OBJECTIVE To compare the ability of ultra-high-resolution CT(U-HRCT)and multi-slice spiral CT(MSCT)to display key vocal transmission structures in the middle ear.METHODS Subjects with normal middle ear structures who underwent 0.1 mm layer thickness U-HRCT and 0.625 mm layer thickness MSCT scans at the same time in Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from December 2019 to August 2024 were retrospectively enrolled.Two experienced head and neck radiologists reconstruct standard transsectional,coronal images based on the thinnest layer thickness.According to the 5-point method,16 key sound transmission structures of the middle ear,including malleus,incus and stapes,as well as joints,ligaments and tendons,were evaluated for image quality scoring.The standard deviation(SD)value,signal noise ratio(SNR),and contrast noise ratio(CNR)of bone in the malleus region and intratympanic gas were measured and calculated on the two examination images.RESULTS Thirty patients(47 sides)with normal middle ear structure were included,including 18 males and 12 females.The two physicians compared the results of U-HRCT in showing malleus head,malleus neck,malleus handle,incus body,long process,and short process,5 points accounted for 100%,and the 5-point scores of incudomalleolar joint space,incudostapedial joint space,stapes footplate and annular ligament were 100%,98.29%,75.83%and 77.83%,respectively,which were significantly higher than those of MSCT(P<0.001).In addition,U-HRCT showed higher scores for lenticular process,stapes head,anterior arch of stapes,posterior arch of stapes,annular ligament,stapes muscle,and tendo musculi tensoris tympani than MSCT(P<0.001),and the lenticular process showed a 100%display rate.There was no significant difference in the SNR between the two groups(P>0.05),but the SD value of the malleus in U-HRCT was 161.6±36.4,which was significantly lower than that in MSCT(297.8±128.1),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001).CONCLUSION U-HRCT can clearly visualize the key sound transmission structures of the middle ear,and its visualization ability is significantly better than that of MSCT.

Objective To establish a new fermentation process for Zhizhen Recipe by using bi-directional solid fermentation method of traditional Chinese medicine.Methods ① Candidate strains for fermentation were primarily recruited through literature research.Then plate incorporation assay of candidate strains were conducted to investigate the growth compatibility between the strains.CCK-8 cell proliferation assay was used to compare the half proliferation inhibitory concentration of the products obtained under different fermentation conditions against human colorectal cancer cell line HCT-8.The advantages of different fermentation systems were evaluated and the key fermentation parameters including strains and incubation periods were determined,which gave rise to the establishment of the optimal fermentation process for Zhizhen Recipe.② In vitro pharmacological effects were compared between the fermented and unfermented Zhizhen Recipe by measuring proliferation inhibition of HCT-8 cells,as well as NO release and phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells.Results The results showed that Aspergillus niger/Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the optimal combination of strains,and the optimal fermentation time is 4 days.Under optimized conditions,the half inhibitory concentration(IC50)of the fermentation group on HCT-8 cells was 67.41 μg·mL-1,while IC50 value of the unfermented Zhizhen Recipe was 1 032 μg·mL-1.Compared with unfermented preparation,the fermented preparation exhibited significant effects on inhibiting the release of inflammatory factor NO of macrophages RAW264.7 cells and obviously enhanced their phagocytic activity.Conclusion In this present study,we established a new bi-directional solid fermentation process for Zhizhen Recipe.Under this fermentation system,the anti-colorectal cancer activity,anti-inflammatory activity and pro-immune activity of Zhizhen Recipe in vitro were significantly improved.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of isolated diastolic hypertension(IDH)in the Tibetan population in Tibet and to provide some evidence for the prevention and control of hypertension and other related diseases in high-altitude areas.Methods A multistage stratified whole-group random sampling method was used to enroll participants from Ngari Prefecture,Nagqu City,Shannan City,and Lhasa City,Tibet.A total of 3 918 native Tibetans with complete data were enrolled in the survey between June 2020 and August 2023.The participants were aged from 18 to 80.The demographic data,life habits,and chronic disease prevalence of the participants were collected.Fasting venous blood samples were collected to perform the routine blood tests and blood biochemistry tests.The prevalence of IDH in subgroups with different characteristics was analyzed and the influencing factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression,accordingly.The predictive value of influencing factors on the prevalence of IDH was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the findings were compared with those of the previous prediction models for IDH.Results The prevalence of hypertension in the participants was 33.7%(n=1 321),among which,395 had IDH,accounting for 29.9%of the hypertensive patients.The results of multivariate regression showed that age,heart rate,body mass index,waist circumference,hemoglobin,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with risks of developing IDH(P＜0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)was 0.71,which indicated improved accuracy for predicting the risks for IDH in comparison with previous predictive models for IDH.Among the influencing factors,BMI showed the best predictive value for IDH risks.Conclusion The prevalence of IDH is high among Tibetans in Tibet,suggesting the necessity for rational allocation of health resources in accordance.Compared with the previous IDH prediction models,the model proposed in this study is more suited for the Tibetan population.Targeted interventions should be carried out for the high-risk populations,such as young and middle-aged adults and populations suffering from overweight/obesity,central obesity,high-altitude polycythemia,and dyslipidemia,so as to effectively control the occurrence and development of IDH.

With the gradual improvement of medical informatization and the vigorous development of medical and health big data，the exploration and practice of real -world research are becoming more and more mature ，and real -world data have become an important source of evidence for post marketing re -evaluation of drugs . As an important high -quality real -world medical data ， electronic medical record data is an indispensable data source for post marketing re -evaluation of drugs . Most of the existing guidelines and norms of real -world research are designed from the perspective of prospective research ，and do not propose specific measures and methods in the implementation of retrospective research ，especially for the operation suggestions on the technical level of using conventionally collected electronic medical record data . In combination with the operational process framework formulated by the existing guidelines and norms ，this paper creatively adds the operating procedures for dataE- validation，data integration ，data verification ，and throughout quality control ，data management and storage of retrospectiveelectronic medical record data ，and describes the data analysis methods and key points involved in carrying out multi -center retrospective real -world research using electronic medical record data ，taking the post marketing safety research of drugs as an example. Finally，the full process operation procedure applicable to the use of multi -center retrospective electronic medical record data is established .

BACKGROUNDChronic exposure to n-hexane can lead to peripheral neuropathy that no effective treatment regimen could be applied presently. This study investigated whether myelin protein zero (P0) protein and its antibody could be used to distinguish n-hexane intoxication and protect workers from peripheral neuropathy.

METHODSWe compared P0 protein and its antibody among three levels of n-hexane-exposed groups, which included 18 patients with n-hexane-induced peripheral neuropathy as case group, 120 n-hexane-exposed workers as n-hexaneexposed control group, and 147 non-hexane-exposed participants used as control group. ELISA method was applied to detect P0 protein and its antibody.

RESULTSP0 protein in serum was significantly higher in the case group and n-hexane-exposed control group in comparison with the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with the n-hexane-exposed control group, the case group also had significant increase of P0 protein (P < 0.01). After 6 months therapy, P0 protein was observed to decrease significantly in the case group (P < 0.01). The P0 antibody in serum was significantly higher in the n-hexane-exposed control group than in the control group (P < 0.01), but not significantly different between cases and controls.

CONCLUSIONSP0 antibodies in serum may be a short-term effect biomarker for n-hexane exposure. P0 protein in serum may be an early effective biomarker for peripheral nerve neuropathy and its biological limit value needs investigation in the future study.

Adult ; Antibodies ; blood ; immunology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Hexanes ; toxicity ; Humans ; Male ; Myelin P0 Protein ; blood ; immunology ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; immunology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo document the investigation and control of an outbreak of gastroenteritis in City G, South China, and provide a reference for preventing future outbreaks.

METHODSAn ambispective cohort study was designed. Attack rate (AR) and relative risks (RR) were calculated to identify the causes of gastroenteritis. Investigations using questionnaires included personal interviews with patients and doctors, reviews of medical records, laboratory examinations of fecal specimens and continuous hygiene monitoring of water samples from the waterworks.

RESULTSOverall, 427/71534 (AR=5.97%) cases were identified between October 31 and November 12 2010. Geographic distribution was highly localized, with 80% of cases occurring in the areas supplied by waterworks-A. Consumption of water provided solely by waterworks-A was found to be associated with illness (RR=8.20, 95 CI%:6.12-10.99) compared with that from waterworks-B. Microbiological analyses confirmed the presence of Norovirus in six of eight fecal samples from symptomatic patients, two water samples from waterworks-A and two sewage samples. After taking effective measures, the hygienic indices of waterworks-A met health criteria again on November 9 and no cases were reported 3 days later.

CONCLUSIONThe outbreak reported here was caused by drinking tap water contaminated with sewage at the source. Early identification of possible contamination sources and awareness of changes that might negatively impact water quality are important preventive measures to protect public health.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Water Pollution ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the in situ absorption kinetics of berberine (BER) and jatrorrhizine( JAT) at different intestine segments in rats.

METHODThe intestinal perfusion experiment was performed on rats in vivo to observe the effects of absorption sites and drug concentration on the intestinal absorption characteristics of BER and JAT.

RESULTThe apparent absorption rate constants (Ka) of BER and JAT at duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon were 0.1540, 0.1160, 0.9793, 0.6795 h(-1) and 0.0743, 0.0564, 0.0456, 0.0234 h(-1), respectively. The absorption of BER and JAT decreased according to the turn of duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon. Compared to the lower segment, BER and JAT were better absorbed at the upper and middle segments of intestine in rats. The Ka of BER and JAT had no significant difference when the concentration of the extractive Rhizoma Coptidis was at 22-88 mg x L(-1). However, the absorption quantity of BER and JAT were proportional to the concentration respectively and the saturated phenomena were not observed.

CONCLUSIONBoth the BER and the JAT is can be absorbed in whole intestine and the results indicated that the absorption of BER and JAT compiled with the first order kinetics through passive diffusion mechanism.

Animals ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; Intestinal Absorption ; drug effects ; Intestines ; metabolism ; Jejunum ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Rhizome ; chemistry

Objective To study the important virulence regulation genes of Brucella,and to understand their function.Methods Quantitative RT-PCR was used to quantify their relative transcription profiles under stress conditions and during macrophage cell infection.Results These genes were activated at different levels under these conditions and during cell infection,indicating their roles in pathogenesis at different srage of infection.Conclusion The transcription profiles of these genes have different effects about their functions.