[Analysis of changes in intrinsic neural timescales in male smoking addicts based on whole brain resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging].

Objective: To investigate the abnormal changes of intrinsic neural time scale (INT) in male smoking addicts based on whole brain resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: A case-control study. The clinical data and whole brain rs-fMRI data of 139 male subjects, aged (34.1±8.8) years, recruited through the online platform from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the existence of smoking addiction, they were divided into smoking addiction group (n=83) and healthy control group (n=56).INT was calculated to reflect the brain neural activity dynamics. Single sample t test was used to obtain the whole brain spatial distribution maps of INT in smoking addiction group and the control group. Then two-sample t test was conducted to explore the difference of INT between the smoking addition group and the healthy control group, with age and years of education as covariates. Finally, Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between INT and nicotine dependence scale score and smoking index. Results: Subjects with smoking addiction and healthy control group showed a similar pattern of hierarchical neural timescales, namely shorter INT in sensorimotor areas and longer INT in parietal lobe, posterior cingulate cortex. In addition, in the smoking addiction group, the left medial occipital gyrus (peak t=-3.18), left suproccipital gyrus (peak t=-3.66), bilateral pericalar cleft cortex (left: peak t=-3.02, right: peak t=-3.22), bilateral lingual gyrus (left: peak t=-3.10, right: t peak=-3.04), left cuneus (peak t=-2.97), default network associated brain region [left anterior cuneus(peak t=-3.23), left angular gyrus (peak t=-3.07), and left posterior cingulate cortex (peak t=-3.54) were significantly lower than those of healthy controls (gaussian random field correction, voxel level all P<0.005, mass level all P<0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between INT and nicotine dependence scale score and smoking index (both P>0.05 after Bonferroni correction). Conclusion: Compared with healthy controls, smoking addicts showed abnormal changes in the dynamics of neural activity in the visual cortex and the default network.

[Changes in OCTA-related parameters and their impact on retinal sensitivity after ILM flap inversion surgery in patients with IMH].

Objective: To analyze the changes in optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)-related parameters before and after idiopathic macular hole (IMH) internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap inversion surgery and assess their impact on retinal sensitivity. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted, collecting clinical data of 30 patients (30 eyes) diagnosed with IMH who underwent vitrectomy combined with ILM flap inversion surgery at Shanxi Eye Hospital, affiliated with Shanxi Medical University, between January 2020 and December 2021. Visual acuity and best-corrected visual acuity were examined preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Microperimetry measured retinal sensitivity (RS), and OCTA measured retinal thickness (RT) as well as vessel density (VD) in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP). Statistical analysis was performed using t-tests, repeated measures analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: Thirty patients with IMH (30 eyes) were included, with 3 males (3 eyes) and 27 females (27 eyes). The mean age was (62.5±3.0) years, and the follow-up time was (96.3±1.3) days, with a 100% closure rate of macular holes postoperatively. RT in the macular was significantly lower at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively compared to preoperative values (F=46.21, P<0.001). The RT in the upper macular region showed statistically significant differences at different time points (P<0.001). VD in the SCP layer showed no significant differences between the upper and lower macular regions at various time points (F=3.21, P=0.601). VD in the upper region of the DCP layer increased at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively (P<0.001). RS in the macular was higher at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively compared to preoperative values (F=52.01, P<0.001). RS in the lower macular region increased at 3 and 6 months postoperatively (P<0.001), while in the upper region, it increased only at 6 months postoperatively (P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between RS and RT at 1 and 3 months postoperatively, but not at 6 months postoperatively in the upper macular region (r=0.40, P=0.071). In the lower macular region, there was a positive correlation between RS and RT at 1 and 3 months postoperatively (P<0.001). There was no correlation between RS in the upper macular region at 6 months postoperatively and preoperative RT (r=0.43, P=0.072), but there was a positive correlation with RT at 3 months postoperatively (r=0.58, P=0.041). Conclusions: After idiopathic macular hole internal limiting membrane flap inversion surgery, the OCTA-related parameters have changed. There are transient changes in deep vascular parameters and thinning of the retinal layers at the ILM inversion site, leading to decreased sensitivity.

[Study of the effects of dietary patterns on glycemic control in community type 2 diabetic mellitus patients].

Objective: To understand the impact of diet on glycemic control in community-managed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and provide evidence for implementing prevention strategies and measures for diabetes patients. Methods: Eight communities were randomly selected from Changshu and Wuhan in 2015, and T2DM patients managed in the community were selected to conduct questionnaire surveys, physical measurements, and blood glucose testing. Factor analysis was used to obtain dietary patterns. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors affecting glycemic control. Results: Finally, 1 818 T2DM patients were included, and the control rate of FPG was 57.59% (95%CI: 55.30%-59.86%), and the control rate of 2 h postprandial blood glucose (2 h PBG) was 24.90% (95%CI: 22.93%- 26.91%). Five dietary patterns were obtained by factor analysis: animal food pattern, fruit-aquatic products-potato patterns, vegetable-grain pattern, egg-milk-bean pattern, and oil-salt patterns. No-conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the reduced probability of FPG control was related to animal food pattern (OR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.52-0.98) and fruit-aquatic products-potato patterns (OR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.51-0.97). The decrease in the 2 h PBG control probability was related to fruit-aquatic products-potato patterns (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.40-0.90). The increased probability of FPG and 2 h postprandial glucose control were both related to vegetable-grain pattern (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.03-1.94; OR=1.68, 95%CI: 1.13-2.51) and egg-milk-bean pattern (OR=1.75, 95%CI: 1.25-2.46; OR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.00-2.42). Compared with the Q4 group of egg-milk-bean pattern, the FPG control rate of the combination of "fruit-aquatic products-potato pattern (Q4 group), vegetable-grain pattern (Q2 group), egg-milk-bean pattern (Q3 group)" was higher (OR=6.79, 95%CI: 1.15-40.23, P=0.035). Compared with the Q4 group of vegetable-grain pattern, the combination of "fruit-aquatic products-potato pattern (Q4 group), vegetable-grain pattern (Q3 group), egg-milk-bean pattern (Q2 group), oil-salt pattern (Q2 group)" had higher control rate of 2 h PBG (OR=12.78, 95%CI: 1.26-130.05, P=0.031). Conclusions: A proper combination of dietary patterns and dietary patterns are more conducive to the control of FPG and 2 h PBG in T2DM patients managed in the communities of Wuhan and Changshu. Patient nutrition education should be strengthened, and the food-matching ability of patients should be improved.

[Correlation analysis between Pirani score and talo-navicular angle,calcaneo-cuboid angle and tibio-calcaneall angle of infant clubfoot under ultrasound].

Objective: To explore the evaluation effect of ultrasonography and Pirani score on tarsal deformity, treatment effect and pseudo-correction of congenital clubfoot in infants and young children, and the correlation between the two methods. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 26 children (40 feet) with congenital clubfoot who were evaluated by ultrasonography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 16 males and 10 females. The age at the first ultrasound examination was (M(IQR)) 9.0 (18.0) days (range: 1 to 46 days). All patients were treated with Ponseti method by the same physician. The Pirani scores before and after treatment and at the last examination, and the talonavicular angle, calcaneocuboid angle and tibiocalcaneal angle measured by ultrasound were collected, and the treatment and follow-up were recorded. Paired sample t test, repeated measures analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data comparison, and Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the efficacy of ultrasound in evaluating different Pirani scores. Results: The number of plaster fixation in 26 children was 4.0 (1.0) times (range: 2 to 8 times). The medial talonavicular angle and posterior tibiocalcaneal angle were significantly improved after treatment and at the last follow-up compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). There was no difference in lateral calcaneocuboid angle before and after treatment and at the last follow-up (F=1.971, P>0.05). Pseudo-correction occurred in 2 cases (2 feet) during the treatment, with an incidence of 5%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between talonavicular angle and Pirani midfoot score (r=0.480, P<0.01). There was no correlation between calcaneocuboid angle and Pirani midfoot score (r=0.114, P=0.105). There was a moderate negative correlation between tibial heel angle and Pirani hindfoot score (r=-0.566, P<0.01). The cut-off point of Pirani midfoot score of 1.5 was 38.78°, the sensitivity was 0.90, the specificity was 0.56, and the area under the curve was 0.75. The cut-off value of angle was 27.51 °, the sensitivity was 0.16, the specificity was 0.92, and the area under the curve was 0.44.The cut-off points of Pirani midfoot score of 3.0 were 45.08°and 9.96°, the sensitivity was 0.94 and 0.91, the specificity was 0.37 and 0.42, and the area under the curve was 0.59 and 0.62, respectively. The cut-off values of Pirani hindfoot score of 2.0 and 3.0 were 167.46° and 160.15°, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.75 and 0.67, the specificity was 0.81 and 0.83, and the area under the curve was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusion: Ultrasound can complement with Pirani score, visually and dynamically observe the morphology and position changes of talonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint and tibiotalocalcaneal joint, monitor the recovery and pseudo-correction of tarsal bones, and better evaluate the therapeutic effect.

[Analysis on occupational dust or harmful gas exposure and protection in people aged 40 and above in China, 2019-2020].

Objective: To understand the current status of occupational exposure to dust or harmful gases and occupational protection in people aged ≥40 years in China, and provide data support for the prevention and control of occupational dust or harmful gas exposure. Methods: The data were obtained from the surveillance for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults aged ≥40 years selected by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling from 125 surveillance points in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) during 2014-2015 and 2019-2020, and relevant information about occupational dust or harmful gas exposure and protection measures were collected through face-to-face interviews. Occupational dust or harmful gas exposure rate and occupational protection rate were estimated by using weighting complex sampling methods, and then the results were compared. Results: From 2014 to 2015 and from 2019 to 2020, a total of 71 061 and 71 023 individuals aged ≥40 years were surveyed, respectively. The rate of occupational exposure to dust or hazardous gas was 33.8% (95%CI: 29.9%-37.7%) during 2019-2020. The occupational exposure rate was higher in men than in women and in rural residents than in urban residents. With the increase of education level, the rate of occupational exposure to dust or harmful gas showed a downward trend. The protection rate against occupational dust or hazardous gas exposure was 47.9% (95%CI: 43.2%-52.6%) during 2019-2020. Compared with 2014-2015, the rate of occupational exposure to dust or hazardous gas decreased by 10.7 percentage points in different gender, area and occupational groups and the occupational protection rate increased by 21.9 percentage points during 2019-2020. The decrease in occupational exposure rate was higher in western China than in eastern and central China, and the increase in occupational protection rate was higher in western China than in eastern and central China. Conclusions: The rate of occupational exposure to dust or harmful gas decreased and the rate of occupational protection against dust or harmful gas exposure increased in China during 2019-2020. However, about one-third of the population still suffer from the occupational exposure, and less than half of them take protection measures. It is necessary to pay more attention to the key populations, such as workers with lower cultural level and rural migrant workers, in occupational health practice.

[Analysis on passive smoking exposure in adults aged 40 years and above in China, 2019-2020].

Objective: To understand the passive smoking exposure status in adults aged ≥40 years in China. Methods: Local residents aged ≥40 years were enrolled as study subjects from 125 areas of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) surveillance during 2014-2015 and 2019-2020 in 31 provinces of China. A total of 74 559 adults aged ≥40 years were selected through multi-stage stratified cluster sampling for a face to face questionnaire survey and the data from 64 142 study subjects were used for the analysis. The passive smoking exposure rate, the proportions of the adults reporting passive smoking exposure at four types of places and the proportion of the adults living with daily smokers were described by using complicated sampling weighting method, the related factors were analyzed and the results were compared with the data of COPD surveillance during 2014-2015. Results: The passive smoking exposure rate in the adults aged ≥40 years was 46.4% (95%CI: 44.1%-48.8%) in China during 2019-2020, and the rate was higher in women (47.2%, 95%CI:44.8%-49.7%) than in men (44.8%, 95%CI:42.0%-47.6%) and lower in the older people. The office workers had the highest passive smoking exposure rate. The proportions of those reporting passive smoking exposure at homes, workplaces, restaurants, and public transports were 24.3% (95%CI:22.2%-26.4%)、23.3% (95%CI:21.1%-25.5%)、6.6% (95%CI:5.3%-7.9%) and 2.2% (95%CI:1.6%-2.7%). The higher education level the adults had, the less passive smoking exposure at home they reported. The proportions of those living with daily smokers before 14 years old and since 14 years old were 56.4% and 59.2%. Compared with the data during 2014-2015, the overall passive smoking exposure rate in the adults aged ≥40 years during 2019-2020 showed an increase, and the difference was not significant (P=0.356); The passive smoking exposure rate at homes declined, but the exposure rate at workplaces increased, with the biggest increase found in those being engaged in farming, forestry, husbandry, fishery and water conservancy. Multivariate analysis indicated that the factors influencing the passive smoking exposure and the exposure proportions at different places included gender, age, occupation, and education level. Conclusions: The passive smoking exposure rate in China is still high, especially in those being engaged in farming, forestry, husbandry, fishery and water conservancy. It is necessary to strengthen supervision of the enforcement of current smoking bans in public places and promote the legislation of ban smoking in public places. More attention should be paid to smoking ban and protection against passive smoking exposure in women, people with lower education level and people being engaged in in farming, forestry, husbandry, fishery and water conservancy.

[Prevalence of exposure to household cooking oil fumes in women aged 40 years and older in China, 2019].

Objective: To understand the prevalence of exposure to household cooking oil fumes in women ≥40 years old. Methods: The data were from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Surveillance in China during 2019-2020, which selected permanent residents ≥40 years old from 125 counties (districts) in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across the country by multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. The relevant demographic information and cooking oil fumes were collected by face-to-face interview. Our study served 37 164 women with complete cooking practice information as the subject. After complex sample weighting, we analyzed the prevalence of cooking oil fumes exposure in women from cooking time, kitchen characteristics, and Self-reported cooking oil fumes exposure. Results: In 2019, 83.9% (95%CI: 82.1%-85.7%) and 4.5% (95%CI: 3.8%-5.2%) of Chinese women ≥40 years old cooked daily and often, respectively. The average daily cooking duration is 1.8 hours/day, 31.1% of women who cooked daily more than 2.0 hours, and the average cumulative cooking years of cooking women were 32.8 years. 79.3% of cooking women used ventilation devices, and 3.2% cooked in the living room. 8.9% and 7.2% of cooking women in south China and northwest China cooked in the living room, significantly higher than in other regions (P=0.036). The self-reported exposure rate to cooking oil fumes was 81.0% (95%CI: 79.3%-82.7%). Rural, older, lower education level and women engaged in agriculture had a higher proportion of cooking daily, average daily cooking duration, cumulative cooking years, the proportion of cooking in the living room, and rate of self-reported cooking oil fumes exposure, but a lower proportion of using ventilation devices during cooking (P<0.001). Conclusions: The exposure to household cooking oil fumes was serious in Chinese women, and some women still did not take any ventilation measures when cooking. More attention should be paid to the exposure to home cooking oil fumes and its health hazards in women, especially those with lower socioeconomic status.

[Relationship between macular hole cavity cross-sectional area and retinal blood flow density and its impact on retinal function in idiopathic macular holes].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the cross-sectional area of the macular hole (MH) cavity and the blood flow density in different retinal layers, as well as the impact of cavity size on preoperative and postoperative retinal function in patients with idiopathic macular holes (IMH). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Clinical data were collected from 18 patients (18 eyes) diagnosed with IMH who underwent vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling at Shanxi Eye Hospital affiliated to Shanxi Medical University from August 2019 to December 2021. Visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) were performed preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Blood flow density data were collected for the overall retina, macular center fovea, and parafoveal regions, and the cavity cross-sectional area was measured using ImageJ software. Ten healthy subjects without retinal abnormalities who underwent mfERG at Shanxi Eye Hospital affiliated to Shanxi Medical University during the same period were included as a control group. One eye was randomly selected for each subject, with 5 left eyes and 5 right eyes. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: All 18 IMH patients had unilateral disease, including 3 males and 15 females, with an average age of (64.22±4.33) years and a duration of illness of 75 (38, 120) days. In the control group, consisting of 10 subjects, 4 were male and 6 were female, with an average age of (63.67±6.96) years. Preoperatively, all 18 affected eyes exhibited a macular hole cavity, which closed and disappeared one month postoperatively. The total cavity cross-sectional area was (4.84±2.28) mm2, with an average area of (0.27±0.13) mm2. The cavity cross-sectional area was positively correlated with the MH height (r=0.82, P<0.001), ellipsoid zone disruption diameter (r=0.74, P<0.001), and preoperative BCVA (r=0.62, P=0.006). The cavity cross-sectional area was positively correlated with the blood flow density of the superficial macular center fovea (r=0.47, P=0.049) and negatively correlated with the blood flow density of the deep retina (r=-0.50, P=0.033) and deep parafoveal blood flow density (r=-0.65, P=0.003). Compared to healthy eyes in the control group, IMH eyes showed decreased amplitudes of P1 and N1 waves in mfERG, prolonged P1 wave latency except at ring 1 (2.18° outward from the foveal center), and prolonged N1 wave latency except at ring 2 (7.46° outward from the foveal center) and 5 (29.75° outward from the foveal center) (all P<0.05). The cavity cross-sectional area was only related to the preoperative latency of the N1 wave at ring 2 (r=0.64, P=0.004) and had an effect on the changes in the preoperative and postoperative latency of P1 and N1 waves at ring 1 and 5 (F=4.94, 5.96; P=0.042, 0.027). Time changes had no effect on the preoperative and postoperative amplitudes and latencies of mfERG P1 and N1 waves (all P>0.05), but the interaction between cavity cross-sectional area and time had statistical significance for the amplitudes of P1 at ring 1 and N1 at ring 2(F=6.89, 3.76; P=0.003, 0.035). Conclusions: In patients with IMH, a larger macular hole cavity cross-sectional area is associated with lower blood flow density, particularly in the deep parafoveal region, poorer visual acuity, and decreased retinal function at 7.46° outward from the foveal center.

[The value of T2 mapping for evaluating the pathological type, grade and depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the value of T2 map and synthetic T2WI generated by T2 mapping in evaluating the histological type, pathological classification and depth of myometrial invasion of endometrial carcinoma (EC). Methods: Seventy-three patients with pathologically proven EC diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 2019 to December 2021 and 42 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. All subjects underwent conventional MRI, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and T2 mapping sequence for the pelvic cavity to test the T2 values and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the focus nidus of the patients and the normal endometrium of the volunteers. The T2 and ADC values of EC vs normal endometrium, and those of different histological types and pathological grades were compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of T2 and ADC values in determining the pathological type and classification of EC. In addition, two radiologists used synthetic T2WI combined with T2 map and conventional T2WI combined with DWI, respectively, to evaluate the depth of myometrial invasion, and compared the imaging results with the results of pathological diagnosis to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the two methods in determining the depth of myometrial invasion. Results: The T2 and ADC values of endometrial carcinoma were 85.0 (80.8, 92.5) ms and 0.71 (0.64, 0.77) ×10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of normal endometrium [147.4 (123.4, 176.7) ms and 1.46 (1.26, 1.76)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively; both P<0.05]. The T2 values of endometrioid carcinoma (EA) [84.1 (79.5, 88.7) ms] were significantly lower than those of non-EA [98.8 (92.1, 102.8) ms; P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in ADC values between EA and non-EA (P=0.075). The T2 values of G1, G2 and G3 groups in EA were 89.1 (84.4, 94.4) ms, 83.6 (80.9, 86.2) ms, and 76.5 (71.4, 80.3) ms, respectively. There were significant differences in the T2 values between G1 vs G2, G1 vs G3, and G2 vs G3 groups, respectively (all P<0.017). Significant difference was also found in the ADC values between the G1 and G3 groups (P<0.017). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of T2 values in distinguishing EA from non-EA was 0.867. The AUC of T2 values, ADC values and their combination in predicting high-grade EA was 0.888, 0.730 and 0.895, respectively. The accuracy of synthetic T2WI+ T2 map and conventional T2WI+ DWI in the diagnosis of deep myometrial invasion was 78.1% and 79.5%, respectively, with no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusions: T2 mapping has great potential in preoperative evaluation of EC. The quantitative T2 value can be used in the diagnosis, pathological classification and grading of EC. The combination of synthetic T2WI and T2 map may be helpful to determine the depth of myometrial invasion.

[Research progress and application prospect of stem cells in inflamed dental tissues on periodontal bone regeneration].

Tissue engineering has become a research hotspot regarding periodontal bone regeneration in recent years. Generally, stem cells used in periodontal tissue engineering are derived from healthy dental tissues, while restricted due to the strict indication of tooth extraction and limited sources. Stem cells in inflamed dental tissues mainly derive from inflamed pulp, periapical and periodontal tissues. Stem cells in inflamed dental tissues are abundant and retain most of the basic characteristics of stem cell compared with the ones derived from healthy dental tissues, which can be a promising source of stem cells for periodontal bone regeneration. In this review, we summarize the current application and prospect of stem cells in inflamed dental tissues on periodontal bone regeneration, and then discuss their feasibility as seed cells, in order to provide a reference for future research and clinical application of stem cells in inflamed dental tissues.

Therapeutic effects and safety of apatinib mesylate on patients with gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis in SOX scheme.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic values of serum tumor markers in gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis and the therapeutic efficacy as well as safety of apatinib mesylate combined with Geo+Oxaliplatin (SOX) scheme treatment in gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis and 11 patients without gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis were selected as the research subjects. The levels of serum tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125, CA211, CA242, CA724, and CA19-9] and abdominal irrigating solution exosome [micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-21 and miR-320c] and the differences in their diagnostic values were compared and analyzed. The patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastases are then divided into two groups, one for control (30 cases receiving just SOX scheme treatment) and the other for the experiment (30 cases receiving SOX scheme treatment plus apatinib mesylate). Besides, the differences in serum tumor marker level, therapeutic efficacy, overall survival (OS), complication rating, and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core-30 (QLQ-C30) score among patients after treatment were compared. RESULTS: Demonstrated that serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125, CA211, CA242, CA724, and CA19-9 levels of patients in the transfer group were remarkably enhanced compared with those of patients in the non-transfer group, and the levels of abdominal irrigating solution exosome (miR-21 and miR-320c) were reduced compared with those in non-transfer group (p<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of the diagnosis of gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis by each index were 0.553, 0.880, 0.832, 0.619, 0.863, 0.651, 0.918, and 0.903, respectively. Patients in the experimental group's serum levels of CEA, CA125, CA211, CA242, CA724, and CA19-9 were noticeably lower after therapy compared to those in the control group, and their median OS was also noticeably longer (p<0.05). After treatment, the objective remission rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the control group and experimental group amounted to 6.7% vs. 30.0% and 50.0% vs. 86.7%, respectively. ORR and DCR of the experimental group were notably higher (p<0.05). Between the patients in the control group and the experimental group, there were no glaring variations in the frequency of problems (hypertension, nausea, vomiting, bone marrow suppression, hand-foot syndrome, and leucopenia) (p>0.05). The cognitive function, emotional function, and life health scores of patients in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05), which suggested that serum tumor markers and miR-21 as well as miR-320c showed high diagnostic efficiency in gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Apatinib mesylate combined with SOX scheme treatment was more effective in treating gastric carcinoma peritoneal metastasis and possessed the same safety as single SOX scheme treatment. Hence, it is worthy of clinical promotion.

[Establishment of induced pluripotent stem cell model of Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome mutated in TREX1].

To establish and identify induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients with Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) with TREX1 gene 667G>A mutation, and obtain a specific induced pluripotent stem cell model for Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS-iPSCs). A 3-year-old male child with Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome was admitted to Zhongshan People's Hospital in December 2020. After obtaining the informed consent of the patient's family members, 5 ml peripheral blood samples from the patient were collected, and mononuclear cells were isolated. Then,the peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) were transduced with OCT3/4, SOX2, c-Myc and Klf4 by using Sendai virus, and PBMCs were reprogrammed into iPSCs. The pluripotency and differentiation ability of the cells were identified by cellular morphological analysis, real-time PCR, alkaline phosphatase staining (AP), immunofluorescence, teratoma formation experiments in mice. The results showed that the induced pluripotent stem cell line of Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome was successfully constructed and showed typical embryonic stem-like morphology after stable passage, RT-PCR showed mRNA expression of stem cell markers, AP staining was positive, OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, SSEA4, TRA-1-81 and TRA-1-60 pluripotency marker proteins were strongly expressed. In vivo teratoma formation experiments showed that iPSCs differentiate into the ectoderm (neural tube like tissue), mesoderm (vascular wall tissue) and endoderm (glandular tissue). Karyotype analysis also confirmed that iPSCs still maintained the original karyotype (46, XY). In conclusion, induced pluripotent stem cell line for Aicardi-Goutières syndrome was successfully established using Sendai virus, which provided an important model platform for studying the pathogenesis of the disease and for drug screening.

[Prevalence of smoking in adults aged 40 years and above in China, 2019-2020].

Objective: To understand the prevalence of smoking and its change in adults aged ≥40 years in China and provide evidence for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevention and control strategies. Methods: The data of this study were obtained from COPD surveillance in China during 2014-2015 and during 2019-2020. The surveillance covered 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). A multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling were used to select residents aged ≥40 years, and face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect the information about their tobacco use. After complex sampling weighting of the samples, the current smoking rate, average age to start smoking and average daily cigarette consumption of people with different characteristics during 2019-2020 were estimated, and the changes in the current smoking rate and average daily cigarette consumption were analyzed from 2014-2015 to 2019-2020. Results: During 2019-2020, the current smoking rate in adults aged ≥40 years was 27.2%, and the rate was much higher in men (52.1%) than in women (2.5%).The average age of the smokers to start smoking was 20.0 years old, and men usually started smoking at younger age (19.6 years) compared with women (27.9 years). The average daily cigarette consumption of daily smokers was 18.0 sticks, and the consumption of men (18.3 cigarettes) was higher than that of women (11.1 cigarettes). Compared with the surveillance results during 2014-2015, the current smoking rate had decreased by 2.8 percentage points in the general population, 4.1 percentage points in males, 1.6 percentage points in females, and the urban and rural areas fell by 3.1 percentage points and 2.5 percentage points, respectively. The average daily cigarette consumption decreased by 0.6 sticks. Conclusions: In recent years, the current smoking rate and average daily cigarette consumption in adults aged ≥40 years decreased in China, but smoking is still common in more than quarter of this population and more than half of men aged ≥40 years. It is necessary to take targeted tobacco control measures based on population and regional characteristics to further reduce the smoking level of the population.

Potential biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment of HCC immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: The liver is a unique organ containing large populations of immune cells. Immunotherapy for liver cancer is a promising yet particularly challenging method. Therefore, it harbors great significance for the identification of immune-related subtypes and the potential therapeutic targets for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, we classified the HCC samples downloaded from the dataset of Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) into two clusters based on the immune cell infiltration. Thereafter, we identified the significant module and regulatory factors using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The immune competence of the regulatory factors was delineated through the ESTIMATE algorithm, the analysis of the tumor microenvironment, and pan-cancer analysis. In the single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, we further explored the immune competence of regulatory factors. We also collected the potential drugs targeting the regulatory factors. In addition, we constructed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction regulatory networks. Finally, western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were conducted to verify the protein expression of regulatory genes in HCC cell lines and tissues. RESULTS: According to the immune cell infiltration, two immune-related subtypes-cluster 1 and cluster 2-were found. Patients in cluster 2 had a more significant immune infiltration than in cluster 1. Afterward, six significant regulatory genes were identified through WGCNA, and the expression in cluster 2 was high in cluster 1. We performed a comprehensive analysis to clarify the immune signature. The results showed that the six genes had significant immunological competence. Moreover, the expression of the six genes was similar to the subtypes' classification. In the analysis of the prognosis value, patients in cluster 2 had a better prognosis. In addition, the lncRNA in the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction regulatory networks was located in the nucleus and cytoplasm. In the single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, the six genes were related to the immune cell. We also identified potential drugs for CD6 and CLEC12A, which may provide potential therapeutic drugs. Finally, the regulatory genes were verified in the western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The classification into two clusters based on the immune cell infiltration may provide a promising prospect for HCC through immunotherapy. The six regulatory genes may be potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of HCC.

[Progress in research of prophylactic therapy in contacts of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis patients].

Tuberculosis (TB) prophylactic therapy for latent infection, which can reduce the risk for the development of active TB, is an important measure in TB control. China recommends prophylactic therapy for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in some key populations to reduce the risk for TB. Contacts of patients with multi-drug and rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) are at high risk for the infection with drug-resistant pathogen, however, no unified prophylactic therapy regimen has been recommended for LTBI due to exposure to MDR/RR-TB patients. This paper summarizes the current MDR/RR-TB prophylactic therapy regimen and its protection effect based on the results of the retrieval of literature, guidelines, expert consensus and technical specifications to provide reference for the prevention and control of LTBI.

[Establishment and application of quantitative immunoassay method based on stable element labeling and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry].

Objective: To establish a quantitative immunoassay method based on stable element labeling and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the detection of serum amyloid A (SAA) and evaluate its performance. Methods: An immunoassay system based on sandwich method was established with magnetic bead as carrier and holmium (Ho) as element tags. The binding ratio of hydrophilic streptavidin magnetic beads and biotinylated antibody, the amount of elemental antibody, and the reaction time were optimized to choose the optimal reaction conditions. According to the documents of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), the analytical performance was evaluated, including the limit of blank (LOB), linearity, accuracy, specificity, imprecision and interference test. Finally, 82 SAA plasma samples were collected after the turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay, and the newly established method was used for detection. Moreover, the detection results of the two methods were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The optimal binding ratio of hydrophilic streptavidin and biotinylated antibody was 1∶0.15, the amount of Ho-labeled antibody was 3 µl and the incubation time of the two reaction steps was 40 min and 30 min, respectively. The LOB was 0.6 ng/ml. The linearity was good within the range of 0-1 200 µg/L (R2=0.998 9, P<0.001). The inter-batch precision of high-value samples and low-value samples was 9.42% and 7.95%, respectively, and the intra-batch precision was 14.56% and 13.56%, respectively. The recovery was 96.01%-104.76%. The cross-reaction rates with procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were 0.45% and 0.015%, respectively. When the concentration of triglyceride≤35.5 mg/L, bilirubin≤0.52 mg/L and hemoglobin≤2.4 g/L, the interference bias was less than 10%. The results of 82 SAA plasma samples were 12.65 (4.45, 59.03) mg/L by ICP-MS immunoassay and 18.23 (9.33, 68.72) mg/L by turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay, respectively. The newly established system was well correlated with turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay (R2=0.983, P<0.001). Conclusion: The quantitative immunoassay for SAA with Ho as marker established in this study has high precision, good accuracy, high specificity, and wide linear range, which can meet the clinical testing requirements.