Improved unilateral puncture PVP based on 3D printing technology for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical effect of unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) combined with 3D printing technology for the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fracture.@*METHODS@#A total of 77 patients with thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures from October 2020 to April 2022 were included in the study, all of which were vertebral body compression fractures caused by trauma. According to different treatment methods, they were divided into experimental group and control group. Thirty-two patients used 3D printing technology to improve unilateral transpedicle puncture vertebroplasty in the experimental group, there were 5 males and 27 females, aged from 63 to 91 years old with an average of (77.59±8.75) years old. Forty-five patients were treated with traditional bilateral pedicle puncture vertebroplasty, including 7 males and 38 females, aged from 60 to 88 years old with an average of(74.89±7.37) years old. Operation time, intraoperative C-arm X-ray times, anesthetic dosage, bone cement injection amount, bone cement diffusion good and good rate, complications, vertebral height, kyphotic angle (Cobb angle), visual analogue scale(VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and other indicators were recorded before and after surgery, and statistically analyzed.@*RESULTS@#All patients were followed up for 6 to 23 months, with preoperative imaging studies, confirmed for thoracolumbar osteoporosis compression fractures, two groups of patients with postoperative complications, no special two groups of patients' age, gender, body mass index (BMI), time were injured, the injured vertebral distribution had no statistical difference(P>0.05), comparable data. Two groups of patients with bone cement injection, bone cement dispersion rate, preoperative and postoperative vertebral body height, protruding after spine angle(Cobb angle), VAS, ODI had no statistical difference(P>0.05). The operative time, intraoperative fluoroscopy times and anesthetic dosage were statistically different between the two groups(P<0.05). Compared with the traditional bilateral puncture group, the modified unilateral puncture group combined with 3D printing technology had shorter operation time, fewer intraoperative fluoroscopy times and less anesthetic dosage. The height of anterior vertebral edge, kyphosis angle (Cobb angle), VAS score and ODI of the affected vertebrae were statistically different between two groups at each time point after surgery(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#In the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures, 3D printing technology is used to improve unilateral puncture PVP, which is convenient and simple, less trauma, short operation time, fewer fluoroscopy times, satisfactory distribution of bone cement, vertebral height recovery and kyphotic Angle correction, and good functional improvement.

Discovery of proqodine A derivatives with antitumor activity targeting NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase / 中国天然药物

NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a flavin protease highly expressed in various cancer cells. NQO1 catalyzes a futile redox cycle in substrates, leading to substantial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This ROS generation results in extensive DNA damage and elevated poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)-mediated consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), ultimately causing cell death. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD+ salvage synthesis pathway, emerges as a critical target in cancer therapy. The concurrent inhibition of NQO1 and NAMPT triggers hyperactivation of PARP1 and intensive NAD+ depletion. In this study, we designed, synthesized, and assessed a novel series of proqodine A derivatives targeting both NQO1 and NAMPT. Among these, compound T8 demonstrated potent antitumor properties. Specifically, T8 selectively inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and induced apoptosis through mechanisms dependent on both NQO1 and NAMPT. This discovery offers a promising new molecular entity for advancing anticancer research.

Curative Effect Observation of Burosumab for Children and Adults with X-Linked Hypophosphatemicrickets / 罕见病研究

We studied the patients diagnosed with X-linked hypophosphatemicrickets(XLH) and treated with burosumab in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2021 to December 2022. In addition, we described the clinical characteristics of the patients, the changes of clinical indexes before and after burosumab treatment, and the adverse drug reactions during treatment. We also evaluated the efficacy and safety of burosumab for XLH. The results showed that three children XLH patients and one adult XLH patients received burosumab treatment. After treatment, the serum phosphorus level of all patients increased; the serum phosphorus of 3 children patients increased above the lower limit of the reference value range; the serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP) of all patients was lower than that of before treatment; the serum ALP of one adult patient was close to the normal range after 2.5 years of treatment. One child patient showed small crystals in kidney through ultrasound 48 weeks after treatment; one child and one adult showed increased serum parathyroid hormone(PTH)level before treatment and serum PTH continued increasing after treatment. Finally, it may be concluded that burosumab increased serum phosphorus levels in XLH patients, kept the level relatively stable, and reduced serum ALP levels. No serious adverse reactions occurred during treatment, in order to provide reference for the use of burosumab in patients with XLH.

Relationship Among Fungal Diversity at Different Levels of Root System of Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata， Soil Properties， and Main Components of Medicinal Materials in Lithosol Habitats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the interaction among root fungi of Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata， soil factors， and main components of medicinal materials in lithosol habitats. MethodHigh-throughput sequencing technology was employed to determine the fungal community of the root system of S. dichotoma var. lanceolata at different levels （bulk soil， rhizosphere soil， rhizoplane soil， and root interior） and the soil properties of the root system （bulk and rhizosphere）， and the relationship among the fungal community， soil properties， and the main components of medicinal materials was analyzed. ResultThe total phosphorus， available phosphorus， alkaline nitrogen， dissolved organic carbon， and soil water content in the rhizosphere soil of S. dichotoma var. lanceolata were slightly higher than those in the rhizosphere， but the difference was not significant. Ascomycota is the dominant phylum of root fungi in S. dichotoma var. lanceolata. In the progressive level of bulk-rhizosphere-rhizoplane-root interior system， although the fungal diversity gradually decreased， the abundance of Hypocreales， a new phylum （unclassified_ k_ Fungi）， Helotiales， and Natipusilales gradually increased， among which Hypocreales is the most important fungal group in the root system of S. dichotoma var. lanceolata. The structural equation model （SEM） shows that the physicochemical factors of the root-soil play an important regulatory role in the fungal community and the main components of medicinal herbs， with soil total nitrogen， alkaline nitrogen， soil water content， and pH being the main regulatory factors. Soil nitrogen content is the key to promoting the main components of the medicinal herbs， and Penicillium fungi are the key fungal group to regulate the main components of the medicinal herbs. ConclusionIt highlights that the physicochemical properties of the soil of S. dichotoma var. lanceolata play a crucial role in the fungal community and the components of medicinal materials. Hypocreales fungi in the root of S. dichotoma var. lanceolata were an important group， and Penicillium fungi had a certain role in mediating the components of medicinal materials.

A case of pancreatic cancer treated with chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy and targeted therapy / 浙江大学学报·医学版

A 68-year-old male was admitted due to fatigue and poor appetite and diagnosed pathologically as pancreatic adenocarcinoma with liver metastasis. The tumor marker carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) level was 2003.4 U/mL. The patient received two cycles of modified FOLFIRINOX plus immune checkpoint inhibitor (penpulimab). However, the tumor did not shrink and CA199 level was even higher. Anlotinib was added from the 3rd cycle, and the size of primary tumor and metastatic lesions were significantly reduced. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy as well as liver metastasis resection was performed. Three cycles of combined therapy were adopted after surgery followed by maintenance therapy with anlotinib plus penpulimab. There was no evidence of tumor recurrence during the follow-up (nearly 19 months since diagnosis).

Construction of a predictive model for performing bronchoalveolar lavage in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and pulmonary consolidation / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the risk factors for performing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and pulmonary consolidation, and to construct a predictive model for performing BAL in these children.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 202 children with MPP who were hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics, Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, from August 2019 to September 2022. According to whether BAL was performed, they were divided into BAL group with 100 children and non-BAL group with 102 children. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for performing BAL in MPP children with pulmonary consolidation. Rstudio software (R4.2.3) was used to establish a predictive model for performing BAL, and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, C-index, and calibration curve were used to assess the predictive performance of the model.@*RESULTS@#The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the fever duration, C-reactive protein levels, D-dimer levels, and presence of pleural effusion were risk factors for performing BAL in MPP children with pulmonary consolidation (P<0.05). A nomogram predictive model was established based on the results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis. In the training set, this model had an area under the ROC curve of 0.915 (95%CI: 0.827-0.938), with a sensitivity of 0.826 and a specificity of 0.875, while in the validation set, it had an area under the ROC curve of 0.983 (95%CI: 0.912-0.996), with a sensitivity of 0.879 and a specificity of 1.000. The Bootstrap-corrected C-index was 0.952 (95%CI: 0.901-0.986), and the calibration curve demonstrated good consistency between the predicted probability of the model and the actual probability of occurrence.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The predictive model established in this study can be used to assess the likelihood of performing BAL in MPP children with pulmonary consolidation, based on factors such as fever duration, C-reactive protein levels, D-dimer levels, and the presence of pleural effusion. Additionally, the model demonstrates good predictive performance.

Research and development practice of traditional Chinese medicine based on network target theory and technology / 中国中药杂志

Network targets theory and technology have transcended the limitations of the "single gene, single target" model, aiming to decipher the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) based on biological network from the perspective of informatics and system. As the core of TCM network pharmacology, with the development of computer science and high-throughput experimental techniques, the network target theory and technology are beginning to exhibit a trend of organic integration with artificial intelligence technology and high-throughput multi-modal multi-omics experimental techniques. Taking the network target analysis of TCM like Yinqiao Qingre Tablets as a typical case, network target theory and technology have achieved the systematic construction, in-depth analysis, and high-throughput multi-modal multi-omics validation of multi-level biological networks spanning from traditional Chinese and Western phenotypes to tissues, cells, molecules, and traditional Chinese and Western medicines. This development helps to address critical issues in the analysis of mechanisms of TCM, including the discovery of key targets, identification of functional components, discovery of synergistic effects among compound ingredients, and elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of formulae. It provides powerful theoretical and technological support for advancing clinical precision diagnosis and treatment, precise positioning of TCM, and precise research and development of TCM. Thus, a new paradigm of TCM research gradually emerges, combining big data and artificial intelligence(AI) with the integration of human experience and scientific evidence.

Prediction of quality markers and medicinal value of sea buckthorn leaves based on network pharmacology, content determination, and activity evaluation / 中国中药杂志

The leaves of sea buckthorn(Hippophae rhamnoides), considered as common food raw materials, have records of medicinal use and diverse pharmacological activities, showing a potential medicinal value. However, the active substances in the sea buckthorn leaves and their mechanisms of action remain unclear. In addition, due to the extensive source and large variety variations, the quality evaluation criteria of sea buckthorn leaves remain to be developed. To solve the problems, this study predicted the main active components, core targets, key pathways, and potential pharmacological effects of sea buckthorn leaves by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Furthermore, ultra-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection(UPLC-DAD) was employed to determine the content of active components and establish the chemical fingerprint, on the basis of which the quality markers of sea buckthorn leaves were predicted and then verified by the enzyme activity inhibition method. The results indicated that sea buckthorn leaves had potential therapeutic effects on a variety of digestive tract diseases, metabolic diseases, tumors, and autoimmune diseases, which were consistent with the ancient records and the results of modern pharmacological studies. The core targets of sea buckthorn leaves included PTPN11, AKT1, PIK3R1, ESR1, and SRC, which were mainly involved in the PI3K-AKT, MAPK, and HIF-1 signaling pathways. In conclusion, the active components of sea buckthorn leaves are associated with the rich flavonoids and tannins, among which quercitrin, narcissoside, and ellagic acid can be used as the quality markers of sea buckthorn leaves. The findings provide a reference for the quality control and further development and utilization of sea buckthorn leaves as medicinal materials.

Origin identification of Polygonatum cyrtonema based on hyperspectral data / 中国中药杂志

In this study, visual-near infrared(VNIR), short-wave infrared(SWIR), and VNIR + SWIR fusion hyperspectral data of Polygonatum cyrtonema from different geographical origins were collected and preprocessed by first derivative(FD), second derivative(SD), Savitzky-Golay smoothing(S-G), standard normalized variate(SNV), multiplicative scatter correction(MSC), FD+S-G, and SD+S-G. Three algorithms, namely random forest(RF), linear support vector classification(LinearSVC), and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), were used to establish the identification models of P. cyrtonema origin from three spatial scales, i.e., province, county, and township, respectively. Successive projection algorithm(SPA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling(CARS) were used to screen the characteristic bands, and the P. cyrtonema origin identification models were established according to the selected characteristic bands. The results showed that(1)after FD preprocessing of VNIR+SWIR fusion hyperspectral data, the accuracy of recognition models established using LinearSVC was the highest, reaching 99.97% and 99.82% in the province origin identification model, 100.00% and 99.46% in the county origin identification model, and 99.62% and 98.39% in the township origin identification model. The accuracy of province, county, and township origin identification models reached more than 98.00%.(2)Among the 26 characteristic bands selected by CARS, after FD pretreatment, the accuracy of origin identification models of different spatial scales was the highest using LinearSVC, reaching 98.59% and 97.05% in the province origin identification model, 97.79% and 94.75% in the county origin identification model, and 90.13% and 87.95% in the township origin identification model. The accuracy of identification models of different spatial scales established by 26 characteristic bands reached more than 87.00%. The results show that hyperspectral imaging technology can realize accurate identification of P. cyrtonema origin from different spatial scales.

Origin identification of Poria cocos based on hyperspectral imaging technology / 中国中药杂志

To realize the non-destructive and rapid origin discrimination of Poria cocos in batches, this study established the P. cocos origin recognition model based on hyperspectral imaging combined with machine learning. P. cocos samples from Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Henan and Yunnan were used as the research objects. Hyperspectral data were collected in the visible and near infrared band(V-band, 410-990 nm) and shortwave infrared band(S-band, 950-2 500 nm). The original spectral data were divided into S-band, V-band and full-band. With the original data(RD) of different bands, multiplicative scatter correction(MSC), standard normal variation(SNV), S-G smoothing(SGS), first derivative(FD), second derivative(SD) and other pretreatments were carried out. Then the data were classified according to three different types of producing areas: province, county and batch. The origin identification model was established by partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and linear support vector machine(LinearSVC). Finally, confusion matrix was employed to evaluate the optimal model, with F1 score as the evaluation standard. The results revealed that the origin identification model established by FD combined with LinearSVC had the highest prediction accuracy in full-band range classified by province, V-band range by county and full-band range by batch, which were 99.28%, 98.55% and 97.45%, respectively, and the overall F1 scores of these three models were 99.16%, 98.59% and 97.58%, respectively, indicating excellent performance of these models. Therefore, hyperspectral imaging combined with LinearSVC can realize the non-destructive, accurate and rapid identification of P. cocos from different producing areas in batches, which is conducive to the directional research and production of P. cocos.

Rapid detection technology of chemical component content in Lycii Fructus based on hyperspectral technology / 中国中药杂志

This Fructus,study including and aimed to construct a rapid and nondestructive detection flavonoid,model betaine,for and of the content vitamin of(Vit four four quality C).index components Lycium barbarum polysaccharide,of inL ycii rawma total and C Hyperspectral data quantitative of terials modelswere powder developed Lycii using Fructus partial were squares effects collected,regression raw based LSR),on the support content vector the above components,the forest least(P regression compared,(SVR),the and effects random three regression(RFR)were algorithms.also The Four spectral predictive commonly data of the materialsand powder were were applied and of spectral quantitative for models reduction.compared.used were pre-processing screened methods feature to successive pre-process projection the raw algorithm data(SPA),noise competitive Thepre-processed for bands using adaptive reweigh ted sampling howed(CARS),the and maximal effects relevance based and raw minimal materials redundancy and(MRMR)were algorithms Following to optimize multiplicative the models.scatter The correction Based resultss(MS that prediction SPA on feature the powder prediction similar.PLSR C)denoising sproposed and integrated for model,screening the the coefficient bands,determination the effect(R_C~2)of(MSC-SPA-PLSR)coefficient was optimal.of on(R_P~2)thi of of calibration flavonoid,and and of all determination greater prediction0.83,L.barbarum inconte nt prediction of polysaccharide,total mean betaine,of Vit C were than smallest In the compared study,root with mean other prediction content squareserror models of the calibration(RMSEC)residual and deviation root squares was error2.46,prediction2.58,(RMSEP)and were the,and prediction(RPD)2.50,developed3.58,achieve respectively.rapid this the the quality mod el(MSC-SPA-PLSR)fourcomponents based Fructus,on hyperspectral which technology was approach to rapid and effective detection detection of the of Lycii in Lycii provided a new to the and nondestructive of of Fructus.

Intelligent diagnostic model of keratoconus based on deep learning algorithm / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To establish an intelligent diagnostic model of keratoconus for small-diameter corneas by data mining and analysis of patients' clinical data.METHODS: Diagnostic study. A total of 830 patients(830 eyes)were collected, including 338 male(338 eyes)and 492 female(492 eyes), with an average age of 14-36(23.19±5.71)years. Among them, 731 patients(731 eyes)had undergone corneal refractive surgery at Chongqing Nanping Aier Eye Hospital from January 2020 to March 2022, and 99 patients had a diagnosed keratoconus from January 2015 to March 2022. Corneal diameter ≤11.1 mm was measured by Pentacam in all patients. Two cornea specialists classified patients' data into normal corneas, suspect keratoconus, and keratoconus groups based on the Belin/Ambrósio enhanced ectasia display(BAD)system in Pentacam. The data of 665 patients were randomly selected as the training set and the other 165 patients as the validation set by computer random sampling method. Seven parametric corneal features were extracted by convolutional neural networks(CNN), and the models were built by Residual Network(ResNet), Vision Transformer(ViT), and CNN+Transformer, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of models was verified by cross-entropy loss and cross-validation method. In addition, sensitivity and specificity were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve.RESULTS: The accuracy of ResNet, ViT, and CNN+Transfermer for the diagnosis of normal cornea and suspect keratoconus was 85.57%, 86.11%, and 86.54% respectively, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)was 0.823, 0.830 and 0.842 respectively. The accuracy of models for the diagnosis of suspect keratoconus and keratoconus was 97.22%, 95.83%, and 98.61%, respectively, and the AUC was 0.951, 0.939, and 0.988 respectively.CONCLUSION: For corneas ≤11.1 mm in diameter, the data model established by CNN+Transformer has a high accuracy rate for classifying keratoconus, which provides real and effective guidance for early screening.

Medicinal evolution and modern research progress on Mume Fructus / 中国中药杂志

Prunus mume is an edible and medicinal material, and Mume Fructus is its processed product, which was first recorded in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica(Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing). It is an effective drug for stopping diarrhea with astringents and promoting fluid production to quiet ascaris. By consulting the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties, modern codes, and other rela-ted literature, this paper sorted out the medicinal evolution of Mume Fructus, examined the ancient efficacy of Mume Fructus and the main indications, and summarized the inclusion of Mume Fructus in national and provincial standards. It is recorded in the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties that Mume Fructus can be processed by various methods such as roasting, stir-frying or micro-frying, stir-frying with charcoal, single steaming, steaming with wine, and steaming after soaking in wine or vinegar, and prepared into pills, powders, and ointments, which are used in the treatment of fatigue, diabetes, malaria, dysentery, ascariasis, and other diseases. Mume Fructus has been included in nine editions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia and 19 provincial and municipal preparation specifications. The processing method of Mume Fructus is determined, namely, clean P. mume should be softened by moistening in water or steaming and pitted. By reviewing the effects of processing on its chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and its modern clinical application, this paper identified the following issues. The ancient application methods of Mume Fructus are diverse but less commonly used in modern times, there is a lack of standardized research on the processing, and the research on the changes caused by the difference in Mume Fructus before and after processing is not deep. Therefore, it is necessary to further investigate the change pattern of its chemical composition before and after processing and its correlation between its medicinal activity to standardize the processing technology and provide a solid basis for the use of Mume Fructus in parts and its quality control.

Common diseases and drug use of Pseudostellaria heterophylla / 中国中药杂志

Pseudostellaria heterophylla in large-scale cultivation needs to apply pesticides to control diseases, and non-standard use of pesticide may cause excessive pesticide residues in medicinal materials, increasing the risk of clinical medication. To accurately monitor the residual pesticides, this paper investigated the drug use during the process of P. heterophylla disease prevention in 25 P. he-terophylla planting enterprises or individual households in Guizhou province. It was found that there were 8 common diseases in P. he-terophylla planting, including leaf spot, downy mildew, virus disease, root rot, dropping disease, purple feather disease, white silk disease, and damping-off disease. Twenty-three kinds of pesticides were used in disease control, mainly chemical synthetic pesticides, accounting for 78.3%, followed by biological pesticides and mineral pesticides, accounting for 13.0% and 8.7%, respectively. The disease prevention and control drugs were all low-toxic pesticides, and there were no varieties banned in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). However, the pesticides used have not been registered on P. heterophylla, and the excessive use of drugs was serious. The present monitoring of pesticide residues in P. heterophylla is mainly based on traditional pesticides such as organochlorine, organophosphorus, and carbamate, which does not effectively cover the production of drugs and had certain safety risks. It is suggested to speed up the research and registration of drug use in the production of P. heterophylla, increase the use of biological pesticides, and further improve the monitoring indicators of pesticide residues in combination with the actual production of drugs, so as to promote the high-quality development of P. heterophylla industry.

Common diseases and drug use characteristics of Chinese herbal medicines and suggestions / 中国中药杂志

Based on the data of 56 kinds of diseases and drug use in 100 kinds of cultivated Chinese herbal medicines, this paper used frequency analysis method to count the types of diseases and their drug use characteristics, and systematically analyzed the status of drug registration and monitoring standards for disease prevention and control of Chinese herbal medicines. The results showed that 14 diseases such as root rot, powdery mildew, and drooping disease were common in the production of Chinese herbal medicines. Among the 99 pesticides reported, 67.68% were chemically synthesized, 23.23% were biological pesticides, and 9.09% were mineral pesticides. Among the reported pesticides, 92.93% of them were low toxic, with relative safety. However, 70% of the production drugs were not registered in Chinese herbal medicines, and the phenomenon of overdose was serious. The current pesticide residue monitoring standards does not match well with production drugs in China. Although the matching degree between Maximum Residue Limit of Pesticide in Food Safety National Standard(GB 2763-2021) and production drugs is more than 50%, there are few varieties of Chinese herbal medicines covered. The matching degree between Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition), Green Industry Standard of Medicinal Plants and Preparations(WM/T2-2004), and production drugs is only 1.28%. It is suggested to speed up the research and registration of Chinese herbal medicine production and further improve the pesticide residue limit standard combined with the actual production, so as to promote the high-quality development of Chinese herbal medicine industry.

Influencing Factors and Prediction Model of Performance of Needle Visualization in Fine Needle Aspiration of Thyroid Nodules / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the influencing factors and establish a model predicting the performance of needle visualization in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules. Methods This study prospectively included 175 patients who underwent FNA of thyroid nodules in the Department of Ultrasound in China-Japan Friendship Hospital and compared the display of the needle tips in the examination of 199 thyroid nodules before and after the application of needle visualization.We recorded the location,the positional relationship with thyroid capsule,ultrasonic characteristics,and the distribution of the soft tissue strip structure at the puncture site of the nodules with unclear needle tips display before using needle visualization.Furthermore,according to the thyroid imaging reporting and data system proposed by the American College of Radiology,we graded the risk of the nodules.Lasso-Logistic regression was employed to screen out the factors influencing the performance of needle visualization and establish a nomogram for prediction. Results The needle tips were not clearly displayed in the examination of 135 (67.8%) and 53 (26.6%) nodules before and after the application of needle visualization,respectively,which showed a significant difference (P<0.001).Based on the positional relationship between the nodule and capsule,anteroposterior/transverse diameter (A/T) ratio,blood supply,and the distribution of subcutaneous strip structure at the puncture site,a nomogram was established to predict the probability of unclear display of the needle tips after application of needle visualization.The C-index of the prediction model was 0.75 (95%CI=0.67-0.84) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.72.The calibration curve confirmed the appreciable reliability of the prediction model,with the C-index of 0.70 in internal validation. Conclusions Needle visualization can improve the display of the needle tip in ultrasound-guided FNA of thyroid nodules.The nomogram established based on ultrasound features such as the positional relationship between the nodule and capsule,A/T ratio,blood supply,and the distribution of subcutaneous strip structure at the puncture site can predict whether needle visualization is suitable for the examination of nodules.

Evaluation of Extrathyroidal Extension of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma With Three-Dimensional Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To evaluate extrathyroidal extension (ETE) in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) with three-dimensional tomographic ultrasound imaging (3D-TUI). Methods A total of 97 thyroid nodules of 79 patients with PTMC treated in PUMC Hospital from February 2016 to January 2018 were included in this study.Two ultrasound experts performed independent blinded assessment of the relationship between thyroid nodules and thyroid capsule by two-dimensional ultrasound (2D-US) and 3D-TUI.The results of 2D-US and 3D-TUI in evaluating ETE were compared with intraoperative findings and postoperative histological and pathological results. Results Among the 97 nodules,54 (55.7%) nodules had ETE.The diagnostic sensitivity (68.5% vs.37.0%;χ2=10.737,P=0.002),accuracy (74.5% vs.56.7%;χ2=6.686,P=0.015),and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve[0.761 (95%CI=0.677-0.845) vs.0.592 (95%CI=0.504-0.680);Z=3.500,P<0.001] of 3D-TUI were higher than those of 2D-US.However,3D-TUI and 2D-US showed no significant difference in the specificity (84.1% vs.81.4%;χ2=0.081,P=0.776),negative predictive value (67.9% vs.50.7%;χ2=3.645,P=0.066),or positive predictive value (84.1% vs.71.4%;χ2=1.663,P=0.240). Conclusion Compared with 2D-US,3D-TUI demonstrates increased diagnostic efficiency for ETE of PTMC.

Nomogram-Based Prediction of Risk of Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To establish a nomogram for predicting the risk of cervical lymph node metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Methods The patients with complete clinical data of DTC and cervical lymph node ultrasound and diagnosed based on pathological evidence from January 2019 to December 2021 were assigned into a training group (n=444) and a validation group (n=125).Lasso regression was performed to screen the data with differences between groups,and multivariate Logistic regression to establish a prediction model with the factors screened out by Lasso regression.C-index and calibration chart were employed to evaluate the prediction performance of the established model. Results The predictive factors for establishing the model were lymph node short diameter≥0.5 cm,long-to-short-axis ratio<2,disappearance of lymph node hilum,cystic transformation,hyperechogenicity,calcification,and abnormal blood flow (all P<0.001).The established model demonstrated a good discriminative ability,with the C index of 0.938 (95%CI=0.926-0.961) in the training group. Conclusion The nomogram established based on the ultrasound image features of cervical lymph nodes in DTC can accurately predict the risk of cervical lymph node metastasis in DTC.

Advances in Molecular Targeted Ultrasound Contrast Agents / 中国医学科学院学报

In real-time ultrasound,molecular targeted contrast agent is introduced into the blood circulation through peripheral intravenous injection to enhance the imaging signal of target lesions after binding to the corresponding intravascular receptors,which can realize early diagnosis,staging of diseases,assessment of treatment response,and targeted treatment.In addition,molecular targeted ultrasound contrast agents provide a platform for the delivery of drugs and genes via microbubbles,and nanoscale contrast agents can be infiltrated through vascular endothelium into the interstitial space of the lesion for imaging or treatment.The available studies of molecular targeted ultrasound contrast agents mainly focus on the preclinical trials.Some clinical trials have been conducted in humans and preliminarily confirm the safety and feasibility of targeted ultrasound contrast agents.The molecular targeted ultrasound contrast agents enjoy a broad prospect in clinical application.

Screening and identification of a polyurethane-degrading bacterium G-11 and its plastic degradation characteristics / 生物工程学报

Polyurethane (PUR) plastics is widely used because of its unique physical and chemical properties. However, unreasonable disposal of the vast amount of used PUR plastics has caused serious environmental pollution. The efficient degradation and utilization of used PUR plastics by means of microorganisms has become one of the current research hotspots, and efficient PUR degrading microbes are the key to the biological treatment of PUR plastics. In this study, an Impranil DLN-degrading bacteria G-11 was isolated from used PUR plastic samples collected from landfill, and its PUR-degrading characteristics were studied. Strain G-11 was identified as Amycolatopsis sp. through 16S rRNA gene sequence alignment. PUR degradation experiment showed that the weight loss rate of the commercial PUR plastics upon treatment of strain G-11 was 4.67%. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the surface structure of G-11-treated PUR plastics was destroyed with an eroded morphology. Contact angle and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) showed that the hydrophilicity of PUR plastics increased along with decreased thermal stability upon treatment by strain G-11, which were consistent with the weight loss and morphological observation. These results indicated that strain G-11 isolated from landfill has potential application in biodegradation of waste PUR plastics.