Objective To investigate the impact of two different algorithms, AAA and AXB, on the dose distribution of postoperative radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery. Methods A total of 96 target volumes from patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery for left-sided breast cancer were selected for dose verification using a two-dimensional matrix system. The planned dose distributions were simulated using both AAA and AXB algorithms. Dosimetric differences in organs at risk and the target volumes were then compared to identify the algorithm that could reduce the radiation dose to organs at risk without compromising the dose distribution to the target volume. Dose verification was performed on the plans generated by both algorithms, and the pass rates of plans for each target volume using both algorithms were compared to provide a quantitative basis for the precise selection of subsequent radiotherapy plans. Results Both AAA and AXB plans met the radiotherapy requirements. The AXB algorithm demonstrated significant advantages in the D₉₈, D₂, homogeneity index, and conformity index for the planning target volume, as well as in the V₅ and V₂₀ for the left lung. The AXB algorithm showed advantages in the V₃₀ for the heart and the maximum and mean doses for the skin. With the 2 mm/2% criterion in dose verification, the gamma pass rate was higher for the AXB algorithm. Conclusion Through a comparative analysis of the two algorithms, this study revealed that the AXB algorithm offers certain advantages in the dose distribution of radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery for left-sided breast cancer. These findings provide an important reference for the rational selection of algorithms in clinical practice and are expected to improve radiotherapy efficacy and patient prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinical features and management of two brothers affected with X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) deficiency. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical presentations, treatment, and follow-up of two brothers with XIAP deficiency diagnosed at Shanghai Children's Hospital in 2020, and summarized similar cases recorded in databases such as PubMed, Wanfang, Chinese Medical Association Journals, and WIP from January 2006 to November 2024. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of our hospital (Ethics No.: 2025R128-E01). RESULTS: Patient 1 was the younger brother, who presented at 8 years of age with growth retardation, folliculitis, erythema nodosum, and perineal abscess. Sequencing revealed that he has carried a hemizygous c.566T>C (p.Leu189Pro) variant of the XIAP gene, which was inherited from his mother. He was allergic to infliximab treatment and underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in January 2021. During a follow-up of 3 years and 10 months post-transplantation, he showed no gastrointestinal symptoms and had a good outcome. Patient 2 was the elder brother, who presented at 10 years and 6 months of age with growth retardation, rash, and anal fistula. Genetic testing revealed the same variant. He was treated with oral azathioprine but did not have regular follow-ups. At 14-years-and-6-months of age, he had developed severe gastrointestinal infection and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which was alleviated after treatment with antibiotics, glucocorticoids, immunoglobulin, and rituximab. He is currently being prepared for HSCT. A total of 13 publications were retrieved, which involved 64 patients from 23 families, with 23 different variants identified. The main clinical manifestations included splenomegaly (34 cases, 53.1%), hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (27 cases, 42.2%), and inflammatory bowel disease or colitis (20 cases, 31.8%). There were significant phenotypic differences among patients from the same family. Thirteen patients (20.3%) underwent HSCT, with a survival rate of 61.5%. CONCLUSION For male children with early onset, poor treatment response, especially those with unexplained splenomegaly and IBD-like symptoms, early genetic testing is recommended. HSCT is a safe and effective treatment for XIAP deficiency. For patients with developmental delay, early onset, and severe IBD phenotype, early transplantation is recommended.
Humans ; Male ; X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein/deficiency* ; Child ; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/therapy* ; Phenotype ; Siblings ; Retrospective Studies ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate alterations in white matter microstructure and spontaneous neural activity in male college smokers, and to further explore their associations with nicotine dependence. Given that adolescence and early adulthood represent critical periods for brain maturation, particularly for white matter development, understanding the neural correlates of smoking behavior during this stage is of substantial importance for both neuroscience and public health. MethodsA total of 115 male undergraduate students were initially recruited for this study. After quality control and exclusion procedures, 52 male college smokers and 42 demographically matched healthy non-smokers were included in the final analysis. All participants underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). White matter fiber tracts were reconstructed using the automated fiber quantification (AFQ) method, which enables precise identification and quantification of major fiber bundles. Eighteen major white matter tracts were segmented for each participant. Along the core trajectory of each tract, 100 equidistant nodes were sampled. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated at each node to assess white matter microstructural integrity, while amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was computed to evaluate spontaneous neural activity within white matter tracts. Between-group differences in FA and ALFF were assessed using two-sample t-tests, with appropriate corrections applied for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between imaging-derived metrics (FA and ALFF values in regions showing significant group differences) and nicotine dependence severity, as measured by the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND). ResultsCompared with healthy non-smokers, male college smokers exhibited significantly increased FA values in several white matter tracts, including the left thalamic radiation, right corticospinal tract, forceps major of the corpus callosum, left uncinate fasciculus, and right arcuate fasciculus. These findings suggest altered microstructural organization or increased directional coherence within these pathways. In addition, smokers demonstrated significantly elevated ALFF values in the forceps major, right uncinate fasciculus, and left arcuate fasciculus, indicating enhanced spontaneous neural activity in these white matter regions. Correlation analyses revealed that FA values in the left thalamic radiation and right corticospinal tract were negatively correlated with FTND scores, suggesting that higher levels of nicotine dependence were associated with reduced microstructural integrity or altered fiber organization in these regions. In contrast, ALFF values in the forceps major and right uncinate fasciculus were positively correlated with FTND scores, indicating that greater nicotine dependence was associated with increased spontaneous neural activity in specific white matter pathways. ConclusionThe present study provides evidence that male college smokers exhibit distinct alterations in both white matter microstructure and functional activity. These abnormalities are not uniformly distributed but rather localized to specific fiber tracts implicated in sensorimotor processing, interhemispheric communication, and higher-order cognitive and emotional regulation. Importantly, the observed associations between imaging metrics and nicotine dependence severity suggest that these structural and functional alterations may reflect neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction. The combination of AFQ-based tract profiling and multimodal MRI offers a sensitive approach for detecting subtle changes along white matter pathways, highlighting its potential utility in identifying neuroimaging biomarkers of nicotine dependence. Overall, these findings indicate that smoking during early adulthood may disrupt ongoing white matter maturation, potentially leading to long-term consequences for brain function. This study provides novel insights into the neural basis of nicotine dependence and underscores the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies targeting young smokers.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response triggered by infection and often leads to acute kidney injury(AKI).The pathogenesis of sepsis-associated AKI is complex,involving multiple factors such as renal ischemia,inflammation and oxidative stress.In recent years,pyroptosis,a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death,has gradually attracted the attention of researchers.Pyroptosis is activated by inflammasomes(e.g.,the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-related protein 3 inflammasome,NLRP3 inflammasome),accompanied by Gas-dermin D(GSDMD)-mediated formation of cell membrane pores and release of cellular contents,which leads to exacerbation of local and systemic inflammatory responses.The mechanism of pyroptosis in sepsis-associated AKI has not been fully elucidated,but AKI is directly involved in the process of renal functional impairment by indu-cing the death of renal tubular epithelial cells and exacerbating the local inflammatory response.Blockade of key molecules in the pyroptosis pathway,such as GSDMD or NLRP3 inflammasome,can significantly alleviate renal injury,suggesting that the pyroptosis pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for sepsis-associated AKI.This review summarizes the recent research progress on pyroptosis in sepsis-associated AKI,and discuss its cen-tral role in the pathogenesis,particularly focusing on the inflammasome and GSDMD pathways.Additionally,this paper analyzes the potential of focal death inhibition as a therapeutic strategy and proposes future research direc-tions with the expectation of providing references for the treatment of sepsis-related AKI.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of radical gastrectomy with mesan-gientization via the inferior margin of the pancreas approach (GMIP).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 255 patients of Siewert Ⅱ and (or) Ⅲ adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) who were admitted to Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University from March 2024 to March 2025 were collected. There were 191 males and 64 females, aged (62 ±7)years. Of 255 patients, 152 cases undergoing GMIP were allocated into the mesangientization radical resection group, 103 cases undergoing D 2 radical resection of gastric cancer were allocated into D 2 radical resection group. Observation indicators: (1) surgical and post-operative situations; (2) lymph node dissection status. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution between groups was conducted using the t test. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Wilcoxon test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or corrected chi-square test. Compari-son of ordinal data was conducted using the rank sum test. Results:(1) Surgical and postoperative situations. In the mesangientization radical resection group, the time of lymph node dissection was (115±14)minutes, volume of intraoperative blood loss was (81±37)mL. In the D 2 radical resection group, the above indicators were (97±13)minutes, (104±39)mL, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=-8.68, -4.64, P<0.05). In the mesan-gientization radical resection group, the total number of examined lymph node was 40.00(10.00), the number of lymph node dissected (the total number of each group) was 29.00(5.00), the number of lymph node metastasis (the total number of each group) was 2.00(1.00). In the D 2 radical resection group, the above indicators were 27.00(9.00), 8.00(4.00), 1.00(1.00), respec-tively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-10.68, -13.57, -6.80, P<0.05). (3) Lymph node dissection status. There were significant differences in number of lymph node dissected of No.14v, 12a, 12p, 11d, 11p, 10, postgastric, 9, 8a, 8p lymph node between the mesangientization radical resection group and the D 2 radical resection group ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in number of lymph node metastasis of No.11d and postgastric lymph node between the mesangientization radical resection group and the D 2 radical resection group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with D 2 radical resection, the GMIP for Siewert Ⅱ or Ⅲ AEG has less volume of intraoperative blood loss and more complete lymph node dissection.

The left maxilla of a patient was resected because of tumor,and the defect was reconstruted with fibular transplantation.The autonomous dental implant robot technology was used to achieve precise implantation of multiple implants and immediate denture restoration within the limited left maxilla.The surgery was minimally invasive and efficient,and significantly reducing patient post-operative discomfort.The final restoration was completed 6 months after surgery.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response triggered by infection and often leads to acute kidney injury(AKI).The pathogenesis of sepsis-associated AKI is complex,involving multiple factors such as renal ischemia,inflammation and oxidative stress.In recent years,pyroptosis,a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death,has gradually attracted the attention of researchers.Pyroptosis is activated by inflammasomes(e.g.,the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-related protein 3 inflammasome,NLRP3 inflammasome),accompanied by Gas-dermin D(GSDMD)-mediated formation of cell membrane pores and release of cellular contents,which leads to exacerbation of local and systemic inflammatory responses.The mechanism of pyroptosis in sepsis-associated AKI has not been fully elucidated,but AKI is directly involved in the process of renal functional impairment by indu-cing the death of renal tubular epithelial cells and exacerbating the local inflammatory response.Blockade of key molecules in the pyroptosis pathway,such as GSDMD or NLRP3 inflammasome,can significantly alleviate renal injury,suggesting that the pyroptosis pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for sepsis-associated AKI.This review summarizes the recent research progress on pyroptosis in sepsis-associated AKI,and discuss its cen-tral role in the pathogenesis,particularly focusing on the inflammasome and GSDMD pathways.Additionally,this paper analyzes the potential of focal death inhibition as a therapeutic strategy and proposes future research direc-tions with the expectation of providing references for the treatment of sepsis-related AKI.

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is a common chronic degenerative disease,in which joint pain is the most signif-icant symptom,but its pathogenesis is still unclear.Significant subchondral bone lesions can occur in the early stage of osteoarthritis progression,and more and more experimental evidence shows that subchondral bone lesions play an important role in the pain caused by osteoarthritis.Osteoclasts,osteocytes,osteoblasts,endothelial cells,new generating nerves and blood vessels in the sub-chondral bone matrix microenvironment interact with each other and participate in the process of osteoarthritis pain.Therefore,regu-lating the subchondral bone matrix microenvironment is expected to become a new strategy to control joint pain.

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is a common chronic degenerative disease,in which joint pain is the most signif-icant symptom,but its pathogenesis is still unclear.Significant subchondral bone lesions can occur in the early stage of osteoarthritis progression,and more and more experimental evidence shows that subchondral bone lesions play an important role in the pain caused by osteoarthritis.Osteoclasts,osteocytes,osteoblasts,endothelial cells,new generating nerves and blood vessels in the sub-chondral bone matrix microenvironment interact with each other and participate in the process of osteoarthritis pain.Therefore,regu-lating the subchondral bone matrix microenvironment is expected to become a new strategy to control joint pain.

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis(TMJ-OA)is a chronic disorder characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage,pain,and functional impairment,with pathological calcification serving as a central pathological hallmark closely associated with dis-ease progression.Recent studies have demonstrated that pathological calcification accelerates joint destruction by altering cartilage bio-mechanical properties,activating inflammatory responses,and promoting matrix degradation pathways.This review systematically re-views the critical role of pathological calcification in the pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis(TMJ-OA),with a focus on molecular mechanisms including key signaling pathways,autophagy-derived calcifying vesicles,lysosomal destabilization and organ-elle crosstalk.It further summarizes novel intervention strategies such as pharmacological treatments,gene therapy,and nanotechnology-based approaches,thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the precise prevention and treatment of TMJ-OA.