Objective To conduct a comparative study on the biomechanical performance of using sutures for repairing inferior pole patellar fractures.Methods Compared to the normal patellar structure(Group A),four repair methods,namely,'Krackow'suture(Group B),"Kessler"fixation(Group C),'8-figure'mesh method(Group D),and modified suture bridge(Group E)were adopted.The static stiffness and dynamic stability of inferior pole patellar fractures fixed by each repair method were measured at 30°,60°,and 90° knee flexion.Results The stiffness at all flexion angles in Group E was closer to that in Group A,compared to other repair groups,followed by Group B,then Group D,and finally Group C.After the first cycle,at 30° knee flexion,Group C showed the greatest displacement,while Groups B and E had slightly larger displacements than the Group A,and the displacement of Group D was smaller than that of Group A.At 60° and 90° knee flexion,the displacement in all repair groups was smaller than that of Group A.After 200 cycles in the subsequent three cycles,displacement changes in all repair groups were smaller than those in Group A.Conclusions All repair methods were effective.In terms of biomechanical fixation performance,the modified suture bridge was superior to the'Krackow'suture and'8-figure'mesh,with Kessler fixation being the least effective.However,factors such as the injury severity,incision location,and surgical time should be comprehensively considered in actual clinical use,and it is recommended that the repair method should be selected in the following order:E,B,D,and C.

Objective:To explore the psychological acceptance mechanism of appropriate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques among patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) .Methods:Using purposive sampling, AUB patients experiencing menstruation but not yet menopausal were recruited from Zhumadian City, Henan Province, and Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, between November 2022 and January 2023. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the collected data were analyzed using content analysis.Results:A total of four main themes were identified: individualized disease perception and treatment experience; awareness and treatment experience of appropriate TCM techniques; cultural identity and influence of traditional beliefs; and the need for science communication and safety regarding TCM techniques.Conclusions:While AUB patients show a generally high level of acceptance toward appropriate TCM techniques, their understanding of both AUB and the relevant TCM therapies remains limited. Multiple factors influence patients' choices, and some concerns and doubts still persist during the decision-making process.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of interventricular septal thickness(IVST),the ratio of mitral ear-ly diastolic peak flow velocity to late diastolic peak flow velocity(E/A)combined with aortic valve flow velocity(AV)for hypertensive heart disease(HHD)and its association with blood pressure grade.Methods:A total of 202 patients with hy-pertension suspected of HHD admitted to Qinhuangdao Hospital of Dongfang Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medi-cine between May 2020 and May 2023 were enrolled and divided into HHD group(n=102)and non-HHD group(n=100)according to color Doppler energy imaging and blood pressure diagnosis.Blood pressure,IVST,E/A and AV were measured in two groups.The predictive value of IVST,E/A and AV for HHD were evaluated by receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve.According to hypertension grading,patients in HHD group was divided into grade 1～2 group(n=59)and grade 3 group(n=41).The association of IVST,E/A,AV with blood pressure grade in HHD patients were ana-lyzed by Spearman correlation analysis.Results:Compared with patients in non-HHD group,those in HHD group had significant higher IVST,and significant lower E/A and AV(P＜0.001 all);Compared with patients in grade 1～2 group,those in grade 3 group had significant higher IVST,and significant lower E/A and AV(P＜0.001 all).ROC curve showed that the AUC of IVST,E/A and AV alone and their combination in HHD diagnosis was 0.798(95％CI 0.736～0.851),0.682(95％CI 0.613～0.746),0.810(95％CI 0.748～0.862)and 0.927(95％CI 0.881～0.959)respectively,and the diagnostic value of combined detection was significantly higher than those of single detections(Z=4.431,5.669,3.948,P=0.001 all).Spearman correlation analysis showed that E/A and AV were significant negatively correlated with blood pressure grade(r=-0.725,-0.781),while I VST was significant positively correlated with blood pressure grade(r=0.714),and combined detection possessed a stronger correlation with it in HHD patients(r=0.875,P＜0.001 all).Con-clusion:The combined detection of I VST,E/A and AV demonstrates a good predictive value for HHD and exhibits a sig-nificant correlation with blood pressure grade in HHD patients.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective To conduct a comparative study on the biomechanical performance of using sutures for repairing inferior pole patellar fractures.Methods Compared to the normal patellar structure(Group A),four repair methods,namely,'Krackow'suture(Group B),"Kessler"fixation(Group C),'8-figure'mesh method(Group D),and modified suture bridge(Group E)were adopted.The static stiffness and dynamic stability of inferior pole patellar fractures fixed by each repair method were measured at 30°,60°,and 90° knee flexion.Results The stiffness at all flexion angles in Group E was closer to that in Group A,compared to other repair groups,followed by Group B,then Group D,and finally Group C.After the first cycle,at 30° knee flexion,Group C showed the greatest displacement,while Groups B and E had slightly larger displacements than the Group A,and the displacement of Group D was smaller than that of Group A.At 60° and 90° knee flexion,the displacement in all repair groups was smaller than that of Group A.After 200 cycles in the subsequent three cycles,displacement changes in all repair groups were smaller than those in Group A.Conclusions All repair methods were effective.In terms of biomechanical fixation performance,the modified suture bridge was superior to the'Krackow'suture and'8-figure'mesh,with Kessler fixation being the least effective.However,factors such as the injury severity,incision location,and surgical time should be comprehensively considered in actual clinical use,and it is recommended that the repair method should be selected in the following order:E,B,D,and C.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of interventricular septal thickness(IVST),the ratio of mitral ear-ly diastolic peak flow velocity to late diastolic peak flow velocity(E/A)combined with aortic valve flow velocity(AV)for hypertensive heart disease(HHD)and its association with blood pressure grade.Methods:A total of 202 patients with hy-pertension suspected of HHD admitted to Qinhuangdao Hospital of Dongfang Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medi-cine between May 2020 and May 2023 were enrolled and divided into HHD group(n=102)and non-HHD group(n=100)according to color Doppler energy imaging and blood pressure diagnosis.Blood pressure,IVST,E/A and AV were measured in two groups.The predictive value of IVST,E/A and AV for HHD were evaluated by receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve.According to hypertension grading,patients in HHD group was divided into grade 1～2 group(n=59)and grade 3 group(n=41).The association of IVST,E/A,AV with blood pressure grade in HHD patients were ana-lyzed by Spearman correlation analysis.Results:Compared with patients in non-HHD group,those in HHD group had significant higher IVST,and significant lower E/A and AV(P＜0.001 all);Compared with patients in grade 1～2 group,those in grade 3 group had significant higher IVST,and significant lower E/A and AV(P＜0.001 all).ROC curve showed that the AUC of IVST,E/A and AV alone and their combination in HHD diagnosis was 0.798(95％CI 0.736～0.851),0.682(95％CI 0.613～0.746),0.810(95％CI 0.748～0.862)and 0.927(95％CI 0.881～0.959)respectively,and the diagnostic value of combined detection was significantly higher than those of single detections(Z=4.431,5.669,3.948,P=0.001 all).Spearman correlation analysis showed that E/A and AV were significant negatively correlated with blood pressure grade(r=-0.725,-0.781),while I VST was significant positively correlated with blood pressure grade(r=0.714),and combined detection possessed a stronger correlation with it in HHD patients(r=0.875,P＜0.001 all).Con-clusion:The combined detection of I VST,E/A and AV demonstrates a good predictive value for HHD and exhibits a sig-nificant correlation with blood pressure grade in HHD patients.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the predominant form of chronic liver disease worldwide. This study was designed to investigate the proportion and characteristics of MAFLD within the general Chinese population and to identify the contributory risk factors for liver fibrosis among MAFLD individuals. METHODS: The participants were recruited from a cohort undergoing routine health evaluations at the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between May 2019 and March 2023. The diagnosis of MAFLD was based on the established clinical practice guidelines. The fibrosis-4 index score (FIB-4) was employed to evaluate hepatic fibrosis, with a FIB-4 score of ≥1.3 indicating significant fibrosis. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to determine risk factors associated with significant hepatic fibrosis in MAFLD. RESULTS: A total of 22,970 participants who underwent comprehensive medical examinations were included in the analysis. The overall proportion of MAFLD was 28.77% (6608/22,970), with 16.87% (1115/6608) of these patients showing significant fibrosis as assessed using FIB-4. Independent risk factors for significant liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients were male (odds ratio [OR] = 0.676, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.558-0.821), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity (OR = 2.611, 95% CI: 1.557-4.379), body mass index ≥23.00 kg/m 2 (OR = 0.632, 95% CI: 0.470-0.851), blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg (OR = 1.885, 95% CI: 1.564-2.272), and plasma glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L (OR = 1.815, 95% CI: 1.507-2.186) (all P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS The proportion of MAFLD in an urban Chinese population is 28.77%. About 16.87% of MAFLD patients presented with significant liver fibrosis. Independent risk factors for significant liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients should be noticed.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Liver Cirrhosis/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Adult ; Fatty Liver/pathology* ; Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Logistic Models ; Urban Population ; East Asian People

Objective:To explore the psychological acceptance mechanism of appropriate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques among patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) .Methods:Using purposive sampling, AUB patients experiencing menstruation but not yet menopausal were recruited from Zhumadian City, Henan Province, and Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, between November 2022 and January 2023. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the collected data were analyzed using content analysis.Results:A total of four main themes were identified: individualized disease perception and treatment experience; awareness and treatment experience of appropriate TCM techniques; cultural identity and influence of traditional beliefs; and the need for science communication and safety regarding TCM techniques.Conclusions:While AUB patients show a generally high level of acceptance toward appropriate TCM techniques, their understanding of both AUB and the relevant TCM therapies remains limited. Multiple factors influence patients' choices, and some concerns and doubts still persist during the decision-making process.

Patients and animal models suffering from acute pancreatitis(AP)have characteristic phenotypes of gut microbiota,which is associated with the severity of AP.Gut microbiota directly or indirectly participates in host immune regulation by catabolizing nutrients into functional products.The imbalance of gut microbiota and its metabolites activate the immune inflammatory response,which attribute to the aggravation of AP.According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine,the abnormal metabolism and the release of inflammatory factors caused by the imbalance of gut microbiota are classified into the category of"endotoxin",which combine with external toxins(alcohol,food,cold poisoning,etc.)to turn into heat and even fire.Therefore,"microbiota-metabolism-immunity"axis disorder is the molecular biological basis for the"toxin and heat"theory in AP.For traditional Chinese medicine,classical prescriptions and proven prescriptions could treat AP by targeting to regulate the"microbiota-metabolism-immunity"axis,which not only enriches the"toxic and heat"theory,but also provides new ideas for the prevention of AP.

Patients and animal models suffering from acute pancreatitis(AP)have characteristic phenotypes of gut microbiota,which is associated with the severity of AP.Gut microbiota directly or indirectly participates in host immune regulation by catabolizing nutrients into functional products.The imbalance of gut microbiota and its metabolites activate the immune inflammatory response,which attribute to the aggravation of AP.According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine,the abnormal metabolism and the release of inflammatory factors caused by the imbalance of gut microbiota are classified into the category of"endotoxin",which combine with external toxins(alcohol,food,cold poisoning,etc.)to turn into heat and even fire.Therefore,"microbiota-metabolism-immunity"axis disorder is the molecular biological basis for the"toxin and heat"theory in AP.For traditional Chinese medicine,classical prescriptions and proven prescriptions could treat AP by targeting to regulate the"microbiota-metabolism-immunity"axis,which not only enriches the"toxic and heat"theory,but also provides new ideas for the prevention of AP.