OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of bone mass and volume of low-density zones beneath the tibial plateau on the maximum von Mises stresses experienced by the cartilage and meniscus in the knee joint. METHODS: The study included one healthy adult volunteer, from whom CT scans were obtained, and one patient diagnosed with knee osteoarthrisis (KOA), for whom X-ray films were acquired. A static model of the knee joint featuring a low-density zone was established based on a normal knee model. In the finite element analysis, axial loads of 1 000 N and 1 800 N were applied to the weight-bearing region of the upper surface of the femoral head for model validation and subsequent finite element studies, respectively. The maximum von Mises stresses in the femoral cartilage, as well as the medial and lateral tibial cartilage and menisci, were observed, and the stress percentage of the medial and lateral components were concurrently analyzed. Additionally, HE staining, as well as alkaline magenta staining, were performed on the pathological specimens of patients with KOA in various low-density regions. RESULTS: The results of model validation indicated that the model was consistent with normal anatomical structures and correlated with previous calculations documented in the literature. Static analysis revealed that the maximum von Mises stress in the medial component of the normal knee was the lowest and increased with the advancement of the hypointensity zone. In contrast, the lateral component exhibited an opposing trend, with the maximum von Mises stress in the lateral component being the highest and decreasing as the hypointensity zone progressed. Additionally, the medial component experienced an increasing proportion of stress within the overall knee joint. HE staining demonstrated that the chondrocyte layer progressively deteriorated and may even disappear as the hypointensity zone expanded. Furthermore, alkaline magenta staining indicated that the severity of microfractures in the trabecular bone increased concurrently with the expansion of the hypointensity zone. CONCLUSION The presence of subtalar plateau low-density zone may aggravate joint degeneration. In clinical practice, it is necessary to pay attention to the changes in the subtalar plateau low-density zone and actively take effective measures to strengthen the bone status of the subtalar plateau low-density zone and restore the complete biomechanical function of the knee joint, in order to slow down or reverse the progression of osteoarthritis.
Humans ; Finite Element Analysis ; Knee Joint/physiology* ; Tibia/anatomy & histology* ; Cartilage, Articular/physiology* ; Menisci, Tibial/physiopathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/diagnostic imaging* ; Weight-Bearing ; Bone Density ; Adult ; Stress, Mechanical ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female

The hippocampus and its circuits play crucial roles in human learning, memory, and emotional regulation. Whether it is vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD), damage to the hippocampus is a prominent pathological feature. This review summarizes the recent advance in multimodal magnetic resonance imaging in anatomy, blood supply, structure and function of the hippocampus and the circuits related to VCI and AD in recent years, aiming to provide help in early recognizing and differentially diagnosing VCI and AD.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological features of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in Beijing, and monitor the sequence variations in RSV glycoprotein (G) gene and clinical features of infected children.Methods:Respiratory tract specimens were collected from children with acute respiratory infection in the Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. RSV-positive specimens screened by multiple nucleic acid testing were subjected to PCR to amplify the full-length RSV G gene. A phylogenetic tree was constructed after gene sequencing to analyze RSV subtypes and trace G gene variants. Clinical data were retrieved from the medical record system to analyze the clinical features of children with RSV infection in Beijing.Results:A total of 5 489 respiratory specimens were collected from 3 046 male patients and 2 443 female patients. The average age of the patients was 4.36 years. A total of 589 RSV-positive specimens (10.7%, 589/5 489) were detected with 349 from male patients and 240 from female patients. The average age of children with RSV infection was (2.51±2.78) years and the median age was 0.48 years. RSV had been circulating among children in Beijing since March 2023 with two epidemic peaks in May (24.6%, 122/496) and December (18.2%, 126/693). The predominant subtype of RSV in the first half of 2023 was subtype A, but it was replaced by subtype B from November 2023. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a novel G gene of RSV subtype B (RSV-B-BA9-954bp) with a length of 954 bp, which belonged to a new cluster in the phylogenetic tree. The percentage of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was higher in children with new variant of RSV subtype B infection than in those with common RSV subtype B infection [44.1% (15/34) vs 25.2% (31/123), χ 2=4.600, P=0.032], while the counts of white blood cells and the levels of C-reactive protein were lower in the children with new variant infection ( P<0.05). Conclusions:RSV has been prevalent among children in Beijing since March 2023 with two epidemic peaks. The predominant A subtype is gradually replaced by to B subtype. A new variant of RSV B G gene (RSV-B-BA9-954bp) is detected among the children.

Objective To explore the optimization for parameters of 5.0T pseudo continuous arterial spin labeling(pCASL)MRI of whole brain.Methods Nine healthy adults were prospectively enrolled,and single-delay pCASL scanning was performed based on a 5.0T MR scanner with 3 sets of labeling gradients:Group A,average gradient(Gavg)=1 mT/m and the ratio of maximum gradient(Gmax)to Gavg(Gratio)=10,group B,Gavg=0.6 mT/m and Gratio=10,group C,Gavg=0.3 mT/m and Gratio=9.The labeling efficiency and cerebral blood flow(CBF)of 3 groups were compared to screen the best labeling gradient group.Results When the marked average blood flow velocity was 40 cm/s,the gradient field tolerance of group C was better than that of group A and B at the situation of reduced B1+and larger B0 offset frequency range.Under the gradient field of group C,the level of labeled artery B1 ranged from 54.19％to 75.36％,with an average of 64.71％.The labeling efficiencies of group C were all ≥85％,and all ≥90％at the average B1 level(64.71％).In the whole gray matter and almost all brain regions,CBF on pCASL under gradient field of group C was significantly higher than that of group A and B(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Low Gavg and low Gmax were the optimal parameters for 5.0T whole brain pCASL MRI.

Cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD) is an important risk factor for stroke, cognitive impairment, and death, but its exact pathogenesis is not yet fully understood. Recent studies have shown that as an important part of pathophysiological mechanisms of CSVD, immunoinflammation may affect the progression and prognosis of CSVD. This article reviews the role of immunoinflammation in CSVD.

3D printing technology has great advantages in small batch and personalized customization, so it has attracted much attention in the biomedical field. The consumables available for 3D printing include polymer, metal, ceramic and derived materials. Biomedical ceramics, with high melting point and poor toughness, are the most difficult materials to be used in 3D printing. The progress of 3D printing ceramic preparation process using ceramic powder, ceramic slurry, ceramic wire, ceramic film and other different raw materials as consumables are reviewed, and the surface roughness, size, density and other parameters of ceramics prepared by SLS, 3DP, DIW, IJP, SL, DLP, FDM, LOM and other different processes are compared. The study also summarizes the clinical application status of 3D printed bioceramics in the field of hard tissue repair such as bone tissue engineering scaffolds and dental prostheses. The SL ceramic additive manufacturing technology based on the principle of UV polymerization has better manufacturing precision, forming quality and the ability to prepare large-size parts, and can also endow bioceramics with better biological properties, mechanical properties, antibacterial, tumor treatment and other functions by doping trace nutrients and surface functional modification. Compared with the traditional subtractive manufacturing process, the bioceramics prepared by 3D printing not only have good mechanical properties, but also often have better biocompatibility and osteoconductivity.
Bone and Bones ; Ceramics ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds

Objective:To explore the status quo and influencing factors of anxiety among caregivers of children with cancer during chemotherapy to provide a reference for clinical intervention.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 133 caregivers of children with cancer during chemotherapy admitted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between May and August 2020 were selected by convenient sampling and investigated with the General Information Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) , and Chinese version of Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ) . In this study, a total of 133 questionnaires were distributed and 124 valid ones were returned, accounting for an effective response rate of 93.2%.Results:The GAD-7 score of the 124 caregivers was 10.50 (6.00, 15.75) ; the incidence of anxiety was 84.68% (105/124) ; and the Chinese version of CFQ score was 42.00 (32.00, 50.00) . There was a positive correlation between the GAD-7 and CFQ scores ( r=0.639, P<0.01) . Binary logistic regression analysis showed that cognitive fusion was a risk factor for anxiety among caregivers of children with cancer during chemotherapy ( P<0.01) . Conclusions:The anxiety and cognitive fusion levels among caregivers of children with cancer during chemotherapy are relatively high and positively correlated with each other. Targeted interventions should be provided in clinical practice for the cognitive fusion of caregivers of children with cancer during chemotherapy to reduce their anxiety and improve the quality of care for children.

Objective:To develop a family-involved institutional care behavior scale for the elderly and provide a tool for assessing the status quo and level of long-term institutional care for the elderly involving the family.Methods:From December 2018 to July 2019, based on the theory of balance and responsibility sharing and the conceptual model of family participation, the dimensions and item pools of the family-involved institutional care behavior scale for the elderly were constructed through literature review, semi-structured interviews and expert group meetings. Totally 18 experts from 11 provinces and cities in China related to this field were selected, and the Delphi method was used to conduct two rounds of consultations by correspondence. The active coefficient, authoritative coefficient, Kendall's W of experts, and the coefficient of variation, the importance score of items, the full score rate were calculated. Results:In the first and second rounds of consultations by correspondence, the positive coefficients of the experts were 90% and 100%; the authority coefficient was 0.925; and the Kendall's W were 0.160 and 0.287, respectively (both P<0.01) ; the coefficients of variation were 0.10-0.31 and 0.05-0.24; the importance score of items were 3.67-4.78 and 3.78-4.97. Finally, the family-involved institutional care behavior scale for the elderly including 6 dimensions and 35 items were constructed. Conclusions:The construction of the family-involved institutional care behavior scale for the elderly is reliable and robust, which can provide a reference for further developing the content of family participation in care institutions for the elderly and improving the quality of life in the elderly.

Objective To investigate the relationship between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LHR) and asymptomatic carotid plaques and their stability in high-risk stroke population.Methods Between December 2012 and April 2015,a total of 39 944 permanent resident population ≥40 years were used as subjects of the survey from 11 rural communities in Haitou Town,Banzhuang Town and Tashan Town,Ganyu District,and 9 urban communities in Xinpu District and Haizhou District,Lianyungang City using epidemiological survey method of cluster sampling.Excluding those who took lipid-lowering drugs within 3 months and had a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack,6 592 people at high risk of stroke were finally screened out.Ultrasound was used to detect carotid plaques.The subjects were divided into plaque-free group and plaque group.The latter was further divided into stable plaque group and unstable plaque group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent risk factor for carotid plaques and their stability.The odds ratio (OR) and 95％ confidence interval (CI) were calculated.Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the prediction efficiency of LHR on carotid plaques.Results Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was an independent risk factor for carotid plaques,while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was an independent protection factor of carotid plaques.Using the lowest quintile (Q1) of LHR as a reference,carotid plaque risk increased significantly with the increasing LHR (Q2:OR 1.448,95％ CI 1.082-1.937,P =0.013;Q3:OR 2.414,95％ CI 1.754-3.322,P＜0.001;Q4:OR 2.939,95％ CI 1.945-4.441,P＜0.001;Q5:OR 4.884,95％ CI 3.143-7.115,P＜0.001).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of LHR predicting carotid plaques was 0.795 (95％ CI 0.792-0.807;P＜ 0.001),and the optimal cut-off value was 3.00 (sensitivity 68.37％,specificity 75.65％).LHR ≥3.92 (LHR in the Q4 and Q5 subgroups) was an independent risk factor for unstable carotid plaques (OR 2.915,95％ CI 2.104-4.040;P＜0.001).The AUC of the LHR predicting unstable carotid plaques was 0.658 (95％ CI 0.633-0.684;P＜0.001).Conclusions LHR was an independent predictor of carotid plaques in high-risk stroke patients.It had higher predictive value for carotid plaques,and its conversion threshold for promoting plaque formation was 3.00.When LHR was ≥3.92,there was a significant increase in the risk of unstable carotid plaques.

BACKGROUND: MicroR-10 b can regulate the characteristics of breast cancer stem cells, and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) is one of the most important markers of breast cancer stem cells. The interaction between them in breast cancer cells needs further explorations. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether over-expression of microRNA-10 b affects ALDH1 mRNA and protein levels in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. METHODS: hsa-miR-10 b mimics or its negative control was transfected into breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. At 48 hours after transfection, the mRNA and protein expression of ALDH1 in the cells was detected using real-time RT-PCR and western blot assays, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Over-expression of microR-10 b was found in the MCF-7 cell line transfected with hsa-miR-10 b mimics, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.003 47). Both of ALDH1 mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated in the MCF-7 cell line overexpressing microR-10 b, as compared with the control group (P=0.009 54 and P=0.003 11, respectively). To conclude, over-expression of microR-10 b induces the ALDH1 mRNA and protein expression in the breast cancer MCF-7 cell line, providing new evidence that microR-10 b regulates the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells.