Objective To compare the effectiveness of cobalt chloride test papers and borescope in evaluating the drying of endoscopes,providing a reference for clinical selection of appropriate assessment tools.Methods 10 gastroscopes and 10 colonoscopes procedures were selected from November 2023 to March 2024 for circulation experiments.After endoscope reprocessing,they were randomly divided into five groups with different drying times(30 s,3 min,6 min,9 min,and 12 min)with 200 samples.Cobalt chloride test paper and borescope were used to evaluate the drying effectiveness.Results The qualified rate of gastrointestinal endoscope by borescope was significantly higher than that by cobalt chloride test paper,but cobalt chloride test paper was obviously better than that by borescope in convenience and cost-effectiveness.The borescope had the function of visualization,and the quantitative positioning observation of residual droplets showed that there were a large number of droplets left after gastrointestinal endoscope drying for 30 s,and the number of droplets was obviously reduced after drying for 3 min.Among them,the gastroscope was mainly light(1～5 drops/strip)and none(0 drops/strip),and the colonoscope was mainly moderate(6～10 drops/strip)and light droplets.Compared with different drying times,there was a significant statistical difference in the number of residual droplets in the endoscope(P<0.01),and the localized droplets mainly remained in the distal bending part and the proximal bifurcation part of the lumen.Conclusion Both cobalt chloride test papers and borescope are important methods for assessing endoscope drying efficacy,each with its own advantages and limitations.Clinicians can use both methods in combination to comprehensively evaluate the overall dryness of endoscopes,thereby ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the endoscope reprocessing process.

Objective To investigate the bacterial contamination of water specimens at different pre-discharge time of flexible endoscopic final rinse water before daily use,and provide reference basis for choosing the optimal pre-dis-charge time in clinical work.Methods From August to December 2023,the water produced by the purified water equipment of the digestive endoscopy centers of 4 tertiary first-class medical institutions in Jiangxi Province,as well as the final rinsing water at the terminal-point at different pre-discharge times(before pre-discharge,discharge of 1,3,5,and 10 minutes)were subjected to on-site sampling,the collected water specimens were performed microbio-logical cultures by pouring and filter membrane methods,unqualified water specimens were performed bacterial i-dentification.Results 48 specimens of water produced by purified water equipment were collected,with qualified rate of 100％.480 final water specimens were collected,with a qualified rate of 0 before pre-discharge.The quali-fied rates of pre-discharge at 1,3,5,and 10 minutes were 0,21.88％,55.21％,and 73.96％,respectively.Bac-terial colony counts in the final rinse water with different pre-discharge times in 4 medical institutions showed statis-tically significant differences(all P＜0.001).As the pre-discharge time increased,bacterial colony counts in the fi-nal rinse water of all four medical institutions showed a decreasing trend.The pairwise comparison of the overall bacterial colony count of the final rinse water at different pre-discharge time showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the bacterial colony count of the final rinse water at 5 and 10 minutes of pre-discharge(P＞0.05),while the pairwise comparison between other time points showed statistically significant differences(all P＜0.001).Environmental contaminated bacteria such as Micrococcus luteus,Cupriavidus paucula,and Sphin-gononas paucimobilis were detected from the unqualified water specimens.Conclusion With the extension of pre-discharge time,the degree of bacterial contamination in the final rinse water significantly decreases.All levels of medical institutions need to pre-discharge the final rinse water daily,and the pre-discharge time should last for at least 5 minutes.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

With excellent energy spectrum imaging capabilities and high spatial resolution,photon counting detector(PCD)-CT is gradually applied in imaging evaluation on abdominal organs,including livers,pancreas,kidneys,gastrointestinal tract and so on,significantly improve the detection of small abdominal lesions and low-contrast abnormalities while reducing both iodine contrast agents dosage and radiation exposure.The technical characteristics and clinical applications of PCD-CT,as well as its advancements in abdominal imaging were reviewed in this article.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism by which interleukin-13(IL-13)influences vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC)phenotypic transformation and subsequently contributes to vascular intimal hyperplasia in rats.METHODS:A total of 32 male SD rats,aged 5～7 weeks and weighing 330～360 g,were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=8 per group):normal(Nor)group,normal treatment(Nor+IL-13 neutralizing antibody,Nor+IL-13Nab)group,inju-ry(Inj)group,and injruy treatment(Inj+IL-13Nab)group.A 2F balloon catheter was used to induce mechanical injury in the left common carotid artery of SD rats to establish a vascular intimal hyperplasia model.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe vascular structural changes.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)kits were used to measure IL-13 and transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)levels.Human aortic smooth muscle cells(HA-SMCs)were cultured in vitro.Flow cytometry was conducted to assess peripheral blood CD4+IL-13+T cell content.Real-time quantita-tive PCR(RT-qPCR)was employed to evaluate gene expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin,osteopontin,calponin,collagen type Ⅰ/Ⅲ,proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67 antigen.Transwell and scratch wound assays were per-formed to assess cell migration.RESULTS:Compared with the model group,administration of IL-13Nab significantly in-hibited vascular intimal hyperplasia induced by mechanical vascular injury by antagonizing high plasma IL-13 levels(P<0.01).Immunofluorescence and mRNA analysis showed that neutralizing high plasma IL-13 suppressed collagen accumu-lation(P<0.01)and VSMC phenotypic transformation(P<0.01)in the injured vessels but did not inhibit peripheral blood CD4+IL-13+T cell activation.Incubation of HA-SMCs with recombinant human IL-13(rhIL-13)promoted cell pro-liferation and migration(P<0.01)as well as phenotypic transformation(P<0.01).Additional evidence suggested that rhIL-13-induced HA-SMC phenotypic transformation was associated with the regulation of TGF-β1 secretion by HA-SMCs.CONCLUSION:Interleukin-13 promotes vascular intimal hyperplasia by regulating VSMC phenotypic transformation through TGF-β1 secretion in rat models.

Objective To analyze the risk factors for moderate-to-severe coronary artery stenosis in the population of Tacheng,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,and to construct and verify a nomogram prediction model for the degree of coronary artery ste-nosis.Methods We retrospectively selected 629 patients who were hospitalized in the Cardiovascular Department of Tacheng Peo-ple's Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023.Using R language software,the sociodemographic data,disease-related data,and va-rious laboratory indicators of the 629 patients were included in the initial screening of risk factors for use in the LASSO regression analysis using a random number table method.The 629 patients were divided into a training group(n=440)and a validation group(n=189)in a 7:3 ratio.Data from the training group were used for model construction,with the degree of coronary artery stenosis as the dependent variable,and the variables selected by LASSO regression as independent variables in the logistic regression model.The validation group was used for model validation.Based on the results of the logistic regression analysis,a visual nomogram for predicting the degree of co-ronary artery stenosis was constructed using R language software.The discriminability,calibration,and clinical utility of the model were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),a calibration curve,and decision curve analysis(DCA).Results Age,non-Han ethnicity,hypertension,hyperlipidemia,and a history of cerebrovascular disease were risk factors for mode-rate-to-severe coronary artery stenosis and were included in the risk prediction model.The AUC of the training group and the validation group were 0.905(95％CI:0.790-0.863)and 0.864(95％CI:0.744-0.861),respectively.The predicted values of the calibration curve were consistent with the actual values(Brier scores of the training and validation group:0.03 and 0.14,respectively).The predictive per-formance of the model was good,and the DC A results indicated that the model had net clinical benefits.Conclusion The risk prediction model for coronary artery stenosis in the population of the Tacheng area constructed in this study has good predictive performance and can provide a simple,feasible,economical,and easy-to-promote evaluation tool for medical personnel to screen patients with moderate-to-se-vere coronary artery stenosis.

Objective To discuss the risk factors for impaired fasting glucose(IFG)and construct and validate a predictive model based on column charts of the risk of IFG occurrence.Methods This retrospective study included 3 037 individuals who underwent routine physical examinations at a hospital in Shenyang between August and December 2022.The population was randomly divided into a training group(n=2 126)and a validation group(n=911)in a 7∶3 ratio,and physical examination data were collected.LASSO regression analy-sis was used to screen predictive variables and logistic regression analysis was used to further screen and construct a column chart pre-dictive model.The validation group was used to conduct an internal validation of the feasibility of the model,and the area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operator characteristic(ROC)and goodness of fit tests were used to evaluate the model effectiveness.Results Among the 3 037 included individuals,2 880 did not experience IFG and 157 did.The results showed that age(OR=1.04,95％CI:1.02-1.05),body mass index(BMI,OR=1.10,95％CI:1.05-1.17),systolic blood pressure(SBP,OR=1.01,95％CI:1.00-1.03),triglycerides(TG,OR=1.20,95％CI:0.99-1.51),and a history of hypertension(OR=1.28,95％CI:1.04-1.59)were independent risk factors for IFG occurrence in this population.Based on these variables,a column chart prediction model was constructed.In the training group,the model predicted an AUC of 0.722(95％CI:0.68-0.77)for IFG occurrence,while in the validation group,it predicted an AUC of 0.907(95％CI:0.87-0.94)for IFG occurrence.The results of the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test showed that the models of the training and validation groups were not significantly different(P＞0.05);that is,the actual probability was consistent with the prediction probability of the model,and the models calibration was good.Conclusion A risk prediction model for IFG occurrence that included five variables:age,BMI,SBP,TG,and history of hypertension could be construted.This model might help to identify high-risk groups for IFG early and allow for inter-vention in a timely manner.

With excellent energy spectrum imaging capabilities and high spatial resolution,photon counting detector(PCD)-CT is gradually applied in imaging evaluation on abdominal organs,including livers,pancreas,kidneys,gastrointestinal tract and so on,significantly improve the detection of small abdominal lesions and low-contrast abnormalities while reducing both iodine contrast agents dosage and radiation exposure.The technical characteristics and clinical applications of PCD-CT,as well as its advancements in abdominal imaging were reviewed in this article.

Objective To compare the effectiveness of cobalt chloride test papers and borescope in evaluating the drying of endoscopes,providing a reference for clinical selection of appropriate assessment tools.Methods 10 gastroscopes and 10 colonoscopes procedures were selected from November 2023 to March 2024 for circulation experiments.After endoscope reprocessing,they were randomly divided into five groups with different drying times(30 s,3 min,6 min,9 min,and 12 min)with 200 samples.Cobalt chloride test paper and borescope were used to evaluate the drying effectiveness.Results The qualified rate of gastrointestinal endoscope by borescope was significantly higher than that by cobalt chloride test paper,but cobalt chloride test paper was obviously better than that by borescope in convenience and cost-effectiveness.The borescope had the function of visualization,and the quantitative positioning observation of residual droplets showed that there were a large number of droplets left after gastrointestinal endoscope drying for 30 s,and the number of droplets was obviously reduced after drying for 3 min.Among them,the gastroscope was mainly light(1～5 drops/strip)and none(0 drops/strip),and the colonoscope was mainly moderate(6～10 drops/strip)and light droplets.Compared with different drying times,there was a significant statistical difference in the number of residual droplets in the endoscope(P<0.01),and the localized droplets mainly remained in the distal bending part and the proximal bifurcation part of the lumen.Conclusion Both cobalt chloride test papers and borescope are important methods for assessing endoscope drying efficacy,each with its own advantages and limitations.Clinicians can use both methods in combination to comprehensively evaluate the overall dryness of endoscopes,thereby ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the endoscope reprocessing process.

Objective To investigate the bacterial contamination of water specimens at different pre-discharge time of flexible endoscopic final rinse water before daily use,and provide reference basis for choosing the optimal pre-dis-charge time in clinical work.Methods From August to December 2023,the water produced by the purified water equipment of the digestive endoscopy centers of 4 tertiary first-class medical institutions in Jiangxi Province,as well as the final rinsing water at the terminal-point at different pre-discharge times(before pre-discharge,discharge of 1,3,5,and 10 minutes)were subjected to on-site sampling,the collected water specimens were performed microbio-logical cultures by pouring and filter membrane methods,unqualified water specimens were performed bacterial i-dentification.Results 48 specimens of water produced by purified water equipment were collected,with qualified rate of 100％.480 final water specimens were collected,with a qualified rate of 0 before pre-discharge.The quali-fied rates of pre-discharge at 1,3,5,and 10 minutes were 0,21.88％,55.21％,and 73.96％,respectively.Bac-terial colony counts in the final rinse water with different pre-discharge times in 4 medical institutions showed statis-tically significant differences(all P＜0.001).As the pre-discharge time increased,bacterial colony counts in the fi-nal rinse water of all four medical institutions showed a decreasing trend.The pairwise comparison of the overall bacterial colony count of the final rinse water at different pre-discharge time showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the bacterial colony count of the final rinse water at 5 and 10 minutes of pre-discharge(P＞0.05),while the pairwise comparison between other time points showed statistically significant differences(all P＜0.001).Environmental contaminated bacteria such as Micrococcus luteus,Cupriavidus paucula,and Sphin-gononas paucimobilis were detected from the unqualified water specimens.Conclusion With the extension of pre-discharge time,the degree of bacterial contamination in the final rinse water significantly decreases.All levels of medical institutions need to pre-discharge the final rinse water daily,and the pre-discharge time should last for at least 5 minutes.