Objective:To design a set of new type of surgery instrument for pectus excavatum(PE),so as to improve safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive operation in surgery for PE.Methods:The design of the new type of surgical instrument for PE adopted multifunctional orthopedic board that combined both penetrating and supporting functions.The T type handle,special sealing screw for single hole,setscrew and stator,which were convenient for operation,were equipped for the orthopedic board.The new type of surgical instrument was applied in clinical PE surgery since November,2010,and a total of 1398 PE surgeries were conducted in the 10 years,which included 1078 surgeries with single hole,and 320 surgeries with multi holes.The success rate of PE surgery with single hole mode was assessed.Results:In 1398 PE surgeries,the number of PE patients,whose ages were less or equal to 12 years old,and who all adopted single hole mode,was 887 cases,and the success rate of surgery with single hole was 100%.In addition,the number of PE patients,whose age was larger than 12 years old,was 511 cases,and the surgery with single hole was successfully applied in 191 cases of them,and the success rate of surgery with single hole was 37.4%.Conclusion:The the new type of surgical instrument for PE by surgery with single hole and multi holes has mature technique,and it is safety and effectiveness,which has higher clinical application value.

Objective:To explore the cardioprotective effects of icariin (ICA) against radiation-induced cardiac disease (RICD) in C57BL/6 mice.Methods:A total of 48 female C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (CON), the irradiation group (IR), and the irradiation combined with icariin group (IR+ ICA), with 16 mice in each group. The IR and IR+ ICA groups received a single cardiac irradiation at a dose of 30 Gy, while the CON group received no radiation treatment. The IR+ ICA group was treated with ICA (70 mg·kg -1·d -1) two weeks before irradiation until the end of the experiment through intragastric administration. In contrast, the CON and IR groups were treated with an equal volume of vehicle solution (0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, NaCMC) via intragastric administration. The mice′s mental status, food intake, body weight, and survival rates were monitored during the experiment. At two weeks post-irradiation, the venous blood of the mice was collected and serum was separated for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT/TNNT2). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the cardiac function of the mice was assessed using echocardiography. After the mice were euthanized under anesthesia, the histopathological changes and fibrosis degree of their myocardial tissues were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson′s trichrome staining, followed by the calculation of collagen volume fraction (CVF). The differential gene expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the cardiac tissues of the mice was detected using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Apoptosis-related proteins and proteins associated with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway were determined using Western blotting. The survival curves of the mice were plotted using Kaplan-Meier, and the survival differences of the mice among various groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results:After irradiation, the mice in the IR group showed lethargy, as well as decreased food intake and activity, while these symptoms in the IR+ ICA group were significantly alleviated. At two weeks post-irradiation, the CK-MB and cTnT levels of the IR group were significantly elevated compared with the CON group ( t = 5.28, 8.89, P < 0.01). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the mice in the IR group exhibited significantly decreased body weight ( t = 2.47, P < 0.05) and decreased survival rates ( HR = 8.25, 95% CI: 1.157-58.770, P < 0.05) compared with the CON group. Echocardiography revealed that the IR group featured decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), decreased fractional shortening (FS), and increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDD) compared with the CON group ( t = 7.02, 4.45, P < 0.05). Histopathological examination revealed that the IR group suffered from cardiomyocyte edema, disordered arrangement, and increased fibrosis, with an elevated CVF. The IR group exhibited significantly upregulated gene expression of BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 in cardiac tissues compared with the CON group ( t = 4.23, 6.39, 4.61, P < 0.05). After-irradiation, the IR group exhibited upregulated apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax ( t = 6.29, 9.54, P < 0.05), decreased Bcl-2 expression ( t = 8.20, P < 0.001), and decreased phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 6.47, 3.42, P < 0.001). The symptoms of the mice were partially ameliorated after treatment with ICA. Specifically, the mice in the IR+ ICA group exhibited higher body weight ( t = 5.13, P < 0.001) and significantly higher survival rates ( HR = 0.121, 95% CI: 0.017-0.864, P < 0.05) than the IR group. Compared to the IR group, the IR+ ICA group showed elevated cardiac function indicators EF and FS( t = 3.23, 3.05, P < 0.05), and reduced LVDD ( t = 3.02, P < 0.05). The histopathological analysis revealed mitigated edema and disordered arrangement of cardiomyocytes in the IR+ ICA group. Furthermore, the IR+ ICA group exhibited significantly lower BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 expression levels than the IR group ( t = 2.83, 4.15, 2.96, P < 0.05). The expression of apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax was lower ( t = 3.23, 3.24, P < 0.05), Bcl-2 expression was higher ( t = 5.92, P < 0.001), and restored phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 2.89, 8.35, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Icariin has protective effects against the RICD. It alleviates cardiomyocyte apoptosis possibly by upregulating the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt.

Objective:To investigate the effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)com-bined with repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation(rPMS)on upper limb function and cortical excitability of stroke.Method:Thirty-five patients with upper limb dysfunction in stroke admitted to the Department of Rehabilita-tion Medicine of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from November 2021 to November 2022 were selected.They were randomly divided into experimental group(n=17)and control group(n=17).Both groups received conventional rehabilitation therapy and low-frequency rTMS.The experimental group re-ceived additional rPMS for the affected upper extremity extensors,while the control group received sham rPMS.Both groups received Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity(FMA-UE),modified Ashworth scale(MAS),modified Barthel index(MBI),rest motor threshold(rMT)assessments.23 patients underwent fNIRS to detect changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration(HbO2)in bilateral premotor and supplementary mo-tor cortex(PMC-SMA)and sensorimotor cortex(SMC)before and after treatment.Result:FMA-UE and MBI were significantly improved in both groups(P＜0.05),and the improvement of FMA-UE and the rMT of unaffected Ml were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the con-trol group after treatment(P＜0.05);the MAS grade of the flexor elbow group and Δ HbO2 of the affected SMC were significantly improved in the experimental group(P＜0.05),and the improvement of FMA-UE was correlated with the increase of the rMT of unaffected Ml and ΔHbO2 of the affected SMC(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference for the MAS grade of elbow extension and wrist flexion muscle groups,ΔHbO2 of bilateral PMC-SMA area,and ΔHbO2 of unaffected SMC area(P＞0.05).Conclusion:The combination of rTMS and rPMS improved upper limb function and activities of daily living and modulated cortical excitability in stroke patients,This combination was more effective than rTMS alone,likely due to the reduced excitability of the unaffected Ml and the activation of the affected SMC.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou from 2010 to 2023, with the intention that a scientific basis be provided for effective prevention and control measures in older age groups.Methods:Data on HFMD incidence among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou from 2010 to 2023 were collected and analyzed. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the distributions and pathogen components of HFMD cases in Guangzhou residents aged 6 years and above. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and Getis-Ord Gi* analysis were conducted to identify the spatial clustering patterns of HFMD at the street town level. Results:From 2010 to 2023, the gender ratio of HFMD cases in persons aged 6 and above was 1.49∶1 in Guangzhou. The average annual incidence rate of HFMD among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou was 25.75 per 100 000. Furthermore, the reported incidence rate indicated an increased tendency. The annual incidence showed a bimodal distribution, with the main peak occurring from May to July and the secondary peak from September to October. HFMD incidence rates vary by townships, with hotspots clustered in urban and urban-rural regions. The dominant pathogen shifts from year to year. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) was the prevalent strain in 2010, followed by other enteroviruses and Coxsackievirus (CV)-A16 from 2011 to 2016. Since 2017, CV-A6 has steadily become the major pathogen.Conclusions:The incidence of HFMD cases among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou increased generally from 2010 to 2023, with hotspots localized in urban and urban-rural areas. The pathogen composition altered dramatically, with the proportion of EV71 dropping overall, while CV-A6 eventually became the dominating strain. Therefore, it is imperative to focus on the prevention and control of HFMD in this age group, especially by strengthening measures in areas with high prevalence.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been included in various neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) regimens for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, due to the relatively short period for the use of ICIs in NAT, patients' clinical outcomes with different regimens are uncertain. Our study aims to examine the efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NAIT) for NSCLC patients and compare the overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) of patients receiving different NAT regimens. METHODS: This study retrospectively included 308 NSCLC patients treated with different NAT regimens and subsequent surgery in National Cancer Center between August 1, 2016 and July 31, 2022. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the prognosis of patients. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 27.5 months, the 1-year OS rates were 98.8% and 96.2%, and the 2-year OS rates were 96.6% and 85.8% in patients of the NAIT and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) group, respectively (hazard ratio [HR], 0.339; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.160-0.720; P = 0.003). The 1-year EFS rates were 96.0% and 88.0%, and the 2-year EFS rates were 92.0% and 77.7% for patients in the NAIT and NACT groups, respectively (HR, 0.438; 95% CI, 0.276-0.846; P = 0.010). For patients who did not achieve pathological complete response (pCR), significantly longer OS ( P = 0.012) and EFS ( P = 0.019) were observed in patients receiving NAIT than those receiving NACT. Different NAT regimens had little effect on surgery and the postoperative length of stay (6 [4, 7] days vs . 6 [4, 7] days, Z = -0.227, P = 0.820). CONCLUSIONS NAIT exhibited superior efficacy to NACT for NSCLC, resulting in longer OS and EFS. The OS and EFS benefits were also observed among patients in the NAIT group who did not achieve pCR.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/mortality* ; Male ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms/mortality* ; Middle Aged ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Adult ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Treatment Outcome ; Immunotherapy/methods*

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of visual dilated sheath combined with needle nephroscope percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) with traditional PCNL for renal calculi，so as to enhance the intraoperative safety and puncture accuracy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 patients with renal calculi treated on hospital during Sep.2022 to Sep.2023.Based on the surgical approaches，patients were divided into the needle nephroscope group (PCNL with visual dilator sheath and needle nephroscope，n=52) and traditional group (traditional PCNL，n=48).Clinical characteristics，surgical parameters，and outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in baseline data，total operation time and hospital stay (P>0.05).The needle nephroscope group had a longer channel establishment time compared to the traditional group [20.0(17.0-22.0) min vs.16.0 (15.0-21.0) min，P=0.002]，but significantly shorter puncture time [2.0 (1.0-2.6) min vs. 2.8(2.0-3.5) min，P<0.001]，and fewer adjustments of the puncture needle (9.6% vs. 64.6%，P<0.001).The channel was successfully established on the first attempt in all patients in the needle nephroscope group，while only 41 of patients in the traditional group achieved success on the first attempt，6 cases needed 2 attempts，and 1 case needed 3 attempts.Postoperative complications were absent in the needle nephroscope group，whereas postoperative bleeding requiring interventional treatment occurred in 1 case in the traditional group.There was no significant difference in the first-stage stone-clearance rate between the two groups (88.4%vs. 85.4%，P=0.872). Conclusion: PCNL using a visual dilator sheath combined with a needle nephroscope achieves a comparable first-stage stone-clearance rate to traditional PCNL.However，it offers significant advantages in terms of shorter puncture time，fewer adjustments of the puncture needle，and lower postoperative complication rate.These findings suggest superior safety and precision，making it a valuable technique for clinical application.

Objective To analyze the short-term clinical outcomes of emergency conversion to surgery during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods Clinical data of patients who underwent emergency surgical conversion from TAVR in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, from 2018 to 2023 were collected. Postoperative follow-up results at 1 month were recorded. Results A total of 253 patients underwent TAVR, of whom 11 (4.3%) required emergency conversion to surgery. Among these 11 patients, 7 were male and 4 were female, with a mean age of (69.55±5.01) years. The primary cause for emergency surgical conversion was valve stent displacement (63.6%), followed by left ventricular perforation/rupture (18.2%) and significant perivalvular regurgitation persisting after a second valve implantation (18.2%). One (9.1%) patient died intraoperatively. Among the 10 surviving patients, postoperative complications included pulmonary infection in 8 patients, severe pneumonia in 7, pleural effusion in 3, liver dysfunction in 8, renal dysfunction in 3, upper gastrointestinal bleeding in 5, cerebrovascular complications in 1, atrial fibrillation in 1, ventricular premature contractions in 1, atrioventricular block in 1, and complete left bundle branch block in 3. At 1-month postoperative follow-up, one additional patient died, yielding a 30-day mortality rate of 18.2% after TAVR emergency surgical conversion. The quality of life improved significantly compared to preoperative status in 9 (81.8%) patients, and no patients were readmitted for cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion The incidence of emergency conversion to surgery during TAVR is low, but the rates of surgical complications and 30-day postoperative mortality are high. Nevertheless, when severe complications occur during TAVR, emergency conversion to surgery can still yield satisfactory short-term clinical outcomes for a majority of these patients.

Objective:To investigate the effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)com-bined with repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation(rPMS)on upper limb function and cortical excitability of stroke.Method:Thirty-five patients with upper limb dysfunction in stroke admitted to the Department of Rehabilita-tion Medicine of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from November 2021 to November 2022 were selected.They were randomly divided into experimental group(n=17)and control group(n=17).Both groups received conventional rehabilitation therapy and low-frequency rTMS.The experimental group re-ceived additional rPMS for the affected upper extremity extensors,while the control group received sham rPMS.Both groups received Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity(FMA-UE),modified Ashworth scale(MAS),modified Barthel index(MBI),rest motor threshold(rMT)assessments.23 patients underwent fNIRS to detect changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration(HbO2)in bilateral premotor and supplementary mo-tor cortex(PMC-SMA)and sensorimotor cortex(SMC)before and after treatment.Result:FMA-UE and MBI were significantly improved in both groups(P＜0.05),and the improvement of FMA-UE and the rMT of unaffected Ml were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the con-trol group after treatment(P＜0.05);the MAS grade of the flexor elbow group and Δ HbO2 of the affected SMC were significantly improved in the experimental group(P＜0.05),and the improvement of FMA-UE was correlated with the increase of the rMT of unaffected Ml and ΔHbO2 of the affected SMC(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference for the MAS grade of elbow extension and wrist flexion muscle groups,ΔHbO2 of bilateral PMC-SMA area,and ΔHbO2 of unaffected SMC area(P＞0.05).Conclusion:The combination of rTMS and rPMS improved upper limb function and activities of daily living and modulated cortical excitability in stroke patients,This combination was more effective than rTMS alone,likely due to the reduced excitability of the unaffected Ml and the activation of the affected SMC.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou from 2010 to 2023, with the intention that a scientific basis be provided for effective prevention and control measures in older age groups.Methods:Data on HFMD incidence among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou from 2010 to 2023 were collected and analyzed. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the distributions and pathogen components of HFMD cases in Guangzhou residents aged 6 years and above. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and Getis-Ord Gi* analysis were conducted to identify the spatial clustering patterns of HFMD at the street town level. Results:From 2010 to 2023, the gender ratio of HFMD cases in persons aged 6 and above was 1.49∶1 in Guangzhou. The average annual incidence rate of HFMD among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou was 25.75 per 100 000. Furthermore, the reported incidence rate indicated an increased tendency. The annual incidence showed a bimodal distribution, with the main peak occurring from May to July and the secondary peak from September to October. HFMD incidence rates vary by townships, with hotspots clustered in urban and urban-rural regions. The dominant pathogen shifts from year to year. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) was the prevalent strain in 2010, followed by other enteroviruses and Coxsackievirus (CV)-A16 from 2011 to 2016. Since 2017, CV-A6 has steadily become the major pathogen.Conclusions:The incidence of HFMD cases among individuals aged 6 years and above in Guangzhou increased generally from 2010 to 2023, with hotspots localized in urban and urban-rural areas. The pathogen composition altered dramatically, with the proportion of EV71 dropping overall, while CV-A6 eventually became the dominating strain. Therefore, it is imperative to focus on the prevention and control of HFMD in this age group, especially by strengthening measures in areas with high prevalence.

Objective:To explore the cardioprotective effects of icariin (ICA) against radiation-induced cardiac disease (RICD) in C57BL/6 mice.Methods:A total of 48 female C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (CON), the irradiation group (IR), and the irradiation combined with icariin group (IR+ ICA), with 16 mice in each group. The IR and IR+ ICA groups received a single cardiac irradiation at a dose of 30 Gy, while the CON group received no radiation treatment. The IR+ ICA group was treated with ICA (70 mg·kg -1·d -1) two weeks before irradiation until the end of the experiment through intragastric administration. In contrast, the CON and IR groups were treated with an equal volume of vehicle solution (0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, NaCMC) via intragastric administration. The mice′s mental status, food intake, body weight, and survival rates were monitored during the experiment. At two weeks post-irradiation, the venous blood of the mice was collected and serum was separated for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT/TNNT2). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the cardiac function of the mice was assessed using echocardiography. After the mice were euthanized under anesthesia, the histopathological changes and fibrosis degree of their myocardial tissues were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson′s trichrome staining, followed by the calculation of collagen volume fraction (CVF). The differential gene expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the cardiac tissues of the mice was detected using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Apoptosis-related proteins and proteins associated with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway were determined using Western blotting. The survival curves of the mice were plotted using Kaplan-Meier, and the survival differences of the mice among various groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results:After irradiation, the mice in the IR group showed lethargy, as well as decreased food intake and activity, while these symptoms in the IR+ ICA group were significantly alleviated. At two weeks post-irradiation, the CK-MB and cTnT levels of the IR group were significantly elevated compared with the CON group ( t = 5.28, 8.89, P < 0.01). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the mice in the IR group exhibited significantly decreased body weight ( t = 2.47, P < 0.05) and decreased survival rates ( HR = 8.25, 95% CI: 1.157-58.770, P < 0.05) compared with the CON group. Echocardiography revealed that the IR group featured decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), decreased fractional shortening (FS), and increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDD) compared with the CON group ( t = 7.02, 4.45, P < 0.05). Histopathological examination revealed that the IR group suffered from cardiomyocyte edema, disordered arrangement, and increased fibrosis, with an elevated CVF. The IR group exhibited significantly upregulated gene expression of BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 in cardiac tissues compared with the CON group ( t = 4.23, 6.39, 4.61, P < 0.05). After-irradiation, the IR group exhibited upregulated apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax ( t = 6.29, 9.54, P < 0.05), decreased Bcl-2 expression ( t = 8.20, P < 0.001), and decreased phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 6.47, 3.42, P < 0.001). The symptoms of the mice were partially ameliorated after treatment with ICA. Specifically, the mice in the IR+ ICA group exhibited higher body weight ( t = 5.13, P < 0.001) and significantly higher survival rates ( HR = 0.121, 95% CI: 0.017-0.864, P < 0.05) than the IR group. Compared to the IR group, the IR+ ICA group showed elevated cardiac function indicators EF and FS( t = 3.23, 3.05, P < 0.05), and reduced LVDD ( t = 3.02, P < 0.05). The histopathological analysis revealed mitigated edema and disordered arrangement of cardiomyocytes in the IR+ ICA group. Furthermore, the IR+ ICA group exhibited significantly lower BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 expression levels than the IR group ( t = 2.83, 4.15, 2.96, P < 0.05). The expression of apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax was lower ( t = 3.23, 3.24, P < 0.05), Bcl-2 expression was higher ( t = 5.92, P < 0.001), and restored phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 2.89, 8.35, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Icariin has protective effects against the RICD. It alleviates cardiomyocyte apoptosis possibly by upregulating the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt.