Objective:To study the effects of TCM ointment rubbing technique on pain, swelling, and knee joint function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A randomized controlled trial was conducted. In this study, 80 patients with KOA who underwent TKA treatment in the Department of Sports Medicine I, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2022 to March 2024 were taken as the study subjects. They were divided into two groups with random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with conventional Western medicine + rehabilitation training after surgery, and the observation group was combined with TCM paste mo technique on this basis. VAS score was used to assess the degree of pain at different time points, and skin fold was used to measure the circumference of the upper knee circumference and the circumference of the lower knee circumference, and knee Injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) was used to assess the degree of knee joint function recovery.Results:After treatment, the observation group after surgerythe at 7 d (2.57 ± 0.84 vs. 4.00 ± 0.85, t=7.54) and 14 d (0.80 ± 0.93 vs. 2.70 ± 1.04, t=8.56) VAS scores were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.001). After treatment, the observation group after surgerythe at 7 d the superior circumference [(48.32 ± 4.57) cm vs. (50.53 ± 3.97) cm, t=2.32], and inferior circumference [(36.71 ± 2.95) cm vs. (39.21 ± 6.86) cm, t=2.12], at 14 d the superior circumference [(45.68 ± 4.69) cm vs. (47.96 ± 3.89) cm, t=2.37], and inferior circumference [(34.96 ± 2.96) cm vs. (36.70 ± 4.35) cm, t=2.10] were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The observation group after surgerythe at 14 d the the knee joint mobility [(115.32 ± 2.12) ° vs. (113.34 ± 2.16) °, t=4.14] and KOOS scores (85.52 ± 0.82 vs. 80.32 ± 1.13, t=23.56) were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:TCM ointment rubbing technique has significant advantages in improving pain, swelling and knee joint mobility after artificial knee arthroplasty, which can effectively restore knee joint function.

BACKGROUND:The accurate diagnosis of early bone metastases plays an important role in treatment and prognosis.Bone biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of bone metastases,but it is difficult to implement in clinical practice because of its invasive and small specimen size.In recent years,with the continuous development of magnetic resonance imaging technology,quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy and based on chemical shift encoded magnetic resonance imaging have been widely used in the diagnosis of bone metastasis.The derived markers include table signal fat fraction and proton density fat fraction.All of them could reflect the bone marrow fat content.At present,the role of bone marrow fat in the development of bone metastases has become a new focus of attention. OBJECTIVE:To review the effect of bone marrow fat on bone metastasis and the quantitative evaluation techniques of magnetic resonance imaging,to summarize and compare the advantages and disadvantages of different magnetic resonance imaging fat quantification techniques in evaluating bone metastasis and their clinical applications. METHODS:The computer was used to search relevant literature in PubMed and CNKI database.Chinese and English search terms were"bone metastases,bone marrow adipocytes,magnetic resonance imaging,quantitative MRI,fat fraction,magnetic resonance spectrum,chemical shift encoding-based water-fat imaging."A total of 67 relevant articles were obtained according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Bone marrow adipocytes can contribute to the occurrence of bone metastasis by secreting a variety of related hormones and cytokines,providing energy for tumor cells,and inducing osteoclast differentiation.(2)Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging can accurately quantify adipose tissue and measure the change of fat content in bone marrow,which is helpful for the diagnosis of bone metastasis.(3)Magnetic resonance spectroscopy can reflect different metabolites through different proton precession frequencies,so it can be used for fat quantification,and is currently used as an auxiliary test to evaluate metastatic fractures.(4)Chemical shift encoding-based water-fat imaging can separate water and fat signals in positive and inverse phases,so as to measure adipose tissue signals,with high sensitivity,specificity and accuracy in differentiating benign and malignant vertebral fractures.

We report a case of a 14-year-old male with first metatarsocuneiform coalition. With a 1-month history of left foot pain the patient presented to some hospital 8 months ago, where conservative management, including rest, physiotherapy, and medication, was administered. However, symptoms gradually worsened. On admission to our hospital, radiograph revealed a bony bridge at the left first metatarsocuneiform joint, which had enlarged compared with the radiograph 8 months earlier. The patient was diagnosed as first metatarsocuneiform coalition in the left foot and underwent resection of the bony bridge, followed by plaster immobilization for 3 weeks. At 3 months postoperatively, he had resumed normal activity without pain or discomfort. First metatarsocuneiform coalition is a rare type of tarsal coalition. Currently, there are no standardized surgical indications or established treatment protocols. Given the uncertainty of surgical outcomes, conservative treatment should be the primary choice. Surgical intervention may be considered when conservative measures fail or symptoms continue to worsen.

Objective:To explore the application value of radiomics models based on MRI of vertebrae and paravertebral muscles in identifying potential vertebral fragility fracture risk in osteoporosis and osteopenia.Methods:This cross-sectional study collected data from patients who underwent both dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and lumbar MRI at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University between January 2014 and December 2023,retrospectively. Based on DXA results, patients were categorized into osteoporosis group ( n=302) and osteopenia group ( n=264), with fracture and non-fracture patients matched at 1∶1 ratio by propensity score matching based on age, gender, and body mass index. The fourth lumbar vertebra was selected as the region of interest (ROI) for the vertebral body, and the bilateral psoas major, erector spinae, and multifidus muscles were selected as the ROIs for the paraspinal muscles. A total of 7 259 radiomics features were extracted from these ROIs. The dataset was divided into a training set and a test set in an 8∶2 ratio by simple random sampling (osteoporosis group 241 and 61 cases, osteopenia group 211 and 53 cases). The T-score was used to establish the clinical model. After feature normalization and dimensionality reduction, logistic regression was applied to build three radiomics models: vertebral model, paraspinal muscle model, and vertebral-paraspinal muscle model. The T-score was then combined with the radiomics model that achieved the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in the test set to construct a clinical-radiomics combined model. Model performance was evaluated using the AUC. The DeLong test was used to compare the diagnostic efficacy between models. Results:In the test set, the vertebral-paravertebral muscle model achieved the highest AUC among radiomics models and was selected for combination with the T-score. In identifying potential vertebral fragility fractures of osteoporosis group, the AUC (95% CI) of the clinical model, vertebral model, paraspinal muscle model, vertebral-paraspinal muscle model, and clinical-radiomics model were 0.523 (0.373-0.672), 0.869 (0.779-0.959), 0.608 (0.464-0.752), 0.876 (0.791-0.961), and 0.860 (0.769-0.952), respectively. For osteopenia group, the corresponding AUC(95% CI) were 0.625 (0.467-0.783), 0.696 (0.547-0.845), 0.706 (0.563-0.848), 0.816 (0.702-0.930), and 0.820 (0.710-0.930). The DeLong test showed that the vertebral model for identifying the potential vertebral fracture risk in osteoporosis group had better performance than the paraspinal muscle model ( Z=3.28, P=0.001). While for osteopenia group, there was no significant difference in diagnostic performance between the vertebral model and the paraspinal muscle model ( Z=0.09, P=0.932). The recognition efficacy of the clinical model and the vertebral-paraspinal muscle model was significantly different ( Z=3.69, 1.98; P<0.001, P=0.047), while there was no significant difference between the clinical-radiomics combined model and the vertebral-paraspinal muscle model ( Z=1.51, 0.12; P=0.131, 0.904). Conclusion:The MRI-based vertebral-paraspinal muscle radiomics model can effectively identify osteoporosis or osteopenia patients with potential fragility fracture risk. In osteopenia group, the efficacy of the MRI radiomics models based on the vertebra and paraspinal muscles in identifying potential vertebral fragility fracture risk is comparable.

Intestinal fibrosis is a significant clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel diseases, but no effective anti-fibrotic therapy is currently available. Glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) are both peptide hormone receptors involved in energy metabolism of epithelial cells. However, their role in intestinal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein GCGR and GLP1R were found to be reduced in the stenotic ileum of patients with Crohn's disease as well as in the fibrotic colon of mice with chronic colitis. The downregulation of GCGR and GLP1R led to the accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate, resulting in histone H3K9 lactylation and exacerbated intestinal fibrosis through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dual activating GCGR and GLP1R by peptide 1907B reduced the H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells and ameliorated intestinal fibrosis in vivo. We uncovered the role of GCGR/GLP1R in regulating EMT involved in intestinal fibrosis via histone lactylation. Simultaneously activating GCGR/GLP1R with the novel dual agonist peptide 1907B holds promise as a treatment strategy for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a common plant hormone with regulatory effects on plant growth and development. The jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins (JAZs), as key regulators in the JA signaling pathway, are involved in multiple biological processes such as anthocyanin accumulation, flowering time modulation, and secondary metabolite synthesis in plants. JAZs are essential components of many regulatory signaling networks. The JAZ genes, members of the plant-specific TIFY family, have been identified in the genomes of a variety of horticultural plants. Here, we summarized the research progress in the roles of JAZs in horticultural plants, aiming to give insights into the further study of the biological functions and regulatory networks of JAZ genes in plants.
Horticulture ; Repressor Proteins/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Cyclopentanes/metabolism* ; Oxylipins/metabolism* ; Plants/metabolism* ; Plant Development

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of minimally invasive percutaneous internal fixation with double screws for delayed union or nonunion of scaphoid fracture.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 12 patients with delayed union or nonunion of scaphoid fracture who had been treated at Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from March 2021 to December 2023. They were 11 males and 1 female, with an age of (29.9±13.8) years and an interval from injury to surgery of (5.1±2.6) months. They were all treated by minimally invasive percutaneous internal fixation with 2 hollow compression screws. The visual analogue scale (VAS), grip strength (percentage of the affected side to the healthy side), wrist range of motion, modified Mayo wrist score and other data were recorded and compared between pre-surgery and the last follow-up. The incidence of complications was recorded.Results:Follow-up for all patients lasted for (20.8±8.9) months. All patients achieved bony union after (10.1±3.2) weeks with no complications like infection. No post-surgery imaging revealed screw misplacement or penetration. At the last follow-up, the VAS pain score was 0 (0, 1) point, the wrist grip strength 100.6%±7.2%, the wrist flexion 88.3°±2.5°, the wrist dorsiflexion 88.5°±2.2°, and the modified Mayo wrist score (98.3±2.5) points, all significantly better than the pre-surgery values [4 (4, 5) points, 69.1%±16.0%, 61.3°±13.5°, 64.7°±9.1°, and (61.7±10.1) points] (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of delayed union or nonunion of scaphoid fracture, minimally invasive percutaneous internal fixation with double screws shows advantages of minimal invasion, quick fracture healing, fine functional recovery, and no need of bone grafting.

Objective:To explore the relationship between gallbladder polyps and colorectal polyps, providing insights into whether the presence of gallbladder polyps can serve as an indicator for colonoscopy screening.Methods:Clinical data from 2 542 patients who underwent colonoscopy and abdominal ultrasound at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University between January and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into colorectal polyp group ( n=1 266) and non-colorectal polyp group ( n=1 276) based on colonoscopy findings. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between gallbladder polyps and colorectal polyps. Results:The prevalence rates of gallbladder polyp in colorectal polyp group and non-colorectal polyp group were 16.67% (211/1 266) and 11.21% (143/1 276). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed a lower risk of colorectal polyps in women ( P<0.001, OR=0.523, 95% CI: 0.440-0.622). Age ( P<0.001, OR=1.059, 95% CI: 1.050-1.068), and hypertriglyceridemia ( P=0.013, OR=1.350, 95% CI: 1.066-1.709), low level of high-density lipoprotein ( P<0.001, OR=1.588, 95% CI: 1.280-1.969), and gallbladder polyp ( P<0.001, OR=1.712, 95% CI: 1.344-2.180) were independent risk factors for colorectal polyp. There was no significant difference in hypercholesterolemia, elevated low-density lipoprotein, hyperuricemia, or cholecystectomy between colorectal polyp group and non-colorectal polyp group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The identification of gallbladder polyps via abdominal ultrasound may indicate a higher likelihood of colorectal polyps in patients, underscoring the need for further colonoscopy screening in individuals with gallbladder polyps.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety among traditional open suture, modified Kessler method, and minimally invasive suture with threaded rivets in acute closed Achilles tendon rupture.Methods:A total of 60 patients with acute closed Achilles tendon rupture diagnosed and treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from January 2018 to August 2022 were selected retrospectively as the study subjects and divided into group A (20 patients with traditional open suture), group B (20 patients with modified Kessler method) and group C (20 patients with minimally invasive suture with threaded rivets) according to operative method. The clinical efficacy, perioperative indexes, Achilles tendon activity, postoperative recovery work and exercise time, visual analog scale (VAS) score and complications were compared among the three groups.Results:The total effective rate in the group C was higher than that in the group A : 18/20 vs. 12/20, there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 4.80, P<0.05). The total effective rate in the group B and group C had no statistical difference ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, hospitalization time, time to return to work, exercise and VAS scores in the group B and group C were lower than those in the group A: (49.32 ± 4.74), (48.12 ± 4.68) min vs. (66.71 ± 5.84) min; (15.32 ± 1.01), (15.62 ± 0.79) ml vs.(19.86 ± 1.20) ml; (7.69 ± 0.57), (3.76 ± 0.50) cm vs. (8.98 ± 0.62) cm; (7.01 ± 0.91), (6.82 ± 0.83) d vs.(8.74 ± 1.12) d; (56.32 ± 8.01), (55.17 ± 7.84) d vs. (63.17 ± 6.68) d; (6.13 ± 1.20), (5.94 ± 1.04) months vs. (8.21 ± 1.20) months; (2.76 ± 0.50), (2.55 ± 0.76) scores vs. (3.98 ± 0.62) scores, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). At 1, 6 and 12 months after surgery, the American Society for Foot and Ankle Surgery (AOFAS) scores in the three groups were significantly increased, and the AOFAS scores in the group B and group C were higher than those in the group A, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The total incidence of complications in the group C was lower than that in the group A: 2/20 vs. 8/20, there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 4.80, P<0.05). The total incidence of complications in the group B and group C had no statistical difference ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Modified Kessler method and minimally invasive suture with threaded rivets have the advantages of high efficiency and safety in the treatment of acute closed Achilles tendon rupture, and their efficacy is higher than that of traditional open suture.

Objective:To evaluate the predictive efficacy of different comorbidity indices for hospitalization due to acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with comorbidities (CO-COPD).Methods:This retrospective cohort study included 259 stable COPD patients with comorbidities from Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, between October 2021 and September 2023, all with ≥1-year follow-up. Patients were categorized into hospitalized ( n=75) and non-hospitalized ( n=184) groups based on acute exacerbation events. Clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and comorbidity indices, including Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), COPD-specific Comorbidity Test (COTE), and comorbidities in chronic obstructive lung disease index (COMCOLD) were compared between two goups. Risk facors of hospitalization due to acute exacerbations were analyzed by Cox regression. Modified indices were developed by incorporating additional respiratory comorbidities (asthma, bronchiectasis, lung cancer) weighted by hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox reguression. The predictive performance of different comorbidity indices for hospitalization was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results:Hospitalized patients exhibited lower BMI, FEV 1% predicted, and FEV 1/FVC (all P<0.05), alongside higher modified British Medical Research Coucil (mMRC) scores and COPD assessment test (CAT) scores, eosinophil counts, and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, (GOLD)severity ( t=3.73, Z=-3.43, Z=-2.43, Z=-11.10, Z=-11.32, Z=-1.80, χ2=17.62, all P<0.05); and also higher use rates of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and systemic oral corticosteroid (OCS) ( χ2=5.48, 7.15, all P<0.05). The comorbidities of asthma, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, hypertension, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, anxiety and depression in hospitalized group were significantly higher ( χ2=22.49, 18.30, 15.63, 5.10, 4.68, 7.46, 5.16, all P<0.05), along with the increased CCI and COTE index ( P<0.05). Comorbid asthma, bronchiectasis, and lung cancer were independent risk factors for hospitalization ( HR=1.841, 2.924, and 2.076, respectively; all P<0.05). Original CCI and COTE showed moderate predictive value ( AUC=0.609 and 0.655), while modified CCI, COTE, and COMCOLD demonstrated improved performance ( AUC=0.730, 0.760, and 0.713, respectively). At optimal cutoffs (modified CCI>3.5, COTE>4.5, COMCOLD>6.5), sensitivities were 61.3%, 76.0%, and 58.7%, with specificities of 70.1%, 61.4%, and 72.3%. Age-stratified analysis revealed enhanced predictive utility of modified indices across age groups. Conclusions:CCI, COTE, and COMCOLD provide modest predictive value for hospitalization in CO-COPD. Modified indices incorporating respiratory comorbidities significantly improve risk stratification, offering clinical utility for identifying high-risk patients in primary care settings.