OBJECTIVE To predict and validate the mechanisms of Chaiqi yigan granules （CQYG） improving hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS The signaling pathways of CQYG intervention in HCC were predicted using network pharmacology. A mice model of transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma was established by injecting H22 hepatoma cells into the axilla. Successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model group （normal saline）， sorafenib group （positive control， 50 mg/kg）， and CQYG low-， medium- and high-dose groups （24.83， 49.66， 99.32 g/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Mice in each group were administered the corresponding drug solution or normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After last administration， pathological morphological changes in the tumor tissues of mice were observed in each group. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of the nuclear proliferation antigen Ki-67 in tumor tissues of mice. Western blot assay was used to measure the expression of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） [N-cadherin， E-cadherin， Vimentin， matrix metalloproteinase 7 （MMP7）] and the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway [p38 MAPK， phosphorylated p38 MAPK， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， phosphorylated JNK， extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）， phosphorylated ERK1/2] in tumor tissue of mice. RESULTS Network pharmacology analysis revealed that metabolic pathways， pathways in cancer， and the MAPK signaling pathway were key signaling pathways through which CQYG exert their anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects. In animal experiments， the tumor tissues of mice in the model group exhibited dense tumor cells and vigorous growth. Compared with model group， CQYG high-dose group showed a decreased density of tumor cells in the tumor tissues of mice. Moreover， the expression levels of Ki-67， N-cadherin， MMP7 and Vimentin proteins， along with the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and JNK proteins， were all significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）. The expression level of E-cadherin protein was significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）， the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK protein was increased， the difference was not statistically significant （ P ＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS CQYG can inhibit EMT by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway， thereby suppressing tumor cell invasion and metastasis and ultimately exerting a therapeutic effect in improving HCC.

ObjectiveTo investigate the status of overlapping hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection and the serological characteristics of such patients. MethodsA total of 8 637 patients with HCV infection who were hospitalized from January 1， 2010 to December 31， 2020 and had complete data of HBV serological markers were enrolled， and the composition ratio of patients with overlapping HBV serological markers was analyzed among the patients with HCV infection. The patients were divided into groups based on age and year of birth， and serological characteristics were analyzed， and the distribution of HBV-related serological characteristics were analyzed across different HCV genotypes. ResultsThe patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection accounted for 5.85%， and the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 48.10%； the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 14.67%， while the patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV accounted for 31.39%. The patients were divided into groups based on age： in the 0 — 17 years group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 61.41% （304 patients）； the 18 — 44 years group was mainly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （698 patients， 37.31%）， the 45 — 59 years group was predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 945 patients， 50.38%）， and the ≥60 years group was also predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 486 patients， 61.66%）. The patients were divided into groups based on the year of birth： in the pre-1992 group， the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 51.63% （4 112 patients）； in the 1992 — 2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 54.72% （168 patients）； in the post-2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 64.38% （235 patients）. In this study， 6 301 patients underwent HCV genotype testing： the patients with genotype 1b accounted for the highest proportion of 51.71% （3 258 patients）， followed by those with genotype 2a （1 769 patients， 28.07%）， genotype 3b （63 patients， 1.00%）， genotype 3a （10 patients， 0.16%）， genotype 4 （21 patients， 0.33%）， and genotype 6a （5 patients， 0.08%）. ConclusionWith the implementation of hepatitis B planned vaccination program in China， there has been a significant reduction in the proportion of patients with previous HBV infection among the patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection， but there is still a relatively high proportion of patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV.

Objective To investigate the relationship between preoperative serum levels of long noncoding RNA(lncRNA)X inactive specific transcript(XIST)and microRNA(miR)-140-3p in acute myocardial infarction(AMI)patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)and blood glucose,blood lipids,myocardial injury indexes,degree of coronary artery disease and the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)within 3 years after surgery.Methods A total of 164 patients with AMI(AMI group)and 148 healthy subjects(healthy group)were selected from Hankuang General Hospital of North China Medical and Health Group from November 2018 to February 2021.Clinical data were collected at admission,and blood glucose,blood lipids,myocardial injury indicators,serum lncRNA XIST and miR-140-3p levels in AMI group before PCI and healthy group during physical examination were detected.According to the degree of coronary artery disease,AMI patients were divided into mild coronary artery disease group(n=33),moderate coronary artery disease group(n=76),and severe coronary artery disease group(n=55).Follow up for 3 years after surgery,AMI patients were divided into MACE group(n=36)and non-MACE group(n=128).Clinical data,preoperative PCI blood glucose,blood lipids,myocardial injury indicators,synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXUS and cardiac surgery(SYNTAX)score,and serum lncRNA XIST and miR-140-3p expression levels of health group and AMI group,AMI patients with different prognoses within 3 years after PCI were compared.The serum lncRNA XIST and miR-140-3p expression levels of AMI patients with different degrees of coronary artery disease before PCI were compared.The correlation between preoperative PCI serum lncRNA XIST and miR-140-3p with blood glucose,blood lipids,myocardial injury indicators,SYNTAX score in AMI patients,the influencing factors of MACE occurrence,and predicting the value of preoperative PCI serum lncRNA XIST and miR-140-3p in predicting MACE occurrence within 3 years after PCI in AMI patients were analyzed.Results Compared with healthy group,the preoperative PCI fasting plasma glucose(FPG),total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C),hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB),homocysteine(Hcy),cardiac troponin I(cTnI),brain natriuretic peptide(BNP),lncRNA XIST expression levels of AMI group were significantly increased(t=2.426～80.642),and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and miR-140-3pexpression levels were significantly reduced(t=6.166～66.119),the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Before PCI,the expression levels of serum lncRNA XIST were increased successively,and the expression levels of miR-140-3p were decreased successively in mild,moderate,and severe coronary artery lesions group,the differences were statistically significant(F=174.600,231.138,all P<0.05).The serum lncRNA XIST of AMI patients before PCI was positively correlated with FPG,TC,TG,LDL-C,hs-CRP,CK-MB,Hcy,cTnI,BNP and SYNTAX scores(r=0.235～0.681,all P＜0.05),and negatively correlated with miR-140-3p,HDL-C and LVEF(r=-0.571,-0.262,-0.513,all P＜0.05).miR-140-3p was negatively correlated with FPG,TC,TG,LDL-C,hs-CRP,CK-MB,Hcy,cTnI,BNP and SYNTAX scores(r=-0.672～-0.209,all P＜0.05),and positively correlated with HDL-C and LVEF(r=0.245,0.524,all P＜0.05).Compared with non-MACE group,the hs-CRP,CK-MB,Hcy,cTnI,BNP,SYNTAX scores and lncRNA XIST expression levels before PCI in MACE group were significantly increased(t=3.032～26.330),while the LVEF and miR-140-3p expression levels were significantly reduced(t=2.821,13.318),the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).LVEF and miR-140-3p were independent protective factors for MACE in AMI patients within 3 years after PCI(Wald χ2=6.098,7.851,all P＜0.05),while CK-MB,Hcy,cTnI,BNP,SYNTAX score and lncRNA XIST were independent risk factors for MACE in AMI patients within 3 years after PCI(Wald χ2=4.263～7.853,all P＜0.05).Compared with the area under curve(AUC)of serum lncRNA XIST and miR-140-3p before PCI separately predicting MACE occurrence within 3 years after PCI in AMI patients,the combined prediction of MACE occurrence within 3 years after PCI in AMI patients was higher,and the differences were statistically significant(Z=2.059,2.017,all P<0.05).Conclusion The expression of lncRNA XIST in the serum of AMI patients is increased while the expression of miR-140-3p is decreased.Both are associated with blood glucose,blood lipids myocardial injury indicators,degree of coronary artery disease,and the occurrence of MACE within three years after PCI.They have high value in predicting the occurrence of MACE within three years after PCI surgery.

Objective:To explore the value of nomogram model based on multimodal ultrasound features for predicting the malignant risk of micro lesions in breast areola region.Methods:The case data of Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from May 2020 to July 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 50 patients with benign intraductal papilloma（bIDP group）and 54 patients with malignant risk breast tumor（mrBT group）were found to have micro lesions in breast areola region and confirmed by puncture or surgical pathology. Clinical data，conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound features were compared between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis and Lasso regression analysis were performed on statistically significant factors to screen out influencing factors. ROC curves were plotted to evaluate diagnostic efficacy，nomogram model and clinical decision curves were constructed to evaluate clinical benefits.Results:The differences of age，nipple discharge presentation，conventional ultrasound features（including boundary，morphology，aspect ratio，internal echo，internal microcalcification，far-field echo，peripheral irregular hyperechoic ring，dilate of peripheral ducts），and contrast-enhanced ultrasound features（including wash-in time，enhancement intensity，enhancement mode，enhancement scope，blood perfusion defect，crab foot sign，penetrating vessels）were statistically significant between the bIDP group and mrBTgroup（all P<0.05）. Regression analysis showed that age，uniformity of internal echo within the lesion，dilation of surrounding ducts，and enhanced crab foot sign were the affect factors for the diagnosis of mrBT（all P<0.05）. Based on these factors，a nomogram model was constructed with an area under ROC curve（AUC）of 0.907（95% CI=0.851-0.963），a sensitivity of 0.907，and a specificity of 0.780. The decision curve analysis showed that the collective model had good predictive performance. Conclusions:The nomogram model based on multimodal ultrasound features has good value in predicting malignant risk micro breast tumor of areola region.

Objective To explore the factors affecting the prognosis of patients with symptomatic severe intracranial artery stenosis after interventional therapy,and to construct a nomogram prediction model accordingly.Methods The clinical data of 121 patients with symptomatic severe intracranial artery stenosis,who received interventional treatment at the First People's Hospital of Zhengzhou from June 1,2021 to October 31,2024,were retrospectively analyzed.The general data,characteristics of vascular lesions,treatment-related factors and prognosis of patients were collected.According to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)score,the patients were divided into good prognosis group(mRS score ≤2 points)and poor prognosis group(mRS score＞2 points).The clinical data were compared between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify and determine independent factors affecting patient's outcomes,to construct a nomogram prediction model and to validate this model.Results Among the 121 patients,31(25.61％)had poor prognosis and 90(74.38％)had good prognosis.The postoperative 3-month mRS score was lower than preoperative mRS score value(P＞0.05).There were significant differences in hypertension history,stenosis site,stenosis degree,collateral circulation state,interventional therapeutic mode,cholesterol level,platelet count,lesion length and preoperative NIHSS score(P＜0.05)between the poor prognosis group and the good prognosis group.Multivariate analysis showed that hypertension history,stenosis degree,collateral circulation status,cholesterol level,platelet count,lesion's length and preoperative NIHSS score were the independent influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with symptomatic severe intracranial artery stenosis.The predicted AUC of the nomogram model was 0.931(95％ CI=0.873-0.989),and the calibration curve showed that the predicted value was in good agreement with the actual value.Conclusion Hypertension history,stenosis degree,collateral circulation status,cholesterol level,platelet count,lesion length and preoperative NIHSS score are the important influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with symptomatic severe intracranial artery stenosis.The nomogram prediction model constructed in this study shows a high accuracy in predicting the prognosis of patients,and it can provide important reference for clinical decision-making.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and associated risk factors on the prognosis of patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) for breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1593 breast cancer patients who underwent PMBR at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital between January 2010 and October 2023. Patients were divided into an RT group ( n = 351) and a non-RT group ( n =1242) based on whether postoperative radiotherapy was administered. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoint was the incidence of revision surgery. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used for pairing. Continuous variables were compared between the two groups using the independent samples t-tests, while categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze survival influencing factors, and include propensity factors with P<0.2 in univariate analysis into multivariate analysis. Results:In the RT group, there were 3 deaths (0.9%) and 21 cases of disease progression (6.0%); in the non-RT group, 7 patients died (0.56%) and 40 experienced disease progression (3.22%). The median OS was 20.1 months (range: 0.1-164.9), and the median PFS was 19.5 months (range: 0.1-160.9). Pregnancy-associated breast cancer and higher N stage were identified as significant risk factors for OS, while neoadjuvant therapy, absence of adjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, and higher T stage were significant risk factors affecting patients' PFS. Radiotherapy significantly reduced the survival risk for PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or those receiving neoadjuvant therapy ( P=0.019, 0.027). Compared with other reconstruction methods, implant-based reconstruction was associated with a lower incidence of postmastectomy revision surgery(10.5% vs. 17.0%, P<0.001). Even after radiotherapy, the revision surgery incidence for implant-based reconstruction remained lower than that of other methods (12.2% vs. 14.2%, P=0.591). Compared with other reconstruction types, expander-based reconstruction was associated with an increased incidence of revision surgery (31.9% vs. 10.9%, P<0.001). Conclusions:Postmastectomy radiotherapy can reduce survival risk in PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or who received neoadjuvant therapy, showing positive effects on OS and PFS in high-risk patients. Pregnancy, higher T/N stage, and specific treatment strategies are critical factors influencing the prognosis of PMBR patients. Implant-based reconstruction is associated with a lower incidence of revision surgery, which remains low even after RT, whereas expander-based reconstruction may increase the long-term risk of revision surgery.

Objective:To investigate the dosimetric impact of dwell position spacing in the design of three-dimensional (3D) interstitial brachytherapy plans for cervical cancer, and to provide a reference for selecting dwell spacing in clinical planning.Methods:A total of 15 patients with cervical cancer who underwent 3D interstitial brachytherapy at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital between March 2022 and March 2024 were selected using simple random sampling. For each patient, 10 brachytherapy plans were generated with different dwell position spacings set at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 mm, respectively. Key parameters among different dwell spacings compared included D 90%, V 100%, V 200%, and V 300% for the high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV); D 90% for the intermediate-risk clinical target volume (IRCTV); D 2 cm3 for organs at risk (OARs) (bladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum); and the total dwell time. Statistical analyses were performed using repeated measurement ANOVA or the Friedman test. Results:Among different dwell spacings, there were no statistically significant differences in HRCTV D 90%, HRCTV V 100%, bladder D 2 cm3, and rectum D 2 cm3 among different dwell spacings ( P=0.075, 0.061, 0.480, 0.639). All plans with dwell spacings ≤ 3 mm met clinical dose requirements. When the dwell spacing was set to 1 mm, HRCTV V 200% and V 300% had the smallest mean values, while IRCTV D 90% and total dwell time had the largest mean values; all differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). When the dwell spacing was ≥6 mm, an increase in spacing led to a decrease in mean small intestine D 2 cm3, and total dwell time, but an increase in HRCTV V 200% and a decrease in IRCTV D 90%, with statistically significant differences compared to spacings of 1-4 mm ( P<0.05). When the dwell spacing was ≥8 mm, the median colon D 2 cm3 decreased, with statistically significant differences compared to spacings of 1-3 mm ( P<0.05). Conclusions:For 3D interstitial brachytherapy planning in cervical cancer, dwell position spacings ≤ 3 mm can meet clinical dose requirements, with 1 mm providing optimal target coverage. Spacings ≥6 mm / ≥8 mm can reduce radiation dose to the small intestine and colon, respectively, while also shortening dwell time.

Objective: To evaluate the radiation dose, operational standardization, and image quality of computed tomography (CT) Ningbo City Medical Imaging Cloud Platform, so as to provide references for optimizing the quality of CT examinations. Methods: Six CT devices were randomly selected from the Ningbo City Medical Imaging Cloud Platform. Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) image data from CT examinations of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen in males aged 36 to 60 years were collected from January 2023 to December 2024. The radiation dose levels were evaluated using the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP). The coefficient of variation (CV) of CTDIvol and scan length were calculated to assess scan stability. Operational standardization was evaluated using the redundancy rate of scan length and protocol matching degree. Imaging quality was assessed using the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Results: A total of 28 897 DICOM images were collected, including 6 730 axial scans of the skull, 2 778 plain scans of the neck, 15 496 plain scans of the chest, and 3 893 plain scans of the abdomen. The typical values of CTDIvol and DLP radiation doses for the head, neck, and chest were all lower than the diagnostic reference levels. The maximum typical values of CTDIvol and DLP for the abdomen were 22.49 mGy and 941.45 mGy·cm, respectively, which were higher than the diagnostic reference levels. The CV values of CTDIvol and scan length ranged from 14.59% to 37.88% and from 8.27% to 44.96%, respectively. The scan stability of head CT was relatively poor, with CV values ranging from 21.74% to 37.88% and from 12.66% to 44.96%, respectively. The redundancy rate of scan length ranged from 6.02% to 74.40%, and the protocol matching degree ranged from 79.80% to 100.00%. The operational standardization of neck CT was relatively poor, with redundancy rates ranging from 45.70% to 74.40% and protocol matching degrees ranging from 79.80% to 95.36%. The mean SNR and mean CNR of the pulmonary arteries in the chest were relatively high, ranging from 15.81 to 17.65 and from 6.33 to 7.41, respectively. Conclusions The radiation doses from abdominal CT examinations on some CT devices exceed the diagnostic reference levels. The scan stability of head CT examinations and the operational standardization of neck CT examinations represent weak points in quality control. It is recommended to carry out targeted quality control training to enhance the overall quality level of CT examinations.

OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of biapenem combined with moxifloxacin on treatment of the elderly patients with severe pneumonia based on the expression levels of microribonucleic acid(miR)-146a,miR-124 and miR-127.METHODS A total of 112 elderly patients with severe pneumonia who were treated in Jiangnan Uni-versity Affiliated Central Hospital from Jan.2021 to Oct.2023 were recruited as the research subjects and were randomly divided into the study group and the control group,with 56 cases in each group.The control group was treated with moxifloxacin,and the study group was treated with biapenem combined with moxifloxacin,and both groups were treated for 10 consecutive days.The curative effect was compared between the two groups after the treatment for 10 days,the rehabilitation status was observed;the curative effect,expression levels of miR-146a,miR-124 and miR-127 as well as inflammatory response were compared between the two groups before and after the treatment.The adverse reactions during the treatment were analyzed.RESULTS The total effective rate of the study group was 92.86％(52/56)after the treatment for 10 days,higher than 75.00％(42/56)of the control group(x2=10.693,P=0.001).The duration of cough,lung rales,recovery of body temperature and mechanical ventilation were shorter in the study group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The expression levels of miR-146a and miR-127 of the two groups were lower after the treatment for 10 days than those before the treat-ment,the levels of whole blood white blood cell(WBC)counts,serum interleukin-6(IL-6)and procalcitonin(PCT)were lower after the treatment for 10 days than those before the treatment;the levels of the above indexes of the study group were lower than those of the control group(P＜0.05).The expression level of serum miR-124 of the two groups was higher after the treatment for 10 days than those before the treatment,and the level of the study group was higher than that of the control group(P＜0.05).The total incidence of adverse reactions was 14.29％in the study group,10.71％in the control group,and there was no significant difference(x2=1.298,P=0.255).CONCLUSION Biapenem combined with moxifloxacin can achieve exact effect on treatment of the elderly patients with severe pneumonia,regulate the expression levels of miR-146a,miR-124 and miR-127,inhibit the in-flammatory response of the body,and promote the rehabilitation,with the safety favorable.

Objective To observe the value of three-dimensional ultrasound combined with microvascular flow imaging for prenatal diagnosis of fetal intracranial anomalies.Methods Totally 118 fetuses with intracranial anomalies diagnosed through cranial MRI/induced labor specimen dissection who underwent prenatal ultrasound examination were retrospectively enrolled.Two-dimensional,three-dimensional ultrasound and microvascular flow imaging manifestations of fetal intracranial anomalies were observed,and the accuracy of three-dimensional ultrasound combined with microvascular flow imaging for prenatal diagnosis of fetal intracranial anomalies was analyzed.Results The accuracy of three-dimensional ultrasound combined with microvascular flow imaging for prenatal diagnosis of fetal intracranial anomalies was 93.22％(110/118),of isolated and non-isolated intracranial anomalies was 97.47％(77/79)and 84.62％(33/39),respectively.Six fetuses were missed diagnosis of malformations of cortical development(1 fetus of tuberous sclerosis,4 of abnormal morphology of the sulci gyrus and 1 of schizencephaly)and 1 fetus of intracranial softening lesion,while posterior fossa arachnoid cyst in 1 fetus was misdiagnosed as mega cisterna magna.Conclusion The accuracy of three-dimensional ultrasound combined with microvascular flow imaging for prenatal diagnosis of fetal intracranial anomalies was relatively high.