Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant sintilimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods Clinical data were collected from patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy followed by surgical treatment at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Jining No.1 People's Hospital from April 2020 to April 2022. The endpoints included major pathological response (MPR), pathological complete response (pCR), R0 resection rate, safety, and postoperative survival. Results A total of 43 patients with ESCC who received at least one cycle of neoadjuvant immunotherapy before surgery were included. Among them, there were 31 males and 12 females with a median age of 65 years (interquartile range: 58-69). All patients successfully completed the surgery without any surgical delays. The pCR rate was 14.0% (6/43), the MPR rate was 58.1% (25/43), and the R0 resection rate was 97.7% (42/43). Patients exhibited reliable safety during neoadjuvant therapy and postoperatively. The 2-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 90.7% and 81.4%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test revealed lower recurrence rates and better survival in the MPR patients compared to the non-MPR patients. Conclusion The combination of neoadjuvant sintilimab and chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC has demonstrated significant clinical efficacy, while also being safe and reliable.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of thermal tomography in breast cancer (BC) screening. Methods We conducted a general population-based BC screening in three regions of Hubei Province (Xiantao, Hongan, and Yangxin Districts). Participants underwent a questionnaire-based interview for baseline data collection. They then received a physical examination, thermal tomography, and ultrasound from doctors and technicians. We compared the efficacies, including sensitivity, specificity, and false-positive rates, of ultrasound and thermal tomography in BC screening. Results A total of 59 712 eligible women were included in this screening program. The BI-RADS 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 accordance rates between the two screening methods were 0.9549, 0.8047, 0.9037, 0.3352, and 0, respectively. The overall accordance rate was 0.933 1. The kappa consistency results showed that the Cicchetti-Allison and Fleiss-Cohen kappa values were 0.7970 and 0.8583, respectively. Although the two methods had equal sensitivities, specificity was higher in thermal tomography than in ultrasound. The false-positive rate was lower in thermal tomography than in ultrasound. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of thermal tomography was significantly larger than that of ultrasound. Conclusion The general consistency between thermal tomography and ultrasound in BC screening was high. Thermal tomography outperformed ultrasound in terms of specificity and diagnostic efficiency. Therefore, thermal tomography has a high application value for general population-based BC screening.

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） therapy has unique clinical advantages in the treatment of atrial fibrillation， mainly reflected in five aspects， improving quality of life， enabling early diagnosis and treatment， promoting cardiac rehabilitation， making up for the limitations of Western medicine， and improving the success rate of catheter ablation. However， there is insufficient evidence in current clinical research. Based on the current status of TCM research in the treatment of atrial fibrillation， it is suggested that future studies should focus on standardized research on syndrome differentiation and classification. This can be achieved through clinical epidemiological surveys， expert consensus， and other methods to establish a unified syndrome differentiation and classification standard for atrial fibrillation. Clinical efficacy evaluation indicators should be standardized， and core outcome measures for clinical research on TCM treatment of atrial fibrillation should be developed through systematic reviews， patient interviews， and other methods. Additionally， clinical research design， implementation， and data management should be improved. By leveraging modern information technologies such as artificial intelligence， the scientific and standardized nature of TCM intervention research on atrial fibrillation can be enhanced， ultimately improving the quality of research.

Objective To investigate the role of mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein(MAVS)in viral infection-triggered generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP)in children.Methods This retrospective case-control study enrolled 80 GPP patients aged 0～18 years from Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University(from October 2013 to April 2019).Whole-exome sequencing identified rare MAVS variants associated with GPP.Pathogenicity of variants was predicted using Mutation Taster,Disease Association,SIFT,and CADD bioinformatics tools.Sanger sequencing validated variants,followed by construction of wild-type(WT)and mutant MAVS expression plasmids transfected into HEK 293 cells.Protein expression was assessed by Western blot.Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays measured IFNB1 and NF-κB transcriptional activity.Genotype distribution of the MAVS c.171dupT/p.H57fs variant was analyzed using Fisher's exact test.Results This study enrolled 80 pediatric GPP patients(aged 0～18 years).Whole-exome sequencing identified five rare MAVS variants,with bioinformatics analyses predicting deleterious effects on protein stability and function.Western blot demonstrated that the c.171dupT mutation in GPP patients significantly reduced full-length MAVS expression(P<0.001);dual-luciferase assays further revealed this variant impaired MAVS-mediated IFNB1 transcriptional activation by 85%(P<0.001),abrogated NF-κB signaling pathway activation(P<0.001),but exhibited no dominant-negative effect on wild-type MAVS function(P>0.05).Conclusion The MAVS c.171dupT frameshift variant may contribute to infection-triggered GPP in children,suggesting its potential as a genetic biomarker for GPP susceptibility.

Radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) is a common oral complication in patients with tumors following head and neck radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Erosion and ulcers are the main features of OM that seriously affect the quality of life of patients and even the progress of tumor treatment. To date, differences in clinical prevention and treatment plans for OM have been noted among doctors of various specialties, which has increased the uncertainty of treatment effects. On the basis of current research evidence, this expert consensus outlines risk factors, clinical manifestations, clinical grading, ancillary examinations, diagnostic basis, prevention and treatment strategies and efficacy indicators for OM. In addition to strategies such as basic oral care, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, anti-infective agents, pro-healing agents, and photobiotherapy recommended in previous guidelines, we also emphasize the role of traditional Chinese medicine in OM prevention and treatment. This expert consensus aims to provide references and guidance for dental physicians and oncologists in formulating strategies for OM prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, standardizing clinical practice, reducing OM occurrence, promoting healing, and improving the quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Risk Factors ; Stomatitis/etiology*

In the ever-evolving landscape of cancer therapy, while cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy aim to eradicate malignant cells, they also inadvertently trigger cellular senescence in both cancerous and microenvironmental tissues. Therapy-induced senescence (TIS) can act as a barrier against tumor growth by halting cell proliferation in the short term, but the long-term persistence of therapy-induced senescent (TISnt) cells may pose a significant challenge in cancer management. Their distinct characteristics, like senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), metabolic dysregulation, and immune evasion, make them exhibit remarkable heterogeneity to orchestrate the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in therapy resistance. However, how these TISnt cells functioning differently in cancer progression, and the intricate mechanisms by which they remodel the senescence-associated immunosuppressive microenvironment present challenges for improving anticancer therapy. Therefore, this review summarizes the heterogeneous TISnt cell phenotypes contributing to an accumulated senescent state, outlines their multidimensional interactions in the senescent microenvironment, and discusses current senescence-targeting strategies. Building on the current understanding of TIS, we propose potential avenues for improving TIS-targeting methodologies in the context of head and neck cancer, a representative heterogeneous malignancy, which can substantially enhance the efficacy of the "one-two punch" sequential treatment approach for head and neck cancer.
Humans ; Cellular Senescence/drug effects* ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Dental treatments for children and adolescents have unique clinical characteristics that differ from dental care for adults in terms of children's physiology, psychology, and behavior. These differences impose specific requirements on the application of local anesthesia in pediatric dental procedures. This article presents expert consensus on the principles of local anesthesia techniques in pediatric dental therapies, including the use of common anesthetic drugs and dosage control, safety and efficacy evaluation, and prevention and management of complications. The aim is to improve the safety and quality of pediatric dental treatments and offer guidance for clinical application by dentists.
Humans ; Child ; Anesthesia, Local/methods* ; Consensus ; Anesthesia, Dental/methods* ; Adolescent ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Dental Care for Children

Objective:To comprehensively evaluate the clinical effectiveness with respect to a single dose of tranexamic acid (TXA) given preoperatively for blood loss control in perioperative patients accepted craniomaxillofacial plastic and cosmetic surgery.Methods:Embase, PubMed, WanFang Data, VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were electronically retrieved to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to appraise the efficacy in perioperative craniomaxillofacial plastic and cosmetic surgery patients used TXA from inception to August 2024. Based on the result of methodological heterogeneity, corresponding paired meta-analyses were carried out with a random-effects or fixed-effects model applying R 4.0.4 software. Subgroup analysis was performed based on type of surgery, patient age, regional distribution of patients, and sample size included in the studies. A meta-regression analysis was performed on studies that reported the effect of different doses of TXA on reducing perioperative bleeding. Sensitivity analysis was performed to verify the stability of the meta result. Egger’s test was used to analyze potential publication bias.Results:A total of 31 RCTs were included, involving 2 072 patients, with 1 051 in the TXA group and 1 021 in the placebo group. The paired meta-analysis random-effects model ( I2=90%) showed that compared with the control group, the use of TXA significantly reduced the amount of bleeding in perioperative patients[standardized mean difference ( SMD)=-1.13, 95% CI -1.47 to -0.80, P < 0.01]. Subgroup analysis revealed that TXA had a significant effect on reducing intraoperative bleeding in patients with different surgeries, ages, regions, and sample sizes. The most effective subgroups were cases in orthognathic surgery ( SMD=-1.44, 95% CI -2.07 to -0.80, P< 0.01), less than 30 year-old( SMD=-1.32, 95% CI -1.68 to -0.96, P< 0.01], Asian patients( SMD=-1.29, 95% CI -1.72 to -0.86, P< 0.01), less than 30 individuals ( SMD=-1.16, 95% CI -1.50 to -0.82, P< 0.01). The result of the meta regression showed there was no significant difference in the hemostatic effect of TXA on patients with increasing doses (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mg/kg) ( P>0.05). Sensitivity analysis verified that the pooled values were stable and reliable. The Egger’s test indicated a certain degree of publication bias ( P < 0.01). Conclusion:Taken as a whole, existing evidence suggests that TXA can effectively reduce perioperative bleeding in patients undergoing craniofacial plastic surgery, regardless of its dosage administered. However, further clinical researches are still needed to provide more baselined data, transfusion-related indicators, and information on adverse events such as vascular embolism, in order to comprehensively evaluate and analyze the efficacy and safety of a single dose of TXA for perioperative blood loss control in patients treated with craniomaxillofacial plastic and cosmetic surgery.