ObjectiveTo study the potential of using temporal clustering analysis(TCA)technique in localizing an epileptogenic zone.MethodsTwelve patients with epilepsy were examined using resting functional MRI(fMRI). The patients had detectable focal lesions on cranial MRI.TCA was performed to analyze resting fMRI data in order to identify the timing of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs).Standard event-related fMRI analysis in SPM99 was used to generate maps of the activation induced by epileptic brain activities.Comparisons were made between TCA Resultsand SPM motion trochoid.ResultsEight of the twelve subiects showed activations in the brain regions that were consistent with those lesions determined on anatomic MRI.The remaining four subiects showed no clear activation in the areas of detectable lesions. In addition, correlation was found between TCA Resultsand motion trochoids.ConclusionsTemporal cluster analysis,an exploratory data-driven technique,may provide the timing information about interictal epileptiforill discharges.However,the Resultsfrom this novel fMRI analytical technique need to be interpreted with caution as it is vulnerable to motion artifact.

Objective: To provide reliable prediction models based on dentoskeletal and soft tissue variables for customizing maxillary incisor positions and to optimize digitalized orthodontic treatment planning. Methods: This study included 244 Chinese women (age, 18–40 years old) with esthetic profiles after orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances (133 in group I: 1° ≤ The angle between the nasion [N]-A point [A] plane and the N-B point [B] plane [ANB] ≤ 4°; 111 in group II: 4° < ANB ≤ 7°). Dental, skeletal, and soft tissue measurements were performed on lateral cephalograms of the participants. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the influence of dentoskeletal and soft tissue variables on maxillary incisor position. Results: The ideal anteroposterior position of the maxillary incisor varied between sagittal skeletal patterns. The position of the maxillary incisor correlated with the sagittal discrepancy between the maxilla and the mandible (ANB), protrusion of the midface, nasal tip projection, development of the chin, and inclination of both the maxillary and mandibular incisors. Distance from the maxillary central incisor to nasion-pogonion plane predicted using multiple linear regression analysis was accurate and could be a practical measurement in orthodontic treatment planning. Conclusions Instead of using an average value or norm, orthodontists should customize a patient’s ideal maxillary incisor position using dentoskeletal and soft tissue evaluations.

ObjectiveTo study the effect and efficacy of Nirmatrelvir tablet/Ritonavir tablet in the treatment of patients with COVID‑19 infection aged ≥90 years, to inform pharmacological treatment of patients aged ≥90 years with COVID‑19 infection. MethodsMild to moderate COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Geriatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of the Naval Medical University from March 2022 to June 2024, aged ≥90 years, and who had not been vaccinated against novel coronavirus were selected as the research subjects. A total of 112 patients who received Nirmatrelvir tablet/Ritonavir tablet antiviral treatment within 5 days after the diagnosis of COVID‑19 infection were referred to the drug group, and 80 patients who were not treated with antiviral drugs were referred to as the control group. A retrospective research method was employed to gather and compare patitents’ clinical laboratory data before and after antiviral treatment, such as blood routine tests, inflammatory markers, coagulation function tests, liver and renal function tests, electrolyte levels, and blood gas analysis, between the drug group and the control group. Additionally, the time duration to negative conversion and 28-day all-cause mortality rates were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was conducted on factors associated with mortality, such as the oxyhemoglobin saturation after treatment, time duration to negative conversion, and the use of Nirmatrelvir tablet/Ritonavir tablet or not, while correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of Nirmatrelvir tablet/Ritonavir tablet based on the level of oxyhemoglobin saturation, time duration to negative conversion, and all-cause mortality rates within 28 days. ResultsAfter treatment, oxyhemoglobin saturation increased in the drug group (t=-2.726, P=0.011), and the differences between the indicators in the control group compared to the pre-treatment period were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The time to negative conversion and 28-day all-cause mortality of control group were higher than those in the drug group (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the lower the post-treatment oxyhemoglobin saturation, the lower the use of Nirmatrelvir tablet/Ritonavir tablet, the longer the time to conversion, and the higher the mortality rate of the patients (all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that treatment with Nirmatrelvir tablet/Ritonavir tablet resulted in higher oxyhemoglobin saturation (r=0.425, P=0.008), shorter time to negative conversion (r=-0.398, P=0.013), and lower all-cause mortality rates within 28 days (r=-0.370, P=0.022). ConclusionNirmatrelvir tablet/Ritonavir tablet is effective in mild and moderate infection patients aged ≥90 years who have not been vaccinated against COVID‑19 infection, and can increase patients’ oxyhemoglobin saturation, shorten the time to negative conversion, and reduce 28-day all-cause mortality rate.

Objective:To investigate the features and influencing factors of language in children with various types of speech disorders.Methods:A case-control study was carried out, 262 children with speech disorder had been diagnosed at the language-speech clinic of the Center of Children′s Healthcare, Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2021 to November 2023, the children with speech sound disorder as the speech sound disorder group, the children with developmental stuttering as the stuttering group. There were 100 typically-developed children who underwent physical checkups at the Center of Healthcare during the same period as the healthy group. All children experienced a standardized evaluation of language with diagnostic receptive and expressive assessment of mandarin‐comprehensive(DREAM-C) and questionnaire, One-way ANOVA and LSD test were conducted to compare the differences in overall language, receptive language, expressive language, semantics, and syntax scores among 3 groups of children. According to the results of DREAM-C, the children with speech disorder were divided into language normal group and language delay group. Chi‐square test and multivariate Logistic regression were implemented to analyze the association between the linguistic development of children with speech disorder and potential influential factors.Results:There were 145 children in the speech sound disorder group, including 110 males and 35 females respectively, with an age of (5.9±1.0) years; 117 children in the stuttering group, including 91 males and 26 females, with an age of (5.8±1.0) years; 100 children in the healthy group, including 75 males and 25 females, with an age of (5.7±1.2) years. The variations in overall language, expressive language, and syntax scores among 3 groups of children were statistically significant (92±18 vs.96±11 vs. 98±11, 81±18 vs. 84±14 vs. 88±13, 87±16 vs. 89±11 vs. 91±10, F=5.46, 4.69, 3.68, all P<0.05). Pairwise comparison revealed that the speech sound disorder group had lower scores in overall language, expressive language, and syntactic compared to the healthy group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01) and the overall language score was lower than that of children with stuttering ( P<0.05). In terms of overall language and expressive language, there was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of language delay among the three groups of children (15.9% (23/145) vs. 20.5% (24/117) vs. 7.0% (7/100), 46.2% (67/145) vs. 39.3% (46/117) vs. 26.0% (26/100); χ2=7.93, 10.28; both P<0.05). In terms of overall language, the stuttering group took up the highest proportion. In terms of expressive language, the speech sound disorder group accounted for the highest amount. The incidence of language delay in children with speech disorder was 44.3% (116/262). Non-parent-child reading, daily screen time ≥1 hour and screen exposure before 1.5 years of age are risk factors for the development of language in children with speech disorder ( OR=1.87, 2.18, 2.01; 95% CI 1.07-3.27, 1.23-3.86, 1.17-3.45; all P<0.01). Negative family history are protective factors for the progress of language ability ( OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.17-0.81, P<0.05). Conclusions:Children with speech disorder tend to have easy access to language delay, especially in expressive language and syntax. The occurrence of language delay in children with speech disorder is tightly connected with factors such as the family medical history, parent-child reading, screen time, etc. Attention should be paid to the development of language in children who suffer from speech disorder.