OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of a zero-profile three-dimensiaonal (3D)-printed microporous titanium alloy Cage and a conventional titanium plate combined with a polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK)-Cage in the treatment of single-segment cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) by anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). METHODS: The clinical data of 83 patients with single-segment CSM treated with ACDF between January 2022 and January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into 3D-ZP group (35 cases, using zero-profile 3D-printed microporous titanium alloy Cage) and CP group (48 cases, using titanium plate in combination with PEEK-Cage). There was no significant difference in gender, age, disease duration, surgical intervertebral space, and preoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, neck disability index (NDI), vertebral height at the fusion segment, Cobb angle, and other baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, complications, interbody fusion, and prosthesis subsidence were recorded and compared between the two groups. VAS score, NDI, and JOA score were used to evaluate the improvement of pain and function before operation, at 3 months after operation, and at last follow-up, and the vertebral height at the fusion segment and Cobb angle were measured by imaging. The degree of dysphagia was assessed by the Bazaz dysphagia scale at 1 week and at last follow-up. RESULTS: The operation was successfully completed in all the 83 patients. There was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05), but the operation time in the 3D-ZP group was significantly shorter than that in the CP group (P<0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 24-35 months, with an average of 25.3 months, and there was no significant difference in the follow-up time between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence and grade of dysphagia in CP group were significantly higher than those in 3D-ZP group at 1 week after operation and at last follow-up (P<0.05). There was no dysphagia in 3D-ZP group at last follow-up. There was no complication such as implant breakage or displacement in both groups. The intervertebral fusion rates of 3D-ZP group and CP group were 65.71% (23/35) and 60.42% (29/48) respectively at 3 months after operation, and there was no significant difference between the two groups [OR (95%CI)=1.256 (0.507, 3.109), P=0.622]. The JOA score, VAS score, and NDI significantly improved in the 3D-ZP group at 3 months and at last follow-up when compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the improvement rate of JOA between the two groups at last follow-up (P>0.05). At 3 months after operation and at last follow-up, the vertebral height at the fusion segment and Cobb angle significantly improved in both groups, and the two indexes in 3D-ZP group were significantly better than those in CP group (P<0.05). At last follow-up, the incidence of prosthesis subsidence in 3D-ZP group (8.57%) was significantly lower than that in CP group (29.16%) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The application of zero-profile 3D-printed Cage and titanium plate combined with PEEK-Cage in single-segment ACDF can both reconstruct the stability of cervical spine and achieve good effectiveness. Compared with the latter, the application of the former in ACDF can shorten the operation time, reduce the incidence of prosthesis subsidence, and reduce the incidence of dysphagia.
Humans ; Spinal Fusion/instrumentation* ; Titanium ; Cervical Vertebrae/surgery* ; Diskectomy/instrumentation* ; Bone Plates ; Male ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Benzophenones ; Adult ; Spondylosis/surgery* ; Aged ; Polymers ; Ketones ; Polyethylene Glycols

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the single-stage anterior eccentric kyphotic distraction reduction technique (EKD-RT) for treating lower cervical dislocation with locked facet joints, assessing its reduction success rate, neurological improvement, and safety. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 67 patients with lower cervical dislocation and locked facet joints (21 unilateral, 46 bilateral) treated between January 2015 and January 2024. There were 39 males and 28 females, with an average age of 49.5 years (range, 22-75 years). The injured segments included C _{3, 4} in 4 cases, C _{4, 5} in 13 cases, C _{5, 6} in 22 cases, and C _{6, 7} in 28 cases. The interval between injury and admission ranged from 2 hours to 2 days (mean, 5.6 hours). Preoperative Frankel grading included grade A in 9 cases, grade B in 28 cases, grade C in 17 cases, grade D in 11 cases, and grade E in 2 cases. Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score was 7.0±1.4. All patients underwent single-stage anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Following discectomy at the dislocated level, the EKD-RT was applied to unlock and reduce the locked facet joints, followed by internal fixation. Operation time, blood loss, reduction success rate, and complications were recorded. Interbody fusion status was evaluated using Bridwell criteria. Neurological status was assessed pre- and post-operatively using Frankel grading. Spinal cord function was scored using the 17-point JOA score, and the improvement rate was calculated. RESULTS: Successful reduction of the locked facet joints achieved in all cases. The operation time was 41-85 minutes (range, 63.3 minutes), and intraoperative blood loss was 50-360 mL (range, 125.0 mL). Complications included cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 2 cases; no severe complications such as major vascular injury or recurrent laryngeal nerve injury occurred. All patients were followed up 12-24 months (mean, 17.9 months). At last follow-up, radiological examination confirmed interbody fusion in all patients, with no implant failure or migration. The Frankel grading included grade A in 3 cases, grade B in 9 cases, grade C in 13 cases, grade D in 16 cases, and grade E in 26 cases; the JOA score reached 13.7±2.3; all of which significantly improved compared to preoperative levels ( P<0.05). The improvement rate of JOA score was 66.1%±24.7%. CONCLUSION The EKD-RT is an effective surgical approach for lower cervical dislocation with locked facet joints. It enables safe and efficient reduction of the locked facet joints via a single incision, resulting in significant neurological improvement with a low complication rate.
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Aged ; Zygapophyseal Joint/injuries* ; Joint Dislocations/diagnostic imaging* ; Treatment Outcome ; Spinal Fusion/methods* ; Young Adult ; Kyphosis/surgery*

Polyethylene (PE) is widely used due to its excellent properties. However, the improper disposal of PE waste has led to serious environmental pollution. Microbial degradation of PE is a low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and highly efficient method of homogeneous recycling. The use of microbial degradation technology to treat polyethylene waste has become one of the current research hotspots. As a result, employing microbial degradation technology to address polyethylene waste has become a key focus of current research. A PE-degrading strain ETX1 was screened from waste plastics in a landfill by the enrichment culture method. The strain was identified as Lysinibacillus sp.. After incubating PE powder with the strain for 20 days, a weight loss of 29.41% was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that special absorption peaks such as carbonyl and hydroxyl groups appeared, proving that ETX1 had the effect of degrading PE. The degradation effect of this strain was characterized by the weight loss of PE film, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, and contact angle. The results showed that ETX1 reduced the PE film weight by up to 5.23% within 120 days. The film structure was damaged, with holes formed by erosion on the film surface, and the hydrophilicity was enhanced. Additionally, a stronger carbonyl absorption peak appeared. The discovery of the PE-degrading strain ETX1 not only enriches the resources of PE plastic-degrading strains but also lays a foundation for mining efficient PE-degrading elements, obtaining degrading enzymes, and deciphering related degradation pathways.
Polyethylene/chemistry* ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Bacillaceae/classification* ; Plastics/metabolism*

Objective:To investigate the impact of the interval period between biopsy and MR examination on tumor detection and extraprostatic extension (EPE) assessment for prostate cancer (PCa) using multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI).Methods:The study was cross-sectional and retrospectively included 130 patients with PCa who underwent RP and preoperative systematic biopsies followed by mpMRI between January 2021 and December 2022 in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to interval following biopsy (group A,<3 weeks, 31 cases; group B, 3-6 weeks, 67 cases; group C,>6 weeks, 32 cases). The percentages of hemorrhage volume in the total prostate were drawn on T 1WI and calculated. The junior, senior and expert radiologists independently localized the index lesions and calculated the accuracy for tumor detection, in addition to assessing the probabilities of EPE according to EPE grade. The correlation between the hemorrhage extent and interval was analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. The accuracy for tumor detection was compared using χ2 test among groups. The diagnostic performance of the radiologists for EPE prediction was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the differences between the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) were compared using the DeLong test. Results:The percentage of hemorrhage was correlated with the interval between biopsy and MR examination ( r=-0.325, P<0.001). The detection accuracy of junior radiologist was 83.9% (26/31), 76.1% (51/67), and 78.1% (25/32) in group A, B and C, respectively; no differences were observed in the detection accuracy among three groups ( χ2=0.76, P=0.685). The detection accuracy of senior radiologist was 83.9% (26/31), 80.6% (54/67), and 71.9% (23/32) in 3 groups with no differences ( χ2=1.53, P=0.464). The detection accuracy of expert radiologist was 80.6% (25/31), 77.6% (52/67), and 93.8% (30/32) with no differences ( χ2=3.95, P=0.139). The AUC (95% CI) for predicting EPE were 0.830 (0.652-0.940), 0.704 (0.580-0.809), 0.800 (0.621-0.920) in the group A, B and C for junior radiologist; 0.876 (0.708-0.966), 0.768 (0.659-0.863), 0.896 (0.736-0.975) for senior radiologist; and 0.866 (0.695-0.961), 0.813 (0.699-0.895), 0.852 (0.682-0.952) for expert radiologist, respectively. No differences were observed among the subgroups in each radiologist ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The interval period does not significantly affect the detection accuracy and EPE assessment of PCa using mpMRI. There is probably no necessity for prolonged intervals following systematic biopsy to preserve the clarity of MRI interpretation for PCa.

Objective To observe the application effect of magnetic resonance imaging technology in evaluating the brain structure and function of patients with type 2 diabetic painful neuropathy (PDN). Methods Forty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus hospitalized in our hospital were selected as the study objects, and were divided into diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n=12), peripheral neuropathy (DPN) group (n=14) and PDN group (n=14). General clinical biochemical indexes of three groups were analyzed. The structural brain and function of brain area in three groups were compared. Results Age, duration of diabetes, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), free fatty acid (FFA), albumin (ALB), creatinine (Cr), uric acid (UA), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), cystatin C (Cys-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) of the three groups were compared, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) and serum calcium (Ca) in the three groups showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). Compared with the DM group, the gray matter volume (GMV) in the DPN group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the DM group, amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) of left medial superiorfrontal gyrus in the PDN group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusion Abnormal GMV in the left angular gyrus in DPN patients may be associated with a higher risk of concomitant cognitive impairment. The decrease of ALFF in the right cerebellar vermis and fALFF in the left medial superior frontal gyrus in PDN patients may be related to the pathogenesis of pain.

Bitter taste is one of the important contents in the theory of"Five tastes"in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).It has the functions of"releasing,dryness and firmness"and plays an important role in the treatment of respiratory diseases.Bitter taste receptors(T2Rs)is a kind of G-protein-coupled receptors,studies have shown that it can act on human airway smooth muscle,relax smooth muscle and dilate bronchus,and play a vital role in the treatment of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.It can also inhibit the inflammatory reaction and reduce the damage of lung tissue by reducing the release of inflammatory factors and promoting the apoptosis of inflammatory cells.The therapeutic mechanism of bitter Chinese herbs action may depend on the effect of T2Rs,the effects of bitter Chinese herbs such as"lowering qi","releasing heat","eliminating dampness"are quite consistent with the cognitions of western medicine that bitter taste receptors could"relaxe bronchus","reduce airway resistance","inhibits inflammatory factors"and"reduces mucus secretion".Based on the understanding of bitter taste in TCM theory and modern research,this study aims to discuss the effect of bitter Chinese herbs depend on T2Rs as the starting point,so as to provide a new research direction for clinical treatment of pulmonary diseases such as bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives:To investigate the effect of fat suppression (FS) T 2WI on the interobserver agreement and diagnostic performance of clear cell likelihood score version 2.0 (ccLS v2.0) for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Methods:In this retrospective study, the MR images of 111 patients with pathologically confirmed small renal masses (SRM) from January to December 2021 were analyzed in the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital. Of the 111 SRM, 82 cases were ccRCC and 29 cases were non-ccRCC. Two radiologists independently assessed ccLS scores based on T 2WI signal intensity (hypointense, isointense, hyperintense) and other MRI features (ccLS-T 2WI). After a one-month interval, the ccLS scores were independently evaluated utilizing the frequency-selective saturation FS-T 2WI and other MRI features (ccLS-FS-T 2WI). Fisher′s exact test was used to compare the difference in SRM signal intensity on T 2WI and FS-T 2WI. The weighted Kappa test was performed to assess the interobserver agreement of the two radiologists, and differences in the weighted Kappa coefficients were compared using the Gwet consistency coefficient. Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ccLS-T 2WI and ccLS-FS-T 2WI in diagnosing ccRCC, and the area under the curve (AUC) was compared utilizing the DeLong test. Results:The signal intensity of 111 SRM on T 2WI and FS-T 2WI had statistically significant difference (χ 2=126.33, P<0.001), consistent in 88 cases (79.3%) and varied in 23 cases (20.7%). The weighted Kappa coefficient of ccLS-T 2WI was 0.57 (95%CI 0.45-0.69) between the two radiologists, and the weighted Kappa coefficient of ccLS-FS-T 2WI was 0.55 (95%CI 0.42-0.67), and the difference was not statistically significant ( t=-0.65, P=0.520). The AUC of ccLS-T 2WI for ccRCC diagnosis was 0.92 (95%CI 0.86-0.97), while the AUC of ccLS-FS-T 2WI for ccRCC diagnosis was 0.91 (95%CI 0.85-0.96), and the difference was not statistically significant ( Z=1.50, P=0.133). Conclusions:The interobserver agreement and diagnostic performance of ccLS v2.0 based on T 2WI and FS-T 2WI sequences for ccRCC are comparable, and FS-T 2WI is applicable for the clinical application of ccLS v2.0.

Objective     To exploring the effectiveness of perioperative application of new surgical clinical classification and staging for myasthenia gravis (MG) in reducing the incidence of postoperative myasthenic crisis (MC). Methods     The clinical data of patients with generalized MG admitted to the Comprehensive Treatment Center for Myasthenia Gravis of Henan Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2018 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, who were scored with myasthenia gravis-activities of daily living (MG-ADL) score and quantification of the myasthenia gravis (QMG) score at the first visit, 1 day before surgery, and 3 days after surgery. The patients were divided into a group A (typeⅡ) and a group B (typeⅢ+Ⅳ+Ⅴ) by the new surgical clinical classification and staging of MG according to the disease progression process, and all patients underwent expanded thoracoscopic thymus (tumor) resection after medication and other interventions to control symptoms in remission or stability. The incidence of MC and the efficiency rate after surgery were analyzed. The normal distribution method and percentile method were used to calculate the unilateral 95% reference range of the QMG score and MG-ADL score. Results     Finally 126 patients were enrolled, including 62 males and 64 females, aged 13-71 years, with an average age of 46.00±13.00 years. There were 95 patients in the group A and 31 patients in the group B, and the differences of the preoperative baseline data between the two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The incidence of postoperative MC was 1.05% (1/95) in the group A and 3.23%(1/31) in the group B (P>0.05). The effective one-sided 95% reference range of the QMG score and MG-ADL score 1 day before surgery was 0-7.75 and 0-5.00, and there was no postoperative death in both groups. Conclusion     The new surgical clinical classification and staging of MG can guide the timing of surgery, which can benefit patients undergoing surgery for MG and greatly reduce the incidence of postoperative MC.

Objective    To investigate the expression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) in thymocytes of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and its effect on cytokine secretion and T cell proliferation. Methods    Patients with MG who underwent expanded thoracoscopic thymectomy in the Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Henan Provincial People’s Hospital from June 2021 to June 2022 were selected and allocated to a MG group. Patients who underwent partial thymectomy to expose the surgical field during the cardiac disease surgery from June 2021 to September 2022 in the Department of Adult Cardiac Surgery of Fuwai Huazhong Cardiovascular Hospital were selected as the control group. Thymic single cell suspensions were prepared from MG and control groups, and the expression of α7 nAChR in thymocytes of the two groups was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Then CD3/CD28 monoclonal antibody coupled with magnetic beads was used to induce T cell activation, and the levels of cytokines interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and IL-21 in thymocytes of the two groups were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The activated T cells of the MG group were divided into a blank control group, an α7 nAChR antagonist group, and an α7 nAChR agonist group according to different treatment methods. After 72 hours of culture, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and IL-21 expression levels in the culture supernatant were measured by ELISA. Afterwards, CD4-PE and CD8-APC antibodies were added, and the proliferation of T cell subsets was detected by flow cytometry. Results    A total of 10 MG patients were collected, including 3 males and 7 females with an average age of 19.25±6.28 years; and 15 control patients were collected, including 6 males and 9 females with an average age of 26.18±6.77 years. Compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein levels of α7 nAChR in the thymocytes of MG group were decreased, and the expression levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-21 in the supernatant were increased (P<0.05), but there was no statistical difference in the expression of IL-10 and IL-17 (P>0.05). The cell-culture experiment showed that compared with the blank control group, the levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-21 secreted by T cells in the α7 nAChR antagonist group were increased (P<0.05), while they were decreased in the α7 nAChR agonist group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the secretion levels of IL-4, IL-10 or IL-17 among the three groups (P>0.05). CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells in the α7 nAChR agonist group were significantly less than those in the blank control group and α7 nAChR antagonist group (P<0.001), while they were significantly more in the α7 nAChR antagonist group than those in the blank control group (P<0.001). Conclusion    The expression of α7 nAChR in thymocytes of MG patients is decreased, and α7 nAChR may be involved in the inflammatory response in thymocytes and thus in thymic function.

Objective : To explore the association of time in range(TIR) and glucose management indicator ( GMI) with the risk of type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN) ． Methods : The clinical data of 215 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were collected and analyzed．According to the results of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio( UACR) ，they were divided into 117 patients with T2DM and 98 patients with DN．The clinical data，biochemical indicators and continuous glucose monitoring ( CGM) indicators of the two groups were compared．Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of DN risk．The predictive value of TIR and GMI on the risk of DN was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: There were significant differences in age，duration of diabetes，systolic blood pressure，glycosylated hemoglobin ( HbA1c) ，fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ，2 hour postprandial plasma glucose (2hPG) ，creatinine( Cr) ，UACR, eGFR between the two groups(P＜0. 05) ．There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the CGM indexes of GMI，mean absolute difference of mean of daily differences ( MODD) ，glucose above target range time(TAR) and TIR(P＜0. 05) ．The results of logistic regression analysis showed that TIR was a protective factor of DN．In the ROC curve analysis of TIR prediction DN，the area under the ROC curve was 0. 718 (95% CI = 0. 648 ～0. 789，P＜0. 001) ，and the Yoden index was 0. 38．At this time，the sensitivity was 66. 7% ，and the specificity was 71. 3%．In the ROC curve analysis of GMI prediction DN，the area under the ROC curve was 0. 701 (95% CI = 0. 629 ～0. 774，P＜0. 001) ，and the Yoden index was 0. 368．At this time，the sensitivity was 63. 3% ， and the specificity was 73. 5%． Conclusion Specifically，lower TIR and higher GMI increase the risk of DN.