Ionizing radiation (IR) is a genotoxic agent that can play an important role in the occurrence and development of various diseases by inducing epigenetic changes. Studies have shown that the basic mechanisms of IR-induced epigenetic changes include abnormal DNA methylation, increased oxidative stress levels, changes in histone modifications, and regulation by microRNAs. These can lead to health hazards such as malignant tumors, genetic effects, nervous system damage, circulatory system diseases, and radiation-induced cataracts. This article collected relevant literatures regarding epigenetic changes induced by IR from 2005 to 2024, and reviewed the basic mechanisms of IR-induced epigenetic changes and the associated disease risks, providing the reference for radiation protection in occupational exposure and radiotherapy.

Purpose To investigate the changes of interhemispheric functional connectivity and functional connectivity between the selected region of interest(ROI)and other brain areas of the whole brain in resting state in early-blind adolescents(EBAs)via the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity(VMHC)and seed-based functional connectivity methods.Materials and Methods A total of 23 EBAs in the Guangdong Province Blind School and 21 age-and gender-matched normal-sighted controls were recruited from June to August 2015.Brain resting-state magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed on all participants.The VMHC were calculated and compared between these two groups.And take the most significant brain area of VMHC as the ROI,the functional connectivity between it and all voxels in the whole brain were calculated and compared,respectively.Results Compared with the control groups,the EBAs groups showed decreased VMHC values in the occipital visual cortex with bilateral calcarine as peak point,bilateral cerebellum and right inferior temporal gyrus(FDR corrected,P<0.05).The EBAs group showed a decreased functional connectivity between bilateral calcarine(brain areas with significantly reduced VMHC),set as ROI and the right cuneus and middle cingulum gyrus,while the enhanced functional connectivity between the bilateral calcarine and the right cerebellum-Crus1 when compared with normal-sighted controls(false discovery rate,FDR corrected,P<0.05).Conclusion The visual cortex interhemispheres mainly in the primary visual cortex of EBAs and its functional connections with multiple brain regions are abnormal,which may indicate abnormal coordination between the primary visual center and other perceptual cortex,and may be related to the brain structure and function remodeling caused by visual loss.

Diabetic gastroparesis （DGP） is a common diabetic neuropathy that affects the normal function of gastric motility and emptying. Clinically， it often manifests as abdominal distension， nausea and vomiting， early satiety， dyspepsia， etc. The pathogenesis of DGP is multifactorial， closely related to many factors， such as chronic hyperglycemia， neuropathy， autonomic nervous system disorders， inflammation， and oxidative stress. These factors can interact with each other， leading to delayed gastric emptying and the occurrence of related symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has significant advantages in the prevention and treatment of DGP， including a long history， remarkable efficacy， individualized treatment， diverse therapeutic formulations， and improvement in the quality of life. Additionally， TCM is known for its low adverse reactions， good tolerance， and multi-targeted effects， making it an important approach in the management of DGP. Previous research has found that the main mechanisms of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of DGP include the regulation of gastrointestinal hormones， inhibition of inflammatory responses， reduction of oxidative stress， enhancement of interstitial cells of Cajal activity， inhibition of pyroptosis， and modulation of related signaling pathways such as stem cell factor （SCF）/cellular growth factor receptor （c-Kit）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， Ras homologous genome member A （RhoA）/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming kinase （ROCK）. This article primarily summarized the research progress on Chinese medicine in preventing and treating DGP through the inhibition of inflammatory responses， reduction of oxidative stress， enhancement of interstitial cells of Cajal activity， inhibition of pyroptosis， and regulation of related signaling pathways， aiming to provide a reference and basis for further research on the application value of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of DGP.

Objective:To investigate the effect of adjusting density exposure steps on image quality and radiation dose in digital mammography.Methods:Using the automatic exposure control (AEC) mode of the digital mammography machine, five different gland thicknesses of 4.3, 5.3, 6.3, 7.3, and 8.3 cm were simulated by attaching 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 PMMA plexiglass plates under the RMI-156 modal body, and the density exposure steps were adjusted to -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 for each thickness. The target/filter combination, tube voltage, tube current, incident body surface dose (ESD), incident surface air kerma (ESAK), half-value layer (HVL) and the average glandular dose displayed by the device (displayed AGD) were recorded at each step and thickness, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), figure of merit (FOM) and the calculated average glandular dose (calculated AGD) were calculated. Then, the display effects of simulated fibers, simulated calcifications and simulated masses within the modal body were scored subjectively, and the changes in image quality and radiation dose at different steps were analyzed, and the relationships between ESD and ESAK, displayed AGD and calculated AGD, and displayed AGD/ESD and calculated AGD/ESAK were analyzed. A linear fit was used for the steps with SNR, CNR, and FOM, and an exponential function curve fit was used for the steps with mAs, ESAK, and calculated AGD. The differences between ESD and ESAK, displayed AGD and calculated AGD, and displayed AGD/ESD and calculated AGD/ESAK were analyzed by paired-samples t test. Results:The CNR and SNR of mammographic images rose and fell by about 8% with each increase or decrease of one step. The scores of image simulated fibers, simulated calcifications, and simulated masses showed an overall upward trend with increasing steps, but there were still cases where the scores decreased with increasing grades. FOM varied from 97% to 104% at each grade with little variability. ESD, ESAK, displayed AGD, and calculated AGD, which could measure radiation dose, showed an exponential trend of increasing function with increasing steps, with a variation of about 63% to 165%. There were statistically significant differences ( t=-9.61, P=0.001) between ESD (15.14±10.08) and ESAK (16.66±11.07). However, there were no statistically significant differences ( t=1.20, P=0.240) between displayed AGD and calculated AGD, which were 3.66±2.18 and 3.61±1.99, respectively. Conclusions:The adjustment of density exposure steps can make the image quality change linearly and the radiation dose change exponentially with increasing speed, and the mode and magnitude of the adjustment are appropriately stable with high application value.

Both cholinergic dysfunction and protein citrullination are the hallmarks of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the relationship between the two phenomena remains unclear. We explored whether and how cholinergic dysfunction accelerates protein citrullination and consequently drives the development of RA. Cholinergic function and protein citrullination levels in patients with RA and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were collected. In both neuron-macrophage coculture system and CIA mice, the effect of cholinergic dysfunction on protein citrullination and expression of peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) was assessed by immunofluorescence. The key transcription factors for PAD4 expression were predicted and validated. Cholinergic dysfunction in the patients with RA and CIA mice negatively correlated with the degree of protein citrullination in synovial tissues. The cholinergic or alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) deactivation and activation resulted in the promotion and reduction of protein citrullination in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Especially, the activation deficiency of α7nAChR induced the earlier onset and aggravation of CIA. Furthermore, deactivation of α7nAChR increased the expression of PAD4 and specificity protein-3 (SP3) in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that cholinergic dysfunction-induced deficient α7nAChR activation, which induces the expression of SP3 and its downstream molecule PAD4, accelerating protein citrullination and the development of RA.

Femoral neck fracture (FNF) in the elderly patients is currently a major health challenge worldwide, with excessive consumption of medical resources, high incidence of complications as well as suboptimal outcome and prognosis. Hip joint arthroplasty (HJA) has been the mainstream treatment for FNF in the elderly, but the conventional surgical approaches and techniques are still confronted with a series of bottlenecks such as dislocation, limp and limb length discrepancy. In recent years, direct anterior approach (DAA) for HJA (DAA-HJA) has been a major new choice in the field of joint replacement, which achieves improved clinical effectiveness of HJA in the treatment of elderly FNF, due to the fact that DAA approach involves the neuromuscular interface and accords with the idea of soft tissue retention and enhanced recovery after surgery. However, there is still a lack of unified understanding of standard technique and procedure of DAA-HJA in the treatment of elderly FNF. Therefore, relevant experts from the Hip Joint Group of Chinese Orthopedics Association of Chinese Medical Association, Youth Arthrology Group of Orthopedic Committee of PLA, Orthopedic Committee of Chongqing Medical Association, Branch of Orthopedic Surgeons of Chongqing Medical Doctor Association and Sport Medicine Committee of Chongqing Medical Association were organized to formulate the " Chinese expert consensus on the technical standard of direct anterior hip arthroplasty for elderly femoral neck fracture ( version 2023)" based on evidence-based medicine. This consensus mainly proposed 13 recommendations covering indications, surgical plans, prosthesis selections, surgical techniques and processes, and postoperative management of DAA-HJA in elderly patients with FNF, aiming to promote standardized, systematic and patient-specific diagnosis and treatment to improve the functional prognosis of the patients.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of venetoclax-based combined regimen in treatment of adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Methods:The data of 50 adult AML (non-acute promyelocytic leukemia) who received venetoclax-based combined regimen in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Dongguan People's Hospital, the First Hospital of Longyan City, Jieyang People's Hospital from December 2018 to May 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Different doses venetoclax combined with demethylation drugs or low-dose chemotherapy regimen were used to analyze the therapeutic efficacy. The related factors influencing efficacy were analyzed by using logistic regression.Results:The composite complete remission (CR) rate of 50 AML patients was 62.0% (31/50), the overall response rate (ORR) was 76.0% (38/50); 28 patients achieved effectiveness [CR and partial remission (PR)] after the first cycle and could achieve effectiveness by 3 courses of treatment at the latest. Among 50 patients, 28 cases were newly diagnosed AML, the composite CR rate was 60.8% (17/28), ORR was 78.6% (22/28); 22 cases were recurrent and relapsed, the composite CR rate was 63.6% (14/22), ORR was 72.7% (16/22); and there was no statistically significant difference of ORR between the both groups ( χ2 = 0.23, P = 0.743). Logistic regression multivariate analysis showed age was the only independent influencing factor for the treatment effectiveness ( OR = 8.451, 95% CI 1.306-54.697, P = 0.025). The median duration time of patients receiving venetoclax treatment regimen was 4.5 months (1.1-15.0 months); 16 cases who had treatment effectiveness finally relapsed, the median time of maintaining effectiveness was 5 months (1.1-11.0 months). Additionally, the common treatment-related adverse reactions included bone marrow suppression after treatment, followed by some gastrointestinal reactions like nausea, vomiting and stomachache. In addition, no patient stopped medication for more than 1 week due to bone marrow suppression related complications. Conclusion:Venetoclax-based combined regimen shows a good short-term efficacy in treatment of AML. It is also effective and tolerable for elderly patients receiving reduced dose therapy.

Objective:To investigate the values of Ki-67 expression level and 4 molecular types for risk classification of prognosis in patients with medulloblastoma (MB).Methods:A retrospective study of 92 MB patients who underwent surgery and were confirmed by postoperative pathology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2009 to January 2018 was performed. The clinical data and survival data of the patients were collected and sorted out. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was performed. Risk stratification of prognosis of patients was performed according to the Ki-67 expression level combined with molecular typing, the low-risk group had Ki-67 positive index ≤50% and WNT or SHH subtype, the medium-risk group had Ki-67 positive index ≤50% and GROUP 3 or GROUP 4 subtype, or Ki-67 positive index >50% and WNT or SHH subtype), and the high-risk group had Ki-67 positive index >50% and GROUP 3 or GROUP 4 subtype. The differences in OS and PFS among different risk groups were compared. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess factors affecting the survival of patients.Results:There were 50 cases (54.3%) with Ki-67 positive index ≤50% and 42 cases (45.7%) with Ki-67 positive index >50%. The 5-year PFS rate and OS rate of patients with Ki-67 positive index ≤50% were 46.9% and 63.1%, and patients with Ki-67 positive index >50% were 28.5% and 32.0%, there were statistical differences in PFS and OS between the two groups ( P values were 0.020 and 0.028). There were 16 cases (17.4%) of WNT subtype, 14 cases (15.2%) of SHH subtype, 40 cases (43.5%) of GROUP 3 subtype and 22 cases (23.9%) of GROUP 4 subtype, their 5-year PFS rates were 78.0%, 76.0%, 19.2% and 19.9%, respectively, and their 5-year OS rates were 82.1%, 76.0%, 40.2% and 0, respectively. MB patients with GROUP 3 or GROUP 4 subtype had poorer PFS and OS than patients with WNT or SHH subtype ( P values were 0.003 and 0.039). Ki-67 expression level and molecular typing were combined to carry out risk classification of prognosis. There were 12 cases (13.0%) in the low-risk group, 56 cases (60.9%) in the medium-risk group, and 24 cases (26.1%) in the high-risk group . There were statistical differences in PFS and OS among MB patients in low-, medium- and high-risk groups (both P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that radiotherapy and risk classification of prognosis as medium risk and low risk were independent protective factors for PFS (radiotherapy vs. no radiotherapy: OR = 0.263, 95% CI 0.124-0.556, P < 0.001; medium-risk group vs. high-risk group: OR = 0.069, 95% CI 0.008-0.581, P = 0.014; low-risk group vs. high-risk group: OR = 0.260, 95% CI 0.131-0.514, P < 0.001); radiotherapy and risk classification of prognosis as low risk were independent protective factors for OS (radiotherapy vs. no radiotherapy: OR = 0.221, 95% CI 0.097-0.503, P < 0.001; low-risk group vs. high-risk group: OR = 0.328, 95% CI 0.150-0.717, P = 0.005). Conclusions:The expression level of Ki-67 and 4 molecular types are related to the prognosis of MB patients. The combination of the two can be used to classify the prognosis risk of MB patients, which has reference significance for the prediction of prognosis of patients and the selection of individualized treatment plans.

Objective:To study the expression and value of inflammatory factors and disease activity in dry eyes of rheumatoid arthritis patients.Methods:From March 2017 to November 2019, 78 patients with rheumatoid arthritis complicated with dry eye diagnosed by the rheumatology department of our hospital, 80 patients with simple dry eye treated in the ophthalmology clinic and 80 normal volunteers were collected. All subjects were examined for OSDI questionnaire scores, tear film rupture time (BUT), tear secretion test (SIT), and corneal fluorescein staining (FL) scores. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and other disease activity-related indicators were collected. The concentrations of interleukin-1b (il-1b), tumor necrosis factor-a (tnf-a), chemokine 3(CCL3), CCL4, CCL5, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the collected tears were detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). One-way Anova was used to analyze the correlative indexes among the three groups, LSD- t method was used for multiple comparison. Pearson's method was used to analyze the correlation between Ra activity and dry eye. Results:The results of OSDI [(44±9) points vs (44±9) points vs (24±7) points], SIT [(3.3±2.2) mm/5 min vs (3.6±2.1) mm/5 min vs (11.7±1.6) mm/5 min], BUT [(4.3±1.8) s vs (5.9±1.9) s vs (10.4±2.0) s], FL [(7.3±3.1) points vs (5.7±2.8) points vs (1.6±1.6) points] were com-pared among the three groups. There were significant differences among the three groups( F=154.22, P<0.01; F=470.49, P<0.01; F=217.72, P<0.01; F=101.99, P<0.01). The concentrations of IL-1β [(1.92±0.14) ng/L vs (1.28±0.18) ng/L vs (0.64±0.15) ng/L], IL-6 [(38.24±0.69) ng/L vs (36.31±0.82) ng/L vs (30.43±0.87) ng/L]、TNF-α [(0.78±0.03) ng/L vs (0.67±0.03) ng/L vs (0.56±0.02) ng/L], CCL3 [(91±25) ng/L vs (83±21) ng/L vs (24±18) ng/L], CCL4 [(187±76) ng/L vs (137±64) ng/L vs (37±5) ng/L], CCL5[(259±70) ng/L vs (182±42) ng/L vs (135±34) ng/L] and VEGF [(172±25) ng/L vs (152±22) ng/L vs (41±21) ng/L] in the tears of the three groups were significantly different( F=1 300.15, P<0.01; F=2 036.37, P<0.01; F=1 305.89, P<0.01; F=764.01, P<0.01; F=225.47, P<0.01; F=138.48, P<0.01; F=121.04, P<0.01). The indexes of disease activity (ESR, CRP, RF) were compared among the three groups. The positive rate of RF[(100%) vs (5%) vs (4%)] was significantly higher in Ra dry eye group than in the other two groups ( χ2=127.38, P<0.01) There were significant differences in ESR[(51±23) mm/1 h vs (9±4) mm/1 h vs (8±5) mm/1 h] and CRP[(44±23) g/L vs (5±4) g/L vs (6±4) g/L] among the three groups ( F=253.18, P<0.01; F=222.36, P<0.01) . BUT was negatively correlated with the activity index (ESR, CRP, RF) in rheumatoid arthritis dry eye group ( r=-0.398, P=0.005; r=-0.353, P=0.010; r=-0.302, P=0.038) , FL was positively correlated with activity index (ESR, CRP, RF) ( r=0.345, P=0.014; r=0.385, P=0.007; r=0.412, P=0.003) . There was no correlation between SIT, OSDI and activity index (ESR, CRP, RF)( r=-0.265, P=0.060; r=-0.156, P=0.318; r=-0.275, P=0.070); ( r=-0.087, P=0.582、 r=-0.065, P=0.664; r=-0.045, P=0.768). Conclusion:Inflammatory factors and disease activity indexes are highly expressed in rheumatoid arthritis patients with dry eye of disease, and there is a correlation between disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis and dry eye, which has some clinical meaing.

OBJECTIVE:To establish the method for the simultaneous determination of content of 6 active components as neochlorogenic acid,mulberroside A,chlorogenic acid,astragalin,sanggenon C and morusin in Morus alba,and to provide reference for improving quality control standard of M. alba. METHODS:HPLC method was adopted. The determination was performed on Agilent 5 TC-C18with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid(gradient elution)at the flow rate of 1 mL/min. The detection wavelength of 280 nm. RESULTS:The mass concentration linear range of neochlorogenic acid, mulberroside A,chlorogenic acid,astragalin,sanggenon C and morusin were 0.001 06-0.042 4,0.001 67-0.066 8,0.007 95-0.318, 0.001 65-0.066 0,0.005 00-0.200 and 0.001 24-0.049 6 mg/mL,respectively(all r≥0.999 6);the limits of quantitation were 0.11, 0.14,0.81,0.17,0.45 and 0.12 μg/mL,respectively;the limits of detection were 0.04,0.05,0.41,0.07,0.18 and 0.04 μg/mL, respectively;RSDs of precision test were 0.26%,0.31%,0.24%,0.27%,0.36% and 0.44%(n=6),respectively;RSDs of stability test were 0.68%,0.54%,0.62%,0.53%,0.41% and 0.73%(n=6),respectively;average method recovery rates were 99.1%,98.8%,98.8%,98.4%,98.5% and 99.9%(RSDs were 0.5%-1.5%,n=9),respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple,accurate,and can be used for simultaneous determination of 6 active components in M.alba.