Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective To explore the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome elements in patients with multi-drug resistant bacteria-infected pneumonia.Methods Clinical data of 126 patients with multi-drug resistant bacteria-infected pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit of Lung Disease Centre of Qingdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to July 2022 were retrospectively collected.The clinical data included the patients'gender,age,underlying diseases,history of bad additions of smoking and alcohol,multi-drug resistant bacteria,and the information of four diagnostic methods of TCM,etc.The disease-nature syndrome elements in patients with drug-resistance to various strains of drug-resistant bacteria were extracted,and then deficiency-excess syndrome differentiation was carried out.Results(1)A total of 201 strains of multi-drug resistant bacteria were detected in 126 patients with multi-drug resistant bacterial pneumonia.The main pathogenic species were Gram-negative bacteria,and the proportion accounted for 95.52%(192/201),which was significantly higher than that of Gram-positive bacteria[4.48%(9/201)],with a statistically significant difference(χ2 = 166.612,P＜0.001).Klebsiella pneumoniae accounted for the highest percentage of 23.38%in the gram-negative bacterium.(2)A total of 12 syndrome elements were extracted from the 126 patients.The excess syndrome elements were predominated by phlegm and heat,and the deficiency syndrome elements were predominated by yin deficiency.There was no statistically significant difference in the distribution of yin deficiency,blood deficiency,heat,phlegm,fluid-retention and damp syndrome elements among patients with different strains of drug-resistant bacterial infection(P＞0.05).(3)Of the 126 patients,62 cases(49.21%)had simple excess syndrome,one case(0.79%)had simple deficiency syndrome,and 63 cases(50.00%)had concurrent deficiency-excess syndrome.Among the 126 patients,there were 19 cases of single syndrome element,41 cases of concurrent two-syndrome element,49 cases of concurrent three-syndrome element,16 cases of concurrent four-syndrome element,and one case of concurrent five-syndrome element.And the combined syndrome element of phlegm-heat-yin deficiency occurred most frequently for 26 times.Conclusion Gram-negative bacteria are the primary infectious pathogens for the patients with multi-drug resistant bacterial infections,and the TCM syndrome elements of the patients are characterized by the concurrence of deficiency and excess and simple excess syndrome,mainly manifesting as phlegm,heat,and yin deficiency.

Objective:To construct 68Ga-1, 4, 7-trizacyclononane-1, 4, 7-triacetic acid (NOTA)-CD44 as a novel atherosclerosis tracer targeting hyaluronic acid (HA), and evaluate its biological property and molecular imaging features. Methods:Low molecular weight (LMW) recombinant human CD44 protein was selected, and the C-terminal of the protein was modified by sulfonation and coupled to the bifunctional ligand NOTA to synthesize a novel molecular probe 68Ga-NOTA-CD44 targeting HA. The biological properties of the probe, such as labeling rate and in vitro stability, were studied. Three atherosclerotic plaque model mice and three normal C57BL/6 mice were studied by 68Ga-NOTA-CD44 microPET/CT imaging and pathological examination. Results:68Ga-NOTA-CD44 tracer was synthesized and purified with the radiochemical purity above 99%, and the specific activity was up to 62.22 MBq/nmol. lts stability was good in PBS, and the radiochemical purity was over 90% after incubation for 3 h. After intravenous injection, the probe was metabolized mainly by the kidneys, and its metabolic level decreased successively in the liver, lungs and blood. MicroPET/CT imaging results of atherosclerotic model mice suggested that the uptake in the plaque of abdominal aorta was higher at 60 min after injection, with SUV max and target/background ratio (TBR) max of 1.14±0.02 and 4.95±0.93, and the probe had certain atherosclerotic plaque eroded targeting, which was consistent with the pathological result. Conclusions:As a novel probe, 68Ga-NOTA-CD44 is simple to prepare and has a high labeling rate. It has good physicochemical properties and in vivo biological properties, and can display atherosclerotic eroded plaques sensitively. 68Ga-NOTA-CD44 has a promising prospect to be a new molecular probe for early noninvasive recognition of atherosclerotic eroded plaques.

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels, primarily including coronary heart disease, stroke, and other diseases. It is the world’s leading cause of death, and its incidence is increasing yearly. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Wnt signaling comprises a series of highly conservative cascading events controlling fundamental biological processes. Wnt signaling pathways include the canonical Wnt pathway (or Wnt/β-catenin pathway), the non-canonical planar cell-polarity pathway, and the non-canonical calcium-dependent pathways. Abnormal Wnt signaling promotes cell proliferation and differentiation, cardiac malformations, various malignancies, so drugs targeting Wnt signaling play a great therapeutic potential. Wnt/β‑catenin pathway is involved in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and stroke by regulating cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, blood-brain barrier permeability, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune response. Based on the latest research progress, this review summarizes the role of Wnt/β‑catenin signaling in cardiovascular diseases, in order to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method utilizing correction factors was established for the quantitative detection of related substances in flumazenil. Separation was achieved using an Agilent Pursuit XRs C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with an isocratic elution of dilute phosphoric acid, methanol, and tetrahydrofuran as the mobile phases. Correction factors calculated from a standard curve method were applied to determine the impurity content. The quantification of impurities in flumazenil was conducted using both external standard and correction factor methods, followed by validation and comparison of the two. For the identification of degradation products, a forced degradation approach was employed to prepare a flumazenil degradation solution, and the resulting impurities were confirmed by LC-MS analysis. The separation of flumazenil and its impurities was found to be efficient. The limits of quantification for impurities A, B, D, and E were established at 0.169 9, 0.314 7, 0.143 9, and 0.270 8 ng, respectively, with the limits of detection at 0.055 8, 0.096 9, 0.048 8, and 0.089 0 ng. These impurities demonstrated a strong linear relationship across the concentration ranges of 0.034 9-7.847 0, 0.038 7-8.710 7, 0.034 6-7.794 1, and 0.032 4-7.292 8 µg·mL^-1, respectively (n = 7). The method achieved average recoveries between 98.25% and 99.42%, with an RSD of less than 2.0% (n = 9), indicating high accuracy. The external standard and correction factor methods were used to determine the related substances in flumazenil, and the results of the two methods were consistent. The established HPLC method is characterized by its high accuracy, sensitivity, and repeatability, and is suitable for determining related substances in flumazenil.

The conventional oral drug delivery frequently results in the drug elimination before its complete release due to rapid gastric emptying and short gastrointestinal transport time, thus reducing the bioavailability of drug. In order to maintain an effective concentration of drug in the body and maximize its optimal efficacy, the frequency of administrations often needs to be increased. By contrast, gastric retention drug delivery system (GRDDS), as an innovative method of drug delivery, prolongs the retention time of the drug in the stomach and reduces irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, it enhances the bioavailability of drug, reduces dosing frequency for patients and improves treatment adherence. In recent years, domestic and foreign studies have been conducted on gastric retention drug delivery systems. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant literature published in recent years, examining their current marketing status, various types, as well as in vivo and in vitro evaluation methods.