Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of silica dust on the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) through in vitro and animal experiments. Methods i) In vitro experiment. A549 cells were stimulated with 100 mg/L silica suspension for 0, 12, 24 and 48 hours. The cell apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. ii) Animal experiment. Specific pathogen-free male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control, 14-day, 28-day, and 56-day groups, with five mice in each group. The mice in the control group were sacrificed at 56 days after being treated with 40.0 μL 0.9% sodium chloride solution, and the mice in the last three groups were sacrificed at 14, 28 and 56 days after being treated with 40.0 μL silica suspension with a mass concentration of 125 g/L via tracheal exposure method. The lung tissues of mice were collected to measure lung organ coefficients. Masson staining was used to detect the degree of pulmonary fibrosis, and Ashcroft scores were evaluated. The apoptosis of AEC in mice was observed by TUNEL immunofluorescence assay. iii) The mRNA relative expression of apoptosis-related genes in A549 cells and mouse lung tissue was detected using reverse transcription and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results i) In vitro experiment. The apoptosis rate of A549 cells increased with longer silica exposure (all P<0.05). The relative expression of B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) mRNA in A549 cells in 24 h group and 48 h group decreased (both P<0.05), and the relative expression of BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX) mRNA increased (both P<0.05), compared with 0 h group. The mRNA relative expression of caspase (CASP) -3 and CASP-9 in A549 cells increased with longer silica exposure (all P<0.05). ii) Animal experiment. The lung organ coefficients and Ashcroft score in mice progressively increased (all P<0.05), the degree of pulmonary fibrosis was gradually aggravated, and TUNEL positive cells in lung tissue were gradually increased, while Bax, Casp-3 and Casp-9 mRNA relative expression increased with longer silica exposure (all P<0.05). Conclusion Silica dust may cause pulmonary fibrosis by inducing apoptosis of AEC, with a time-dependent effect. The mechanism may be related to the effect of silica dust on mitochondrial apoptosis through Bcl-2/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the mechanism of the gut-lung axis in paraquat-induced lung injury in mice, with a focus on analyzing the changes in intestinal gene expression and their potential roles. Methods Specific pathogen-free C57BL/6 wild-type mice were randomly divided into control, low-dose, and high-dose groups, with 10 mice in each group. Mice in the three groups received a single intragastric administration of paraquat solution at doses of 0, 25, or 50 mg/kg body weight. The mice were euthanized on day 21. Lung histopathological changes were assessed, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the intestinal tissues of mice in these two groups were analyzed through transcriptomics. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted to explore potential mechanisms of the gut-lung axis in paraquat-induced lung injury and fibrosis. Results Paraquat exposure induced dose-dependent pulmonary injury and fibrosis in the mice. The Ashcroft score of lung tissue was higher in the mice of low-dose group than that in the control group (P<0.05). Both the lung organ coefficient and Ashcroft score of lung tissues in the mice of high-dose group were higher than those in the control group and the low-dose group (all P<0.05). The result of transcriptomic analysis showed 146 DEGs, including 91 upregulated and 55 downregulated genes, in intestinal tissues of mice in the low-dose group, and 57 DEGs, including 47 upregulated and 10 downregulated genes in the high-dose group, compared with the control group. Notably, 19 DEGs were commonly altered in both low- and high-dose groups. The result of GO enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were primarily involved in biological processes including "immune response", "oxidative stress" and "cell differentiation". The result of KEGG enrichment analyses showed that DEGs were primarily involved in key processes including "oxidative stress response path way", "immune response path way" and "digestion and absorption path way". Conclusion Paraquat exposure alters intestinal gene expression, particularly in genes in biological processes related to immune responses and oxidative stress. These changes may mediate inflammatory signaling via the gut-lung axis and contribute to the development of paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective The imaging findings of X-ray defecography(XRD)and magnetic resonance defecog-raphy(MRD)of patients with Solitary Rectal Ulcer syndrome(SRUS)were retrospectively analyzed to provide important information for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods 19 patients with SRUS confirmed by clinical,pathological and colonoscopy were included in this study.Among them,15 patients underwent XRD and 7 patients underwent MRD,and 3 patients underwent both XRD and MRD.Data of all enrolled patients were collected and pelvic floor function was measured.Results In the results of XRD,3 patients(20%)showed rectal intussusception.8 patients(53.3%)showed external rectal prolapse and 2 patients(13.3%)showed moderate rectocele.In addition,there were 2 patients of puborectal muscle hypertrophy,and 1 patient of bladder prolapse and uterine prolapse,respectively.For MRD,3 patients(42.9%)showed rectal mucosal prolapse(partial prolapse).At 4 patients(57.1%)with rectocele,3 patients(all female)had moderate rectocele,1 patient had mild rectocele.3 patients were also observed related anterior and middle compartment organ descent.2 patients of pubulorectal muscle hypertrophy,no sigmoidocoele.Conclusion Defecography can evaluate the structural and functional abnormalities of pelvic floor in SRUS patients,such as external rectal prolapse,rectal protrusion,rectal mucosal prolapse,and rectal intussusception,which has guiding significance for the treatment of SRUS patients.

Objective To explore the accuracy and clinical application value of artificial intelligence(AI)-based coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)in the evaluation of coronary artery stenosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods Fifty-four patients with suspected ACS who underwent CCTA examination and invasive coronary angiography(ICA)within 72 h were retrospectively selected.The CCTA images of all patients were processed by AI(AI group)and manual post-pro-cessing(manual group),respectively.The image quality,work efficiency and detection rate of coronary artery stenosis were compared between AI group and manual group.With ICA results as the gold standard,the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value and accuracy of AI in the diagnosis of ACS patients with coronary artery stenosis(≥50％)in CCTA were analyzed,and the consistency of AI and ICA examination results was tested.Results The image quality of CCTA in AI group(grade Ⅰ 27.8％)was better than that in manual group(grade Ⅰ 14.8％),but there was no statistical difference between the two groups(X2=2.707,P＞0.05).The average diagnosis time of AI group(89.67 s±33.21 s)was significantlyshorter than that of manual group(813.33 s±301.84 s)and the difference was statistically significant(t=-17.512,P＜0.001),and the average time gain rate was 88.97％.There was no statistical difference in the detection rate of coronary artery stenosis(≥50％)between AI group and manual group(x2=0.003,P＞0.05).The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,and accuracy of AI in diagnosis of ACS were 87.60％,96.44％,80.30％,97.92％,and 95.19％,respectively,which were significantly consistent with the results of ICA examina-tion(Kappa=0.810,P＜0.05).Conclusion AI-assisted diagnosis can correctly identify the coronary artery tree with better image,significantly shorten the diagnosis time of CCTA in ACS patients with high accuracy,and can provide a strong basis for the early treat-ment of patients with acute chest pain.

Animals ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Macaca mulatta ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Antibodies, Viral ; Vaccines

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Triangle hierarchical management among community patients with hypertension, so as to provide insights into the improvements of standardized hypertension management. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed hypertension from 2 community health service centers in Qiantang District of Hangzhou City by the end of 2020 were randomly assigned to the conventional group and the Triangle group. Patients in the conventional group were given health management services according to the requirements of basic public health service standard for one year, while patients in the Triangle group were given Triangle hierarchical management. The blood pressure, self-management behaviors, treatment compliance, smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise were collected using the self-management behavior scale, treatment compliance scale and self-designed questionnaires, and were compared before and after intervention with analysis of covariance and generalized estimation equations. Results: Totally 200 patients with hypertension were recruited, including 100 patients in the conventional group and 100 patients in the Triangle group. There were no significant differences between the two groups before implementation of interventions in terms of gender, age, educational level or occupation (P>0.05). The reduction in blood pressure, increase in the score of treatment, diet, exercise and living habitat management and the total score of self-management behaviors, increase in the score of adherence to medication regimens, daily living management behaviors, smoking and alcohol consumption preference and the total score of treatment compliance, and increase in the number of patients with normal standard of quitting smoking, quitting alcohol consumption, exercise and blood pressure were significantly higher in the Triangle group than in the conventional group after intervention (P<0.05). Conclusions Triangle hierarchical management may increase the treatment compliance, improve the self-management behavior and facilitate hypertension control among hypertensive patients, which may be popularized for health management among community patients with hypertension.

Objective:To investigate the region-specific characteristics of the gut microbiota and evaluate the association of speci?c gut microbes with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the Dongxiang Group in Gansu province, Northwest China.Methods:Fifty-three participants who was born in Dongxiang Autonomous County (Gansu Province) from April 2020 to January 2021 were enrolled, including 25 patients with T2DM recruited from the outpatient departments of internal medicine at The People′s Hospital of Dongxiang County(T2DM group) and 28 healthy controls recruited from the health screening center (HC group). Gut microbiome composition was analyzed using a 16S ribosomal RNA gene-based sequencing protocol.Results:A total of 936 operational taxonomic units (OTU) were obtained in the two groups. Of note, the HC and T2DM groups had 633 OTU in common. The alpha and beta diversity were different between the two groups ( P<0.05). Shannon index was significantly higher than that in the HC group, and Simpson index was significantly lower than that in the HC group, displacement multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare β diversity between the two groups, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). At the Phylum level, firmicutes and actinomycetes in T2DM group were significantly higher than those in the HC group (37.97% vs. 22.89%, 5.09% vs. 2.08%), and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased (68.00% in T2DM group and 49.75% in HC group), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). At the genus level, there were 20 genera statistically significant differences between the two groups. The abundance of Bifidobacterium, Escherichia, Shigella, and Tyzzerella_4 levels were significantly increased in the T2DM group, but Prevotella_9, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-003, and Roseburia levels were significantly decreased in the T2DM group compared to those in the HC group. Conclusions:There is a significant difference in the gut microbiota between patients with T2DM and healthy individuals of the Dongxiang group in Northwest China. So as to preliminary exploration the intestinal flora characteristics of T2DM in the Dongxiang group.The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of T2DM in Dongxiang group in the future.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of FOLFOX (5-fluorouracil + calcium folinate + oxaliplatin) hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (FOLFOX-HAIC) combined with immune and targeted therapy as triple combination therapy for patients with single China Liver Cancer Staging (CNLC) Ⅰb hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:A total of 20 patients with single CNLC Ⅰb hepatocellular carcinoma who received FOLFOX-HAIC combined with immune and targeted therapy as triple combination therapy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from October 2021 to August 2022 were included. The clinical data of all patients was retrospectively analyzed. There were 18 males and 2 females, with the age of (55.1±9.9) years. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 and Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) were used to evaluate the efficacy of FOLFOX-HAIC combined with immune and targeted therapy, and the clinical safety of triple combination therapy was evaluated by common terminology criteria for adverse events 4.0.Results:According to RECIST 1.1, objective response rate of 20 patients was 70.0% (14/20) and disease control rate was 100.0% (20/20) after 2 cycles of treatment (one cycle of FOLFOX-HAIC plus programmed death-1 antibody). According to mRECIST, objective response rate was 90.0% (18/20) and the disease control rate was 100.0% (20/20) after 2 cycles of treatment. Following the treatment, 12 patients (60.0%) received liver tumor resection, and all of them achieved R 0 resection, 2 patients (10.0%) received radiotherapy, 3 patients (15.0%) stopped drug treatment for surgery, 2 patients (10.0%) refused surgery, and 1 patient (5.0%) died of multiple organ failure caused by immune hepatitis. According to pathological results, 3 patients (25.0%, 3/12) achieved pathological complete response, and 4 patients (33.3%, 4/12) achieved major pathological response. In the safety evaluation, the overall incidence of adverse events was 100.0% (20/20). Seven patients (35.0%) had grade 3 adverse events and 1 patient (5.0%) died of multiple organ failure due to immune hepatitis (grade 5). Grade 1-3 adverse events could be relieved after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion:The triple combination therapy of FOLFOX-HAIC combined with immune and targeted therapy is safe and has high objective response rate and disease control rate, which could be a new strategy for the neoadjuvant treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Surgical resection is one of the important means to achieve long-term survival for patients with liver malignant tumor. However, most of the liver malignant tumor has been diagnosed in the middle and late stage, and lose the chance of surgical treatment. For these patients who have lost the chance of surgery, some surgeons have proposed the concept of planned liver resection, which is to reduce tumor stage and increase future liver remnant (FLR) in a planned way, so as to improve the safety of surgery and prolong the survival time of patients after surgery. For patients with FLR insufficiency after prior evaluation or/and treatment, the technique of hepatic hyperplasia is an important part of planned hepatectomy, that is, to effectively increase FLR in a short period of time by various means. Portal vein ligation (PVL) and portal vein embolization (PVE), associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) and liver venous deprivation (LVD) are three main techniques for hepatic hyperplasia. This article reviews the principle, effect and safety of three liver augmentation techniques.

Malignant obstructive jaundice is caused by direct invasion or compression of the biliary tract by malignant tumors of the bile duct, pancreas and other systems. Patients are often accompanied by symptoms such as malnutrition, low immune function, and organ damage. The treatments of active preoperative biliary drainage and reasonable reinfusion combined with enteral nutrition can help improve the safety of patients during the perioperative period, reduce postoperative complications, and improve the life quality of patients. This article reviewed the research progress of preoperative biliary drainage, bile recycling methods and precautions in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice, aiming to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment practice.