BACKGROUND:Degenerative scoliosis is defined as a condition that occurs in adulthood with a coronal cobb angle of the spine>10° accompanied by sagittal deformity and rotational subluxation,which often produces symptoms of spinal cord and nerve compression,such as lumbar pain,lower limb pain,numbness,weakness,and neurogenic claudication.The finite element method is a mechanical analysis technique for computer modelling,which can be used for spinal mechanics research by building digital models that can realistically restore the human spine model and design modifications. OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis. METHODS:The literature databases CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science were searched for articles on the application of finite element method in degenerative scoliosis published before October 2023.Search terms were"finite element analysis,biomechanics,stress analysis,degenerative scoliosis,adult spinal deformity"in Chinese and English.Fifty-four papers were finally included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The biomechanical findings from the degenerative scoliosis model constructed using the finite element method were identical to those from the in vivo experimental studies,which proves that the finite element method has a high practical value in degenerative scoliosis.(2)The study of the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis by the finite element method is conducive to the prevention of the occurrence of the scoliosis,slowing down the progress of the scoliosis,the development of a more appropriate treatment plan,the reduction of complications,and the promotion of the patients'surgical operation.(3)The finite element method has gradually evolved from a single bony structure to the inclusion of soft tissues such as muscle ligaments,and the small sample content is increasingly unable to meet the research needs.(4)The finite element method has much room for exploration in degenerative scoliosis.

BACKGROUND:Osteoporotic vertebral fractures are the most common complication in patients with osteoporosis.As a new imaging technique,spine magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)is much more sensitive than X-ray film in the diagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.However,total spine MRI is costly and takes a long time to scan.Therefore,there is no consensus on whether all patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures need to undergo total spine MRI scan and which patients need to undergo total spine MRI. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the distribution characteristics of vertebral fractures and explore their clinical significance by observing the whole spine MRI data of osteoporotic vertebral fractures patients. METHODS:Data of cases and MRI images of all patients diagnosed with fresh osteoporotic vertebral fractures who visited the Department of Orthopedics,Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from August 2018 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.903 patients were included in the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.General information(age,gender,and body mass index),medical history characteristics(duration of illness,history of trauma surgery,percussion pain area,and pain score)were collected.The characteristics of vertebral fractures were analyzed through whole spine magnetic resonance imaging.Firstly,based on the number of vertebral fractures in patients,they were divided into the single vertebral fracture group(484 cases)and the multi-vertebral fracture group(419 cases),and the differences were analyzed between the two groups.Then,based on whether the farthest interval between the fractured vertebrae was greater than or equal to 5,the multi vertebral fracture group was further divided into two subgroups.Among them,Group A(the farthest interval between the fractured vertebrae was less than 5)contained 306 cases;Group B(with the farthest interval between fractured vertebral bodies greater than 5)included 113 cases.The differences were analyzed between two subgroups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Among 903 patients,419 patients(46.4%)had more than two fractured vertebrae.There were 654 patients(72.4%)with thoracolumbar fractures,and 54 patients(6%)with fractures in the thoracic plus lumbar region and the entire thoracic to lumbar region.In group B,96.5%of patients had multiregional percussion pain.(2)Compared with the patients in the single vertebral fracture group and the multi-vertebral fracture group,there were significant differences in bone mineral density,whether the medical history was greater than or equal to 1 month,the history of low energy injury,and the distribution and number of axial percussion pain areas in the spine during physical examination between the two groups(P<0.05).Age,gender,body mass index,whether there was underlying disease,pain visual analog scale score,whether there was a history of elderly thoracolumbar fracture,and whether there was a history of thoracolumbar surgery,and the number of fractured vertebrae had no statistical significance(P>0.05).(3)There were statistically significant differences between the Groups A and B in bone mineral density,the distribution and quantity of percussion pain area,and the history of low energy injury(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in age,gender,history of old fractures,visual analog scale score,body mass index,whether the medical history was longer than or equal to 1 month,history of underlying diseases,and history of thoracolumbar surgery between the two groups(P>0.05).(4)Patients with multiple low-energy trauma history,history of more than 1 month,multiple percussion pain,and the lower bone mineral density should be alert to the occurrence of multiple vertebral fracture and jump fracture.We recommend the whole spinal MRI for these patients.

Objective Through in vitro experiments,biomechanical data of the transtibial pullout suture(TPS),tendon reconstruction(TR),and tendon reconstruction with suture augmentation(TRS)were collected,so as to evaluate the biomechanical effectiveness of tendon reconstruction for repairing medial meniscus posterior root tear(MMPRT).Methods Eighteen porcine knee joint models were divided into TPS,TR,and TRS groups.Sutures were used to fix the meniscal root in TPS group.Tendons were passed through an incision at the meniscal root in TR group.Tendons were passed through an incision at the meniscal root and secured at tendon-meniscus contact area with additional sutures in TRS group.The sutures and tendons were pulled out through tibial tunnels and fixed at the anteromedial tibia.All groups underwent failure load tests,and ultimate failure load,displacement at failure load,load at clinical failure,stiffness,and failure modes of the samples were recorded.Results The maximum failure load in TPS group was significantly higher than that in TR group(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference between TPS group and TRS group(P＞0.05).The maximum failure load in TRS group was significantly higher than that in TR group(P＜0.05).The displacement under failure load in TR group and TRS group was significantly lower than that in TPS group(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference between TR group and TRS group(P＞0.05).There were no significant differences in the load under clinical failure among the 3 groups(P＞0.05).The stiffness of TRS group was significantly greater than that of TPS group(P＜0.05),but no significant difference was observed between TR group and TPS group,as well as between TR group and TRS group(P＞0.05).All failures were caused by suture or tendon cutting through the meniscus.Conclusions The tendon reconstruction techniques is superior to the TPS in terms of failure displacement and stiffness,while the TRS further enhances the stability of the repair.

Objective:To investigate the impact of different etiologies on the spatial distribution pattern of infarcts and the mapping pattern of focal symptoms in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) using a population-based standardized spatial analysis of MRI.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Clinical [age, sex distribution, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at discharge, etc.] and imaging data of 2 610 patients with AIS attending 9 Medical Centers from January 2015 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were categorized into 1 718 cases of large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) type, 335 cases of cardioembolism (CE) type, and 557 cases of small artery occlusion (SAO) type according to TOAST typing. All patients underwent diffusion-weighted imaging, and the detected infarct lesions were segmented and aligned to the standardized space using artificial intelligence-assisted methods, and the spatial distribution frequency heatmaps of lesion locations in patients with different TOAST subtypes were plotted and compared with each other by χ2 test. Lesion-symptom image brain maps with different clinical symptoms were further plotted, and differences of lesion-symptom image relationships among different TOAST subtypes were observed and compared with each other by interaction effect. Results:In all patients, the favored sites of infarct lesions were the bilateral middle cerebral artery region in the anterior circulation and the occipital and brainstem regions in the posterior circulation. Compared with the LAA type, the CE type lesions were more likely to occur in the anterior cerebral artery region, the occipital lobe, and the cerebellum posterior, while the SAO type lesions were more likely to occur in the perforator artery supply area. The lesion-symptom mapping results showed that AIS patients with infarct lesions in the frontoparieto-temporal region in the presence of a left middle cerebral artery supply had higher admission NIHSS scores and higher discharge 90-day mRS scores for the LAA type than for the CE type( P<0.05); AIS patients with infarcted lesions in the brainstem region and some cerebellar regions in the presence of vertebrobasilar artery supply had higher admission NIHSS scores and higher discharge 90-day mRS scores for the CE type than for the LAA type( P<0.05). Conclusion:At the population level, brain mapping reveals specific infarct distribution patterns and differences in lesion-symptom mapping patterns of different etiologies AIS patients, providing imaging evidence for the understanding of AIS pathogenetic mechanisms and clinical management.

In recent years,viral vector-mediated chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)cell therapy has emerged as a prominent topic in the field of cancer treatment and has demonstrated significant clinical efficacy in patients with hematological malignancies.However,the permanent expression of CAR induced by this therapy may give rise to severe adverse reactions.In contrast,messenger RNA(mRNA)chimeric antigen receptor therapy is anticipated to become a new generation of safer and more effective treatments due to its lack of insertional mutagenesis and minimal risk of off-tar-get toxicity.This therapeutic approach involves transfecting effector immune cells with CAR-en-coding mRNA to elicit an immune response within the body.It has been employed for treating B-cell malignancies,lymphoma,acute myelogenous leukemia(AML),and other cancers.The continuous optimization of mRNA purification,modification,and transfection technology enhances CAR ex-pression durability,while increasing killing efficiency and expanding the range of action.This pa-per reviews the research advances on CAR-encoding mRNA delivery,its application and advan-tages in cancer therapies.

Objective To explore the antimicrobial activity of the bacteriocin(tentatively named garvicin LG6)se-creted by Lactococcus garvieae(L.garvieae)SHAMU-LG6 against Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)of different hemolytic phenotypes.Methods S.aureus isolated from clinical patients in a hospital of Anhui from 2021 to 2023 were collected.The hemolytic phenotypes of S.aureus were detected by three-point inoculation method.S.aureus of different hemolytic phenotypes were further categorized into methicillin-sensitive S.aureus(MSSA)and methi-cillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)according to antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.The antagonistic activity of L.garvieae SHAMU-LG6 against S.aureus of different hemolytic phenotypes was assayed by Oxford cup me-thod.The whole-genome sequencing of L.garvieae SHAMU-LG6 was performed.Biosynthetic gene cluster of gar-vicin LG6 was searched by online databases antiSMASH 7.0 and BAGEL4.Through macroporous resin adsorption,ethanol gradient elution,rotary evaporation,and dried material reconstitution,antimicrobial activity of garvicin LG6 crude extract against S.aureus was detected by the inhibitory testing of Oxford cup method.Results L.garvieae SHAMU-LG6 could significantly antagonize MSSA and MRSA of different hemolytic phenotypes.Biosynthetic gene cluster of garvicin LG6 was present on the chromosomal genome of L.garvieae SHAMU-LG6.The antimicrobial activity of garvicin LG6 secreted by a single colony or 6 mL fermentation fluid of L.garvieae SHAMU-LG6 were at least equal to that of antibiotic disc of 30 pg cefoxitin.Conclusion Garvicin LG6 can efficiently kill MSSA and MR-SA of different hemolytic phenotypes,and has the potential to be developed into a novel antimicrobial agent,which has great prospects for clinical application.

Objective:To investigate the impact of different etiologies on the spatial distribution pattern of infarcts and the mapping pattern of focal symptoms in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) using a population-based standardized spatial analysis of MRI.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Clinical [age, sex distribution, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at discharge, etc.] and imaging data of 2 610 patients with AIS attending 9 Medical Centers from January 2015 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were categorized into 1 718 cases of large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) type, 335 cases of cardioembolism (CE) type, and 557 cases of small artery occlusion (SAO) type according to TOAST typing. All patients underwent diffusion-weighted imaging, and the detected infarct lesions were segmented and aligned to the standardized space using artificial intelligence-assisted methods, and the spatial distribution frequency heatmaps of lesion locations in patients with different TOAST subtypes were plotted and compared with each other by χ2 test. Lesion-symptom image brain maps with different clinical symptoms were further plotted, and differences of lesion-symptom image relationships among different TOAST subtypes were observed and compared with each other by interaction effect. Results:In all patients, the favored sites of infarct lesions were the bilateral middle cerebral artery region in the anterior circulation and the occipital and brainstem regions in the posterior circulation. Compared with the LAA type, the CE type lesions were more likely to occur in the anterior cerebral artery region, the occipital lobe, and the cerebellum posterior, while the SAO type lesions were more likely to occur in the perforator artery supply area. The lesion-symptom mapping results showed that AIS patients with infarct lesions in the frontoparieto-temporal region in the presence of a left middle cerebral artery supply had higher admission NIHSS scores and higher discharge 90-day mRS scores for the LAA type than for the CE type( P<0.05); AIS patients with infarcted lesions in the brainstem region and some cerebellar regions in the presence of vertebrobasilar artery supply had higher admission NIHSS scores and higher discharge 90-day mRS scores for the CE type than for the LAA type( P<0.05). Conclusion:At the population level, brain mapping reveals specific infarct distribution patterns and differences in lesion-symptom mapping patterns of different etiologies AIS patients, providing imaging evidence for the understanding of AIS pathogenetic mechanisms and clinical management.

In recent years,viral vector-mediated chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)cell therapy has emerged as a prominent topic in the field of cancer treatment and has demonstrated significant clinical efficacy in patients with hematological malignancies.However,the permanent expression of CAR induced by this therapy may give rise to severe adverse reactions.In contrast,messenger RNA(mRNA)chimeric antigen receptor therapy is anticipated to become a new generation of safer and more effective treatments due to its lack of insertional mutagenesis and minimal risk of off-tar-get toxicity.This therapeutic approach involves transfecting effector immune cells with CAR-en-coding mRNA to elicit an immune response within the body.It has been employed for treating B-cell malignancies,lymphoma,acute myelogenous leukemia(AML),and other cancers.The continuous optimization of mRNA purification,modification,and transfection technology enhances CAR ex-pression durability,while increasing killing efficiency and expanding the range of action.This pa-per reviews the research advances on CAR-encoding mRNA delivery,its application and advan-tages in cancer therapies.

Objective:This study aims to analyze the trends,hotspots,and interrelations in research on retroperito-neal tumors through bibliometric methods,providing the latest scientific information support for clinicians and research-ers.Methods:Data were sourced from the SCI-expanded database of the Web of Science Core Collection,covering the period from 2004 to 2023.Statistical analysis and visualization of the number of publications,total citations,average citations per article,countries,institutions,journals,and keywords were conducted using Microsoft Excel 2019,VOS-viewer,and CiteSpace.Results:A total of 6,842 relevant articles were retrieved,with a total of 113 753 citations and an average of 16.63 citations per article.The number of publications had been increasing annually,peaking in 2022.The United States,China,and Japan are the major research countries,with the United States contributing the most.Memo-rial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are the leading research in-stitutions.The journal with the most publications was the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.Gronchi Alessandro was the most prolific author.The ain keywords were"Management","Surgery",and"Tumor",and the most cited papers focus on surgery and multicenter studies.Conclusion:Research on retroperitoneal tumors is increasing annually,with hot-spots focusing on treatment methods and prognosis analysis.The United States is the main contributor to this field,with significant international collaboration.Future research should further explore the pathogenesis of retroperitoneal tumors and more effective treatment strategies.

Objectives:To investigate the predictive value of epicardial fat volume(EFV)and atrioventricular groove fat thickness(AVGT)—morphological biomarkers of epicardial adipose tissue—for major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).Methods:This study enrolled 216 DCM patients.EFV and AVGT were obtained from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging(CMR).Patients were divided into event-free group(n=142)and event group(n=74)based on MACE occurrence during follow-up.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff values.Survival differences were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis,Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors,and restricted cubic spline(RCS)models were used to evaluate dose-response relationships.Results:AVGT and EFV were significantly higher in the event group than in event-free group(both P<0.05).ROC analysis identified optimal MACE-predicting cutoffs as follows:AVGT≥7.74 mm(area under the curve[AUC]=0.57)and EFV≥78.6 ml(AUC=0.62).Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly lower MACE-free survival rates in patients with AVGT≥7.74 mm and EFV≥78.6 ml(both P<0.05).Cox regression analysis confirmed that AVGT(HR=2.18,95%CI:1.34-3.54)and EFV(HR=1.81,95%CI:1.11-2.96)were independent MACE risk factors(both P<0.05)in this patient cohort.RCS models demonstrated the significant linear associations between EFV/AVGT and MACE risk(bothoverall P<0.05).Conclusions:EFV and AVGT,the non-invasive imaging biomarkers quantifying and characterizing fat distribution,are independently correlated with elevated MACE risk in DCM patients.These metrics serve as potential prognostic indicators,enriching risk stratification indicators for early identification of high-risk patients and guiding personalized medication strategies.