BACKGROUND:The surgical treatment of severe lumbar fractures is mainly based on posterior short-segment fixation,and different pedicle screw fixation methods have differences in biomechanical properties.OBJECTIVE:To simulate three different screw fixation techniques in the treatment of severe L1 vertebral fractures using three-dimensional finite element technology,and to compare and analyze the biomechanical characteristics of the upper and lower intervertebral discs,fractured vertebrae,and internal fixation devices during the simulated spinal movement.METHODS:A three-dimensional model of the T11-L3 spine was established to simulate severely unstable fracture of the lumbar 1 vertebral body using the designed three pedicle screw fixation methods:Model A with 4 traditional pedicle screws(2 in each T12 and L2),model B with 4 Universal Spine System pedicle screws(2 in each T12 and L2),and Model C were bilateral intermediate fixation with 6 pedicle screws(2 in each of T12,L1,and L2).Restraint and load were applied to simulate the maximum stress and maximum displacement of the internal fixation,the displacement of the L1 vertebral body,and stress on the intervertebral discs superior and inferior to the injured vertebra during the anterior flexion,posterior extension,left-sided bending,right-sided bending and left-right rotation of the lumbar spine.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The maximum displacement and motion range of the lumbar 1 vertebra with Model C in flexion and extension,left bending,right bending,left rotation,and right rotation were lowest in the tested motion states;the maximum stress of the screws and connecting rods was the smallest;and the maximum stress of intervertebral discs superior and inferior to the injured vertebra was the smallest.This was followed by the Model B,while the maximum displacement and motion range of the lumbar 1 vertebra and the stress and displacement of the screw connecting rod in the Model A were highest,but it showed the worst biomechanical stability and was more prone to adjacent segment degeneration.(2)These results show that bilateral intermediate fixation with six pedicle screws during the treatment of severe lumbar fractures is more dispersed in internal fixator stress and exhibits the least displacement and motion range of the vertebral pedicle screws and rods compared with four universal spinal system pedicle screws and four traditional pedicle screws.Thus,it can effectively reduce the occurrence of internal fixation failure and the adjacent segment degeneration.

BACKGROUND:The surgical treatment of severe lumbar fractures is mainly based on posterior short-segment fixation,and different pedicle screw fixation methods have differences in biomechanical properties.OBJECTIVE:To simulate three different screw fixation techniques in the treatment of severe L1 vertebral fractures using three-dimensional finite element technology,and to compare and analyze the biomechanical characteristics of the upper and lower intervertebral discs,fractured vertebrae,and internal fixation devices during the simulated spinal movement.METHODS:A three-dimensional model of the T11-L3 spine was established to simulate severely unstable fracture of the lumbar 1 vertebral body using the designed three pedicle screw fixation methods:Model A with 4 traditional pedicle screws(2 in each T12 and L2),model B with 4 Universal Spine System pedicle screws(2 in each T12 and L2),and Model C were bilateral intermediate fixation with 6 pedicle screws(2 in each of T12,L1,and L2).Restraint and load were applied to simulate the maximum stress and maximum displacement of the internal fixation,the displacement of the L1 vertebral body,and stress on the intervertebral discs superior and inferior to the injured vertebra during the anterior flexion,posterior extension,left-sided bending,right-sided bending and left-right rotation of the lumbar spine.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The maximum displacement and motion range of the lumbar 1 vertebra with Model C in flexion and extension,left bending,right bending,left rotation,and right rotation were lowest in the tested motion states;the maximum stress of the screws and connecting rods was the smallest;and the maximum stress of intervertebral discs superior and inferior to the injured vertebra was the smallest.This was followed by the Model B,while the maximum displacement and motion range of the lumbar 1 vertebra and the stress and displacement of the screw connecting rod in the Model A were highest,but it showed the worst biomechanical stability and was more prone to adjacent segment degeneration.(2)These results show that bilateral intermediate fixation with six pedicle screws during the treatment of severe lumbar fractures is more dispersed in internal fixator stress and exhibits the least displacement and motion range of the vertebral pedicle screws and rods compared with four universal spinal system pedicle screws and four traditional pedicle screws.Thus,it can effectively reduce the occurrence of internal fixation failure and the adjacent segment degeneration.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy（AIT） remains the only therapeutic approach with the potential to modify the natural course of allergic rhinitis（AR）. Nevertheless, considerable inter-individual variability exists in patients'responses to AIT. To facilitate more reliable assessment of treatment efficacy, the China Rhinopathy Research Cooperation Group（CRRCG） convened young and middle-aged nasal experts in China to formulate the present consensus. The recommended subjective outcome measures for AIT comprise symptom scores, medication scores, combined symptom and medication scores, quality-of-life assessments, evaluation of disease control, and assessment of comorbidities. Objective indicators may supplement these measures. Currently available objective approaches include skin prick testing, nasal provocation testing, and allergen exposure chambers. However, these methods remain constrained by practical limitations and are not yet appropriate for routine implementation in clinical efficacy evaluation. In addition, several biomarkers, including sIgE and the sIgE/tIgE ratio, sIgG4, serum IgE-blocking activity, IgA, cytokines and chemokines, as well as immune cell surface molecules and their functional activity, have been shown to have associations with AIT outcomes. While these biomarkers may complement subjective assessments, they are subject to significant limitations. Consequently, large-scale multicenter trials and real-world evidence are required to strengthen the evidence base. The present consensus underscores the necessity of integrating patients'subjective experiences with objective testing throughout the treatment process, thereby providing a more comprehensive and accurate framework for efficacy evaluation. Looking forward, future investigations should prioritize the incorporation of multi-omics data and artificial intelligence methodologies, which hold promise for overcoming current limitations in assessment strategies and for advancing both the standardization and personalization of AIT.
Humans ; Allergens/immunology* ; China ; Consensus ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Immunoglobulin E ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; East Asian People

Azvudine and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) are recommended for COVID-19 treatment in China, but their safety and efficacy in the elderly population are not fully known. In this multicenter, retrospective, cohort study, we identified 5131 elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients from 32,864 COVID-19 patients admitted to nine hospitals in Henan Province, China, from December 5, 2022, to January 31, 2023. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and the secondary outcome was composite disease progression. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control for confounding factors, including demographics, vaccination status, comorbidities, and laboratory tests. After 2:1 PSM, 1786 elderly patients receiving azvudine and 893 elderly patients receiving Paxlovid were included. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses revealed that compared with Paxlovid group, azvudine could significantly reduce the risk of all-cause death (log-rank P = 0.002; HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.573-0.883, P = 0.002), but there was no difference in composite disease progression (log-rank P = 0.52; HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.877-1.260, P = 0.588). Four sensitivity analyses verified the robustness of above results. Subgroup analysis suggested that a greater benefit of azvudine over Paxlovid was observed in elderly patients with primary malignant tumors (P for interaction = 0.005, HR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.57) compared to patients without primary malignant tumors. Safety analysis revealed that azvudine treatment had a lower incidence of adverse events and higher lymphocyte levels than Paxlovid treatment. In conclusion, azvudine treatment is not inferior to Paxlovid treatment in terms of all-cause death, composite disease progression and adverse events in elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy value of the medical failure mode,and failure mode and effect analysis(FMEA)mode in equipment management of the department of optimizing blood purification equipment.Methods:Based on the management concept of medical FMEA,a FMEA management mode for equipment was constructed to manage the hemodialysis equipment in the blood purification department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University.A total of 83 used hemodialysis equipment in the blood purification department of our hospital from October 2022 to September 2024 were selected,and they were managed respectively by using conventional management mode and FMEA management mode.The differences of operation quality of equipment,comprehensive efficiency of equipment and the management capabilities of managers who used the equipment between two kinds of management modes were compared.Results:The average values of failure rate of equipment,self-repair rate,maintenance rate,and standardized operation rate of using FMEA management mode were respectively(4.72±0.11)%,(90.62±3.44)%,(95.42±2.43)%and(96.22±1.48)%.The failure rate of FMEA management mode was lower than that of conventional management mode,while the self-repair rate,maintenance rate,and standardized operation rate were higher than those of conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=108.568,13.658,9.318,10.354,P＜0.05).The average values of availability ratio of equipment,ratio of performance index,and ratio of quality index of adopting FMEA management mode were respectively(91.04±2.65)%,(96.94±2.31)%and(97.66±1.19)%,which were higher than those of conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=19.330,13.085,14.889,P＜0.05).The scores of job responsibilities,basic knowledge for equipment,guarantee capabilities for operation and management performance of manager were respectively(94.12±2.76),(92.03±2.50),(91.35±2.62)and(93.65±3.28)in using the FMEA management mode,which were all higher than those of the conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=7.630,11.027,17.311,11.645,P＜0.05).Conclusion:The application of medical FMEA management mode in the management for hemodialysis equipment in the blood purification department can improve the quality of equipment operation,and reduce the failure frequency of equipment,and enhance the overall utilization efficiency of equipment,and improve the quality of clinical services in the department.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of sequential administration of Dihuang Baoyuan granules （DHBY， the prescription for consolidating body resistance） and Fuling Yunhua granules （FLYH， the prescription for treating symptoms） on spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） in mice. MethodsAccording to the fasting blood glucose （FBG） level， 12-week-old db/db mice were randomized into six groups： model， DHBY （18.02 g·kg^-1）， FLYH （14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 1 （SEQ-1， DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1+FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 2 （SEQ-2， FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1+DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1）， and dapagliflozin （Dapa， 1.3 mg·kg^-1）. The m/m mice in the same litter were selected as the normal group. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 8 consecutive weeks. During the 8 weeks of drug administration and 2 weeks after withdrawal， the retinal thickness， FBG， hemoglobin A1c （HbA1c）， and insulin were determined， and histopathological changes of the pancreas， liver， kidney， and retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. ResultsCompared with the model group， SEQ-1 for 4 weeks lowered the FBG level （P<0.05）， raised the insulin level， decreased the triglyceride （TG） level （P<0.05）， increased the number of optic ganglion cells and diminished vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. SEQ-2 lowered FBG and HbA1c levels （P<0.05）， rose the insulin level， increased the retinal thickness and the number of optic ganglion cells （P<0.05）， and alleviated vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. Two weeks after drug withdrawal， Dapa tended to increase FBG and HbA1c compared with those at the time of drug withdrawal. However， the levels of FBG and HbA1c in the SEQ-2 group remained decreasing （P<0.05）. ConclusionSEQ-1 and SEQ-2 can lower the blood glucose level and ameliorate diabetic retinopathy， and SEQ-2 outperformed DHBY and FLYH in lowering the blood glucose level. Moreover， SEQ-2 can maintain the blood glucose-lowering effect after drug withdrawal.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of sequential administration of Dihuang Baoyuan granules （DHBY， the prescription for consolidating body resistance） and Fuling Yunhua granules （FLYH， the prescription for treating symptoms） on spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） in mice. MethodsAccording to the fasting blood glucose （FBG） level， 12-week-old db/db mice were randomized into six groups： model， DHBY （18.02 g·kg^-1）， FLYH （14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 1 （SEQ-1， DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1+FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 2 （SEQ-2， FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1+DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1）， and dapagliflozin （Dapa， 1.3 mg·kg^-1）. The m/m mice in the same litter were selected as the normal group. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 8 consecutive weeks. During the 8 weeks of drug administration and 2 weeks after withdrawal， the retinal thickness， FBG， hemoglobin A1c （HbA1c）， and insulin were determined， and histopathological changes of the pancreas， liver， kidney， and retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. ResultsCompared with the model group， SEQ-1 for 4 weeks lowered the FBG level （P<0.05）， raised the insulin level， decreased the triglyceride （TG） level （P<0.05）， increased the number of optic ganglion cells and diminished vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. SEQ-2 lowered FBG and HbA1c levels （P<0.05）， rose the insulin level， increased the retinal thickness and the number of optic ganglion cells （P<0.05）， and alleviated vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. Two weeks after drug withdrawal， Dapa tended to increase FBG and HbA1c compared with those at the time of drug withdrawal. However， the levels of FBG and HbA1c in the SEQ-2 group remained decreasing （P<0.05）. ConclusionSEQ-1 and SEQ-2 can lower the blood glucose level and ameliorate diabetic retinopathy， and SEQ-2 outperformed DHBY and FLYH in lowering the blood glucose level. Moreover， SEQ-2 can maintain the blood glucose-lowering effect after drug withdrawal.

Objective To analyze the correlation between tongue image features and the risk levels of disease in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy(IMN).Methods Based on IMN clinical research electronic data acquisition system,a cross-sectional study method was used to analyze the clinical diagnosis and treatment data of 135 IMN patients from Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine.The patients were grouped according to the risk levels of disease,and then the correlation between the risk levels of disease and tongue image features was analyzed.During the description of tongue image features,TB is for tongue body,TC is for tongue coating,L is for luminance,a is for red-green axis,G is for the value of green,B is for the value of blue,and AUT is for the value of autocorrelation.Results The comparison of tongue image feature indicators of patients with different risk levels of IMN showed that:(1)the higher the level of disease risk of IMN patients,the greater the values of TB-L,TB-G and TB-B(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The values of tongue image indicator TB-a and TC-a of the patients with different risk levels of IMN were shown in decreasing sequence:low-risk group>high-risk group>middle-risk group>extremely-high-risk group(P<0.05).(2)Linear regression analysis showed that TB-L,TB-G,and TB-B were significantly increased in the high-risk group compared with those in the middle-and low-risk groups(P<0.05 or P<0.01),whereas there were no significant differences between the middle-risk group and low-risk group(P>0.05).(3)The results of correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation among most of the tongue image feature indicators(including TB-L,TB-G,TB-B,TB-AUT,TC-L,TC-G,and TC-B,etc.)and the risk level of disease,while TB-a was negatively correlated with the risk level of disease,and the differences were all statistically significant(P<0.05 or P<0.01).(4)All patients were treated with Chinese medicine and/or Chinese patent medicine,and 46.7%of patients were given hormones and immunosuppressants,and there was no statistically significant difference in the the use of hormones and immunosuppressants among various groups(P=0.637).Conclusion There is a correlation between the tongue image features of IMN patients and the risk level of disease,and the results will provide an objective reference for the assessment of illness state and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation of IMN patients.With reference to the changes in the tongue image features,the illness state can be precisely identified,which is more accurate than the inspection of four diagnostic methods of TCM.

Objective To evaluate the association of different obesity phenotypes and their components with the risk of cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults,and to assess the association between obesity and cognitive impairment in different cognition-related genetic backgrounds.Methods A cross-sectional study based on the West China Health and Aging Cohort was conducted.Logistic regression was applied to estimate the association of obesity phenotypes and components with cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults stratified by APOE gene and polygenic risk scores.Results A total of 7 316 participants were enrolled,of whom 1 820 had cognitive impairment.Weight gains were associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment(odds ratio[OR]=0.96,95%CI,0.95-0.97).Being overweight with a normal waist-to-hip ratio was a protective factor for cognition(OR=0.74,95%CI,0.61-0.90),whereas the coexistence of elevated waist-to-hip ratio and overweight did not increase the risk of cognitive impairment.Sarcopenia was associated with an elevated risk of cognitive impairment.This association was found in both overweight(OR=2.03,95%CI,1.71-2.41)and non-overweight older adults(OR=1.86,95%CI,1.58-2.20),and was significant across all polygenic risk score strata.Conclusion Increasing body mass may serve as a key protective factor against cognitive decline in older adults.Having sarcopenia and obesity is associated with an elevated risk of cognitive impairment,independent of genetic susceptibility.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy value of the medical failure mode,and failure mode and effect analysis(FMEA)mode in equipment management of the department of optimizing blood purification equipment.Methods:Based on the management concept of medical FMEA,a FMEA management mode for equipment was constructed to manage the hemodialysis equipment in the blood purification department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University.A total of 83 used hemodialysis equipment in the blood purification department of our hospital from October 2022 to September 2024 were selected,and they were managed respectively by using conventional management mode and FMEA management mode.The differences of operation quality of equipment,comprehensive efficiency of equipment and the management capabilities of managers who used the equipment between two kinds of management modes were compared.Results:The average values of failure rate of equipment,self-repair rate,maintenance rate,and standardized operation rate of using FMEA management mode were respectively(4.72±0.11)%,(90.62±3.44)%,(95.42±2.43)%and(96.22±1.48)%.The failure rate of FMEA management mode was lower than that of conventional management mode,while the self-repair rate,maintenance rate,and standardized operation rate were higher than those of conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=108.568,13.658,9.318,10.354,P＜0.05).The average values of availability ratio of equipment,ratio of performance index,and ratio of quality index of adopting FMEA management mode were respectively(91.04±2.65)%,(96.94±2.31)%and(97.66±1.19)%,which were higher than those of conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=19.330,13.085,14.889,P＜0.05).The scores of job responsibilities,basic knowledge for equipment,guarantee capabilities for operation and management performance of manager were respectively(94.12±2.76),(92.03±2.50),(91.35±2.62)and(93.65±3.28)in using the FMEA management mode,which were all higher than those of the conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=7.630,11.027,17.311,11.645,P＜0.05).Conclusion:The application of medical FMEA management mode in the management for hemodialysis equipment in the blood purification department can improve the quality of equipment operation,and reduce the failure frequency of equipment,and enhance the overall utilization efficiency of equipment,and improve the quality of clinical services in the department.