Objective:To compare the clinical effects of acute shortening-lengthening technique with antibiotic calcium sulfate-loaded bone transport technique for the treatment of segmental tibial defects after trauma.Methods:The clinical data of 58 patients with large tibial defects treated by Ilizarov technique in Xi′an Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University from May 2014 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty patients were treated by acute shortening-lengthening (group A), and they were divided into those who were successful in one-time shortening during operation (group A1) and those who needed gradual shortening after operation (group A2) according to different shortening conditions. And 28 patients by antibiotic calcium sulfate-loaded bone transport (group B). The external fixation time (EFT) and external fixation index (EFI) of the two groups were compared. Bone defect healing and limb functions were evaluated according to the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov (ASAMI) criteria. Complications were compared by Paley classification. The measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as ± s, and t-test was used for comparison between groups; the count data were expressed as n(%), and the chi-square test, Fisher exact probability method or Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison between groups. Results:Patients were followed for(27.5±5.1)months. There was no significant difference in EFT, EFI, bone defect healing and limb functions between the two groups( P>0.05). The incidence of Grade-Ⅱ[41.2% (7/17)], Grade-Ⅲ [47.1% (8/17)] pin-tract infection in group A1 and Grade-Ⅱ[46.2% (6/13)], Grade-Ⅲ pin-tract [53.8% (7/13)] in group A2 was significantly higher than those in group B[14.3% (4/28)], [17.9% (5/28)] ( P<0.05). The number of complications per capita in group A1 [(1.4±0.3) times/case] and in group A2 [(1.5±0.3) times/case]was significantly higher than that in group B [(1.1±0.5) times/case]. Conclusions:Patients can be cured successfully by both acute shortening-lengthening and bone transport techniques. Compared with acute shortening-lengthening group, the complication incidence in antibiotic calcium sulfate-loaded bone transport group was lower, especially, the infection-related complications. Therefore, antibiotic calcium sulfate-loaded bone transport technique has a greater application prospect in patients with large segmental bone defects caused by infection or osteomyelitis.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy between bone transport technique combined with bone grafting plus internal fixation and simple bone transport technique in the treatment of large segmental bone defects at lower limbs after trauma.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 42 patients with large segmental bone defects at lower limbs after trauma who had been treated at Department of Trauma Orthopaedics, Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Medicine College, Xi'an Jiaotong University from September 2015 to September 2019. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the different methods of repairing bone defects. In group A of 18 patients subjected to bone transport combined with bone grafting plus internal fixation, there were 11 males and 7 females with an age of (35.2±10.3) years, and 12 tibial defects and 6 femoral defects; in group B of 24 patients subjected to simple bone transport, there were 15 males and 9 females with an age of (37.3±9.4) years, and 17 tibial defects and 7 femoral defects. The external fixation time (EFT), external fixation index (EFI), total cure time and complications were recorded and compared between the 2 groups. At the last follow-up, the Ennecking score for limb functional recovery (score/total score 30) and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were used to evaluate respectively the functional recovery of the limbs and postoperative anxiety.Results:The 2 groups were comparable because there was no significant difference between them in preoperative general data or follow-up time ( P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of surgeries between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). The EFT [(5.9±1.5) months], EFI [(0.45±0.09) months/cm], total treatment time [(16.2±2.4) months], Ennecking score for limb functional recovery (87.0%±8.6%), SAS score [(43.2±9.0) points], and complications per capita [(0.4±0.2) times/case] in group A were significantly better than those in group B [(15.3±4.2) months, (1.19±0.28) months/cm, (19.7±3.5) months, (77.3%±9.2%), (58.2±9.3) points, and (1.2±0.5) times/case] (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of large segmental bone defects at lower limbs, compared with simple bone transport technique, bone transport technique combined with bone grafting plus internal fixation has advantages of shorter external fixation time and overall cure time, a lower rate of complications, and better functional recovery of the limbs.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of lipid ratios with diabetes and pre-diabetes in residents aged 35-75 years in Changzhou City. MethodsA multistage whole-group random sampling method was used to survey permanent residents aged 35-75 years in Tianning and Wujin districts of Changzhou City， and the study data were obtained by questionnaires， physical examination and laboratory tests. The relationship between lipid ratios and diabetes and pre-diabetes was analyzed by dichotomous logistic regression method. ResultsThe prevalence of diabetes in the surveyed population in Changzhou was 18.69%， and the prevalence of pre-diabetes was 10.53%. In the total population， the risk of pre-diabetes was significantly increased in the highest TC/HDL-C， TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C groups， by 68%， 93% and 38%， respectively； the risk of diabetes was also significantly increased in the highest TC/HDL-C， TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C groups， by 105%， 149% and 78%， respectively. The risk of diabetes was also significantly increased in the highest TC/HDL-C， TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C groups， by 105%， 149% and 78%， respectively. All three lipid ratios increased in women compared to men， leading to a stronger association with increased risk of diabetes and pre-diabetes. ConclusionLipid ratios TC/HDL-C， TG/HDL-C， and LDL-C/HDL-C were correlated with the risk of diabetes and pre-diabetes in people aged 35-75 years， with TG/HDL-C having the strongest association with diabetes and pre-diabetes， and is expected to be a key predictor for assessing the development of diabetes.

Objective:To observe the effect of shift work on the stability of the circadian clock and insulin sensitivity in non-overweight/obese individuals with normal blood glucose, and explore underlying connection.Methods:Female shift working nurses in the Department of Blood Transplantation and non-shift working nurses in the Health Management Center in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were divided into shift worker group (SW group) and non-shift worker group (NSW group). Serum inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)], adipokines (adiponectin, leptin, chemerin, visfatin), and melatonin levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Realtime fluorescence quantitative PCR was performed to detect peripheral blood circadian clock genes circadian locomotor output cycles protein kaput(Clock) and brain and muscle ARNT-like protein 1(Bmal1). Cortisol and fasting insulin were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, and HbA 1C was measured by capillary electrophoresis. In addition, visceral fat area (VFA) was assessed with bioelectrical impedance analyzer, and mid-sleep time composite phase deviations (CPD) was calculated based on the International Physical Activity Short Questionnaire. Results:SW group had lower serum level of melatonin ( P=0.023) and higher cortisol ( P=0.001) than the NSW group, and altered mRNA expression of Clock and Bmal1 ( P=0.034, P=0.047). Fasting blood glucose and HbA 1C in the SW group, although in the normal range, had been higher than in the NSW group ( P=0.011, P=0.033). Although body mass index was normal in SW group, VFA had been higher than that of the NSW group ( P=0.010). And homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), IL-6, TNF-α, leptin, chemerin, and visfatin were significantly higher in the SW group than NSW group ( P=0.033, P=0.012, P=0.001, P=0.011, P=0.021, P=0.007). In addition, adjusting for body mass index and activity factors revealed a significant positive correlation between CPD and VFA ( r=0.434, P=0.049), inflammatory factors IL-6 ( r=0.514, P=0.017) and TNF-α ( r=0.700, P<0.001) and pro-inflammatory adipokines leptin ( r=0.473, P=0.030), chemerin ( r=0.439, P=0.047), visfatin ( r=0.521, P=0.015). Conclusion:Shift work can affect circadian clock, with increased visceral adiposity, pro-inflammatory adipokines, inflammatory factors and decreased insulin sensitivity in women without overweight/obese.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of double mini locking plate and anatomical locking plate in the treatment of comminuted olecranon fracture.Methods:The clinical data of 46 patients who underwent comminuted olecranon fracture in the Xi′an Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University from March 2017 to May 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 21 cases were treated with double mini locking plate (double plate group) and 25 cases with anatomical locking plate (single plate group). The operation time, patient satisfaction, range of motion, return to work time, soft tissue stimulation to remove internal fixation, Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS), disabilities of arm, shoulder and hand score (DASH) of the two fixation methods were statistically compared. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as ( ± s), and comparison between groups was conducted using the t test. Comparison between groups of count data was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Results:All 46 patients were followed up for to (19.17±2.79) months. All fractures healed after operation. There was no significant difference in operation time, range of motion, patient satisfaction, MEPS and DASH scores among the two groups( P>0.05). The time of returning to work was (8.47±2.13) weeks in the double plate group and (9.78±1.98) weeks in the single plate group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P< 0.05). There were 9 cases of internal fixation due to soft tissue stimulation, 1 cases in double plate group and 8 cases in single plate group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with anatomical locking plate, the treatment of olecranon fracture with double mini locking plate can effectively reduce soft tissue stimulation and promote patients to return to work early, and the operation time is not significantly prolonged, and the biomechanical advantage is obvious, the clinical effect is satisfactory and the postoperative function is good, so it is an effective treatment.

Objective:To introduce our modified hybrid bone transport technique using hindfoot arthrodesis nails combined with antibiotic-loaded calcium sulfate by comparison with conventional bone transport in the treatment of distal tibial osteomyelitis with bone defects involving the articular surface.Methods:The clinical data of 34 patients were retrospectively analyzed who had been treated at Department of Orthopaedics, Honghui Hospital for distal tibial osteomyelitis with bone defects involving the articular surface from September 2014 to September 2019. They were divided into 2 groups according to their way of repairing bone defects. In the modified group of 14 cases subjected to the treatment using the modified hybrid bone transport technique, there were 9 males and 5 females, with an age of (39.4±7.3) years. In the conventional group of 20 cases subjected to the treatment using conventional bone transport technique, there were 12 males and 8 females, with an age of (41.2±6.6) years. The external fixation time (EFT), external fixation index (EFI), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) were recorded and compared between the 2 groups. Healing of bone defects and function were evaluated at the last follow-up according to the criteria of Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov (ASAMI) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-posterior foot score, respectively. Complications were recorded according to the Paley classification.Results:There was no significant difference in the general data between the modified group and the conventional group, showing they were comparable ( P>0.05). Thirty-four patients were followed up for 18 to 32 months (average, 27 months) after operation. The modified group had significantly shorter EFT [(3.9±1.6) months] than the conventional group [(9.8±2.2) months], and significantly lower EFI [(0.48±0.09) months/cm] than the conventional group [(1.42±0.32) months/cm] ( P<0.05). The SAS [(48.1±4.7) points] in the modified group was significantly lower than that in the conventional group [(61.2±6.2) points], and the number of complications per capita in the former [(0.8±0.4)/case] was significantly smaller than that in the latter [(1.42±0.32)/case] ( P<0.05). There were no significan differences in the healing of bone defects or AOFSA ankle-posterior foot score ( P>0.05). In the modified group and the conventional group, respectively, 13 versus 12 patients were satisfied while 1 versus 8 patients unsatisfied, 1 versus 8 patients had grade-Ⅱ infection while 13 versus 12 patients did not, and 1 versus 9 patients had grade-Ⅲ infection while 13 versus 11 patients did not. There were significant differences between the 2 groups in the above indexes (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of distal tibial osteomyelitis with bone defects involving the articular surface, compared with conventional bone transport technique, our modified hybrid bone transport technique using hindfoot arthrodesis nails combined with antibiotic-loaded calcium sulfate may lead to better clinical efficacy due to the advantages of shorter external fixation time, lower external fixation index and fewer complications.

Objective:To observe the effects of continuous light exposure on skeletal muscle fiber type transformation and lipid metabolism, and to explore its internal relationship.Methods:Mice were randomly divided into normal light group and 24-hour continuous light group by random number table. The serum and skeletal muscle lipid content and urine 6-sulfatoxymelatonin(6-SML)level were detected by ELISA. The expression of circadian clock and lipid metabolism related genes mRNA were observed by realtime PCR. The muscle fiber type and lipid deposition were evaluated by tissue immunofluorescence as well as oil red O staining.Results:Compared with the normal light group, the level of 6-SML in urine at night decreased( P<0.05), and the expression level and rhythm of brain and muscle ARNT-like protein 1(Bmal1), circadian locomotor output cycles protein kaput(Clock), and period 2(Per2)mRNA in the skeletal muscle changed in continuous light group. In addition, the body weight, blood lipid, free fatty acid, and triglyceride contents of skeletal muscle in continuous light group increased significantly( P<0.05 or P<0.01), the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b (Cpt1b)mRNA, the key enzyme of fatty acid oxidation, decreased significantly( P<0.05), while the expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase(Scd1)mRNA, a lipid synthesis related gene, increased significantly( P<0.01). Further immunofluorescence analysis showed that the proportion of slow muscle fibers decreased and that of fast muscle fibers increased in continuous light group(both P<0.05). Conclusion:The process of ectopic deposition of lipid in skeletal muscle in mice induced by continuous light exposure may be related to the remodeling of skeletal muscle fibers.

Objective:To explore the distribution of serum TRAb IgG subtypes in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO) at different stages and its value in assessing TAO activity.Methods:Forty-three patients with TAO, 30 patients with Graves′ disease (GD group), 19 patients with Hashimoto′s thyroiditis (HT group), and 50 healthy subjects (NC group)admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected from August 2018 to February 2019. According to the clinical activity score (CAS), the patients with TAO were further divided into the active period group (AP group, CAS≥3 points, 22 cases) and the inactive period group (IP group, CAS<3 points, 21 cases). The basic clinical data of subjects in each group were collected. The serum concentrations of FT 3, FT 4, TSH, thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb) were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay and the binding rate in percentage (B) of serum TRAb IgG and IgG subtypes were detected by ELISA. The positive rate in each group and relative content of positive samples were compared. Results:(1)Compared with HT group, the positive rates of IgG1 and IgG2 in TAO group and GD group were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the relative content of positive TRAb IgG subtype among these disease groups ( P>0.05). (2)Compared with the IP group, IgG1(B) and the positive rates of IgG1 in the AP group were increased while IgG4(B) and the relative contents of IgG4 were reduced ( P<0.05). (3)IgG1(B)was positively correlated with TAO activity ( B=6.190, P=0.007), and higher IgG4(B)indicated more inclinations to the inactive period ( B=-16.390, P=0.052). (4) The area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for TAO developing into active period assessed by activity rate was 0.859 (95% CI 0.746-0.973, P<0.05). When the activity rate was 4.29, the Jordon index showed the largest, with sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 81.0%. Conclusions:Elevated levels of TRAb IgG1 in the patients with TAO indicate a tendency to active period, while elevated levels of TRAb IgG4 indicate a tendency to inactive period. The activity rate can provide a reference for assessing whether TAO is active or not.

This corrects the article “Analysis of Tau Protein Expression in Predicting Pathological Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Different Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer” in volume 23 on page 47.This article was initially published on the Journal of Breast Cancer with a misspelled the abbreviation in figure 3. The abbreviation ‘HP’ should be corrected as ‘HR’.

PURPOSE: Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that can be found in both normal and abnormal breast cells. Whether the expression of Tau protein can predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is still unclear. In this study, we assessed the role of Tau protein expression in predicting a pathological complete response (pCR) to NACT for different subtypes of breast cancer. METHODS: Four hundred and sixty-eight eligible patients were retrospectively recruited in our study. The relationship between clinicopathologic factors, including Tau protein expression, and pCR in different subtypes was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Correlation between Tau and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was performed using Kaplan–Meier analysis. RESULTS: The expression of Tau protein was negatively correlated with pCR, especially in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). No significant difference was observed in the luminal human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-negative subtype and HER2-positive subtype. Patients with pCR were associated with better DFS and OS (p < 0.05). However, Tau protein expression had no association with either DFS or OS (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Tau protein expression can predict pCR before NACT in TNBC, but there was no correlation between Tau expression and DFS or OS.