ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the risk of increase in total cholesterol （TC） and the risk of cholelithiasis by using bidirectional Mendelian randomization （MR）. MethodsThe open gwas public database was used to obtain the single nucleotide polymorphism data associated with TC and cholelithiasis， and a secondary data analysis was performed for all summary data of genome-wide association studies. The genetic loci closely associated with TC or cholelithiasis were selected as exposure or outcome variables， and the bidirectional MR analysis was performed using the methods such as Egger regression， Weighted median， IVW random effects model， and IVW fixed effects model， with odds ratio （OR） values for evaluating the causal relationship between TC and cholelithiasis. ResultsWith TC as the exposure and cholelithiasis as the outcome， TC-cholelithiasis had an overall OR value of 0.91 （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.85‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.97） before elimination of heterogeneity and 0.93 （95%CI： 0.89‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.97） after elimination of heterogeneity. With cholelithiasis as the exposure and TC as the outcome， TC-cholelithiasis had an overall OR value of 0.20 （95%CI： 0.06‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.65） before elimination of heterogeneity and 0.28 （95%CI： 0.10‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.83） after elimination of heterogeneity. There was a bidirectional causal relationship between genetically predicted TC and cholelithiasis. ConclusionThis study confirms the bidirectional causal relationship between TC and cholelithiasis. The risk of cholelithiasis decreases with the increase in alleles associated with the elevation of TC level； on the contrary， the risk of elevated TC level decreases with the increase in alleles associated with the onset of cholelithiasis.

Objective:To investigate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cine sequences in determining the range of tumor motion in radiotherapy, providing a basis for the precise delineation of the target volume in motion for radiation therapy.Methods:A modified chest motion phantom was placed in a MRI scanner, and a water-filled sphere was used to simulate a tumor. True fast imaging with steady precession (TrueFISP) MRI cine sequences from Siemens were used to capture the two-dimensional motion images of the simulated tumor. The phantom experiments were divided into three modes: head-foot motion mode, rotation motion mode, and actual respiratory waveform mode. In the head-foot motion mode, respiratory motion period (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 s), amplitude (5, 10 and 15 mm), and respiratory waveform of the simulated tumor (sin and cos4) were set, resulting in a total of 36 motion combinations. In the rotation motion mode, a cos4 waveform was used for respiration, with respiratory periods of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 s, head-foot motion set amplitudes of 5, 10 and 15 mm, and anterior-posterior (AP) and left-right (LR) motion set amplitudes in three combinations ([2.5, 2.5] mm, [2.5, 5.0] mm, [5.0, 5.0] mm), resulting in a total of 54 motion combinations. In the actual respiratory waveform mode, respiratory waveforms of 5 randomly selected patients from Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University were obtained. Under each motion combination, TrueFISP cine images (30 frames, with an acquisition time of 11 s per frame) were obtained. The code was used to automatically identify the two-dimensional coordinates of the center of the simulated tumor in each image, and sin and cos4 functions were separately employed to fit the tumor position in the motion direction, thereby obtaining the fitted motion period and amplitude. The difference between the maximum and minimum values of the tumor's center coordinates in the head-to-foot direction is taken as the range of movement, referred to as the calculated amplitude. For the actual respiratory waveform, the distance between the measured maximum and minimum positions is used to calculate the amplitude.Results:In the head-foot motion mode, the fitted amplitudes of both sin and cos4 waveforms deviated from the set amplitudes by 0-0.51 mm, with relative deviations of 0%-4.2%. The deviation range between the calculated amplitudes and the set amplitudes of the two waveforms were 0.08-0.94 mm, with relative deviations of 1.1%-6.3%. In the rotation motion mode, the fitted amplitudes deviated from the set amplitudes by 0-0.61 mm, with relative deviations of 0%-6.2%. And the deviation range between the calculated amplitudes and the set amplitudes were 0.16-0.94 mm, with relative deviations of 0%-6.3%. In the actual respiratory waveform motion mode, the deviation range between the calculated amplitudes and the set amplitudes were 0.10-0.48 mm, with relative deviations of 2.2%-8.6%.Conclusion:TrueFISP cine sequences show minimal deviations in determining the range of tumor head-foot motion and effectively captures the tumor's movement state, thereby providing important support for the precise definition of the tumor movement target area during radiotherapy .

Transient perivascular inflammation of the carotid artery (TIPIC) syndrome is a relatively rare disease, and ultrasound is the first screening method for initial diagnosis of the disease. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has unique advantages in the follow-up of patients with TIPIC syndrome. This paper reports a patient with TIPIC syndrome who was treated with acute left neck pain. The inflammation was significantly relieved and subsided after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The ultrasound changes of carotid artery lesions in this patient during follow-up were analyzed, and the application value of CEUS in the follow-up diagnosis of this disease was summarized, in the hope of providing clinical reference.

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common congenital malformations in humans. Inconsistent results emerged in the existed studies on associations between air pollution and congenital heart disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of gestational exposure to air pollutants with congenital heart disease, and to explore the critical exposure windows for congenital heart disease. METHODS: The nested case-control study collected birth records and the following health data in Tianjin Women and Children's Health Center, China. All of the cases of congenital heart disease from 2013 to 2015 were selected matching five healthy controls for each case. Inverse distance weighting was used to estimate individual exposure based on daily air pollution data. Furthermore, the conditional logistic regression with distributed lag non-linear model was performed to identify the association between gestational exposure to air pollution and congenital heart disease. RESULTS: A total of 8,748 mother-infant pairs were entered into the analysis, of which 1,458 infants suffered from congenital heart disease. For each 10 µg/m³ increase of gestational exposure to PM_2.5, the ORs (95% confidence interval, 95%CI) ranged from 1.008 (1.001-1.016) to 1.013 (1.001-1.024) during the 1^st-2^nd gestation weeks. Similar weak but increased risks of congenital heart disease were associated with O₃ exposure during the 1^st week and SO₂ exposure during 6^th-7^th weeks in the first trimester, while no significant findings for other air pollutants. CONCLUSIONS This study highlighted that gestational exposure to PM_2.5, O₃, and SO₂ had lag effects on congenital heart disease. Our results support potential benefits for pregnancy women to the mitigation of air pollution exposure in the early stage, especially when a critical exposure time window of air pollutants may precede heart development.
Infant ; Pregnancy ; Child ; Humans ; Female ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Case-Control Studies ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/epidemiology* ; Heart Defects, Congenital/etiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects*

Objective To investigate the association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and newly named "metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD)" and the value of HP infection combined with traditional risk factors in predicting MAFLD. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 350 patients who were admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities and underwent carbon-13 urea breath test from January 2017 to December 2021, and according to whether fatty liver disease was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound, they were divided into MAFLD group with 190 patients and non-fatty liver disease group with 160 patients. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The binary Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for MAFLD. Results Compared with the non-fatty liver disease group, the MAFLD group had significantly higher body mass index ( t =8.73, P < 0.05), systolic blood pressure ( Z =-3.67, P < 0.05), diastolic blood pressure ( Z =-3.62, P < 0.05), triglyceride ( Z =-8.93, P < 0.05), fasting blood glucose ( Z =-9.13, P < 0.05), aspartate aminotransferase ( Z =-2.03, P < 0.05), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase ( Z =-8.56, P < 0.05), proportion of male patients ( χ 2 =12.09, P < 0.05), and proportion of patients with hypertension ( χ 2 =37.91, P < 0.05), diabetes ( χ 2 =73.62, P < 0.05), overweight/obesity ( χ 2 =42.82, P < 0.05), hypertriglyceridemia ( χ 2 =59.12, P < 0.05), or HP infection ( χ 2 =4.53, P < 0.05), as well as a significantly lower level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( Z =-6.81, P < 0.05). The Logistic regression analysis showed that fasting blood glucose (odds ratio [ OR ]=1.255, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.091-1.445, P < 0.05), HP infection ( OR =1.899, 95% CI : 1.048-3.440, P < 0.05), hypertension ( OR =2.589, 95% CI : 1.468-4.567, P < 0.05), diabetes ( OR =2.202, 95% CI : 1.123-4.315, P < 0.05), overweight/obesity ( OR =4.571, 95% CI : 2.308-9.052, P < 0.05), and hypertriglyceridemia ( OR =4.187, 95% CI : 2.411-7.271, P < 0.05) were risk factors for MAFLD, and it also showed that HP infection combined with traditional risk factors significantly increased the risk of MAFLD in subjects with diabetes, overweight/obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension ( OR =12.267, 14.005, 7.911, and 7.364, all P < 0.05). Conclusion HP infection is associated with an increased risk of MAFLD, and its combination with traditional risk factors may further increase the risk of MAFLD.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection in the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in a real-world setting.Methods:This was a real-world ambispective cohort study (MOMENT study) (Chinese clinical trial registry number: ChiCTR2200062067). Clinical data were collected from 198 patients who received mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy or combination therapy at 37 hospitals from January 2022 to January 2023, including 166 patients in the retrospective cohort and 32 patients in the prospective cohort; 10 patients in the treatment-na?ve group and 188 patients in the relapsed/refractory group. Clinical characteristics, efficacy and adverse events were summarized, and the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.Results:All 198 patients were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection for a median of 3 cycles (range 1-7 cycles); 28 cases were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy, and 170 cases were treated with the combination regimen. Among 188 relapsed/refractory patients, 45 cases (23.9%) were in complete remission (CR), 82 cases (43.6%) were in partial remission (PR), and 28 cases (14.9%) were in disease stabilization (SD), and 33 cases (17.6%) were in disease progression (PD), with an objective remission rate (ORR) of 67.6% (127/188). Among 10 treatment-na?ve patients, 4 cases (40.0%) were in CR, 5 cases (50.0%) were in PR, and 1 case (10.0%) was in PD, with an ORR of 90.0% (9/10). The median follow-up time was 2.9 months (95% CI 2.4-3.7 months), and the median PFS and OS of patients in relapsed/refractory and treatment-na?ve groups were not reached. In relapsed/refractory patients, the difference in ORR between patients with different number of treatment lines of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection [ORR of the second-line, the third-line and &ge;the forth-line treatment was 74.4% (67/90), 73.9% (34/46) and 50.0% (26/52)] was statistically significant ( P = 0.008). Of the 198 PTCL patients, 182 cases (91.9%) experienced at least 1 time of treatment-related adverse events, and the incidence rate of &ge;grade 3 adverse events was 66.7% (132/198), which was mainly characterized by hematologic adverse events. The &ge; grade 3 hematologic adverse events mainly included decreased lymphocyte count, decreased neutrophil count, decreased white blood cell count, and anemia; non-hematologic adverse events were mostly grade 1-2, mainly including pigmentation disorders and upper respiratory tract infection. Conclusions:The use of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection-containing regimen in the treatment of PTCL has definite efficacy and is well tolerated, and it is a new therapeutic option for PTCL patients.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Dachengqi decoction on patients with mild acute pancreatitis (MAP).Methods:A parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted. Sixty-eight patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) admitted to Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)-Integrated Hospital from March 2018 to February 2021 were enrolled. Referring to the condition on admission of the patients and whether they agreed to receive the Dachengqi decoction or not, they were divided into conventional treatment group and Dachengqi decoction group according to the principle of 1∶1 equal randomness. Meanwhile, 20 healthy volunteers were recruited as controls. Both groups of patients were treated with octreotide, fasting, gastrointestinal decompression, antipyretic and analgesic, anti-inflammatory, inhibition of gastric acid and pancreatic juice secretion, maintenance of electrolyte balance and other western conventional medicine. The patients in the Dachengqi decoction group received Dachengqi decoction orally on the basis of routine treatment, 100 mL each time, twice a day, for seven consecutive days. The inflammation parameters [white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6)] before and after treatment and the recovery time of gastrointestinal function (first exhaust time, time to recover bowel sounds, first defecation time) of patients were recorded. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of stool samples was recorded, and normalized data were obtained after quality control and other related processing. The data were subjected to diversity analysis (Alpha diversity and Beta diversity) and linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis (LEfSe analysis) to observe changes in the gut microbiota of MAP patients. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between inflammatory indexes and microorganisms at the intestinal genus level. Blood, urine, stool samples, renal function, and electrocardiogram (ECG) during treatment of MAP patients were detected to assess the safety of the treatment.Results:Of the 68 patients with AP, 16 were excluded from moderate-severe AP, 4 were not collected or voluntarily abandoned treatment. Finally, 48 patients with MAP were enrolled, 24 in the conventional treatment group and 24 in the Dachengqi decoction group. The inflammation parameters levels at 7 days of treatment in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment. CRP, PCT and IL-6 levels in the Dachengqi decoction group were significantly lower than those in the conventional treatment group [CRP (mg/L): 8.50 (3.50, 13.00) vs. 16.00 (9.25, 29.75), PCT (μg/L): 0.06 (0.03, 0.08) vs. 0.09 (0.05, 0.11), IL-6 (ng/L): 6.36 (3.96, 10.79) vs. 13.24 (6.69, 18.87), all P < 0.05]. The first exhaust time, time to recover bowel sounds and first defecation time in the Dachengqi decoction group were significantly shorter than those in the conventional treatment group [first exhaust time (days): 1.62±0.65 vs. 2.80±0.65, time to recover bowel sounds (days): 1.13±0.58 vs. 2.31±0.76, first defecation time (days): 3.12±0.75 vs. 4.39±0.76, all P < 0.05]. The analysis of intestinal microflora diversity showed that both the diversity and abundance of microbial communities were the highest in the healthy control group and the lowest in the conventional treatment group. In addition, the coincidence degree of microbial communities in healthy controls and MAP patients was small, while the coincidence degree of MAP patients among different treatment methods was relatively large. LEfSe analysis showed that Dachengqi decoction reduced the relative abundance of Escherichia coli-Shigella and Clostridium erysipelae, and increased the relative abundance of three beneficial bacteria, namely Lactobacillus, Rombutzia and Brutella. In the intestines of MAP patients, Lactobacillus mucilaginus and Lactobacillus conjunctus were significantly enriched. Correlation analysis showed that positive correlations between Escherichia coli- Shigella and the four inflammatory indicators including WBC, CRP, PCT, IL-6 were statistically significant ( r value was 0.31, 0.41, 0.57, 0.43, respectively, all P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between other bacteria and inflammatory indicators. During the treatment, there was no obvious abnormality in blood, urine and feces, renal function and ECG of MAP patients. Conclusions:Dachengqi decoction could reduce inflammatory responses and promote recovery of intestinal microecological balance and gastrointestinal function in patients with MAP by regulating the composition of intestinal flora. No significant adverse effects were observed during the treatment period.

Catheter-associated skin injuries mainly include medical adhesive-associated skin injuries, medical device-related pressure ulcers, and moisture-associated skin damages related to catheters. Catheter-associated skin injuries may cause discomfort such as local pain and itching in patients, increasing the risk of catheter-associated bloodstream infections. This article reviews the assessment and management of catheter-associated skin injuries, aiming to provide a basis for nurses to identify and intervene in such skin injuries.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health burden. Timely and effective antiviral therapy is beneficial for patients with HBV infection. With existing antiviral drugs, including nucleos(t)ide analogs and interferon-alfa, patients can achieve viral suppression with improved prognosis. However, the rate of hepatitis B surface antigen loss is low. To achieve a functional cure and even complete cure in chronic hepatitis B patients, new antivirals need to be developed. In this review, we summarized the advantages and disadvantages of existing antiviral drugs and focused on new antivirals including direct-acting antiviral drugs and immunotherapeutic approaches.
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Hepatitis B/drug therapy* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/drug therapy* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy* ; Humans

Objective:To explore the care experience and needs of caregivers of prostatic cancer patients after surgery, in order to provide effective intervention and support, improve quality of care and improve the quality of life of patients and caregivers.Methods:Using the objective sampling method, a total of 12 caregivers of patients who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and rechecked in the outpatient clinic in Tongji Hospital of Tongji University from November 2020 to January 2021 were selected as the research objects. Data collection was carried out in the form of semi-structured, personal in-depth interviews. Colaizzi seven-step analysis method was used to summarize and analyze the interview content and refine the theme.Results:A total of 5 themes were extracted, namely, lack of disease and care skills, excessive stress, psychological distress, worries about disease prognosis and hope for medical and social support.Conclusions:Postoperative home caregivers of prostatic cancer patients have average care experience and high demands for disease knowledge and nursing skills. While paying attention to patients, medical staff should also care about the physical and mental state of caregivers, provide them with individualized and effective information and medical support and improve the quality of caregivers at home, thereby improving quality of life of patients.