Objective:To explore the differential diagnostic value of abdominal diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) combined with serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP), des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP), and the ratio of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase to alanine transaminase (GTP/ALT) in the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors.Methods:Ninety liver tumor patients admitted to the Chenzhou First People′s Hospital from February 2020 to May 2022 were selected, including 48 malignant tumors and 42 benign tumors, and were divided into malignant group and benign group. The imaging findings of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DWI examination were analyzed for two groups of patients. We compared the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, serum AFP, DCP levels, and GTP/ALT between two groups of patients. The diagnostic value of DWI, individual and combined detection of various serological indicators for malignant tumors was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results:There were significant differences in MRI and DWI imaging manifestations between the malignant and benign groups of patients. The ADC values and ADC index of patients in the malignant group at different b values of 50, 400, and 800 s/mm 2 were lower than those in the benign group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The serum AFP, DCP, and GTP/ALT of patients in the malignant group were higher than those in the benign group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of DWI combined with serum AFP, DCP, and GTP/ALT in diagnosing liver malignant tumors were higher than those of DWI alone and each serological indicator alone. Conclusions:The combination of DWI, serum AFP, DCP, and GTP/ALT has high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing liver malignant tumors, and has certain clinical value in distinguishing between benign and malignant liver tumors.

Objective To understand the research hotspot and development trend of meteorological factors in the field of hand, foot and mouth disease at home and abroad, and to provide references for domestic scholars to explore the frontier of this field. Methods Relevant literature published from the retrievable date to August 31, 2022 was searched in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, China Biomedical Literature Database, Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed database. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to retrieve related research literature on hand, foot and mouth disease and meteorological factors, and visualization analysis was conducted from the aspects of publication volume, relevant authors, keywords and journal analysis. Results A total of 610 literatures were included in this study, including 339 foreign documents and 271 Chinese documents. The number of published literatures in this field showed an increasing trend year by year. In foreign literature, there were 147 core authors, and 209 keywords appeared more than 3 times. In Chinese literature, there were 57 core authors, and 66 keywords appeared more than 3 times. In recent years, time series analysis and Bayesian spatiotemporal models had been widely used to explore the relationship between hand, foot and mouth disease and meteorological factors. Science of the Total Environment (28 articles) and Disease Surveillance (12 articles) accounted for the largest number of publications in foreign and Chinese journals, respectively. Compared with Chinese journals, foreign journals formed a stable group of journals. Conclusion In general, the research content in this field is rich, and the research trend has shifted from epidemiological research to the application of new methods in this field to explore the impact of meteorological factors on the incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Objective To evaluate the acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)(AECOPD)status via combining clinical data,lung function parameters with CT radiomic features based on machine learning method.Methods A total of 343 COPD patients,including 158 AECOPD patients and 185 non-AECOPD patients were retrospectively selected and randomly divided into training and testing sets at a ratio of 7∶3.The radiomics features were calculated after automatically delineating the whole lung volume of interest(VOI).Five machine learning methods were used to construct the AECOPD diagnostic model,then the corresponding Radiomics score(Rad-score)was calculated in the training set and was validated in the testing set.The logistic-combined model was established after integrating age,Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease(GOLD)classification,vital capacity(VC),forced vital capacity(FVC),forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1),FEV1％pred,FEV1/FVC％,peak expiratory flow(PEF),maximum ventilatory volume(MVV),and Rad-score value.The area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was calculated to evaluate the evaluated performance of all models.Results The logistic regression model had the best diagnostic performance,with AUC of 0.724 and 0.758 in the training and testing sets,respectively.The performance of the logistic-combined model to diagnose AECOPD was superior to that of the single logistic regression model,with the AUC of 0.777 and 0.760 in the training and testing sets,respectively.Conclusion A combination strategy including clinical data,lung function parameters,and CT radiomics may be helpful to diagnose AECOPD status,with moderate diagnostic performance.

Objective:To explore the hematological phenotype and genotypic characteristics of five Chinese individuals with a rare thalassemia mutation HBB: c. 93-21G>A. Methods:A retrospective study was carried out on five individuals identified by the People′s Hospital of Yangjiang and Guangzhou Hybribio Co., Ltd. from May 2018 to September 2022. Routine blood test and hemoglobin electrophoresis were performed, and the genotypes of five subjects were determined by using PCR combined with reverse dot blotting (RDB), nested PCR, Gap-PCR and Sanger sequencing. This study was approved by Medical Ethics Cornmittee of the People′s Hospital of Yangjiang (Ethics No. 20240001).Results:Among the five individuals, hematological data of one was unavailable, and the remaining four had presented with microcytosis and hypochromia. The results of hemoglobin electrophoresis indicated that all of them had a HbA 2 level of ≥4.7%. Genetic analysis showed that one case had harbored compound heterozygous mutations of ααα anti3.7 triplet and HBB: c. 93-21G>A, one had compound heterozygous mutations of -α 3.7 and HBB: c. 93-21G>A, whilst the remaining three were heterozygous for the HBB: c. 93-21G>A mutation. Conclusion:The hematological phenotype of β-thalassemia carriers ( HBB: c. 93-21G>A) is similar to that of other β + thalassemia heterozygotes with mild β-thalassemia characteristics.

Urban traffic is closely related to the daily life of the public,and air pollution in the traffic microenvironment has become a public health problem that cannot be ignored.This paper reviews the comparative studies of air pollutant exposure levels among different modes of transportation in multiple cities in China.By com-paring the exposure levels of pollutants among different modes of transportation,this paper provides a reference for protecting the health of the public in daily transportation and selecting targeted control measures.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathologic features and molecular genetics characteristics of sinonasal tract mucosal malignant melanomas(STMMMs)in elderly patients.Methods:The clinicopathological features, immunohistochemical features and BRAF, C-KIT, NRAS mutations of STMMM in ten elderly patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among the 10 patients, 5 were female and 5 were male.The patients were aged 65-81 years, with an average age of(72.5 ± 8.5)years.The lesions in 7 cases were located in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, and in the other 3 cases were located in the nasopharynx.The morphologies of tumor cells under microscope was complex and diverse, showing plasma cell-like, rhabdomyoblast-like, small cell-like, epithelial-like, and spindle cell-like morphologies.Immunohistochemically, HMB-45 and S-100 were generally positive in 10 cases, and the positive rate of Melan A was 70.0%.The genes detection data showed no mutations in BRAF or NRAS genes in all the 10 cases, while C-KIT exon 11 c. 1666_1667insA mutation was found in one case, and the remaining 9 cases were wild-type for C-KIT.All the 10 cases were followed up for 4~50 months.Three cases survived so far.Conclusions:STMMM in elderly patients are rare and easy to be misdiagnosed.Immunohistochemistry and genetic testing provide guidance for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) composite materials are very attractive for use in neural tissue engineering and biosensor coatings. CNT scaffolds are excellent mimics of extracellular matrix due to their hydrophilicity, viscosity, and biocompatibility. CNTs can also impart conductivity to other insulating materials, improve mechanical stability, guide neuronal cell behavior, and trigger axon regeneration. The performance of chitosan (CS)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite scaffolds could be optimized by introducing multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs). CS/PEG/CNT composite scaffolds with CNT content of 1%, 3%, and 5% (1%=0.01 g/mL) were prepared by freeze-drying. Their physical and chemical properties and biocompatibility were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the composite scaffolds had a highly connected porous structure. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy proved that the CNTs were well dispersed in the CS/PEG matrix and combined with the CS/PEG nanofiber bundles. MWCNTs enhanced the elastic modulus of the scaffold. The porosity of the scaffolds ranged from 83% to 96%. They reached a stable water swelling state within 24 h, and swelling decreased with increasing MWCNT concentration. The electrical conductivity and cell adhesion rate of the scaffolds increased with increasing MWCNT content. Immunofluorescence showed that rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells grown in the scaffolds had characteristics similar to nerve cells. We measured changes in the expression of nerve cell markers by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and found that PC12 cells cultured in the scaffolds expressed growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR), and class III β‍-tubulin (TUBB3) proteins. Preliminary research showed that the prepared CS/PEG/CNT scaffold has good biocompatibility and can be further applied to neural tissue engineering research.
Animals ; Axons ; Biocompatible Materials/chemistry* ; Chitosan/chemistry* ; Nanotubes, Carbon/chemistry* ; Nerve Regeneration ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Porosity ; Rats ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Tissue Scaffolds/chemistry*

Objective To report 9 HIV-negative patients with talaromycosis marueffei (TSM)complicated by Sweet syndrome,and to analyze the relationship of the anti-interferon-γ (anti-IFN-γ)autoantibody with TSM complicated by Sweet syndrome.Methods HIV-negative patients with TSM complicated by Sweet syndrome were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between 2013 and 2018.Their clinical and laboratory data were analyzed retrospectively.Meanwhile,19 HIV-positive patients with TSM and 107 health checkup examinees served as controls.Anti-IFN-γ autoantibody was detected in peripheral blood samples of the patients and controls.Results A total of 9 HIV-negative patients with TSM (5 males and 4 females) were included in this study,and the age of onset ranged from 38 to 60 years.The 9 patients all presented with disseminated infections,manifesting as long-term irregular fever,multiple lymph node enlargement,cough,emaciation and anemia.All of the 9 patients met the diagnostic criteria for classical Sweet syndrome,and microbiological examination of Sweet syndrome lesions was negative.Besides Talaromyces marneffei,6 patients also were infected with nontuberculous mycobacteria,4 with varicella-zoster virus,and 2 with Salmonella.All the 9 HIV-negative patients with TSM were positive for anti-IFN-γ autoantibody,while the 107 healthy controls and 19 HIV-positive patients with TSM were negative for anti-IFN-γ autoantibody.Conclusion Anti-IFN-γ autoantibody may be associated with HIV-negative TSM complicated by Sweet syndrome.

To investigate the effects of clinical P-glycoprotein inhibitors on oral bioavailability and brain penetration of gefitinib, 16 inhibitors and gefitinib were co-administered orally to ICR mice. The suspension of gefitinib and CMC-Na were co-administered to the control group. The suspension of gefitinib and clinical P-glycoprotein inhibitors were co-administered to the control group. Blood samples and brain homogenate samples were extracted by protein precipitation with acetonitrile and determinated by LC-MS/MS. It was found that ritonavir can significantly increase the oral bioavailability of gefitinib, and the area under the plasma concentration-time curves(AUC)of gefitinib was increased by 2 times; while brain exposure was increased, there was no increment in brain penetration. Some other drugs can also increase the plasma AUC of gefitinib, but can not enhance the brain penetration; After we corrected brain concentration with fraction of unbound drug in brain, it was found that the brain concentration of gefitinib in both control group and ritonavir group did not achieve the in vitro IC50 of inhibiting non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)cell growth. Our results suggest that clinical doses of the 16 clinical P-glycoprotein inhibitors can not specifically increase brain tissue exposure, more specific and safer P-gp inhibitors are required. After we corrected brain concentrations with fraction of unbound drug in brain, our preclinical studies found that insufficient brain exposure may be one of the reasons for the unsatisfactory efficacy of gefitinib in the treatment of brain metastases.

The differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) is essential for myelination and remyelination in the CNS. The failure of OPCs to achieve terminal differentiation in demyelinating lesions often results in unsuccessful remyelination in a variety of human demyelinating diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling OPC differentiation under pathological conditions remain largely unknown. Myt1L (myelin transcription factor 1-like), mainly expressed in neurons, has been associated with intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and depression. In the present study, we found that Myt1L was expressed in oligodendrocyte lineage cells during myelination and remyelination. The expression level of Myt1L in neuron/glia antigen 2-positive (NG2) OPCs was significantly higher than that in mature CC1 oligodendrocytes. In primary cultured OPCs, overexpression of Myt1L promoted, while knockdown inhibited OPC differentiation. Moreover, Myt1L was potently involved in promoting remyelination after lysolecithin-induced demyelination in vivo. ChIP assays showed that Myt1L bound to the promoter of Olig1 and transcriptionally regulated Olig1 expression. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Myt1L is an essential regulator of OPC differentiation, thereby supporting Myt1L as a potential therapeutic target for demyelinating diseases.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Demyelinating Diseases ; chemically induced ; Lysophosphatidylcholines ; toxicity ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; metabolism ; Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Oligodendroglia ; cytology ; metabolism ; Remyelination ; physiology ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism