Objective: Thoracic pedicle screw fixation is technically demanding because of the natural variability in pedicle anatomy, a challenge that is further exacerbated in patients with spinal tumors who often have compromised pedicles. The L-point entry, juxtapedicular, and endplate-parallel trajectory (L-JET) technique was developed to provide a uniform entry point, a predictable screw trajectory, and the capacity to accommodate larger-diameter screws at levels T3–10. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the L-JET technique in comparison with the conventional transpedicular method. Methods: A comparative analysis of consecutively collected data was performed to evaluate outcomes associated with the L-JET technique in patients undergoing surgery for thoracic extradural spinal tumors. The L-point was defined as the intersection of a vertical line along the lateral margin of the facet joint and a horizontal line along the upper edge of the transverse process. The screw trajectory was planned with 30° of medial convergence in the axial plane, creating a juxtapedicular path, and a straightforward trajectory in the sagittal plane. Primary outcome measures included screw diameter, screw length, cortical breach rate, and the need for revision surgery, as assessed using computed tomography scans and medical records. Results: A total of 108 screws were placed in 22 patients using the L-JET technique, while 98 screws were placed in 18 patients using the conventional technique. The L-JET group used significantly larger-diameter screws (6.06±0.65 mm) than the conventional group (5.74±0.80 mm, p=0.02), with no significant difference observed in screw length between groups. Medial cortical breach occurred in one screw in each group, and no supra- or infrapedicular breaches were identified. No screw-related neurovascular complications or revision surgeries occurred in either group. Conclusion The L-JET technique enables consistent screw placement with larger-diameter screws, even in compromised pedicles associated with thoracic spinal tumors, without increasing the risk of complications or the need for revision surgery.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, necessitating the identification of novel therapeutic targets. The E3 ubiquitin ligase WW domain-containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 2 (WWP2) has been implicated in various cancers, yet its specific role and underlying molecular mechanisms in CRC are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the functional role of WWP2 in CRC progression and to elucidate its regulatory mechanisms. Methods: WWP2 expression was evaluated in CRC patient tissues and cell lines using immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. The biological functions of WWP2 were assessed using in vitro assays for cell proliferation, migration, and invasion following adenovirus-mediated overexpression. The molecular mechanism was investigated by analyzing the protein expression levels of p53 and its downstream target, p21, via western blot. An in vivo xenograft mouse model was used to confirm the oncogenic role of WWP2. Results: WWP2 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues. Overexpression of WWP2 promoted CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, increased WWP2 expression led to a marked reduction in the protein levels of the tumor suppressor p53. Consequently, the expression of the p53 downstream target, the cell cycle inhibitor p21, was also suppressed. In the xenograft model, WWP2 overexpression significantly enhanced tumor growth. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that WWP2 functions as an oncogene in CRC. It promotes cancer progression by destabilizing the tumor suppressor p53 and downregulating p21. This study highlights the WWP2-p53-p21 axis as a potential novel therapeutic target for CRC.

Purpose: The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) creates an immunosuppressive environment, but the effects of anticancer treatment on TREM2 and the tumor microenvironment (TME) are not well established. This study investigates the impact of chemotherapy on TREM2-expressing macrophages within the lung adenocarcinoma TME. Materials and Methods: Using single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of paired normal-appearing lung tissue (NL) and tumor (Tu), human and mouse lung cancer tissue, and THP-1 cells, we observed the effects of anticancer drugs on them. Results: Myeloid cells (MY) were the second-most abundant non-epithelial component in the Tu, though less prevalent than in NL. Specific MY subclusters abundant in Tu showed overexpression of TREM2. In lung cancer-induced Kras-G12D mice, M2 proportion increased in Tu compared to NL; cisplatin increased TREM2+ M2 proportion in Tu. TREM2+ cells in Tu showed interactions with cell clusters showing characteristics of interstitial macrophage such as mo-lineage, mono-Mc, and CD163/LGMN cells via FN:CD44 and MIF:CD74+CXCR4, suggesting that they influence the recruitment of those cells to Tu and TME reshape. In M0-state THP-1 cells, cisplatin and osimertinib treatments induced polarization towards M1 and M2 states and increased TREM2 expression. Cisplatin promoted uptake of phosphatidylserine-coated latex beads by M0 cells, whereas osimertinib reduced uptake by polarized macrophages. These findings suggest anticancer treatments impact the lung immune microenvironment by altering the TREM2+ cells. Conclusion Given TREM2’s central inhibitory role in the tumor immune environment, effects of chemotherapeutic agents should be considered in developing TREM2-targeting therapies.

Objective To analyze the results of ultrasonic examinations of hip joints in preterm infants,clarify the developmental characteristics of hip joints across different gestational ages.Meth-ods A total of 881 preterm infants who attended the Child Healthcare Outpatient Clinic of Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital between January 2023 and April 2024 were enrolled.The first ultrasonic examination of the hip joints was performed at a corrected gestational age of 4 to 6 weeks.The Graf classification method was employed to categorize the ultrasonic findings.Differences in hip joint development among preterm infants of varying gestational ages were compared,and rele-vant influencing factors were statistically analyzed.Results A total of 1,762 hip joints were exam-ined,with 30 cases of abnormal hip joints detected,yielding an abnormality detection rate of 3.4％(30/881).Among these,26 hips were classified as type Ⅱa and 8 as type Ⅱb.Statistically signifi-cant differences were observed in the detection of left-sided abnormal hip joints between preterm in-fants of other gestational age groups and late preterm infants(P＜0.05).A statistically significant difference was found in the classification of right-sided hip joints between preterm infants of different genders(P＜0.05),while no significant difference was observed for left-sided hip joints(P＞0.05).Statistically significant differences were noted in the detection rates of bilateral abnormal hip joints among preterm infants with varying birth weights(P＜0.05).Advanced maternal age was found to influence the development of left-sided hip joints inpreterm infants,whereas factors such as assisted reproductive technology,breech presentation,and nulliparity had no significant impacts on abnormal hip joint development in preterm infants.Conclusion Ultrasonic technology demonstrates signifi-cant advantages in screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip(DDH)in preterm infants.Dif-ferent gestational ages exert a notable influence on the development of left-sided hip joints in preterm infants.Female preterm infants exhibit a higher risk of right-sided hip joint abnormalities compared to the left side.Breech presentation,assisted reproductive technology,and nulliparity are not risk factors for DDH in preterm infants.However,higher birth weight in preterm infants and advanced maternal age are associated with abnormal hip joint development.Clinical attention should focus on high-risk factors,and enhanced dynamic ultrasonic monitoring of hip joints in preterm infants is war-ranted to facilitate early intervention and treatment.

Objective To construct a nursing consultation information system based on consultation process and information interaction needs and explore its application effect.Methods The nursing consultation process and information interaction needs were analyzed;the information process,content modules and information interaction interface were designed;the structured records for nursing consultation were developed.The system was officially applied in January 2024.The application effect was evaluated by comparing the completion time of nursing consultations,nursing consultation record quality score,nursing consultation evaluation completion rate,and satisfaction rate before(August 2023 to October 2023)and after(January 2024 to March 2024)the application of the information system.Results After the application of the nursing consultation information system,the implementation rate of nursing consultation for inpatients increased from 1.27％ before the application of the system to 1.47％(P=0.019).The completion time of nursing consultation in the whole hospital reduced from 351(225,421)minutes before the application of the system to 310(156,402)minutes(P＜0.001),and there was a statistically significant difference in the completion time of nursing consultation among the 3 specialties of intravenous therapy,blood purification,and diabetes nursing(P＜0.05).The quality score of nursing consultation records increased from 90.5(82.0,100)points to 95.5(92.0,100)points(P＜0.001).The completion rate of nursing consultation evaluation was higher than those before the system application,with statistical significance(21.6％ vs 78.4％,P＜0.001).Conclusion Nursing consultation information system based on information interaction needs can improve the implementation of nursing consultation for inpatients,shorten the completion time of nursing consultations,improve the writing quality of nursing consultation records and the completion rate of nursing consultation evaluation,and it succeeded in real-time quality monitoring.

Objective:To investigate the expression, prognosis, and role of G protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein 1 (GIT1) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor micro environments.Methods:Clinical data of 140 cases who underwent complete HCC surgical resection from January 2015 to December 2021 in Subei People's Hospital affiliated to Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Province, were included. Tumor tissue and adjacent tissue samples were collected for immunohistochemical analysis. The patients were divided into a high expression group and a low expression group according to the expression of GIT1. Cox regression was used to analyze the risk factors for prognosis in patients with HCC. Fifteen pairs of cancer tissues and adjacent tissues were randomly matched for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot (WB), and immunohistochemical analysis. GITI knockout or overexpression cell lines of human hepatoma cell lines HepG2, HuH7 and MHCC97-H, and mouse hepatoma cell line Hepa 1-6 were constructed. The effects on M2 macrophage polarization were analyzed by flow cytometry. A mice tumor model was constructed. The growth curve of tumor tissue overexpressing GIT1 was plotted. Bioinformatics analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data was performed using OncoLnc, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, UALCAN, and GEPIA databases to explore the differential expression of GIT1 in HCC patients and its effect on prognosis.Results:Bioinformatics analysis showed that the expression level of GIT1 was significantly higher in HCC tissues than in normal liver tissues ( P<0.05). RT-PCR and WB experiments showed that GIT1 was highly expressed in HCC. The follow-up results showed that high expression of GIT1 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC. The high expression of GIT1 was an independent risk factor for the prognosis in patients with HCC ( HR=2.562, 95% CI: 0.231-0.704, P<0.05). Functional enrichment analysis combined with TIMER database analysis found that GIT1 expression level was associated with multiple immune cell infiltrations in HCC, but the correlation coefficient with macrophage infiltration was the highest ( r=0.545, P<0.001). Mice tumorigenesis experiments showed that the tumor volume of GIT1-overexpressing mice was significantly increased ( P<0.05). Additionally, flow cytometry indicated that after GIT1 overexpression, there was a low degree of M1 infiltration/polarization (wild type: 5.06%±0.11%, overexpression type: 4.09%±0.04%; P<0.05) and a high degree of M2 infiltration/polarization (wild type: 10.20%±0.33%, overexpression type: 14.7%±0.12%; P<0.05). Conclusion:GIT1 serves as a prognostic biomarker in HCC, promoting tumor progression through its high expression and enhances M2 macrophage infiltration.

The structure of intestinal tissue is complex. In vitro simulation of intestinal structure and function is important for studying intestinal development and diseases. Recently, organoids have been successfully constructed and they have come to play an important role in biomedical research. Organoids are miniaturized three-dimensional (3D) organs, derived from stem cells, which mimic the structure, cell types, and physiological functions of an organ, making them robust models for biomedical research. Intestinal organoids are 3D micro-organs derived from intestinal stem cells or pluripotent stem cells that can successfully simulate the complex structure and function of the intestine, thereby providing a valuable platform for intestinal development and disease research. In this article, we review the latest progress in the construction and application of intestinal organoids.
Organoids/cytology* ; Intestines/physiology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Pluripotent Stem Cells

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib neoadjuvant therapy for newly diagnosed locally advanced thyroid cancer (LATC).Methods:Twenty-four newly diagnosed LATC patients (10 males and 14 females, age (47.1±3.3) years) admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were prospectively included from January 2023 to April 2024. Patients were given anlotinib neoadjuvant therapy (12mg/d, 2 weeks of medication, 1 week of discontinuation), and the efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by CT and multi-disciplinary treatment at the end of each treatment cycle. Patients assessed as suitable for surgery would be scheduled for surgery, while those who were not suitable for surgery would continue to receive neoadjuvant therapy and periodic evaluations. The primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), and the R0/1 resection rate and adverse events (AE) after neoadjuvant therapy were observed. Paired- t test was used to analyze the differences between groups, and the Clopper-Person accurate method was used to calculate the bilateral 95% CI of ORR and other indicators. Results:Twenty-four patients received 2(2, 3) cycles of neoadjuvant therapy with anlotinib, of which 23 underwent surgery after anlotinib therapy. After neoadjuvant therapy, the mean maximum diameter of target lesions decreased by 23.5%(95% CI: 2.8%-44.3%) compared with baseline ( t=9.22, P<0.001). The ORR and DCR were 37.5%(95% CI: 18.8%-59.4%) and 100%(95% CI: 85.8%-100%), respectively. About 91.7%(95% CI: 73.0%-99.0%) of patients eventually underwent R0/1 resection. Hand and foot skin reactions, hypertension, oral mucositis, and leukopenia were common AE; grade 4 and 5 AE were not observed. Conclusion:Anlotinib can be safely used as neoadjuvant therapy for newly diagnosed LATC patients with good antitumor effects, providing better surgical opportunities for R0/1 resection.

Objective:To explore the advantages of robotic-arm assisted total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) in acetabular component positioning and lower limb length assessment in patients with severe pelvic coronal tilt.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 122 patients with unilateral end-stage hip disease and coronal pelvic tilt angle >3° who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) at the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from June 2022 to December 2023. Among them, 44 patients underwent rTHA, and 78 underwent manual THA (mTHA). The rTHA group included 18 males and 26 females, with an average age of 60.5±9.3 years; the mTHA group included 41 males and 37 females, with an average age of 58.5±8.4 years. Compare the differences in the anteversion angle, abduction angle, pelvic tilt angle, leg length discrepancy (LLD) of the acetabular prosthesis, and the proportions of patients with LLD>0.5 cm and >1 cm between the two groups of patients after surgery. Calculate the proportion of outlier rates of acetabular abduction angle (<30° or >45°), and proportions within Callanan's safe zone. The early efficacy of the hip joint was evaluated by using the modified Harris score and joint range of motion.Results:All patients were followed up for 6 to 12 months, with an average of 8 months. All the surgical incisions of the patients achieved primary healing. Postoperative comparisons showed no statistically significant differences in acetabular abduction angle (39.5°±3.3° vs. 38.4°±7.3°) or anteversion angle (20.7°±1.6° vs. 19.7°±1.6°) between rTHA and mTHA groups ( P>0.05). However, pelvic tilt angle [2.5° (1.1°, 3.6°) vs. 3.5° (2.3°, 5.9°)] showed a statistically significant difference ( U=4.371, P=0.008). The rTHA group exhibited smaller absolute LLD [0.2 (0.1, 0.4) cm vs. 0.5 (0.2, 0.5) cm] and lower proportions of LLD >0.5 cm [14% (6/44) vs. 49% (38/78)] and >1 cm [2% (1/44) vs. 18% (14/78)], with statistical significance ( P<0.05). The rTHA group had a lower outlier rate for acetabular abduction angle (<30°or >45°) compared to the mTHA group [2% (1/44) vs. 33% (26/78)], with statistical significance (χ 2=10.388, P<0.001). Taking the Callanan safety zone as the standard, the proportion of acetabular cups within the safe zone was significantly higher in the rTHA group (98%, 43/44) compared to the mTHA group (67%, 52/78), with a statistically significant difference (χ 2=13.998, P<0.001). The modified Harris score and hip joint range of motion in the mTHA group increased from 47.6±6.6 points and 83° (73°, 88°) before the operation to 83.5±11.2 points and 118° (110°, 122°) at the last follow-up, respectively. The rTHA group increased from 46.5±9.2 points and 79° (71°, 90°) before the operation to 85.0±12.5 points and 124° (116°, 130°) at the last follow-up. The differences in the modified Harris score and hip joint range of motion between the two groups before the operation and at the last follow-up were statistically significant ( P<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at the last follow-up ( P>0.05). No THA-related complications occurred during follow-up period. Conclusion:For patients with end-stage hip joint diseases with coronal tilt exceeding 3°, robotic-assisted technology significantly improves the accuracy of acetabular component placement during THA and offers better control of postoperative LLD.