Objective To investigate the changes in the position of the fibular sesamoid bone with hallux valgus aggravated under two conditions:the foot bearing anteroposterior radiography(reflecting the static bearing state of the foot)and the sesamoid bone bearing axial radiography(reflecting the foot movement state).Methods Seventy-four feet with clinically suspected hallux valgus were finally enrolled in 49 feet,including 14 in the mild group,23 in the moderate group,and 12 in the severe group.Three indica-tors were measured on anteroposterior and axial radiographs:the position of the fibular sesamoid bone in anteroposterior radiographs(SP)and sesamoid axial position(SAP),and the rotation angle of the fibular sesamoid articular surface(RAf).The vertical distance between the fibular sesamoid bone and the second metatarsal bone was used to represent the position of the fibular sesamoid bone,then the position of the fibular sesamoid in the anteroposterior and axial positions was specifically marked as SPf-2 and SAPf-2.To cor-rect the anatomical differences of each foot,the ratio of the measured distance index to the length of the second metatarsal bone(AB),namely SPf-2/AB,SAPf-2/AB,was included in the statistical analysis.Results SPf-2/AB and SAPf-2/AB had no significant difference between hallux valgus groups(P＞0.05).The mean values of SPf-2/AB and SAPf-2/AB were significantly different(P＜0.05).RAf was positively correlated with hallux valgus angle(HVA)(r=0.725,P＜0.001),increased as HVA increased.Conclusion Both weight-bearing anteroposterior and sesamoid axial radiographs(foot at rest and in motion),the position of the fibular sesamoid bone is not affected by hallux valgus,and the distance from the center of the fibular sesamoid bone to the second metatarsal bone remains unchanged.The position of the fibular sesamoid bone is not the same between the anteroposterior and axial radiographs,so it is necessary to evaluate the position of the fibular sesamoid bone in the two states respectively and combine the two methods.RAf increases with the increase of HVA in axial view,it is considered that although the central position of the fibular sesamoid bone remains the same under foot movement,it does reverse spin movement toward the tibial side with the aggravation of hallux valgus.

BACKGROUND:Ligaments are important structures in maintaining the stability of the lumbar spine,and these structures are prone to degradation due to the generated mechanical stress.However,there are few studies on ligament injuries. OBJECTIVE:To determine the range of motion and stress of each ligament in the state of motion based on a three-dimensional finite element model,and to systematically explore the influence of ligament injury on the stability of the lumbar spine and its biomechanical significance. METHODS:The L4-L5 lumbar finite element model was established.All free forces on the lower surface of L5 were constrained,and a torque of 5 N·m was applied to simulate the motion states of the lumbar spine.Progressive ligament damage was simulated by changing Young's modulus of the ligament. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The extension range of motion of most ligament injuries increased significantly.In contrast,there was no significant change in the lateral bending range of motion.(2)The range of motion of capsular ligament injury increased significantly in flexion,extension and lateral bending.The extension range of motion increased significantly after the anterior longitudinal ligament injury.Intertransverse ligament injury resulted in a significant increase in the lateral bending range of motion.(3)After a single ligament injury,the most significant change in range of motion was observed during extension.After a single ligament injury,the stress of the remaining ligaments increased,especially the capsular ligament.The stress changes of the interspinous ligament and ligamentum flavum were the least obvious.Ligament stress changes least in lateral bending and most in torsion.(4)Ligament damage did not result in major changes in disc pressure,indicating that ligament injury leads to an increased range of motion of the lumbar spine and affects the stability of the lumbar spine.(5)Capsular ligament was stable in flexion,extension and lateral bending.The anterior longitudinal ligament showed a stable extension;the intertransverse ligament stabilizes the lateral curve.(6)Extension exercise is sensitive to a ligament injury,and the pathological changes of the ligament can be examined by extension exercise.(7)Stress compensation was given to the remaining ligaments to maintain the stability of the lumbar spine after a single ligament injury.(8)Interspinous ligament and ligamentum flavum injuries have the least impact on the peripheral ligaments,while capsular ligament injuries have the greatest impact on the peripheral ligaments.(9)The ligament injury has the least effect on the residual ligament stress during lateral bending exercise,while it has the greatest effect on the ligament stress during the twisting exercise.Patients with ligament injury should avoid twisting exercises.Ligament injuries do not affect disc pressure.

BACKGROUND:Ligaments are an important structure for stabilizing the lumbar spine,and they are prone to degenerative changes with age.Currently,there is limited research on lumbar ligaments. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of different combinations of ligament injuries on biomechanical characteristics of lumbar spine under four motion states of forward bending,backward extension,lateral bending,and torsion under a certain sequence of ligament injuries. METHODS:A finite element model of the L4-L5 segment of the lumbar spine was established,and corresponding moments were applied to simulate four motion states of forward bending,backward extension,lateral bending,and torsion.The combined injuries of the ligaments were performed in order to obtain the motion range of each vertebra and the stress of each ligament. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Every time a ligament was removed,the remaining ligament stress would increase.Under all four working conditions,capsular ligament would experience the highest stress,especially during forward bending.With the removal of ligaments,the range of motion of the vertebrae was also continuously increasing.(2)When flexing forward,after removing the first ligament capsular ligament,the average stress change in the remaining ligament was the highest,followed by the removal of supraspinous ligament.After removing capsular ligament,the change rate of range of motion was the highest,while after removing posterior longitudinal ligament,the change rate of range of motion was the lowest.(3)When extending backward,all ligaments had the highest rate of stress change after removing capsular ligament,the highest rate of range of motion change after removing capsular ligament,and the lowest rate of range of motion change after removing posterior longitudinal ligament.(4)When bending,the stress change rate of interspinous ligament decreased after removing intertransverse ligament,while supraspinous ligament increased more.After removing capsular ligament and interspinous ligament,the range of motion change rate increased significantly.(5)During lateral bending,after removing capsular ligament,the stress change rate of the remaining ligament was much higher than that of other ligament damage combinations,and the range of motion change rate was the highest after removing capsular ligament.In other cases,the range of motion change rate did not exceed 8%.(6)If the root ligament is damaged,the remaining ligaments will undergo stress compensation.Ligament damage will affect the stability of the lumbar spine,with minimal impact in cases of lateral curvature.Patients with lumbar instability should avoid forward flexion and backward extension movements,which can make it easier to detect the pathological condition of the ligaments.(7)Capsular ligament is an important structure for maintaining lumbar stability,and supraspinous ligament plays a significant role in anterior flexion,maintaining the integrity of the entire lumbar ligament.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is cell-free DNA released by tumors or circulating tumor cells, containing abundant tumor-specific information that can serve as biomarkers for cancer early screening, monitoring, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response. This is particularly attractive in the field of gastric cancer, where high-quality screening, monitoring, and prediction methods are currently lacking. Gastric cancer exhibits significant tumor heterogeneity, with large differences in genetic and epigenetic characteristics among different subgroups. Methylated ctDNA has high sensitivity and specificity, which can help clarify tumor genotyping and facilitate the formulation of precise diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, numerous studies have confirmed the unique advantages of methylated DNA in predicting treatment response, adjuvant therapy, and drug resistance assessment, which may be used in the future to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy regimens and improve patient chemotherapeutic response, and even treat multidrug resistance. However, there are several challenges associated with methylated ctDNA, such as low sensitivity and specificity at single-target sites, limited association between some gastric cancer subtypes and ctDNA, off-target risks, and the lack of large-scale and high-quality clinical research evidence. This review mainly summarizes current research on the methylation status of ctDNA in gastric cancer and connects these findings to early screening, recurrence monitoring, and potential treatment opportunities for gastric cancer. With advances in technology and the deepening of interdisciplinary research, ctDNA detection will reveal more disease information and become an essential foundation for gastric cancer research and precision medicine treatment.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is cell-free DNA released by tumors or circulating tumor cells, containing abundant tumor-specific information that can serve as biomarkers for cancer early screening, monitoring, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response. This is particularly attractive in the field of gastric cancer, where high-quality screening, monitoring, and prediction methods are currently lacking. Gastric cancer exhibits significant tumor heterogeneity, with large differences in genetic and epigenetic characteristics among different subgroups. Methylated ctDNA has high sensitivity and specificity, which can help clarify tumor genotyping and facilitate the formulation of precise diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, numerous studies have confirmed the unique advantages of methylated DNA in predicting treatment response, adjuvant therapy, and drug resistance assessment, which may be used in the future to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy regimens and improve patient chemotherapeutic response, and even treat multidrug resistance. However, there are several challenges associated with methylated ctDNA, such as low sensitivity and specificity at single-target sites, limited association between some gastric cancer subtypes and ctDNA, off-target risks, and the lack of large-scale and high-quality clinical research evidence. This review mainly summarizes current research on the methylation status of ctDNA in gastric cancer and connects these findings to early screening, recurrence monitoring, and potential treatment opportunities for gastric cancer. With advances in technology and the deepening of interdisciplinary research, ctDNA detection will reveal more disease information and become an essential foundation for gastric cancer research and precision medicine treatment.

Aural vertigo frequently encountered in the otolaryngology department of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） mainly involves peripheral vestibular diseases of Western medicine， such as Meniere's disease， benign paroxysmal positional vertigo， vestibular neuritis， and vestibular migraine， being a hot research topic in both TCM and Western medicine. Western medical therapies alone have unsatisfactory effects on recurrent aural vertigo， aural vertigo affecting the quality of life， aural vertigo not relieved after surgery， aural vertigo with complex causes， and children's aural vertigo. The literature records and clinical practice have proven that TCM demonstrates unique advantages in the treatment of aural vertigo. The China Association of Chinese medicine sponsored the "17th youth salon on the diseases responding specifically to TCM： Aural vertigo" and invited vertigo experts of TCM and Western medicine to discuss the difficulties and advantages of TCM diagnosis and treatment of aural vertigo. The experts deeply discussed the achievements and contributions of TCM and Western medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of aural vertigo， the control and mitigation of the symptoms， and the solutions to disease recurrence. The discussion clarified the positioning and advantages of TCM treatment and provided guidance for clinical and basic research on aural vertigo.

Objective:To investigate the value of derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) in predicting the prognosis of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients treated with the first-line atezolizumab immunotherapy and chemotherapy.Methods:From the Project Data Sphere platform, the clinical data and laboratory test data of 53 ES-SCLC patients who received the first-line atezolizumab immunotherapy and chemotherapy in the global multicenter phase Ⅱ prospective study NCT03041311 from February 2017 to February 2022 were collected. The Contal-O'Quigley method was used to calculate the optimal cut-off value of baseline dNLR for determining the overall survival (OS) of patients. The dNLR higher than or equal to the optimal cut-off value was defined as high dNLR, and less than the optimal cut-off value was defined as low dNLR. According to optimal cut-off value, the dNLR levels at baseline and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy were determined, and dynamic dNLR grouping was performed (low risk: low dNLR at baseline and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy; intermediate risk: high dNLR at baseline or after 4 cycles of chemotherapy; high risk: high dNLR at baseline and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy). The differences in clinicopathological features between the baseline high dNLR group and low dNLR group were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the OS and progression-free survival (PFS) curves, and log-rank test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Univariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the influencing factors of OS and PFS. The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of baseline dNLR grouping and dynamic dNLR grouping for 1-year OS rate in ES-SCLC patients receiving the first-line atezolizumab immunotherapy and chemotherapy.Results:Among the 53 patients, 34 (64.20%) were male and 19 (35.80%) were female; 27 (50.90%) were < 65 years old and 26 (49.10%) were ≥65 years old. The optimal cut-off value of baseline dNLR for determining the OS was 1.79. There were 17 cases in low dNLR group and 36 cases in high dNLR group at baseline. The proportion of patients with elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the baseline high dNLR group was higher than that in the baseline low dNLR group [58.33% (21/36) vs. 17.65% (3/17), χ2 = 7.72, P = 0.005]. The 1-year OS rates of the baseline high and low dNLR groups were 44.0% and 81.9%, and the 1-year PFS rates were 2.5% and 17.6%. The differences in OS and PFS between the two groups were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). There were 38 patients with complete dynamic dNLR data, including 9 cases of low-risk, 19 cases of medium-risk and 10 cases of high-risk, and the 1-year OS rates of the three groups were 90.0%, 67.5% and 33.3%, the difference in OS between the three groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.011). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that baseline dNLR (low dNLR vs. high dNLR) was the influencing factor for OS of patients ( HR = 0.163, 95% CI 0.057-0.469, P = 0.001) and PFS ( HR = 0.505, 95% CI 0.268-0.952, P = 0.035). Time-dependent ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of baseline dNLR grouping and dynamic dNLR grouping for predicting 1-year OS rate of ES-SCLC patients receiving the first-line atezolizumab combined with chemotherapy was 0.674 (95% CI 0.575-0.887) and 0.731 (95% CI 0.529-0.765). Conclusions:Baseline and dynamic dNLR grouping may be effective markers for predicting the prognosis of ES-SCLC patients receiving the first-line atezolizumab immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) bronchiolitis to provide references for clinical prevention and treatment.Methods:From January 2019 to January 2020, the clinical data of children diagnosed with MP bronchiolitis in the Department of Respiratory 2 of Hebei Children′s Hospital were retrospectively collected and analyzed, and the patients were followed up to observe the prognosis.Results:Among the 67 children, there were 39 boys and 28 girls, with age of 5 (1-14) years.All the children had cough, 63 cases (94.0%) had fever, 49 cases (77.8%) had high fever (≥39.0 ℃), and the median total fever course was 8(1-27) d; 10 cases (14.9%) had wheezing; 5 cases (7.5%) had dyspnea; 3 cases (4.5%) had hypoxemia; wet rales were heard in 58 cases (86.6%) and wheezing in 10 cases (14.9%). Forty-eight patients (71.6%) had family allergy history or personal allergy history.The average value of peripheral blood white blood cells was (8.6±2.6)×10 9/L; the me-dian of C reactive protein was 9.1(0.5-55.6) mg/L, of which 7 cases (10.4%) were ≥30 mg/L; the median of lactate dehydrogenase was 278(181-590) U/L.Tree bud sign and central lobular nodules were the main findings of high-resolution CT of the chest.Among them, 45 cases (67.2%) had bilateral lesions, 38 cases (56.7%) involved ≥3 lung lobes, and 22 cases (32.8%) had a little lung consolidation, 19 cases (28.4%) had a small amount of pleural effusion.The bronchoscopic features of 35 children (52.2%): 71.4%(25/35 cases) showed white flocculent and cord-like secretions, 17.1%(6/35 cases) displayed mucus plugs blocking the lumen, and 10.9%(4/35 cases) showed no-dular protrusions and granulation tissue hyperplasia.All children were treated with Azithromycin sequentially; 42 children (62.7%) were treated with low-dose hormones, and the average initiation time was on day (10.62±2.71) and the median course was 14(2-42) d. Sixty-seven cases were followed up for half a year, of which 61 cases (91.0%) had almost complete lung recovery, and 6 cases (9.0%) developed bronchiolitis obliterans (BO). Conclusions:MP bronchiolitis mostly occurs in infants and preschool children with a family history of allergies or personal allergies.Fever and cough are the main clinical manifestations.In severe cases, dyspnea and hypoxemia may occur.The physical signs of the lungs are mainly include wet rales, some of which are wheezing.White flocculent and cord-like secretions are the main manifestations of bronchoscopy.After active treatment, most children have a good prognosis, and some children may develop BO.

Objective Comprehensively considering the effectiveness and safety of massage, a method for evaluating the pros and cons of oscillation excitation and pulse excitation for lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation was proposed, and lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under oscillation excitation was optimized. Methods A multi-rigid body biomechanical model of thoracolumbar spine was established. The manipulation force was used as the input force of the model. Using MATLAB/Simulink, variation of the displacement and acceleration of each lumbar segment with time was simulated. For the optimization of lumbar massage manipulation, the core elements of massage force, namely, frequency (f) and operand (n) were changed, and then the maximum relative displacement and maximum acceleration of each lumbar segment were compared. A new index z was proposed to comprehensively evaluate effectiveness and safety of the manipulation. Results The maximum relative displacement of each lumbar segment was almost equal when lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under two kinds of excitation was applied. For lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation, the maximum acceleration of each lumbar segment under oscillation excitation was significantly smaller than that under pulse excitation. When the frequency of massage was 1-2.5 Hz, the overall effect of massage was better, and the overall effect had no relation with the operands, and the force of massage lasted for one operand; when the frequency of message was 3.33 Hz and the operands were more than 5, the massage had the best effect, meanwhile the strength of each lumbar segment was relatively large; when the frequency of massage exceeded 5 Hz, and the overall performance of massage was not good. Conclusions Lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under oscillation excitation is safer than that under pulse excitation. The research findings provide doctors with a reasonable range of operating parameters for lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under pulse excitation.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of citrate accumulation in patients with liver failure treated with regional citrate anticoagulated continuous renal replacement therapy (RCA-CRRT).Methods:The clinical data of liver failure patients with RCA-CRRT admitted to department of intensive care unit (ICU) of Nantong Third People's Hospital from January 2017 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The selected patients were divided into citrate accumulation group and control group according to whether there was citrate accumulation (serum total calcium/free calcium ratio ≥ 2.4) during CRRT. The age, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ), mean arterial pressure (MAP), norepinephrine (NE) dose, blood lactic acid (Lac) concentration, liver function status, citrate dose, filter time and prognosis of the patients were compared between the two groups. Unconditional Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for citrate accumulation.Results:Among 48 patients with RCA-CRRT and liver failure, 20 patients had citrate accumulation (accumulation group), and a total of 96 CRRTs were performed; the remaining 28 patients did not have citrate accumulation (control group), a total of 106 CRRTs were performed. There were no significant differences in age and APACHEⅡ score between the two groups. Compared with the control group, the MAP in the accumulation group was lower [mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 66.9±13.6 vs. 86.4±8.3, P = 0.032], and the dosage of NE (μg/min: 16.3±8.4 vs. 5.9±2.8, P = 0.015) and lactic acid level (mmol/L: 4.89±1.45 vs. 2.98±0.87, P = 0.004) were higher, the damage of liver function was more serious [total bilirubin (TBil, μmol/L): 220.4±45.2 vs. 163.4±43.8, P = 0.012; Child-Pugh score: 12.0±2.5 vs. 8.8±1.4, P = 0.029; model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score: 31.30±8.22 vs. 21.78±6.40, P = 0.041], hourly citric acid dosage (mmol/h: 27.4±6.9 vs. 19.3±4.9, P = 0.032) and total citric acid dosage (mmol: 3 393±809 vs. 1 819±502, P = 0.039) were higher. Although there were no significant differences in the length of ICU stay, total length of hospitalization stay and cost of hospitalization between the two groups, the 28-day mortality of the accumulation group was higher than that of the control group (60.0% vs. 28.6%, P = 0.039). Unconditional Logistic regression analysis showed that MAP [odds ratio ( OR) = 2.901, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.921-19.493, P = 0.019], NE dosage ( OR = 2.098, 95% CI was 1.923-12.342, P = 0.002), Lac level ( OR = 5.201, 95% CI was 3.211-9.433, P = 0.012), Child-Pugh score ( OR = 1.843, 95% CI was 0.437-7.420, P = 0.018), MELD score ( OR = 3.012, 95% CI was 0.384-12.843, P = 0.031), hourly citric acid dosage ( OR = 4.254, 95% CI was 1.734-11.839, P = 0.011) and total citric acid dosage ( OR = 4.109, 95% CI was 1.283-18.343, P = 0.001) were risk factors for citrate accumulation. Conclusion:In patients with tissue hypoperfusion and severe liver function damage, citrate anticoagulation should be avoided or the dosage of citric acid should be reduced, in order to avoid citrate accumulation.