Objective To assess the effects of “dual low” scanning technology in conjunction with an individualized injection protocol in enhancing the quality of abdominal contrast-enhanced CT images. Methods A total of 200 patients who underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced CT examinations at the Hainan Western Central Hospital between January 2022 and January 2024 were selected for the study. Using a random number table, participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 100, sub-hypertonic contrast agent + conventional tube voltage + individualized injection protocol) or an observation group (n = 100, isotonic contrast agent + tube voltage of 100 kV + individualized injection protocol). The study compared the impact of these two methodologies on the quality of abdominal contrast-enhanced CT images. Results During the arterial phase, the CT value of the abdominal aorta was significantly higher in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), suggesting that isotonic contrast agent and low tube voltage more effectively enhanced vascular signal. During the portal vein phase, the CT value was higher and the liver parenchymal noise was lower in the observation group those in the control group (P < 0.05), further validating the advantages of the “dual low” approach during the portal venous phase. The radiation dose was significantly lower in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that the “dual low” protocol effectively reduced radiation dose while enhancing patient safety. During the arterial phase, both the abdominal aorta noise and liver parenchymal noise were lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05), demonstrating that the “dual low” strategy effectively reduced image noise and enhanced image clarity. The image quality scores were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that high image quality could be achieved even at reduced radiation doses and contrast agent concentrations. Conclusion The “dual low” scanning technology, combined with an individualized injection protocol, not only effectively enhances the contrast of arteries and veins, reduces image noise, and improves the overall image quality, but also decreases radiation dose and enhances patient safety. Therefore, this technology is worth being widely promoted.

OBJECTIVE To explore the neuroprotective effect of sodium aescinate on rats with Parkinson’s disease by regulating the silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. METHODS The Parkinson’s disease rat model was constructed by using 6-hydroxydopamine injection method. Forty-eight rats successfully modeled were randomly divided into model group， sodium aescinate low-dose group （1.8 mg/kg）， sodium aescinate high-dose group （3.6 mg/kg）， sodium aescinate+EX527 （sodium aescinate 3.6 mg/kg+SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 5 mg/kg） group， with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 healthy rats were selected as the sham operation group. Each group was injected with the corresponding drug solution intraperitoneally， once a day， for 21 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the end of the last administration， the motor and cognitive functions of rats were detected， and the morphology of neurons in the substantia nigra and CA1 region of hippocampal tissue were observed. The content of dopamine （DA） in the nigrostriatal and the expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH） and α-synuclein （α-Syn） in the substantia nigra were detected. The serum levels of pro-inflammatory factor [interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-18]， anti-inflammatory factor （IL-10）， and the expression levels of SIRT1， phosphorylated NF-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65） and NF- κB p65 protein in nigrostriatal were detected. RESULTS Compared with sham operation group， the neurons in the substantia nigra and CA1 region of hippocampal tissue were seriously damaged in model group； the number of rotations， escape latency， the expression levels of α-Syn in substantia nigra， the levels of serum pro-inflammatory factors， the relative expression ratio of p-NF- κB p65 and NF-κB p65 protein in nigrostriatal were increased or prolonged significantly （P＜0.05）； the target quadrant residence time， the content of DA in nigrostriatal， the expression level of TH in substantia nigra， the serum level of anti-inflammatory factor， and the expression level of SIRT1 protein in substantia nigra striatum were significantly decreased or shortened （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the damage degrees of neuron in sodium aescinate groups were alleviated， and the quantitative indicators were significantly improved， which were more significant in the high-dose group （P＜0.05）； EX527 could reverse the improvement effect of high-dose sodium aescinate （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Sodium aescinate can inhibit the activation of NF-κB signal by up-regulating the protein expression of SIRT1， thereby reducing the neuroinflammation of rats with Parkinson’s disease， improving the motor and cognitive dysfunctions， and finally playing a neuroprotective role.

Objective To investigate the correlations of the expressions of microRNA-506 (miR-506) and microRNA-874 (miR-874) in serum of patients with gastric cancer with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and severity of disease. Methods A total of 78 patients with gastric cancer admitted to our hospital from May 2020 to May 2022 were selected in the study, and the patients were divided into infection group (43 cases) and non-infection group (35 cases) according to Hp infection. Pearson method was applied to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of miR-506 and miR-874 in serum of patients; Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors affecting the severity of the disease, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of miR-506 and miR-874 in Hp infection and severity of the disease. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of miR-506 and miR-874 in Hp infection and disease severity. Results The serum miR-506 level in the infection group was higher than that in the non-infection group, and the expression level of miR-874 was lower than that in the non-infection group (1.22±0.27 versus 1.50±0.51, P < 0.05); the serum levels of miR-506 and gastrin-17 (G-17) in patients of stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ were higher than those in patients of stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ, and the expression levels of miR-874 and pepsin Ⅰ (PG Ⅰ) were lower than those in patients of stage I to Ⅱ (P < 0.05). The expression levels of miR-506 and miR-874 in serum were negatively correlated (r=-0.886, P < 0.05). There were no correlations of age, sex, tumor diameter and differentiation degree with the severity of disease (P>0.05). The lymph node metastasis rate in patients with stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ was higher than that in patients with stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ(P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that miR-506 and miR-874 were the influencing factors of severity of the disease (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of serum miR-506, miR-874 and their combined detection for diagnosis of Hp infection were 0.741, 0.648 and 0.823, respectively. The combined detection was better than that of serum miR-506 and miR-874 alone (P=0.007, 0.001). The AUC of serum miR-506, miR-874 and their combined detection for diagnosis of disease severity were 0.697, 0.797 and 0.836, respectively. The predictive efficiency of the combined detection of the two methods was better than that of serum miR-506 and miR-874 separately (P=0.045, 0.046). Conclusion The expression levels of miR-506 and miR-874 in serum are related to the occurrence and severity of Hp infection. The combined detection of the combined detection has certain auxiliary diagnostic value for Hp infection and severity of the disease.

BACKGROUND: The HELIOS stent is a sirolimus-eluting stent with a biodegradable polymer and titanium oxide film as the tie-layer. The study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of HELIOS stent in a real-world setting. METHODS: The HELIOS registry is a prospective, multicenter, cohort study conducted at 38 centers across China between November 2018 and December 2019. A total of 3060 consecutive patients were enrolled after application of minimal inclusion and exclusion criteria. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF), defined as a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal target vessel myocardial infarction (MI), and clinically indicated target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 1-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate the cumulative incidence of clinical events and construct survival curves. RESULTS: A total of 2998 (98.0%) patients completed the 1-year follow-up. The 1-year incidence of TLF was 3.10% (94/2998, 95% closed interval: 2.54-3.78%). The rates of cardiac death, non-fatal target vessel MI and clinically indicated TLR were 2.33% (70/2998), 0.20% (6/2998), and 0.70% (21/2998), respectively. The rate of stent thrombosis was 0.33% (10/2998). Age ≥60 years, diabetes mellitus, family history of coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction at admission, and device success were independent predictors of TLF at 1 year. CONCLUSION: The 1-year incidence rates of TLF and stent thrombosis were 3.10% and 0.33%, respectively, in patients treated with HELIOS stents. Our results provide clinical evidence for interventional cardiologists and policymakers to evaluate HELIOS stent. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03916432.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Sirolimus/therapeutic use* ; Drug-Eluting Stents/adverse effects* ; Prospective Studies ; Cohort Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Risk Factors ; Time Factors ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects* ; Cardiovascular Agents/therapeutic use* ; Coronary Artery Disease/therapy* ; Myocardial Infarction/etiology* ; Thrombosis/complications* ; Polymers ; Registries

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the imaging characteristics of F-FDG positron emission computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and to analyze its application value in MM and bone metastases. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made on MM patients (n=72) and bone metastases patients (n=50) admitted to Hainan Western Central Hospital from January 2017 to March 2019. All patients underwent F-FDG PET/CT examination. The distribution of lesions, bone destruction, maximum standardized uptake (SUV) and metabolic homogeneity were analyzed in both groups. RESULTS: More than 80% of MM and bone metastases involved thoracic bone, spine and pelvis, followed by limbs. MM was more common in the lesions of thoracic bone and skull than those in bone metastases, the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05). The majority of MM patients presented osteolytic bone destruction (97.2%), mostly showing "insect-like phagocytic pattern", so the bone showed dilated changes, and osteogenic changes were rarely seen (2.8%). Osteolytic bone destruction accounted for 74.0% in patients with bone metastatic tumor, presenting "focal" appearance more often, and osteogenic changes accounted for 26.0%. Osteolytic bone destruction in patients with MM was significantly higher than that in patients with bone metastases（χ=14.757，P＜0.05）. The SUV of MM (4.25±2.16)was significantly lower than that of bone metastases (7.84±3.25) (t=6.830, P＜0.05). Diffuse mild uptake of F-FDG was more common in patients with MM, and heterogeneous high uptake of F-FDG was more common in patients with bone metastasis, the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION F-FDG PET/CT examination is helpful to acquire the imaging features of bone structure and metabolic changes, and shows an important clinical value in the differential diagnosis of MM and bone metastases.
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the intra- and inter-scanner reproducibility of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) of cerebral subcortical nuclei in healthy adults. METHODS: QSM was performed in 21 healthy adults on two different 3.0T MR scanners, and the region of interest (ROI) method was used to measure the magnetic susceptibility value of the left subcortical nuclei (the head of the caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra and red nucleus). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman method were used to evaluate the inter-scanner and intra-scanner reliability. RESULTS: The ICCs of the susceptibility value ranged from 0.90 to 0.99 for all the subcortical gray nuclei except for the head of the caudate nucleus measured on the same MR scanner by the same observer. Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the points with susceptibility differences for all the subcortical gray nuclei except for substantia nigra located in the 95% CI of limits of agreement for the same MR scanner. The ICCs of the susceptibility value for the inter-scanner was 0.49 (0.08-0.75) for the head of the caudate nuleus, 0.80 (0.57-0.91) for the putamen, 0.77 (0.51-0.90) for the globus pallidus, 0.78 (0.54-0.91) for the thalamus, 0.80 (0.56-0.91) for the substantia nigra and 0.93 (0.83-0.97) for the red nucleus. The points with susceptibility difference (95.2%, 20/21) located in the 95% CI of limits of agreement for the putamen and the thalamus measured on two different MR scanners. CONCLUSIONS The intra-scanner reproducibility of QSM of the subcortical gray nuclei is superior to the inter-scanner reproducibility in healthy adults.
Adult ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Iron ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Reproducibility of Results ; Substantia Nigra/diagnostic imaging*

Chemical investigation on the rice culture of Corynespora cassiicola J9, an endophyte inhabiting in Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. resulted in isolation of eight compounds, including a new depsidone derivative, corynether C (1), and seven analogues, corynether B (2), corynetherlactone A (3), corynether A (4), diaryl ether (5), corynesidone C (6), corynesidone D (7), and corynesidone A (8). Their structures were deduced based on 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and HR-ESI-MS data. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for inhibitory activities against Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel by the leaf spray assay. Unfortunately, none of them showed inhibitory effects.

Objective: To explore the application and effect of blended BOPPPS teaching mode in medical nursing teaching. Methods: A total of 80 nursing undergraduates of Grade 2014 in Hubei Medical University were divided randomly into teaching reform class and control class, with 40 students in each class. From February 2017 to July 2017, BOPPPS teaching was implemented in the teaching reform class, while traditional teaching was conducted in the control class. At the end of the experiment, Students in the two classes had questionnaire on the satisfaction of the teaching design, tests for self-learning ability and medical nursing level. SPSS 20.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Enumeration data between two classes were compared by chi-square test, while measurement data were compared by t test. Results: ①The number of students who were satisfied in the teaching reform class was 34 (85.0%), which was significantly higher than that of the control class (29, 72.5%). The difference has statistical significance. ② The self-learning dimensions and total score of the teaching reform class were (53.1±5.1), (52.4±4.8), (52.2±4.7), (51.9±4.7), (51.2±4.9) and (260.8±24.2), respectively, which were significantly higher than (48.6±4.3),(49.9±4.3), (49.7±4.1), (47.6±4.0), (47.1±3.9), and (242.9±20.6) of the control class. The differences were statistically significant (average P<0.05 or 0.01). ③The total scores (minutes) for regular assessments, theoretical examinations, and internal medicine education in the reform class were (26.1±2.3), (55.4±5.2), and (81.5±7.5) respectively, which was obviously higher than that(23.7±1.9), (52.6±4.6), (76.3±6.5) of the control class. The differences were statistically significant (average P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions The blended BOPPPS teaching focuses on the students, pays close attention to the students' attentiveness, participatory learning and goal achievement. This teaching model can improve students' satisfaction, self-learning ability and medical nursing study in a large extent.

Alpinia oxyphylla is mainly produced in Hainan,and also one of the four famous traditional Chinese medicines in South China with increasing importance in traditional Chinese medicine industry. Field surveys and literatures show that A. oxyphylla has widely used as a medicinal and edible plant,it is an important raw material for many Chinese patent medicines,health products and food,with a long history of artificial cultivation and application. The future development is prospected on health market. But A. oxyphylla industry has faced a lot of problems,including unreasonable planting layout,lack of good varieties,imperfect seed breeding system,low level of standardization,inconsistent quality of medicinal materials,low level of industry,and so on. The suggestions for sustainable development are listed below.First,it is essential to strengthen the research on the basis and application technology of A. oxyphylla,speed up the selection and breeding of improved varieties,and popularize standardized cultivation techniques. Secondly,it is important to strengthen the research on quality standards,improve the quality evaluation system of medicinal materials. Thirdly,it is necessary to take full advantage of the functional components to develop functional products with Hainan characteristics,find out the unique product characteristics of A. oxyphylla,build a famous brand and improve the product competitiveness in the market. It is also important to strengthen policy support and industrial supervision,promote the healthy and rapid development of A. oxyphylla industry.
Alpinia ; chemistry ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; trends ; Plant Breeding ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Seeds

Phytochemical investigation of the culture of Epicoccum nigrum,an endolichenic fungus inhabiting Leptogium masiaticum,led to the isolation of 11 compounds. Based on NMR spectroscopy and HRESIMS data,their structures were determined as one alkaloid fusaricide( 1),and seven benzofuran derivatives including epicoccone( 2),4,6-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-7-methyl-1,3-dihydro isobenzofuran( 3),5-methyl-epicoccone B( 4),3,6,7-trihydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylisobenzo furan-1( 3 H)-one( 5),3-methoxyepicoccone B( 6),2,3,4-trihydroxy-6-( hydroxymethyl)-5-methylbenzyl-alcohol( 7),and isoochracinic acid( 8),together with three epicoccolide analogs epicocconigrones A( 9),epicoccolide B( 10),and epicocconigrones B( 11). Compounds 1,9 and 10 showed potent microorganism inhibitory effects. These results indicated the potential perspective of this endophytic fungus as an eco-friendly biocide.
Ascomycota/chemistry* ; Endophytes/chemistry* ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Secondary Metabolism