Objective To provide technical support for the formulation of scientific and reasonable supervision measures for enterprises engaged in the exploitation and utilization of ores with associated radionuclides in Guangxi Province, China. Methods A radionuclide analysis was performed on solid materials generated during production processes such as zirconium-titanium ore dressing and processing in multiple enterprises in Guangxi Province. The radiation levels of effluents was measured. Measurement and analysis were performed on the environmental air radon concentration levels and environmental γ-radiation dose rates at the factory boundaries of these enterprises and the surrounding environmental protection targets. Results The air absorption dose rate of γ radiation, the concentrations of radon and its daughters, and the radiation levels of surface water and aerosols at the factory boundaries and in the surrounding environment were all at normal levels. The specific activities of nuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ²²⁶Ra in the raw ore, zirconium products, rutile products, and monazite products within the factory area were relatively high. The γ radiation air absorption dose rates in the corresponding workshops were also relatively high, with the zirconium-rutile workshop being the area with the highest values. Materials such as zirconium products, rutile, and monazite all showed a certain amount of radon exhalation. Conclusion The radiation level of tailings met the criteria of monitoring exemption, and the enterprises did not generate radioactive solid waste. Attention should be paid to the personal dose of the staff in areas with high radiation dose rates.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and is a major cause of cancer-related mortalities worldwide (Forner et al., 2018; He et al., 2023). Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by an accelerated loss of skeletal muscle (SM) mass that may be age-related or the result of malnutrition in cancer patients (Cruz-Jentoft and Sayer, 2019). Preoperative sarcopenia in HCC patients treated with hepatectomy or liver transplantation is an independent risk factor for poor survival (Voron et al., 2015; van Vugt et al., 2016). Previous studies have used various criteria to define sarcopenia, including muscle area and density. However, the lack of standardized diagnostic methods for sarcopenia limits their clinical use. In 2018, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) renewed a consensus on the definition of sarcopenia: low muscle strength, loss of muscle quantity, and poor physical performance (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2019). Radiological imaging-based measurement of muscle quantity or mass is most commonly used to evaluate the degree of sarcopenia. The gold standard is to measure the SM and/or psoas muscle (PM) area using abdominal computed tomography (CT) at the third lumbar vertebra (L3), as it is linearly correlated to whole-body SM mass (van Vugt et al., 2016). According to a "North American Expert Opinion Statement on Sarcopenia," SM index (SMI) is the preferred measure of sarcopenia (Carey et al., 2019). The variability between morphometric muscle indexes revealed that they have different clinical relevance and are generally not applicable to broader populations (Esser et al., 2019).
Humans ; Aged ; Sarcopenia/diagnostic imaging* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnostic imaging* ; Muscle, Skeletal/diagnostic imaging* ; Deep Learning ; Prognosis ; Radiomics ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Retrospective Studies

Perinatal depression is a psychological disorder that occurs during pregnancy and within one year of delivery, which can seriously affect the physical and mental health of pregnant and postpartum women, as well as the cognitive and behavioral abilities of offspring, with potential multigenerational effects. Therefore, it is important to identify its potential modifiable risk factors. Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), as common environmental endocrine disruptors, can affect maternal estrogen through multiple mechanisms and are important potential modifiable risk factors for developing maternal perinatal depression. At present, studies on the correlation between PAEs and perinatal depression are still very limited, and the mechanisms by which PAEs affect perinatal depression have not been clarified. Based on existing epidemiological and toxicological studies at home and abroad, the article briefly introduced the characteristics of multiple pathways, high doses, and long-term exposure to maternal PAEs, focused on reviewing the current status of epidemiological studies, pointed out the possible associations between some specific PAEs exposure and elevated risk of perinatal depression. It also summarized the potential roles of hormone-neurotransmitter pathway, inflammation mediation, gene regulation, and other possible mechanisms in the association between exposure to PAEs and perinatal depression. The article concluded with a look at how future research on the association between exposure to PAEs and perinatal depression can be scientifically validated, with a view to providing more high-quality evidence for the scientific prevention of the onset and progression of maternal depressive symptoms.

Although significant progress has been made in the development of novel targeted drugs for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia(AML)in recent years,chemotherapy still remains the mainstay of treatment and the overall survival is poor in most patients.Here,we demonstrated the antileukemia activity of a novel small molecular compound NL101,which is formed through the modification on bendamustine with a suberanilohydroxamic acid(SAHA)radical.NL101 suppresses the proliferation of myeloid malignancy cells and primary AML cells.It induces DNA damage and caspase 3-mediated apoptosis.A genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)library screen revealed that phosphatase and tensin homologous(PTEN)gene is critical for the regulation of cell survival upon NL101 treatment.The knockout or inhibition of PTEN significantly reduced NL101-induced apoptosis in AML and myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)cells,accompanied by the activation of protein kinase B(AKT)signaling pathway.The inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)by rapamycin enhanced the sensitivity of AML cells to NL101-induced cell death.These findings uncover PTEN protein expression as a major determinant of chemosensitivity to NL101 and provide a novel strategy to treat AML with the combination of NL101 and rapamycin.

Objective:To investigate serum vitamin A and vitamin D status in children aged 2-<7 years in 20 cities in China.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 2 924 healthy children aged 2-<7 years were recruited from September 2018 to September 2019 from 20 cities in China, categorized by age groups of 2-<3 years, 3-<5 years, and 5-<7 years. The demographic and economic characteristics and health-related information of the enrolled children were investigated. Body weight and height were measured by professional staff members. The serum vitamin A and vitamin D levels were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Chi-square test and Logistic regression were applied to analyze the association between vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency as well as their underlying impact factors.Results:The age of the 2 924 enrolled children was 4.33 (3.42, 5.17) years. There were 1 726 males (59.03%) and 1 198 females (40.97%). The prevalences of vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency in enrolled children were 2.19% (64/2 924) and 3.52% (103/2 924), respectively, and the insufficiency rates were 29.27% (856/2 924) and 22.20% (649/2 924), respectively. Children with both vitamin A and vitamin D deficiencies or insufficiencies were found in 10.50% (307/2 924) of cases. Both vitamin A ( χ2=7.91 and 8.06, both P=0.005) and vitamin D ( χ2=71.35 and 115.10, both P<0.001) insufficiency rates were higher in children aged 3-<5 and 5-<7 years than those in children aged 2-<3 years. Vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation in the last 3 months was a protective factor for vitamin A and D deficiency and insufficiency, respectively ( OR=0.68 and 0.22, 95% CI 0.49-0.95 and 0.13-0.40, both P<0.05). The rates of vitamin A and D insufficiency was higher in children with annual household incomes <60 000 RMB than in those with annual household incomes ≥60 000 RMB ( χ2=34.11 and 10.43, both P<0.01). Northwest and Southwest had the highest rates of vitamin A and vitamin D insufficiency in children aged 2-<7 yeas, respectively ( χ2=93.22 and 202.54, both P<0.001). Conclusions:Among 20 cities in China, children aged 2-<7 years experience high rates of vitamin A and vitamin D insufficiency, which are affected by age, family economic level, vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation, and regional economic level. The current results suggest that high level of attention should be paid to vitamin A and vitamin D nutritional status of preschool children.

Atrial fibrillation(AF)is the most common cardiac arrhythmia.Many medical conditions,including hypertension,diabetes,obesity,sleep apnea,and heart failure(HF),increase the risk for AF.Car-diomyocytes have unique metabolic characteristics to maintain adenosine triphosphate production.Significant changes occur in myocardial metabolism in AF.Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists(GLP-1 RAs)have been used to control blood glucose fluctuations and weight in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and obesity.GLP-1 RAs have also been shown to reduce oxidative stress,inflammation,autonomic nervous system modulation,and mitochondrial function.This article reviews the changes in metabolic characteristics in cardiomyocytes in AF.Although the clinical trial outcomes are unsatisfactory,the findings demonstrate that GLP-1 RAs can improve myocardial metabolism in the presence of various risk factors,lowering the incidence of AF.

Objective To compare the efficacy of endoscopic bougie/balloon dilation(EBD),endoscopic radial incision(ERI),and ERI combined with esophageal stent placement(ESP)for the treatment of benign esophageal stenosis,and evaluate the feasibility and safety of ERI combined with ESP for the treatment of benign esophageal stenosis.Methods 48 Patients with benign esophageal stenosis from January 2019 to January 2023 were recruited,and divided into EBD group(n=24),ERI group(n=17)and ERI+ESP group(n=7).The differences in operating success,restenosis and complications among the three groups were compared.Results The number of previous endoscopic treatment in ERI+ESP group was more than that in EBD group and ERI group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Technical success was achieved in 23 cases and clinical remission in 23 cases in EBD group,technical success in 16 cases and clinical remission in 15 cases in ERI group,technical success in 7 cases and clinical remission in 7 cases in ERI+ESP group.There was no significant difference in technical success rate and clinical remission rate among the three groups(P＞0.05).After 3 months of follow-up,there were 15,9 and 1 cases of esophageal restenosis in the EBD group,ERI group and ERI+ESP group,respectively.There was no significant difference in the rate of esophageal restenosis among the 3 groups(P＞0.05).After 6 months of follow-up,there were 20 cases of esophageal restenosis in the EBD group,13 cases in the ERI group and 1 case in the ERI+ESP group.The rate of esophageal restenosis in the ERI+ESP group was significantly lower than that in the EBD group and the ERI group(P＜0.05).However,there was no statistically significant difference in the esophageal restenosis rate between the EBD group and the ERI group(P＞0.05).The time to the first postoperative restenosis was 74.00(48.75,159.00)days in the EBD group,84.00(54.50,195.00)days in the ERI group,and 250.00(206.00,289.00)days in the ERI+ESP group.The time to the first postoperative restenosis was longer in the ERI+ESP group than that in the EBD and ERI groups.The differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in restenosis time between EBD group and ERI group(P＞0.05).There were 5,5 and 3 cases of complications in the EBD group,ERI group and ERI+ESP group,respectively,and there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications among the three groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion ERI+ESP is comparable to EBD and ERI in terms of technical success and short-term clinical remission rate for the treatment of benign esophageal stenosis,and is superior to EBD and ERI in terms of long-term restenosis rate and restenosis time,with no influence on the occurrence of complications.

Objective To investigate the effect of isorhyncophylline on cognitive impairment in rats with acute cerebral infarction and its corresponding mechanism.Methods SD rats were separated into acute cerebral infarction group,sham operation group,low-dose isorhyncophylline group,high-dose isorhyncophylline group,nimodipine group,and high-dose isorhyncophylline+ADU-S100 group,with 24 rates for each group.Except the sham operation group,the rats in other groups were treated with filament model to construct the model of acute cerebral infarction.In the sham operation group,only the right external carotid artery,common carotid artery and internal carotid artery were exposed,and the filament was not inserted.After successful modeling,the medication was administered once a day for 2 weeks.After the modeling was successful,the rats in the low dose group and the high dose group were given 5 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg respectively,and the same amount of isotonic saline was injected intraperitoneally.Nimodipine group rats were given 30 mg/kg nimodipine by intragastric administration,and the same amount of isotonic saline was also injected intraperitoneally.The rats in high dose isorhyncophylline+ADU-S 100 group were given 20 mg/kg isorhyncophylline by intragastric administration and 20 mg/kg ADU-S 100 intraperitoneally.Rats in sham operation group and acute cerebral infarction group were injected with 10 ml/kg isotonic saline by intragastric administration and intraperitoneal injection.The medication was administered once a day for 2 weeks.The Zela-Longa neurological function score was evaluated in all the rats 24 h after the final medication,and then Morris water maze test was conducted and their escape latency and the number of stays in the original platform quadrant were recorded.The levels of interleukin 6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)α in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The water content of brain tissue was detected in each group.The volume of cerebral infarction was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining.Evans blue was applied to detect blood-brain barrier permeability.Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was used to detect the expression of ZO-1 and occludin messenger RNA(mRNA)in brain tissue of each group.The expression of STING,phosphorylated tank-bound kinase 1(p-TBK1)and phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3(p-IRF3)in rat brain tissues was detected by western blot and compared between groups.Results Compared with sham operation group,the neurological function score([2.96±0.32]vs.0),brain tissue water content([86.9±3.2]％vs.[71.8±3.1]％),serum TNF-a([86.7±3.5]ng/L vs.[35.6±1.7]ng/L)and IL-6([167.8±6.1]ng/L vs.[50.2±2.2]ng/L)levels,cerebral infarction volume([28.6±1.3]mm3 vs.0 mm3),evans blue content([1.57±0.13]g/Lvs.[0.96±0.08]g/L),STING([1.83±0.16]vs.[0.86±0.08]),p-TBK1([0.89±0.07]vs.[0.41±0.03]),and p-IRF3([0.67±0.05]vs.[0.13±0.01])protein expression in brain tissue were increased,expression of ZO-1([0.45±0.04]vs.[1.00±0.00])and occludin mRNA([0.23±0.02]vs.[1.00±0.00])in brain tissue were decreased,the escape latency was prolonged([33.6±1.6]s vs.[12.3±0.5]s),and the number of stays in the original platform quadrant([5.9±0.2]times vs.[15.7±0.4]times)was decreased in the acute cerebral infarction group 24 h after last medication administration(all P＜0.05).(2)Compared with acute cerebral infarction group,the neurological function score([2.37±0.21],[1.14±0.17],[1.18±0.13]vs.[2.96±0.32]),brain tissue water content([81.8±3.0]％,[74.9±3.0]％,[74.3±2.9]％vs.[86.9±3.2]％),serum TNF-α([71.1±1.4]ng/L,[43.4±2.0]ng/L,[41.5±1.9]ng/L vs.[86.7±3.5]ng/L)and IL-6([129.8±5.4]ng/L,[81.2±3.8]ng/L,[80.0±3.6]ng/L vs.[167.8±6.1]ng/L)levels,cerebral infarction volume([21.7±1.0]mm3,[10.5±0.5]mm3,[10.7±0.5]mm3 vs.[28.6±1.3]mm3),evans blue content([1.39±0.12]g/L,[1.16±0.10]g/L,[1.18±0.19]g/L vs.[1.57±0.13]g/L),STING([1.50±0.14],[1.02±0.11],[1.01±0.09]vs.[1.83±0.16]),p-TBK1([0.75±0.05],[0.54±0.04],[0.52±0.05]vs.[0.89±0.07]),and p-IRF3([0.51±0.05],[0.25±0.02],[0.27±0.02]vs.[0.67±0.05])protein expression in brain tissue were decreased,expression of ZO-1([0.58±0.05],[0.87±0.07],[0.89±0.09]vs.[0.45±0.04])and occludin mRNA([0.36±0.03],[0.71±0.06],[0.69±0.05]vs.[0.23±0.02])in brain tissue were increased,the escape latency were shortened([28.6±1.0]s,[16.5±0.7]s,[16.4±0.7]s vs.[33.6±1.6]s),and the number of stays in the original platform quadrant([8.2±0.3]times,[12.8±0.5]times,[12.9±0.5]times vs.[5.9±0.2]times)were increased in the low-dose isorhyncophylline group,high-dose isorhyncophylline group,and nimodipine group(all P＜0.05).(3)Compared with high-dose isorhyncophylline group,the neurological function score([2.12±0.14]vs.[1.14±0.17]),brain tissue water content([78.7±3.2]％vs.[74.9±3.0]％),serum TNF-a([59.7±2.1]ng/L vs.[43.4±2.0]ng/L)and IL-6([118.9±4.6]ng/L vs.[81.2±3.8]ng/L)levels,cerebral infarction volume([16.6±0.4]mm3 vs.[10.5±0.5]mm3),evans blue content([1.36±0.10]g/L vs.[1.16±0.10]g/L),and STING([1.37±0.12]vs.[1.02±0.11]),p-TBK1([0.67±0.05]vs.[0.54±0.04]),and p-IRF3([0.39±0.03]vs.[0.25±0.02])protein expression in brain tissue were increased,expression of ZO-1([0.63±0.05]vs.[0.87±0.07])and occludin mRNA([0.46±0.05]vs.[0.71±0.06])in brain tissue were decreased,the escape latency was prolonged([23.4±1.0]svs.[16.5±0.7]s),and the number of stays in the original platform quadrant([9.6±0.3]times vs.[12.8±0.5]times)was decreased in the isorhyncophylline high-dose+ADU-S100 group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Isorhyncophylline can inhibit inflammation,reduce blood-brain barrier damage,reduce cerebral edema,and improve cognitive impairment in rats with acute cerebral infarction,and the mechanism of which may be related to the inhibition of STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway.

‍ ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of safranal against sepsis-related liver injury （SRLI） induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） in mice and its mechanism. MethodsA total of 32 experimental male C57BL/6 mice were divided into control group， single drug group， model group， and treatment group using the simple random method， with 8 mice in each group. The mice in the single drug group and the treatment group were intraperitoneally injected with safranal （60 mg/kg） for 7 days of pretreatment， and the mice in the model group and the treatment group were intraperitoneally injected with LPS （10 mg/kg） to induce acute liver injury. The activities of serum alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were measured； HE staining was used to observe liver tissue sections； immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expression of the downstream protein heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） in the signal pathway； TUNEL was used to analyze the apoptosis of hepatocytes； Western blot was used to measure the expression of total proteins （nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 ［Nrf-2］ and HO-1） in liver tissue. The human liver cell line L02 was pretreated with safranal （100 μmol/L）， followed by induction of acute hepatocellular injury with LPS （100 ng/mL）， and DCFH-DA fluorescent labeling was used to detect reactive oxygen species （ROS）. ResultsAfter safranal pretreatment， the treatment group had significantly lower levels of ALT and AST than the model group （both P<0.001）， with a relatively intact pseudolobular structure and a smaller necrotic area in the liver. Compared with the model group， the treatment group had significant increases in the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in liver tissue after safranal+LPS treatment （both P<0.001）， and immunohistochemistry showed that safranal pretreatment increased the number of HO-1-positive cells. In the cell model of LPS-induced acute liver injury， the treatment group had a significant reduction in the production of ROS compared with the model group. ConclusionSafranal can exert a protective effect against SRLI induced by LPS in mice through the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of long-term survival patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with chemotherapy combined with primary tumor radiotherapy, and to establish a Nomogram prognostic model, aiming to provide a certain reference for making a decision about the treatment of advanced NSCLC.Methods:A retrospective analysis was made on the data of 260 NSCLC patients who participated in two prospective clinical studies from January 2003 to May 2012 and the data of 138 NSCLC patients admitted to the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January 2014 to August 2020. The former 260 cases were used as a training set and the latter 138 cases were used as the validation set. The overall survival (OS) of ≥ 18 months was defined as long-term survival (LTS). The clinical characteristics of LTS patients were compared with those with OS less than 18 months. The clinical characteristics and treatment-related parameters between the two types of patients were compared using the χ2 test. A multivariate analysis was made using logistic regression, and a nomogram model was built using RStudio. Results:The median OS of the training set was 13.4 months (95% CI: 11.9-14.9), with 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates of 55.4%, 19.1%, and 11.9%, respectively. In the training set, 87 cases had LTS and were classified as the LTS group, while 173 cases had OS less than 18 months and were classified as the non-LTS group. The univariate analysis showed that the prognostic factors affecting LST included the KPS score, T status, the number of metastatic organs, the number of metastatic lesions, brain metastasis, bone metastasis, the number of chemotherapy cycles, the biologically effective dose (BED) to the primary tumor, hemoglobin level, platelet count, plasma D-dimer, fibrinogen level, lactate dehydrogenase, and lung immune prognostic index (LIPI; χ2=4.72-12.63, P < 0.05). The multivariable analysis showed that the independent prognostic factors of LTS included a number of chemotherapy cycles ≥ 4, BED ≥ 70 Gy, platelets ≤ 220×10 9/L, D-dimer ≤ 0.5 mg/L, and a good LIPI score ( P= 0.002, 0.036, 0.005, 0.008, and 0.002). A nomogram model was established using the meaningful parameters obtained in the multivariable analysis, determining that the training and validation sets had a consistency index (C-index) of 0.750 and 0.727, respectively. As shown by the analytical result of the corrected curves, for the advanced NSCLC patients treated with thoracic radiotherapy, their LTS probability predicted using the nomogram prognostic model was highly consistent with their actual LTS probability. Both the analytical result of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the decision curve analysis (DCA) result showed that the composite prediction model was more beneficial than a single prediction model. Conclusions:For patients with advanced NSCLC treated with thoracic radiotherapy, the independent prognostic factors of LTS included the number of chemotherapy cycles, BED, platelet count, pre-chemotherapy D-dimer, and LIPI score. The Nomogram prognostic model built based on these prognostic factors is a convenient, intuitive, and personalized prediction model used to screen patients who can benefit from thoracic radiotherapy.