OBJECTIVES: A stable, reliable, and easily implementable clinical diagnostic method for marginal velopharyngeal insufficiency (MVPI) was established on the basis of the subjective hearing judgement of hypernasality and objective examination of velopharyngeal closure to address the lack of unified diagnostic criteria for MVPI. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal fiberscopy and speech assessment results were collected from postoperative patients with cleft palate. These results were used to analyze the differences in the distribution of nasal resonance in patients with different velopharyngeal closure ratios and the correlation between velopharyngeal closure ratios and nasal resonance status. Mild-to-moderate hypernasality with its corresponding elopharyngeal closure ratio was employed to establish the diagnostic criteria of MVPI. The reproducibility of the criteria and whether the patients with MVPI diagnosed by using the criteria exhibited significantly different speech characteristics compared with other patients were verified. RESULTS: A strong correlation was found between velopharyngeal closure ratios and nasal resonance (P<0.001). Mild-to-moderate hypernasality mainly corresponded to velopharyngeal closure ratios ranging from 90% to 99%, and the combination of the two characteristics as the diagnostic criteria for MVPI demonstrated good consistency (Kappa value=0.789, P<0.001). Moreover, under the diagnostic criteria, significant differences in nasal resonance (P<0.001), nasal emission (P=0.007), and misarticulation (P<0.001) were found between patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency and those with MVPI. CONCLUSIONS Combining the subjective hearing judgement of mild-to-moderate hypernasality with velopharyngeal closure ratios over 90% under nasopharyngeal fiberscopy provides a reliable and effective clinical method for diagnosing MVPI.
Humans ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency/physiopathology* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Cleft Palate/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Child

Objective:To explore the clinical effectiveness of a self-designed robot reduction system for femoral intertrochanteric fractures.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 57 patients with intertrochanteric fracture who had been treated at Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Central Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from June 2022 to February 2023. The patients were divided into a robot group (using the self-designed robot reduction system to assist intramedullary nailing) and a traction bed group (using a traction bed to assist intramedullary nailing) based on their fracture reduction method. The robot group: 31 patients, 11 males and 20 females, with an age of (78.7±9.3) years; 16 left and 15 right sides; 17 cases of type 31-A1, 12 cases of type 31-A2 and 2 cases of type 31-A3 by the AO/OTA classification. The traction bed group: 26 patients, 12 males and 14 females, with an age of (78.7±7.7) years; 13 left and 13 right sides; 16 cases of type 31-A1, 9 cases of type 31-A2 and 1 cases of type 31-A3 by the AO/OTA classification. The 2 groups were compared in terms of reduction and operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy frequency, reduction quality, and VAS and Harris score at preoperation, 1 week and 6 months postoperation.Results:The 2 groups were comparable due to insignificant differences in their preoperative general data ( P>0.05). The robot group was significantly better than the traction bed group in reduction time [(4.4±2.2) min versus (9.4±3.2) min], operation time [(29.0±13.5) min versus (49.3±13.3) min], intraoperative blood loss [(76.5±30.5) mL versus (115.0±38.4) mL], fluoroscopy frequency [(10.2±2.6) times versus (14.8±3.2) times], and good/excellent rate of reduction [80.6% (25/31) versus 50.0% (13/26)] ( P<0.05). All patients were followed up for (6.8±0.3) months. Respectively, the VAS scores at preoperation and 6 months postoperation was (6.2±1.3) and (2.4±0.8) points for the robot group, and (6.3±1.3) and (2.7±0.8) points for the traction bed group, showing no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). However, the VAS score was (3.3±1.2) points for the robotic group and (4.8±1.5) points for the traction bed group at 1 week postoperation, showing a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P<0.001). Respectively, the Harris scores at preoperation and 6 months postoperation were (35.3±3.0) and (88.7±3.4) points for the robot group, and (35.6±2.9) and (87.2±3.5) points for the traction bed group, showing no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). However, the Harris score was (57.3±3.7) points for the robotic group and (46.7±2.8) points for the traction bed group at 1 week postoperation, showing a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P<0.05). The patient satisfaction rates in the robot and traction bed groups were 96.8% (30/31) and 92.3% (24/26), respectively, showing no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Our self-designed robot reduction for femoral intertrochanteric fractures can effectively shorten reduction and operation time, reduce bleeding and fluoroscopy frequency, and enhance anatomical reduction.

Objective To explore the mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) in improvement of renal injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN) by regulating mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70 ribosome protein S6 kinase (S6K1)/coiled-coil myosin-like Bcl-2-interacting protein (Beclin 1) pathway. Methods The model of SD rats with DN was established by a method of high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and they were randomly divided into model group, MSC-EVs group, and MSC-EVs+MHY1485 (mTOR activator) group, with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 SD rats were normally fed for 6 weeks and then intraperitoneally injected with an equal dose of sodium citrate solution as controls. After grouping with MSC-EVs and MHY1485, blood glucose and levels of renal function indicators [blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), and urinary microalbumin (UmALB)] in rats were detected. HE staining was used to detect the pathological morphology of renal tissue in rats of each group; immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of mTOR/S6K1/Beclin 1 pathway related proteins in the renal tissues of rats in each group; the Western blot was used to detect the mTOR/S6K1/Beclin 1 pathway and autophagy-related protein expression in the renal tissues of rats in each group. Results Compared with the control group, the renal tissue morphology of rats in the model group were impaired, and the blood glucose, BUN, Scr, UmALB, relative positive expressions of p-mTOR and p-S6K1, p-mTOR/mTOR, p-S6K1/S6K1 increased significantly (P < 0.05), while microtubule associated protein 1A/1B light chain 3 (LC3) Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ, expression of Beclin 1 protein, and relative positive expression of Beclin 1 significantly reduced (P < 0.05); compared with the model group, the MSC-EVs group had less impairment in the renal tissue morphology, and the blood glucose, BUN, Scr, UmALB, relative positive expressions of p-mTOR and p-S6K1, p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-S6K1/S6K1 decreased significantly (P < 0.05), while expression of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ, Beclin 1 protein, and relative positive expression of Beclin 1 increased significantly (P < 0.05); compared with the MSC-EVs group, the impairment of the renal tissue morphology was worse in the MSC-EVs+MHY1485 group, and the blood glucose, BUN, Scr, UmALB, relative positive expressions of p-mTOR and p-S6K1, expression of p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-S6K1/S6K1 increased significantly (P < 0.05), while the expression of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ, Beclin 1 protein, and relative positive expression of Beclin 1 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Conclusion MSC-EVs can enhance autophagy, reduce levels of blood glucose, Scr, BUN and urinary protein in rats with DN, alleviate renal tissue damage, and the mechanism may be achieved by inhibiting the activation of the mTOR/S6K1/Beclin 1 pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Dahuang Zhechongwan （DHZCW） on adenine-induced renal fibrosis in rats from the perspective of intestinal flora. MethodThirty-six SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， and high-， medium- and low-dose DHZCW groups （0.168， 0.084， 0.042 g·kg^-1）， and a pirfenidone group （200 mg·kg^-1）， with 6 rats in each group. Except for those in the blank group， rats in other groups were treated with adenine suspension （250 mg·kg^-1） by gavage for 28 days for renal fibrosis model induction. Subsequently， they received drug intervention for 4 weeks. Urine samples were collected from rats in metabolic cages， and renal function indicators including blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urea， creatinine （Crea）， cystatin C （Cys C）， and 24-hour urine protein （24 h TP） were measured. Kidney samples were collected and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson's trichrome staining to observe the pathological changes in rat renal tissues. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of key effector proteins α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， type Ⅰ collagen （ColⅠ）， and type Ⅲ collagen （ColⅢ） in the kidneys. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA was used to analyze the species diversity of rat intestinal flora. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed increased BUN， urea， Crea， Cys C， and 24 h TP levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-， medium-， and low-dose DHZCW groups， as well as the pirfenidone group， showed significant reductions in BUN， urea， Crea， Cys C， and 24 h TP levels （P<0.01）， indicating that DHZCW intervention significantly improved renal function. In the model group， renal tissues exhibited significant fibrotic changes， and the protein levels of α-SMA， ColⅠ， and ColⅢ were significantly increased （P<0.01） compared to those in the blank group. Compared with the model group， the high-dose DHZCW group and the pirfenidone group had relatively normal tissue structure， with no significant pathological damage observed. However， fibrotic changes were observed in the medium- and low-dose DHZCW groups， with the changes being more significant in the low-dose group. The protein levels of α-SMA， ColⅠ， and ColⅢ were significantly decreased in the high-， medium-， and low-dose DHZCW groups， as well as the pirfenidone group （P<0.01）， indicating that DHZCW effectively reduced abnormal collagen deposition and inhibited renal fibrosis. From the perspective of intestinal flora， at the phylum level， compared with the blank group， the model group showed a significant increase in the abundance of Firmicutes and a decrease in Bacteroidetes， leading to a significant imbalance in their ratio. At the family level， the model group decreased the abundance of Lachnospiraceae， Prevotellaceae， and Bacteroidota_unclassified， and increased the abundance of Ruminococcaceae， Lactobacillaceae， and Oscillospiraceae. At the genus level， the model group showed significantly reduced abundance of Firmicutes_unclassified， Bacteroidota_unclassified， and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001， etc.， and increased abundance of UCG-005， Clostridia_UCG-014_unclassified， etc. Compared with the model group， DHZCW effectively reduced the abundance of potential pathogenic bacteria and increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria， regulating the intestinal flora. ConclusionDHZCW can effectively improve renal function and inhibit renal fibrosis， and its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of intestinal flora.

ObjectiveTraditional Chinese medicine， namely Dahuang Zhechongwan （DHZCW） was used to treat myocardial fibrosis in model rats， observe its effect on myocardial fibrosis in rats， and explore its action mechanism. MethodThirty-six SPF male Kunming rats were divided into blank group， model group， low-， medium-， high-dose groups of DHZCW （0.056， 0.084， 0.168 g·kg^-1）， captopril group （10 mg·kg^-1）， with six rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the other groups were intraperitoneally injected isoproterenol solution of 5 mg·kg^-1 for 15 consecutive days to replicate the myocardial fibrosis model. At the beginning of modeling， the rats in each group took drugs， and they were sacrificed 28 days after administration. Serum and heart tissue were collected for the corresponding detection. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were used to observe tissue inflammation， cellular degeneration， necrosis， and fibrosis. The contents of hydroxyproline （HYP）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， hyaluronic acid （HA）， laminin （LN）， type-Ⅲ procollagen （PC Ⅲ） in serum of rats and rats were determined by enzyme-related immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expression levels of key pathway proteins transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， Smad2， Smad3， and Smad7 were detected by Western blot. The expression levels of key pathway genes TGF-β₁， α-SMA， Smad2， Smad3， Smad7， miR-29a-5p， miR-29b-2-5p， and miR-29c-5p were detected by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultCompared with the blank group， the pathological changes of fibrosis in the model group were obvious， the contents of serum HYP， TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， HA， LN， and PCⅢ were increased （P<0.01）， the protein expression levels of TGF-β₁， α-SMA， Smad2， and Smad3 were increased； the protein expression level of Smad7 was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of TGF-β₁， α-SMA， Smad2， and Smad3 were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while those of Smad7， miR-29a-5p， miR-29b-2-5p， and miR-29c-5p were decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， after 28 days of administration， serum HYP， TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， HA， LN， and PCⅢ in high-， medium-， and low-dose groups of DHZCW and captopril groups were decreased （P<0.01）. Except for the low-dose group， the protein contents of TGF-β₁， α-SMA， Smad2， and Smad3 were decreased， while the protein content of Smad7 was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of TGF-β₁， Smad2， α-SMA， and Smad3 in high-dose group of DHZCW were decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01）， while those of Smad7， miR-29a-5p， miR-29b-2-5p， and miR-29c-5p were increased （P<0.05）. The mRNA expressions of TGF-β₁， Smad2， and Smad3 in the medium-dose group of DHZCW were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while mRNA expression of Smad7 was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA levels of TGF-β₁ and Smad2 in the low-dose group of DHZCW were decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionDHZCW can improve myocardial fibrosis in rats， and its action mechanism may be related to the regulation of the TGF-β₁/Smads/miR-29 pathway. In addition， there is dose dependence in the range of 0.056-0.168 g·kg^-1， and the effect of the high-dose group is more stable.

Objective:To comprehensively evaluate the tricuspid valve, right heart anatomical characteristics and related dynamic parameters in patients with different degrees of functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) using four-dimensional auto tricuspid valve quantitative(4D Auto TVQ), four-dimensional auto right ventricle quantitative(4D Auto RVQ), and four-dimensional auto left atrium quantitative(4D Auto LAQ), and to investigate the structural and functional changes of the tricuspid valve and right heart in them.Methods:Sixty-three patients with FTR diagnosed by echocardiography at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from February to July 2022 were prospectively selected as the case group, including 30 patients with mild FTR and 33 patients with moderate or above FTR, and 30 healthy subjects were selected as the control group. Transthoracic echocardiography was used for two-dimensional and three-dimensional image acquisition of the heart. The tricuspid regurgitation volume, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), right ventricular global strain (RVGS) were measured by 2D images, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) were measured from the tricuspid regurgitation pressure difference. The 3D images were imported into EchoPAC 204 to obtain the tricuspid valve, right heart structure and related dynamic parameters. The annulus area (AA), annulus perimeter(AP), spherical index (SI), annulus area change fraction (AC), coaptation point height (CPH), and tenting volume (TV) were measured by 4D Auto TVQ. The right atrial maximum volume (RAVmax) and right atrial minimum volume (RAVmin) were measured by 4D Auto LAQ. Right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), right ventricular end-systolic volume (RVESV), right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) were measured by 4D Auto RVQ. After standardizing the dimension parameters with body surface area (BSA), the differences in the above parameters were compared between the three groups, the correlation between regurgitant volume and each parameter was compared by correlation analysis, and the independent factors of increased tricuspid regurgitant volume were investigated by univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis.Results:There were statistically significant differences in PASP, AA/BSA, AP/BSA, AC, TV, RAVmax/BSA, RAVmin/BSA, RVFAC, RVGS, and TAPSE between the three groups (all P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in LVEF, CPH, RVEDV/BSA, and RVESV/BSA in the moderate and above FTR group compared with the control and mild FTR groups (all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that RAVmin was the most highly correlated with tricuspid regurgitant volume ( r=0.875, P<0.001) and TV and end-systolic annulus area(ESAA) were highly correlated with tricuspid regurgitant volume ( r=0.747, 0.683; both P<0.001) in patients with FTR. Multifactorial linear regression showed that RAVmin, TV and regurgitant volume were independently positively correlated (β=0.721, 0.205; both P<0.05). Conclusions:The four quantification technique can provide valid structural and functional information by quantifying the tricuspid valve as well as the right heart in patients with FTR, and RAVmin and TV are independent correlates of increased tricuspid regurgitant volume.

Objective:To evaluate delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy (DLC) after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) in acute cholecystitis.Methods:Clinical data of 64 patients who were diagnosed moderate (grade Ⅱ) acute cholecystitis by the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines in acute phase and underwent delayed LC at our hospital from Jan 2018 to Jan 2021 were compared between two groups ie PTGBD treatment (21 cases)in acute stage before DLC and DLC without PTGBD group (43 cases). The difficulty score of TG18 was used to evaluated every surgical procedure of the cases by reviewing the operation videos.Results:Patients in DLC after PTGBD group had a longer hospital stay and operation time, more blood lose and higher difficulty score than the DLC without PTGBD group(all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the conversion rate and morbidity rate between the two groups( P>0.05). Conclusion:This study fails to show there is any if ever benefit of PTGBD before DLC over DLC without PTGBD in the management of Grade Ⅱ acute cholecystitis.

Objective:To investigate the stability and feasibility of improved silent MRA technique based on hybrid-arterial spin labeling(ASL) for imaging intracranial arterial stenosis.Methods:From September 2019 to May 2020, totally 35 patients with suspected intracranial vascular stenosis in Department of Neurology of Northern Jiangsu People′s Hospital were enrolled in this study. Silent MRA and improved silent MRA based on hybrid-ASL technique were performed respectively. The acquisition noise (noise measurement and subjective score) of two kinds of MRA examination were evaluated respectively. Two neuroradiologists performed image quality scoring and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurement of intracranial arteries (including internal carotid artery, vertebrobasilar artery, anterior cerebral artery, middle cerebral artery, and posterior cerebral artery) in the two kinds of MRA images using a double-blind, completely randomized method. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the image quality and SNR of two kinds of MRA images in each segment. Two experts assessed the degree of stenosis at the site of confirmed intracranial artery stenosis. Kappa test was used to assess interobserver and intermodel agreement. Results:There was no significant difference in acquisition noise between improved silent MRA and silent MRA ( P>0.05). In all five segments measured, the image quality scores of internal carotid artery [(4.40±0.49)scores], anterior cerebral artery[(4.30±0.33)scores] and middle cerebral artery [(4.46±0.34)scores] in improved silent MRA were higher than those in silent MRA images [(4.02±0.43)scores, (4.02±0.31)scores, (4.02±0.31)scores; t=2.825, 2.877, 1.683, all P<0.05)]. The SNR of internal carotid artery (9.11±1.23) and middle cerebral artery (8.77±1.87) in improved silent MRA images was higher than that in silent MRA images (7.83±1.33, 8.06±2.67, respectively; t=11.154, 3.268, both P<0.05). A total of 24 patients (38 lesions) with intracranial vascular stenosis were diagnosed by CTA. Improved silent MRA (Kappa=0.89, 95%CI 0.82-0.95) and silent MRA (Kappa=0.85, 95%CI 0.77-0.92) were highly consistent among observers in evaluating the degree of cerebrovascular stenosis.The results of improved silent MRA were highly consistent with those of CTA (Kappa=0.92, 95%CI 0.87-0.98), and those of silent MRA were highly consistent with those of CTA (Kappa=0.85, 95%CI 0.77-0.92). Conclusions:The improved silent MRA is feasible to improve the imaging quality and signal uniformity through efficient marking based on keeping the low noise features. In the diagnosis of intracranial stenosis and occlusive disease, the stability of improved silent MRA imaging improves the diagnostic efficiency of stenosis to a certain extent.

Objective: To analyze the association between sedentary behavior with overweight or obesity in middle school students, and to provide policy reference for relevant departments. Methods: Using the stratified cluster sampling method, a questionnaire survey and physical fitness test were conducted among 1 208 middle school students aged 13 to 18 in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in October 2019. The associations between sedentary behavior and overweight or obesity among middle school students of different ethnic groups in Aba Prefecture were analyzed. Results: The detection rate of overweight or obesity was Tibetan (14.0%)> Han (8.8%)> Qiang (8.2%), junior high school students (10.5%)> high school students (8.2%), the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=19.34，13.62，P<0.05). Compared with the reference group, the detection rate of overweight or obesity among middle school students with time spent in the Internet for ＞1 h/d, reading extracurricular books ＞2 h/d, video games ＞1 h/d, and watching TV＞1 h/d (23.7%, 19.6%, 27.8%, 26.7%) significantly increased(OR=1.26, 1.09, 1.38, 1.18, P<0.05). Conclusion Sedentary behaviors of middle school students of different ethnic groups in Aba Prefecture are positively correlated with overweight or obesity. Reducing the duration of static behaviors helps prevent and control the occurrence of overweight or obesity among middle school students.

Objective:To evaluate image quality and diagnostic performance of silent MR angiography (MRA) and discuss the feasibility of silent MRA in diagnosing intracranial aneurysms.Methods:Twenty seven patients suspected with cerebrovascular disorders and 30 intracranial aneurysms in Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, were enrolled prospectively in this study from December 2015 to December 2018. Silent and time of flight (TOF) MRA were performed on the same day prior to CTA examination. The corresponding MRA images were independently and blindly evaluated by two experienced neuroradiologists in the aspects of signal homogeneity, lesion conspicuity, venous signal/artifact and diagnostic confidence (4-point scale). The aneurysms were divided into tiny (≤ 3 mm) and non-tinyaneurysm groups(> 3 mm) according to the measured diameters of aneurysms. The differences in image quality ratings between silent MRA and TOF MRA were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to test the consistency of measurements between MRAs (silent MRA, TOF MRA) and CTA.Results:CTA revealed 32 intracranial aneurysms. For silent MRA and TOF MRA, the scores of signal homogeneity were 3.38±0.49 and 3.00±0.62, andthe scores of venous signal/artifact were 3.77±0.42 and 2.65±0.48.Significant differences were found between the two MRAs in these aspects ( Z=-2.21, P=0.02; Z=-5.69, P=0.01). The scores of lesion conspicuity were 3.19±0.56 and 3.15±0.46, and the scores of diagnostic confidence were 3.27±0.44 and 3.12±0.51.There were no significant differences found in these aspects ( P>0.05).The ICC coefficient was excellentfor silent MRA (0.94, 95%CI 0.82- 0.98)and was good for TOF MRA (0.72, 95%CI 0.30-0.91) in tiny aneurysm group. The ICC coefficient was excellent (silent MRA, 0.98, 95%CI 0.95-0.99; TOF MRA, 0.95, 95%CI 0.87-0.98) for both MRA in non-tiny aneurysm group. Conclusions:Compared with TOF MRA, silent MRA could achieve higher image quality and higher diagnostic confidence, and higher consistency with CTA. Silent MRA can be a promising non-contrast-enhanced alternative MRA technique in clinical setting.