Objective To explore the value of dynamic ultrasound combined with 3.0T MRI for diagnosing and typing synovial plica of knee joint.Methods Dynamic ultrasound and 3.0T MRI data of 100 patients with suspected synovial plica of knee joint were retrospectively analyzed.Taking the results of arthroscopy as standards,the efficacy of dynamic ultrasound and 3.0T MRI alone and their combination for diagnosing synovial plica of knee joint were evaluated and compared.The length and thickness of synovial plica of knee joint measured with dynamic ultrasound,3.0T MRI alone and their combination were compared with those of arthroscopy,and the consistencies of the location and classification of synovial plica of knee joint with arthroscopy were analyzed.Results Synovial plica was detected in 70 cases,including 11 cases of supropatellar synovial plica,15 cases of infrapatellar synovial plica,medial patellar in 30 cases and lateral patellar synovial plica in 14 cases,among them type A,B,C and D were classified in 9,35,23 and 3 cases,respectively.No significant difference of sensitivity was found between dynamic ultrasound and 3.0T MRI alone for diagnosing synovial plica of knee joint(P＞0.05),which were both lower than that of their combination(both P＜0.05).The length and thickness of knee synovial plica measured with dynamic ultrasound and 3.0T MRI alone were lower than those measured with their combination and arthroscopy(all P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference between the results of their combination and arthroscopy(both P＞0.05).Dynamic ultrasound,3.0T MRI alone and their combination had high consistency of location(Kappa=0.755,0.826,0.897)and classification of knee synovial plica with those of arthroscopy(Kappa=0.721,0.744,0.860).Conclusion Dynamic ultrasound combined with 3.0T MRI was valuable for diagnosing and typing of synovial plica of knee joint.

BACKGROUND:Kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome are common traditional Chinese medicine syndromes observed in knee osteoarthritis,which serve as fundamental pathogenesis factors.There exists a significant connection between the two.Previous studies have demonstrated that kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome effectively contribute to knee joint cartilage degeneration and the progression of knee osteoarthritis.However,the mechanisms underlying the promotion of knee joint cartilage damage remain unclear and require further investigation. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the influence of kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome on the progression of knee osteoarthritis in Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS:Sixteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups:a model observation group and a control group,with eight rats in each group.Animal models of kidney deficiency were induced by ovary removal in the model observation group,while the control group was given a sham procedure for ovarian removal.Two months after modeling,both groups underwent modified HULTH surgery to induce knee osteoarthritis.One week after modified HULTH surgery,the model observation group was subcutaneously given adrenaline hydrochloride to make blood stasis models,while the control group was subcutaneously given normal saline.At the 5th week after modified HULTH surgery,blood rheology,coagulation parameters,triiodothyronine,tetraiodothyronine,and estradiol levels were measured.Knee joint X-ray images were taken,and knee joint sections were stained with safranin O-fast green,hematoxylin-eosin,and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the model observation group exhibited significant increases in whole blood viscosity at low,medium,and high shear rates,as well as increased plasma viscosity.Fibronectin levels in the coagulation parameters were significantly increased,while prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were significantly decreased.Triiodothyronine,tetraiodothyronine,and estradiol levels were all significantly decreased.Radiographic results showed that the model observation group exhibited more severe degree of knee joint space narrowing and surface roughness,with the appearance of high-density shadows.Hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O-fast green staining demonstrated more severe cartilage damage in the model observation group,with significantly higher OARSI and Mankin scores compared with the control group.Compared with the control group,immunohistochemistry results showed a significant reduction in the expression of extracellular matrix type II collagen and aggrecan protein in the cartilage of the model observation group rats.Moreover,there was a significant increase in the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 and aggrecanase 5,which are inflammatory factors.These results indicate that the Sprague-Dawley rat model of knee osteoarthritis with kidney deficiency and blood stasis was successfully established.Kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome further aggravate cartilage extracellular matrix degradation and cartilage degeneration by promoting the expression of inflammatory factors,thereby promoting the progression of knee osteoarthritis in rats.

Ichthyosis is a hereditary dyskeratotic skin disease with systemic skin dryness and roughness,mainly manifested by scaly skin,which may be accompanied by ocular abnormalities.At present,there are many studies on skin fungal infection caused by ichthyosis,but only few reports on cases with combined ocular fungal infection.This paper reports a case of X-linked recessive hereditary ichthyosis with recurrent fungal keratitis(FK),which is expec-ted to provide reference for clinical early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

AIM: To investigate the difference, correlation, and consistency of corneal thickness and the thinnest point position detected by Pentacam HR corneal topography map and RTVue optical coherence tomography(OCT)in patients with keratoconus.METHODS: Cross-sectional comparative study. The corneal curvature map, corneal thickness map, thinnest point position, and thinnest point thickness were detected by Pentacam HR and RTVue OCT. Paired sample t-test was used for data consistent with normal distribution, and paired sample rank sum test was used for data inconsistent with normal distribution. Spearman correlation analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were used for the correlation and consistency of the two measurement methods.RESULTS: A total of 63 patients(105 eyes)with keratoconus were included in this study, including 49 males(77.8%)and 14 females(22.2%), aged 22.24±6.19 years; among them, relevant data of Pentacam HR topographic map: Km was 47.85±4.73D and Kmax was 55.43±8.72D. In measuring central corneal thickness and the thinnest point thickness of keratoconus, the Pentacam HR was 4.70μm and 19.46μm thicker than the mean value measured by RTVue OCT(P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the thinnest points measured by the two devices(P>0.05). The central corneal thickness and the thinnest point thickness measured by the two devices were highly correlated, the horizontal coordinate of the thinnest point was moderately correlated, and the vertical coordinate of the thinnest point was weakly correlated. Bland-Altman analysis showed that the central corneal thickness, the thinnest point thickness, the horizontal coordinate of the thinnest point, and the vertical coordinate of the thinnest point were 95.2%(100/105)and 93.3%(98/105), 95.2%(100/105), 95.2%(100/105)respectively, which were within the 95% consistency limit, while the consistency ranges were -36.00～+26.62μm, -42.27～+3.36μm, -0.80～+0.84mm, and -1.95～+1.06mm, respectively.CONCLUSION: In keratoconus, the central corneal thickness and the thinnest point thickness measured by Pentacam HR were higher than those measured by RTVue OCT. It is not recommended that the central corneal thickness and the thinnest point thickness measured by the two instruments be interchangeable in clinical use because of the wide range of consistency between the two instruments' results. The position of the thinnest corneal point measured by the two instruments is similar and consistent, so it could be considered to replace the measured values of the two instruments in clinical use.

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Yiqi Yangyin decoction in the treatment of thyroid cancer by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking technique.Meth-ods:the chemical constituents of 10 kinds of Yiqi Yangyin decoction were searched by HERB database,the active components were screened by PubChem and SwissADNE,and the action targets of active components were predicted by Swisstargetprediction.The disease targets after operation of thyroid cancer were obtained by searching the databases of GeneCards,OMIM,Dis-GeNET and DrugBank.The intersection target of drug and disease was obtained by Venny2.1.0 platform,the intersection target protein interaction network was constructed by String database,and the core target protein was screened by Cytoscape3.9.1,the drug-active ingredient-target network map was constructed by Cytoscape3.9.1,and the key active components were obtained;the enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG was carried out using Metascape database;and the molecular docking verification of key targets and key components was carried out.Results:157active components of Yiqi Yangyin decoction were obtained,and 507targets of active compo-nents were predicted,1817 targets of thyroid cancer-related diseases and 154targets of drug-disease intersection were obtained.The key target genes of SRC,HSP90AA1,PIK3R1,PIK3CA and AKT1 were obtained by PPI analysis.Quercetin,kaempferol and luteolin were the key active components.Molecular docking showed that the key targets and key active components had good affinity.KEGG enrichment analysis showed that cancer pathway,PI3K-Akt pathway and HIF-1 pathway were the key pathways of drug action.Conclusion:Yiqi Yangyin decoction can play a therapeutic role in anti-inflammation,anti-tumor and improving tissue microenvironment with multi-components,multi-targets and multi-pathways.

Objective:To explore the clinical and pathological characteristics and prognostic factors of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma(G-NEC)and gastric mixed adenoendocrine carcinoma(G-MANEC).Methods:Retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 67 patients with G-NEC and G-MANEC who underwent surgical treatment at Heping Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College from May 2015 to May 2023.The study included an analysis of the pathological characteristics distinguishing G-NEC from G-MANEC.Results:Com-pared to gastric adenocarcinoma,patients with G-NEC and G-MANEC in the stomach showed a higher incidence of gastric cancer in the male gastric cardia and were diagnosed at a later age.Tumors with larger diameters increase susceptibility to anemia,low albumin levels,and in-vasion of nerves and vasculature.Deeper tumor infiltration is associated with increased local lymph node metastases,later TNM staging,and a higher likelihood of distant metastasis post-surgery.The prognosis of G-NEC and G-MANEC is worse than that of gastric adenocarcinoma(P=0.001).However,there is no statistically significant difference in the pathological characteristics(P>0.05)and prognosis analysis(P=0.212)between G-NEC and G-MANEC.Univariate survival analysis identified age,preoperative albumin,preoperative CEA,number of lymph node metastases,TNM staging,and postoperative distant metastasis as risk factors affecting patient's overall survival(OS).In the multivariate ana-lysis,age,preoperative albumin,TNM staging,and postoperative distant metastasiswere identified as independent risk factors for OS.Con-clusions:There is a significant difference in clinical characteristics between G-NEC,G-MANEC,and gastric adenocarcinoma,often diagnosed at an advanced stage,which is prone to distant metastasis post-surgery.Poor prognosis is observed in patients aged over 60 years,with pre-operative albumin<40g/L,TNM stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ,and postoperative distant metastasis.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether chrysin reduces cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI) by inhi-biting ferroptosis in rats. Male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose chrysin groups(200, 100, and 50 mg·kg~(-1)), and a positive drug group(Ginaton, 21.6 mg·kg~(-1)). The CIRI model was induced in rats by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion(tMCAO). The indexes were evaluated and the samples were taken 24 h after the operation. The neurological deficit score was used to detect neurological function. The 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the cerebral infarction area. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological structure of brain tissues. Prussian blue staining was used to observe the iron accumulation in the brain. Total iron, lipid pero-xide, and malondialdehyde in serum and brain tissues were detected by biochemical reagents. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expression of solute carrier fa-mily 7 member 11(SLC7A11), transferrin receptor 1(TFR1), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2) in brain tissues. Compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention showed restored neurological function, decreased cerebral infarction rate, and alleviated pathological changes. The low-dose chrysin group was selected as the optimal dosing group. Compared with the model group, the chrysin groups showed reduced content of total iron, lipid peroxide, and malondialdehyde in brain tissues and serum, increased mRNA and protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4, and decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of TFR1, PTGS2, and ACSL4. Chrysin may regulate iron metabolism via regulating the related targets of ferroptosis and inhibit neuronal ferroptosis induced by CIRI.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ferroptosis ; Signal Transduction ; Brain Ischemia/metabolism* ; Cyclooxygenase 2/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger ; Cerebral Infarction ; Reperfusion Injury/metabolism* ; Malondialdehyde ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery

Objective To develop an intelligent recognition model based on deep learning algorithms of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images, and to preliminarily explore the value of this model for remote identification, monitoring and management of cattle, a source of Schistosoma japonicum infection. Methods Oncomelania hupensis snail-infested marshlands around the Poyang Lake area were selected as the study area. Image datasets of the study area were captured by aerial photography with UAV and subjected to augmentation. Cattle in the sample database were annotated with the annotation software VGG Image Annotator to create the morphological recognition labels for cattle. A model was created for intelligent recognition of livestock based on deep learning-based Mask R-convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithms. The performance of the model for cattle recognition was evaluated with accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score and mean precision. Results A total of 200 original UAV images were obtained, and 410 images were yielded following data augmentation. A total of 2 860 training samples of cattle recognition were labeled. The created deep learning-based Mask R-CNN model converged following 200 iterations, with an accuracy of 88.01%, precision of 92.33%, recall of 94.06%, F1 score of 93.19%, and mean precision of 92.27%, and the model was effective to detect and segment the morphological features of cattle. Conclusion The deep learning-based Mask R-CNN model is highly accurate for recognition of cattle based on UAV images, which is feasible for remote intelligent recognition, monitoring, and management of the source of S. japonicum infection.

Objective To investigate ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis snail populations in hilly regions and marshland and lake regions in Yuanjiang valley, Changde City, Hunan Province, and to unravel its underlying mechanisms. Methods Taoyuan County, Shimen County, Linli County and Lixian County in Changde City were selected as snail sampling sites in hilly regions, and Lixian County, Jinshi City, West Lake Administration District, Hanshou County and Dingcheng District were selected as snail sampling sites in marshland and lake areas. Cytochrome C oxidase 1 (cox 1) gene was amplified in snail samples and sequenced. The genetic sequences of O. hupensis snails were aligned using the software MEGA 11, and the haplotypes of O. hupensis snails were determined using the software DNASP 5.10.01. The phylogenetic tree was generated using Bayesian inference with the software MrBayes 3.2, and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to analyze the source of genetic divergence and estimate the genetic divergence index (F_ST) among snail populations with the software Arlequin 3.5.2.2. The genetic barrier among 11 O. hupensis snail populations was estimated using the Monmonier algorithm of adegenet toolkit in R package. The settings with “land in winter and water in summer” in the Yuanjian River section were divided into two categories according to the upstream and downstream, and the areas with “land in winter and water in summer” in the upstream and downstream were transformed into raster data, and then loaded into the software Fragstats 4 for analysis of landscape indicators. The trends in changes of digital elevation were extracted from the Yuanjiang River section based on the digital elevation model, and made three-dimensional visualization using the R package. Results The mitochondrial cox 1 gene were amplified in 165 O. hupensis snais from 11 sampling sites and sequenced, and a total of 152 valid gene sequences were obtained, with 46 haplotypes or 9 populations determined. No haplotype was shared in snails between Taoyuan County and Dingcheng District and Hanshou County along the downstream of the Yuanjiang River. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 617.66 hm² in the upsteram of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 473 patches, with each patch measuring 1.31 hm², the largest area index of 0.735 2, the landscape division index of 0.999 9, and the landscape shape index of 45.293 7. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 9 956.92 hm² in the downstream of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 771 patches, with each patch measuring 12.91 hm², the largest area index of 97.839 9, the landscape division index of 0.042 7, and the landscape shape index of 7.249 6. The area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was much larger in the downstream than that in the upstream of the Yuanjiang River, and the stronger landscape connectivity and non-remarkable alteration of riverbed elevation provided suitable habitats for snail breeding. Conclusion The hydrological and environmental characteristics of the upstream of the Yuanjiang River restrain the breeding and spread of O. hupensis, resulting in ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis in Taoyuan County and those in the downstream of Yuanjiang River.