OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical value of MRI modified water-lipid separation technique (mDIXON-Quant) in terms of T2* values and fat fraction (FF) values for evaluating the degree of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: A total of 118 patients who underwent routine MRI of the cervical vertebra and the mDIXON-Quant examination in Fuyang People's Hospital from March 2019 to January 2024 were collected. The T2* values of C2/3 to C6/7 intervertebral discs and FF values of the upper and lower vertebral bodies were measured. Cervical intervertebral disc degeneration was graded according to the Pfirrmann criteria. The T2* values and FF values of different patients were compared with the Pfirrmann grades, and the correlation between T2* values, FF values, and Pfirrmann grades was analyzed by Spearman correlation. RESULTS: The T2* values of cervical intervertebral discs in grades I, II, III, IV, and V all showed a decreasing trend ( P＜0.05). The decreasing order of FF values in the upper cervical vertebra was IV, V, III, II, and I ( F=93.28, P＜0.05), and the decreasing order of FF values in the lower cervical vertebra was IV, III, V, II, and I ( F=112.037, P＜0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the T2* values of cervical intervertebral discs were negatively correlated with the Pfirrmann grades ( P＜0.05), and the FF values of the upper and lower vertebrae were positively correlated with the Pfirrmann grades ( P＜0.05). CONCLUSION The mDIXON-Quant technique can be used to quantify the T2* values and FF values of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration and plays an important role in accurate clinical diagnosis and evaluation of treatment effects.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/diagnostic imaging* ; Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Intervertebral Disc/diagnostic imaging* ; Lipids

OBJECTIVE: To explore and verify the effect and potential mechanism of Brucea javanica Seed Oil Emulsion Injection (YDZI) and Shengmai Injection (SMI) on peripheral microcirculation dysfunction in treatment of gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: The potential mechanisms of YDZI and SMI were explored through network pharmacology and verified by cellular and clinical experiments. Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) were cultured for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured for tube formation assay. Twenty healthy volunteers and 97 patients with GC were enrolled. Patients were divided into surgical resection, surgical resection with chemotherapy, and surgical resection with chemotherapy combining YDZI and SMI groups. Forearm skin blood perfusion was measured and recorded by laser speckle contrast imaging coupled with post-occlusive reactive hyperemia. Cutaneous vascular conductance and microvascular reactivity parameters were calculated and compared across the groups. RESULTS: After network pharmacology analysis, 4 ingredients, 82 active compounds, and 92 related genes in YDZI and SMI were screened out. β-Sitosterol, an active ingredient and intersection compound of YDZI and SMI, upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2, P<0.01), downregulated the expression of caspase 9 (CASP9) and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1, P<0.01) in HMECs under oxaliplatin stimulation, and promoted tube formation through VEGFA. Chemotherapy significantly impaired the microvascular reactivity in GC patients, whereas YDZI and SMI ameliorated this injury (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS YDZI and SMI ameliorated peripheral microvascular reactivity in GC patients. β-Sitosterol may improve peripheral microcirculation by regulating VEGFA, PTGS2, ESR1, and CASP9.
Humans ; Microcirculation/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Stomach Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Emulsions ; Male ; Plant Oils/administration & dosage* ; Brucea/chemistry* ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Drug Combinations ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Injections ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Aged ; Network Pharmacology

This study investigated the role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells c3 (NFATc3) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoplasmic and nuclear NFATc3 levels were elevated in human and mouse AAD. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced thoracic AAD (TAAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression in mice, contrary to VSMC-NFATc3 overexpression. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and maintained the VSMC contractile phenotype. Nuclear NFATc3 targeted and transcriptionally upregulated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, promoting ECM degradation and AAD development. NFATc3 promoted VSMC phenotypic switching by binding to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and inhibiting its phosphorylation in the VSMC cytoplasm. Restoring eEF2 reversed the beneficial effects in VSMC-specific NFATc3-knockout mice. Cabamiquine-targets eEF2 and inhibits protein synthesis-inhibited AAD development and progression in VSMC-NFATc3-overexpressing mice. VSMC-NFATc3 promoted VSMC switch and ECM degradation while exacerbating AAD development, making it a novel potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating AAD.

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

Urinary incontinence is a common complication following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Urethral length has been identified as a factor affecting postoperative continence recovery. In this meta-analysis, we examined the association between use of the maximal urethral length preservation (MULP) technique and postoperative urinary continence in patients undergoing RARP. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to December 31, 2023. The quality of the literature was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to synthesize data and calculate the odds ratio (OR) from eligible studies on continence and MULP. Six studies involving 1869 patients met the eligibility criteria. MULP was positively associated with both early continence (1 month after RARP; Z = 3.62, P = 0.003, OR = 3.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68-5.73) and late continence (12 months after RARP; Z = 2.34, P = 0.019, OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.13-3.90). Oncological outcomes indicated that MULP did not increase the overall positive surgical margin rate or the positive surgical margin status at the prostate apex (both P > 0.05). In conclusion, the use of the MULP technique in RARP significantly improved both early and late postoperative continence outcomes without compromising oncological outcomes.
Humans ; Prostatectomy/adverse effects* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Male ; Urethra/surgery* ; Urinary Incontinence/prevention & control* ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery* ; Organ Sparing Treatments/methods*

The analysis presented here is based on the blood components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets, the key anti-atherosclerosis pathway of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was screened by network pharmacology, and the anti-atherosclerosis mechanism of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was clarified and verified by cell experiments. HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS technique was used to analyze the components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood, to determine the precise mass charge ratio of the compounds, and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the components by using secondary mass spectrometry fragments and literature comparison. Finally, a total of 42 components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood were identified. To better understand the interactions, we employed the Swiss Target Prediction database to predict the associated targets. Atherosclerosis (AS) disease targets were searched in disease databases Genecard, OMIM and Disgent, and 181 intersection targets of disease targets and component targets were obtained by Venny 2.1.0 software. Protein interactions were analyzed by String database. The 32 core targets were selected by Cytscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed in DAVID database. It was found that the anti-atherosclerosis pathways of Guanxin Qiwei tablets mainly include lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications and other signal pathways. The core targets and the core compounds were interlinked, and it was found that cryptotanshinone and tanshinone ⅡA in Guanxin Qiwei tablets were well bound to TNF, PPARγ, AKT1, PTG2 and other targets. The lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic pathway was verified using human hl-7702 hepatocytes. This study preliminarily identified the potential pharmacodynamic components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in the treatment of AS diseases and predicted their pathways of action, and verified the relationship between regulating lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in vitro, providing a reference for the further study of the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of this prescription. This experiment was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Inner Mongolia Medical University (No. YKD202401262).

CT is a commonly examination method in pediatric clinical practice.Formulating and popularizing low-dose pediatric CT scanning protocols and constructing a standard image quality evaluation system are the key directions of low-dose pediatric CT imaging.In recent years,domestic CT equipment achieved technological breakthroughs in hardware performance and image reconstruction algorithms,which could provide new paths for pediatric low-dose CT imaging in children combining with artificial intelligence technology.The current status of scanning protocols,the establishment of imaging quality evaluation system and the clinical promotion,as well as challenges of domestic CT in pediatric low-dose CT imaging were reviewed in this article.

Objective:To investigate the relevant data on radiation dose in interventional radiodiagnosis and radiology of adults in Beijing and to provide a basis for establishing relevant diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in this region.Methods:A total of 30 medical institutions in Beijing were surveyed, covering interventional radiodiagnosis and radiology surgeries for coronary artery, structural heart diseases, permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation, electrophysiological study and radiofrequency ablation, nervous systems, abdominal systems, and the blood vessels of the lower limbs. The primary parameters investigated included the air kerma area product ( PKA) and incident air kerma ( Ka, r). The 75 th percentiles of radiation dose were considered DRLs, which were analyzed at both the overall and individual medical institution levels. Results:A total of 3 331 cases of the abovementioned radiodiagnosis and radiology surgeries were collected. The DRLs (i.e., PKA and Ka, r) of various diagnostic examinations were 37.87 Gy·cm 2 and 509.00 mGy for coronary artery, 9.34 Gy·cm 2 and 48.00 mGy for electrophysiological study and radiofrequency ablation, 218.50 Gy·cm 2 and 901.70 mGy for nervous systems, 81.00 Gy·cm 2 and 302.20 mGy for the abdominal system, and 83.37 Gy·cm 2 and 214.69 mGy for the blood vessels of the lower limbs. In contrast, the DRLs (i.e., PKA and Ka, r) for interventional radiodiagnosis and radiology were determined at 135.00 Gy·cm 2 and 1 897.58 mGy for coronary artery, 26.91 Gy·cm 2 and 172.30 mGy for structural heart diseases, 27.77 Gy·cm 2 and 87.75 mGy for permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation, 34.46 Gy·cm 2 and 247.00 mGy for electrophysiological study and radiofrequency ablation, 214.36 Gy·cm 2 and 1 282.80 mGy for the nervous system, 196.64 Gy·cm 2 and 875.71 mGy for abdominal system, and 108.25 Gy·cm 2 and 523.25 mGy for the blood vessels of the lower limbs. Conclusions:The DRLs of radiation dose in interventional radiodiagnosis and radiology in Beijing were determined through a survey and statistic analysis. These findings suggest that for certain interventional procedures, the optimized radiation protection should be enhanced.

A 70-year-old female patient presented with fatigue and edema for 3 months and was found to have elevated serum creatinine for 3 weeks. During the course of the disease, she had fever and cough. Examinations revealed multiple ground-glass opacities in both lungs and positivity for myeloperoxidase-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), leading to a diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis. The patient′s condition initially improved after pulse glucocorticoid therapy combined with cyclophosphamide. During treatment, however, the patient developed hematochezia, and colonoscopy revealed multiple colonic ulcers. Immunohistochemistry of colonic mucosal biopsy confirmed cytomegalovirus (CMV) positivity, establishing a diagnosis of CMV colitis. The patient was found to have concurrent Clostridioidesdifficile and pulmonary infections. During the disease course, the patient also developed deep vein thrombosis and roxadustat-associated central hypothyroidism. Given the presence of multiple comorbidities, rituximab was subsequently used for vasculitis treatment, resulting in sustained remission. This case highlights the importance of highly individualized treatment strategies for older patients with vasculitis, requiring adjustment of immunosuppressive therapy intensity based on disease progression.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.