Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as an alternative for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in treating multiple pulmonary nodules. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 113 patients with multiple pulmonary nodules admitted to Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2020 to October 2022. The patients were divided into the RFA group (n＝50) and the VATS group (n＝63) based on the treatment method. Perioperative indicators (operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative length of hospital stay), oncological outcomes (recurrence-free survival [RFS], overall survival [OS]), and postoperative complication rates were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors. Results The operation time in the RFA group was significantly shorter than that in the VATS group ([75.2±20.1] min vs [102.3±28.7]) min, P＜0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss and postoperative length of hospital stay. After follow-up of 24 (12, 30) months, no statistically significant differences were found in RFS (HR＝1.25, P＝0.445) or OS (HR＝1.42, P＝0.402) between the two groups. Mixed ground-glass nodules with high solid component and solid nodule were identified as independent risk factors for RFS (HR＝2.44, P＝0.023; HR＝2.97, P＝0.007) and OS (HR＝2.87, P＝0.022; HR＝3.43, P＝0.005) in patients with multiple pulmonary nodules. The total complication rate in the RFA group was lower than that in the VATS group (12.0% vs 34.9%, P＝0.009). Conclusions The efficacy of CT-guided RFA in treating multiple pulmonary nodules is comparable to that of VATS, with good safety, and it shows promise as an alternative to surgical treatment for multiple pulmonary nodules.

BACKGROUND:Carnosic acid,a bioactive compound found in rosemary,has been shown to reduce inflammation and reactive oxygen species(ROS).However,its mechanism of action in osteoclast differentiation remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of carnosic acid on osteoclast activation,ROS production,and mitochondrial function. METHODS:Primary bone marrow-derived macrophages from mice were extracted and cultured in vitro.Different concentrations of carnosic acid(0,10,15,20,25 and 30 μmol/L)were tested for their effects on bone marrow-derived macrophage proliferation and toxicity using the cell counting kit-8 cell viability assay to determine a safe concentration.Bone marrow-derived macrophages were cultured in graded concentrations and induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand for osteoclast differentiation for 5-7 days.The effects of carnosic acid on osteoclast differentiation and function were then observed through tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining,F-actin staining,H2DCFDA probe and mitochondrial ROS,and Mito-Tracker fluorescence detection.Western blot and RT-PCR assays were subsequently conducted to examine the effects of carnosic acid on the upstream and downstream proteins of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand-induced MAPK signaling pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and F-actin staining showed that carnosic acid dose-dependently inhibited in vitro osteoclast differentiation and actin ring formation in the cell cytoskeleton,with the highest inhibitory effect observed in the high concentration group(30 μmol/L).Carnosic acid exhibited the most significant inhibitory effect during the early stages(days 1-3)of osteoclast differentiation compared to other intervention periods.Fluorescence imaging using the H2DCFDA probe,mitochondrial ROS,and Mito-Tracker demonstrated that carnosic acid inhibited cellular and mitochondrial ROS production while reducing mitochondrial membrane potential,thereby influencing mitochondrial function.The results of western blot and RT-PCR revealed that carnosic acid could suppress the expression of NFATc1,CTSK,MMP9,and C-fos proteins associated with osteoclast differentiation,and downregulate the expression of NFATc1,Atp6vod2,ACP5,CTSK,and C-fos genes related to osteoclast differentiation.Furthermore,carnosic acid enhanced the expression of antioxidant enzyme proteins and reduced the generation of ROS during the process of osteoclast differentiation.Overall,carnosic acid exerts its inhibitory effects on osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting the phosphorylation modification of the P38/ERK/JNK protein and activating the MAPK signaling pathway in bone marrow-derived macrophages.

Objective To optimize the design of the existing water conductivity control system for pharmaceutical water equipment of full membrane process so as to solve its problems in precision and long cycle time due to water source,ambient temperature and intermittent working mode.Methods The optimized water conductivity control system was composed of an alkali metering pump,a conductivity sensor and a programmable logic controller(PLC),which used a fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative(PID)controller to regulate the water conductivity of pharmaceutical water equipment of full membrane process,and the particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm to optimize the parameters of the fuzzy PID controller.A simulation model was established with MATLAB software to verify the performance of the optimized control system.Results Simulation results showed the optimized control system had reductions in overshoot(by 19％)and adjustment time(by 29％)when compared with the fuzzy PID control system,and enhanced control efficiency effectively.Conclusion The optimized control system optimized by the PSO algorithm improves the quality of produced water,and can meet the demands for rapid and safe production of pharmaceutical water by pharmaceutical water equipment of full membrane process in different conditions.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(6):14-19]

This study was aimed at evaluating the characteristics of H9N2 subtype avian influenza viruses(AIVs)origina-ting from wild birds in major wetlands in Fujian.Five H9N2 subtype AIVs isolated from fecal samples from wild birds in wet-lands of the Minjiang River,Jiulong River,Sandu Bay,Xinghua Bay,and Quanzhou Bay in Fujian were sequenced.Sequence a-nalysis of the HA genes of the five H9N2 subtype AIVs indicated that the five isolates shared 89.8％-99.4％nucleotide se-quence identity.All five isolates belonged to the same h9.4.2.5c evolutionary branch.The cleavage site motifs of HA were all PSRSSR ↓ GLF,thus indicating molecular characteristics of AIVs with low pathogenicity.The HA proteins of the viruses orig-inating from wild birds bore eight identical potential glycosylation sites,among which the glycosylation site at position 313 was located near the HA protein cleavage site.The 226th amino acid of HA in the receptor binding site was leucine in each virus,thus indicating that HAs of the five H9N2 subtype AIVs had mammalian sialic acid α-2,6 receptor binding affinity.In conclu-sion,the five H9N2 subtype AIVs originating from wild birds in Fujian had low pathogenicity,and the HAs had mammalian sialic acid α-2,6 receptor binding affinity.

This study was aimed at establishing a method of ultra-fast quantitative PCR for Brucella detection.We used an exogenous recombinant plasmid as the internal reference and targeted the T4SS secretion system,an important Brucella viru-lence factor,to design specific primers and probes.The sensitivity,specificity,and repeatability of this method were evaluated,and a standard curve was constructed.The coincidence rate of detection findings with this method versus quantitative PCR was determined.This method markedly decreased the detection time to only 10 minutes.The standard curve demonstrated a good linear relationship(Y=-3.410 7x+38.357,R2=0.998 5)with a low minimum detection limit of 10 copies/μL.The method exhibited good specificity and did not specifically amplify several common clinical bacteria other than Brucella.The de-tection of three concentrations of positive plasmids yielded coefficients of variation(CVs)of 0.20％to 0.91％,thus demonstra-ting the method's excellent repeatability.Furthermore,140 clinical samples were analyzed concurrently with the fluorescence PCR method,which yielded a 100％compliance rate and consistent results.Our findings indicated that the Brucella ultra-fast quantitative PCR was ultrafast;had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good specificity;and can be used for the clinical de-tection of Brucella and emergency investigation of epidemics.Therefore,this method is valuable for the early diagnosis of Bru-cella.

For middle-aged and elderly patients with conditions such as spinal fractures and degenerative spinal diseases, spinal internal fixation is a core surgical procedure for reconstructing spinal stability, heavily relying on the biomechanical stability provided by pedicle screw systems. Whereas, these patients are often complicated by osteoporosis that can significantly compromise the stability of the bone-pedicle screw interface, leading to a marked increase in pedicle screw loosening and surgical failure rates. The bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique, which involves injecting bone cement into the vertebral body or screw trajectory to optimize the mechanical properties of the bone-pedicle screw composite, has been proven to significantly enhance fixation strength and effectively prevent screw-related failures, thereby reducing the incidence of internal fixation failure in high-risk populations undergoing spinal fusion. However, the widespread clinical application of this technique has faced challenges such as inaccurate clinical decision-making (indication and contraindication selection), non-standardized operative practices, and insufficient awareness of complication prevention, resulting in considerable variability in clinical outcomes and even severe complications. To address this, Prof. Luo Fei from First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University initiated the project and the Chinese Association Orthopaedic Surgeons organized relevant experts to develop the Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique ( version 2025), based on current evidence. The guidelines put forward 8 recommendations regarding the clinical value, scope of application, and operational standards of the technique, aiming to provide evidence-based medical support and technical standardization for clinical decision-making.

Objective:To analyze the epidemic trend of influenza-like illness（ILI）cases，etiological detection results，and the evolution of the hemagglutinin（HA）gene of the predominant strains in Hanzhong City，Shaanxi Province during the 2018-2024 influenza seasons.Methods:ILI sentinel surveillance data and network laboratory test results during the 2018-2024 influenza seasons in Hanzhong City，Shaanxi Province were collected for descriptive analysis. The HA gene sequences of 25 predominant strains were obtained through whole-genome deep sequencing method，and then compared with the vaccine strains recommended by the World Health Organization in the same period to analyze the evolution of the virus.Results:A total of 37 770 cases of ILI were reported in Hanzhong City during the 2018-2024 influenza seasons，and the proportion of total ILI cases（ILI%）was 2.87%（37 770/1 316 009）. The epidemic trend of ILI showed an obvious epidemic peak in winter and spring（from December of the current year to March of the following year）. The specimens with the highest positive rate were of type A（H3N2）（39.12%，365/933），and the predominant epidemic strains in each influenza season alternated among A（H1N1）pdm09（in the 2018-2019 and 2022-2023 influenza seasons），A（H3N2）（in the 2019-2020 and 2023-2024 influenza seasons）and B（Victoria）（in the 2021-2022 influenza season）. The phylogenetic relationship gradually became more distant over time across different influenza seasons. Among them，the epidemic strains of A（H1N1）pdm09 belonged to the 6B.1 clade，and the evolution mainly occurred in the Sa and Sb regions of the HA epitope. Meanwhile，the epidemic strains of A（H3N2）belonged to the 3C clade，and the evolution mainly took place in the A，B and C regions of the HA epitope. The strains of the B（Victoria）lineage belonged to the V1a.3a.2 clade，and the evolution mainly occurred in the 120-loop，150-loop，and 190-helix regions of the HA epitope.Conclusions:The influenza epidemic in Hanzhong City has obvious seasonality，and the amino acids of the epidemic strains have shown a certain degree of variation over the years. In future prevention and control work，influenza surveillance should be continuously strengthened，and the change trend of the predominant circulating strains should be closely monitored.

Objective:To investigate the impact of correcting rotational subluxation through circumferential fusion and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) on postoperative coronal plane imbalance in degenerative scoliosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 108 patients with type A degenerative scoliosis in the Nanjing classification who underwent primary multi-segment posterior column osteotomy (PCO) with deformity correction and internal fixation at Nanjing Gulou Hospital from June 2017 to June 2021. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of preoperative rotational subluxation: the rotational subluxation group and the non-rotational subluxation group. The rotational subluxation group consisted of 60 patients, with 8 males and 52 females, aged 63.7±5.5 years (range, 56-75 years). The non-rotational subluxation group included 48 patients, with 5 males and 43 females, aged 64.4±5.2 years (range, 53-72 years). Within the rotational subluxation group, depending on whether TLIF was performed on the rotational subluxation segment, they were further categorized into the TLIF group and the PCO group. The TLIF group comprised 28 patients, while the PCO group had 32 patients. Full-spine anteroposterior and lateral X-rays were taken preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the last follow-up to measure coronal balance types and radiographic parameters. The differences in the lumbar Cobb angle, coronal balance distance (CBD), and the Cobb angle of the lumbosacral curve (Cobb-Fra angle) were compared between the rotational subluxation group and the non-rotational subluxation group, as well as between the TLIF group and the PCO group.Results:The average surgery duration ranged from 200 to 310 min, with a mean of 235±47 min. The intraoperative blood loss ranged from 700 to 2,400 ml, with an average of 950±355 ml. The number of fused segments in the rotational subluxation group was 7.6±2.1, ranging from 5 to 11 segments, while in the non-rotational subluxation group, it was 7.4±2.0, ranging from 5 to 10 segments. Postoperatively, 13%(8/60) of patients in the rotational subluxation group developed type C coronal imbalance, significantly higher than the 2%(1/48) in the non-rotational subluxation group. The immediate postoperative and final follow-up lumbar Cobb angles, CBD, and Cobb-Fra angles in the rotational subluxation group were 20.60°±10.73° and 20.33°±10.92°, 22.53±16.45 mm and 18.53±17.31 mm, 13.14°±4.40° and 11.23°±4.92°, respectively, which were higher than those in the non-rotational subluxation group (13.92°±7.02° and 12.92°±6.64°, 18.62±17.44 mm and 8.83±8.95 mm, 11.91°±3.03° and 9.52°±3.30°), with statistical significance ( P<0.05).. Among patients in the rotational subluxation group, the probability of new-onset coronal imbalance postoperatively was 4%(1/28) in the TLIF group, which was lower than the 22%(7/32) in the PCO group, with a statistically significant difference (χ 2=4.330, P=0.037). The immediate postoperative and final follow-up lumbar Cobb angles, CBD, and Cobb-Fra angles in the PCO group were 25.63°±11.00° and 25.13°±11.04°, 27.37±18.95 mm and 25.25±18.67 mm, 15.50°±3.62° and 14.08°±4.77°, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the TLIF group (14.86°±6.96° and 14.86°±5.37°, 17.08±10.94 mm and 10.86±7.86 mm, 10.14°±3.37° and 8.46°±2.66°), with statistical significance ( P<0.05). Conclusion:For patients with Type A degenerative scoliosis combined with rotational subluxation according to the Nanjing classification, performing a 360-degree circumferential release and interbody fusion at the segment with rotatory subluxation can reduce the risk of developing new postoperative coronal imbalances.

Objective:To explore the clinical features of Brucellar myelitis and diagnosis and treatment of secondary neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and enhance the awareness of clinicians about this disease.Methods:A retrospective study was performed; 13 patients with Brucellar myelitis admitted to Department of Neurology, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2024 were chosen. Clinical data were collected, and MRI images and serological changes during the infection period were observed. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid demyelinating antibody markers and cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in the suspected secondary inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system patients were detected. All patients received standard antibiotic treatment and/or individualized immunotherapy depending on disease severity. The patients were followed up for 24 (12, 42) months. At the last follow-up, the neurological outcomes were evaluated using modified Rankin scale (mRS, scores of 0-2: good prognosis; scores of 3-6: poor prognosis).Results:(1) Among the 13 patients, 12 had motor disorder, 9 had bladder/bowel dysfunction, 7 had sensory abnormality, and 4 had other symptoms such as dizziness, behavioral changes, or unsteady gait. (2) MRI results showed that 8 patients had spinal cord abnormalities, including 2 with long-segment intramedullary high signal at T2-weighted image and 6 with short-segment local intramedullary high signal at T2-weighted image. Enhanced MRI was performed in 11 patients, with 2 showing lesion enhancement, 3 showing meningeal enhancement, and 6 showing no enhancement. (3) Four patients had elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure (>180 mmH 2O); 9 patients had elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein level (>0.45 g/L). Brucella-specific DNA was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of 6 patients. One patient was positive for OCB type II. One patient was positive for aquaporin 4 antibody (AQP4-IgG) in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid, and one patient was double positive for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG-IgG) and AQP4-IgG in serum. (4) All 13 patients received standard antibiotic treatment; 12 patients received immunotherapy. (5) Among the 4 patients with poor prognosis, 3 died and the remaining 9 had a good prognosis. The mRS score decreasing from 4 (3, 4) at admission to 2 (2, 3) at the last follow-up, showing an overall improvement in neurological function. (6) Among the 13 patients, 2 were diagnosed as having Brucellar myelitis secondary NMOSD. On the basis of antibiotic treatment, one AQP4-IgG positive patient was treated with high-dose glucocorticoids only and later died; one MOG-IgG and AQP4-IgG double positive patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin combined with high-dose glucocorticoids and sequential rituximab, with mRS score decreasing from 5 at admission to 2 at the last follow-up and good neurological function recovery. Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of Brucellar myelitis are diverse and overlap with the clinical features of NMOSD. For patients with suspected Brucellar myelitis secondary NMOSD, combination of immunosuppressant (such as rituximab) with antibiotics may be an effective individualized treatment.

BACKGROUND: Based on the China-VHD database, this study sought to develop and validate a Valvular Heart Disease- specific Age-adjusted Comorbidity Index (VHD-ACI) for predicting mortality risk in patients with VHD. METHODS & RESULTS: The China-VHD study was a nationwide, multi-centre multi-centre cohort study enrolling 13,917 patients with moderate or severe VHD across 46 medical centres in China between April-June 2018. After excluding cases with missing key variables, 11,459 patients were retained for final analysis. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality, with 941 deaths (10.0%) observed during follow-up. The VHD-ACI was derived after identifying 13 independent mortality predictors: cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery hypertension, low body weight, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, renal insufficiency, moderate/severe hepatic dysfunction, heart failure, cancer, NYHA functional class and age. The index exhibited good discrimination (AUC, 0.79) and calibration (Brier score, 0.062) in the total cohort, outperforming both EuroSCORE II and ACCI (P < 0.001 for comparison). Internal validation through 100 bootstrap iterations yielded a C statistic of 0.694 (95% CI: 0.665-0.723) for 2-year mortality prediction. VHD-ACI scores, as a continuous variable (VHD-ACI score: adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.263 (1.245-1.282), P < 0.001) or categorized using thresholds determined by the Yoden index (VHD-ACI ≥ 9 vs. < 9, adjusted HR (95% CI): 6.216 (5.378-7.184), P < 0.001), were independently associated with mortality. The prognostic performance remained consistent across all VHD subtypes (aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve disease, mixed aortic/mitral valve disease and multiple VHD), and clinical subgroups stratified by therapeutic strategy, LVEF status (preserved vs. reduced), disease severity and etiology. CONCLUSION The VHD-ACI is a simple 13-comorbidity algorithm for the prediction of mortality in VHD patients and providing a simple and rapid tool for risk stratification.