Objective To investigate the application value of quantitative relaxation parameters based on synthetic MRI technology in the differential diagnosis of parotid gland tumors.Methods Conventional MRI and synthetic MRI data of 59 patients with patho-logically confirmed parotid gland tumors were analyzed retrospectively.T1,T2,and proton density(PD)values of the tumor were extracted from T1,T2 and PD mapping.The differences in quantitative relaxation parameters of pleomorphic adenomas,Warthin tumors,and malignant tumors were further compared.Diagnostic performance of each quantitative relaxation parameter was assessed and com-pared via receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and DeLong test.Results T2 value was significantly higher in pleomorphic adenomas than that in malignant tumors(P<0.05).The T1,T2,and PD values of pleomorphic adenomas and malignant tumors were significantly higher than those of Warthin tumors(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of the T2 value in differentia-ting pleomorphic adenomas from malignant tumors was 0.794.The AUC for T1 value(0.939)in differentiating Warthin tumors from malignant tumors was significantly higher than that of T2(0.873,P=0.341)and PD(0.927,P=0.891)values,without sta-tistically significant difference.The AUC for T2 value(0.968)in differentiating pleomorphic adenomas from Warthin tumors was significantly higher than that of T1(0.931,P=0.360)and PD(0.876,P=0.120)values,without statistically significant difference.Conclusion Quantitative relaxation parameters based on synthetic MRI technology may contribute to differentiating pleomorphic adenomas,Warthin tumors,and malignant tumors of the parotid gland.

Objective:To investigate the impact of age,various hormonal levels,and biochemical markers on penile cavernous body vascular function in patients with erectile dysfunction(ED).Me-thods:A retrospective analysis of clinical data from male patients with ED who underwent color duplex Doppler ultrasonography(CDDU)and intracavernosal injection test(ICI)at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Peking University Third Hospital from January 2020 to August 2023.Data were managed and processed using SPSS 29.0,and a multivariable Logistic regression analysis was conducted.Results:A total of 700 ED patients were included,with 380 showing negative ICI results and 320 positive.In the study,84 patients had a peak systolic velocity(PSV)＜25 cm/s,while 616 had PSV ≥ 25 cm/s;202 patients had end-diastolic velocity(EDV)＞5 cm/s,and 498 had EDV ≤5 cm/s.264 patients had ab-normal PSV and/or EDV results,and 436 had normal results for both.Patients with vascular ED had sig-nificantly lower estrogen levels(t=-3.546,P＜0.001),lower testosterone levels(t=-2.089,P=0.037),and a higher rate of hyperglycemia(x2=12.772,P=0.002)compared with those with non-vascular ED.The patients with arterial ED were older(t=3.953,P＜0.001),had a higher rate of hyperglycemia(x2=9.518,P=0.009),and a higher estrogen/testosterone ratio(t=2.330,P=0.020)compared with those with non-arterial ED.The patients with mixed arteriovenous ED had higher age(t=3.567,P＜0.001),lower testosterone levels(t=-2.288,P=0.022),a higher rate of hyperglycemia(x2=12.877,P=0.002),and a larger estrogen/testosterone ratio(t=2.096,P=0.037)compared with those with normal findings.Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis indicated that higher levels of estrogen were a protective factor for vascular ED(OR=1.009,95％CI:1.004-1.014),and glucose 7.0 mmol/L was a risk factor(OR=0.381,95％CI:0.219-0.661).Older age was a risk factor for arte-rial ED(OR=0.960,95％CI:0.938-0.982).Additionally,older age(OR=0.976,95％CI:0.958-0.993)and glucose levels of 5.6-6.9 mmol/L(OR=0.591,95％CI:0.399-0.876)were also risk fac-tors for mixed arterio-venous ED.Conclusion:Hyperglycemia and aging may impair penile cavernous body vascular function,while higher levels of estrogen may have a protective effect on it.

Objective:To explore the impact of CACNA1C rs58619945 genotype on the cortical thickness of attentional networks in patients with Bipolar 1 disorder type (BD-Ⅰ). Methods:From August 2013 and August 2019, a total of 155 BD-Ⅰ patients were recruited from the outpatient and inpatient Departments of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, along with 82 healthy controls (HC) from the community and university. Genotype for the CACNA1C rs58619945 locus was determined for all BD-I patients and HC subjects, followed by 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging scans to measure the cortical thickness in the alert, orienting, and executive control subnetworks. General linear models (GLMs) were used to evaluate the impact of CACNA1C rs58619945 on the cortical thickness of attentional networks. Concurrently, attentional dimension functions were assessed using repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS) and Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery rapid visual information processing (CANTAB RVP) test. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University(Ethics No. 2023-056). Results:Compared with the HC group, the BD-Ⅰ patients had shown reduced thickness in bilateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral posterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral superior temporal cortex( P<0.05). A significant interaction between the CACNA1C genotype and the cortical thickness(HC vs.BD) of right prefrontal cortex, right posterior parietal cortex and right superior temporal cortex was noted( P<0.05). Partial correlation analysis has demonstrated a significant correlation between CANTAB RVP and RBANS attention indices and cortical thickness in the right prefrontal cortex, right posterior cingulate cortex( P<0.05), and right superior temporal cortex predominantly among carriers of the BD-Ⅰ G allele. Conclusion:The G allele of CACNA1C rs58619945 is associated with cortical thickness of the right prefrontal cortex, right posterior cingulate cortex, and right superior temporal cortex in BD-Ⅰ, which are part of the alerting and orienting network.

Objective Bioinformatics and machine learning were used to identify associations between key genes in obesity and osteoarthritis(OA)and immune infiltrating cells.Methods Three datasets GSE55235,GSE44000 and GSE151839 were screened from the gene expression omnibus(GEO)database,and differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were obtained by R software,and their potential biological functions were explored through gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)signaling pathway enrichment analysis.The minimum absolute contraction and selection operator(LASSO)regression algorithm combined with support vector machine(SVM)was used to screen characteristic genes,the diagnostic value of key genes was verified by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the immune infiltration was assessed by CIBERSORT algorithm.The mRNA-miRNA regulatory network was constructed using NetworkAnalyst database to predict target miRNA and Cytoscape software,and the correlation between key genes and immune infiltration was analyzed.Results GO gene enrichment analysis obtained 99 DEGs.Cellular activation in the immune system and immune response is highly enriched.KEGG pathway analysis showed significant enrichment of interleukin(IL-17),nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB),B-cell receptor and chemokine signaling pathways.Two key diagnostic genes(MXRA5 and MYC)were identified based on machine learning.Immunoinfiltration analysis showed that MXRA5 was associated with resting and activated CD4 memory T cells,activated NK cells,resting and activated mast cells,and M0 macrophages.In addition,MYC is associated with resting and activated CD4 memory T cells,plasma cells,activated NK cells,resting and activated mast cells,M2 macrophages,and eosinophils.CD4+cells,NK cells and mast cells were significantly associated with these two pivot genes.Conclusion Two key immune-related genes were identified through bioinformatics analysis,which may provide new targets for the treatment of obesity-related OA.

BACKGROUND: Significant brain volume deviation is an essential phenotype in children with neurodevelopmental delay (NDD), but its genetic basis has not been fully characterized. This study attempted to analyze the genetic factors associated with significant whole-brain deviation volume (WBDV). METHODS: We established a reference curve based on 4222 subjects ranging in age from the first postnatal day to 18 years. We recruited only NDD patients without acquired etiologies or positive genetic results. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical exome sequencing (2742 genes) data were acquired. A genetic burden test was performed, and the results were compared between patients with and without significant WBDV. Literature review analyses and BrainSpan analysis based on the human brain developmental transcriptome were performed to detect the potential role of genetic risk factors in human brain development. RESULTS: We recruited a total of 253 NDD patients. Among them, 26 had significantly decreased WBDV (<-2 standard deviations [SDs]), and 14 had significantly increased WBDV (>+2 SDs). NDD patients with significant WBDV had higher rates of motor development delay (49.8% [106/213] vs . 75.0% [30/40], P  = 0.003) than patients without significant WBDV. Genetic burden analyses found 30 genes with an increased allele frequency of rare variants in patients with significant WBDV. Analyses of the literature further demonstrated that these genes were not randomly identified: burden genes were more related to the brain development than background genes ( P  = 1.656e -9 ). In seven human brain regions related to motor development, we observed burden genes had higher expression before 37-week gestational age than postnatal stages. Functional analyses found that burden genes were enriched in embryonic brain development, with positive regulation of synaptic growth at the neuromuscular junction, positive regulation of deoxyribonucleic acid templated transcription, and response to hormone, and these genes were shown to be expressed in neural progenitors. Based on single cell sequencing analyses, we found TUBB2B gene had elevated expression levels in neural progenitor cells, interneuron, and excitatory neuron and SOX15 had high expression in interneuron and excitatory neuron. CONCLUSION Idiopathic NDD patients with significant brain volume changes detected by MRI had an increased prevalence of motor development delay, which could be explained by the genetic differences characterized herein.
Child ; Humans ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders/epidemiology* ; Genetic Testing ; Phenotype ; Brain/pathology* ; Genetic Background ; SOX Transcription Factors/genetics*

Objective To observe the value of zero echo time(ZTE)3.0T MRI for detecting lung cancer nodules.Methods Totally 126 lung cancer patients(176 lung nodules)were prospectively enrolled and underwent 3.0T MR axial lung scanning,including T1-volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination(VIBE),T2-BLADE,T2-half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo(HASTE)and ZTE sequences.The consistency between ZTE MRI and previous CT for displaying characteristics of pulmonary nodules was analyzed,and the sensitivity of different MR sequences for detecting pulmonary nodules were observed.Results Among 176 pulmonary nodules showed on CT,ZTE MRI detected 140 and missed 36 ones.The consistency between ZTE MRI and CT for displaying the maximum diameter and actual maximum diameter of pulmonary nodules were both good(ICC=0.954,0.943,both P＜0.001),and the difference between ZTE MRI and CT was small.The consistency between ZTE MRI and CT for displaying tracheal vascular bundles,pleural indentation and internal bronchial inflation signs were all good(Kappa=0.894,0.912,0.917),while for displaying the type and shape of nodules were both moderate(Kappa=0.661,0.501).The sensitivity of ZTE MRI for detecting pulmonary nodules was higher than that of other individual MR sequences(all P＜0.05),of combination of ZTE and T2 BLADE was higher than that of other sequence combinations(all P＜0.05).Conclusion ZTE 3.0T MRI could be used to detect lung cancer nodules,which was superior to conventional MRI.Combination of ZTE 3.0T MRI with T2-BLADE could improve the sensitivity for detecting pulmonary nodules.

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology, which can simulate human vision, touch, hearing and other sensory functions, and it synthesizes a computer-generated 3D world to provide immersive experiences.VR technology has the characteristics of interactivity, immersion and imagination, and its application in medical education and simulation training improves the quality and efficiency of learning.At the same time, VR technology also plays a certain role in clinical treatment such as surgery, rehabilitation, psychology, sedation and analgesia.With the development of VR technology, its application in pediatric medicine field is expected to solve some difficulties of pediatric practitioners.For example, the application of virtual standard patient in pediatric training, and VR technology relieving pain and anxiety.

Objective: To evaluate the immunity and influencing factors of diphtheria among preschool children in Shenzhen,to provide reference for effective monitoring of diphtheria IgG antibody level in preschool children. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 296 preschool children aged 4-6 who were recruited in Shenzhen. The diphtheria antibody titer in serum was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and the effect of different immumuzation schedule including types of vaccine and vaccination timing, on the geometric mean concentration (GMC) of diphtheria IgG antibody and antibody positive rate were analyzed. Results: The GMC of diphtheria IgG antibody was 0.71 IU/mL, and the positive conversion rate was 33.1%. There were significant differences in antibody GMC and antibody positive conversion rate of diphtheria in different age groups( F/χ 2=11.77, 27.45, P < 0.01 ). The GMC and antibody positive conversion rate showed significant differences by diphtheria antibodies, vaccine types and end dose vaccination intervals( F=49.53, 12.95，11.61, P <0.01). There were statistically significant differences in the positive conversion rate of diphtheria antibodies in children with different types of diphtheria antibodies, vaccine types of diphtheria antibodies, and diphtheria antibodies at the time interval of final vaccination (Fisher exact probability method, P <0.01). Conclusion The overall positive conversion rate of diphtheria antibody in preschool children in Shenzhen is high. Timely completion of full diphtheria vaccination can improve the antibody level and plays a better role in protecting preschool children.

Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Logistic Models ; Phenotype ; Risk Factors

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of integrated pediatric training course of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)based on simulation teaching.Methods:The instructors of ECMO team of Children′s Hospital of Fudan University developed the teaching curriculum.Team members as a unit were recruited to study simulation-based courses, whose theoretical knowledge, skills and teamwork were assessed, and feedback from the trainees were gathered.Results:Since May 2018, 22 teams of pediatric specialized hospitals or general hospitals have taken part in our ECMO simulation, with totally 132 participants, including 45 ICU doctors(34.1%), 60 ICU nurses(45.5%), 23 thoracic surgeons(17.4%) and four anesthesiologists(3.0%). Twelve of them(9.1%)had a little ECMO experience.After training, the trainees had a high evaluation on each part of the course, with average score more than four, of which the theoretical score was lowest.Their self-evaluation on the theory, skills, teamwork and confidence in the implementation of ECMO had been significantly improved.Most(80.3%)of the trainees were confident to carry out ECMO in their local hospitals.The trainees′ baseline score of theoretical knowledge was 55.2±7.6, and increased to 67.1±7.3 after training( P<0.001). The average teamwork score of the 22 teams was 70.2±8.2, and the qualified rate was up to 86.4%.The most prominent skill problems in operation assessment were no albumin and blood priming(90.9%), non-skill problems were extremely anxious during the overall assessment(84.8%)of the participants, poor team work(74.2%), poor leadership(68.2%). For the feedback of the whole course, 97.0% and 94.7% of the trainees thought that integrated training and simulation teaching were the highlights of the course.At present, 13(59.1%)units have successfully developed ECMO technology after the course, and the number of children treated has been up to 83, with a survival rate of discharge of 54.2%.However, it was found that the skill level of some participants decreased about 2 weeks after the course. Conclusion:As a new attempt of ECMO teaching, this curriculum has achieved certain efficiency in both teaching and clinical practice.At the same time, our study also plays a role in promoting the development of ECMO in pediatrics.