Formulating a well-defined research question and developing a scientifically sound study protocol is important for ensuring the quality of pharmacoepidemiological research.Based on the Guide on Methodological Standards in Pharmacoepidemiology in China(2nd edition),this research provided an interpretation of the sections related to the formulation of research questions and the development of study protocols.First,it clarified the sources and scope of research questions,outlining a two-step approach—question generation and definition—and introduces relevant evaluation tools and defining frameworks.Furthermore,it systematically explained the key elements of a study protocol and provides an in-depth explanation of the research methodology and its critical aspects.Finally,the paper highlighted the importance of feasibility assessment,emphasizing that the process of defining research questions and study protocols is dynamic and iterative.Compared with the previous edition,the 2nd edition of the guidelines offers more detailed and updated guidance on question formulation and protocol development.It added three new elements—such as protocol archiving or registration—and three new content items,including study objectives.The 2nd edition also expanded the methodological framework and strengthens feasibility assessments,thereby enhancing the comprehensiveness and rigor of its practical guidance.By integrating guideline content with practical experience,this paper provided insights into its implications for pharmacoepidemiological research and serves as a reference for researchers in the field.

As people age, older adults experience problems such as aging and degeneration of systemic organs and skin barrier function, leading to a high incidence of dry skin and pressure injuries. Dry skin and pressure injuries interact with each other to exacerbate the failure of skin function, which not only increases suffering, mortality risk, and medical costs for the elderly but also places a heavy burden on society and families. This paper summarizes the epidemiological characteristics of dry skin in the elderly and its influencing factors, the impact of dry skin in the elderly on pressure injuries, and puts forward the prevention and control strategies of "external treatment" and "internal nourishment" to provide a reference for the development of prevention and control strategies for dry skin and pressure injuries in the elderly in China.

Formulating a well-defined research question and developing a scientifically sound study protocol is important for ensuring the quality of pharmacoepidemiological research.Based on the Guide on Methodological Standards in Pharmacoepidemiology in China(2nd edition),this research provided an interpretation of the sections related to the formulation of research questions and the development of study protocols.First,it clarified the sources and scope of research questions,outlining a two-step approach—question generation and definition—and introduces relevant evaluation tools and defining frameworks.Furthermore,it systematically explained the key elements of a study protocol and provides an in-depth explanation of the research methodology and its critical aspects.Finally,the paper highlighted the importance of feasibility assessment,emphasizing that the process of defining research questions and study protocols is dynamic and iterative.Compared with the previous edition,the 2nd edition of the guidelines offers more detailed and updated guidance on question formulation and protocol development.It added three new elements—such as protocol archiving or registration—and three new content items,including study objectives.The 2nd edition also expanded the methodological framework and strengthens feasibility assessments,thereby enhancing the comprehensiveness and rigor of its practical guidance.By integrating guideline content with practical experience,this paper provided insights into its implications for pharmacoepidemiological research and serves as a reference for researchers in the field.

As people age, older adults experience problems such as aging and degeneration of systemic organs and skin barrier function, leading to a high incidence of dry skin and pressure injuries. Dry skin and pressure injuries interact with each other to exacerbate the failure of skin function, which not only increases suffering, mortality risk, and medical costs for the elderly but also places a heavy burden on society and families. This paper summarizes the epidemiological characteristics of dry skin in the elderly and its influencing factors, the impact of dry skin in the elderly on pressure injuries, and puts forward the prevention and control strategies of "external treatment" and "internal nourishment" to provide a reference for the development of prevention and control strategies for dry skin and pressure injuries in the elderly in China.

[Objective]To analyze the value of grey-scale reversed T1-weighted(rT1)MRI in the detection of structur-al lesions of the sacroiliac joint(SIJ)in patients with axial spondyloarthritis(ax-SpA).[Methods]Fifty-two ax-SpA pa-tients who underwent both MRI and CT in our hospital within a week from February 2020 to December 2022 were retrospec-tively included.Both sacral and iliac side of each SIJ on oblique coronal images were divided into anterior,middle and pos-terior portion.Two radiologists reviewed independently three groups of MRI including T1-weighted imaging(T1WI),rT1 and T1WI+rT1 images to evaluate the structural lesions like erosions,sclerosis and joint space changes in each of the 6 re-gions of the SIJ.One of the radiologist did the evaluation again one month later.CT images were scored for lesions by a third radiologist and served as the reference standard.Intra-class correlation coefficients(ICC)were calculated to test the inter-and intra-reader agreement for the assessment of SIJ lesions.A Friedman test was performed to compare the lesion results of MRI and CT image findings.We examined the diagnostic performance[accuracy,sensitivity(SE)and specifici-ty]of different groups of MRI in the detection of lesions by using diagnostic test.A McNemar test was used to compare the differences of three groups of MRI findings.[Results]CT showed erosions in 71 joints,sclerosis in 65 and joint space changes in 53.Good inter-and intra-reader agreements were found in three groups of MRI images for the assessment of le-sions,with the best agreement in T1WI+rT1.There were no difference between T1WI+rT1 and CT for the assessment of all lesions,nor between rT1 and CT for the assessment of erosions and joint space changes(P>0.05).T1WI+rT1 yielded better accuracy and SE than T1WI in detection of all lesions(Accuracy erosions:90.3%vs 76.9%;SE erosions:91.6%vs 76.1%;Accu-racy sclerosis:89.4%vs 80.8%;SE sclerosis:84.6%vs 73.9%;Accuracy joint space changes:86.5%vs 73.1%;SE joint space changes:84.9%vs 60.4%;P<0.05).rT1 yielded better accuracy and SE than T1WI in detection of erosions and joint space changes(Accuracy erosions:87.5%vs 76.9%;SE erosions:88.7%vs 76.1%;Accuracy joint space changes:85.6%vs 73.1%;SE joint space changes:83.0%vs 60.4%;P<0.05).[Conclusions]In the detection of SIJ structural lesions in ax-SpA,rT1 improves the diagnostic perfor-mance and T1WI+rT1 is more superior to others.

Objective:To understand the current situation of nurses in 52 hospitals in China on mastery of knowledge about skin injury in the elderly based on the background of mixed-mode homogenization training.Methods:Using the convenient sampling method, a total of 1 067 nurses from 52 hospitals in China were selected as the research objects in January 2021. A self-designed questionnaire on knowledge of skin injury in the elderly was used to investigate the nurses through the questionnaire star and univariate analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors. A total of 1 067 questionnaires were distributed and 1 067 valid questionnaires were recovered, and the effective recovery rate was 100%.Results:The knowledge scores of pressure injury, incontinence-associated dermatitis, skin tear and xerosis cutis among 1067 nurses were (95.66±7.37) , (95.65±9.15) , (91.37±15.45) and (87.67±15.91) , respectively. The results of univariate analysis showed that hospital grade was the influencing factor of nurses' knowledge score of pressure injury, skin tear and incontinence-associated dermatitis ( P<0.05) , educational background was the influencing factor of nurses' knowledge score of skin tear ( P<0.05) , professional title was the influencing factor of nurses' knowledge scores of pressure injury, incontinence-associated dermatitis and xerosis cutis ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Hospitals at all levels need to strengthen the theoretical and practical knowledge training for nurses on skin xerosis and skin tear in the elderly, especially for nurses with primary titles and lower education in grassroots hospitals.

Objective:To analysis effectiveness of the "14 plus 7 day quarantine" and "nucleic acid plus total antibody testing" strategy (combined screening strategy) for screenin the imported patients with COVID-19 in Xiamen.Methods:The study populations were overseas travelers arriving in Xiamen from March 17 to December 31, 2020, and overseas travelers who had quarantine outside Xiamen for less than 21 days from July 18 to December 31, 2020. Data were collected and analyzed on the timing of detection, pathways, and test results of the imported patients with COVID-19 after implementing combined screening strategy.Results:A total of 304 imported patients with COVID-19 were found from 174 628 overseas travelers and 943 overseas travelers from other cities. A total of 163 cases (53.6%) were diagnosed by multitime, multisite intensive nucleic acid testing after positive finding in total antibody testing. Among them, 27 (8.9%) were first positive for nucleic acid in 14 plus 7 day quarantine and 136 were first positive for nucleic acid in 14-day quarantine. Only 8 of these individuals were tested positive for nucleic acid after positive total antibody testing. The other 128 individuals were tested positive for nucleic acid after being negative for average 2.3 times (maximum of 6 times). Aditional 155 cases might be detected by using the combined "14 plus 7 day quarantine" and " nucleic acid plus total antibody testing" strategy compared with "14-day quarantine and nucleic acid testing" strategy, accounting for 51.0% of the total inbound infections. So the combined screening strategy doubled the detection rate for imported patients with COVID-19. No second-generation case caused by overseas travelers had been reported in Xiamen as of February 26, 2021.Conclusions:Xiamen's combined screening strategy can effectively screen the imported patients with COVID-19 who were first positive for nucleic acid after 14 day quarantine. Compared with "14 day quarantine and nucleic acid testing", the combined screening strategy improved detection rate and further reduced the risk of the secondary transmission caused by the imported patients with COVID-19.

Objective:To screen 89Zr-labeled anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) monoclonal antibody molecular probes suitable for monitoring the gastric mucinous adenocarcinoma bearing mouse models with low glucose metabolism. Methods:The expression of EGFR and HER2 in the MGC803 gastric cancer cell line was verified by analyzing cell slides and xenograft tumor sections. 89Zr-Deferoxamine (DFO)-Cetuximab and 89Zr-DFO-Pertuzumab were prepared and the radiochemical purity was detected. Cell binding experiments and blocking experiments were performed to verify the binding ability and specificity of the probes. Twelve gastric mucinous adenocarcinoma bearing mouse models were divided into 3 groups ( n=4 in each group): 89Zr-DFO-Cetuximab group (7.4 MBq/mouse, 74 μg/mouse), 89Zr-DFO-Pertuzumab group (7.4 MBq/mouse, 70 μg/mouse) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) group (7.4 MBq/mouse). MicroPET imaging was performed at 4, 24 and 48 h ( 18F-FDG group underwent imaging at 1 h only) post-injection. The biodistribution study of 89Zr-DFO-Cetuximab and 89Zr-DFO-Pertuzumab was conducted in 2 groups ( n=4 in each group) 48 h after the injection. The independent sample t test was used for data analysis. Results:The immunofluorescent staining demonstrated EGFR expression was significantly higher than HER2 expression in MGC803 gastric cancer cell line. The radiochemical purity of 89Zr-DFO-Cetuximab and 89Zr-DFO-Pertuzumab were both more than 95%, and the specific activities were 100 and 95 MBq/mg, respectively. The two probes had good stability in normal saline and fetal bovine serum, with the radiochemical purity higher than 80% at 72 h. MicroPET imaging showed that the uptake of 89Zr-DFO-Cetuximab in the MGC803 tumor was significantly higher than that of 18F-FDG and 89Zr-DFO-Pertuzumab. The biodistribution study demonstrated the 89Zr-DFO-Cetuximab uptake (percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue, %ID/g) of tumors at 48 h was significantly higher than that of 89Zr-DFO-Pertuzumab (56.3±12.0 vs 22.0±3.6; t=4.31, P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with 89Zr-DFO-Pertuzumab, 89Zr-DFO-Cetuximab has a better potential for non-invasive monitoring of gastric mucinous adenocarcinoma with low glucose metabolism.

Objective:To evaluate the value of MAGiC STIR sequence inassessing bone marrow edema (BME) of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.Methods:Twenty two AS patients from the Affiliated Fifth Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from September 2019 to January 2020 underwent MR scanning, consisting of T 2WI fat-suppressed (FS) sequence and MAGiC sequence. Each SIJ was divided into four quadrants for analysis on oblique coronal MR image. Two radiologists [middle-higher seniority levels (radiologist 1 and radiologist 2) reviewed image sets of two sequences [T 2WI FS and MAGiC short T 1 inversion recovery (STIR) sequence] independently at separate times, using Hermann-Braun scoring system for degree of BME and summing numbers of quadrants based on BME findings. Disagreements were resolved to reach an agreement for final results.Assessments were repeated two weeks later by radiologist 2. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess the inter-and intra-observer agreement for the degree of BME and numbers of positive BME quadrants in the MAGiC STIR sequence, respectively. The differences between the two sequences for the degree of BME and numbers of positive BME quadrants were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Chi-square test, respectively. Taking the results of T 2WI FS sequence as a reference standard, the ROC curve was drawn, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value in the detection of BME were calculated for the MAGiC STIR sequence. Results:Nineteen AS patients including 38 sacroiliac joints were enrolled in our study, being divided into 152 quadrants. Inter-and intra-observer agreement for the degree of BME and inter-observer agreement for numbers of positive BME quadrants in the MAGiC STIR sequence were all good (ICC=0.936, 95%CI 0.912-0.953, P<0.001; ICC=0.910, 95%CI 0.878-0.934, P<0.001; ICC=0.876, 95%CI 0.833-0.909, P<0.001). The difference between the two sequences for the degree of BME in quadrants was statistically significant ( Z=-3.132, P=0.002). But there was no statistically significant difference between sequences for numbers of quadrants in detecting BME (χ2=0.244, P=0.622). Area under the ROC curve of MAGiC STIR sequence in diagnosis of BME was 0.920 ( P<0.001). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for the MAGiC STIR sequence in the detection of BME were 82.0%, 95.1%, 89.1% and 91.5%, respectively. Conclusion:MAGiC STIR sequence can be used to evaluate bone marrow edema of SIJ in AS patients with high sensitivity and specificity.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate radiomics models based on non-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for differentiating chondrosarcoma from enchondroma. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a total of 68 patients (including 27 with chondrosarcoma and 41 with enchondroma), who were randomly divided into training group (=46) and validation group (=22). Radiomics features were extracted from TWI and TWI-FS sequences of the whole tumor by two radiologists independently and selected by Low Variance, Univariate feature selection, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Radiomics models were constructed by multivariate logistic regression analysis based on the features from TWI and TWI-FS sequences. The receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analyses of the radiomics models and conventional MR imaging were performed to determine their diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: The ICC value for interreader agreement of the radiomics features ranged from 0.779 to 0.923, which indicated good agreement. Ten and 11 features were selected from the TWI and TWI-FS sequences to construct radiomics models, respectively. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of TWI and TWI-FS models were 0.990 and 0.925 in training group and 0.915 and 0.855 in the validation group, respectively, showing no significant differences between the two sequence-based models (>0.05). In all the cases, the AUCs of the two radiomics models based on TWI and TWI-FS sequences and conventional MR imaging were 0.955, 0.901 and 0.569, respectively, demonstrating a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy of the two sequence-based radiomics models than conventional MR imaging (<0.01). CONCLUSIONS The radiomics models based on TWI and TWI-FS non-enhanced MR imaging can be used for the differentiation of chondrosarcoma from enchondroma.
Chondroma ; Chondrosarcoma ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies