and effective strategy for the treatment of tumor.

The buttocks constitute a pivotal component of physical aesthetics. The achievement of graceful buttocks’ shape through body sculpture is the collective pursuit among patients and plastic surgeons. Gluteal ptosis is a prevalent factor detrimentally impacting the aesthetic integrity of the buttocks. The damages of infragluteal fold often precipitate gluteal ptosis which proves challenging to rectify due to its unique and sophisticated anatomy. There is an inadequacy in researches of the supporting structures associated with buttock sagging, the diagnosis of unfavorable shapes and corrective surgical interventions both domestically and internationally. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of both the diagnosis and corrective surgical method of gluteal ptosis, with description of indications, advantages and disadvantages, as well as surgical principles of related procedures, to provide a substantive reference for plastic surgeons in clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the construction of an evaluation model for aortic root anatomy and calcium burden in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) based on deep learning (DL) algorithms.Methods:A retrospective collection of 362 BAV stenosis patients who underwent TAVR from September 2023 to May 2024 was performed. All patients underwent cardiac CT angiography. The patients were divided into training group ( n=104), internal validation group ( n=206), and external validation group ( n=52). A DL model was trained on the training dataset to assess aortic root anatomy and calcification burden. The evaluation included the segmentation accuracy of the algorithm, the measurement performance of key anatomical structures (i.e., valve leaflets and type-1 and type-2 fusion raphe), and calcification burden, as well as the measurement efficiency. Overall segmentation performance was assessed using the average Dice coefficient (ADC). The fine-scale segmentation quality was validated by the 95th-percentile Hausdorff distance (HD-95) and the average symmetric surface distance (ASSD). The consistency of the measurement results was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient ( ICC) with a two-way mixed model for absolute agreement. In addition, the total time and total mouse movement distance required for manual assessment versus the DL model on the validation datasets were recorded and compared. Results:The algorithm demonstrated excellent segmentation performance on aortic root anatomical targets, achieving outstanding consistency within both internal and external validation datasets (0.955

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) of throat swab samples for detecting community-acquired respiratory viruses (CARV) in patients with hematological diseases.Methods:Clinical and laboratory data from 64 episodes involving patients with hematological diseases and suspected infections—who underwent both pharyngeal swab tNGS and CARV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing concurrently—were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were drawn from the Department of Hematology, Peking University People’s Hospital, between September 2023 and April 2024. Concordance between tNGS and CARV PCR results, as well as the diagnostic performance of tNGS in detecting CARV, were evaluated.Results:Among the 64 episodes, 29 were clinically diagnosed with respiratory tract infections, including one case of cytomegalovirus pneumonia and 28 CARV-positive cases. The remaining 35 episodes involved patients with fever or respiratory symptoms attributed to other causes, including 14 with extrapulmonary infections and 21 with noninfectious etiologies. The median follow-up duration was 215.5 days (range: 7-271 days). PCR detected 24 strains of seven CARV types, whereas tNGS detected 25 strains of eight CARV types. Using PCR results as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of tNGS were 85.0%, 88.6%, 77.3%, 92.9%, and 87.5%, respectively. The two methods showed good concordance (Kappa=0.717, P<0.001) . Conclusion:Pharyngeal swab tNGS may serve as a viable alternative to PCR for diagnosing CARV infections in patients with hematological diseases.

Chronic insomnia affects 10%–15% of the population, with one-third of Western adults struggling with sleep initiation or maintenance. Binaural beats, which involve two audio frequencies, have shown the potential for enhancing sleep and mood. This study examined the efficacy of customized binaural audio tracks generated using facial analysis software to treat chronic insomnia. Methods: A 45-minute personalized binaural beat audio session was delivered using the Spatial app and headband (SoundHealth) to 20 participants with moderate-to-severe insomnia, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) criteria, over four weeks in California. Statistical analysis (paired t-test and linear mixed modeling) was used to compare baseline ISI scores to posttreatment scores, with p<0.05 indicating significance. The study assumed 80% power and aimed to achieve a 7-point ISI reduction. Results: All participants completed the study with no adverse events or full protocol adherence. The cohort was 60% White, with a 3:1 female-to-male ratio and an average age of 51.9 years. The baseline ISI was 19.8, dropping to 8.5 after four weeks, showing an 11.3-point reduction (95% confidence interval [CI]: -15 to -7.6, p<0.001). Mixed modeling indicated a similar ISI decrease of 11.28 points (95% CI: -14.98 to -7.57, p<0.001). The treatment response rate was 70%. Conclusions: Customized binaural beats show promise for insomnia treatment, with no adverse effects and high adherence. Most participants improved to no insomnia or subthreshold insomnia. Further research is needed to validate these results using larger samples and to assess long-term effects.

BACKGROUND: China has made significant progress in medical accessibility and quality over the past decades, and quality improvements in gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy have been consistent. The study aimed to describe the status quo of gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy in the Chinese mainland based on the data from the National Clinical Improvement System (NCIS) and the Hospital Quality Monitoring System (HQMS). METHODS: Data were extracted from the NCIS and the HQMS. Data analysis included general information from the Department of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy centers, management of inpatients and outpatients, and annual volume and quality indicators of digestive endoscopy. Acute pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, and cirrhosis were identified as priority diseases and were subjected to detailed analysis. RESULTS: Data from 4620 and 7074 hospitals were extracted from the NCIS and HQMS, respectively. In 2023, 9.6 gastroenterologists, 6.7 endoscopists, and 37.3 gastroenterology beds per hospital nationwide were observed, achieving 19,252.4 outpatient visits, 1615.2 hospitalizations (97.0 for acute pancreatitis, 146.1 for gastrointestinal bleeding, 40.2 for inflammatory bowel disease, and 111.4 for cirrhosis), and 9432.7 digestive endoscopic procedures per hospital. Overall, the quality of practice improved significantly. The proportion of early cancer among gastrointestinal cancers increased from 11.1% in 2015 to 23.4% in 2023, and the adenoma detection rate during colonoscopy increased from 19.3% in 2019 to 26.9% in 2023. Regarding priority diseases, hospitalizations increased, and 31-day unplanned readmission rates decreased between 2019 and 2023. The median hospitalization costs and median proportion of medication costs decreased for acute pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and cirrhosis. However, it increased for inflammatory bowel disease. CONCLUSION This report evaluates the status quo and development of gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy in the Chinese mainland, providing guidance for future quality improvements.
Humans ; China ; Gastroenterology/statistics & numerical data* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/statistics & numerical data* ; Endoscopy, Digestive System/statistics & numerical data*

Objective:To establish a quality control method for Aiye standard decoction.Methods:The ultra performance liquid chromatogrphy (UPLC) column Waters ACQUITY HSS T3 C18 (2.1 mm×150 mm,1.8 μm) was used to gradient elution by acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water. 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction fingerprints were established by UPLC and the common peaks were determined in the fingerprints. The contents of 12 components were determined. The 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction were analyzed by similarity calculation, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) for analysis of differential components of Artemisiae Argyi Folium from different origins.Results:A total of 13 common peaks were marked in the fingerprints of 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction, 12 of which were identified by comparison with reference substance, including chlorogenic acid, sochlorogenic acid A, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid,1,3-O-Dicaffeoylquinic acid, schaftoside, isochlorogenic acid B,1,5-O-Dicaffeoylquinic acid, isochlorogenic acid C, jaceosidin and eupatilin. Similarity evaluation, PCA and HCA all classified the 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction into 2 categories. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis screened 5 differential biomarkers from 13 common peaks. The content determination results showed that the phenolic compounds and flavonoids in samples from Hubei were significantly higher than that in samples from other areas.Conclusion:This method can effectively analyze the differences in the quality of Aiye standard decoction from different origins, and provide reference for the formulation of quality standards for Aiye standard decoction and related preparations.

Objective:To establish a method for the determination of triterpenes and nucleosides in Poria based on HPLC; To accurately determine the various bioactive components in Poria.Methods:Similarity evaluation, clustering analysis and principal component analysis were used to analyze the similarities and differences of different medicinal parts of Poria, and the key chromatographic peaks that could reflect the characteristics were found.Results:The Poricoic acid A and dehydroeburiconic acid could be used as the identification basis for Poriae Cutis and White Poria; at the same time, Polyporenic acid C, dehydropachymic acid and dehydrotrametenolic acid could be used to evaluate Rubra Poria and Poriae Cutis; uridine, guanosine and adenosine may be essential ingredients for evaluating the quality of White Poria, Poriae Cutis and Rubra Poria. In different medicinal parts of Poria, the triterpenes were showed significant differences; by contrary, there were little differences among the same medicinal parts.Conclusion:This study reveals the quality differences between different medicinal parts of Poria, which can provide a scientific basis for the rational application and pharmacodynamic standardization of Poria.

Objective: To develop a modified calculation formula for renal tumor volume and tumor contact surface area (CSA) based on the modeling results of 3D Slicer software, and to create a webpage of the calculation formula for use. Methods: The general information and tumor anatomical data of 98 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy during Jan.2021 and Jul.2023 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were retrospectively analyzed.The imaging data were input into 3D Slicer software in the form of Dicom files for tumor and ipsilateral kidney modeling to obtain tumor anatomical data.The relationship between tumor anatomical parameters and tumor volume and CSA was analyzed using multifactorial linear regression.The initial modified formulas (V2, C2) and the optimized modified formulas (V3, C3) for tumor volume over CSA were established, respectively, after insignificant variables were eliminated.The mean square error (MSE) and Akaike information criterion (AIC) of the modified and traditional formulas (V1, C1) were compared, and the formula with the smallest MSE and AIC was selected as the optimal tumor volume and CSA calculation formula.The median tumor volume and CSA obtained from 3D modeling were used as the cutoff values.The optimal formula and conventional formula were applied to calculate tumor volume and CSA for all patients, and risk stratification was performed for all patients based on these cutoff values, and the perioperative indicators of patients in the upper and lower groups were compared.Finally, an online calculation tool was developed based on HTML. Results: Based on multifactorial linear regression analysis, we obtained the modified tumor volume calculation formula: V=0.382abc+2.488a+2.372b－4.146c+1.948（V2）, V=0.469abc－4.586c+13.816（V3）; the modified tumor CSA calculation formula CSA=2.469a －2.262L －19.23a+6.206b+1.212c+18.017L+1.616h－3.97h －2.185h/h －0.388（C2）, CSA=2.376a －2.144L －20.157a+5.024b+1.128c+17.578L+2.525h－2.634（C3）.Both of the modified volume formula (MSE=151.298 vs. 127.807 vs. 104.106) and modified CSA formula (MSE=309.878 vs.23.556 vs.30.388) had smaller errors compared to the conventional formula.The modified volume calculation formula showed that bleeding was more and thermal ischemia time was longer in patients with larger tumor volumes than in patients with smaller tumor volumes (P<0.05); and the modified CSA calculation formula showed that bleeding was more, surgery and thermal ischemia time were longer in patients with high CSA than in patients with low CSA (P＜0.05).Finally, V3 and C3 are selected as the best calculation formula, and a web page (https://lizihao-bot.github.io/RCC-Calculate/) was established for easy use. Conclusion: This study combined data from a medical information technology platform with numerical modeling methods to provide a faster and more accurate method to calculate the renal tumor volume and CSA.Meanwhile, a webpage version of the tool was developed to enhance its practicability.

Chronic insomnia affects 10%–15% of the population, with one-third of Western adults struggling with sleep initiation or maintenance. Binaural beats, which involve two audio frequencies, have shown the potential for enhancing sleep and mood. This study examined the efficacy of customized binaural audio tracks generated using facial analysis software to treat chronic insomnia. Methods: A 45-minute personalized binaural beat audio session was delivered using the Spatial app and headband (SoundHealth) to 20 participants with moderate-to-severe insomnia, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) criteria, over four weeks in California. Statistical analysis (paired t-test and linear mixed modeling) was used to compare baseline ISI scores to posttreatment scores, with p<0.05 indicating significance. The study assumed 80% power and aimed to achieve a 7-point ISI reduction. Results: All participants completed the study with no adverse events or full protocol adherence. The cohort was 60% White, with a 3:1 female-to-male ratio and an average age of 51.9 years. The baseline ISI was 19.8, dropping to 8.5 after four weeks, showing an 11.3-point reduction (95% confidence interval [CI]: -15 to -7.6, p<0.001). Mixed modeling indicated a similar ISI decrease of 11.28 points (95% CI: -14.98 to -7.57, p<0.001). The treatment response rate was 70%. Conclusions: Customized binaural beats show promise for insomnia treatment, with no adverse effects and high adherence. Most participants improved to no insomnia or subthreshold insomnia. Further research is needed to validate these results using larger samples and to assess long-term effects.