Objective To compare the long-term survival of elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with surgical versus non-surgical treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of elderly patients aged ≥70 years with ESCC who underwent esophagectomy or radiotherapy/chemotherapy at Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January 2009 to September 2017. Patients were divided into a surgical group (S group) and a non-surgical group (NS group) according to the treatment method. The propensity score matching method was used to match the two groups of patients at a ratio of 1∶1, and the survival of the two groups before and after matching was analyzed. Results A total of 726 elderly patients with ESCC were included, including 552 males and 174 females, with 651 patients aged ≥70-80 years and 75 patients aged ≥80-90 years. There were 515 patients in the S group and 211 patients in the NS group. The median follow-up time was 60.8 months, and the median overall survival of the S group was 41.9 months [95%CI (35.2, 48.5)], while that of the NS group was only 24.0 months [95%CI (19.8, 28.3)]. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of the S group were 84%, 54%, and 40%, respectively, while those of the NS group were 72%, 40%, and 30%, respectively [HR=0.689, 95%CI (0.559, 0.849), P<0.001]. After matching, 138 patients were included in each group, and there was no statistical difference in the overall survival between the two groups [HR=0.871, 95%CI (0.649, 1.167), P=0.352]. Conclusion Compared with conservative treatment, there is no significant difference in the long-term survival of elderly patients aged ≥70 years who undergo esophagectomy for ESCC. Neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery is still an important choice to potentially improve the survival of elderly patients with ESCC.

BACKGROUND:Hydroxyapatite is the main inorganic component of bone tissue.The polymer has the structure and function of a biomimetic extracellular matrix.The composites of hydroxyapatite and polymer have been widely studied. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the research status of hydroxyapatite composite polymer materials for bone tissue repair. METHODS:The articles collected in PubMed,Web of Science,CNKI and WanFang databases were searched from January 2010 to April 2023.The Chinese and English search terms were"hydroxyapatite,polymer,composites,degradability,bone defect,bone repair".Finally,75 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Polymers often used in composite with hydroxyapatite for bone tissue repair include natural polymers(collagen,chitosan,alginate,serine protein,cellulose,hyaluronic acid,and polyhydroxybutyrate)and synthetic polymers[polylactic acid,polylactic acid-hydroxyacetic acid copolymer,poly(has-lactide),poly(amino acid)and poly(vinyl alcohol)].The mechanical properties and osteoinductivity of hydroxyapatite/polymer composites were improved compared with pure hydroxyapatite.Hydroxyapatite composite with polymers can be made into porous scaffolds,hydrogels,and coatings for bone repair.Hydroxyapatite/polymer composites can accelerate bone reconstruction with a slow release of loaded drugs and cytokines due to their bionic extracellular matrix structure and function.Based on the diversity of causes of bone defects and the fact that bone repair is a complex continuous process involving multiple biological factors and proteins,repair materials with mechanical properties matching bone tissue,degradation processes synchronized with bone repair,and efficient osteogenesis and vascularization need to be further investigated.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of primary drug resistance among HIV-1 patients in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2022, and to provide corresponding basis and data support for HIV antiviral therapy (ART) in Hubei Province. Methods During 2020-2022, plasma samples of HIV-1 infected patients before ART were collected., Patients’ demographic data and baseline laboratory test data were also collected. HIV-1 pol region was amplified by in-house method for sub-type typing and drug-resistant mutation site analysis. Results The pol gene sequence was successfully amplified in 242 of 285 cases, with a success rate of 84.9%. CRF07_BC was the predominant HIV-1 sub-type, accounting for 47.11% (114/242), followed by CRF01_AE, accounting for 25.21% (61/242), sub-type B, accounting for 14.16% (35/242), and CRF55_01B, accounting for 4.13% (10/242). The primary resistance rate was 6.20% (15/242). The mutation site of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) was mainly M184V, and the mutation sites of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) were mainly E138A/G/EG and V179E. These different mutation sites led to different degrees of drug resistance to 12 drugs. The incidence of drug resistance mutation of CRF55_01B sub-type was significantly higher than that of other sub-types. Conclusion The primary drug resistance rate of HIV-1 infected patients is at a slightly high level in Hubei Province, and close monitoring of primary drug resistance and mutation sites should be strengthened before ART, especially for CRF55_01B sub-type.

Objective To explore the safety of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) with three-field lymphadenectomy (3-FL) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by comparing the short-term outcomes between the 3-FL and the two-field lymphadenectomy (2-FL) in MIE. Methods The clinical data of patients with ESCC who underwent minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy in our hospital from July 2015 to March 2022 were collected retrospectively. Patients were divided into a 3-FL group and a 2-FL group according to lymph node dissection method. And the clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 257 patients with ESCC were included in this study. There were 211 males and 46 females with an average age of 62.2±8.1 years. There were 109 patients in the 3-FL group and 148 patients in the 2-FL group. The operation time of the 3-FL group was about 20 minutes longer than that of the 2-FL group (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the intraoperatve blood loss (P=0.376). More lymph nodes (P<0.001) and also more positive lymph nodes (P=0.003) were obtained in the 3-FL group than in the 2-FL group, and there was a statistical difference in the pathological N stage between the two groups (P<0.001). But there was no statistical difference in the incidence of anastomotic leak (P=0.667), chyle leak (P=0.421), recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (P=0.081), pulmonary complications (P=0.601), pneumonia (P=0.061), cardiac complications (P=0.383), overall complications (P=0.147) or Clavien-Dindo grading (P=0.152) between the two groups. Conclusion MIE 3-FL can improve the efficiency of lymph node dissection and the accuracy of tumor lymph node staging, but it does not increase the postoperative complications, which is worthy of clinical application.

Objective To establish a fluoroscopic percutaneous vertebral augmentation model in dogs by measuring and analyzing canine spinal anatomy.We also assessed the effectiveness and safety of this modeling method by postoperative radiological analysis.Methods Morphological measurements were taken in six dogs,aged approximately 12～24 months,and the following parameters of the lumbar vertebrae were determined:height of the L1～L7 vertebrae,width of the vertebral base,distance from the upper edge of the intervertebral disc to the narrowest part of the vertebra,distance from the vertical line of the spinous process to the upper edge of the intervertebral disc,and vertical distance from the midpoint of the transverse process to the lower edge of the intervertebral disc.These measurements were obtained to clarify the anatomical characteristics of the canine vertebrae and determine the optimal location,direction,and depth for bone-cement injection.A percutaneous vertebral augmentation model was subsequently established in the L4,L5,and L6 vertebrae of six healthy Beagle dogs,weighing 20～25 kg.The dogs were euthanized 4 weeks post-surgery and examined radiologically.Primary observations included the surgical duration,postoperative distribution of the implanted bone cement,and integrity of the vertebral canal and anterior edge of the vertebrae.Results Anatomical observation of the canine vertebrae revealed that the vertebral height increased gradually from L1～L5 and then decreased from L5～L7.The width of the vertebral base increased consistently from L1～L7.The distance from the vertical line of the spinous process to the upper edge of the intervertebral disc showed an increasing trend from L1～L7(1.9～4.0 mm).The distance between the midpoint of the base of the transverse process and the lower edge of the intervertebral disc increased gradually from L1～L5(4.7～6.9 mm).There was no significant difference in the distance between the midpoint of the base of the transverse process and the lower edge of the intervertebral disc in the L4,L5,and L6 segments among the dogs(P=0.925).The midpoint of the root of the transverse process of the spine was taken as the puncture point,and the insertion direction and horizontal plane were at an angle of 20°～30°,with a head tilt of 5°～15° and a puncture depth of 1.2～1.5 cm.If the puncture was directed towards the caudal side of the vertebra,the angle of the needle tail was 30°～35°,with a penetration depth of 1.5～1.8 cm.This technique allowed the successful construction of a canine vertebral puncture surgical model.A total of 15 canine vertebral puncture surgical models were successfully created,with an average surgery time of 22.7±4.6 min(15～30 min)per vertebral segment.During surgery,one vertebral segment experienced spinal cord injury result ing in paralysis of the hind limbs and bowel and bladder incontinence.Two vertebral cortical bones fractured,but there were no deaths due to anesthesia or infection.Four weeks post-surgery,micro-computed tomography-based three-dimensional reconstructions consistently showed bone cement distributed within the trabecular bone of the canine vertebrae,with newly formed bone tissue enveloping the implanted material.There was no leakage,and no complications such as damage to the vertebral canal or the anterior wall of the vertebrae.Conclusions A safe and reliable canine vertebral augmentation puncture model can be successfully established based on the anatomy of the canine lumbar vertebrae(L4～L6)and using the midpoint of the base of the transverse process as a bony landmark.

Objective To establish the energy expenditure(EE)prediction models of health Qigong Wuqinxi based on heart rate combined with accelerometer counts in different body parts,so to provide a reference for monitoring EE of Wuqinxi.Methods Seventy-four healthy college students aged 18-30 were selected as the research objects.They were divided into a skilled group of 39(21 males and 18 females)and a primary group of 35(17 males and 18 females)according to their level of practice,with 55 in the model group and 19 in the validation group.When performing a set of Wuqinxi,all subjects were recorded heart rate(HR),accelerometer counts[the average counts of X-axis,Y-axis,Z-axis and vector magnitude(VM)],and EE-related indicators by wearing the Polar heart rate moni-tor,ActiGraph-GT3X+accelerometers(9 parts:waist,both arms,both wrists,both thighs,and both ankles)and CORTEX Meta Max3B-R2 portable indirect calorimeter.Based on the accurate EE mea-sured by the gas metabolism meter,linear regression models of only HR,only accelerometer counts,or HR combined accelerometer counts were established,and their accuracy was analyzed and com-pared.Results The EE of Wuqinxi was significantly correlated with gender,height,weight,muscle mass,HR-related indicators,and accelerometer counts in different parts(X-axis counts of the waist,VM values of the left thigh and counts of the X-axis and Y-axis,VM values of the right thigh and the Y-axis,Z-axis count value,left ankle VM value and Y-axis count value,right ankle VM value and Y-axis,Z-axis count value)(P<0.05).Moreover,the adjusted R2 of the prediction model of only HR,only accelerometer counts,and the both were 0.582,0.508 and 0.678,respectively(P<0.05).The correlation between the predicted and measured values ranged between 0.706 and 0.817.Accord-ing to the Bland-Altman analysis,for each model,all except one error value fell outside the 95%confidence interval.That is,all models had an excellent fitting effect and high accuracy.Among them,the combined model was of the best prediction effect:EE(kcal)=-20.089+0.279×body weight(kg)+0.243×ΔHR(exercise HR-quiet HR,bpm)+0.001×Right thigh Y-axis count value+0.181×exer-cise HR(bpm)-4.202×gender(male=0,female=1).Conclusion The EE prediction model of Wuqinxi es-tablished on HR combined with accelerometer counts has the best effect and can calculate the EE more accurately.

Dual-layer spectral detector CT is a new spectrum CT imaging technology based on detector being able to obtain both images similar to true plain and spectral images in one time scanning.The reconstructed multi-parameter spectral images can not only improve image quality,enhance tissue contrast,increase the visualization and detection ability of occult lesions,but also provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of the lesions,so as to provide more imaging information and multi-dimensional diagnostic basis.The research progresses of dual-layer spectral detector CT for preoperative evaluation on colorectal cancer were reviewed in this article.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the change of the position of the tongue before and after combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy in children with mouth-breathing and skeletal class Ⅱmalocclusion. Methods:A total of 30 children with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion and unobstructed upper airway were selected. The 30 children were divided into mouth-breathing group（n=15） and nasal-breathing group（n=15） and CBCT was taken. The images were measured by Invivo5 software. The measurement results of the tongue position of the two groups were analyzed by independent samples t-test. 15 mouth-breathing children with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion were selected for maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy. CBCT was taken before and after treatment, the measurements were analyzed by paired sample t test with SPSS 27.0 software package. Results:The measurement of the tongue position of the mouth-breathing and nasal-breathing groups were compared, the differences were statistically significant（P<0.05）. The measurement of the tongue position showed significant difference after the combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy in children with mouth-breathing and skeletal class Ⅱmalocclusion（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion children with mouth-breathing have low tongue posture. The combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy can change the position of the tongue.
Child ; Humans ; Myofunctional Therapy/methods* ; Mouth Breathing/therapy* ; Palatal Expansion Technique ; Tongue ; Malocclusion/therapy*

Objective To explore the effects of transurethral en-blocresection of bladder tumor(TeURBT)on urination function,serum chitinase protein 40(YKL-40),bladder specific nuclear matrix protein-1(BLCA-1),and p-oxyfossase-1(PON-1)levels in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).Methods 74 patients with NMIBC admitted to our Hospital from January 2019 to May 2022 were divided into TeURBT group and transurethral resection of bladder tumor(TURBT)group by random lottery,with 37 cases in each group.The effective tumor clearance rate,surgery and urination function indexes were compared between the two groups.Blood samples were collected before surgery,3 months,6 months and 12 months after surgery to determine the levels of serum YKL-40,BLCA-1 and PON-1,and the recurrence rate was analyzed at 12 months of follow-up.Results The effective resection rate of bladder tumor was 100.00％in both groups.The operative time in TeURBT group was significantly longer than that in TURBT group(P＜0.05),and the intraoperative blood loss,catheter indwelling/bladder irrigation/hospitalization time in TeURBT group were significantly less than those in TURBT group(P＜0.05).Urinary output and maximum urinary flow per second in both groups significantly increased on postoperative day 14(P＜0.05),but there was no statistically significant difference in the above indexes between the two groups on postoperative day 14(P＞0.05).The levels of serum YKL-40 and BLCA-1 in the two groups at 3,6 and 12 months after surgery significantly decreased(P＜0.05),while the level of PON-1 significantly increased(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in serum YKL-40 and PON-1 levels between the two groups at 3 and 6 months after surgery(P＞0.05),while serum YKL-40 and BLCA-1 levels in the TeURBT group were significantly lower than those in the TURBT group at 12 months after surgery(P＜0.05),and PON-1 levels were significantly higher than those in the TURBT group(P＜0.05).The stages in the TeURBT group could be accurately diagnosed after operation,and the postoperative pathological stages were Ta stage in 24 cases and T1 stage in 13 cases.The total incidence of postoperative complications in TeURBT group and cumulative incidence of recurrence in 1-year follow-up were 5.40％,which was significantly lower than 24.32％and 21.62％in TURBT group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The effective resection rate of TeURBT and TURBT in the treatment of NMIBC tumor is similar,which can effectively improve the urination function of patients,downregulation of serum YKL-40 and BLCA-1 levels,and up-regulation of PON-1 levels.Compared with TURBT,TeURBT has advantages of less intraoperative blood loss,fewer postoperative complications,faster recovery,and lower recurrence rate.

Immunoscenescence plays a key role in the initiation and development of tumors. Furthermore, immunoscenescence also impacts drug delivery and cancer therapeutic efficacy. To reduce the impact of immunosenescence on anti-tumor therapy, this experimental plan aimed to use neutrophils with tumor tropism properties to deliver sialic acid (SA)-modified liposomes into the tumor, kill tumor cells via SA-mediated photochemotherapy, enhance infiltration of neutrophils into the tumor, induce immunogenic death of tumor cells with chemotherapy, enhance infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells into the tumor-draining lymph nodes and tumors of immunosenescent mice, and achieve SA-mediated photochemotherapy. We found that CD8⁺ T cell and neutrophil levels in 16-month-old mice were significantly lower than those in 2- and 8-month-old mice; 16-month-old mice exhibited immunosenescence. The anti-tumor efficacy of SA-mediated non-photochemotherapy declined in 16-month-old mice, and tumors recurred after scabbing. SA-mediated photochemotherapy enhanced tumor infiltration by CD8⁺ T cells and neutrophils, induced crusting and regression of tumors in 8-month-old mice, inhibited metastasis and recurrence of tumors and eliminated the immunosenescence-induced decline in antitumor therapeutic efficacy in 16-month-old mice via the light-heat-chemical-immunity conversion.