Objective This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of modified endoscopic autologous cartilage eustachian tube pharyngeal orifice tuboplasty(MEACETT)in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET).Meth-ods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 27 patients(30 ears)diagnosed with PET who underwent MEACETT.Autologous cartilage was used through the incision at the posterior end of the inferior turbi-nate and filled into the lateral wall of the pharyngeal orifice of the eustachian tube.Without affecting the movement function of the eustachian tube during swallowing,the collapse of the pharyngeal orifice was fully filled.Before and after the surgery,the visual analogue scale(VAS),the eustachian tube dysfunction questionnaire-7(ETDQ-7)and hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)was used for assessment to evaluate the surgical efficacy.Results There was no significant difference in depression scores before and after surgery(P＞0.05).However,postopera-tive anxiety scores,ETDQ-7 scores,and VAS scores were significantly lower than preoperative scores(P＜0.05).Among the 27 patients,9 showed significant symptom relief,13 exhibited partial relief,and 5 had no significant change compared to preoperative symptoms.The overall response rate of the treatment(significant relief and partial relief)was 81.48％(22/27).All surgeries were successfully performed.Except for secretory otitis media occurring in 2 cases,no major complications were observed.Conclusion MEACETT demonstrates significant symptom relief in PET patients,with high surgical safety and low complication rates,making it worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the R value in tubomanometry(TMM)for the di-agnosis of patulous eustachian tube(PET).Methods The clinical data of 58 patients with PET and 65 controls were retrospectively analyzed.TMM was performed on both groups under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar respectively.The diagnostic efficacy of the R value for PET was evaluated through receiver operating char-acteristic(ROC)curves.Results In the control group,the average R values under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 0.86±0.50,0.76±0.41,and 0.68±0.34 respectively.In contrast,the corresponding R values in the PET group were significantly lower,which were 0.56±0.38,0.50±0.36,and 0.46±0.38 respec-tively.According to the ROC curve analysis,the areas under the curve(AUC)at these pressures were 0.62,0.74,and 0.74 respectively.The specificity and sensitivity of the R value under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 76.90％and 54.30％,74.60％and 68.10％,86.90％and 54.30％,respectively.Under pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar,the incidence rates of R＞1 in the control group and the PET group were 29.23％(38/130)and 12.77％(12/94)(x2=8.69,P=0.003),20.00％(26/130)and 6.38％(6/94)(x2=7.20,P=0.007),10.00％(13/130)and 3.19％(3/94)(x2=2.87,P=0.09)respectively.Conclusion Although the low R value in TMM reflects the presence of PET to some extent,it does not provide adequate sensitivity and specificity to serve as an independent diagnostic criterion for PET.

Objective To analyze and compare the diagnostic criteria of dampness syndrome in clinical studies and construct a dampness syndrome entry pool,so as to provide theoretical support for the development of dampness-related scales,and then provide reference for clinical research.Methods By searching the literature collected by CNKI,VIP and Wanfang data database from 1960 to 2023,the clinical research literature of dampness syndrome was searched and screened,and the diagnostic criteria of dampness syndrome were summarized and analyzed.Results A total of 7651 articles were retrieved from the above database,and 52 articles were finally included.9 diagnostic criteria were obtained by combining the screening of teaching materials.They are The National Standard of Chinese Medicine Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Chinese Medicine(GB/T16751.2-1997),Syndrome element differentiation,Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Standards,Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Differentiation and Diagnosis,Diagnostics of Traditional Chinese Medicine(Fifth edition,sixth edition,second edition of the new century,People's Health Commission edition,and tenth edition of the National Higher Traditional Chinese Medicine College Planning Textbook).The diagnostic methods can be divided into three kinds:narrative method,primary and secondary disease(or see disease)classification diagnosis method,and assigning method.There are a total of 36 symptom components,which can be divided into four groups:the accumulation of muscle and striae group,the obstruction of meridians and joints group,the internal accumulation of organs group,and the dampness and obstruction of orifices group.The National Standard of Chinese Medicine Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Chinese Medicine(GB/T16751.2-1997)has been cited for a maximum of 22 times,covering 16 diseases.Conclusion The National Standard of Chinese Medicine Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Chinese Medicine is the most widely used in clinical research,and the new version of national standard in 2021 is more suitable for the current diagnosis and clinical research of dampness syndrome.

Objective To analyze and compare the diagnostic criteria of dampness syndrome in clinical studies and construct a dampness syndrome entry pool,so as to provide theoretical support for the development of dampness-related scales,and then provide reference for clinical research.Methods By searching the literature collected by CNKI,VIP and Wanfang data database from 1960 to 2023,the clinical research literature of dampness syndrome was searched and screened,and the diagnostic criteria of dampness syndrome were summarized and analyzed.Results A total of 7651 articles were retrieved from the above database,and 52 articles were finally included.9 diagnostic criteria were obtained by combining the screening of teaching materials.They are The National Standard of Chinese Medicine Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Chinese Medicine(GB/T16751.2-1997),Syndrome element differentiation,Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Standards,Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Differentiation and Diagnosis,Diagnostics of Traditional Chinese Medicine(Fifth edition,sixth edition,second edition of the new century,People's Health Commission edition,and tenth edition of the National Higher Traditional Chinese Medicine College Planning Textbook).The diagnostic methods can be divided into three kinds:narrative method,primary and secondary disease(or see disease)classification diagnosis method,and assigning method.There are a total of 36 symptom components,which can be divided into four groups:the accumulation of muscle and striae group,the obstruction of meridians and joints group,the internal accumulation of organs group,and the dampness and obstruction of orifices group.The National Standard of Chinese Medicine Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Chinese Medicine(GB/T16751.2-1997)has been cited for a maximum of 22 times,covering 16 diseases.Conclusion The National Standard of Chinese Medicine Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Chinese Medicine is the most widely used in clinical research,and the new version of national standard in 2021 is more suitable for the current diagnosis and clinical research of dampness syndrome.

AIM:To investigate the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of pachymic acid(PA)on li-popolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute kidney injury(AKI)in mice.METHODS:(1)Genes related to AKI were screened using the DAVID database.Core genes were identified by intersecting related genes and analyzed using Cyto-scape software.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)analyses were performed through the DAVID database for the cross-targets.Molecular docking and activity assays were conducted on the primary core targets.(2)A total of 100 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups:normal control(NC),model(LPS),solvent control(LPS+DMSO),and treatment groups(LPS+PA-10 and LPS+PA-20),with 20 mice in each group.The LPS-AKI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 18 mg/kg LPS.The treatment groups received 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg PA,respectively,and the solvent control group was administered an equivalent dose of DMSO.Mice were euthanized 24 h after injection.Serum was collected for biochemical analysis,and Western blot was used to detect neutro-phil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL),kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1),caspase-3,cleaved caspase-3,interleu-kin-1β(IL-1β),and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1)protein expression.RT-qPCR was employed to detect inflammatory factor mRNA levels.Molecular docking was used to simulate the optimal binding site of PA to caspase-3.En-zyme activity assays were performed to assess caspase protein activity,and renal lesions were observed via hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining.RESULTS:(1)Thirty-one potential targets of PA against AKI were identified through network pharmacology.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that these tar-gets were primarily involved in immune response,inflammatory processes,apoptosis and survival,angiogenesis and hemo-dynamics,oxidative stress,and endoplasmic reticulum stress.Key targets included CASP3(caspase-3),PTGS2,BCL2,CCL2,and CYP219.(2)PA treatment improved renal function and reduced tubular epithelial injury.It significantly de-creased NGAL,KIM-1,and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels,as well as inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,and MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression.PA also reduced apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells.Enzyme activity assays and mo-lecular docking revealed that PA exerted its anti-apoptotic effect by directly binding to caspase-3,thereby inhibiting its ac-tivation by caspase-8.CONCLUSION:PA demonstrated a therapeutic effect in LPS-AKI,potentially through the inhibi-tion of inflammatory factor synthesis and release,as well as the inhibition of caspase-3 activation by caspase-8,reducing apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of Osteoglycin(OGN)mRNA and Axis inhibitory protein 1(Axin1)mRNA and Epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)and prognosis in cervical cancer(CC).Methods 142 patients with CC who were treated in Yulin Hospital,the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from April 2019 to April 2021 were collected.Real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the expression of OGN mRNA,Axin1 mRNA and EMT markers Snail mRNA,N-cadherin(N-cad)mRNA,Vimentin(Vim)mRNA.The expression of OGN and Axin1 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC).Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between OGN mRNA,Axin1 mRNA and EMT indicators Snail mRNA,N-cad mRNA,Vim mRNA.The effect of OGN and Axin1 protein expression on the survival of CC was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier(K-M)survival curve and COX model.Results Compared with adjacent tissues,the expression of OGN mRNA in CC cancer tissues(0.84±0.22 vs 2.01±0.38)was lower,and the expression of Axin1 mRNA(2.41±0.42 vs 1.02±0.33)was higher,the differences were statistically significant(t=31.752,31.010,all P<0.001).Pearson correlation analysis,the expression of OGN mRNA was negatively correlated with that of Snail mRNA,N-cad mRNA and Vim mRNA(r=-0.765,-0.703,-0.697,all P<0.001).The expression of Axin1 mRNA was positively correlated with that of Snail mRNA,N-cad mRNA and Vim mRNA(r=0.771,0.798,0.690,all P<0.001).Compared with adjacent tissues,the positive rate of OGN protein in CC cancer tissues was lower[28.17%(40/142)vs 88.03%(125/142)],and the positive rate of Axin1 protein was higher[69.01%(98/142)vs 11.27%(16/142)],the differences were statistically significant(χ2=73.185,98.535,all P<0.001).Compared with patients with ⅠA-ⅠB1 and no lymph node metastasis,the positive rate of OGN protein in cancer tissues of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)stage Ⅰ B2-Ⅱ A and lymph node metastasis was lower,and the positive rate of Axin1 protein was higher,and the differences were statistically significant(χ2=4.315～13.252,all P<0.05).The 3-year overall survival rates of OGN positive group and negative group were 90.00%(36/40)and 70.59%(72/102),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(Log-Rankχ2=7.140,P=0.008).The 3-year overall survival rates of Axin1 positive group and negative group were 69.39%(68/98)and 90.91%(40/44),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(Log-Rankχ2=9.061,P=0.003).Axin1 positive,FIGO stage IB2～ⅡB,lymph node metastasis were risk factors for poor survival of CC,and OGN positive was a protective factor(Wald χ2=6.250～12.278,all P<0.05).Conclusion OGN is down-regulated and Axin1 is up-regulated in CC,which are related to EMT indicators and adverse survival outcomes of CC patients.

Objective To study the impact of tympanic membrane opening on respiratory-driven middle ear pressure in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET),using a simplified in vitro model.Methods CT imaging data from a PET patient(with full-length eustachian tube opening observed during a Valsalva maneuver followed by breath-holding)were used to design a simplified eustachian tube model.Two simplified in vitro models of the eusta-chian tube were constructed using silicone-based 3D printing technology and connected to a pressure controller and pressure sensors.The pressure controller was activated to introduce negative-pressure airflow into the nasopharyn-geal model to simulate respiratory-induced middle ear pressure fluctuations.A hemostat was used to alternately open and close the external interface of the middle ear chamber,simulating conditions of an open and intact tympanic membrane,while middle ear pressure was continuously monitored using pressure sensors.Results In the first mod-el,with-800 mbar negative pressure applied at the nasopharynx,the middle ear pressure stabilized between-3.9 mbar and-4.3 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-7.9 mbar and-8.2 mbar with intact tym-panic membrane.In the second model,under the same pressure setting,middle ear pressure stabilized between-2.7 mbar and-3.1 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-5.0 mbar and-7.7 mbar with intact tympanic membrane.Conclusion This study,based on a simplified in vitro model,demonstrates that tympanic membrane opening can effectively reduce respiratory-driven pressure in the middle ear.This phenomenon may partly explain the clinical efficacy of tympanostomy tube insertion in certain PET patients.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcomes of posterior approach vertebral column resection (VCR) osteotomy combined with titanium mesh bone-graft fusion and internal fixation for the treatment of special type stage IIIb Kummell disease.Methods:Twelve patients (3 males, 9 females) diagnosed with special type stage IIIb Kummell disease at Zhengzhou Orthopedics Hospital between October 2015 and June 2021 were enrolled. The mean age was 59.1±5.6 years (range, 53-67 years). All patients underwent VCR osteotomy, pedicle screw fixation, and posterior bone-graft fusion using titanium mesh. Preoperative and postoperative outcomes were assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading, Cobb angle correction, and bone graft fusion rate. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were also recorded.Results:All surgeries were completed successfully. The average follow-up duration was 11.6±1.8 months (range, 10-13 months). Significant improvements were observed in VAS scores, ODI, JOA scores, and Cobb angles at both two weeks postoperatively and at the final follow-up ( P<0.05), with no significant differences between the two time points ( P>0.05). The final recovery rates were 79.5% for VAS score, 73.2% for ODI, 72.1% for JOA score, and 77.3% for Cobb angle correction. Neurological function showed marked improvement. One patient developed delayed incision healing due to fat liquefaction but recovered following physical therapy. The remaining 11 patients experienced uneventful wound healing without infection or internal fixation loosening. One patient developed postoperative deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs, which resolved with drug therapy. Conclusion:Posterior approach VCR combined with titanium mesh bone-graft fusion and internal fixation provides an effective surgical option for stage IIIb Kummell disease characterized by fractured vertebral bodies with only the broken upper and lower endplates remaining.

Total-body PET/CT, with its long axial field of view and high sensitivity detector, has shown potential for reducing the dose of radiopharmaceuticals. However, pediatric patients are significantly more sensitive to radiation and have a higher long-term cancer risk than adults, posing fundamental challenges for dose management in PET/CT examinations for these patients. In this article, the technical characteristics of total-body PET/CT and its radiation exposure status in children were systematically analyzed. The radiation exposure could be controlled by the following optimization strategies: adjusting the CT exposure parameters, optimizing the scanning mode, adding reconstruction algorithm, and reducing the injected dose of radioactive tracer. By addressing both external and internal radiation during the PET/CT scanning process, the overall radiation dose received by pediatric patients can be reduced within a certain range. In addition, this article also discusses the technical differences between “total-body” and “whole-body” concepts, and emphasizes that the future optimization of radiation dose in pediatric PET/CT should be realized by integration of personalized scanning protocols. Through reasonable management of scanning protocols and processes, low-dose and high-quality PET/CT imaging can be achieved in clinical environments, thus maximizing protection of pediatric patient health while minimizing the risks associated with ionizing radiation exposure.

AIM:To investigate the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of pachymic acid(PA)on li-popolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute kidney injury(AKI)in mice.METHODS:(1)Genes related to AKI were screened using the DAVID database.Core genes were identified by intersecting related genes and analyzed using Cyto-scape software.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)analyses were performed through the DAVID database for the cross-targets.Molecular docking and activity assays were conducted on the primary core targets.(2)A total of 100 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups:normal control(NC),model(LPS),solvent control(LPS+DMSO),and treatment groups(LPS+PA-10 and LPS+PA-20),with 20 mice in each group.The LPS-AKI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 18 mg/kg LPS.The treatment groups received 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg PA,respectively,and the solvent control group was administered an equivalent dose of DMSO.Mice were euthanized 24 h after injection.Serum was collected for biochemical analysis,and Western blot was used to detect neutro-phil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL),kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1),caspase-3,cleaved caspase-3,interleu-kin-1β(IL-1β),and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1)protein expression.RT-qPCR was employed to detect inflammatory factor mRNA levels.Molecular docking was used to simulate the optimal binding site of PA to caspase-3.En-zyme activity assays were performed to assess caspase protein activity,and renal lesions were observed via hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining.RESULTS:(1)Thirty-one potential targets of PA against AKI were identified through network pharmacology.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that these tar-gets were primarily involved in immune response,inflammatory processes,apoptosis and survival,angiogenesis and hemo-dynamics,oxidative stress,and endoplasmic reticulum stress.Key targets included CASP3(caspase-3),PTGS2,BCL2,CCL2,and CYP219.(2)PA treatment improved renal function and reduced tubular epithelial injury.It significantly de-creased NGAL,KIM-1,and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels,as well as inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,and MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression.PA also reduced apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells.Enzyme activity assays and mo-lecular docking revealed that PA exerted its anti-apoptotic effect by directly binding to caspase-3,thereby inhibiting its ac-tivation by caspase-8.CONCLUSION:PA demonstrated a therapeutic effect in LPS-AKI,potentially through the inhibi-tion of inflammatory factor synthesis and release,as well as the inhibition of caspase-3 activation by caspase-8,reducing apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells.