ObjectiveTo explore the protective effect and mechanism of Gegen Qianliantang （GQT） on intestinal mucosal barrier function in dextran sulfate sodium （DSS）-induced ulcerative colitis （UC） model mice. MethodsA UC model was established in C57BL/6 mice using a 2.5% DSS solution. Mice were randomly divided into five groups （n=8 per group）： blank group， model group， mesalazine sustained-release granule group （0.52 g·kg^-1）， high-dose GQT group （2.23 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose GQT group （1.12 g·kg^-1）. Fecal characteristics and body weight changes were observed before and after treatment. The body weight loss and disease activity index （DAI） of UC mice were calculated to evaluate symptom severity. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Alizarin blue-periodic acid-Schiff （AB-PAS） staining were used to detect histological changes in colon tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1） and mucin 2 （MUC2）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， IL-17A， and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Flow cytometry was used to detect the activation of helper T lymphocyte subsets （Th1， Th17）， regulatory T cells （Treg）， and regulatory B cells （Breg） in spleen and colon tissues. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of T-bet， forkhead box protein P3（FoxP3）， nuclear transcription factor（NF）-κB p65， phosphorylated NF-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65）， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， and phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3）. ResultsCompared with the model group， both high- and low-dose GQT groups significantly improved the body weight loss and DAI scores （P<0.05）， alleviated colonic inflammation， and showed optimal efficacy in the high-dose group. AB-PAS staining showed that compared with the model group， both the high- and low-dose GQT groups significantly increased goblet cell proliferation and mucin secretion， indicating improved mucosal barrier function. GQT upregulated the expression of ZO-1 and MUC2 in colon tissue （P<0.05）， suppressed IFN-γ， IL-6， and TNF-α secretion （P<0.05）， elevated IL-10 secretion （P<0.05）， but had no significant effect on IL-17A. At the same time， high- and low-dose GQT intervention increased the activation of CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ Treg cells （P<0.05） and suppressed activation of CD4⁺ IFN-γ⁺ Th1 cells （P<0.05）. Western blot showed that GQT downregulated T-bet， NF-κB p65， and STAT3 protein expression （P<0.05）， upregulated FoxP3 （P<0.05）， and also reduced phosphorylation levels of p-NF-κB p65 and p-STAT3 （P<0.05）. ConclusionGQT can upregulate the activation of CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ Treg cells， reduce the activation of CD4⁺ IFN-γ⁺ Th1 cells， inhibit the secretion of IFN-γ， IL-6， and TNF-α， and increase the secretion of IL-10. It enhances the expression of MUC2 and ZO-1 in colon tissue， thereby alleviating inflammatory damage to the intestinal mucosa and restoring mucosal barrier integrity. These effects may be related to its regulation of NF-κB p65 and STAT3 signaling pathways， ultimately regulating the activation of transcription factors T-bet and FoxP3.

Objective To prepare polymersomes (PSs) by block copolymers，evaluate their membrane structural stability，investigate the H⁺ transmembrane permeability of PSs and the impact of 1,4-dioxane and establish a foundation for drug encapsulation within polymersomes. Methods PSs were self-assembled by a block copolymer, PEG-PLGA, in a solvent solution. The pH-sensitive fluorescence probe HPTS was employed to examine the H⁺ transmembrane properties of PSs and compare them with PSs prepared using PBD-b-PEO, PS-b-PEO, and liposomes. The effect of varying concentrations of 1,4-dioxane on PSs’ membrane permeability properties was also investigated. Results The fluorescence excitation spectra of HPTS exhibited pH dependency, which showed a linear correlation between extravesicular H⁺ concentration and t^1/2. Significant differences were observed in the membrane permeability capabilities of PSs with different membrane wall thicknesses. Compared to liposomes, the H⁺ transmembrane coefficients for the three types of PSs were reduced by 2.39×10⁴, 3.38×10⁴, and 5.48×10⁸ times, respectively. 1,4-dioxane was found to modulate the permeability of PSs’ membranes, which displayed a concentration-dependent relationship. Conclusion PSs exhibited significantly lower membrane permeability compared to liposomes, indicating superior stability. 1,4-dioxane was identified as a modulator of PSs’ permeability, which offered potential for drug loading and release within PSs.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of developing a grading diagnostic model for schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis based on B-mode ultrasonographic images and clinical laboratory indicators. Methods Ultrasound images and clinical laboratory testing data were captured from schistosomiasis patients admitted to the Second People’s Hospital of Duchang County, Jiangxi Province from 2018 to 2022. Patients with grade I schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis were enrolled in Group 1, and patients with grade II and III schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis were enrolled in Group 2. The machine learning binary classification tasks were created based on patients’radiomics and clinical laboratory data from 2018 to 2021 as the training set, and patients’radiomics and clinical laboratory data in 2022 as the validation set. The features of ultrasonographic images were labeled with the ITK-SNAP software, and the features of ultrasonographic images were extracted using the Python 3.7 package and PyRadiomics toolkit. The difference in the features of ultrasonographic images was compared between groups with t test or Mann-Whitney U test, and the key imaging features were selected with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm. Four machine learning models were created using the Scikit-learn repository, including the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), linear regression (LR) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The optimal machine learning model was screened with the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and features with the greatest contributions to the differentiation features of ultrasound images in machine learning models with the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. Results The ultrasonographic imaging data and clinical laboratory testing data from 491 schistosomiasis patients from 2019 to 2022 were included in the study, and a total of 851 radiomics features and 54 clinical laboratory indicators were captured. Following statistical tests (t = −5.98 to 4.80, U = 6 550 to 20 994, all P values < 0.05) and screening of key features with LASSO regression, 44 features or indicators were included for the subsequent modeling. The areas under ROC curve (AUCs) were 0.763 and 0.611 for the training and validation sets of the SVM model based on clinical laboratory indicators, 0.951 and 0.892 for the training and validation sets of the SVM model based on radiomics, and 0.960 and 0.913 for the training and validation sets of the multimodal SVM model. The 10 greatest contributing features or indicators in machine learning models included 2 clinical laboratory indicators and 8 radiomics features. Conclusions The multimodal machine learning models created based on ultrasound-based radiomics and clinical laboratory indicators are feasible for intelligent identification of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis, and are effective to improve the classification effect of one-class data models.

Objective To investigate the effects of intraoperative fraction of inspiration oxygen(FiO2)30%and 80%on pulmonary function after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer in elderly patients.Methods Sixty elderly patients,aged≥65 years,BMI 18-30 kg/m2,ASA physical sta-tus Ⅱ or Ⅲ,underwent elective laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer were selected.The patients were divided into two groups:the FiO2 30%group(group L)and the FiO2 80%group(group H),30 patients in each group.After tracheal intubation,the patients were manoeuvred,and inhaled oxygen con-centration was adjusted by 30%until the removal of the tracheal tube in group L.In group H,inhaled oxy-gen concentration was adjusted by 80%until the removal of the tracheal tube.HR and MAP were recorded 5 minutes after admission(T0),1 hour after the start of surgery(T1),2 hours after the start of surgery(T2),and 30 minutes after extubation(T3),arterial blood gas analysis was performed to record PaO2 and PaCO2,and the oxygenation index(OI)was calculated.Electrical impedance tomography(EIT)monitoring was performed at T0 and T3 to assess the pulmonary ventilation function,and the percentage of the area of the central ventilation zone(CoV),dependent static zone(DSS),and non-dependent static zone(NSS)were recorded.Exertional expiratory volume in the first second(forecd expirtory volume in the first second,FEV1),exertional lung capacity(forecdvital cipitory,FVC),and 1-second rate(FEV1/FVC)were meas-ured on preoperative day 1,postoperative day 1,postoperative day 3 and postoperative day 5.The occur-rence of pulmonary complications such as atelectasis,respiratory infection,and pleural effusion within 5 days postoperatively were recorded.Results Compared with group H,the percentage of DSS area at T3 was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),PaO2 and OI were significantly increased(P＜0.05),FVC,FEV1,and FEV1/FVC on postoperative day 1 were significantly increased(P＜0.05),FEV1/FVC on postopera-tive day 3 was significantly increased(P＜0.05),the incidence of cumulative pulmonary atelectasis was significantly decreased in group L within 5 days postoperatively(P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared with FiO2 80%,FiO2 30%intraoperatively significantly improves pulmonary ventilation and oxygenation 30 mi-nutes after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with early postoperative lung function in elderly patients,and reduces postoperative pulmonary atelectasis.

Objective:To study the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical manifestations of intraspinal echinococcosis.Methods:The general conditions, MRI and clinical manifestations of 23 patients with intraspinal echinococcosis diagnosed by pathology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from September 2011 to May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:There were 10 males and 13 females of the 23 patients with intraspinal echinococcosis. The age of the patients was (44.1 ± 13.9) years old, with a median age of 41 years old and a range of 25 to 72 years old. Eleven patients (47.8%) had a history of echinococcosis in the spine or other parts of the body. Among the 23 patients with intraspinal echinococcosis, 12 cases (52.2%) involved thoracic segment, 6 cases (26.1%) involved lumbar segment, 1 case (4.3%) involved sacral segment, 1 case (4.3%) involved thoracolumbar segment, 2 cases (8.7%) involved lumbosacral segment, and 1 case (4.3%) involved cervical and lumbar segment. There were 2 cases (8.7%) involving the intramedullary, 9 cases (39.1%) involving the extramedullary subdural, and 12 cases (52.2%) involving the extramedullary epidural. At the same time, 18 cases (78.3%) involved adjacent vertebral bodies, accessories or surrounding soft tissues. Intramedullary cystic echinococcosis was characterized by multiple nodules at the lower end of the spinal cord and the cauda equina nerve on MRI, with equal or low signal on T1WI, slightly high signals on T2WI and short time of inversion recovery (STIR), accompanied by small vesicles with high signal on T2WI. Intramedullary alveolar echinococcosis was characterized by nodular T1WI signals, slightly lower signals on T2WI and STIR, and circular enhancement on enhanced scan. Extramedullary subdural echinococcosis was mostly manifested as oval small vesicles with low signal on T1WI and high signal on T2WI, with a grape string-like appearance, and the capsular wall with low signal on T2WI could be seen at the edge. Extramedullary epidural echinococcosis was manifested as slightly low signal on T1WI, high signals on T2WI and STIR, accompanied by single or multiple small vesicles with high signal on T2WI, and compression of the dural sac. The clinical manifestations were chest and back, lumbosacral pain in 21 cases (91.3%), and lower limb dysfunction in 6 cases (26.1%).Conclusions:Intraspinal echinococcosis is relatively rare compared with other sites. When MRI features are clear, typical clinical manifestations are present, or there is a history of echinococcosis in other sites, intraspinal echinococcosis should be considered.

Objective To prepare and optimize the formulation of Albumin nanoparticles loading PROTAC molecule and observe the inhibition effect of nanoparticles on the proliferation and NAD⁺ metabolism of glioma cells. Methods Albumin nanoparticles loading NPT-B2 were prepared and characterized with a thermal driving method, and the prescription was optimized. An HPLC method was established to determine the content of NPT-B2. The proliferation inhibition of NPT-B2 and B2-BSA-NPs on U251 cells were investigated by the CCK8 method, and the degradation effects of NPT-B2 and B2-BSA-NPs on NAMPT in glioma cells were investigated by western blotting. Results The HPLC method was stable, with good linearity, precision, and recovery rate. The nanoparticles had a particle size of about 55.48 nm, a potential of about −12.9 mV, an encapsulation rate of about 94.74%, and a drug loading amount of about 8.61%. The IC₅₀ of NPT-B2 on glioma cells was 61.16 nmol/L, which had a degradation effect on NAMPT. The IC₅₀ of B2-BSA-NPs on glioma was 41.21 nmol/L, which had a very significant degradation effect on NAMPT. Conclusion Albumin nanoparticles loading PROTAC molecules were constructed. The prescription was optimized to improve the drug encapsulation rate, and the low water solubility of PROTAC molecule was improved, which had a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation and NAD⁺ energy metabolism of glioma cells.

Objective:To investigate the performance of a predictive model based on fat suppression (FS)-T2WI sequence combined with machine learning in the differential diagnosis of brucellar spondylitis (BS) and tuberculous spondylitis (TS).Methods:The clinical and imaging data of 74 patients with BS and 81 patients with TS diagnosed clinically or pathologically in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2017 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and all patients underwent spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination before treatment. Patients were randomly divided into a training group ( n = 123) and a testing group ( n = 32) in an 8 ∶ 2 allocation ratio, and radiomics feature extraction and dimensionality reduction analysis were performed on FS-T2WI sequence images. Four machine learning algorithms, including K-nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and logistic regression (LR), were used to construct a radiomics model, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the differential diagnostic performance of each model for BS and TS. Results:A total of 1 409 radiomics features were extracted, and 7 related features were screened and included for identification of BS and TS, among which the Maximum2DDiameterColumn feature value showed a strong correlation, and there was a statistically significant difference between BS and TS patients ( P < 0.001). In the testing group, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of the SVM model for identifying BS and TS was 0.886, with a sensitivity of 0.53, a specificity of 0.88, and a diagnostic accuracy of 0.81; in the training group, the AUC value of the SVM model for identifying BS and TS was 0.811, the sensitivity was 0.68, the specificity was 0.72, and the diagnostic accuracy of the model was 0.78. Conclusion:The prediction model based on FS-T2WI sequence combined with machine learning can be used to identify BS and TS, and the diagnostic performance of SVM model is prominent and stable.

Objective:To investigate the expression level of poly ADP ribose polymerase 14(PARP14) in thyroid cancer and its relationship with the clinicopathologic characteristics of the patient with thyroid cancer and evaluate the role of PARP14 in the progression of thyroid cancer.Methods:The gene expression interaction analysis (GEPIA) database was used to analyze the expression of PARP14 in normal thyroid tissue and thyroid cancer tissue and its relationship with disease-free survival of patients. The expression of PARP14 in thyroid cancer tissue and adjacent tissues of the patient with thyroid cancer was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. According to the staining intensity, the patients were divided into the high expression group and the low expression group, and the correlation between the expression of PARP14 and clinical pathological characteristics was analyzed. The effect of PARP14 on the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells was investigated by clone formation testing and MTT testing.Results:The results of bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry showed that PARP14 was overexpressed in thyroid cancer tissue, and the disease-free survival rate of the patient with high expression was lower. The expression level of PARP14 was correlated with tumor stage and intrathyroidal spread (all P<0.05). The results of the clonogenic assay and the MTT assay showed that the expression of KIF4A could promote the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells ( P<0.05). Conclusions:PARP14 is highly expressed in thyroid cancer and is related to the clinicopathological characteristics of patients, suggesting that it may be a therapeutic target for thyroid cancer.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics and prognosis of hearing loss in children with bacterial meningitis.Methods:This was a single-center retrospective cohort study. Patients diagnosed with bacterial meningitis who were hospitalized in Beijing Children′s Hospital between 2010 and 2016 and older than 28 days and younger than 18 years at symptom onset were included in this study ( n=573). All clinical information including hearing assessment results during hospitalization were reviewed. All patients with hearing loss were followed up to repeat their hearing test and assess their hearing condition with parents′ evaluation of aural and (or) oral performance of children (PEACH). Patients were grouped according to their hearing assessment results, and Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for hearing loss in patients with bacterial meningitis. Results:Five hundred and seventy-three patients were enrolled in this study, including 347 males and 226 females. The onset age ranged from 29 days to 15.8 years. Two hundred and forty-six patients had identified causative pathogens, among whom 92 cases (37.4%) were pneumococcal meningitis cases. Hearing loss was found in 160 cases (27.9%) during hospitalization, involving 240 ears. Permanent hearing loss was found in 20 cases (16.9%), involving 32 ears. In the patients with permanent hearing loss, 87.5% (28/32) of ears were identified as severe or profound hearing loss during hospitalization. Logistic regression analysis showed that dystonia, the protein concentration level in cerebrospinal fluid>1 g/L, glucose concentration level lower than 1 mmol/L and subdural effusion were independent risk factors for hearing loss ( OR=2.426 (1.450-4.059), 1.865 (1.186-2.932), 1.544 (1.002-2.381) and 1.904 (1.291-2.809)). Conclusions:Hearing loss is a common sequela of bacterial meningitis in children. Most patients have transient hearing loss, but patients with severe or profound hearing impairment have a higher risk of developing permanent hearing loss.

Objective:To evaluate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating Brucella spondylitis from tuberculosis spondylitis. Methods:A retrospective analysis method was used to include Brucella spondylitis patients and tuberculous spondylitis patients who had undergone MRI examination at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2015 to December 2017. All patients data of MRI examination (all had T1WI, T2WI, STIR images) were collected and compared. The differences in lesion location, MRI signal, vertebral body destruction, vertebral wedge, kyphosis deformity, attachment destruction, dead bone, bone hyperplasia, intervertebral space change, abscess location, and abscess range were analyzed. Results:A total of 91 patients with brucella spondylitis were selected, including 36 women and 55 men, with an average age of 49.40 years old; 112 patients with tuberculous spondylitis selected in the same examination, including 48 women and 64 men, with an average age of 47.15 years old. There was no statistically significant difference in gender and age between the two groups (χ 2 = 0.225, t = 1.387, P > 0.05). Brucella spondylitis was more common in lumbar spine [72.53% (66/91)], and tuberculosis spondylitis was more common in thoracic spine [47.32% (53/112)]. Brucella spondylitis patients showed higher T2WI hyperintensity than tuberculosis spondylitis patients [51.65% (47/91) vs 24.11% (27/112), P <0.05]; and showed lower T2 hyperlipidemia than patients with tuberculosis spondylitis [59.34% (54/91) vs 72.32% (81/112), P < 0.05]; the incidence rates of mild destruction of vertebral body, bone hyperplasia, normal intervertebral space, paravertebral abscess, and abscess not exceeding the range of vertebral body were higher than those of patients with tuberculosis spondylitis [81.32% (74/91), 93.41% (85/91), 37.36% (34/91), 71.43% (65/91), 38.46% (35/91) vs 20.54% (23/112), 28.57% (32/112), 1.79% (2/112), 30.36% (34/112), 1.79% (2/112), P < 0.01]; the incidence rates of vertebral body severe destruction, vertebral wedge less than 1/2, kyphosis deformity, dead bone, inter vertebral space narrowing, inter vertebral space vanishing, psoas abscess, abscess beyond the range of vertebral body were lower than those of patients with tuberculous spondylitis [12.09% (11/91), 18.68% (17/91), 2.20% (2/91), 2.20% (2/91), 61.54% (56/91), 1.10% (1/91), 2.20% (2/91), 1.10% (1/91) vs 75.89% (85/112), 72.32% (81/112), 29.46% (33/112), 46.43% (52/112), 79.46% (89/112), 18.75% (21/112), 66.96% (75/112), 74.11% (83/112), P < 0.01]. Conclusions:MRI signs can be used to differentiate Brucella spondylitis from tuberculosis spondylitis through analysis of bone hyperplasia, vertebral body destruction, vertebral wedge, kyphosis deformity, dead bone, abnormal intervertebral space, and paravertebral abscess and psoas abscess.