BACKGROUND:One of the advantages of clear aligner treatment is molar distalization.However,tooth tilting movement and loss of anterior anchorage may occur during treatment.There are few studies on whether these problems can be improved by selecting clear aligners with different thicknesses and edges to improve the clinical treatment effect.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the control ability of clear aligners with different thickness and edges on the central incisor,lateral incisor,and second molar when pushing the maxillary second molar distally by three-dimensional finite element analysis.METHODS:Three-dimensional finite element analysis models of bilateral maxillary second molar distalization with clear aligner,maxillary dentition,periodontal ligament,and alveolar bone with different thicknesses and margins were established by Mimics,Geomagic Wrap,3-matic and SolidWorks software,respectively.There were 16 combinations of four thicknesses(0.4,0.5,0.625,and 0.75 mm)and four margins(scallop,straight,straight extension 2 mm and straight extension 4 mm).The data were imported into Ansys Workbench software for design and solution.The mean value,peak value and distribution of the periodontal ligament equivalent stress of the second molar,the equivalent stress and the maximum initial displacement of the second molar,and the control ability of each appliance on the second molar,central incisor,and lateral incisor were analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The mean equivalent stress of periodontal ligament of the second molar,the equivalent stress of the second molar and the maximum initial displacement of the second molar increased with the extension of the appliance edge and the increase of the thickness of the appliance in the 16 groups of models.(2)When the thickness of appliances was the same,the maximum equivalent stress of the second molar in the linear appliance group was the highest,and the maximum equivalent stress of the second molar in the linear extended appliance group was greater than that in the scallop appliance group.When the edge of the appliance was the same,the periodontal ligament equivalent stress peak of the second molar increased with the increase of the thickness of the appliance.The equivalent stress distribution in the periodontal ligament of the second molar in the linear extendable appliance group was more uniform than that in the scallop appliance group and the linear appliance group.(3)When the thickness of the appliance was the same,the scallop-shaped appliance had the worst control on the second molar.When the edge of the appliance was the same,with the increase of the thickness of the appliance,the control of the second molar by the linear extender appliance was gradually stronger than that by the linear appliance.The control of the central incisor was stronger and more stable with the linear extended 2 mm appliance,while the control of the lateral incisor was stronger and more stable with the linear appliance.(4)The results showed that when using clear aligners to push molars distally,extending the edge of the appliance could improve the control of the molars and reduce the tilting movement of the teeth.The design of a straight extension margin of 2 mm for the central incisor and a straight edge for the lateral incisor can enhance the control of the anchorage incisor and reduce the labial inclination of the anterior teeth.

BACKGROUND:One of the advantages of clear aligner treatment is molar distalization.However,tooth tilting movement and loss of anterior anchorage may occur during treatment.There are few studies on whether these problems can be improved by selecting clear aligners with different thicknesses and edges to improve the clinical treatment effect.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the control ability of clear aligners with different thickness and edges on the central incisor,lateral incisor,and second molar when pushing the maxillary second molar distally by three-dimensional finite element analysis.METHODS:Three-dimensional finite element analysis models of bilateral maxillary second molar distalization with clear aligner,maxillary dentition,periodontal ligament,and alveolar bone with different thicknesses and margins were established by Mimics,Geomagic Wrap,3-matic and SolidWorks software,respectively.There were 16 combinations of four thicknesses(0.4,0.5,0.625,and 0.75 mm)and four margins(scallop,straight,straight extension 2 mm and straight extension 4 mm).The data were imported into Ansys Workbench software for design and solution.The mean value,peak value and distribution of the periodontal ligament equivalent stress of the second molar,the equivalent stress and the maximum initial displacement of the second molar,and the control ability of each appliance on the second molar,central incisor,and lateral incisor were analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The mean equivalent stress of periodontal ligament of the second molar,the equivalent stress of the second molar and the maximum initial displacement of the second molar increased with the extension of the appliance edge and the increase of the thickness of the appliance in the 16 groups of models.(2)When the thickness of appliances was the same,the maximum equivalent stress of the second molar in the linear appliance group was the highest,and the maximum equivalent stress of the second molar in the linear extended appliance group was greater than that in the scallop appliance group.When the edge of the appliance was the same,the periodontal ligament equivalent stress peak of the second molar increased with the increase of the thickness of the appliance.The equivalent stress distribution in the periodontal ligament of the second molar in the linear extendable appliance group was more uniform than that in the scallop appliance group and the linear appliance group.(3)When the thickness of the appliance was the same,the scallop-shaped appliance had the worst control on the second molar.When the edge of the appliance was the same,with the increase of the thickness of the appliance,the control of the second molar by the linear extender appliance was gradually stronger than that by the linear appliance.The control of the central incisor was stronger and more stable with the linear extended 2 mm appliance,while the control of the lateral incisor was stronger and more stable with the linear appliance.(4)The results showed that when using clear aligners to push molars distally,extending the edge of the appliance could improve the control of the molars and reduce the tilting movement of the teeth.The design of a straight extension margin of 2 mm for the central incisor and a straight edge for the lateral incisor can enhance the control of the anchorage incisor and reduce the labial inclination of the anterior teeth.

BACKGROUND:Traumatic brain injury is a condition in which the normal function of the brain is disrupted by a bump or impact to the head.It is necessary to find effective treatments and objective targets that can help doctors diagnose the injury status and restore the brain function of patients. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of electroacupuncture combined with low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation on the electroencephalographic signals of rats with traumatic brain injury. METHODS:Forty 6-week-old SPF male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups:sham group,model group,electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group and combined group(electroacupuncture+low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation),with eight rats in each group.Feeney weight-drop method was used to establish the animal model of traumatic brain injury.In the sham group,the bone window was only opened without impact.Interventions were started at 1 day after modeling.Electroacupuncture in the electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation in the low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group,and electroacupuncture+low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation in the combined group were performed for days in total.The modified neurological severity scale score for assessing rats'neurological deficits was performed at 8 hours after modeling.The percentage of spontaneous alternation behavior in the Y-maze was measured at 7 days after modeling.Then,the electroencephalographic signals were collected and electroencephalographic data of α,β,θ,and δ waves were extracted by fast Fourier transform,and the value of oscillation amplitude and energy ratio were calculated in α,β,θ,and δ waves,as well as the Lempel-Ziv complexity and sample entropy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham group,the modified neurological severity scale scores in the model group,electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group and combined group were significantly increased at 8 hours after modeling(P<0.05).Compared with the sham group,the value of oscillation amplitude in δ wave and the value of δ energy ratio were significantly increased in the model group at 7 days after modeling,meanwhile the percentage of spontaneous alternation behavior in Y-maze,and the value of α/β energy ratio,Lempel-Ziv complexity,and sample entropy were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the value of oscillation amplitude in α and δ waves was significantly decreased in the combined group(P<0.05),while the value of α/β energy ratio was significantly increased(P<0.05)and the value of δ energy ratio was significantly decreased(P<0.05)in the electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group and combined group.Compared with the electroacupuncture group and low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group,the value of δ energy ratio was significantly decreased in the combined group(P<0.05),while the percentage of spontaneous alternation behavior,the value of α/β energy ratio,the Lempel-Ziv complexity,and the sample entropy were significantly increased(P<0.05).To conclude,abnormal electroencephalographic signals can appear in rats with traumatic brain injury,while the electroacupuncture combined with low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation can alleviate the abnormal electroencephalographic signals in rats,which suggests the electroencephalographic frequency domain value and nonlinear features can be used to assess the severity of traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND:With the continuous advancement of medical technology,stem cell therapy has been used to treat a variety of diseases,including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,and prospect the development trend of this field. METHODS:PubMed,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),and WanFang Data were searched for articles published from 1995 to 2024 using the key words"amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,mesenchymal stem cells,neural stem/progenitor cells,pluripotent stem cells."A total of more than 1 700 articles were retrieved,and 58 articles were finally included in this review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that affects lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord and upper motor neurons in the motor cortex.The related research of stem cells in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has become a research hotspot.In this review,we summarize the application of different types of stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research,including mesenchymal stem cells,neural stem progenitor cells,and induced pluripotent stem cells,and evaluate the key points of preclinical research such as stem cell source,cell volume,stem cell modification methods,and drug delivery routes,which lays the foundation for the future application of stem cell therapy.

Objective:This study aims to provide insights into the clinical features of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein-5(MDA5)-positive dermatomyositis (MDA5-DM) patients with fatal outcomes, leveraging pathogenic microbiota metagenomic analysis, to guide the clinical assessment and treatment choices.Methods:From January 2020 to August 2023, deceased patients diagnosed with MDA5-DM were identified at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi ′an Jiaotong University. Clinical data were retrospectively collected and analyzed using Mann Whitney U test and Fisher ′s exact test to summarize risk factors and treatment assessment for MDA5-DM patients with fatal outcomes. Results:①The proportion of male patients was higher than females among MDA5-DM patients with fatal outcomes, which differed from the incidence pattern, possibly associated with smoking and gender proportions (6/11 vs. 0/7, P=0.037). ②94%(17/18) patients presented initially with elevated ferritin levels [(1 350±942)ng/ml] and CRP [(47±36)mg/L]. ③All patients (18/18) exhibited early involvement of the upper lung lobes, including multiple nodules in 9/18, ground-glass opacities in 5/18, and solitary nodules in 4/18. ④Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was negative in 4/16 cases, with cytomegalovirus and pneumocystis jirovecii being the most commonly detected pathogens in 5/16 cases each. ⑤89%(16/18) of patients continued to have lymphocyte counts persistently <0.5×10 9/L irrespective of treatment. Conclusion:Smoking may have adverse effects on male MDA5 patients. Early involvement of the upper lobe of the lungs is more common in MDA5 antibody positive deaths, and persistent lymphocyte depletion is an important factor in poor response. Enhancing mNGS analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and vigilance towards cytomegalovirusand Pneumocystis jirovecii could provide valuable clinical guidance.

Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide.The treatment paradigm of HCC is shifting from traditional"single-modality resection"toward an integrated model featuring"multi-strategy synergy".In recent years,neoadjuvant therapies,particularly those combining interventional approaches with immunotherapy before surgery had attracted much attention.The current evidences and emerging trends of interventional and immune-driven strategies in neoadjuvant therapy for liver cancer were reviewed in this article.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

AIM:To exploring the mechanism of Xin Mai Jia(XMJ)in inhibiting hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy through network pharmacology and animal experiments.METHODS:Retrieving the ac-tive ingredients and target points of XMJ by search-ing the TCMSP database and related literature re-ports;using the Gene Cards,OMIM,and Drug Bank databases to screen targets for hypertensive cardi-ac hypertrophy;constructing a network of tradi-tional Chinese medicine-active ingredients-poten-tial targets and a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network;using DAVID software for target gene on-tology(GO)functional enrichment analysis and Kyo-to Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis;using Auto Dock soft-ware for molecular docking.A spontaneously hy-pertensive rat(SHR)model was established,and hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to detect the morphology of cardiac tissue and cellular hy-pertrophy,Masson staining was used to detect col-lagen deposition in cardiac tissue,and Western blot to detect the expression of heat shock protein(HSP90AA1),mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor y(PPARG),and tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)in car-diac tissue.RESULTS:A total of 56 potential active ingredients were identified in XMJ,and 5,492 tar-gets related to hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy were obtained.The targets in the core network were ranked according to their Degree values,and four main targets were selected:HSP90AA1,mTOR,PPARG,and TNF-α.The results of HE staining showed that compared with the normal group,the average area of cardiomyocytes in the SHR group increased significantly(P＜0.05),while there was no significant change in the XMJ group.The hypertro-phy in the SHR+XMJ group was significantly alleviat-ed(P＜0.05).The results of Masson staining showed that compared with the normal group,the levels of interstitial fibrosis and perivascular fibrosis in the SHR group rats increased significantly(P＜0.01),and XMJ could significantly reduce the fibrosis levels in the SHR group rats(P＜0.01).The results of Western blot showed that compared with the normal group rats,the expression of HSP90AA1 and PPARG in the myocardial tissue of SHR group rats was downregu-lated,mTOR phosphorylation was downregulated,and TNF-α was significantly upregulated(P＜0.01).In the SHR+XMJ group,the expression of HSP90AA1,PPARG,and TNF-α in the myocardial tis-sue of rats returned to normal levels,and mTOR phosphorylation returned to normal levels.In the XMJ group,there were no significant changes in the above indicators compared with the normal group rats.CONCLUSION:The mechanism underly-ing the inhibitory effect of XMJ on myocardial cell hypertrophy in hypertension involves a comprehen-sive action through multiple components,multiple targets,and multiple pathways.

Objective:To summarized the clinical characteristics of intracranial germ cell tumors（iGCTs）in children, with the ultimate goal of facilitating early tumor identification and guiding the prompt selection of appropriate treatment strategies.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on pediatric patients with primary iGCTs admitted to Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University between March 2021 and June 2022. Patient age, gender, clinical manifestations, tumor marker levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, imaging features, and histopathological examination results were meticulously collected and statistically analyzed.Results:A total of 126 pediatric patients with iGCTs were included in the study, of which 86 cases (68.3%) were male,and 40 cases (31.7%) were female.The average age was (10.0 ± 3.5) years old. The mean age of onset was found between 6~14 years old(80.1%), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.2:1.The tumors were predominantly located in the sellar region (30.2%), basal ganglia (23.8%), and pineal region (19.8%). Notably, there were distinct differences in tumor location across different age groups: pineal region tumors were most prevalent in preschool children (71.4%), basal ganglia tumors were more common in school-age children (41.9%), and sellar region involvement was highest among adolescent patients(44.8%). Based on molecular marker analysis and biopsy diagnosis, 79 cases were classified as germinoma, 3 as teratoma, 2 as yolk sac tumor, 1 as choriocarcinoma, and 41 as mixed germinoma.All children underwent head CT and MRI examinations. Among them, 99 cases showed high-density lesions on CT,while 27 cases showed mixed density,including 39 cases of calcification and 35 cases of hydrocephalus.MRI revealed atrophy of the cerebral peduncle, caudate nucleus head, or cerebral cortex in 38 cases, involvement of the basal ganglia in 33 cases, and midbrain involvement in 5 cases.Blood β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were examined in all patients, while CSF tumor marker levels were analyzed in 103 cases. There were 76 cases with elevated β-HCG in blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid, and 24 cases with elevated AFP in blood and/or CSF.Additionally, all 86 male patients underwent genital ultrasound, revealed testicular microlithiasis in 12 cases and testicular cysts in 6 cases.Conclusion:The clinical presentation of iGCTs in pediatric patients exhibits significant heterogeneity in terms of epidemiology, classification, tumor location, and molecular markers. Notably, CSF β-HCG and AFP levels are equally crucial diagnostic indicators alongside blood tumor markers.Histological examination should be performed as early as possible in clinically suspected cases with negative tumor markers. Clinicians should remain vigilant for early imaging negative potential cases. In addition, male children with testicular microlithiasis or cysts should be closely followed up.

Objectives:Accounting Total Health Expenditure(THE)in 2023,analyzing the changes of health financing in China since 2015,summarizing the main problems and challenges faced by health financing in China at present,and putting forward policy suggestions to improve health financing.Methods:Health expenditure accounting methods by financing source and by health provider were applied,and the change of total health expenditure in China is analyzed through the index analysis of time series.Results:THE in 2023 in China was 9 057.58 billion yuan,an increase of 6.77%over the previous year,accounting for 7.00%of GDP,and per capi-ta health expenditure was 6 425.32 yuan.The proportion of government health expenditure in THE decreased to 26.66%,the propor-tion of social health expenditure increased to 46.01%,and the proportion of household Out-of-Pocket(OOP)rebounded to 27.33%.Conclusions:The total scale of health expenditure in China continues to grow,but the growth rate slows down,and the stability and sustainability of health financing need to be strengthened.It is necessary to speed up the construction of a government investment mechanism based on health priority development,improve the social health insurance system,guide the rational resource allocation,and reduce the burden of medical treatment for residents.