Objective:To investigate how age and nail-tract volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) are associated with postoperative mechanical performance of proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA-Ⅱ) fixation for geriatric intertrochanteric fractures using a finite-element analysis.Methods:Fifteen elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture of the femur were selected for this study. They were 11 females and 4 males and divided into 5 groups based on their ages ( n=3): 55-year-old, 65-year-old, 75-year-old, 85-year-old, and 95-year-old groups. After three-dimensional models of the proximal femur were constructed using the preoperative CT data of their healthy contralateral hip, 31-A1.2 fractures of the AO/OTA type were created and PFNA-Ⅱ fixations simulated. Two loading schemes were created: graded quasi-static axial loads (700 N, 1,400 N, 2,100 N, and 2,800 N) were applied to compute equivalent plastic strain volumes in the femoral head region; displacement-controlled loading was applied to failure to derive load-displacement curves for stiffness and the maximum failure load. Nail-tract vBMD and regional hip vBMDs were measured by quantitative CT. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the associations of age and nail-tract vBMD with the aforementioned mechanical indicators. Results:Under the same load, compared with the 55-year-old, 65-year-old, and 75-year-old groups, the plastic strain unit volumes of the fracture models in the 85-year-old and 95-year-old groups increased significantly. Under a load of 700 N, no plastic strain was observed in the fracture models in the 55-year-old, 65-year-old, and 75-year-old groups, while an average plastic strain of approximately 50 mm 3 was observed in the fracture models in the 85-year-old group. Under a load of 2,800 N, the high strain areas in the fracture models in the 85-year-old and 95-year-old groups were mainly concentrated at the tip of the head nail and the junction between the head nail and the main nail. Load-displacement curves showed a marked reduction in the failure load in patients aged ≥85 years. Under loads of 1,400 N, 2,100 N, and 2,800 N, there was a strong association between the nail-tract vBMD and the volume of the plastic strain unit ( r=-0.82, -0.88, -0.89, respectively), which was stronger than those for total-hip vBMD. Conclusions:Finite-element analysis indicates that age and nail-tract vBMD are closely related to local plastic strain and overall stiffness of the proximal femur after PFNA-Ⅱ fixation for the geriatric intertrochanteric fractures. Patients aged ≥85 years old are more prone to plastic yielding, which compromises fixation stability.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological, etiological characteristics and transmission of an imported D8 genotype measles case in a child in Shandong Province, August 2023.Methods:A study was conducted on a measles case and 16 contacts in Shandong Province in August 2023. Field epidemiological surveys, including recent exposure and immunization history, were conducted. Serum and throat swab samples were collected from all 16 subjects. Measles IgM and IgG antibody levels and avidity were measured by ELISA, while virus detection and genotyping were performed using fluorescence quantitative PCR and RT-PCR. Genetic evolutionary analysis of the obtained sequences was conducted using MEGA and Beast software.Results:The case was an 11-year-old boy, a fifth-grade student, who developed symptoms on August 28, 2023. A total of five close contacts were investigated, including three family members (grandfather, father and sister) and two playmates. Additionally, 11 classmates who had close contact with the case′s sister during the infectious period (within five days after the rash onset) were also investigated. Among the 16 serum samples tested, only one case was positive for IgM, while the other 15 samples were negative for IgM. The results of the serum antibody avidity test showed that among the 16 serum samples, 14 were positive for IgG. Of these, eight had a relative avidity index >55%, indicating high-avidity antibodies; one had a relative avidity index <45%, indicating low-avidity antibodies; and five had an avidity index between 45% and 55%. The IgG detection OD values for the case′s sister and grandfather were higher than those of the other contacts. Based on the vaccination history of the subjects and the results of IgM and IgG tests, it was preliminarily determined that the case had a recent wild-type measles virus infection. The case′s sister and grandfather had a history of measles wild-type virus infection, while the high-avidity antibodies in the other contacts were likely induced by the measles vaccine. The results of the pharyngeal swab tests showed that only the case was positive for measles virus nucleic acid, while the remaining 15 samples were negative for measles virus. The genetic evolutionary analysis revealed that the viral sequence of this case (Mvs/Shandong.CHN/38.23) had a 100% homology with the Hong Kong strain sequence from August 2023. It belonged to a different transmission chain from the D8 genotype strains that appeared in Shandong Province between 2018 and 2019, with sequence homology ranging from 98.0% to 98.8%. The sequence homology within the transmission chain of this case was between 99.1% and 100%. The evolutionary rate of this transmission chain was approximately 8.38×10 -3 sub/site/year, and the most recent common ancestor was estimated to have emerged around the year 2011. Conclusion:This case is the first imported D8 genotype measles case in Shandong Province. There is no spatio-temporal correlation between this case and adult cases of D8 genotype imported from Shandong Province in 2018-2019, indicating a new D8 genotype imported epidemic.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological, etiological characteristics and transmission of an imported D8 genotype measles case in a child in Shandong Province, August 2023.Methods:A study was conducted on a measles case and 16 contacts in Shandong Province in August 2023. Field epidemiological surveys, including recent exposure and immunization history, were conducted. Serum and throat swab samples were collected from all 16 subjects. Measles IgM and IgG antibody levels and avidity were measured by ELISA, while virus detection and genotyping were performed using fluorescence quantitative PCR and RT-PCR. Genetic evolutionary analysis of the obtained sequences was conducted using MEGA and Beast software.Results:The case was an 11-year-old boy, a fifth-grade student, who developed symptoms on August 28, 2023. A total of five close contacts were investigated, including three family members (grandfather, father and sister) and two playmates. Additionally, 11 classmates who had close contact with the case′s sister during the infectious period (within five days after the rash onset) were also investigated. Among the 16 serum samples tested, only one case was positive for IgM, while the other 15 samples were negative for IgM. The results of the serum antibody avidity test showed that among the 16 serum samples, 14 were positive for IgG. Of these, eight had a relative avidity index >55%, indicating high-avidity antibodies; one had a relative avidity index <45%, indicating low-avidity antibodies; and five had an avidity index between 45% and 55%. The IgG detection OD values for the case′s sister and grandfather were higher than those of the other contacts. Based on the vaccination history of the subjects and the results of IgM and IgG tests, it was preliminarily determined that the case had a recent wild-type measles virus infection. The case′s sister and grandfather had a history of measles wild-type virus infection, while the high-avidity antibodies in the other contacts were likely induced by the measles vaccine. The results of the pharyngeal swab tests showed that only the case was positive for measles virus nucleic acid, while the remaining 15 samples were negative for measles virus. The genetic evolutionary analysis revealed that the viral sequence of this case (Mvs/Shandong.CHN/38.23) had a 100% homology with the Hong Kong strain sequence from August 2023. It belonged to a different transmission chain from the D8 genotype strains that appeared in Shandong Province between 2018 and 2019, with sequence homology ranging from 98.0% to 98.8%. The sequence homology within the transmission chain of this case was between 99.1% and 100%. The evolutionary rate of this transmission chain was approximately 8.38×10 -3 sub/site/year, and the most recent common ancestor was estimated to have emerged around the year 2011. Conclusion:This case is the first imported D8 genotype measles case in Shandong Province. There is no spatio-temporal correlation between this case and adult cases of D8 genotype imported from Shandong Province in 2018-2019, indicating a new D8 genotype imported epidemic.

Objective:To investigate how age and nail-tract volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) are associated with postoperative mechanical performance of proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA-Ⅱ) fixation for geriatric intertrochanteric fractures using a finite-element analysis.Methods:Fifteen elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture of the femur were selected for this study. They were 11 females and 4 males and divided into 5 groups based on their ages ( n=3): 55-year-old, 65-year-old, 75-year-old, 85-year-old, and 95-year-old groups. After three-dimensional models of the proximal femur were constructed using the preoperative CT data of their healthy contralateral hip, 31-A1.2 fractures of the AO/OTA type were created and PFNA-Ⅱ fixations simulated. Two loading schemes were created: graded quasi-static axial loads (700 N, 1,400 N, 2,100 N, and 2,800 N) were applied to compute equivalent plastic strain volumes in the femoral head region; displacement-controlled loading was applied to failure to derive load-displacement curves for stiffness and the maximum failure load. Nail-tract vBMD and regional hip vBMDs were measured by quantitative CT. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the associations of age and nail-tract vBMD with the aforementioned mechanical indicators. Results:Under the same load, compared with the 55-year-old, 65-year-old, and 75-year-old groups, the plastic strain unit volumes of the fracture models in the 85-year-old and 95-year-old groups increased significantly. Under a load of 700 N, no plastic strain was observed in the fracture models in the 55-year-old, 65-year-old, and 75-year-old groups, while an average plastic strain of approximately 50 mm 3 was observed in the fracture models in the 85-year-old group. Under a load of 2,800 N, the high strain areas in the fracture models in the 85-year-old and 95-year-old groups were mainly concentrated at the tip of the head nail and the junction between the head nail and the main nail. Load-displacement curves showed a marked reduction in the failure load in patients aged ≥85 years. Under loads of 1,400 N, 2,100 N, and 2,800 N, there was a strong association between the nail-tract vBMD and the volume of the plastic strain unit ( r=-0.82, -0.88, -0.89, respectively), which was stronger than those for total-hip vBMD. Conclusions:Finite-element analysis indicates that age and nail-tract vBMD are closely related to local plastic strain and overall stiffness of the proximal femur after PFNA-Ⅱ fixation for the geriatric intertrochanteric fractures. Patients aged ≥85 years old are more prone to plastic yielding, which compromises fixation stability.

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma(PTMC),which lacks lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,extra-thyroid invasion,high-risk subtypes,and invasion of the trachea or recurrent laryngeal nerve,may be classified as low-risk PTMC based on clinical assessment.Surgical intervention such as lobectomy or total thyroidectomy is the primary treatment modality for PTMC.This study comprised 124 patients who underwent conformal thyroidectomy and revealed that this innovative surgical approach yielded long-term oncological outcomes comparable to those who received lobectomy or total thyroidectomy.The surgical intervention may play a significant role in the comprehensive management of PTMC,while the implementation of PTMC precision medicine necessitates the utilization of genetic testing,molecular typing,and other advanced technologies to detect early-stage high-risk factors like lymph node microinvasion and integrate biology-based surgery concept for optimal outcomes.

Purpose: Tamoxifen showed individual differences in efficacy under different CYP2D6*10 genotypes. Our study evaluated the prognosis of tamoxifen or toremifene in hormone receptor (HR)–positive breast cancer patients under different genotypes. Materials and Methods: CYP2D6*10 genotypes of HR-positive breast cancer patients were determined by Sanger sequencing, and all the patients were divided into tamoxifen group or toremifene group. Results: A total of 268 patients with HR-positive breast cancer were studied. The median follow-up time was 72.0 months (range, 5.0 to 88.0 months). Of these, 88 (32.9%), 114 (42.5%), and 66 (24.6%) patients had C/C, C/T, and T/T genotypes, respectively. Among patients who received tamoxifen (n=176), the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate in patients with C/C and C/T genotype was better than that in patients with T/T genotype, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001 and p=0.030, respectively). In patients receiving toremifene, CYP2D6*10 genotype was not significantly associated with DFS (p=0.325). Regardless of genotypes, the 5-year DFS rate was higher in patients treated with toremifene than in patients with tamoxifen (91.3% vs. 80.0%, p=0.011). Compared with tamoxifen, toremifene remained an independent prognostic marker of DFS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.422; p=0.021). For all the 180 patients with CYP2D6*10 C/T and T/T genotypes, the 5-year DFS rate was significantly higher in the toremifene group than in the tamoxifen group (90.8% vs. 70.1%, p=0.003). Conclusion Toremifene may be an alternative adjuvant endocrine therapy for patients with CYP2D6*10 mutant genotypes.

Objective:To explore the application and clinical significance of Automatic Functional Imaging (AFI) technology in evaluating left ventricular and left atrial damage in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy.Methods:A total of 120 patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy who visited the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from April 2021 to March 2023 were selected, including 40 patients with mild, moderate, and severe alcohol consumption each. At the same time, 40 healthy volunteers who did not drink alcohol were selected as controls. All subjects underwent ultrasound examination, and the differences in two-dimensional ultrasound and AFI parameters among the groups were analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between AFI parameters and two-dimensional ultrasound parameters. The diagnostic value of global long axis peak systolic strain (GLPS) of the left ventricle in alcoholic cardiomyopathy was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results:The left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVDd), left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVDS), end diastolic interventricular septal thickness (IVSTd), end diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness (PWTd), left atrial minimum volume (LAVmin), left atrial maximum volume (LAVmax), and left atrial active pre systolic volume (LAVp) in the severe group were significantly larger than those in the control group, mild group, and moderate group (all P<0.05), while the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the ratio of E peak velocity to A peak velocity (E/A) were significantly smaller than those in the control group, mild group, and moderate group (all P<0.05); The left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), LAVmin, LAVmax, and LAVp in the moderate and severe groups were significantly higher than those in the control and mild groups (all P<0.05); There was no statistically significant difference in LVDd, LVDS, IVSTd, PWTd, and LVEF among the control group, mild group, and moderate group (all P>0.05). The GLPS levels in the mild, moderate, and severe groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05), with the severe group having significantly higher GLPS levels than the mild and moderate groups ( P<0.05); There was no statistically significant difference in peak strain dispersion (PSD) among the control group, mild group, moderate group, and severe group (all P>0.05). GLPS was negatively correlated with LVEF ( r=-0.441, P<0.05), while GLPS was positively correlated with LVMI ( r=0.504, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for diagnosing alcoholic cardiomyopathy with GLPS was 0.912 (95% CI: 0.869-0.955, P<0.05), with a cutoff value of -20.16, sensitivity and specificity of 76.70% and 95.00%, respectively. Conclusions:The mechanical properties of the left ventricle and left atrium in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy are significantly altered, and AFI parameters have certain application value in the diagnosis of alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

Objective:To analyze the therapeutic effect of 3D printing technology combined with locking plate fixation on femoral shaft fracture in patients with femoral deformity.Methods:The clinical data of 33 patients with femoral shaft fracture with femoral deformity who met the inclusion criteria and underwent locking plate fixation in the Xi′an Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University from June 2014 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 3D printing group ( n=18) and control group ( n=15) according to whether 3D printing was performed before operation. The 3D printing group including 11 males and 7 females with an age of (46.78±13.76) years.The control group including 9 males and 6 females with an age of (48.20±14.27) years.The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture healing time and complications of the two groups were recorded. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of pain were evaluated before and 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after operation. According to the Harris hip score, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score and The MOS 36-item short-from Health Survey (SF-36), the hip and knee function and quality of life of the patients before and 12 months after injury were evaluated. The measurement data were represented as mean±standard deviation( ± s), and the comparison between groups was conducted using the t-test; the comparison of count data between groups was conducted by Chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Results:The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and incidence of complications in the 3D printing group were (91.50±9.07) min, (191.11±16.01) mL, and 0(0/18), respectively, and those in the control group were (118.07±14.19) min, (270.27±17.59) mL, and 26.7% (4/15), the differences between the two groups were statistically significant ( P <0.05). The pain VAS scores of the 3D printing group were significantly better than those of the control group at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after operation ( P<0.05). There were no differences in fracture healing time and preoperative pain VAS between the two groups( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in hip function, knee function and quality of life scores between the two groups before injury and 12 months after injury( P>0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of femoral shaft fractures in patients with femoral deformity with locking plate fixation, the application of 3D printing technology can be used for preoperative design and plate preshaping, which can shorten the operation time, reduce the amount of intraoperative blood loss, reduce the VAS of pain and the incidence of complications, improve the satisfaction of surgery, and provide a new option for the treatment of femoral shaft fractures in patients with femoral deformity.

Objective:To analyze the therapeutic effect of sural neurocutaneous flap combined with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate and autogenous iliac bone graft of chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was peformed in 29 patients with chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis treated with sural neurocutaneous flap combined with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate and autogenous iliac bone graft in the Xi′an Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University from April 2013 to January 2020. There were 19 males and 10 females, with the age of (45.38±12.85) years, ranged from 22 to 67 years. The course of disease was (16.00±6.96) months, ranged from 6 to 36 months. The skin defect area was (41.9±15.9) cm 2, ranged from 11.8 to 86.8 cm 2. The causes of injury: 18 cases of high fall, 6 cases of traffic accidents, 3 cases of heavy rolling, the remaining 2 cases were machine strangulation and sharp stab wounds. The inflammatory markers [white blood cell (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), procalcitonin (PCT), C reactive protein (CRP)] and bone healing time were recorded before operation, 2, 4, 8 weeks and 6 months after operation. During the follow-up period, the flap texture, survival were observed, and the ankle-posterior foot function recovery was evaluated by the American Association of Foot and Ankle Surgery (AOFAS) score were observed before and after the operation, and the incidence of complications were recorded. The measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s), and the t-test was used for inter-group comparison; the levels of WBC, ESR, PCT and CRP at different time points before and after operation were compared by repeated measurement ANOVA, and the LSD t-test was used for pairwise comparison. Results:All the 29 patients were followed up for (14.51±6.10) months, ranged from 6 to 30 months. All the flaps survived without abrasion, ulceration, or skin protrusion, and all patients could walk normally with shoes. There were 28 cases of stage I bone healing, with an average of (5.87±2.07) months, ranged from 3 to 12 months. The inflammatory indexes was significantly decreased at different time points after operation ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between 6 months and 8 weeks after operation ( P>0.05), while there was significant difference at other time points ( P<0.05). The ankle-posterior foot score of AOFAS at 6 months after treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment (83.44±7.93 vs 55.37±8.07), the differences was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The clinical efficacy of foot function recovery was excellent in 12 cases, good in 15 cases and fair in 2 cases among 29 patients .The excellent and good rate was 93.1% (27/29). One patient recurred 1 month after operation and was re-implanted with antibiotic-loaded calcium sulfate mixed autogenous iliac bone after debridement, no recurrence was found. The total complication rate was 31.0%, but there was no significant impact on the patient's life in the later period. All patients returned to daily life and work. Conclusion:The treatment of chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis with sural neurocutaneous flap combined with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate and autogenous iliac bone graft can effectively control infection, reconstruct calcaneal and soft tissue structure, promote functional recovery of affected limb, and ultimately improve the patient′s quality of life.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of transthoracic echocardiographic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (cTTE) in patent foramen ovale (PFO) and the value of combined neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting cryptogenic stroke.Methods:A total of 120 suspected PFO patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from January 2021 to December 2021 were selected and examined by cTTE and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to analyze the diagnostic value of cTTE in PFO. The clinical data and cTTE parameters of PFO patients with and without cryptogenic stroke were analyzed.Results:A total of 69 patients with PFO were confirmed. Among the 69 patients, 23 patients with cryptogenic stroke and 46 patients without cryptogenic stroke were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The value of cTTE in the diagnosis of PFO was high: the sensitivity, accuracy and negative predictive value of cTTE under Valsalva motion in the diagnosis of PFO were 95.65%, 91.67% and 93.62%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of cTTE at rest (all P<0.05). The NLR, the proportion of large shunt of PFO right to left shunt (PFO-RLS), the inlet width of patent foramen ovale (PFO) and the outlet width of PFO in patients with PFO complicated with cryptogenic stroke were (3.01±0.89), 43.48%(10/23), (2.54±0.65)mm and (1.51±0.35)mm, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in patients without cryptogenic stroke (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR and the degree of PFO-RLS shunt were the influencing factors of patients with PFO complicated with cryptogenic stroke (both P<0.05). The area under the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve predicted by NLR combined with PFO-RLS shunt was 0.905, which was significantly higher than that predicted by NLR and PFO-RLS shunt alone (all P<0.05). Conclusions:cTTE has a good value in the diagnosis of PFO, and cTTE combined with NLR has a certain application value in predicting PFO complicated with cryptogenic stroke.