Objective To investigate the changes and diagnostic value of serum hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha(HIF-1α)and Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)levels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)complicated with pulmonary Aspergillosis infection.Methods A total of 240 COPD patients who visited Xi'an Qinhuang Hospital(hereinafter referred to as the hospital)from December 2020 to Decem-ber 2023 were selected as the study subjects in the study,and another 218 volunteers who underwent physical examinations at the hospital were selected as the control group.The COPD patients were separated into an in-fected group(124 cases)and an uninfected group(116 cases)based on whether they had pulmonary Aspergil-losis infection.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect the levels of HIF-1α and TLR4 in patients.Fully automated biochemical analyzer was applied to detect lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and albu-min(ALB)levels.Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of infection in COPD patients.Pearson correlation was applied to analyze the correlation between HIF-1α and TLR4 levels in the infected group.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic val-ue of HIF-1α and TLR4 levels for the occurrence of infection in COPD patients.Results Compared with the control group,the COPD group showed an increase in HIF-1α and TLR4 levels(P＜0.05).Compared with the uninfected group,the proportion of dyspnea,antibiotics＞3 types,the duration of antibiotic use ≥ 14 days,mechanical ventilation procedures,the longer glucocorticosteroid(GC)use time,and levels of LDH,HIF-1α,TLR4 in the infected group were higher(P＜0.05),while the level of ALB was lower(P＜0.05).The types of antibiotics＞3 types,the duration of antibiotic use ≥ 14 days,the duration of GC use,and elevat-ed levels of LDH,HIF-1α,and TLR4 were independent risk factors for infection in COPD patients(P＜0.05),while elevated level of ALB was an independent protective factor for infection in COPD patients(P＜0.05).The levels of HIF-1α and TLR4 in the infected group were positively correlated(r=0.453,P＜0.001).The area under the curve(AUC)of HIF-1α and TLR4 in diagnosing infection in COPD patients alone was 0.816 and 0.813,and the AUC of their combined diagnosis was 0.930,which was better than their indi-vidual diagnoses(Zcombination-HIF-1α=4.923,Z combination-TLR4=5.192,P＜0.001,P＜0.001).Conclusion The levels of HIF-1α and TLR4 increase in COPD patients,and further increase after infection with pulmonary Aspergil-lus.They are independent risk factors for infection in patients,and the two are positively correlated.The combined di-agnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis has certain value and provides a theoretical basis for clinical diagnosis.

Objective:To investigate the detection status of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among patients aged ≥65 years in China and provide evidence for improving PTB prevention and control in this population.Methods:The data were collected from the tuberculosis subsystem of Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System, and the case information of elderly PTB patients aged ≥65 years old who were registered in designated tuberculosis medical institutions nationwide from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2023.Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze trends in detection status, regional differences, and demographic characteristics.Results:From 2015 to 2023, 1 567 047 elderly PTB detection were identified, accounting for 25.1% of all PTB patients (1 567 047/6 243 215). The average registration rate for elderly PTB patients was 96.9 per 100 000, approximately twice that of the general population. The registration rate declined over the years ( Z=-2.61, P=0.009) but increased in 2018 and 2023. The proportion of elderly PTB patients rose annually, from 21.3% in 2015 to 32.4% in 2023 ( Z=2.30, P=0.022). Active case-finding accounted for only 3.0% (47 049/1 567 047) of patients on average during the study period, peaking at 7.3% (14 123/194 615) in 2018 before declining. The registration rates of elderly tuberculosis patients are relatively higher in central and western regions. In the central region, the average registration rate was 113.8 per 100 000, with a proportion of active case detection of 0.4% (2 532/570 059). In the western region, the average registration rate was 130.0 per 100 000, and the proportion of active case-finding was 7.6% (41 973/549 998). Subgroups with notably lower active detection proportions included males (2.5%, 27 443/1 101 091), those aged 80-84 years (2.2%, 2 978/133 855), and migrant populations (0.5%, 1 635/307 673). Conclusions:The burden of PTB among the elderly aged ≥65 years in China remains high, with a low proportion of active case-finding from 2015-2023. There is an urgent need to strengthen health education and active screening to improve the early diagnosis and prevention of tuberculosis in the elderly.

Objective:To investigate the detection status of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among patients aged ≥65 years in China and provide evidence for improving PTB prevention and control in this population.Methods:The data were collected from the tuberculosis subsystem of Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System, and the case information of elderly PTB patients aged ≥65 years old who were registered in designated tuberculosis medical institutions nationwide from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2023.Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze trends in detection status, regional differences, and demographic characteristics.Results:From 2015 to 2023, 1 567 047 elderly PTB detection were identified, accounting for 25.1% of all PTB patients (1 567 047/6 243 215). The average registration rate for elderly PTB patients was 96.9 per 100 000, approximately twice that of the general population. The registration rate declined over the years ( Z=-2.61, P=0.009) but increased in 2018 and 2023. The proportion of elderly PTB patients rose annually, from 21.3% in 2015 to 32.4% in 2023 ( Z=2.30, P=0.022). Active case-finding accounted for only 3.0% (47 049/1 567 047) of patients on average during the study period, peaking at 7.3% (14 123/194 615) in 2018 before declining. The registration rates of elderly tuberculosis patients are relatively higher in central and western regions. In the central region, the average registration rate was 113.8 per 100 000, with a proportion of active case detection of 0.4% (2 532/570 059). In the western region, the average registration rate was 130.0 per 100 000, and the proportion of active case-finding was 7.6% (41 973/549 998). Subgroups with notably lower active detection proportions included males (2.5%, 27 443/1 101 091), those aged 80-84 years (2.2%, 2 978/133 855), and migrant populations (0.5%, 1 635/307 673). Conclusions:The burden of PTB among the elderly aged ≥65 years in China remains high, with a low proportion of active case-finding from 2015-2023. There is an urgent need to strengthen health education and active screening to improve the early diagnosis and prevention of tuberculosis in the elderly.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound(LIPUS)is a low-cost,non-invasive and safe treatment method mainly used for musculoskeletal diseases,especially for fractures and nonunion.This article reviews the therapeutic effects of LIPUS on various musculoskeletal and nervous system diseases and analyzes its mechanism and potential targets.It is found that besides fracture and nonunion,LIPUS also has clinical application prospect in treating osteoporosis,muscle injury,and motor nervous system diseases.

Objective:To build and validate a radiomics and clinical nomogram for preoperative discrimination between low- and high-grade sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC).Methods:From January 2017 to May 2021, 167 SNSCC patients including 78 low-grade (grade Ⅰ or Ⅱ) and 89 high-grade (grade Ⅲ) were retrospectively analyzed at the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University. All patients were randomly divided into a training cohort ( n=117, 64 high-grade and 53 low-grade SNSCC) and a validation cohort ( n=50, 25 high-grade and 25 low-grade SNSCC) in a ratio of 7∶3 using a stratified sampling method. The radiomics features were extracted in contrast enhanced T 1WI with manual segmentation of lesions. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was used to reduce the dimension of the radiomics features and then the radiomics model was built to predict SNSCC histological grade in training cohort. Independent clinical predicting factors were screened using logistic regression and the clinical model was built. The clinical-radiomics model was built by the radiomics features and clinical factors in the training cohort based on logistic regression and the nomogram was drawn. The receiver operator characteristic curves were drawn to evaluate the performance of clinical model, radiomics model and nomogram. The calibration curve was used to evaluate the consistency between the nomogram prediction and the actual observation risk, and the decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical applicability of the nomogram. Results:Using logistic regression analysis, the clinical model was built by the tumor primary site (OR value 7.376, 95%CI 2.517-21.618, P<0.001) and TNM stage (OR value 10.020, 95%CI 3.654-27.472, P<0.001) and the area under the curve (AUC) in the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.798 and 0.784, sensitivity were 84.4% and 84.0%, specificity were 58.5% and 68.0%, respectively. Based on the contrast enhanced T 1WI, a total of 9 radiomics features were screened for establishing the radiomics model. The AUC of radiomics model were 0.833 (sensitivity 82.8%, specificity 73.6%) and 0.851 (sensitivity 92.0%, specificity 68.0%) in the training and validation cohorts. The nomogram based on the clinical-radiomics model predicted histological grade with the highest AUC in the training cohort (AUC 0.920, sensitivity 89.1%, specificity 83.0%) and validation cohort (AUC 0.912, sensitivity 92.0%, specificity 84.0%). The calibration curve of the nomogram was close to the ideal line in both training and validation cohorts. DCA showed that the use of nomogram with a threshold in the range of <85% in training cohort, in the range of 20%-65%, 72%-90% in validation cohort, had a greater clinical application value in predicting the SNSCC histological grade. Nomogram model had a better clinical net benefit than the clinical and radiomics models. Conclusion:Nomogram combining clinical factors (tumor primary site and TNM stage) with radiomics features obtained from contrast enhanced T 1WI has a better ability for predicting histological grade of SNSCC than clinical and radiomics models.

Objective To investigate the population dynamics and Echinococcus infections in small rodents around human settlement in Yushu City, Qinghai Province. Methods Rodents were captured using the mouse trap method in pastures from Batang Township and Longbao Township of Yushu City, Qinghai Province on May, August and October, 2018. The body weight and snout-vent length of all captured rodents were measured, and the species was identified according to the rodent morphology. Genomic DNA was extracted from rodent liver specimens and lesion specimens, and the mitochondrial cox1 gene of Echinococcus was amplified using PCR assay for identification of parasite species. In addition, the tissue specimens positive for PCR assay were sampled for pathological examinations. The prevalence of Echinococcus infections was estimated in rodents, and a phylogenetic tree was created based on Echinococcus cox1 gene sequences. Results A total of 285 small rodents were captured, including 143 Ochotona curzoniae (50.2%), 141 Lasiopodomys fuscus (49.5%), and 1 Neodon irene (0.3%), and there was a remarkable variation in habitat selection among these three rodent species. The number of L. fuscus correlated positively with vegetation coverage (r = 0.350, P = 0.264), with the greatest number seen in August, and the number of O. curzoniae negatively with vegetation coverage (r = −0.371, P = 0.235), with the highest number seen in August and the lowest number in May. The female/male ratios of O. curzoniae and voles were 1:0.96 and 0.82:1, respectively. The body weight (r = 0.519, P < 0.01) and snout-vent length (r = 0.578, P < 0.01) of O. curzoniae showed a tendency towards a rise with month, while the body weight (r = −0.401, P < 0.01) and snout-vent length (r = −0.570, P < 0.01) of voles presented a tendency towards a reduction with month. No Echinococcus infection was detected in voles, while 2.1% prevalence of E. shiquicus infection was seen in O. curzoniae. Phylogenetic analysis revealed consistent sequences of cox1 gene from E. shiquicus in Yushu City of Qinghai Province and Shiqu County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Conclusions The small rodents around the human settlement in Yushu City of Qinghai Province mainly include O. curzoniae and L. fuscus, with the greatest numbers seen in May and August, respectively. Following the concerted efforts for echinococcosis control, the prevalence of Echinococcus infections is low in small rodents around the human settlement in Yushu City; however, there is still a risk of echinococcosis transmission.

Objective To compare the effects of Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model-X (ARIMAX) and multivariate Long Short Term Memory Network (multivariate LSTM) in the prediction of daily total death toll in Yancheng City. Methods Based on total death toll data, meteorological data and air quality data from January 1^st, 2014 to June 30^th,2017 in Yancheng City, Jiangsu province, ARIMAX model and multivariate LSTM model were established to predict the daily total death toll from July 1^st,2017 to July 14^th,2017. RMSE, MAE and MAPE were used as evaluation indexes to compare the prediction effects of these two models. Results RMSE, MAE and MAPE of ARIMAX model and multivariate LSTM model were 20.742、15.094、9.921 and 47.182、35.863、19.633, respectively. Conclusion ARIMAX model is better than multivariate LSTM model to predict the daily death toll in Yancheng city.

The present study aims to investigate the impact of hydrogen-rich water on the lactic acid level in metformin-treated diabetic rats under hypoxia. Thirty Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups, including normal diet group, and diabetes model (DM) group, DM + metformin treatment (DMM) group, DMM + hypoxia treatment (DMMH) group and DMMH + hydrogenrich water (DMMHR) group. We found that the levels of lactic acid, pyruvate and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly lower in the blood of DMMHR group than DMMH group. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels in liver and heart were significantly higher in DMMH group after hydrogen-rich water treatment, while malondialdehyde and oxidized glutathione levels were decreased in DMMHR group when compared with DMMH group, which indicates that hydrogen-rich water could reduce oxidative stress. qPCR analysis demonstrated that that pro-apoptotic genes Bax/Caspase-3 were upregulated in DM group and metformin treatment suppressed their upregulation (DMM group). However, hypoxic condition reversed the effect of metformin on apoptotic gene expression, and hydrogen-rich water showed little effect on these genes under hypoxia. HE staining showed that hydrogen-rich water prevented myocardial fiber damages under hypoxia. In summary, we conclude that hydrogen-rich water could prevent lactate accumulation and reduce oxidant stress in diabetic rat model to prevent hypoxia-induced damages. It could be served as a potential agent for diabetes patients with metformin treatment to prevent lactic acidosis and reduce myocardial damages under hypoxic conditions.

Objective To evaluate the correlation between the degree of cochlea endolymphatic hydrops(EH) and hearing loss and symptoms in patients with unilateral Meniere's disease. Methods Fifty seven patients with unilateral Meniere's patients were retrospectively quantitatively analyzed, which evaluated the correlation between the cochlea EH and hearing loss and symptoms. The affected ears in the experimental group(57 ears) and the asymptomatic ears in the control group(57 ears), were confirmed by bilateral intratympanic Gd-DTPA injection and 3D real IR MRI scan after 24 h. The maximum length of endolymph space and labyrinth chamber along the modiolus cochleae and their ratio which represented the endolymph space proportion of each turn(R1, the basal turn;R2, the middle turn;R3, the apical turn) were calculated. And the paired t test was used to compare the differences in EH degree between the experimental and control group;Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the cochlea EH degree and hearing loss and duration of symptoms. Results R1, R1 and R3 of ipsilateral cochlea were higher than normal cochlea(ipsilateral R1:0.354±0.097 vs. normal R1:0.185±0.031, P<0.01;ipsilateral R2:0.445 ± 0.098 vs. normal R2:0.201 ± 0.046, P<0.01;ipsilateral R3:0.467 ± 0.102 vs. normal R3:0.221 ± 0.053, P<0.01). A positive correlation was found between the degree of EH in each turn and high-frequency hearing loss(r=0.275, 0.281, 0.329, respectively;all P<0.05), whereas no correlation was found between the extent of EH and the time of vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss(P>0.05). In addition, there was a correlation between the degree of EH in the apical turn and low, medium, high-frequency hearing loss(r=0.271, 0.269, 0.329, respectively; all P<0.05). Conclusions The degree of cochlea EH in the basal and second turn showed great relevance with the high-frequency hearing loss, and the apical turn EH degree was relevant with the low, medium, high-frequency hearing loss, but there was no correlation between the EH degree of each turn, ages and symptoms.

Objective To discuss the value of high resolution MRI in the evaluation of small intralabyrinthine lesions with the symptom of vertigo. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the imaging examination techniques and imaging finding of 13 cases of labyrinthine hemorrhage or exudate and 6 cases of intralabyrinthine schwannoma (ILS) with the symptom of vertigo. Two cases of labyrinthine hemorrhage or exudate and 3 cases of ILS underwent temporal bone high resolution CT(HRCT) scan and all the 19 patients received highresolution MR examination. Patients of labyrinthine hemorrhage or exudate received fluid?attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)T2WI in addition to routine pre?contrast temporal bone MR. Pre?and post?contrast MR of the temporal bone were performed on the ILS patients. In particular, 3 ILS cases received three?dimensional sampling perfection with application?optimized contrasts by using different flip angle evolutions (3D?SPACE) sequence. Results There was no abnormal finding on HRCT of the inner ear of the 2 labyrinthine hemorrhage cases. On T1WI, regions of mild increased signal intensity of the labyrinth of affected side could be spotted in 7 patients whereas no abnormal signal intensity was found in the other 6 patients. On T2WI, all the 13 labyrinthine hemorrhage or exudate cases had no abnormal finding in the inner ear. On FLAIR T2WI sequence, regions of increased signal intensity of the labyrinth of affected side could be found in all the 13 cases. Thress ILS patients that received HRCT scan showed no valuable finding. On T1WI, no abnormal signal intensity was found in the labyrinth of the 6 patients. On T2WI, regions of decreased signal intensity of the labyrinth could be found in only 3 patients. All the 3 cases that received 3D?SPACE sequence appeared as a filling defect in the high?signal labyrinth clearly while 2 of the 3 lesions could not be found on T2WI. After Gadolinium administration, all the 6 ILSs were obviously enhancing. Conclusions High resolution MRI is valuable in the diagnosis of labyrinthine hemorrhage or exudate and ILS. The use of FLAIR T2WI sequence can help us to find labyrinthine hemorrhage or exudate more sensitively. The use of 3D?SPACE sequence can help us to detect and diagnose small intralabyrinthine lesions.