Purpose: This study assessed the performance of the ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) in diagnosing and grading hepatic steatosis in patients with metabolic dysfunctionassociated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) served as the reference standard. Methods: Patients with hepatic steatosis were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent UGAP measurements. MRI-PDFF values of ≥5%, ≥15%, and ≥25% were used as references for the diagnosis of steatosis grades ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficients and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results: Between July 2023 and June 2024, the study included 88 patients (median age, 40 years; interquartile range [IQR], 36 to 46 years), of whom 54.5% (48/88) were men and 45.5% (40/88) were women. Steatosis grades exhibited the following distribution: 22.7% (20/88) had S0, 50.0% (44/88) had S1, 21.6% (19/88) had S2, and 5.7% (5/88) had S3. The success rate for UGAP measurements was 100%. The median UGAP value was 0.74 dB/cm/MHz (IQR, 0.65 to 0.82 dB/ cm/MHz), and UGAP values were positively correlated with MRI-PDFF (r=0.77, P<0.001). The AUCs of UGAP for the diagnoses of ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 steatosis were 0.91, 0.90, and 0.88, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, 98.4% (60/61) of patients had valid controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values. UGAP measurements were positively correlated with CAP values (r=0.65, P<0.001). Conclusion Using MRI-PDFF as the reference standard, UGAP demonstrates good diagnostic performance in the detection and grading of hepatic steatosis in patients with MASLD.

Objective: To investigate the objective characteristics of tongue manifestation in different stages of damp-heat syndrome in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 134 patients with DKD G3-5 stages who met the diagnostic criteria for damp-heat syndrome in DKD. The patients were treated at Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from May 2023 to January 2024. The patients were divided into three groups: DKD G3, DKD G4, and DKD G5 stage, with 53, 33, and 48 patients in each group, respectively. Clinical general data (gender, age, and body mass index) and damp-heat syndrome scores were collected from the patients. The YZAI-02 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) AI Tongue Image Acquisition Device was used to capture tongue images from these patients. The accompanying AI Open Platform for TCM Tongue Diagnosis of the device was used to analyze and extract tongue manifestation features, including objective data on tongue color, tongue quality, coating color, and coating texture. Clinical data and objective tongue manifestation characteristics were compared among patients with DKD G3-5 based on their DKD damp-heat syndrome status. Results: No statistically significant difference in gender or body mass index was observed among the three patient groups. The DKD G3 stage group had the highest age (P<0.05). The DKD G3 stage group had a lower score for symptoms of poor appetite and anorexia(P<0.05) than the DKD G5 group. No statistically significant difference was observed in damp-heat syndrome scores among the three groups. Compared with the DKD G5 stage group, the DKD G3 stage group showed a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue (P<0.05). The DKD G4 stage group exhibited an increased proportion of crimson at the root of the tongue, a decreased proportion of thick white tongue coating at the root, a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue, an increased hue value (indicating color tone) of the tongue color in the middle, an increased brightness value (indicating color lightness) of the tongue coating color in the middle, and an increased thickness of the tongue coating (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in other tongue color proportions, color chroma values, body characteristics, coating color proportions, coating color chroma values, and coating texture characteristics among the three groups. Conclusion Tongue features differ in different stages of DKD damp-heat syndrome in multiple dimensions, enabling the inference that during the DKD G5 stage, the degree of qi and blood deficiency in the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, spleen, and stomach is prominent. Dampness is more likely to accumulate in the lower jiao, particularly in the kidneys, whereas heat evil in the spleen and stomach is the most severe. These insights provide novel ideas for the clinical treatment of DKD.

Purpose: This study assessed the performance of the ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) in diagnosing and grading hepatic steatosis in patients with metabolic dysfunctionassociated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) served as the reference standard. Methods: Patients with hepatic steatosis were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent UGAP measurements. MRI-PDFF values of ≥5%, ≥15%, and ≥25% were used as references for the diagnosis of steatosis grades ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficients and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results: Between July 2023 and June 2024, the study included 88 patients (median age, 40 years; interquartile range [IQR], 36 to 46 years), of whom 54.5% (48/88) were men and 45.5% (40/88) were women. Steatosis grades exhibited the following distribution: 22.7% (20/88) had S0, 50.0% (44/88) had S1, 21.6% (19/88) had S2, and 5.7% (5/88) had S3. The success rate for UGAP measurements was 100%. The median UGAP value was 0.74 dB/cm/MHz (IQR, 0.65 to 0.82 dB/ cm/MHz), and UGAP values were positively correlated with MRI-PDFF (r=0.77, P<0.001). The AUCs of UGAP for the diagnoses of ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 steatosis were 0.91, 0.90, and 0.88, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, 98.4% (60/61) of patients had valid controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values. UGAP measurements were positively correlated with CAP values (r=0.65, P<0.001). Conclusion Using MRI-PDFF as the reference standard, UGAP demonstrates good diagnostic performance in the detection and grading of hepatic steatosis in patients with MASLD.

Purpose: This study assessed the performance of the ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) in diagnosing and grading hepatic steatosis in patients with metabolic dysfunctionassociated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) served as the reference standard. Methods: Patients with hepatic steatosis were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent UGAP measurements. MRI-PDFF values of ≥5%, ≥15%, and ≥25% were used as references for the diagnosis of steatosis grades ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficients and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results: Between July 2023 and June 2024, the study included 88 patients (median age, 40 years; interquartile range [IQR], 36 to 46 years), of whom 54.5% (48/88) were men and 45.5% (40/88) were women. Steatosis grades exhibited the following distribution: 22.7% (20/88) had S0, 50.0% (44/88) had S1, 21.6% (19/88) had S2, and 5.7% (5/88) had S3. The success rate for UGAP measurements was 100%. The median UGAP value was 0.74 dB/cm/MHz (IQR, 0.65 to 0.82 dB/ cm/MHz), and UGAP values were positively correlated with MRI-PDFF (r=0.77, P<0.001). The AUCs of UGAP for the diagnoses of ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 steatosis were 0.91, 0.90, and 0.88, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, 98.4% (60/61) of patients had valid controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values. UGAP measurements were positively correlated with CAP values (r=0.65, P<0.001). Conclusion Using MRI-PDFF as the reference standard, UGAP demonstrates good diagnostic performance in the detection and grading of hepatic steatosis in patients with MASLD.

Purpose: This study assessed the performance of the ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) in diagnosing and grading hepatic steatosis in patients with metabolic dysfunctionassociated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) served as the reference standard. Methods: Patients with hepatic steatosis were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent UGAP measurements. MRI-PDFF values of ≥5%, ≥15%, and ≥25% were used as references for the diagnosis of steatosis grades ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficients and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results: Between July 2023 and June 2024, the study included 88 patients (median age, 40 years; interquartile range [IQR], 36 to 46 years), of whom 54.5% (48/88) were men and 45.5% (40/88) were women. Steatosis grades exhibited the following distribution: 22.7% (20/88) had S0, 50.0% (44/88) had S1, 21.6% (19/88) had S2, and 5.7% (5/88) had S3. The success rate for UGAP measurements was 100%. The median UGAP value was 0.74 dB/cm/MHz (IQR, 0.65 to 0.82 dB/ cm/MHz), and UGAP values were positively correlated with MRI-PDFF (r=0.77, P<0.001). The AUCs of UGAP for the diagnoses of ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 steatosis were 0.91, 0.90, and 0.88, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, 98.4% (60/61) of patients had valid controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values. UGAP measurements were positively correlated with CAP values (r=0.65, P<0.001). Conclusion Using MRI-PDFF as the reference standard, UGAP demonstrates good diagnostic performance in the detection and grading of hepatic steatosis in patients with MASLD.

Purpose: This study assessed the performance of the ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) in diagnosing and grading hepatic steatosis in patients with metabolic dysfunctionassociated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) served as the reference standard. Methods: Patients with hepatic steatosis were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent UGAP measurements. MRI-PDFF values of ≥5%, ≥15%, and ≥25% were used as references for the diagnosis of steatosis grades ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficients and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results: Between July 2023 and June 2024, the study included 88 patients (median age, 40 years; interquartile range [IQR], 36 to 46 years), of whom 54.5% (48/88) were men and 45.5% (40/88) were women. Steatosis grades exhibited the following distribution: 22.7% (20/88) had S0, 50.0% (44/88) had S1, 21.6% (19/88) had S2, and 5.7% (5/88) had S3. The success rate for UGAP measurements was 100%. The median UGAP value was 0.74 dB/cm/MHz (IQR, 0.65 to 0.82 dB/ cm/MHz), and UGAP values were positively correlated with MRI-PDFF (r=0.77, P<0.001). The AUCs of UGAP for the diagnoses of ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 steatosis were 0.91, 0.90, and 0.88, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, 98.4% (60/61) of patients had valid controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values. UGAP measurements were positively correlated with CAP values (r=0.65, P<0.001). Conclusion Using MRI-PDFF as the reference standard, UGAP demonstrates good diagnostic performance in the detection and grading of hepatic steatosis in patients with MASLD.

ObjectiveBased on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we investigated the brain activity characteristics of gross motor tasks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and motor dysfunctions (MDs) to provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the mechanism of MDs in children with ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective. MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 children with ASD accompanied by MDs were recruited into the ASD group and 40 children with typically developing (TD) into the TD group. The fNIRS device was used to collect the information of blood oxygen changes in the cortical motor-related brain regions during single-handed bag throwing and tiptoe walking, and the differences in brain activation and functional connectivity between the two groups of children were analyzed from the perspective of brain activation and functional connectivity. ResultsCompared to the TD group, in the object manipulative motor task (one-handed bag throwing), the ASD group showed significantly reduced activation in both left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and right secondary visual cortex (V2) (P<0.05), whereas the right pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex (PMC&SMA) had significantly higher activation (P<0.01) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, there was a significant decrease in the strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and V2. In the body stability motor task (tiptoe walking), the ASD group had significantly higher activation in motor-related brain regions such as the DLPFC, SMC, and PMC&SMA (P<0.05) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, the ASD group had lower strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with PMC&SMA and V2. ConclusionChildren with ASD exhibit abnormal brain functional activity characteristics specific to different gross motor tasks in object manipulative and body stability, reflecting insufficient or excessive compensatory activation of local brain regions and impaired cross-regions integration, which may be a potential reason for the poorer gross motor performance of children with ASD, and meanwhile provides data support for further unraveling the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of MDs in the context of ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective.

Air Pollution/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Environmental Monitoring

Objective To identify the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of young patients with sporadic rectal cancer liver metastasis(RCLM).Methods The clinical data of young RCLM patients at 45 years or under(n=40,as younger patient group)in Peking University First Hospital from January 2016 to January 2021 were reviewed,meanwhile,elder RCLM patient group were comprised of 82 patients older than 45-year-old in a 1:2 ratio.Proportions of categorical variables were compared between young patients and old patients.The clinicopathologic parameters were analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier method for demonstrating survival differences between the maximum diameter of liver metastasis and local therapy.Results One hundred and twenty-two RCLM patients were identified,the 1-,3-and 5-year survival rates of young patient group were 97.5%,47.5%,15.0%,those of elder patient group were 84.1%,26.8%,9.8%,respectively.The differences in BMI(P=0.008),primary tumor with obstruction and bleeding(P=0.006),synchronous rectal cancer liver metastases(P=0.005),the maximum diameter of liver metastasis>3 cm(P=0.019)were statistically significant between the two groups.And univariate and multivariate analyses showed that age(P=0.003),N stage(P=0.007),local therapy for liver metastases(P=0.047)and the maximum diameter of liver metastasis(P=0.030)were independent risk factors for influencing the prognosis of RCLM patients;curative resection or not of primary tumor(P=0.035)and the maximum diameter of liver metastasis(P=0.041)were independent risk factors for influencing the prognosis of young RCLM patients.Kaplan-Maier curve demonstrated survival differences between the maximum diameter of liver metastasis and local therapy for liver metastasis in RCLM patients(log-rank P=0.000).Conclusions Although with later staging of initial tumor station,young RCLM patients may obtain better survival benefit compared with old patients.Higher degree of lymph node metastasis,local therapy for liver metastases and the maximum diameter of liver metastasis>3 cm indicates poor prognosis in RCLM patients,and without curative resection of primary tumor and maximum diameter of liver metastasis are also considered as the independent poor prognostic factors of young RCLM patients.Local therapy for liver metastases appears to play an important role in the treatment strategy of RCLM patients.

Objective:To summarize the imaging features of severe unilateral transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus thromboses, and evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravascular interventional therapy in them.Methods:Thirty-seven patients with severe unilateral transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus thromboses clinically mainly manifested as intracranial hypertension and accepted endovascular intervention in Department of Interventional Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2012 to September 2022 were chosen; their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed and imaging features were summarized. Short-term efficacy was evaluated according to blood flow restoration degrees and pressure gradient reduction in the occlusive sinus and modified neurological symptoms before and after endovascular intervention. Hospitalized complications were observed; safety and long-term efficacy were evaluated according to postoperative clinical follow-up and imaging results 6-12 months after endovascular intervention.Results:(1) Preoperative brain MRI and (or) CT showed different degrees of swelling of the brain tissues, with the affected side as the target; mixed signals/density shadow could be seen in the blocked transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus; venous cerebral infarction or post-infarction cerebral hemorrhage could be combined in some patients. MRV, CTV and DSA showed poor or completely occluded transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus while normal in the contralateral side; obvious thrombus filling-defect was observed in the occluded venous sinus after mechanical thrombolysis. (2) Occlusive sinus blood flow was restored in all patients after endovascular intervention, and pressure gradient of the occlusive segment decreased from (16.6±3.3) mmHg before to (2.8±0.8) mmHg after endovascular intervention. Before discharge, clinical symptoms of all patients were significantly improved (modified Rankin scale [mRS] scores of 0 in 30 patients, 1 in 5 patients, 2 in 1 patient and 3 in 1 patient), and 2 patients had unilateral limb movement disorder (muscle strength grading III and IV, respectively). All patients received clinical follow-up for (9.6±3.0) months. At the last follow-up, neurological function obviously improved compared with that before endovascular intervention, without new neurosystem-related symptoms (mRS scores of 0 in 30 patients, 1 in 6, and 2 in 1 patient). In 34 patients received MRV or DSA follow-up, 28 had complete recanalization of occlusive sinus and 6 had partial recanalization, without obvious stenosis or recurrent occlusion.Conclusions:Severe unilateral transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus thrombosis can cause local intracranial venous blood stasis, and then cause "increased regional venous sinus pressure", which is manifested as unilateral brain tissue swelling and even venous cerebral infarction or post-infarction cerebral hemorrhage. Early diagnosis and endovascular intervention can obviously improve the prognosis of these patients, enjoying good safety.