Objective To investigate the current status of quality control of radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment in Shenzhen City, explore the problems in quality control testing of radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment, and provide control strategies. Methods According to the requirements of the Special Monitoring Work Plan for Radiation Health in Shenzhen, quality control tests were carried out on some radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment in Shenzhen according to the test items and methods of the currently valid national standards. Results From 2019 to 2023, a total of 72 medical institutions participated in radiological health monitoring program in Shenzhen, and 839 quality control tests were performed on radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment. The qualified rate was 91.8% in preliminary tests. The qualified rates of radiological diagnosis, radiotherapy, and nuclear medicine equipment were 91.9%, 96.3%, and 62.5%, respectively. The primary unqualified items were response uniformity, flatness of the X-ray irradiation field, and intrinsic spatial linearity. Conclusion The qualified rate in quality control of nuclear medical equipment is relatively low. Medical institutions should strengthen the routine maintenance of radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment. Radiological health technical service institutions should enhance the training of technical personnel to ensure the health and safety of patients and radiation workers.

Objective To analyze the activity concentrations of gross α, gross β, and radionuclides in atmospheric fallout around Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant from 2019 to 2022, and provide foundational scientific data for the healthy development of nuclear energy. Methods Five monitoring sites were set up at different distances (1.2, 6.9, 12.4, 42.3, and 69.2 km) from Daya Bay Nuclear Island 1. Stainless steel sampling barrels were used to collect atmospheric fallout, with a monitoring cycle of three months. The collected samples were ashed using radiochemical method. Subsequently, the gross α and gross β radioactivity were quantified using a low-background α/β measurement instrument. The remaining ash samples were mixed with water and left to equilibrate for over three weeks before γ-nuclide analysis using a low-background, high-purity germanium γ-spectrometer. Results The gross α activity concentration in atmospheric fallout around Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant from 2019 to 2022 averaged (25.3 ± 10.6) Bq/m²/season and ranged from 5.8 to 73.4 Bq/m²/season. The gross α activity concentrations in sampling sites #1 to #5 were 5.8-34.4, 11.9-35.2, 14.4-46.4, 7.2-73.4, and 13.1-43.1 Bq/m²/season, respectively. The gross β activity concentration averaged (50.5 ± 23.4) Bq/m²/season and ranged from 13.9 to 139.3 Bq/m²/season. The gross β activity concentrations of sampling sites #1 to #5 were 17.1-107.4, 17.6-87.5, 25.8-102.0, 13.9-139.3, and 23.4-99.2 Bq/m²/season, resprctively. The activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, ²¹⁰Pb, and ⁷Be in atmospheric fallout were < lower limit of detection (LLD)-4.2, < LLD-5.8, < LLD-6.3, < LLD-42.1, < LLD-514.0, and 35.7-1761.0 Bq/m²/season, respectively. Gross α and gross β activity concentrations were significantly positively correlated with ²¹⁰Pb activity concentration (r=0.770, α < 0.001; r=0.882, α < 0.001, respectively). Gross β activity concentration showed a significant positive correlation with ⁷Be (r=0.833, α < 0.001). The activity concentrations of ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁷Co, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁰Co, ⁵⁹Fe, ⁹⁵Zr, ¹⁰³Ru, ¹⁰⁶Ru, ^110mAg, ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷ Cs, ¹⁴⁰Ba and ¹⁹²Ir were lower than the LLD of the instrument, and no artificial radionuclides were detected. Conclusion The gross α and gross β radioactive activity concentrations in the atmospheric fallout in the surrounding area of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant during 2019-2022 were affected by natural radionuclides ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Be, and were in the normal fluctuation ranges. No artificial radionuclides were found in the atmospheric fallout, and the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant was in a safe and stable state of operation.

Objective To monitor the antifungal resistance of clinical isolates of Candida spp.in the East China region.Methods MALDI-TOF MS or molecular methods were used to re-identify the strains collected from January 2018 to December 2022.Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution method.The susceptibility test results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of 2022 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)documents M27 M44s-Ed3 and M57s-Ed4.Results A total of 3 026 strains of Candida were collected,65.33％of which were isolated from sterile body sites,mainly from blood(38.86％)and pleural effusion/ascites(10.21％).The predominant species of Candida were Candida albicans(44.51％),followed by Candida parapsilosis complex(19.46％),Candida tropicalis(13.98％),Candida glabrata(10.34％),and other Candida species(0.79％).Candida albicans showed overall high susceptibility rates to the 10 antifungal drugs tested(the lowest rate being 93.62％).Only 2.97％of the strains showed dose-dependent susceptibility(SDD)to fluconazole.Candida parapsilosis complex had a SDD rate of 2.61％and a resistance rate of 9.42％to fluconazole,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida glabrata had a SDD rate of 92.01％and a resistance rate of 7.99％to fluconazole,resistance rates of 32.27％and 48.24％to posaconazole and voriconazole non-wild-type strains(NWT),respectively,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida tropicalis had resistance rates of 29.55％and 26.24％to fluconazole and voriconazole,respectively,resistance rates of 76.60％and 21.99％to posaconazole and echinocandins non-wild-type strains(NWT),and a resistance rate of 2.36％to echinocandins.Conclusions The prevalence and species distribution of Candida spp.in the East China region are consistent with previous domestic and international reports.Candida glabrata exhibits certain degree of resistance to fluconazole,while Candida tropicalis demonstrates higher resistance to triazole drugs.Additionally,echinocandins resistance has emerged in Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida tropicalis,and Candida parapsilosis.

Objective:To explore the differences of clinical features and surgical efficacy between the elderly and the middle-aged and young patients with meningiomas in the central cortex area.Methods:Forty-three elderly patients with meningiomas in the central cortex area (≥60 years old) and 63 middle-aged and young patients with meningiomas in the central cortex area (18-59 years old), accepted surgery in Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong 999 Brain Hospital from January 2011 to December 2020, were chosen. The differences of symptom, gross tumor volume, peritumoral edema degrees, intraoperative blood loss, tumor resection degrees, complications, and hospital stays between the 2 groups were analyzed.Results:The elderly patients had significantly higher proportion of preoperative muscle strength decline, lower proportion of preoperative headache, larger preoperative tumor volume, more severe peritumoral edema degrees before and after surgery, small volume of intraoperative blood loss, and longer hospital stays compared with the middle-aged and young patients ( P<0.05). However, no significant differences in distributions of tumor resection Simpson grades, proportion of new neurological dysfunction, incidence of postoperative complications, and proportions of reoperations and tumor recurrence were noted between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). Significant difference in distributions of peritumoral edema degrees among patients with different WHO grades was noted in the elderly group ( P<0.05), and significant difference in distribution of peritumoral edema degrees among patients with different tumor volumes was noted in the middle-aged and young group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Although differences in clinical characteristics exist between the elderly and the middle-aged and young patients with meningiomas in the central cortex area, no significant difference in surgical efficacy is noted between the 2 groups. The peritumoral edema degree in the elderly patients is related to tumor pathological grades, while that in middle-aged and young patients is related to tumor volumes.

Based on the requirements of military professional education reform and in view of the problems existing in the operation and maintenance of first-aid medical equipment in grass-roots forces. We put forward a construction scheme of online course which named operation and maintenance of first-aid medical equipment in grass-roots forces, and then expound the scheme from teaching content construction and teaching mode construction. The teaching content construction consists of two parts: the management theory of conventional medical equipments and the operation and maintenance teaching of specific first-aid medical equipments. In the construction of teaching mode, we elaborate on the organization forms of teaching, answering questions, training and examination units in detail. The design scheme of the online course is in line with the learning characteristics and meets the demand of learning the knowledge of the operation and maintenance of first-aid medical equipment systematically, so as to improve the post competency of the grass-roots forces.

Objectives:To compare the efficiacy of retro-auricular single-site endoscopic thyroidectomy (RASSET) and that of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA).Methods:In Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 10 patients underwent RASSET from June 2021 to August 2021, and 21 patients underwent TOETVA from January 2016 to August 2021. All the 21 patients′ clinical data was analyzed retrospectively. There were 2 males and 8 females in the RASSET group, aging (48.2±13.9) years (range: 28 to 67 years). There were 5 males and 16 females in the TOETVA group, aging (31.3±8.2) years (range: 21 to 49 years). All patients underwent thyroid lobectomy. A 3 cm in length incision was cut on single auricula posterior sulci to creat the approach in the RASSET group. Then a Trocar made with of a glove was inserted. Retaining the omohyoid, the sternocleidomastoid muscle and anterior cervical muscle were pulled apart, exposing a single lobe of the thyroid gland and lymphatic tissue of zone Ⅵ, for en-bloc resection. The clinical data of the two groups were collected and analyzed by t test, Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher exact test or χ 2 test. Clinical data and postoperative efficacy indexes such as operation time, postoperative C reactive protein level, and postoperative complications were recorded. Results:Compared with the TOETVA group, the operation time was longer in the RASSET group ((256.8±77.0) minutes vs. (201.2±54.9) minutes, t=2.31, P=0.028), and increase of postoperative C reaction protein (24 hours postoperative vs. preoperative) was lower in the RASSET group (8.58(13.24) mg/L vs. 46.24(48.88) mg/L, Z=-4.311, P<0.01). But there was no significant difference between the RASSET group and TOETVA group in the number of lymph nodes dissection (2(5) vs. 2(3), Z=-0.326, P=0.759). Besides, there were no complications in the RASSET group. Conclusion:Retro-auricular single-site endoscopic thyroid loectomy is easy to achieve the en-bloc resection of tumors with a well-concealed scar and less traumatic dissection.

Objectives:To compare the efficiacy of retro-auricular single-site endoscopic thyroidectomy (RASSET) and that of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA).Methods:In Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 10 patients underwent RASSET from June 2021 to August 2021, and 21 patients underwent TOETVA from January 2016 to August 2021. All the 21 patients′ clinical data was analyzed retrospectively. There were 2 males and 8 females in the RASSET group, aging (48.2±13.9) years (range: 28 to 67 years). There were 5 males and 16 females in the TOETVA group, aging (31.3±8.2) years (range: 21 to 49 years). All patients underwent thyroid lobectomy. A 3 cm in length incision was cut on single auricula posterior sulci to creat the approach in the RASSET group. Then a Trocar made with of a glove was inserted. Retaining the omohyoid, the sternocleidomastoid muscle and anterior cervical muscle were pulled apart, exposing a single lobe of the thyroid gland and lymphatic tissue of zone Ⅵ, for en-bloc resection. The clinical data of the two groups were collected and analyzed by t test, Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher exact test or χ 2 test. Clinical data and postoperative efficacy indexes such as operation time, postoperative C reactive protein level, and postoperative complications were recorded. Results:Compared with the TOETVA group, the operation time was longer in the RASSET group ((256.8±77.0) minutes vs. (201.2±54.9) minutes, t=2.31, P=0.028), and increase of postoperative C reaction protein (24 hours postoperative vs. preoperative) was lower in the RASSET group (8.58(13.24) mg/L vs. 46.24(48.88) mg/L, Z=-4.311, P<0.01). But there was no significant difference between the RASSET group and TOETVA group in the number of lymph nodes dissection (2(5) vs. 2(3), Z=-0.326, P=0.759). Besides, there were no complications in the RASSET group. Conclusion:Retro-auricular single-site endoscopic thyroid loectomy is easy to achieve the en-bloc resection of tumors with a well-concealed scar and less traumatic dissection.

Objective: To observe the relieving cough and reducing sputum effects of total alkaloid in Atalantia buxifolia and evaluate the safety preliminarily.Methods: The relieving cough and reducing sputum effects of total alkaloid in Atalantia buxifolia were studied by the cough model caused by the irritation of ammonia water and the phenol red output of trachea in mice.The acute toxicity test and maximum tolerance test were carried out to evaluate the safety.Results: The total alkaloid in Atalantia buxifolia at low dose could obviously prolong cough incubation period and decrease cough times in mice, and that at high dose could significantly increase the secretion of phenol red in respiratory tract, and compared with those in the blank group, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).In the acute toxicity test, no death showed after the administration with maximum tolerance dosage, and the rate of weight growth had no difference between the blank group and the model group (P>0.05).Conclusion: The relieving cough and reducing sputum effects of total alkaloid in Atalantia buxifolia are notable in the cough model caused by the irritation of ammonia water and the phenol red output of trachea in mice.The maximum tolerable dose test shows the total alkaloid in Atalantia buxifolia is safe.

BACKGROUNDAtherosclerosis is a kind of disease with multiple risk factors, of which hyperlipidemia is a major classical risk factor resulting in its pathogenesis and development. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of short-term intensive atorvastatin (IA) therapy on vascular endothelial function and explore the possible mechanisms that may help to explain the clinical benefits from short-term intensive statin therapy.

METHODSAfter exposure to high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks, the animals were, respectively, treated with IA or low-dose atorvastatin (LA) for 5 days. Blood lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation function were, respectively, measured. mRNA and protein expression of CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) were also evaluated in pericarotid adipose tissue (PCAT) and cultured adipocytes.

RESULTSHFD increased serum inflammatory factor levels; induced significant hyperlipidemia and endothelial dysfunction, including imbalance between NO and ET-1; enhanced inflammatory factors and 5-LO expression; and promoted macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue. Five-day IA therapy could significantly decrease serum inflammatory factor levels and their expression in PCAT; restore the balance between NO and ET-1; and improve endothelial function and macrophage infiltration without significant changes in blood lipids. However, all of the above were not observed in LA therapy. In vitro experiment found that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhanced the expression of inflammatory factors and 5-LO in cultured adipocytes, which could be attenuated by short-time (6 hours) treatment of high-dose (5 µmol/L) but not low-dose (0.5 µmol/L) atorvastatin. In addition, inhibiting 5-LO by Cinnamyl-3,4-dihydroxy-α-cyanocinnamate (CDC, a potent and direct 5-LO inhibitor) could significantly downregulate the above-mentioned gene expression in LPS-treated adipocytes.

CONCLUSIONShort-term IA therapy could significantly ameliorate endothelial dysfunction induced by HFD, which may be partly due to attenuating inflammation of PCAT through inhibiting 5-LO pathway.

Adipose Tissue ; drug effects ; immunology ; Animals ; Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase ; metabolism ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Heptanoic Acids ; therapeutic use ; Hyperlipidemias ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Male ; Pyrroles ; therapeutic use ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect of different surgical approaches for treating cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) with spinal cord signal change.

METHODSThirty-eight patients with OPLL with spinal cord signal change were treated from January 2005 to January 2011. Surgical removal via an anterior approach or partial decompression was performed in 10 cases (group A), posterior approach open-door laminoplasty with decompression, bone grafting and internal fixation was performed in 12 cases (group B), and opening the cervical spinal meninges to relieve the pressure was performed in 16 cases (group C) on the basis of the procedures in group B. All the patients were followed up and the pre- and postoperative JOA scores, improvement ratio and inter-body implant fusion were evaluated. Imaging examinations including X-rays, CT and MRI were also performed pre- and postoperatively, and the surgical complications were recorded.

RESULTSAt 12 months postoperatively, the mean improvement rates in groups A, B, and C were 52.39%, 55.15%, and 60.32%, respectively, with the mean JOA scores of 13.54∓0.56, 13.56∓1.26, and 14.70∓1.41, respectively. The JOA scores and improvement rates significantly increased after the surgeries. One patient in group A became paraplegic after the operation with cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and one patient in group B and one in group C reported numbness of the upper limb. Group C showed a shorter postoperative recovery time without severe complications.

CONCLUSIONPosterior open-door laminoplasty, decompression, bone grafting and internal fixation can be an effective approach for treatment of cervical OPLL with spinal cord signal change and requires shorter rehabilitation time after the operation.

Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; pathology ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ; pathology ; surgery ; Spinal Cord Compression ; etiology ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome