Preliminary evaluation of the efficacy and safety of brimonidine for general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: To determine the hypnotic and analgesic effects of brimonidine, and evaluate its efficacy and safety for general anesthesia. Potentiation of pentobarbital sleeping time following brimonidine administration was observed in mice, as was the analgesic activity of brimonidine. METHODS: The median effective dose (ED50) and lethal dose (LD50) of intraperitoneally injected brimonidine were determined in hypnotized mice. In addition, the LD50 of intravenously injected brimonidine, and ED50 of intravenously, intramuscularly, and intrarectally injected brimonidine in hypnotized rabbits were determined. Finally, the synergistic anesthetic effect of brimonidine and chloral hydrate was evaluated in rabbits. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg brimonidine enhanced the hypnotic effect of a threshold dose of pentobarbital. Intraperitoneally injected brimonidine produced dose-related analgesic effects in mice. The ED50 of intraperitoneally administered brimonidine in hypnotized mice was 75.7 mg/kg and the LD50 was 379 mg/kg. ED50 values of intravenous, intramuscular, and intrarectal brimonidine for hypnosis in rabbits were 5.2 mg/kg, 8.8 mg/kg, and 8.7 mg/kg, respectively; the LD50 of intravenous brimonidine was 146 mg/kg. Combined intravenous administration of 0.6 mg/kg brimonidine and 0.03 g/kg chloral hydrate had a synergistic anesthetic effect. CONCLUSIONS: Brimonidine elicited hypnotic and analgesic effects after systemic administration and exhibited safety. Moreover, brimonidine enhanced the effects of other types of narcotics when combined.

Adipo-specific chemerin knockout alters the metabolomic profile of adipose tissue under normal and high-fat diet conditions: Application of an untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics method.

To explore the metabolic effect of chemerin, adipose-specific chemerin knockout (adipo-chemerin-/- ) male mice were established and fed with 5-week normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (HFD), and then the glycolipid metabolism index was measured and epididymal adipose tissue metabolomics detected using untargeted LC-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Under HFD, adipo-chemerin-/- mice showed improved glycolipid metabolism (decreased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) compared with flox (control) mice. Furthermore, orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis score plots identified separation of metabolites between adipo-chemerin-/- mice and flox mice fed ND and HFD. Under HFD, 28 metabolites were significantly enhanced in adipo-chemerin-/- mice, and pathway enrichment analysis suggested strong relationship of the differential metabolites with arginine and proline metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, which were directly or indirectly related to lipid metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress. Under ND, taurine was increased in adipo-chemerin-/- mice, resulting in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. In conclusion, the improved effect of chemerin knockdown on the glycolipid metabolism of HFD-feeding male mice might be associated with the increases in differential metabolites and metabolic pathways involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress, which provided insights into the mechanism of chemerin from a metabolomics aspect.

External application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of bone cancer pain: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Bone cancer pain presents a clinical challenge with limitations of current treatments. Many patients seek additional therapies that may relieve pain. Many external applications of traditional Chinese medicines (EAs-TCMs) have been evaluated in clinical trials, but fewer are known about them outside of China. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy for bone cancer pain. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in seven databases until December 2014 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about EAs-TCMs in the treatment of bone cancer pain. The primary outcome was total pain relief rate. The secondary outcomes were adverse events at the end of treatment course. The methodological quality of RCTs was assessed independently using six-item criteria according to the Cochrane Collaboration. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.2.0. We included any RCTs evaluating an EA-TCM for the treatment of bone cancer pain. We conducted a meta-analysis. RESULTS: We included six RCTs with 534 patients. In general, the reporting of methodological issues was poor. Compared with morphine sulfate sustained release tablets (MSSRTs) or radiotherapy or bisphosphonates, we analyzed data from five trials reporting on complete response effect score (relative risk (RR) = 5.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.80-10.31, P < 0.00001) and partial response (RR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.02-1.37, P = 0.02) and six trials reporting on total pain relief rate (RR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.43-1.67, P < 0.00001). Six RCTs showed significant effects of EA-TCM for improving pain relief in patients with bone cancer pain. In addition, no severe adverse events were found. CONCLUSION: This systematic review showed positive but weak evidence of EA-TCM for bone cancer pain because of the poor methodological quality and the small quantity of the included trials. Future rigorously designed RCTs are required.

Gadoxetic acid disodium (Gd-EOBDTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic, comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed (2004 [Gd-EOB-DTPA was first approved in Europe in 2004] to April 2013), Embase (2004 to April 2013), Web of Science (2004 to April 2013), and the Cochrane Library (2004 to April 2013). The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Studies (QUADAS) items was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Stata 12.0 was used to analyze the data. Pooled sensitivity (SEN), pooled specificity (SPE), pooled positive likelihood ratio (PLR), pooled negative likelihood ratio (NLR), pooled diagnostic odds ratio (dOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were calculated to assess the diagnostic value of the individual diagnostic tests. RESULTS: A total of 11 articles were included, involving 1578 nodules from four countries. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled SEN, SPE, and SROC curve values were 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-0.94) 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97), and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99), respectively, and subgroup analyses were performed. CONCLUSION: Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI has value for the detection of HCC; in particular, it has high sensitivity for the detection of lesions larger than 10 mm.

Water isolation technique combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound guided puncture biopsy of pancreatic mass in 3 cases.

In many patients with pancreatic cancer the definite pathological diagnosis is limited due to the lack of safe needle entry routes, the high risk of conventional ultrasound-guided puncture and the low positive rate of single needle. To solve the situations in which there are no safe path for pancreatic biopsy, we used water isolation technology combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound to perform puncture biopsy in 3 patients with pancreatic mass occupying under the guidance of coaxial needle in this study and remarkable results were achieved. The water isolation technique was used to avoid the damage to theimportant organs in front of the occupying area.

Role of heterotrimer G protein in podocyte injury / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

GPCRs are the largest membrane protein receptor superfamily in the human body, with more than 800 isoforms, and approximately 35% of Food and Drug Administration-approved and marketed drugs currently target GPCRs for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, for heart failure (beta-adrenergic receptors), peptic ulcer (histamine receptors), prostate cancer (gonadotropin receptors), hypertension (adrenergic and angiotensin receptors), pain (opioid receptors), and bronchial asthma (beta2-adrenergic receptors) examples. Although the number of GPCRs is enormous, the signaling proteins downstream of them are limited, heterotrimeric G proteins (GPs) are key proteins that signal GPCRs, translate extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses by coupling to GPCRs and initiate multiple signaling events via downstream cascades. Podocytes are an important component of the glomerular filtration barrier, and their damage is a central event in proteinuria formation and progressive glomerulosclerosis. This article reviews the regulation of GPs, their signaling and their role in podocyte injury to provide a theoretical basis for scientific research and clinical treatment of this disease.

Construction of a machine learning model for identifying clinical high-risk carotid plaques based on radiomics / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To construct a radiomics model for identifying clinical high-risk carotid plaques. Methods     A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with carotid artery stenosis in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from December 2016 to June 2022. The patients were classified as a clinical high-risk carotid plaque group and a clinical low-risk carotid plaque group according to the occurrence of stroke, transient ischemic attack and other cerebrovascular clinical symptoms within six months. Six machine learning models including eXtreme Gradient Boosting, support vector machine, Gaussian Naive Bayesian, logical regression, K-nearest neighbors and artificial neural network were established. We also constructed a joint predictive model combined with logistic regression analysis of clinical risk factors. Results    Finally 652 patients were collected, including 427 males and 225 females, with an average age of 68.2 years. The results showed that the prediction ability of eXtreme Gradient Boosting was the best among the six machine learning models, and the area under the curve (AUC) in validation dataset was 0.751. At the same time, the AUC of eXtreme Gradient Boosting joint prediction model established by clinical data and carotid artery imaging data validation dataset was 0.823. Conclusion     Radiomics features combined with clinical feature model can effectively identify clinical high-risk carotid plaques.

Analysis of prevention and control results of three-year campaign for Kashin-Beck disease in Pingliang City, Gansu Province / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective:To learn about the current situation of prevention and control results of three-year campaign for Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in Pingliang City, and to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of KBD.Methods:A retrospective analysis was carried out to collect the KBD surveillance data of all villages in the counties (cities, districts) affected by KBD in Pingliang City, Gansu Province during 2019 - 2020 from the "National Integrated Management System for Endemic Disease Prevention and Control (Three-year Campaign Action Management System)", including, the prevalence of children aged 7 to 12 years old, the implementation of prevention and control measures, and the case investigation, the establishment, management of health files and treatment of current patients.Results:Patients with KBD were distributed in 6 counties (cities, districts), 64 townships (towns), and 690 villages in Pingliang City, and all of them were seriously ill area. In 2019 and 2020, 40 537 and 41 053 children aged 7 to 12 years old were examined, respectively, and the clinical detection rate was 0.08% (31/40 537) and 0.03% (12/41 053), respectively; the X-ray detection rate was 0 in each year. In the dietary structure of residents in Pingliang City from 2018 to 2020, the consumption proportions of rice, flour and other diets was 15.03%, 76.63% and 8.34%, respectively, and the purchase proportion of staple food was 19.28%. From 2018 - 2020, 9 564 households and 36 282 people had been relocated from the affected areas, 4 831 children aged 7 to 12 years old had been raised in different places, 14.81% (420 914/2 842 939) of the original cultivated land had been converted to cash crops, 21.81%(620 045/2 842 939) of the original cultivated land had been converted from farmland to forest (grass), and 231 811 nutrition package for children aged 6 to 24 months had been given. A total of 6 269 KBD patients were investigated and registered, including 3 722 males and 2 547 females, with a gender ratio of 1.00 ∶ 0.68. The most clinical grading was grade Ⅰ, accounting for 78.00% (4 890/6 269), followed by grade Ⅱ (15.89%, 996/6 269) and grade Ⅲ (6.11%, 383/6 269); the age of onset was (64.57 ± 10.01) years old, ranging from 16 to 87 years old; most patients were over 50 years old, accounting for 86.57% (5 427/6 269). In 2019, 1 659 KBD patients were treated. The apparent efficiency, effective efficiency and ineffective efficiency were 25.38% (421 cases), 52.92% (878 cases) and 21.70% (360 cases), respectively. In 2020, 1 395 KBD patients were treated; the apparent efficiency, effective efficiency and ineffective efficiency were 19.50% (272 cases), 61.65% (860 cases) and 18.85% (263 cases), respectively.Conclusions:All villages in KBD area in Pingliang City have reached the elimination standard and achieved the elimination goal. We should continue to do a good job in the dynamic monitoring of the disease, strengthen the implementation of prevention and control measures and rehabilitation intervention for patients with KBD, and improve the quality of life of patients.

Efficacy comparison of percutaneous vertebroplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic lumbar compression fracture via the approach through midpoint transverse process-transition zone of articular process and the unilateral transpedicular approach / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To compare the efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the treatment of osteoporotic lumbar compression fracture (OLCF) via the approach through midpoint transverse process-transition zone of articular process and the unilateral transpedicular approach.Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 794 patients with OLCF treated in Honghui Hospital affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University School of Medicine from January 2017 to December 2019. The patients were divided into transitional-zone puncture group (400 patients, 400 vertebrae) and pedicle puncture group (394 patients, 394 vertebrae) according to the envelope method. The transitional-zone puncture group was treated with PVP via the approach through midpoint transverse process-transition zone of articular process, and the pedicle puncture group was treated with PVP via the unilateral transpedicular approach. The operation time and radiation dose were documented. The visual analogue score (VAS) and Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI) were evaluated before operation and at 1 day, 3 months, 1 year after operation. The cement distribution and the incidence of complications such as cement leakage, re-fracture of the injured vertebra, spinal cord nerve injury and facet joint injury were detected.Results:The patients were composed of 270 males and 524 females, at the age of 68.9-78.5 years [(73.7±4.8)years]. All patients were followed up for 12-14 months [(13.4±0.8)months]. The operation time and radiation dose in transitional-zone puncture group were reduced compared with pedicle puncture group ( P<0.01). There was no significant difference in VAS and ODI between the two groups before operation (all P>0.05). The VAS between transitional-zone puncture group [(2.1±0.9)points, (2.3±1.1)points, (2.7±1.3)points] and pedicle puncture group [(2.3±0.7)points, (2.5±0.9)points, (2.9±1.1)points] was obviously reduced from that before operation (all P<0.01), significantly different at 1 day, 3 months, 1 year after operation ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The ODI between transitional-zone puncture group (14.3±1.8, 13.6±3.4, 11.3±4.4) and pedicle puncture group (25.5±5.7, 20.7±6.3, 20.6±6.9) was significantly different at 1 day, 3 months, 1 year after operation (all P<0.01), and all were obviously reduced from that before operation (all P<0.01). With regard to the cement distribution, the number of bilaterally cemented vertebrae in transitional-zone puncture group (324) was more than that in pedicle puncture group (94) ( P<0.01). The incidence of cement leakage, re-fracture of the injured vertebra and facet joint injury was 8.25%(22/400), 0.00%(0/400) and 3.25%(13/400) in transitional-zone puncture group, significantly different from 20.81%(82/394), 2.03%(8/394) and 9.90%(39/394) in pedicle puncture group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). There was no significant difference in spinal cord nerve injury between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:For OLCF, PVP via the approach through the midpoint transverse process-transition zone of articular process and the unilateral transpedicular approach are both effective, but the former has advantages of shorter operation time, smaller radiation dose, greater dispersion of bone cement and lower incidence of cement leakage, re-fracture of the injured vertebra and facet joint injury.

Safety and effectiveness of Neuroform Atlas stent-assisted coiling in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms: a single-center observational study / 中华内科杂志

Objective:To investigate the safety and effectiveness of Neuroform Atlas stent-assisted coiling in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.Methods:This was a retrospective, single-center observational study of 77 patients who underwent endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms using the Neuroform Atlas device at the Department of Neurology, People′s Liberation Army General Hospital from July 2020 to May 2022. There were 34 males and 43 females, with a median (range) age of 59 (23-81) years. The degree and effect of aneurysm embolization were evaluated by modified Raymond grading post procedure and after 6 months. Complications occurring during the perioperative period were recorded. Vaso computed tomography was performed immediately after the operation to assess stent opening and adherence. Digital subtraction angiography was performed 6 months after discharge and the aneurysm was classified as cured, stable, or recurrent.Results:A total of 87 Atlases were successfully released in 77 cases. Angiography performed immediately after the embolization revealed 19 (24.7%) modified Raymond grade Ⅰ, 10 (13.0%) grade Ⅱ, and 48 (62.3%) grade Ⅲa cases. Three perioperative complications were observed including thrombotic events in 2 cases and stent migration in 1 case. A follow-up angiogram was available for 47 aneurysms, and showed that modified Raymond grade Ⅰ occlusion was achieved in 38 (80.9%) cases, grade Ⅱ in 2 (4.3%) cases, and grade Ⅲa in 7 (14.9%) cases. At the 6-month follow-up, 38 patients were cured and 7 were stable, whereas 2 patients experienced a recurrence of aneurysm. Stenosis of the parent artery occurred in 3 (6.4%) cases, including 2 at the head and 1 inside the stent.Conclusions:The results of this preliminary study suggest that Neuroform Atlas stent-assisted coiling has a high occlusion rate and low incidence of complications in the endovascular treatment of aneurysms. However, the effectiveness of this procedure for large aneurysms and long-term outcomes require further investigation.

IGFBP-3 promotes cachexia-associated lipid loss by suppressing insulin-like growth factor/insulin signaling / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Progressive lipid loss of adipose tissue is a major feature of cancer-associated cachexia. In addition to systemic immune/inflammatory effects in response to tumor progression, tumor-secreted cachectic ligands also play essential roles in tumor-induced lipid loss. However, the mechanisms of tumor-adipose tissue interaction in lipid homeostasis are not fully understood.@*METHODS@#The yki -gut tumors were induced in fruit flies. Lipid metabolic assays were performed to investigate the lipolysis level of different types of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) treated cells. Immunoblotting was used to display phenotypes of tumor cells and adipocytes. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was carried out to examine the gene expression levels such as Acc1 , Acly , and Fasn et al .@*RESULTS@#In this study, it was revealed that tumor-derived IGFBP-3 was an important ligand directly causing lipid loss in matured adipocytes. IGFBP-3, which is highly expressed in cachectic tumor cells, antagonized insulin/IGF-like signaling (IIS) and impaired the balance between lipolysis and lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conditioned medium from cachectic tumor cells, such as Capan-1 and C26 cells, contained excessive IGFBP-3 that potently induced lipolysis in adipocytes. Notably, neutralization of IGFBP-3 by neutralizing antibody in the conditioned medium of cachectic tumor cells significantly alleviated the lipolytic effect and restored lipid storage in adipocytes. Furthermore, cachectic tumor cells were resistant to IGFBP-3 inhibition of IIS, ensuring their escape from IGFBP-3-associated growth suppression. Finally, cachectic tumor-derived ImpL2, the IGFBP-3 homolog, also impaired lipid homeostasis of host cells in an established cancer-cachexia model in Drosophila . Most importantly, IGFBP-3 was highly expressed in cancer tissues in pancreatic and colorectal cancer patients, especially higher in the sera of cachectic cancer patients than non-cachexia cancer patients.@*CONCLUSION@#Our study demonstrates that tumor-derived IGFBP-3 plays a critical role in cachexia-associated lipid loss and could be a biomarker for diagnosis of cachexia in cancer patients.

Mining and identification of a biosynthetic gene cluster producing xanthocillin analogues from Penicillium chrysogenum MT-40, an endophytic fungus of Huperzia serrata / 生物工程学报

Xanthocillin is a unique natural product with an isonitrile group and shows remarkable antibacterial activity. In this study, the genome of an endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum MT-40 isolated from Huperzia serrata was sequenced, and the gene clusters with the potential to synthesize xanthocillin analogues were mined by local BLAST and various bioinformatics analysis tools. As a result, a biosynthetic gene cluster (named for) responsible for the biosynthesis of xanthocillin analogues was identified by further heterologous expression of the key genes in Aspergillus oryzae NSAR1. Specifically, the ForB catalyzes the synthesis of 2-formamido-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acrylic acid, and the ForG catalyzes the dimerization of 2-formamido-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acrylic acid to produce the xanthocillin analogue N, N'-(1, 4-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) buta-1, 3-diene-2, 3-diyl) diformamide. The results reported here provide a reference for further discovery of xanthocillin analogues from fungi.

Analysis of preoperative risk factors for prolonged mechanical ventilation after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To identify the preoperative risk factors for prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE). Methods    The clinical data of patients who underwent PTE from December 2016 to August 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the postoperative mechanical ventilation time, including a postoperative mechanical ventilation time≤48 h group (≤48 h group) and a postoperative mechanical ventilation time>48 h (PMV) group (>48 h group). Univariable and logistic regression analysis were used to identify the preoperative risk factors for postoperative PMV. Results    Totally, 90 patients were enrolled in this study. There were 40 patients in the ≤48 h group, including 30 males and 10 females, with a mean age of 45.48±12.72 years, and there were 50 patients in the >48 h group, including 29 males and 21 females, with a mean age of 55.50±10.42 years. The results showed that in the ≤48 h group, the median postoperative ICU stay was 3.0 days, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 15.0 days; in the >48 h group, the median postoperative ICU stay was 7.0 days, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 20.0 days. The postoperative PMV was significantly correlated with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) [OR=0.839, 95%CI (0.716, 0.983), P=0.030], age [OR=1.082, 95%CI (1.034, 1.132), P=0.001] and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) [OR=1.001, 95%CI (1.000, 1.003), P=0.028]. Conclusion    Age and PVR are the preoperative risk factors for PMV after PTE, and TAPSE is the preoperative protective factor for PMV after PTE.

Ultra-high dose rate irradiation induced DNA strand break in plasmid DNA / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To compare the effects on DNA strand break induced by ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) electron beam and conventional irradiation, and investigate whether FLASH effect was correlated with a reduction of radiation response.Methods:Aqueous pBR322 plasmid was treated with FLASH (125 Gy/s) and conventional irradiation (0.05 Gy/s) under physioxia (4% O 2) and normoxia (21% O 2). Open circle DNA and linear DNA were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis, and the plasmid DNA damage was quantified with an established mathematical model to calculate the relative biological effect (RBE) of DNA damage. In some experiments, Samwirin A (SW) was applied to scavenge free radicals generated by ionizing radiation. Results:Under physioxia, the yields of DNA strand breakage induced by both FLASH and conventional irradiation had a dose-dependent manner. FLASH irradiation could significantly decrease radiation-induced linear DNA compared with conventional irradiation ( t=5.28, 5.79, 7.01, 7.66, P<0.05). However, when the aqueous plasmid was pretreated with SW, there was no difference of DNA strand breakage between FLASH and conventional irradiation ( P>0.05). Both of the yields of open circle DNA and linear DNA had no difference caused by FLASH and conventional radiotherapy at normoxia, but were significantly higher than those under physioxia. In addition, the yields of linear DNA and open circle DNA induced by FLASH irradiation per Gy were (2.78±0.03) and (1.85±0.17) times higher than those of conventional irradiation, respectively. Conclusions:FLASH irradiation attenuated radiation-induced DNA damage since a low production yield of free radical in comparison with conventional irradiation, and hence the FLASH effect was correlated with oxygen content.

Prognostic value of metabolic parameters of 18F-FDG PET/CT in advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with first-line immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of metabolic parameters of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18F-FDG) positron emission computed tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) treated with first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combined with chemotherapy. Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate patients with advanced NSCLC who underwent baseline PET/CT before treatment at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2019 to 2021. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the cut-offs for metabolic parameters of PET/CT, including total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and maximum standard uptake value (SUV max). Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test, and Cox regression model were used to calculate the overall survival (OS) and the progression-free survival(PFS). Results:A total of 44 patients were enrolled. Univariate analysis showed that the factors influencing PFS were TMTV and the number of metastatic sites ( χ2=4.19, 11.28, P<0.05) and the factors influencing OS were TMTV and TLG ( χ2=14.96, 6.05, P<0.05). Multivariate analysis suggested that number of metastatic sites was an independent prognostic marker for PFS ( P=0.011) and TMTV was an independent prognostic marker for OS ( P=0.038). Conclusions:TMTV is a prognostic indicator of OS while the number of metastatic sites is a prognostic indicator of PFS in advanced NSCLC patients who received first-line ICI combined with chemotherapy, but further prospective studies are needed.

Induction of Anxiety-Like Phenotypes by Knockdown of Cannabinoid Type-1 Receptors in the Amygdala of Marmosets / 神经科学通报·英文版

The amygdala is an important hub for regulating emotions and is involved in the pathophysiology of many mental diseases, such as depression and anxiety. Meanwhile, the endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in regulating emotions and mainly functions through the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R), which is strongly expressed in the amygdala of non-human primates (NHPs). However, it remains largely unknown how the CB1Rs in the amygdala of NHPs regulate mental diseases. Here, we investigated the role of CB1R by knocking down the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene encoding CB1R in the amygdala of adult marmosets through regional delivery of AAV-SaCas9-gRNA. We found that CB1R knockdown in the amygdala induced anxiety-like behaviors, including disrupted night sleep, agitated psychomotor activity in new environments, and reduced social desire. Moreover, marmosets with CB1R-knockdown had up-regulated plasma cortisol levels. These results indicate that the knockdown of CB1Rs in the amygdala induces anxiety-like behaviors in marmosets, and this may be the mechanism underlying the regulation of anxiety by CB1Rs in the amygdala of NHPs.

Predictive Value of Pelvic MRI Combined with SCC-Ag on Lymphatic Metastasis in Cervical Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To discuss the clinicopathological characteristics of cervical cancer patients with lymphatic metastasis, to evaluate lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer patients by combining pelvic MRI enlarged lymph nodes and SCC-Ag, and to analyze the prognostic value of the model. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 124 patients with cervical cancer. The predictive model was established based on the result. Results The depth of interstitial infiltration, serum SCC-Ag change value before and after treatment, lymph node enlargement showed by pelvic MRI, D2-40 and Ki67 were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis of cervical cancer (P < 0.05). The prediction model of lymph node metastasis: L=the serum SCC-Ag change value+7.127×lymph node enlargement showed by pelvic MRI+5.386×D2-40+5.135×the depth of interstitial infiltration+19.457×Ki67; the sensitivity was 78.6% and specificity was 79.2%. Conclusion The cervical cancer patients with L≥20.8261 should be noticed. Doctors should give them individualized neoadjuvant treatment, and ensure adequate surgical scope. The above lymphatic prediction model has predictive value for preoperative lymph node metastasis.

Research progress in classification of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture / 中华创伤杂志

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is a kind of fragility fracture, and osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture (OTLF) is the most common type. At present, OTLF has gradually been a common disease in the elderly, among which improper treatments may cause serious complications and even death, bringing a heavy burden to the family and society. Accordingly, in-depth researches on the prevention and treatment of this disease is significant to improve the quality of life for the elderly and reduce social burden. Accurate choices of treatments depend on fracture classifications. A variety of OTLF classifications have been proposed by domestic and foreign scholars, but each has its own defects, and to distinguish their differences may be problematic. Therefore, it is difficult to apply each classification. In this study, the authors review the research progress in different classification and scoring sytems for OTLF to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

The value of enhanced computed tomography-based nomograph model in the differential diagnosis of gastric schwannoma and gastric stromal tumor / 中华消化杂志

Objective:To construct enhanced computed tomography (CT)-based nomograph model, to assist physicians in differentiating gastric schwannoma from gastric stromal tumor.Methods:From January 1, 2012 to January 1, 2022, at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Ningbo Hwamei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 57 patients with gastric schwannoma and 275 patients with gastric stromal tumor confirmed by surgical pathology were retrospectively collected, among whom 39 patients with gastric schwannoma and 201 patients with gastric stromal tumor were enrolled in the training set, and the other 18 patients with gastric schwannoma and 74 patients with gastric stromal tumor were enrolled in the validation set. The contrast-enhanced CT imaging features (tumor size index, arterial phase CT value, venous phase CT value, necrosis, calcification, integrity of mucosal surface, and uniform enhancement, etc.) and clinical data (history of gastritis, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen, and monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), etc.) were collected. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to screen the independent predictive factors of imaging features in the differential diagnosis of gastric schwannoma and gastric stromal tumor, and a nomograph model was constracted. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze and screen the independent predictive factors of clinical indicators to distinguish gastric schwannoma from gastric stromal tumor, and a clinical control model was established. The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was used to analyze the area under the curve (AUC) of the nomograph model in the training set and the verification set, and concordance index (CI) and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the predictive efficiency and clinical application value of the nomograph model. DeLong test was used for statistical analysis.Results:The results of LASSO regression analysis showed that tumor size index, arterial phase CT value, venous phase CT value, necrosis, calcification, integrity of mucosal surface, and uniform enhancement were independent predictive factors of imaging features in the differential diagnosis of gastric schwannoma and gastric stromal tumor(all P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that the history of gastritis ( OR=0.280, 95% confidence interval 0.138 to 0.566), CA19-9 ( OR=0.940, 95% confidence interval 0.890 to 0.993), carcinoembryonic antigen ( OR=0.794, 95% confidence interval 0.661 to 0.952), and MLR ( OR=0.087, 95% confidence interval 0.009 to 0.860) were independent predictive factors of clinical indicators in the differential diagnosis of gastric schwannoma and gastric stromal tumor ( P<0.001, =0.028, 0.013 and 0.037). The AUCs of the nomograph model in the training and validation set were 0.881 and 0.850, respectively, and the AUCs of the clinical control model in the training and validation set were 0.814 and 0.772, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=2.57 and 1.96, P=0.005 and 0.030). The average CI of the nomograph model was 0.885. The results of DCA analysis showed that the overall benefit of the nomograph model was higher than that of the clinical control model. Conclusion:The enhanced CT-based nomograph model can effectively distinguish gastric schwannoma from gastric stromal tumor, and can help physicians to make precise clinical decisions.

Health fitness and its influencing factors among urban elderly residents in Lanzhou city / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To analyze the health fitness and its influencing factors among urban elderly residents in Lanzhou city.Methods:A multi-stage sampling method was used to survey urban elderly residents in Lanzhou city with self-designed questionnaire from July 17th to August 3rd, 2020. The questionnaire included general information, life habits and Healthy Fitness Measurement Scale Version 1.0 (HFMS V 1.0), a total of 1 124 questionnaires were distributed and 1 124 were collected, including 1 043 valid questionnaires (92.8%). The HFMS V 1.0 was scored with Likert 5-point scale, positive and negative scoring method. The health fitness status of the subjects was divided into low, medium and high levels according to the norms of HFMS V 1.0 for Chinese urban elderly residents. The influencing factors were analyzed by using the chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression.Results:The conversion score of HFMS V 1.0 for the urban elderly residents in Lanzhou city was 61.99±14.20, and the physical fitness score was the lowest (57.84±16.98); of the 1 043 subjects, 332 (31.83%), 360 (34.52%) and 351 (33.65%) subjects were classified with low, medium, and high health fitness levels, respectively. Chronic diseases and poor dietary habits were the risk factors for the health fitness of urban elderly residents in Lanzhou city (both P<0.05); more adequate sun exposure, physical exercise, sufficient sleep, high self-health concern and high frustration quotient were protective factors for health fitness in those subjects (all P<0.05). Conclusion:The overall level of health fitness in urban elderly residents in Lanzhou city is moderate, and chronic disease, dietary habits, sun exposure, physical exercise, length of sleep, self-health concern and frustration quotient are the main influencing factors.