BACKGROUND: The effect of the interval between previous Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication and rescue treatment on therapeutic outcomes remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between eradication rates and treatment interval durations in H. pylori infections. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted from December 2021 to February 2023 at six tertiary hospitals in Shandong, China. We recruited patients who were positive for H. pylori infection and required rescue treatment. Demographic information, previous times of eradication therapy, last eradication therapy date, and history of antibiotic use data were collected. The patients were divided into four groups based on the rescue treatment interval length: Group A, ≥4 weeks and ≤3 months; Group B, >3 and ≤6 months; Group C, >6 and ≤12 months; and Group D, >12 months. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori . Drug compliance and adverse events (AEs) were also assessed. Pearson's χ2 test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare eradication rates between groups. RESULTS: A total of 670 patients were enrolled in this study. The intention-to-treat (ITT) eradication rates were 88.3% (158/179) in Group A, 89.6% (120/134) in Group B, 89.1% (123/138) in Group C, and 87.7% (192/219) in Group D. The per-protocol (PP) eradication rates were 92.9% (156/168) in Group A, 94.5% (120/127) in Group B, 94.5% (121/128) in Group C, and 93.6% (190/203) in Group D. There was no statistically significant difference in the eradication rates between groups in either the ITT ( P = 0.949) or PP analysis ( P = 0.921). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of AEs ( P = 0.934) or drug compliance ( P = 0.849) between groups. CONCLUSION: The interval duration of rescue treatment had no significant effect on H. pylori eradication rates or the incidence of AEs. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05173493.
Humans ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Helicobacter pylori/pathogenicity* ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/adverse effects* ; Adult ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

Objective: To evaluate the shaping effect of the intraoral welding framework combined with the progressive pressure technique using an ovate pontic on the soft tissue aesthetic contour of implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (ISFDPs). Methods: The Medical Ethics Review Committee of this hospital approved this retrospective study, which was conducted on 32 patients with consecutive partial edentulous in the anterior teeth (20 males, 12 females, aged 40-68 years) who received 3- to 5-unit ISFDPs between August 2022 and March 2024. Titanium frameworks for provisional prostheses were fabricated using the intraoral welding technique and screw-retained to achieve precise passive fit. The pontics were designed into an ovate shape. A progressive pressure technique was applied by selectively adding 0.8-1 mm thick flowable resin to the tissue surface of the pontic, while ensuring the avoidance of tissue blanching. Patients have a follow-up visit every 4 weeks, and the pontics were adjusted 2-3 times as needed, to form an ovate socket in the corresponding soft tissue approximately 3 mm in depth and 2.5-3.0 mm in buccolingual curvature. Definitive restorations were delivered after the conditioning period, and patients were followed up for over 1 year. Outcome measures included mechanical complications, Pink Esthetic Score (PES), Papilla Index Score (PIS), and patient satisfaction assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: During the follow-up period, no mechanical complications such as screw loosening or prosthesis fracture were observed in the 32 cases. The soft tissue aesthetic outcomes were favorable, with a mean total PES of 11.97 ± 1.18, and 96.9% of the cases achieving a score ≥ 8. According to the PIS, 93.5% of the proximal sites exhibited ideal papilla fill. VAS results indicated that 90.6% of patients were satisfied with the restorative outcome. Conclusion The technique combining an intraoral welding framework with progressive pressure using an ovate pontic can precisely shape the peri-implant soft tissue contour to mimic physiological morphology, achieving an ideal aesthetic outcome.

Background N-hexane has been a widely used solvent in industrial production, but it is volatile at room temperature and can be accumulated in the body, and its prolonged occupational exposure may lead to serious chronic diseases in workers. Objective To use four risk assessment models to evaluate the health risk levels of n-hexane-exposed workers, discuss the applicability of the four models in the health risk assessment of n-hexane exposure, and make an important supplement to the health risk assessment of n-hexane in China. Methods In 2022, a total of 167 jobs (1724 workers) exposed to n-hexane in 85 manufacturing enterprises in Jiangsu Province were selected, and a cross-sectional study was conducted and included questionnaire surveys and evaluation of on-site air n-hexane of each job. Subsequently, the China’s classification standards of occupational hazards at workplaces (China model), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model, Singapore semi-quantitative risk assessment model (Singapore model), and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) model were applied to the quantitative, semi-quantitative, and qualitative assessments of the occupational health risk level of n-hexane-exposed workers. Results All job’s 8-h time-weighted average concentrations (C_TWA) of n-hexane were within the national occupational exposure limits (OELs). The results of the China model graded all jobs as relatively harmless. The Singapore model graded all jobs as low risk, except that two monitoring sites of adhesive jobs were assessed as medium risk. The ICMM quantitative model evaluated all jobs as intolerable for n-hexane airborne exposure, while the matrix method evaluated all jobs as low risk. The U.S. EPA model identified five sites involving painting, printing, and adhesive jobs as high risk and the other jobs as low risk. Conclusion Inconsistent grading results are observed by using the four models for the occupational health risk assessment of n-hexane exposure, that is, harmless for all jobs by China model, while medium and high risks by Singapore model and U.S. EPA model. Therefore, we recommend to combine the Singapore model and the U.S. EPA model with the China model to assess the occupational risk of n-hexane-exposed workers by considering actual concentrations of exposure.

Taking the introduction measures of overseas outstanding young talents from a tertiary comprehensive hospital in Tianjin as a case study,this paper introduces the overall overview,application requirements,overall goals,work tasks,as-sessment management,and support measures of the hospital's Excellent Youth Science Fund project(overseas).It is believed that sufficient attention should be paid to the introduction of outstanding young talents from overseas,scientific planning should be carried out,and a comprehensive and international talent introduction management system should be constructed;Optimize serv-ices and provide various resettlement measures for the integration of international talents;Dual protection,introducing dual incen-tives of consulting allowances and research funding;Strengthen assessment and establish a task decomposition mechanism for the evaluation of international special talents;Closed loop management,striving to build a comprehensive ecosystem for the develop-ment of technology talents throughout the entire chain.

Purpose To explore the cardioprotective effect of cang-ai volatile oil(CAVO)on rats with cardiac function impairment model under low-pressure and low-oxygen environment in Tibet Plateau based on 7.0T cardiovascular magnetic resonance(CMR)imaging.Materials and Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group,the high altitude model group,the CAVO-treated group and the rhodiola rosea-treated group,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the normal group,the rats in other groups were transferred from the plain(500 m above sea level)to the Tibet Plateau(4 250 m above sea level)for two months,and then administered with the corresponding drugs by gavage for 14 d.The left ventricle function was measured by using a 7.0T high-field strength CMR and myocardial strain was analysed by using tissue tracing technique.HE staining was used to observe the morphology of cardiomyocytes,Masson staining to observe interstitial fibrosis,wheat germ agglutinin staining to observe cardiomyocyte hypertrophy,and transmission electron microscopy to observe the morphological changes of mitochondria in each group.Serum levels of creatine kinase,creatine kinase isoenzyme,lactate dehydrogenase,cardiac troponin T,superoxide dismutase,malondialdehyde and glutathione peroxidase were detected.Intracellular reactive oxygen species levels were detected using flow cytometry.Results The left ventricular ejection fraction of rats in the CAVO-treated group was higher than that of the high altitude model group[(66.61±1.38)％vs.(60.94±3.21)％;t=3.969,P=0.032];meanwhile,the global circumferential strain of the left ventricle in the CAVO-treated group was higher than that of the high altitude model group(-25.68±1.30 vs.-22.84±1.17;t=3.967,P=0.003).HE,Masson and wheat germ agglutinin staining showed hypertrophy and necrosis as well as interstitial fibrosis and ultrastructural disruption of cardiomyocytes in the high altitude model group,which improved after CAVO treatment.The level of cardiac troponin T in the serum of rats with CAVO treatment group was significantly decreased compared with that of the high altitude model group[(314.03±20.05)pg/ml vs.(518.30±18.13)pg/ml;1=13.090,P=0.001].Conclusion CAVO treatment can reduce cardiac injury caused by low-pressure hypoxia in high altitude,and its effect can be detected dynamically and non-invasively by 7.0T high-field strength CMR.

The plateau is a special environment with low pressure,low oxygen,low temperature,and high ultraviolet radiation.The exercise performance of people on the plateau is generally reduced,which seriously affects the life and health of people living in the plateau and entering the plateau.In recent years,the prevention and treatment of injury caused by high altitude hypoxia has attracted wide attention.It has shown that the higher the altitude with the longer the duration of exercise,the faster the stationing,the greater the impact on people's sports performance.Rapid entry into the plateau and long-term stay in the plateau have an impact on people's explosive power,endurance and fine operation.Advances in medical technology enable various prevention methods to be used to acclimate to high altitude environments.However,in vitro intervention methods are costly,easy to rebound and possess limited effects.Therefore,drug prevention and treatment is obviously a more economical choice.Chemical drugs increase the efficiency of high altitude exercise by improving the ischemic and hypoxic symptoms of the heart and brain,increasing lung ventilation and arterial oxygenation capacity,and accelerating the elimination of adverse product accumulation after exercise.Single Chinese medicine,Chinese patent medicine,and compound preparations can improve exercise performance by promoting body metabolism,improving muscle endurance,enhancing immunity,and other mechanisms.Traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantage and application prospect in improving plateau sports performance damage.

Objective:To analyze the clinical course and targeted therapy of pyogenic sterile arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and acne (PAPA) syndrome.Methods:The clinical history of a 6-year-old boy with PAPA syndrome, who was admitted to Hong Kong University Shenzhen Hospital in September 2017, was reviewed. His genetic diagnosis was confirmed by whole exome sequencing. The response to targeted therapy was evaluated by comparing the inflammatory markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C reactive protein (CRP) and serum cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) before and after biological agents treatment. For literature review, "PAPA syndrome" and"PSTPIP1 gene"were used as keywords to retrieve papers published from January 1997 to December 2019 from Pubmed, Wanfang and CNKI database.Results:The patient was a 6-year-old boy, admitted to the hospital due to recurrent joint swelling and pain for more than 4 years. Before treatment, the CRP (256 mg/L), ESR (105 mm/1 h) and cytokines including serum TNF-α (7.43 ng/L), IL-1 (<5 ng/L), IL-6 (301 ng/L) were significantly elevated. Culture of the joint effusion was negative, but the IL-6 level was above 1 000 ng/L. MRI showed osteomyelitis at the lower end of the right femur. Gene detection found a heterozygous variation of PSTPIP1 gene (c.748G>A, p.E250K). Arthralgia once alleviated after the initiation of tocilizumab and infliximab, but recurred after 1 year of treatment. Thereafter, the anti-IL-1 receptor antagonist (Anakinra) was commenced, followed by a significant improvement of the arthralgia, and a complete remission during the follow-up. Besides, the level of CRP, ESR, serum TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 were all decreased to normal on the last followed up in December 2019. Literature review found 29 articles and 87 patients in total. The initial symptoms included those of arthritis ( n=58), pyoderma gangrenosum ( n=33), and acne ( n=24). Among all the cases, 13 genotypes were confirmed, and 47 variations involved amino acid p.E250. Steroid and/or biological agents were used in most patients. Conclusions:PAPA syndrome should be suspected in children with recurrent pyogenic sterile arthritis, and an early diagnosis could be achieved by genetic test. Targeted treatment with biological agent may control the symptoms effectively. Biological agents can control symptoms of this disorder effectively.