Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and its composite materials have garnered widespread attention in the field of dental implantology due to their good biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. The low elastic modulus of PEEK, comparable to that of human jawbone, helps to reduce the stress shielding effect around the implant, thereby enhancing the rate of bone integration. This article reviews the latest research progress of PEEK and its composite materials in the field of dental implantation, including the synthesis of materials, surface modification techniques, and applications in implant-abutment-crown complexes and full-arch denture bridges.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of enlarged perivascular space (PVS) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and their relationship with cognitive function.Methods:Twenty-seven individuals with RRMS (RRMS group) and 27 healthy controls (healthy control group) who presented to the Department of Neurology, the Sixth Medical Center of People′s Liberation Army General Hospital from July 2022 to November 2024 underwent cognitive function assessments. PVS volume fractions, lesion volumes, and brain volumes were calculated using FreeSurfer, FSL, and other relevant softwares. Group differences in PVS volume fractions, lesion volumes, brain volumes, and cognitive function assessments were compared. Furthermore, correlations between PVS volume fractions and lesion volumes, brain volumes, and cognitive function assessments were analyzed within the RRMS group.Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the RRMS group exhibited significantly higher PVS volume fractions in white matter (PVS_w) (3.14‰±0.29‰ vs 2.91‰±0.30‰, t=2.877, P=0.006) and PVS volume fractions in deep gray matter (PVS_d) (2.25‰±0.10‰ vs 2.17‰±0.09‰, t=2.681, P=0.010), indicating an enlargement of the PVS. Compared with the healthy control group, the RRMS group showed a significant decrease in both white matter volumes [297.3 (274.3, 340.2) ml vs (324.2 (311.0, 350.0) ml, U=-2.085, P=0.037] and deep grey matter volumes [40.2 (34.9, 43.6) ml vs 42.7 (40.2, 44.8) ml, U=-2.292, P=0.022]. Compared with the healthy control group, the RRMS group showed significantly lower scores in cognitive function assessments ( P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that PVS_w in the RRMS group was significantly positively correlated with age ( r=0.486), white matter lesion volumes ( r=0.437) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( r=0.394;all P<0.05); PVS_d was also significantly positively correlated with white matter lesion volumes ( r=0.418) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( r=0.480; both P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age ( B=0.011,95% CI 0.004-0.017), white matter lesion volumes ( B=0.026,95% CI 0.011-0.040) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( B=0.401,95% CI 0.032-0.771) in the RRMS group were significantly positively correlated with PVS_w, while white matter lesion volumes ( B=0.007,95% CI 0.001-0.014) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( B=0.204,95% CI 0.029-0.380) were significantly positively correlated with PVS_d (both P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that immediate memory score in the RRMS group was significantly negatively correlated with PVS_d ( r=-0.428), and was significantly positively correlated with education level ( r=0.471), deep gray matter volumes ( r=0.530) and total brain volumes ( r=0.389; all P<0.05); short-term delayed memory score in the RRMS group was significantly negatively correlated with age ( r=-0.390), PVS_w ( r=-0.417) and white matter lesion volumes ( r=-0.438), and was significantly positively correlated with gender ( r=0.393), white matter volumes ( r=0.478), deep gray matter volumes ( r=0.579) and total brain volumes ( r=0.602;all P<0.05); verbal fluency test score in the RRMS group was significantly negatively correlated with PVS_d ( r=-0.409) and was significantly positively correlated with education level ( r=0.419) and total brain volumes ( r=0.400;all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that PVS_d ( B=-5.572, 95% CI -11.513--0.368) and brain volumes ( B=0.012, 95% CI 0.001-0.023) in the RRMS group were both significant predictors of immediate recall score, while PVS_d ( B=-14.203,95% CI -27.514--0.891) was an independent predictor of verbal fluency test score (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The PVS is enlarged in individuals with RRMS compared with the healthy controls, and increased lesion volumes may be a significant predictor. Furthermore, enlarged PVS in the deep gray matter may be a significant predictor of impairment of verbal memory and verbal function in individuals with RRMS.

Objective:To compare the effects of different appointment regimens on the daily waiting time, fixedness of treatment time and lateness rate of radiotherapy patients.Methods:Medical records of 5488 radiotherapy from 332 patients on the same linear accelerator in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from March to June 2022 were selected. Based on the radiotherapy information integration platform of MOSAIQ, all patients were randomly assigned to the morning class, afternoon class and evening class. Traditional manual appointment regimen was adopted for the morning class, 30 min appointment regimen for the afternoon class, and 15 min appointment regimen for the evening class, respectively. The differences in patient waiting time for treatment, fixedness of treatment time, and lateness rate under different appointment regimens were compared. The fixedness of treatment time and waiting time was determined by one-way ANOVA, and the 2×3 Chi-square test was adopted for the lateness rate. Results:The waiting time in the 15 min appointment, the 30 min appointment and manual appointment groups were (27.08 ± 17.21), (34.57± 19.12) and (41.50 ±20.94) min, respectively. There was statistical significance among three appointment regimens ( F=254.97, P<0.001). The waiting time was the shortest in the 15 min appointment group, followed by the 30 min appointment group, and the manual appointment group (all P<0.001 for two-group comparison). The fixedness of treatment time in the 15 min appointment, the 30 min appointment and the manual appointment groups were (15.60±7.87), (18.69±8.94) and (24.30±15.10) min, respectively. There was statistical significance among three groups ( F=25.23, P<0.001). Among them, the fixedness of treatment time in the 15 min appointment group was the highest, followed by the 30 min appointment group, and the manual appointment group (all P<0.001). The lateness rates in the 15 min appointment, the 30 min appointment and the manual appointment groups were 5.7%, 6.2% and 9.6%, respectively. The lateness rate in the manual appointment group was higher than those in the 15 min appointment and the 30 min appointment groups ( χ2=19.24、14.90, both P<0.001), but there was no statistical significance in the lateness rate between the 15 min appointment and 30min appointment groups ( χ2=0.39, P=0.535). Conclusion:In the clinical practice of conventional intensity-modulated radiotherapy technology carried out by conventional linear accelerator, the 15 min appointment regimen can shorten the waiting time for radiotherapy and improve the fixedness of daily radiotherapy time, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and its composite materials have garnered widespread attention in the field of dental implantology due to their good biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. The low elastic modulus of PEEK, comparable to that of human jawbone, helps to reduce the stress shielding effect around the implant, thereby enhancing the rate of bone integration. This article reviews the latest research progress of PEEK and its composite materials in the field of dental implantation, including the synthesis of materials, surface modification techniques, and applications in implant-abutment-crown complexes and full-arch denture bridges.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of enlarged perivascular space (PVS) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and their relationship with cognitive function.Methods:Twenty-seven individuals with RRMS (RRMS group) and 27 healthy controls (healthy control group) who presented to the Department of Neurology, the Sixth Medical Center of People′s Liberation Army General Hospital from July 2022 to November 2024 underwent cognitive function assessments. PVS volume fractions, lesion volumes, and brain volumes were calculated using FreeSurfer, FSL, and other relevant softwares. Group differences in PVS volume fractions, lesion volumes, brain volumes, and cognitive function assessments were compared. Furthermore, correlations between PVS volume fractions and lesion volumes, brain volumes, and cognitive function assessments were analyzed within the RRMS group.Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the RRMS group exhibited significantly higher PVS volume fractions in white matter (PVS_w) (3.14‰±0.29‰ vs 2.91‰±0.30‰, t=2.877, P=0.006) and PVS volume fractions in deep gray matter (PVS_d) (2.25‰±0.10‰ vs 2.17‰±0.09‰, t=2.681, P=0.010), indicating an enlargement of the PVS. Compared with the healthy control group, the RRMS group showed a significant decrease in both white matter volumes [297.3 (274.3, 340.2) ml vs (324.2 (311.0, 350.0) ml, U=-2.085, P=0.037] and deep grey matter volumes [40.2 (34.9, 43.6) ml vs 42.7 (40.2, 44.8) ml, U=-2.292, P=0.022]. Compared with the healthy control group, the RRMS group showed significantly lower scores in cognitive function assessments ( P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that PVS_w in the RRMS group was significantly positively correlated with age ( r=0.486), white matter lesion volumes ( r=0.437) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( r=0.394;all P<0.05); PVS_d was also significantly positively correlated with white matter lesion volumes ( r=0.418) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( r=0.480; both P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age ( B=0.011,95% CI 0.004-0.017), white matter lesion volumes ( B=0.026,95% CI 0.011-0.040) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( B=0.401,95% CI 0.032-0.771) in the RRMS group were significantly positively correlated with PVS_w, while white matter lesion volumes ( B=0.007,95% CI 0.001-0.014) and deep gray matter lesion volumes ( B=0.204,95% CI 0.029-0.380) were significantly positively correlated with PVS_d (both P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that immediate memory score in the RRMS group was significantly negatively correlated with PVS_d ( r=-0.428), and was significantly positively correlated with education level ( r=0.471), deep gray matter volumes ( r=0.530) and total brain volumes ( r=0.389; all P<0.05); short-term delayed memory score in the RRMS group was significantly negatively correlated with age ( r=-0.390), PVS_w ( r=-0.417) and white matter lesion volumes ( r=-0.438), and was significantly positively correlated with gender ( r=0.393), white matter volumes ( r=0.478), deep gray matter volumes ( r=0.579) and total brain volumes ( r=0.602;all P<0.05); verbal fluency test score in the RRMS group was significantly negatively correlated with PVS_d ( r=-0.409) and was significantly positively correlated with education level ( r=0.419) and total brain volumes ( r=0.400;all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that PVS_d ( B=-5.572, 95% CI -11.513--0.368) and brain volumes ( B=0.012, 95% CI 0.001-0.023) in the RRMS group were both significant predictors of immediate recall score, while PVS_d ( B=-14.203,95% CI -27.514--0.891) was an independent predictor of verbal fluency test score (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The PVS is enlarged in individuals with RRMS compared with the healthy controls, and increased lesion volumes may be a significant predictor. Furthermore, enlarged PVS in the deep gray matter may be a significant predictor of impairment of verbal memory and verbal function in individuals with RRMS.

Objective:To investigates the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)in treating older patients(≥60 years old)with hematologic malignancies.Methods:We conducted a retrospective study involving 67 patients aged 60 years and above, diagnosed with malignant hematological diseases, who received allo-HSCT at the Clinical Research Centrer for Haematologic Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between June 2015 and March 2023.We collected pre-transplant data, including the patients' age, gender, pre-transplantation disease risk stratification, disease status, and the haematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index(HCT-CI). We retrospectively analyzed clinical data regarding treatment-related toxicity, infections, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease(a/cGVHD), as well as recurrent and non-recurrent deaths, to estimate the overall survival(OS)rate and event-free survival (EFS)rate.Results:Sixty-seven patients were included in the study, comprising 55 males(82.1%)and 12 females(17.9%), with a median age of 63(61, 65) years .The cohort consisted of 42 cases of acute myeloid leukaemia, 22 cases of myelodysplastic syndromes, and 3 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 1-year OS and EFS rates were 62.9% and 59.2%, respectively, while the 2-year OS and EFS rates were 55.3% and 51.8%, respectively.The cumulative incidence of 1-year non-relapse mortality and relapse was 25.4% and 21.2%, respectively.A total of 13 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, with a 1-year cumulative incidence of 22.0%, and 7 patients developed cGVHD requiring treatment.When stratified by age group, the OS rate was higher in patients aged 60~64 years compared to those aged ≥65 years; however, this difference was not statistically significant(Log-rank χ2=0.99, P=0.317). In contrast, when stratified by disease load, the OS rate was significantly higher in the complete remission(CR)group than in the non-CR group, with a statistically significant difference(Log-rank χ2=15.04, P<0.001). When stratified by donor type, the OS rate was higher in the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) allogeneic group compared to the haploinsufficiency group; however, the difference was not statistically significant(Log-rank χ2=2.71, P=0.100). Twenty-seven patients died at an average of 125 days (range 3-1 054 days) after HSCT.The causes of death included leukemia recurrence in 9 cases (33.3%), infection in 8 cases (29.6%), GVHD in 5 cases (18.5%), poor implantation in 3 cases (11.1%), multi-organ failure in 1 case (3.7%), and cerebrovascular accident in 1 case (3.7%). The results of multifactorial analysis indicated that a pre-transplant tumor load greater than 5% was an independent risk factor for OS after transplantation ( HR=4.59, 95% CI: 2.01-10.42, P<0.001)as well as for disease recurrence ( OR=13.11, 95% CI: 1.96-87.87, P=0.008). Additionally, the occurrence of infection was identified as an independent risk factor for non-recurrent death after transplantation( OR=3.95, 95% CI: 1.13 to 13.71, P=0.031). Conclusions:For patients aged 60 years or older with hematologic malignancies, HSCT can serve as a viable treatment option, particularly for those with refractory recurrence and high cytogenetic risk, as it has the potential to significantly enhance prognosis and increase both EFS and OS rates.

Objective:To investigates the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)in treating older patients(≥60 years old)with hematologic malignancies.Methods:We conducted a retrospective study involving 67 patients aged 60 years and above, diagnosed with malignant hematological diseases, who received allo-HSCT at the Clinical Research Centrer for Haematologic Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between June 2015 and March 2023.We collected pre-transplant data, including the patients' age, gender, pre-transplantation disease risk stratification, disease status, and the haematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index(HCT-CI). We retrospectively analyzed clinical data regarding treatment-related toxicity, infections, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease(a/cGVHD), as well as recurrent and non-recurrent deaths, to estimate the overall survival(OS)rate and event-free survival (EFS)rate.Results:Sixty-seven patients were included in the study, comprising 55 males(82.1%)and 12 females(17.9%), with a median age of 63(61, 65) years .The cohort consisted of 42 cases of acute myeloid leukaemia, 22 cases of myelodysplastic syndromes, and 3 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 1-year OS and EFS rates were 62.9% and 59.2%, respectively, while the 2-year OS and EFS rates were 55.3% and 51.8%, respectively.The cumulative incidence of 1-year non-relapse mortality and relapse was 25.4% and 21.2%, respectively.A total of 13 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, with a 1-year cumulative incidence of 22.0%, and 7 patients developed cGVHD requiring treatment.When stratified by age group, the OS rate was higher in patients aged 60~64 years compared to those aged ≥65 years; however, this difference was not statistically significant(Log-rank χ2=0.99, P=0.317). In contrast, when stratified by disease load, the OS rate was significantly higher in the complete remission(CR)group than in the non-CR group, with a statistically significant difference(Log-rank χ2=15.04, P<0.001). When stratified by donor type, the OS rate was higher in the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) allogeneic group compared to the haploinsufficiency group; however, the difference was not statistically significant(Log-rank χ2=2.71, P=0.100). Twenty-seven patients died at an average of 125 days (range 3-1 054 days) after HSCT.The causes of death included leukemia recurrence in 9 cases (33.3%), infection in 8 cases (29.6%), GVHD in 5 cases (18.5%), poor implantation in 3 cases (11.1%), multi-organ failure in 1 case (3.7%), and cerebrovascular accident in 1 case (3.7%). The results of multifactorial analysis indicated that a pre-transplant tumor load greater than 5% was an independent risk factor for OS after transplantation ( HR=4.59, 95% CI: 2.01-10.42, P<0.001)as well as for disease recurrence ( OR=13.11, 95% CI: 1.96-87.87, P=0.008). Additionally, the occurrence of infection was identified as an independent risk factor for non-recurrent death after transplantation( OR=3.95, 95% CI: 1.13 to 13.71, P=0.031). Conclusions:For patients aged 60 years or older with hematologic malignancies, HSCT can serve as a viable treatment option, particularly for those with refractory recurrence and high cytogenetic risk, as it has the potential to significantly enhance prognosis and increase both EFS and OS rates.

Objective:To compare the effects of different appointment regimens on the daily waiting time, fixedness of treatment time and lateness rate of radiotherapy patients.Methods:Medical records of 5488 radiotherapy from 332 patients on the same linear accelerator in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from March to June 2022 were selected. Based on the radiotherapy information integration platform of MOSAIQ, all patients were randomly assigned to the morning class, afternoon class and evening class. Traditional manual appointment regimen was adopted for the morning class, 30 min appointment regimen for the afternoon class, and 15 min appointment regimen for the evening class, respectively. The differences in patient waiting time for treatment, fixedness of treatment time, and lateness rate under different appointment regimens were compared. The fixedness of treatment time and waiting time was determined by one-way ANOVA, and the 2×3 Chi-square test was adopted for the lateness rate. Results:The waiting time in the 15 min appointment, the 30 min appointment and manual appointment groups were (27.08 ± 17.21), (34.57± 19.12) and (41.50 ±20.94) min, respectively. There was statistical significance among three appointment regimens ( F=254.97, P<0.001). The waiting time was the shortest in the 15 min appointment group, followed by the 30 min appointment group, and the manual appointment group (all P<0.001 for two-group comparison). The fixedness of treatment time in the 15 min appointment, the 30 min appointment and the manual appointment groups were (15.60±7.87), (18.69±8.94) and (24.30±15.10) min, respectively. There was statistical significance among three groups ( F=25.23, P<0.001). Among them, the fixedness of treatment time in the 15 min appointment group was the highest, followed by the 30 min appointment group, and the manual appointment group (all P<0.001). The lateness rates in the 15 min appointment, the 30 min appointment and the manual appointment groups were 5.7%, 6.2% and 9.6%, respectively. The lateness rate in the manual appointment group was higher than those in the 15 min appointment and the 30 min appointment groups ( χ2=19.24、14.90, both P<0.001), but there was no statistical significance in the lateness rate between the 15 min appointment and 30min appointment groups ( χ2=0.39, P=0.535). Conclusion:In the clinical practice of conventional intensity-modulated radiotherapy technology carried out by conventional linear accelerator, the 15 min appointment regimen can shorten the waiting time for radiotherapy and improve the fixedness of daily radiotherapy time, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective:To quantify cerebral cortical and deep gray matter atrophy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and explore its correlation with impairment in domains of cognitive function.Methods:Twenty patients with MS and 16 healthy controls (HC) matched for age, sex, and education level were included. Using FreeSurfer software, based on 3D-MRI technology, the differences in cortical thickness and deep gray matter volume between the two groups were comparatively analyzed. A neuropsychological scale that included six domains of cognitive function was scored on both study groups to analyze the correlation between cortical thickness and volume of deep gray matter in MS patients with impairment in cognitive function domains.Results:Impairment in domains of cognitive function: cognitive impairment was present in 60% MS patients in this study, mainly manifesting as impairment of verbal memory, verbal fluency, visuospatial memory, and information processing speed function (all P<0.05). Of these, the majority had impaired visuospatial memory function (55.0%), and the least number of patients had impaired information processing speed (15.0%). Changes in cortical thickness: compared with the HC group, the MS group showed that cortical atrophy was mainly concentrated in the frontoparietal region, including significant thinning of cortical thickness in the left inferior parietal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, and the right superior parietal gyrus (all P<0.05). Among them, atrophy of the left inferior parietal gyrus was significantly positively correlated with the impairment of verbal memory, verbal fluency, and information processing speed (all P<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the right superior frontal gyrus atrophy and verbal memory, verbal fluency, and visuospatial memory impairment (all P<0.05). Changes in deep gray matter volume: compared with the HC group, deep gray matter volume in the MS group decreased significantly in the bilateral thalamus, bilateral putamen, bilateral pallidum (all P<0.01), and right nucleus accumbens ( P<0.05). Among them, left thalamus atrophy was significantly positively correlated with visuospatial memory impairment ( r=0.45, P=0.046), and left putamen atrophy was both significantly positively correlated with visuospatial memory ( r=0.45, P=0.047) and information processing speed impairment ( r=0.50, P=0.026). Conclusions:Early structural brain changes in MS are dominated by gray matter atrophy. Deep gray matter is more prominent than cortical atrophy.

Induced sputum testing is a non-inva-sive test that reflects the nature and extent of air-way inflammation and plays an important role in the diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of chronic airway diseases.This article outlines the develop-ment history of induced sputum technology,intro-duces the principle and operation of induced spu-tum technology,evaluates its safety,summarizes the three main test components,elaborates the role of this technology in various chronic airway diseases,such as reflecting the type of airway in-flammation,predicting the efficacy of medication,and combining it with transcriptomics to study dis-ease mechanisms,and briefly summarizes its inno-vations and makes a vision for the future.