Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disease with complex clinical manifestations, presenting substantial challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Its symptoms and the eight extraordinary meridians are potentially correlated; therefore, this article explores the association between MSA symptom clusters and the eight extraordinary meridians based on their circulation and physiological functions, as well as their treatment strategies. The progression from deficiency to damage in the eight extraordinary meridians aligns with the core pathogenesis of MSA, which is characterized by "the continuous accumulation of impacts from the vital qi deficiency leading to eventual damage". Liver and kidney deficiency and the emptiness of the eight extraordinary meridians are required for the onset of MSA; the stagnation of qi deficiency and the gradual damage to the eight extraordinary meridians are the key stages in the prolonged progression of MSA. The disease often begins with the involvement of the yin and yang qiao mai, governor vessel, thoroughfare vessel, and conception vessel before progressing to multiple meridian involvements, ultimately affecting all eight extraordinary meridians simultaneously. The treatment approach emphasizes that "the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect method will be needed in order to secure victory" and focuses on "eliminate pathogenic factors and reinforce healthy qi". Distinguishing the extraordinary meridians and focusing on the primary symptoms are pivotal to improving efficacy. Clinical treatment is aimed at the target, and tailored treatment based on careful clinical observation ensures precision in targeting the disease using the eight extraordinary meridians as the framework and core symptoms as the specific focus. Additionally, combining acupuncture, daoyin therapy, and other method may help prolong survival. This article classifies clinical manifestations based on the theory of the eight extraordinary meridians and explores treatment.

Objective To obtain the protective performance parameters of barium sulfate mortar against positron nuclide γ-rays, provide reference data for precise shielding calculations, and guide the design, evaluation, and construction of radiation shielding. Methods The FLUKA program was used to build a model for simulating the dose equivalent rate variation around points of interest under the irradiation of the most commonly used positron nuclide ¹⁸F with changes in the thicknesses of lead and barium sulfate mortar. The transmission curves of lead and barium sulfate mortar were fitted, and the half-value layer (HVL) and lead equivalence of barium sulfate mortar were calculated based on the fitted curves. Results The ambient dose equivalent rate coefficient of positron nuclide ¹⁸F was 1.339 4×10⁻¹ μSv·m²/MBq·h and the HVL for lead was 4.037 mm, with deviations of 0.043% and 1.53% compared to the values provided in the AAPM Report No. 108, respectively. The HVLs for γ-rays produced by ¹⁸F, using barium sulfate mortar with apparent densities of 4.20, 4.00, and 3.90 g/cm³ mixed with 35.2-grade cement in a 4∶1 mass ratio, were 2.914, 2.969, and 3.079 cm, respectively. The lead equivalences were 0.1385, 0.1360, and 0.1311 mmPb/mm, respectively. Conclusion The three types of barium sulfate mortar can provide good protection against γ-rays in positron imaging locations. As the apparent density of barium sulfate increases, its protective effect improves slightly but remains significantly better than common construction materials like concrete and solid bricks.

Objective To examine the significance of susceptible gene detection for hereditary cancer syndrome (HCS) among general population. Methods A total of 2 928 individuals undergoing routine health examinations in Healthcare Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from September 2021 to April 2024 were enrolled retrospectively. Next generation sequencing was employed to identify susceptible genes for HCS. American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guideline was used to analyze the pathogenicity of variants. Clinical data, imagings, follow-up data were also collected. Results The overall mutation rate of HCS panel was 3.59% (105/2 928), with 0.61% (18/2 928) for MutY DNA glycosylase (MUTYH), 0.27% (8/2 928) for breast cancer susceptibility gene 1/2 (BRCA1/2) and 0.23% (7/2 928) for mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Conclusions Healthy individuals carrying tumor susceptible genes usually lack the relevant clinical phenotypes. Whether comprehensive testing needs to be carried out among healthy people remains to be further explored.

OBJECTIVES: Managing patients with refractory head and neck cancer pain is one of the more challenging issues in clinical practice, and traditional intrathecal drug delivery also fails to provide adequate analgesia. There are currently no comprehensive and effective treatment methods. This study aims to observe the efficacy and safety of treating intractable head and neck cancer pain with morphine pump via lumbar approach to the prepontine cistern. METHODS: A total of 18 patients with intractable head and neck cancer pain treated with prepontine cistern morphine pumps were selected from the Department of Pain Management, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University between September 2019 and July 2023. Statistical analysis was performed on patients' preoperative and postoperative (1 week, 1 month, and 2 months after surgery), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, daily oral morphine consumption, the number of daily breakthrough pain episodes, and postoperative daily intrathecal morphine dosage. RESULTS: The NRS scores, SDS scores, daily oral morphine consumption, and the number of daily breakthrough pain episodes of patients at each time point after surgery were significantly lower than before surgery (all P<0.05). With the gradual increase in the dosage of intrathecal morphine, the daily oral morphine consumption of patients at each postoperative time point was significantly reduced compared to preoperative levels (all P<0.05). The complications related to the operation were mild, including nausea in 5 cases (31.3%), headache in 2 cases (12.5%); hypotension, urine retention, hypersomnia and constipation in 1 case (6.3% each), and no serious adverse events occurred. All improved and were discharged after symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS The implantation of prepontine cistern morphine pump effectively controls intractable head and neck cancer pain, demonstrating characteristics of minimal invasiveness, mild side effects, and low medication dosage under the premise of standardized procedures.
Humans ; Morphine/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/surgery* ; Analgesics, Opioid/administration & dosage* ; Cancer Pain/drug therapy* ; Pain, Intractable/etiology* ; Aged ; Adult ; Infusion Pumps, Implantable ; Pain Management/methods*

Objective:To analyze the short-term clinical outcomes of total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) and laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) combined with Billroth-Ⅱ+Braun anastomosis.Methods:Clinical characteristics of patients undergoing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy combined with Billroth-Ⅱ+Braun anastomosis at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from Jan 2020 to Oct 2022 were analyzed. Patients were divided into TLDG group ( n=62) and LADG group ( n=62) according to the surgical approach. Results:There were significant differences in the preoperative clinical data section between the two groups, and 124 patients (62 in each group) were enrolled after using propensity score matching to balance significant variables. Compared with the LADG group, the TLDG group showed statistically differences in time to first venting [(2.9±1.3) vs. (2.3±0.8) d, Z=-3.072, P=0.002], time to first fluid diet [(5.9±1.3) vs. (5.4±1.4) d, Z=-2.031, P=0.042] and incision length [(7.1±1.4) vs. (4.8±0.8) cm, Z=-6.331, P=0.000]. Total postoperative complication rate in the TLDG group and the LADG group (29% vs. 37%, χ2=0.911, P=0.340) was not statistically significant. Incidence of postoperative pneumonia was lower in the TLDG group than in the LADG group (3% vs. 13%, χ2=3.916, P=0.048), and incidence of all remaining postoperative complications were not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of serious postoperative complications between the TLDG and LADG groups ( P=1.000). Multifactorial analysis revealed that male ( P=0.023) and age ≥65 years ( P=0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative complications. Conclusion:TLDG is safe and feasible and has better short-term clinical efficacy than LADG.

Objective:The distribution characteristics of intrathecal drugs and the limitation of current catheterization techniques make traditional intrathecal analgesic treatment nearly useless for refractory craniofacial pain,such as trigemina neuralgia.This technical guideline aims to promote the widespread and standardize the application of intra-prepontine cisternal drug delivery via spinal puncture and catheterization. Methods:A modified Delphi approach was used to work for this guideline.On the issues related to the intra-prepontine cisternal targeted drug delivery technique,the working group consulted 10 experts from the field with 3 rounds of email feedback and 3 rounds of conference discussion. Results:For the efficacy and safety of the intra-prepontine cisternal targeted drug delivery technique,a consensus was formed on 7 topics(with an agreement rate of more than 80%),including the principles of the technique,indications and contraindications,patient preparation,surgical specifications for intra-prepontine cisternal catheter placement,analgesic dosage coordination,analgesic management,and prevention and treatment of complications. Conclusion:Utilizing the intra-prepontine cisternal drug infusion system to manage refractory craniofacial pain could provide advantages in terms of minimally invasive,secure,and effective treatment.This application can not only alleviate the suffering of individuals experiencing the prolonged pain but also support the maintenance of quality of life and dignity in their final moments,justifiing its widespread dissemination and standardized adoption in domestic and international professional fields.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic and follow-up value of ultrasonography for juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).Methods:Ten children with newly diagnosed or relapsed JDM in Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from October 2021 to October 2022 and 15 healthy children were prospectively collected. The clinical data of JDM children were collected, and the muscle ultrasound was performed at the first diagnosis, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months after diagnosis. The ultrasound parameters including quantitative muscle echogenicity (MEI), fascia thickness (FT), microvascular imaging (MVI) distribution, blood resistance index (RI), the changes in the characteristics of the sonogram were observed. The correlation between ultrasound data and pediatric myositis assessment scale (CMAS) score, creatine kinase (CK) were analyzed during the follow-up. Results of muscle ultrasound in children with first active JDM and normal children was compared.Results:After 18 months of treatment, MEI decreased significantly (75.62±4.32 vs 41.81±12.50, P<0.01), FT decreased[(0.27±0.06)cm vs (0.20±0.05)cm, P<0.01], and MVI distribution decreased[0 vs 7(70%), P<0.01] in 10 children with JDM.Spearman correlation analysis showed that MEI, FT, and MVI distribution were negatively correlated with CMAS score ( rs=-0.771, -0.443, -0.686; all P<0.05), while increased MEI and MVI distribution were positively correlated with CK ( rs=0.463, 0.464; all P<0.05). MEI returned to normal in 3 cases, FT didn′t completely recover, and the soft tissue calcification appeared. MEI, FI, and MVI distribution were significantly higher and RI was lower in children with JDM than in normal children (all P<0.01). Conclusions:Muscle ultrasound is suitable for the long-term dynamic detection of JDM, and the activity status of JDM disease can be judged by MEI, FT and MVI.

Objective To explore the risk factors of orthostatic hypotension(OH)in patients with multiple system atrophy(MSA).Methods A total of 199 MSA patients were included,and they were divided into groups based on the severity of OH.The data differences between the groups were compared,and the risk factors for the occurrence of OH in MSA patients were analyzed from ordered Logistic regression.Results There were significant differences in gender,diabetes,disease grade,syncope,supine hypertension,fatigue and brain protective drugs among patients with different OH grades(all P＜0.05).Ordered Logistic regression analysis found that disease grade(probable MSA),syncope,supine hypertension,and fatigue were independent risk factors for the occurrence of OH in MSA patients(all P＜0.05).Conclusions OH is commonly present in MSA patients,and its severity is influenced by many factors.Disease grade(probable MSA),syncope,lying hypertension and fatigue are independent risk factors of OH in patients with MSA.

Objective·To develop a machine learning approach for early identification of metabolic syndromes associated with inflammatory metabolic state changes in breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy,using common laboratory and transthoracic echocardiography indices.Methods·Female patients with primary invasive breast cancer diagnosed at the Department of Breast Surgery,Renji Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,between September 2020 and September 2022,were included.General patient information,laboratory test results,and transthoracic echocardiography data were collected.After feature extraction,five machine learning algorithms,including random forest(RF),gradient boosting(GB),support vector machine(SVM),K-nearest neighbor(KNN),and decision tree(DT),were applied to construct a prediction model for the changes of the patients' metabolic state after neoadjuvant therapy,and the prediction performances of the five models were compared.Results·A total of 232 cases with valid clinical data were included,comprising 135 cases before neoadjuvant therapy and 97 cases after completing 4 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy.Feature extraction identified five key features:white blood cell count,hemoglobin,high-density lipoprotein(HDL),interleukin-2 receptor,and interleukin-8.In the multi-feature analysis,the area under the receiver operating characferistic curve(AUC)was higher in the combination of white blood cell count,hemoglobin and HDL compared to the combination of interleukin-2 receptor and interleukin-8(RF:0.928 vs 0.772,GB:0.900 vs 0.792,SVM:0.941 vs 0.764,KNN:0.907 vs 0.762,DT:0.799 vs 0.714).The RF,SVM,and GB models showed higher AUC(0.928,0.941,0.900)and accuracy(0.914,0.897,0.776).The SVM model exhibited superior accuracy in the training data compared to the RF and GB models(P=0.394,0.122 and 0.097,respectively).Conclusion·The SVM model can be used to establish a prediction model for identifying breast cancer patients at high risk of developing inflammatory metabolic state-related metabolic syndrome after neoadjuvant therapy by incorporating five common clinical indicators,namely,white blood cell count,hemoglobin,high-density lipoprotein,interleukin-2 receptor,and interleukin-8.SVM modeling may be useful for clinicians to establish individualized screening protocols based on a patient's inflammatory metabolic state.

Objective:To provide evidence-based recommendations for the prevention and management of lower limb ischemia in veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) patients during treatment according to search, evaluate, and summarize the best evidence on the prevention and management of lower limb ischemia in patients with VA-ECMO.Methods:Based on the PIPOST framework (population, intervention, professional, outcome, setting, and type of evidence), an evidence-based question was formulated. A systematic search was conducted according to the "6S" evidence pyramid model in both domestic and international databases, as well as professional association websites, for all evidence related to the prevention and management of lower limb ischemia in VA-ECMO patients (aged ≥18 years). The types of evidence included clinical decisions, guidelines, expert consensus, systematic reviews, evidence summaries, and original studies. The search was conducted from the construction of the databases to February 2024. Two researchers independently conducted a literature quality evaluation, extracted and summarized evidence from the studies that met the quality criteria.Results:A total of 13 articles were included, consisting of 3 clinical decisions, 3 guidelines, 3 expert consensus, 3 systematic reviews, and 1 randomized controlled trial. A total of 18 pieces of evidence in 7 dimensions were summarized, including risk factors of VA-ECMO lower limb ischemia, evaluation before catheterization, evaluation and monitoring during treatment, prevention of lower limb ischemia, treatment of lower limb ischemia, management of distal perfusion catheter (DPC), and monitoring after VA-ECMO weaning.Conclusion:This evidence summary provides evidence-based recommendations for the prevention and management of lower limb ischemia in VA-ECMO patients, aiming to assist clinical healthcare professionals in developing tailored strategies for the prevention and management of lower limb ischemia based on during VA-ECMO support.