Background Arsenic, cobalt, barium, and other individual metal exposure have been confirmed to be associated with the incidence of kidney stones. However, there are few studies on the association between mixed metal exposure and kidney stones, especially in occupational groups. Objective To investigate the association between mixed metal exposure and kidney stones in an occupational population from a metal smelting plant. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, and lifestyle information of 1158 mixed metal-exposed workers in a metal smelting plant in Guangdong Province from July 2021 to January 2022. Midstream morning urine samples were collected from the workers, the concentrations of 18 metals including lithium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, strontium, molybdenum, cadmium, cesium, barium, tungsten, titanium, and lead were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the urinary mercury levels were measured by cold atomic absorption spectroscopy. Based on predetermined inclusion criteria, a total of 919 mixed metal-exposed workers were included in the study, including 117 workers in the kidney stone group and 802 workers in the non-kidney stone group. With a detection rate of urinary metals greater than 80% as entry criterion, 16 eligible metals were finally included for further analysis. Parametric or non-parametric methods were used to compare the differences between continuous or categorical variables of the non-kidney stone group and the kidney stone group. Logistic regression models were constructed to explore the association between individual metal exposures and kidney stones. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were used to evaluate the association between mixed metal exposure and kidney stones, as well as the weights of each metal on kidney stones. Then Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were used to explore the overall effect of mixed metal exposure on renal calculi and the potential interactions between metals. Results We found that there were significant differences in sex, age, length of service, and body mass Index (BMI) between the non-kidney stone group and the kidney stone group (P<0.05). The urinary concentrations of molybdenum and barium in the kidney stone group were higher than those in the non-kidney stone group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The logistic regression models demonstrated that urinary cobalt, arsenic, molybdenum, and barium were positively correlated with the risk of kidney stones (P_trend<0.05). The WQS regression models showed that the mixed exposure to vanadium, cobalt, arsenic, molybdenum, and barium was positively associated with the risk of kidney stones (P<0.05). Among them, molybdenum, arsenic, and barium accounted for 0.391, 0.337, and 0.154, respectively. The BKMR results revealed a positive association between metal mixture exposure and the risk of kidney stones (P<0.05). When other metals were fixed at the 25th, 50th, or 75th percentile, arsenic, molybdenum, cobalt, and barium exhibited significant positive effects on the risk of kidney stones (P<0.05), while vanadium showed a significant negative effect (P<0.05). The interaction analysis demonstrated interactions between barium and cobalt, as well as between vanadium and cobalt (P<0.05). Conclusion In the occupational population of this smelter, occupational mixed metal exposure could increase the risk of kidney stones, and the main metals are molybdenum, arsenic, barium, and cobalt.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of total alkaloids of Corydalis saxicola on a rat model of lipopolysaccharide（LPS）-induced depression， as well as the pharmacokinetic characteristics of 8 of its major components. MethodTwenty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， fluoxetine group（10 mg·kg^-1） and total alkaloids of C. saxicola group（210 mg·kg^-1）， with 6 rats in each group. In addition to the normal group， the rats were injected intraperitoneally with LPS to establish the inflammation model of depression， and the drug administration was started 1 week after modeling， and the administration groups were gavaged according to the corresponding dose， and the normal and model groups were intragastric administration with equal volume of distilled water， and the administration was performed along with the modeling. After two weeks of continuous administration， the effect of total alkaloids of C. saxicola on the behavior of depressed rats were tested by sucrose preference， forced swimming and open field experiments， the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， interleukin（IL）-1β and IL-6 in serum of rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）， the histopathological changes of rat hippocampus were observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining. After the last administration， blood was collected from orbit according to the set time， and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-QqQ-MS） was established to simultaneously detect the concentrations of dehydrocavidine， tetrahydropalmatine， coptisine， palmatine， jatrorrhizine， berberine， berberrubine and epiberberine in plasma， and drug-time curves were drawn. The pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed by DAS 2.0 software. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited a decrease in sucrose preference rate， total distance traveled in the open field， as well as an increase in swimming immobility time and serum inflammatory factor expression（P<0.01）. In contrast， compared with the model group， rats in each administration group showed an increase in sucrose preference rate and total distance traveled in the open field， a decrease in swimming immobility time， and a reduction in serum inflammatory factor expression（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， HE staining results revealed that neurons in the hippocampus of rats from the model group were characterized by loss， disorganization and residual vacuoles， whereas those from the total alkaloids of C.saxicola group displayed an increase in number with orderly arrangement and clear cytoplasm. Pharmacokinetic results showed that the time to peak（t_max） and half-life（t_1/2） of the 8 active ingredients were 0.19-2.06 h and 3.71-8.70 h after continuous administration of total alkaloids of C. saxicola. Among them， the area under the curve（AUC_0-∞） of tetrahydropalmatine was the highest and the t_1/2 was the shortest， and the AUC_0-∞ of coptisine， palmatine， jatrorrhizine， berberine， berberrubine and epiberberine were low. The curves of dehydrocavidine， coptisine， palmatine， berberine and epiberberine showed obvious double peak phenomenon. ConclusionTotal alkaloids of C. saxicola can improve the depression-like behavior of rats， inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors in serum， improve the pathological injury of hippocampus， and has the antidepressant effect. Meanwhile， the effective site is absorbed quickly and eliminated slowly in the depressed model rats， and the efficacy is maintained for a long time.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases are common clinical conditions. The number of patients with TMJ diseases is large, and the etiology, epidemiology, disease spectrum, and treatment of the disease remain controversial and unknown. To understand and master the current situation of the occurrence, development and prevention of TMJ diseases, as well as to identify the patterns in etiology, incidence, drug sensitivity, and prognosis is crucial for alleviating patients′suffering.This will facilitate in-depth medical research, effective disease prevention measures, and the formulation of corresponding health policies. Cohort construction and research has an irreplaceable role in precise disease prevention and significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment levels. Large-scale cohort studies are needed to explore the relationship between potential risk factors and outcomes of TMJ diseases, and to observe disease prognoses through long-term follw-ups. The consensus aims to establish a standard conceptual frame work for a cohort study on patients with TMJ disease while providing ideas for cohort data standards to this condition. TMJ disease cohort data consists of both common data standards applicable to all specific disease cohorts as well as disease-specific data standards. Common data were available for each specific disease cohort. By integrating different cohort research resources, standard problems or study variables can be unified. Long-term follow-up can be performed using consistent definitions and criteria across different projects for better core data collection. It is hoped that this consensus will be facilitate the development cohort studies of TMJ diseases.

Objective To investigate the effect of Gegen Qinlian Decoction on liver energy metabolism and free fatty acid(FFA)in rats with insulin resistance(IR).Methods IR rat model was established by feeding 60%fat high-fat diet for 13 consecutive weeks.SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,Rosiglitazone(5 mg·kg-1)group and Gegen Qinlian Decoction low-,medium-and high-dose groups(1.65,4.96,14.86 g·kg-1),with 6 rats in each group.Intragastric administration was given once a day,continuous administration intervention lasted for 16 weeks.Determination of IR-related indicators:serum fasting insulin(FINS),fasting blood glucose(FPG),calculate the IR index;HPLC method was established for the determination of adenosine triphosphate(ATP),adenosine diphosphate(ADP)and adenosine monophosphate(AMP)in rat liver tissue;ELISA was used to determine the content of FFA in rat liver tissue.The contents of serum total cholesterol(TC)and triglyceride(TG)were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer.The pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by HE staining.Results(1)After the model replication,compared with the normal group,the FINS,FPG levels and IR index of the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).(2)Compared with the normal group,the levels of FINS,FPG and IR index in the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.01),the contents of ATP,ADP and AMP in liver tissue were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),the content of FFA was significantly increased(P＜0.01),and the levels of TC and TG in serum were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Liver cells arranged in disorder,fatty degeneration,and there are a large number of lipid droplets.Compared with the model group,the FINS level and IR index of rats in each administration group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the FPG level of rats in the Rosiglitazone group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).The contents of ADP and AMP in liver tissue of rats in each administration group were significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the contents of ATP in liver tissue of rats in low-,medium-and high dose-groups of Gegen Qinlian Decoction were significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The content of FFA in liver tissue of rats in Rosiglitazone group and Gegen Qinlian Decoction low-and high-dose groups was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The serum TC level of rats in the low-and high-dose groups of Gegen Qinlian Decoction was significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the serum TG level of rats in the Rosiglitazone group and the low-dose group of Gegen Qinlian Decoction was significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The steatosis of hepatocytes in rats of each administration group was alleviated to varying degrees,and the lipid droplets were reduced,and the pathological damage was improved.Conclusion Gegen Qinlian Decoction may improve liver lipid metabolism disorder and restore lipid and energy balance by regulating energy metabolism and reducing FFA level,thus improving IR.

Purpose: To determine the non-contrast computer tomography imaging features of pyonephrosis and evaluate the predictive value of Hounsfield units (HUs) in different hydronephrotic region slices. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data from patients with hydronephrosis who had renal-ureteral calculi. All patients were categorized into pyonephrosis and simple hydronephrosis groups. Baseline characteristics, the mean HU values in the maximal hydronephrotic region (uHU) slice, and the range of uHU in different slices (△uHU) were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for pyonephrosis. Results: Among the 181 patients enrolled in the current study, 71 patients (39.2%) were diagnosed with pyonephrosis. The mean dilated pelvis surface areas were comparable between patients with pyonephrosis and simple hydronephrosis (822.61 ㎟ vs.877.23 ㎟ , p=0.722). Collecting system debris (p=0.022), a higher uHU (p=0.038), and a higher △uHU (p<0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for pyonephrosis based on multivariate analysis. The △uHU sensitivity and specificity were 88.7% and 86.4%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 6.56 (p<0.001), whereas the sensitivity and specificity for detecting pyonephrosis at a uHU cutoff value of 7.96 was 50.7% and 70.9%, respectively (p=0.003). Conclusions Non-contrast computer tomography was shown to accurately distinguish simple hydronephrosis from pyonephrosis in patients with obstructive uropathy. Evaluation of the △uHU in different slices may be more reliable than the uHU acquired from a single slice in predicting pyonephrosis.

Background::Heterogeneity of tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) is significantly associated with clinical outcomes and treatment responses in patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC). Comprehensive profiling of the cellular diversity and interactions between malignant cells and TME may clarify the mechanisms underlying UC progression and guide the development of novel therapies. This study aimed to extend our understanding of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and the immunosuppressive TME in UC and provide basic support for the development of novel UC therapies.Methods::Seven patients with UC were included who underwent curative surgery at our hospital between July 2020 and October 2020. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis in seven tumors with six matched adjacent normal tissues and integrated the results with two public scRNA-seq datasets. The functional properties and intercellular interactions between single cells were characterized, and the results were validated using multiplex immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, and bulk transcriptomic datasets. All statistical analyses were performed using the R package with two-sided tests. Wilcoxon-rank test, log-rank test, one-way analysis of variance test, and Pearson correlation analysis were used properly.Results::Unsupervised t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding clustering analysis identified ten main cellular subclusters in urothelial tissues. Of them, seven urothelial subtypes were noted, and malignant urothelial cells were characterized with enhanced cellular proliferation and reduced immunogenicity. CD8 + T cell subclusters exhibited enhanced cellular cytotoxicity activities along with increased exhaustion signature in UC tissues, and the recruitment of CD4 + T regulatory cells was also increased in tumor tissues. Regarding myeloid cells, coordinated reprogramming of infiltrated neutrophils, M2-type polarized macrophages, and LAMP3 + dendritic cells contribute to immunosuppressive TME in UC tissues. Tumor tissues demonstrated enhanced angiogenesis mediated by KDR + endothelial cells and RGS5 +/ACTA2 + pericytes. Through deconvolution analysis, we identified multiple cellular subtypes may influence the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy response in patients with UC. Conclusion::Our scRNA-seq analysis clarified intra-tumoral heterogeneity and delineated the pro-tumoral and immunosuppressive microenvironment in UC tissues, which may provide novel therapeutic targets.

Objective:To investigate the value of synthetic MRI quantitative parameters in identifying different molecular types of breast cancer and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-TNBC.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 208 patients diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from March 2019 to September 2020. All patients underwent synthetic MR examinations and the following quantitative parameters were measured, including tumor diameter, volume, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and corresponding values of T 1, T 2, and proton density (PD). According to the immunohistochemical results, there were 122 cases of progesterone receptor (PR) positive and 86 cases of PR negative, 123 cases of estrogen receptor (ER) positive and 85 cases of ER negative, 79 cases of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) positive and 129 cases of HER2 negative, 149 cases of Ki-67 high expression and 59 cases of Ki-67 low expression; there were 36 cases of TNBC and 172 cases of non-TNBC. Independent samples t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the quantitative parameters of different molecular types, TNBC and non-TNBC patients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze independent predictors of TNBC, and receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the efficacy of sole and combined parameters in identifying TNBC. Results:T 1 and T 2 values in PR negative breast cancer patients were higher than those in PR positive patients ( t=2.30, Z=2.04, P<0.05); the values of T 1 and T 2 in ER negative patients were higher than those in ER positive patients ( t=2.52, Z=2.48, P<0.05); ADC value and tumor diameter of HER2 positive patients were larger than those in HER2 negative patients ( t=-3.21, Z=-3.22, P<0.05). T 2 value, tumor volume and diameter in patients with Ki-67 high expression were significantly higher than those in patients with Ki-67 low expression ( Z=-3.47, -2.51, -2.84, P<0.05); ADC value in Ki-67 high expression group was less than that in Ki-67 low expression group ( t=3.94, P<0.001). T 1, T 2 values and tumor volume in TNBC patients were higher than those in non-TNBC patients ( t=-3.26, Z=-5.58, Z=-2.02, P<0.05], and ADC value in TNBC patients was lower than that in non-TNBC patients ( t=3.07, P=0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that T 2 (OR=1.060, 95%CI 1.028-1.093, P<0.001) and ADC value (OR=0.947, 95%CI 0.911-0.984, P=0.005) were independent predictors of TNBC. The efficacy of each parameter alone and in combination to identify TNBC showed that the T 2 value in the single parameter had the largest AUC (0.759), and there was no significant difference between T 2 value and its combined parameters in the diagnosis of TNBC. Conclusions:The quantitative parameters based on synthetic MRI, especially T 2 value, have value in differentiating different molecular types of breast cancer, TNBC and non-TNBC may be another non-contrast parameter for evaluating tumor aggressiveness beyond ADC value.

A complete hospital security system is essential for the life and property safety of medical workers, patients and their families alike. The successful operation of the system depends on a reasonable staffing of the security department.From 2019, a tertiary hospital has explored and practiced the staffing management of security guards based on the actual needs of the hospital. The first job was to classify its security posts setup, and determine the staffing requirements of front-line security posts based on such indicators as scale, risk and people flow. The management range theory was called into play, to set the staffing coefficient of front-line security posts and their corresponding frontline administrators as 7∶1, and set that each management post needs one middle manager. The next job was to calculate the number of security guards per workload/post. The calculations estimated that the number of guards required for the four front-line security posts, namely, gate keeper post, public area patrol post, security and fire control post, and emergency response unit post, was 37, 46, 26 and 26 respectively. The corresponding management posts, namely, the office of the security department, the security management team, the fire management team, and the order maintenance team, required 7, 8, 5 and 5 management personnel respectively, totaling 160. Based on the calculations, the hospital optimized its staffing, and increased its total security personnel from 150 to 160, including the number of gate keeper posts were reduced by 17, and the number of emergency response unit posts was increased by 22. This optimization has effectively empowered the security department in dealing with medical disputes and emergencies, as well as identifying fire hazards, which serves a reference for the rational staffing of hospital security human resources.

Primary hepatic carcinoma has ranked as the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death. China shares about 50% of new liver cancer cases, including 80% of hepatic carcinoma. Non-surgical therapy continues to make breakthroughs. The authors report a case of hepatic carcinoma with intrahepatic metastasis and tumor thrombus in the left portal vein, which has achieved continious partial response after the treatment of atezoli-zumab combined with bevacizumab, without adverse reactions such as liver and kidney function damage. The life quality of the patient was improved, showing safety and efficacy of the treatment.

Objective:To explore the clinical application value of MRI in quantitative evaluation of anterior cruciate ligament mucoid degeneration (ACL-MD).Methods:From March to July 2020, 40 patients who were scheduled to undergo arthroscopic treatment were prospectively collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University.The anterior cruciate ligament tissue from the lateral edge of the tibial end was taken during the operation. Based on the pathologicalre sults, the patients were divided into the ACL-MD group ( n=19) and the normal group ( n=21). The sagittal plane three-dimensional steady-state rapid precession (3D-FIESTA), T 1 mapping, T 2 mapping, and T 2* mapping were performed before the knee joint surgery, and the scanned images were post-processed and analyzed to measure the T 1, T 2, and T 2* values of the tibial end of the anterior cruciate ligament.The relaxation time of the ACL-MD group and the normal group was compared using independent sample t test. The ROC curve was drawn using each parameter and the areas under the curve (AUC) for the diagnosis of ACL-MD were obtained.DeLong test was used to compare the differences of AUCs. Results:The T 1 [(1 291.9±273.4) ms], T 2 [(54.8±10.6) ms], and T 2* values [(30.6±6.4) ms] of anterior cruciate ligaments in the ACL-MD group were significantly higher than those in the normal group [ (1 087.0±121.0), (44.8±7.1), (20.4±4.8) ms; t=3.011, 3.473, 5.658, all P<0.001]. The AUCs of T 1, T 2, T 2* were 0.747, 0.764, 0.912, sensitivity of 63.2%, 63.2%, 100%, and the specificity of 100%, 95.2%, 76.2% in diagnosing ACL-MD. The AUC of the T 2* value was higher than those of the T 1 and T 2 values, and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=1.734, 2.162, P=0.043, 0.031). Conclusion:T 1, T 2, T 2*values measured by MRI quantitative imaging have high performance in assessing knee joint ACL-MD, and T 2* value has the largest AUC and the highest diagnostic efficiency.