As orthodontic treatment improves malocclusion and enhances oral health quality,the number of orthodontic patients is steadily increasing.However,a lack of understanding of periodontal inflammation and the health of periodontal supporting tissues during orthodontic treatment can lead to alveolar bone destruction and resorption.This,in turn,results in periodontal hard tissue-related com-plications such as bone fenestration,bone dehiscence,abnormal interradicular distance,and tooth mobility or loss.Currently,these complications present a significant challenge in orthodontic practice.This paper provides a comprehensive overview of common perio-dontal hard tissue-related complications during orthodontic treatment,along with clinical prevention and management strategies.A typi-cal case of multidisciplinary periodontal treatment is also presented,addressing alveolar bone resorption and tooth mobility in the upper anterior teeth caused by improper orthodontic treatment.This report aims to offer valuable reference for clinicians.

Objective To analyze the cellular and histopathological characteristics of underdiagnosed thyroid nodules of Chinese thyroid imaging reporting and data system(C-TIRADS) categories 3 and 4a,thus improving the understanding of these lesions. Methods The data of ultrasound and fine needle aspiration cytology were collected from 683 nodules diagnosed based on pathological evidence in 549 patients undergoing thyroid surgery.The cellular and histopathological characteristics of C-TIRADS 3 and 4a nodules were analyzed. Results Two hundred and sixty-eight nodules were classified as C-TIRADS category 3,including 236 benign nodules,12 low-risk ones,and 20 (7.46%) malignant ones.Two hundred and twenty-one nodules were classified as C-TIRADS category 4a,including 133 benign nodules,7 low-risk ones,and 81 (36.65%) malignant ones.The malignancy rates differed between C-TIRADS 3 and 4a nodules (χ²=58.93,P<0.001),and both were higher than the recommended malignancy rate in the guidelines for malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules (C-TIRADS) (both P<0.001).According to the pathological evidence,the underdiagnosed C-TIRADS 3/4a nodules were mainly papillary thyroid carcinoma,especially in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis.There was not a consistent one-to-one match between each ultrasound result and each cytological classification of low-risk thyroid nodules.Conclusions When the malignant features in preoprative ultrasound imaging are atypical or absent,papillary thyroid carcinoma (especially with Hashimoto thyroiditis),follicular carcinoma,and medullary carcinoma are likely to be underdiagnosed as C-TIRADS 3 or 4a nodules.Therefore,efforts should be made to fully understand the cellular and pathological characteristics of these lesions.
Humans ; Thyroid Nodule/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Ultrasonography ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Adolescent

Objective To evaluate the value of pre-ascent 6-minute walking test performed at a high altitude in predicting the incidence of acute mountain sickness(AMS)induced by rapid ascent to a very high altitude.Methods After baseline information was collected,participants completed the 6-minute walking test at a high altitude of 2 900 m.Then,they rapidly ascended to a very high altitude of 5 000 m.The Lake Louise score was recorded to assess AMS.Results The AMS group showed a shorter pre-ascent 6-minute walking distance(6MWD)at the high altitude than the non-AMS group[480.00(450.00,521.75)m vs.546.00(516.50,568.50)m,P=0.006].No difference was observed regarding the pre-ascent heart rate or peripheral oxygen saturation(both P>0.05).The pre-ascent 6MWD at the high altitude was negatively correlated with the Lake Louise score assessed after rapid ascent to the very high altitude(r=-0.497,P=0.012).Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the pre-ascent 6MWD at the high altitude was associated with the risk of AMS induced by rapid ascent to the very high altitude(OR=0.971,95% CI=0.947-0.996,P=0.022).The results indicated that the pre-ascent 6MWD demonstrated ideal prediction performance(area under receiver operating characteristic curve=0.846,P=0.006).Conclusion The pre-ascent 6MWD recorded at the high altitude is a convenient and reliable predictor of the AMS induced by rapid ascent to the very high altitude.
Humans ; Altitude Sickness/diagnosis* ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Acute Disease ; Walk Test ; Walking ; Altitude ; Exercise Test

Objective To compare the differences in dosimetry and treatment efficiency of three radiotherapy plans after left-sided breast-conserving surgery,including modified intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT),cross-field volume-modulated arc therapy(VMAT)or improved VMAT,so as to provide references for clinical practice.Methods Three radiotherapy plans of modified IMRT,cross-field VMAT and improved VMAT were designed for 12 patients after left-sided-breast-conserving surgery.The modified IMRT with five irradiation fields and the improved VMAT with two arcs were modified by not setting cross-fields while determining the start and end angles with the rays passing through the least lung area.The cross-field VMAT had its start and end angles set based on the cross-fields.The doses to the target areas,peripheral organs at risk,heart and its substructures were evaluated,and dose verification was carried out.The three plans were compared in terms of treatment efficiency and gamma pass rate.SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis.Results All the three plans behaved well in dose distribution.In terms of planning gross tumor volume dosimetry dosimetry,the improved VMAT and modified IMRT gained advantages than others in CI and D50,respectively,with the differences being significant(all P<0.05).In terms of planning target volume dosimetry,the modified IMRT had the V107 and D50 lower than those of the others,with the differences being significant(P<0.05).In terms of the protection of peripheral organs at risk,V5 of the left lung,Dmean of the right lung and Dmean of the healthy breast were lower in the modified IMRT plan than in the other 2 plans,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05);V20,V30,V35 and V40 of the left lung were lower in the modified VMAT plan than in the other 2 plans,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).In terms of protection of heart and its substructures,the left ventricle V20,V30 and Dmean of the improved VMAT plan behaved better than those of other 2 plans,and the difference was statistically significant(all P<0.05).In terms of treatment efficiency,the cross-field VMAT plan had the lowest MU while highest treatment efficiency;the improved VMAT plan had the MU higher while the treatment efficiency lower than the cross-field VMAT plan;the modified IMRT plan had the highest MU while the lowest gamma pass rate,and the differences in the MUs and gamma pass rates among the three plans were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Under the same standard conditions,the cross-field VMAT and improved VMAT plans show technical advantages.Though the improved VMAT plan has the treatment efficiency lower than the cross-field VMAT,it decreases the possibility of radiocardiac injury in terms of dosimetry and thus can be used for radiotherapy after left-sided breast-conserving surgery.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(4):45-51]

Objective:To compare the effects of early orthodontic intervention and conventional sequential periodontal-orthodontic treatment to periodontal health in patients with stage Ⅳ periodontitis.Methods:A total of 30 patients with stage Ⅳ periodontitis, who underwent combined periodontal and orthodontic therapies at the Department of Periodontology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from January 2018 to August 2024, were included. Patients who underwent early orthodontic intervention were initiated simultaneously or within one month after supragingival scaling and subgingival root planning ( n=15). While patients in control group accomplished supragingival scaling, subgingival root planning, and corresponding periodontal surgeries to achieve inflammation control before starting orthodontic treatment ( n=15). Periodontal parameters, including clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing depth (PD), and bleeding on probing (+) % [BOP (+) %], were measured at baseline, one year after orthodontic treatment, and at the end of combined periodontal-orthodontic therapy respectively. Improvements in periodontal parameters and differences in tooth loss between the two groups were compared. Results:After receiving combined periodontal-orthodontic treatment, the CAL of the early orthodontic intervention group significantly decreased from (4.39±0.90) mm before treatment to (2.41±0.35) mm at the end of treatment ( t=7.92, P<0.001). Similarly, the PD significantly reduced from (4.20±1.04) mm before treatment to (2.20±0.38) mm at the end of treatment ( t=7.01, P<0.001). The BOP(+)% also showed a significant improvement, decreasing from 89.29% (68.00%, 100.00%) before treatment to 13.04% (7.14%, 17.86%) at the end of treatment ( Z=-3.41, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the early orthodontic intervention group and control group in terms of baseline mean CAL, mean PD, and BOP(+)% ( t=1.30, P=0.205; t=1.28, P=0.212; Z=0.58, P=0.559). Furthermore, the improvements in CAL and PD between the two groups were not significantly different compared to baseline ( Z=-1.10, P=0.272; Z=-0.93, P=0.351). However, the number of missing teeth was significantly lower in the early orthodontic intervention group than in the control group (χ2=3.96, P=0.047). The duration of combined periodontal-orthodontic treatment in the early orthodontic intervention group was [33.13 (23.37, 36.20) months], which was significantly shorter than that in the control group [37.47 (32.33, 50.90) months] ( Z=2.07, P=0.037). Conclusions:Both early orthodontic intervention and conventional periodontal-orthodontic treatment significantly improved CAL, PD, and BOP(+)% in stage Ⅳ periodontitis patients. Early orthodontic intervention contributed to the preservation of natural teeth and shortened the treatment duration of stage Ⅳ periodontitis.

Objective:To investigate the impacts of preoperative regional arterial infusion chemotherapy(PRAC)combined with laparoscopic surgery on the efficacy,safety,immune function,and serum levels of matrix metallopro-teinase-7(MMP-7)and human cartilage glycoprotein(YKL-40)in patients with colorectal cancer.Methods:This study retrospectively selected 164 patients with colorectal cancer(January 2014 to December 2016)as the research subjects.Patients who underwent conventional treatment and laparoscopic surgery were included into control group(81 cases);patients undergoing PRAC+laparoscopic surgery were included into observation group(83 cases).The clinical efficacy,stress response indicators,immune function related indicators,changes in serum MMP-7 and YKL-40 levels,and occurrence of adverse reactions in two groups were observed before treatment(T0)and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy(T1).Results:At T1,the total effective rate of observation group(85.54%)was greatly higher than that of control group(67.90%)(P<0.05).The levels of cortisol(Cor),neutrophile granulocyte(NE),white blood cell count(WBC),and interleukin(IL)-6 were prominently increased in both groups(P<0.05),but the levels of these indicators in observation group were greatly lower than those in control group(P<0.05).The levels of IgM and IgA in both groups were greatly reduced(P<0.05),but the levels of IgM and IgA in observation group were prominently higher than those in control group(P<0.05).The levels of MMP-7 and YKL-40 decreased in both groups(P<0.05),and the level in observation group was prominently lower than that in control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of adverse reactions and 5-year survival rate between control group and observation group(P>0.05).Conclusion:The combination of PRAC and laparoscopic surgery has prominent healing effects and certain safety in patients with colorectal cancer.It can effectively improve immune function,reduce serum MMP-7 and YKL-40 levels.

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers-based prediction of long-term risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is scarce. We aim to develop a risk score integrating clinical routine information (C) and plasma biomarkers (B) for predicting long-term risk of ACS patients. METHODS: We included 2729 ACS patients from the OCEA (Observation of cardiovascular events in ACS patients). The earlier admitted 1910 patients were enrolled as development cohort; and the subsequently admitted 819 subjects were treated as validation cohort. We investigated 10-year risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI) and all cause death in these patients. Potential variables contributing to risk of clinical events were assessed using Cox regression models and a score was derived using main part of these variables. RESULTS: During 16,110 person-years of follow-up, there were 238 CV death/MI in the development cohort. The 7 most important predictors including in the final model were NT-proBNP, D-dimer, GDF-15, peripheral artery disease (PAD), Fibrinogen, ST-segment elevated MI (STEMI), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), termed as CB-ACS score. C-index of the score for predication of cardiovascular events was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.82) in development cohort and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.76-0.78) in the validation cohort (5832 person-years of follow-up), which outperformed GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS risk score. The CB-ACS score was also well calibrated in development and validation cohort (Greenwood-Nam-D'Agostino: P = 0.70 and P = 0.07, respectively). CONCLUSIONS CB-ACS risk score provides a useful tool for long-term prediction of CV events in patients with ACS. This model outperforms GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS ischemic risk score.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs), describe a group of nanoparticles released by plants. These particles are characterized by a lipid bilayer structure containing various proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and unique metabolites. Although the study on PDEVs is relatively new, having only been around for ten years, they have shown promising development prospects in both basic research and clinical transformation areas. Evidence suggests that PDEVs have excellent application prospects in regulating inflammation and treating tumors. Their distinctive, vesicle-mimicking architecture and stellar biocompatibility render them prime candidates for ferrying various anti-cancer agents, including RNA, proteins, and conventional chemotherapy drugs. Increasingly, studies have shown that PDEVs can be engineered as an innovative platform for combination cancer immunotherapy. Consequently, this paper provides an extensive summary of current developments in engineering methods and strategies for PDEVs in cancer treatment and combined cancer immune therapeutics. The essential characteristics of PDEVs, including the biogenesis process and components, as well as their anti-tumor activity and mechanism, are summarized. Finally, the in vivo safety of PDEVs as delivery vectors and the challenges of scale-up production and clinical transformation are discussed.