During orthodontic treatment, clinical monitoring of patients is a crucial factor in determining treatment success. It aids in timely problem detection and resolution, ensuring adherence to the intended treatment plan. In recent years, digital technology has increasingly permeated orthodontic clinical diagnosis and treatment, facilitating clinical decision-making, treatment planning, and follow-up monitoring. This review summarizes recent advancements in digital technology for monitoring orthodontic tooth movement, related complications, and appliance-wearing compliance. It aims to provide insights for researchers and clinicians to enhance the application of digital technology in orthodontics, improve treatment outcomes, and optimize patient experience. The digitization of diagnostic data and the visualization of dental models make chair-side follow-up monitoring more convenient, accurate, and efficient. At the same time, the emergence of remote monitoring technology allows orthodontists to promptly identify oral health issues in patients and take corresponding measures. Furthermore, the multimodal data fusion method offers valuable insights into the monitoring of the root-alveolar relationship. Artificial intelligence technology has made initial strides in automating the identification of orthodontic tooth movement, associated complications, and patient compliance evaluation. Sensors are effective tools for monitoring patient adherence and providing data-driven support for clinical decision-making. The application of digital technology in orthodontic monitoring holds great promise. However, challenges like technical bottlenecks, ethical considerations, and patient acceptance remain.

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Objective:To examine the impact of varied surgical treatment strategies on the prognosis of patients with initial resectable gastric cancer liver metastases (IR-GCLM).Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. Employing a retrospective cohort design, the study selected clinicopathological data from the national multi-center retrospective cohort study database, focusing on 282 patients with IR-GCLM who underwent surgical intervention between January 2010 and December 2019. There were 231 males and 51 males, aging ( M(IQR)) 61 (14) years (range: 27 to 80 years). These patients were stratified into radical and palliative treatment groups based on treatment decisions. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and distinctions in survival rates were assessed using the Log-rank test. The Cox risk regression model evaluated HR for various factors, controlling for confounders through multivariate analysis to comprehensively evaluate the influence of surgery on the prognosis of IR-GCLM patients. A restricted cubic spline Cox proportional hazard model assessed and delineated intricate associations between measured variables and prognosis. At the same time, the X-tile served as an auxiliary tool to identify critical thresholds in the survival analysis for IR-GCLM patients. Subgroup analysis was then conducted to identify potential beneficiary populations in different surgical treatments. Results:(1) The radical group comprised 118 patients, all undergoing R0 resection or local physical therapy of primary and metastatic lesions. The palliative group comprised 164 patients, with 52 cases undergoing palliative resections for gastric primary tumors and liver metastases, 56 cases undergoing radical resections for gastric primary tumors only, 45 cases undergoing palliative resections for gastric primary tumors, and 11 cases receiving palliative treatments for liver metastases. A statistically significant distinction was observed between the groups regarding the site and the number of liver metastases (both P<0.05). (2) The median overall survival (OS) of the 282 patients was 22.7 months (95% CI: 17.8 to 27.6 months), with 1-year and 3-year OS rates were 65.4% and 35.6%, respectively. The 1-year OS rates for patients in the radical surgical group and palliative surgical group were 68.3% and 63.1%, while the corresponding 3-year OS rates were 42.2% and 29.9%, respectively. A comparison of OS between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference ( P=0.254). Further analysis indicated that patients undergoing palliative gastric cancer resection alone had a significantly worse prognosis compared to other surgical options ( HR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.21 to 3.24, P=0.006). (3) The size of the primary gastric tumor significantly influenced the patients′ prognosis ( HR=2.01, 95% CI: 1.45 to 2.79, P<0.01), with HR showing a progressively increasing trend as tumor size increased. (4) Subgroup analysis indicates that radical treatment may be more effective compared to palliative treatment in the following specific cases: well/moderately differentiated tumors ( HR=2.84, 95% CI 1.49 to 5.41, P=0.001), and patients with liver metastases located in the left lobe of the liver ( HR=2.06, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.57, P=0.010). Conclusions:In patients with IR-GCLM, radical surgery did not produce a significant improvement in the overall prognosis compared to palliative surgery. However, within specific patient subgroups (well/moderately differentiated tumors, and patients with liver metastases located in the left lobe of the liver), radical treatment can significantly improve prognosis compared to palliative approaches.

Objectives:To assess the efficacy of cord blood-assisted haploid peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (haplo-cord-PBSCT) versus unrelated donor peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (UD-PBSCT) in the treatment of malignant hematological diseases.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on one hundred and four patients with malignant hematological diseases who underwent haplo-cord-PBSCT and fifty-two patients who underwent UD-PBSCT at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between January 2016 and December 2021.Results:①The median implantation time for neutrophils in the haplo-cord-PBSCT and UD-PBSCT groups was 13 (9–22) days and 13 (10–24) days, respectively ( P=0.834), whereas the median implantation time for platelets was 15 (7–103) days and 14 (8-38) days, respectively ( P=0.816). The cumulative implantation rate of neutrophils at 30 days after transplantation in the haplo-cord-PBSCT group and the UD-PBSCT group was 100% ( P=0.314), and the cumulative platelet implantation rate at 100 days after transplantation was 95.2% (95% CI 88.3% - 98.1% ) and 100% ( P=0.927), respectively. 30 days after transplantation, both groups of patients achieved complete donor chimerism, and no umbilical cord blood stem cells were implanted. ②The cumulative incidence rates of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute GVHD within 100 days after transplantation in the haplo-cord-PBSCT group and the UD-PBSCT group were 29.1% (95% CI 20.1% –38.1% ) and 28.8% (95% CI 17.2% –41.6% ( P=0.965), respectively. The cumulative incidence rates of grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ acute GVHD were 7.8% (95% CI 3.6% –14.0% ) and 9.6% (95% CI 3.5% –19.5% ) ( P=0.725). The cumulative incidence rates of 2-year chronic GVHD in the haplo-cord-PBSCT group and the UD-PBSCT group were 45.3% (95% CI 36.1% -56.1% ) and 35.1% (95% CI 21.6% –44.1% ), respectively ( P=0.237). The cumulative incidence rates of severe chronic GVHD at 2 years after transplantation were 13.6% (95% CI 7.6% -21.3% ) and 12.9% (95% CI 5.1% -24.3% ), respectively ( P=0.840). ③The 2-year CIR after transplantation in the haplo-cord-PBSCT group and UD-PBSCT group were 12.8% (95% CI 7.0% –20.5% ) and 10.0% (95% CI 3.6% –20.2% ), respectively ( P=0.341), and the NRM were 14.7% (95% CI 8.4% –22.6% ) and 16.2% (95% CI 7.4% –28.0% ), respectively ( P=0.681). ④The 2-year OS rates in the haplo-cord-PBSCT and UD-PBSCT groups after transplantation were 82.2% (95% CI 74.8% –90.3% ) and 75.5% (95% CI 64.2% -88.7% ), respectively ( P=0.276). The 2-year DFS rates were 69.9% (95% CI 61.2% –79.8% ) and 73.8% (95% CI 62.4% -87.3% ), respectively ( P=0.551). The 2-year rates of GVHD-free/recurrence-free survival (GRFS) were 55.3% (95% CI 44.8% -64.8% ) and 64.7% (95% CI 52.8% –79.3% ), respectively ( P=0.284) . Conclusion:The findings of this study indicate that haplo-cord-PBSCT and UD-PBSCT have comparable efficacy and safety in the treatment of malignant hematological diseases and can be used as an alternative treatment options.

Objective:To investigate the value of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA) and pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) in predicting mortality of pediatric sepsis in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) from Southwest China.Methods:This was a prospective multicenter observational study. A total of 447 children with sepsis admitted to 12 PICU in Southwest China from April 2022 to March 2023 were enrolled. Based on the prognosis, the patients were divided into survival group and non-survival group. The physiological parameters of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS were recorded and scored within 24 h after PICU admission. The general clinical data and some laboratory results were recorded. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare the predictive value of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS in mortality of pediatric sepsis.Results:Amongst 447 children with sepsis, 260 patients were male and 187 patients were female, aged 2.5 (0.8, 7.0) years, 405 patients were in the survival group and 42 patients were in the non-survival group. 418 patients (93.5%) met the criteria of SIRS, and 440 patients (98.4%) met the criteria of pSOFA≥2. There was no significant difference in the number of items meeting the SIRS criteria between the survival group and the non-survival group (3(2, 4) vs. 3(3, 4) points, Z=1.30, P=0.192). The pSOFA score of the non-survival group was significantly higher than that of the survival group (9(6, 12) vs. 4(3, 7) points, Z=6.56, P<0.001), and the PCIS score was significantly lower than that of the survival group (72(68, 81) vs. 82(76, 88) points, Z=5.90, P<0.001). The predictive value of pSOFA (AUC=0.82) and PCIS (AUC=0.78) for sepsis mortality was significantly higher than that of SIRS (AUC=0.56) ( Z=6.59, 4.23, both P<0.001). There was no significant difference between pSOFA and PCIS ( Z=1.35, P=0.176). Platelet count, procalcitonin, lactic acid, albumin, creatinine, total bilirubin, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time and international normalized ratio were all able to predict mortality of sepsis to a certain degree (AUC=0.64, 0.68, 0.80, 0.64, 0.68, 0.60, 0.77, 0.75, 0.76, all P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with SIRS, both pSOFA and PCIS had better predictive value in the mortality of pediatric sepsis in PICU.

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of berberine combined with curcumin on ath-erosclerosis(AS)by mediating M1 macrophages polarization.Methods M1-type macrophages were obtained from mouse mononuclear macrophages(RAW264.7)induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS,100 ng/mL)and interferon(IFN)-γ(20 ng/mL).A cell model was established.The cells were divided into a control group,model group,berberine group,curcumin group and berberine plus curcumin group.Concentrations of berberine and curcumin were detected by CCK-8 assay.The expression levels of M1-type macrophage markers iNOS,TNF-α,CXCL9 and p-STAT6/STAT6 in macrophage supernatant were detected by ELISA.Levels of iNOS,TNF-α and CXCL9 mRNA were detected by RT-PCR.Levels of iNOS,STAT6 and p-STAT6 proteins in each group were detected by Western blot.After down-regulation of STAT6 level by siRNA technology,expression of p-STAT6 protein was detected by Western blot.Expression levels of iNOS,TNF-α,CXCL9 and p-STAT6 were detected by ELISA.Results In the polarization of M1 macrophages induced by LPS and IFN-γ,berberine(25 μmol/L)and curcumin(20 μmol/L)were the best concentrations as compared with other drug concentration groups,and neither alone nor combined use could significantly inhibit the viability of RAW264.7 cells(P<0.05).As compared with the normal group,iNOS,TNF-α and CXCL9 mRNA and protein levels were increased in the model group,while P-STAT6/STAT6 levels were decreased,with statistical differences(P<0.05).As compared with the model group,iNOS,TNF-α and CXCL9 mRNA and protein levels in the berberine group,curcumin group,and berberine plus curcumin group were decreased,while P-STAT6/STAT6 levels were increased,and the changes were more obvious in berberine plus curcumin group,with statistical difference(P<0.05).After transfection of STAT6 siRNA in M1 macrophages in the berberine plus curcumin group,P-STAT6 levels were down-regulated,while expressions of iNOS,TNF-α and CXCL9 were up-regulated,with statistical differences(P<0.05).Conclusions Both berberine and curcumin can inhibit the activity of M1-type macrophages and reduce inflammatory response.The action of berberine combined with curcumin is more advantageous than that of either drug alone,which may be the main mechanism of action through activation of STAT6.

Objective:To examine the impact of varied surgical treatment strategies on the prognosis of patients with initial resectable gastric cancer liver metastases (IR-GCLM).Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. Employing a retrospective cohort design, the study selected clinicopathological data from the national multi-center retrospective cohort study database, focusing on 282 patients with IR-GCLM who underwent surgical intervention between January 2010 and December 2019. There were 231 males and 51 males, aging ( M(IQR)) 61 (14) years (range: 27 to 80 years). These patients were stratified into radical and palliative treatment groups based on treatment decisions. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and distinctions in survival rates were assessed using the Log-rank test. The Cox risk regression model evaluated HR for various factors, controlling for confounders through multivariate analysis to comprehensively evaluate the influence of surgery on the prognosis of IR-GCLM patients. A restricted cubic spline Cox proportional hazard model assessed and delineated intricate associations between measured variables and prognosis. At the same time, the X-tile served as an auxiliary tool to identify critical thresholds in the survival analysis for IR-GCLM patients. Subgroup analysis was then conducted to identify potential beneficiary populations in different surgical treatments. Results:(1) The radical group comprised 118 patients, all undergoing R0 resection or local physical therapy of primary and metastatic lesions. The palliative group comprised 164 patients, with 52 cases undergoing palliative resections for gastric primary tumors and liver metastases, 56 cases undergoing radical resections for gastric primary tumors only, 45 cases undergoing palliative resections for gastric primary tumors, and 11 cases receiving palliative treatments for liver metastases. A statistically significant distinction was observed between the groups regarding the site and the number of liver metastases (both P<0.05). (2) The median overall survival (OS) of the 282 patients was 22.7 months (95% CI: 17.8 to 27.6 months), with 1-year and 3-year OS rates were 65.4% and 35.6%, respectively. The 1-year OS rates for patients in the radical surgical group and palliative surgical group were 68.3% and 63.1%, while the corresponding 3-year OS rates were 42.2% and 29.9%, respectively. A comparison of OS between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference ( P=0.254). Further analysis indicated that patients undergoing palliative gastric cancer resection alone had a significantly worse prognosis compared to other surgical options ( HR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.21 to 3.24, P=0.006). (3) The size of the primary gastric tumor significantly influenced the patients′ prognosis ( HR=2.01, 95% CI: 1.45 to 2.79, P<0.01), with HR showing a progressively increasing trend as tumor size increased. (4) Subgroup analysis indicates that radical treatment may be more effective compared to palliative treatment in the following specific cases: well/moderately differentiated tumors ( HR=2.84, 95% CI 1.49 to 5.41, P=0.001), and patients with liver metastases located in the left lobe of the liver ( HR=2.06, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.57, P=0.010). Conclusions:In patients with IR-GCLM, radical surgery did not produce a significant improvement in the overall prognosis compared to palliative surgery. However, within specific patient subgroups (well/moderately differentiated tumors, and patients with liver metastases located in the left lobe of the liver), radical treatment can significantly improve prognosis compared to palliative approaches.

Polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） is a reproductive endocrine disorder characterized by coexisting reproductive dysfunction and glucolipid metabolic disturbance， affecting 8%-13% of women of reproductive age and 3%-11% of adolescent females. Due to the highly heterogeneous clinical features， symptom-oriented individualized strategies are commonly adopted for the treatment of PCOS. Chronic low-grade inflammation is one of the core mechanisms for the occurrence of PCOS. Macrophages， as foundational cells of innate immunity， play an indispensable role in modulating systemic inflammatory responses. The imbalance of macrophage M1/M2 polarization is involved in chronic low-grade inflammation in PCOS via pathways such as activating pro-inflammatory responses， disrupting ovarian tissue repair， stimulating excessive synthesis of androgens， and promoting the occurrence of insulin resistance. Reshaping the phenotype of macrophages might serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for PCOS. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） holds that spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness is a crucial pathogenesis of PCOS. The spleen， being in charge of defensive function， plays a key role in ensuring normal physiological functions such as transportation and defense against external pathogen during the occurrence and development of PCOS. The imbalance of macrophage polarization resembles the transition from spleen being in charge of defensive function to spleen losing its defensive role in TCM. Therefore， this paper， for the first time， explores the deep connection between macrophage polarization and the pathogenesis of chronic low-grade inflammation in PCOS from the TCM theory of spleen being in charge of defensive function， providing theoretical support and new research directions for the treatment and drug research of PCOS.

Objective:To investigate the prognosis of patients with initially resectable gastric cancer liver metastasis (GCLM) who were treated by different modalities, and analyze the influencing factors for prognosis of patients.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 327 patients with initially resectable GCLM who were included in the database of a nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort study on GCLM based on real-world data from January 2010 to December 2019 were collected. There were 267 males and 60 females, aged 61(54,68)years. According to the specific situations of patients, treatment modalities included radical surgery combined with systemic treatment, palliative surgery combined with systemic treatment, and systemic treatment alone. Observation indicators: (1) clinical characteristics of patients who were treated by different modalities; (2) prognostic outcomes of patients who were treated by different modalities; (3) analysis of influencing factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM; (4) screening of potential beneficiaries in patients who were treated by radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients who were treated by palliative surgery plus systemic treatment. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and draw survival curve, and Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using the COX proportional hazard regression model. The propensity score matching was employed by the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a caliper value of 0.1. The forest plots were utilized to evaluate potential benefits of diverse surgical combined with systemic treatments within the population. Results:(1) Clinical characteristics of patients who were treated by different modalities. Of 327 patients, there were 118 cases undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment, 164 cases undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment, and 45 cases undergoing systemic treatment alone. There were significant differences in smoking, drinking, site of primary gastric tumor, diameter of primary gastric tumor, site of liver metastasis, and metastatic interval among the three groups of patients ( P<0.05). (2) Prognostic outcomes of patients who were treated by different modalities. The median overall survival time of the 327 pati-ents was 19.9 months (95% confidence interval as 14.9-24.9 months), with 1-, 3-year overall survival rate of 61.3%, 32.7%, respectively. The 1-year overall survival rates of patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment, palliative surgery plus systemic treatment and systemic treatment alone were 68.3%, 63.1%, 30.6%, and the 3-year overall survival rates were 41.1%, 29.9%, 11.9%, showing a significant difference in overall survival rate among the three groups of patients ( χ2=19.46, P<0.05). Results of further analysis showed that there was a significant difference in overall survival rate between patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients undergoing systemic treatment alone ( hazard ratio=0.40, 95% confidence interval as 0.26-0.61, P<0.05), between patients undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment and patients under-going systemic treatment alone ( hazard ratio=0.47, 95% confidence interval as 0.32-0.71, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of influencing factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM. Results of multivariate analysis showed that the larger primary gastric tumor, poorly differentiated tumor, larger liver metastasis, multiple hepatic metastases were independent risk factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM ( hazard ratio=1.20, 1.70, 1.20, 2.06, 95% confidence interval as 1.14-1.27, 1.25-2.31, 1.04-1.42, 1.45-2.92, P<0.05) and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, the treatment modality of radical or palliative surgery plus systemic therapy were independent protective factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM ( hazard ratio=0.60, 0.39, 0.46, 95% confidence interval as 0.42-0.87, 0.25-0.60, 0.30-0.70, P<0.05). (4) Screening of potentinal beneficiaries in patients who were treated by radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients who were treated by palliative surgery plus systemic treatment. Results of forest plots analysis showed that for patients with high-moderate differentiated GCLM and patients with liver metastasis located in the left liver, the overall survival rate of patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment was better than patients undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment ( hazard ratio=0.21, 0.42, 95% confidence interval as 0.09-0.48, 0.23-0.78, P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared to systemic therapy alone, both radical and palliative surgery plus systemic therapy can improve the pro-gnosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM. The larger primary gastric tumor, poorly differen-tiated tumor, larger liver metastasis, multiple hepatic metastases are independent risk factors for prognosis of patients with initial resectable GCLM and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, the treatment modality of radical or palliative surgery plus systemic therapy are independent protective factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM.