ObjectiveCleft palate (CP) is a common congenital deformity often associated with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which disrupts the physiological coupling between respiration and speech. Conventional clinical assessments, such as nasometry and spirometry, provide limited static data and fail to visualize the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of lung ventilation during phonation. This study introduces spatiotemporal electrical impedance tomography (ST-EIT) to evaluate speech-respiratory functional features in CP patients compared to normal controls (NC). The aim is to characterize multi-domain respiratory patterns and to validate an interpretable machine learning framework for providing objective, quantitative evidence for clinical assessment. MethodsSeventy-five participants were enrolled in this study, comprising 37 patients with surgically repaired CP and 38 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). All subjects performed standardized sustained phonation tasks while undergoing synchronous monitoring with a 16-electrode EIT system and a pneumotachograph. A comprehensive feature engineering pipeline was developed to extract physiological parameters across 3 complementary domains. (1) Temporal domain: including inspiratory/expiratory phase duration (tPhase), time constants (Tau), and inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratios (TI/TE); (2) airflow domain: comprising mean flow, peak flow, and instantaneous flow at 25%, 50%, and 75% of tidal volume; and (3) spatial domain: quantifying global and regional tidal impedance variation (TIV), global inhomogeneity (GI), and center of ventilation (CoV). Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were trained using 5 distinct data sources (Spirometry, Nasometry, Inspiratory-EIT, Expiratory-EIT, and fused ST-EIT). Model performance was rigorously evaluated via stratified 5-fold cross-validation, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were employed to quantify global and local feature contributions. ResultsThe CP group exhibited a distinct respiratory phenotype compared to controls. In the temporal domain, CP patients showed significantly shorter inspiratory (1.60 s vs.1.85 s, P<0.001) and expiratory phase durations (2.45 s vs. 3.95 s, P<0.001), indicating a rapid, shallow breathing rhythm. In the airflow domain, while inspiratory flows were comparable, the CP group demonstrated significantly elevated mean and peak flows during the expiratory phase (P<0.001), reflecting compensatory respiratory effort. Spatially, CP patients presented significant ventilation redistribution, characterized by higher regional TIV in the right-anterior (ROI1) and left-posterior (ROI4) quadrants, but lower TIV in the left-anterior (ROI2) quadrant. In terms of diagnostic accuracy, the multi-modal ST-EIT model achieved the highest performance (AUC: 0.915±0.012, Accuracy: 0.843±0.019, F1-score: 0.872±0.017), substantially outperforming models based on spirometry (AUC: 0.721) or nasometry (AUC: 0.625) alone. Interpretability analysis revealed that spatial domain features were the most critical, contributing 53.4% to the model’s decision-making, followed by temporal (25.0%) and airflow (21.6%) features. ConclusionST-EIT successfully captures the temporal, airflow, and spatial deviations in CP speech respiration that are undetectable by conventional methods—specifically, rapid phase transitions, hyperdynamic expiratory airflow, and regional ventilation heterogeneity. This study validates ST-EIT as a robust, non-invasive, and radiation-free tool for characterizing speech-respiratory dysfunction, offering high clinical value for bedside screening, rehabilitation planning, and longitudinal monitoring of patients with cleft palate.

ObjectiveCleft palate (CP) is a common congenital deformity often associated with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which disrupts the physiological coupling between respiration and speech. Conventional clinical assessments, such as nasometry and spirometry, provide limited static data and fail to visualize the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of lung ventilation during phonation. This study introduces spatiotemporal electrical impedance tomography (ST-EIT) to evaluate speech-respiratory functional features in CP patients compared to normal controls (NC). The aim is to characterize multi-domain respiratory patterns and to validate an interpretable machine learning framework for providing objective, quantitative evidence for clinical assessment. MethodsSeventy-five participants were enrolled in this study, comprising 37 patients with surgically repaired CP and 38 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). All subjects performed standardized sustained phonation tasks while undergoing synchronous monitoring with a 16-electrode EIT system and a pneumotachograph. A comprehensive feature engineering pipeline was developed to extract physiological parameters across 3 complementary domains. (1) Temporal domain: including inspiratory/expiratory phase duration (tPhase), time constants (Tau), and inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratios (TI/TE); (2) airflow domain: comprising mean flow, peak flow, and instantaneous flow at 25%, 50%, and 75% of tidal volume; and (3) spatial domain: quantifying global and regional tidal impedance variation (TIV), global inhomogeneity (GI), and center of ventilation (CoV). Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were trained using 5 distinct data sources (Spirometry, Nasometry, Inspiratory-EIT, Expiratory-EIT, and fused ST-EIT). Model performance was rigorously evaluated via stratified 5-fold cross-validation, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were employed to quantify global and local feature contributions. ResultsThe CP group exhibited a distinct respiratory phenotype compared to controls. In the temporal domain, CP patients showed significantly shorter inspiratory (1.60 s vs.1.85 s, P<0.001) and expiratory phase durations (2.45 s vs. 3.95 s, P<0.001), indicating a rapid, shallow breathing rhythm. In the airflow domain, while inspiratory flows were comparable, the CP group demonstrated significantly elevated mean and peak flows during the expiratory phase (P<0.001), reflecting compensatory respiratory effort. Spatially, CP patients presented significant ventilation redistribution, characterized by higher regional TIV in the right-anterior (ROI1) and left-posterior (ROI4) quadrants, but lower TIV in the left-anterior (ROI2) quadrant. In terms of diagnostic accuracy, the multi-modal ST-EIT model achieved the highest performance (AUC: 0.915±0.012, Accuracy: 0.843±0.019, F1-score: 0.872±0.017), substantially outperforming models based on spirometry (AUC: 0.721) or nasometry (AUC: 0.625) alone. Interpretability analysis revealed that spatial domain features were the most critical, contributing 53.4% to the model’s decision-making, followed by temporal (25.0%) and airflow (21.6%) features. ConclusionST-EIT successfully captures the temporal, airflow, and spatial deviations in CP speech respiration that are undetectable by conventional methods—specifically, rapid phase transitions, hyperdynamic expiratory airflow, and regional ventilation heterogeneity. This study validates ST-EIT as a robust, non-invasive, and radiation-free tool for characterizing speech-respiratory dysfunction, offering high clinical value for bedside screening, rehabilitation planning, and longitudinal monitoring of patients with cleft palate.

Objective To establish and internally validate a predictive model for poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma based on CT imaging and tumor marker results. Methods Patients with solid and partially solid lung nodules who underwent lung nodule surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University in 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7:3. Patients' CT features, including average density value, maximum diameter, pleural indentation sign, and bronchial inflation sign, as well as patient tumor marker results, were collected. Based on postoperative pathological results, patients were divided into a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma group and a non-poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma group. Univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed on the training set to establish the predictive model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the model's discriminability, the calibration curve to assess the model's consistency, and the decision curve to evaluate the clinical value of the model, which was then validated in the validation set. Results A total of 299 patients were included, with 103 males and 196 females, with a median age of 57.00 (51.00, 67.25) years. There were 211 patients in the training set and 88 patients in the validation set. Multivariate analysis showed that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) value [OR=1.476, 95%CI (1.184, 1.983), P=0.002], cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen (CYFRA21-1) value [OR=1.388, 95%CI (1.084, 1.993), P=0.035], maximum tumor diameter [OR=6.233, 95%CI (1.069, 15.415), P=0.017], and average density [OR=1.083, 95%CI (1.020, 1.194), P=0.040] were independent risk factors for solid and partially solid lung nodules as poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Based on this, a predictive model was constructed with an area under the ROC curve of 0.896 [95%CI (0.810, 0.982)], a maximum Youden index corresponding cut-off value of 0.103, sensitivity of 0.750, and specificity of 0.936. Using the Bootstrap method for 1000 samplings, the calibration curve predicted probability was consistent with actual risk. Decision curve analysis indicated positive benefits across all prediction probabilities, demonstrating good clinical value. Conclusion For patients with solid and partially solid lung nodules, preoperative use of CT to measure tumor average density value and maximum diameter, combined with tumor markers CEA and CYFRA21-1 values, can effectively predict whether it is poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, allowing for early intervention.

Objective To analyze the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in individuals with circadian rhythm disruption and their correlation with cognition.Methods Night shift workers and regular shift workers were subjected from our hospital during August 2022 and October 2024.The participants with circadian rhythm disorders were assigned into an experimental group(n=24),and those with normal circadian rhythms were into a control group(n=24).Their height,weight,age,gender,body mass index(BMI)and fresh fecal samples were collected,and Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)and Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)were used to evaluate their mental status.Metagenomics,Alpha and Beta diversity analyses,Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size(LEfSe),and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)analysis were employed to investigate the diversity and function characteristics of gut microbiota in the participants.Results There were no statistical differences between the 2 groups in baseline data,such as height,weight,gender,age,and BMI(P>0.05).Alpha diversity analysis indicated that no statistical differences were observed in the ACE,Chao1,Shannon,or Simpson indices between the 2 groups,while beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences(P<0.01),suggesting different structure of gut microbiota between them.In the experimental group,the abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Agathobacter rectalis was decreased,while that of Escherichia coli and Phocaeicola vulgaratus was increased,with significant differences when compared with the control group(P<0.05).Additionally,KEGG functional analysis showed that the experimental group had obviously higher expression levels in Th17 cell differentiation and the IL-17 signaling pathway than the control group(P<0.05).Agathobacter rectalis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were positively correlated with MoCA score and MMSE score(P<0.05,P<0.01).Agathobacter rectalis was negatively correlated with the IL-17 signaling pathway and Th17 cell differentiation.Conclusion Individuals with circadian rhythm disorders have significant changes in the structure and function of gut microbiota when compared to those with normal circadian rhythms.Agathobacter rectalis may be involved in the regulation of the IL-17 signaling pathway and differentiation of Th17 cells,thereby possibly impacting the increases of cognitive score related to circadian rhythm disorders.

Objective To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of sufentanil in individuals with normal body mass index(BMI),overweight BMI,and different CYP3A4/5 enzyme genotypes.Methods The patients receiving laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from November 2020 to September 2021 were prospectively recruited in this study.Before the operation,the oral swabs were collected from all the patients for genotyping using the human CYP3A4/5 gene kit.Based on the potential impact of combination of their polymorphisms on sufentanil metabolism and the proportion of different genotype combinations of CYP3A4/5 enzymes,the patients were divided into groups I(3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation),II(3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 heterozygous mutation),and III(3A4 wild type or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 wild type).According to their BMI,they were also assigned into a normal body weight group(18.5～24.0 kg/m2)and an overweight group(24～<28 kg/m2),and the differences in drug metabolism parameters were statistically analyze between the 2 groups.After routine general anesthesia induction(sufentanil 0.5 μg/kg),venous blood samples were collected to detect the changes in its concentration using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS).The pharmacokinetic data of sufentanil were calculated between the normal BMI group and overweight group in all participants and between the 2 body weight groups among those with different genotype combinations.Results Among the 90 participants completing the blood drug concentration test,8 patients had their blood samples contaminated(including 1 case with an anesthesia duration of<2 h),and 3 were excluded due to low weight or overweight.Eventually,79 participants were included in the pharmacokinetic analysis on the normal body weight group and the overweight group.Compared with the normal body weight group,the central compartment volume of distribution in the overweight group was significantly reduced(P<0.05),while no obvious differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of peripheral compartment volume of distribution,total clearance rate,peripheral compartment clearance rate,distribution half-life,clearance half-life,and area under the blood concentration-time curve.In group Ⅰ(n=26),the overweight patients(n=13)had significantly reduced central compartment volume of distribution,peripheral compartment volume of distribution,and peripheral compartment clearance rate when compared with the normal body weight patients(n=13)(P<0.05),while no differences were observed in other pharmacokinetic parameters.In groups Ⅱ(n=25)and Ⅲ(n=28),the overweight patients and normal body weight patients had no statistical differences in all pharmacokinetic parameters.Conclusion Among the patients with the same genotype combination of CYP3A4/5 mutations,there was no difference in the metabolism of sufentanil between the overweight and normal weight patients.Additionally,in the population of 3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation,the overweight patients have smaller peripheral distribution range of sufentanil,and weakened metabolic process.

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.

Objective To verify the feasibility and safety of three-dimensional(3D)image acquisition by C-arm combined with orthopedic robot-assisted iliosacral screw fixation through S3 vertebra.Methods From July 2023 to June 2024,a total of 4 patients with closed pelvic fracture were surgically treated.Preoperative pelvic CT 3D reconstruction showed the presence of an ideal iliosacral screw bone channel through S3 vertebra which required screw fixation.There was no such channel through the S1 vertebra,or the stability of fixation through the S3 channel was better than that through the S1 channel.The 3D image acquisition by C-arm combined with orthopedic surgical robot was used to insert screws.Follow-ups were conducted for at least 6 months after surgery to assess fracture healing and limb function.Results All the 4 patients were successfully implanted with a S2 and a S3 iliosacral screw,and all the 8 screws did not penetrate the cortical bone.Three cases had excellent Majeed scores and 1 case had good scores at 3 months after surgery.Follow-ups were conducted for 18,12,7,and 6 months after surgery,respectively,and all fractures healed smoothly without any loosening or breakage of screws.Conclusion 3D image acquisition by C-arm combined with orthopedic robot-assisted iliosacral screw fixation through S3 vertebra is feasible,safe and effective.

Objective To explore the risk factors for pain after puncturing localization using Hookwire needles for preoperative pulmonary nodules resections,providing theoretical evidences for reducing post-localization complications in patients.Methods For cross-sectional analysis,141 patients undergoing preoperative CT-guided localization using Hookwire needles for preoperative single pulmonary nodule resections in Nanjing Chest Hospital from February 2024 to May 2024.The pain levels of the patients after localization were recorded according to the numerical rating scales(NRS).Comparions the pain levels between patients' genders,ages,BMI,sides,number of intercostals at the puncture point,depths of puncture needle penetration through the chest wall,depths of puncture needle penetration in the lungs,whether the needles were inserted tightly against the ribs,and whether the needle were inserted tightly against the scapula.The influencing factors causing pain were explored by univariate analysis as well as ordered Logistic analysis.Results All 141 patients were successfully localized without serious complications,and the results of univariate analysis showed that BMI,depth of penetration within the thoracic wall of the puncture needle,whether or not the needle was inserted tightly against the ribs,and whether or not it was inserted tightly against the scapula were correlated with the post-positioning pain,and the differences were statistically significant from each other(P＜0.1).Ordered Logistic regression analysis showed that the depth of penetration within the chest wall of the puncture needle(OR=1.484,95％CI=0.033～0.758,P＜0.05),and whether or not the needle was inserted tightly against the rib cage(OR=9.440,95％CI=1.434～3.056,P＜0.05)and tight scapular entry(OR=9.994,95％CI=0.957～3.646,P＜0.05)were risk factors for pain after positioning.Conclusion The deepth of localization needle penetrating in the chest wall and puncturing close to the edge of scapula and ribs are the risk factors for pain after puncturing localization using a Hookwire needle for preoperative pulmonary nodules resection.

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.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of urinary microbiota transplantation（UMT）in treating interstitial cystitis（IC）.Methods:A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of three patients with IC treated with UMT at the Central Hospital of Jiangnan University from May 2022 to August 2024. Three women（45，62，79 years）presented with urinary frequency（10 - 90 min intervals），urgency，dysuria，lower abdominal pain，and non-organic sleep disorder，with nocturia（2 - 15 episodes）causing sleep difficulty. Disease durations were 3，6，and 21 years. Prior antibiotic therapy failed. Preoperative urinalysis/culture（x2）ruled out bacterial cystitis，and diagnosed as interstitial cystitis（IC），with one of transient positive urine culture. Preoperative scores for case 1 were self-rating depression scale（SDS）of 49，self-rating anxiety scale（SAS）of 31，interstitial cystitis symptom index（ICSI）of 5，interstitial cystitis problem index（ICPI）of 2，brief urological problem scale of 50，genitourinary pain assessment scale of 10，and pain catastrophizing scale（PCS）of 0. For case 2，the scores were 60 of SDS，66 of SAS，9 of ICSI，11 of ICPI，50 of brief urological problem scale，28 of genitourinary pain assessment scale，and 34 of PCS. For case 3，the scores were 44 of SDS，48 of SAS，11 of ICSI，5 of ICPI，33 of brief urological problem scale，27 of genitourinary pain assessment scale，and 21 of PCS. Preoperative bladder hydro-distention showed mucosal hemorrhage including central block hemorrhage（Case 1），numerous spots（Case 2），and distinct sheets（Case 3）. Preoperative urine 16S rRNA sequencing revealed low diversity，increased Gardnerella/ Bacteroides（opportunistic），and decreased Bacillus/ Streptococcus（beneficial）. Two healthy young female donors had normal comprehensive tests covering blood/urine/stool，coagulation，CRP，immunity，liver/kidney function，lipids，infectious diseases，hormones，tumor markers，urine culture，TOUCH，and expanded quantitative urine culture. Donor urine 16S rRNA showed low pathogenic（ Gardnerella/ Bacteroides）abundance. Donor midstream morning urine was catheter-collected，centrifuged，and the bacterial pellet resuspended in saline. Recipients underwent bladder irrigation pre-UMT. On UMT day，donor bacterial suspension was instilled via catheter with adverse event monitoring. Follow-up included clinic visits at 1 month and 1 year for symptom assessment，scale scoring，cystoscopy evaluating mucosal inflammation，hydrodistension checks，and telephone tracking of urinary symptoms every 2 - 3 months. Prognosis was assessed by symptom relief，scale score reduction，and mucosal recovery. Results:No adverse reactions occurred within 24 hours post-UMT in all 3 cases. Two patients showed same-day urinary urgency reduction；three reported relief from urinary frequency/urgency on postoperative day 7，with 2 - 3 hour daytime intervals and 0 - 5 nocturnal voids. Two patients experienced lower abdominal pain alleviation. Postoperative Week 1 urinalysis and urine cultures revealed no abnormalities. The 16S rRNA test showed a decrease in the abundance of harmful bacteria（e.g.， Cupriavidus，Ureaplasm，Mycobacterium，Pseudomonas）and an increase in the abundance of beneficial bacteria（ Dietzia，Halomonas，and Streptococcus），and the overall urobacterial structure was significantly improved and similar to that of the donor. Case 1 was followed up for 20 months，and the lab tests were normal，with SDS scales of 38，SAS of 20，ICSI of 3，ICPI of 2，brief urological problem scale of 44，genitourinary pain assessment scale of 10，PCS of 0，at 9 months post-op follow-up，indicating physical and mental improvement. The bladder hydro-distention revealed intact mucosa with only mild inflammation，which improved versus preoperative situation. Case 2 was followed up for 15 months，and the lab tests were normal，with SDS scales of 44，SAS of 34，ICSI of 4，ICPI of 2，brief scale of urinary problems of 0，genitourinary pain assessment scale of 9，PCS of 7，at 2 months post-op follow-up，showing improved anxiety/depression and quality of life. The hydro-distention showed decreased scattered hemorrhagic dots and mucosal inflammation. Case 3 was followed up for 13 months，with an increased leukocytes of urine and the other being normal for lab tests，and SDS scales of 35，SAS of 46，ICSI of 13，ICPI of 13，brief scale of urinary problems of 10，genitourinary pain assessment scale of 33，PCS of 11，at 13 months post-op follow-up，indicating physical and mental improvement. The hydro-distention revealed mucosal congestion，marked submucosal vasodilation，and inflammation decreased compared with preoperative situation. Conclusions:UMT alleviates urinary frequency，urgency，and pain in IC patients with sustained effects，significantly improves urine microecology，and shows no adverse events，positioning it as a viable intervention for IC.