BACKGROUND:Cervical disc herniation can cause pain in the neck and shoulder area,as well as radiating pain in the upper limbs.The incidence rate is increasing year by year and tends to affect younger individuals.Fully understanding the biomechanical characteristics of the cervical spine in adolescents is of great significance for preventing and delaying the onset of cervical disc herniation in this age group. OBJECTIVE:To reconstruct cervical spine models for both healthy adolescents and adolescent patients with cervical disc herniation utilizing finite element analysis techniques,to analyze the motion range of the C1-T1 cervical vertebrae as well as the biomechanical characteristics of the annulus fibrosus,nucleus pulposus,endplates,and the cartilage of the small joints. METHODS:A normal adolescent's cervical spine and an adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation were selected in this study.The continuous scan cervical spine CT raw image data were imported into Mimics 21.0 in DICOM format.The C1-T1 vertebrae were reconstructed separately.Subsequently,the established models were imported into the 3-Matic software for disc reconstruction.The perfected models were then imported into Hypermesh software for meshing of the vertebrae,nucleus pulposus,annulus fibrosus,and ligaments,creating valid geometric models.After assigning material properties,the final models were imported into ABAQUS software to observe the joint motion range of the C1-C7 cervical vertebrae segments under different conditions,and to analyze the biomechanical characteristics of the annulus fibrosus,nucleus pulposus,endplates,and small joint cartilage of each cervical spine segment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In six different conditions,the joint motion range of the C1 vertebra in the cervical spine models of both normal adolescent and adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation was higher than that of the other vertebrae.Additionally,the joint motion range of each cervical spine segment in normal adolescent was greater than that in adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation.(2)In the cervical spine model of normal adolescent,the maximum stress values in the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus were found on the left side during C2-3 flexion conditions(0.43 MPa and 0.17 MPa,respectively).In the cervical spine model of adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation,the maximum stress values were found on the left side during C7-T1 flexion conditions(0.54 MPa and 0.18 MPa,respectively).(3)In the cervical spine model of normal adolescent,the maximum stress value on the endplate was found on the left side of the upper endplate of C3 during flexion conditions(1.46 MPa).In the model of adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation,the maximum stress value on the endplate was found on the left side of the lower endplate of C7 during flexion conditions(1.32 MPa).(4)In the cervical spine model of normal adolescent,the maximum stress value in the small joint cartilage was found in the C2-3 left rotation conditions(0.98 MPa).In adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation,the stress in the small joint cartilage significantly increased under different conditions,especially in C1-2,with the maximum stress found during left flexion(3.50 MPa).(5)It is concluded that compared to normal adolescent,adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation exhibits altered cervical curvature and a decrease in overall joint motion range in the cervical spine.In adolescent with cervical disc herniation,there is a significant increase in stress on the annulus fibrosus,nucleus pulposus,and endplates in the C7-T1 segment.The stress on the left articular cartilage of the C1-2 is notable.Abnormal cervical curvature may be the primary factor causing these stress changes.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Qihuang needle therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children with sleep disorder. METHODS: A total of 60 ASD children with sleep disorder were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with structured education intervention, 60 min each time, once a day, 6 times a week. Qihuang needle therapy was applied at Yintang (GV24⁺), Baihui (GV20) and bilateral Jueyinshu (BL14), Xinshu (BL15) in the observation group, multi-direction needling was delivered and without needle retaining. The treatment was given 2 times a week, each treatment was delivered at interval of 2 days at least. Behavioral intervention was adopted in the control group. Treatment for consecutive 12 weeks was required in both groups. Before and after treatment, the scores of children's sleep habits questionnaire (CSHQ), the autism behavior checklist (ABC), the childhood autism rating scale (CARS), and the childhood autism behavior scale (CABS) were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of CSHQ, ABC, CARS and CABS were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01), and the above scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Qihuang needle therapy can effectively treat ASD with sleep disorder, improve the core symptoms of ASD and the sleep quality.
Humans ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Sleep Wake Disorders/physiopathology* ; Child, Preschool ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Sleep ; Needles

3D printing technology, with a layer-by-layer construction method, enables the fabrication of intricately shaped and customizable bolus. In contrast to traditional preparation methods, 3D printing technology addresses challenges such as poor bolus fit and cumbersome production processes, offering a novel approach to efficient and personalized bolus fabrication. This article discusses the research progress of 3D printing technology in radiotherapy bolus from aspects such as the preparation process, clinical application, and research advancements, combined with the actual printing experience of Department of Radiation Oncology in Chongqing University Cancer Hospital.
Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Humans ; Radiotherapy/methods*

(+)-Borneol, the main component of "Natural Borneol" in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, is a high-end spice and precious medicine. Plant extraction cannot meet the increasing demand for (+)-borneol, while microbial biosynthesis offers a sustainable supply route. However, its production was extremely low compared with other monoterpenes, even with extensively optimizing the mevalonate pathway. We found that the key challenge is the complex and unusual dephosphorylation reaction of bornyl diphosphate (BPP), which suffers the side-reaction and the competition from the cellular dephosphorylation process, especially lipid metabolism, thus limiting (+)-borneol synthesis. Here, we systematically optimized the dephosphorylation process by identifying, characterizing phosphatases, and balancing cellular dephosphorylation metabolism. For the first time, we identified two endogenous phosphatases and seven heterologous phosphatases, which significantly increased (+)-borneol production by up to 152%. By engineering BPP dephosphorylation and optimizing the MVA pathway, the production of (+)-borneol was increased by 33.8-fold, which enabled the production of 753 mg/L under fed-batch fermentation in shake flasks, so far the highest reported in the literature. This study showed that rewiring dephosphorylation metabolism was essential for high-level production of (+)-borneol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and balancing cellular dephosphorylation is also helpful for efficient biosynthesis of other terpenoids since all whose biosynthesis involves the dephosphorylation procedure.

Enamel demineralization, the formation of white spot lesions, is a common issue in clinical orthodontic treatment. The appearance of white spot lesions not only affects the texture and health of dental hard tissues but also impacts the health and aesthetics of teeth after orthodontic treatment. The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of white spot lesions that occur throughout the orthodontic treatment process involve multiple dental specialties. This expert consensus will focus on providing guiding opinions on the management and prevention of white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment, advocating for proactive prevention, early detection, timely treatment, scientific follow-up, and multidisciplinary management of white spot lesions throughout the orthodontic process, thereby maintaining the dental health of patients during orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Caries/etiology* ; Dental Enamel/pathology* ; Tooth Demineralization/etiology* ; Tooth Remineralization

Objective To explore the clinical application of needle-embedding therapy for preventing and treating postoperative constipation in the patients with thoracolumbar vertebral fractures based on the theory of"preventing illness".Methods Eighty patients meeting the criteria for postoperative constipation af-ter thoracolumbar vertebral surgery in a tertiary hospital of Hangzhou City from January 2023 to February 2024 were selected as the study subjects.The patients were divided into the control group and experimental group by using the random number table method,40 cases in each group.The control group adopted the treat-ment of orally taking lactulose oral solution and the nursing such as routine postoperative food and drink and bed defecation training.The experimental group was given the needle-embedding therapy on the basis of rou-tine care.The gastrointestinal syndrome rating scale(GSRS)score,intra-abdominal pressure(IAP),abdomi-nal circumference,defecation and exhausting situation before and after intervention were performed the statis-tics and compared between the two groups.Results At 36,72 h after oeperation,the GSRS score,IAP and ab-dominal circumference in the both groups were significantly declined or decreased compared with those imme-diately after the operation,the above indicators in the experimental group were superior to those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.01).The first exhausting and defecation time of the experimental group was earlier than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically signifi-cant(P＜0.01).Conclusion Under the basis of"preventing illness",the needing-embedding therapy has signif-icant therapeutic effects in preventing and treating postoperative constipation in thoracolumbar fractures,could effec-tively reduce IAP,alleviate the symptoms of constipation in the patients and improve their quality of life.

Objective To investigate the impact of the precision health management model on liver fibrosis,adipocytokines,and metabolic indicators in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver dis-ease(NAFLD).Methods A total of 600 NAFLD patients were selected as study subjects and divid-ed into conventional group and precision group according to different intervention methods,with 300 patients in each group.The conventional group received routine health management,while the preci-sion group received intervention through the precision health management model.Comparisons were made between the two groups in terms of obesity indicators[waist-to-hip ratio(WHR),body mass in-dex(BMI),body fat rate(BFR),degree of obesity],fatty liver grading,liver stiffness measure-ment(LSM),and liver fibrosis indicators[laminin(LN),type Ⅳ collagen(C Ⅳ),hyaluronic acid(HA),type Ⅲ procollagen(PC Ⅲ)],hepatic adipocytokines[nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB),adi-ponectin(APN),irisin,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)],and lipid metabolism indicators[tri-glycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),total cholesterol(TC)]levels.Results After the intervention,the levels of WHR,BFR,BMI,degree of obesity,LSM,as well as LN,C Ⅳ,HA,PC Ⅲ,NF-κB,TNF-α,TG,LDL-C,and TC in both groups were lower than those before the intervention,and the precision group showed lower levels than the conventional group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).After the intervention,the fatty liver grading in both groups was better than before intervention,and the precision group showed better fatty liver grading than the conventional group,with statistically signif-icant differences(P＜0.05).After the intervention,the levels of APN,irisin,and HDL-C in both groups were higher than those before the intervention,and the precision group showed higher levels than the conventional group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Conclusion The precision health management model can effectively improve the degree of obesity,fatty liver grading,and liver fibrosis status in NAFLD patients,reduce LSM,and regulate the levels of adipocytokines and lipid metabolism indicators,yielding significant effects.

The discovery of hemoglobin variants with low oxygen affinity,diagnostic methods,prognosis of carriers,and developments in analyzing hemoglobin oxygen-carrying and-releasing abilities are reviewed in this article in order to draw the attention of related clinical departments and to provide references for optimizing the process of diagnosis and treatment.Hemoglobin variants with low oxygen affinity originate from gene mutations encoding hemoglobin and autosomal dominant inheritance.The diagnosis should be combined with clinical manifestations and family history and differentiated from methemoglobinemia.A decrease in pulse oxygen saturation(SpO2)is often the first abnormality observed in asymptomatic carriers of hemoglobin variants with low oxygen affinity.Laboratory examinations include arterial blood gas analysis,hemoglobin oxygen affinity testing,protein analysis and gene sequencing.Most carriers do not require specific treatment and have a good prognosis,who should avoid acute hypoxic injuries induced by strenuous exercise,emotional stress,or high temperature.Moreover,health practitioners should pay attention to their responses to anesthetics,agents that induce oxidative stress,drugs that increase hemoglobin oxygen affinity,and prostacyclins.Hemoglobin oxygen-carrying and-releasing analysis is a promising tool to identify carriers of hemoglobin variants with low oxygen affinity because it does not involve unnecessary or invasive examinations and is of significant values for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective: To analyse the expression of differential mRNA in the plasma exosomes in patients with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis (ATB) using high-throughput sequencing, so as to provide insights into differential diagnosis of LTBI and ATB. Methods: The plasma samples were collected from the patients treated at The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, including 16 cases of LTBI and 21 cases of ATB. The exosomes were extracted by Invitrogen extracellular extracts purification kit, and the size and morphology of exosomes were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The exosomes were identified by Western blotting. Total RNA was extracted from plasma exosomes using high-throughput sequencing, differential expression mRNA was identified, and gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed. Two differential mRNAs with the highest differential expression fold were selected, and five patients with ATB and three patients with LTBI were recruited for verification using real-time quantitative PCR. Results: The sequencing results of plasma exosomes showed that compared with ATB patients, 2 875 differentially expressed mRNAs were detected in exosomes of LTBI patients, of which 1 002 mRNAs were up-regulated and 1 873 mRNAs were down-regulated. The most significant differentially expressed downregulated and upregulated mRNA were M6PR and RGPD5, respectively. GO analysis and KEGG pathway analysis showed that differential mRNAs were enriched in protein serine kinase activity, rRNA binding molecular function, human cytomegalovirus infection, pancreatic cancer, endometrial cancer, insulin signaling pathway and FoxO signaling pathway. The real-time quantitative PCR showed that the expression of differential mRNA was consistent with sequencing. Compared with ATB patients, the relative expression level of M6PR in plasma exosomes in LTBI patients (0.954±0.212) was downregulated compared with that of ATB patients (2.168±0.226), while the relative expression level of RGPD5 (2.126±0.200) was upregulated compared with that of ATB patients (0.588±0.129) (both P<0.05). Conclusions There is a difference in mRNA expression of plasma exosomes between patients with LTBI and ATB. M6PR and RGPD5 may become markers for distinguishing plasma exosomes between LTBI and ATB.

Objective To study the effects of sodium cantharidinate (SC) on the proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells through JAK2/ STAT3 pathway. Methods Gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 was cultured and treated with different concentrations of SC (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, and 16.0 μmol/L) and then transfected with control plasmid or JAK2 plasmid. Cell survival rate, apoptosis rate, and the expression levels of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, p-p38, p-ERK, and p-JNK were detected after 48 h of treatment. Results The results indicated that 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, and 16.0 μmol/L of SC inhibited cell proliferation, and the survival rate decreased with an increase in SC concentration (P<0.05). SC doses of 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 μmol/L were selected for the subsequent experiments. Compared with the control group, the apoptosis rate of the 1.0 μmol/L SC group exhibited no significant difference (P>0.05), while those of the 2.0 and 4.0 μmol/L SC groups increased significantly (P<0.05). The expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 significantly decreased (P<0.05), while no significant difference was noted in the expression levels of p-p38, p-ERK, and p-JNK (P>0.05) in the 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 μmol/L SC groups. The JAK2 plasmid was transfected simultaneously with the 4.0 μmol/L SC treatment; the expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 and the survival rate increased, whereas the apoptosis rate decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion SC inhibits the growth and promotes the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation.