Objective To explore the correlation value of high-resolution MRI on the cause,location and degree of nerve root com-pression and clinical symptoms of lumbar intervertebral foramen stenosis.Methods Patients with sciatic neuralgia underwent con-ventional MRI examination of the lumbar spine before treatment.MRI thin layer(1 mm)intervertebral disc axial scan was performed on patients with suspected L4/L5 and L5/S1 intervertebral foramen stenosis,and the value of conventional MRI and high-resolution MRI on intervertebral foramen stenosis location,etiology and Elisabeth typing was compared and analyzed.Intervertebral foramen mor-phometric indicators,nerve root length and short diameter were measured on high-resolution MRI post-processed images and their correlation with visual analogue scale(VAS)scores of clinical symptoms was analyzed.Results Sixty-one patients were effectively diagnosed with intervertebral foramen stenosis and nerve root compression after surgery or conservative treatment.The diagnosis rate of conventional MRI for the cause of intervertebral foramen stenosis was 75.4％,and the diagnosis rate of high-resolution MRI post-processed was 91.8％.The Elisabeth typing of lumbar intervertebral foramen stenosis was positively correlated with clinical symp-toms,while the nerve root short diameter and peri-nerve fat space area were negatively correlated with VAS score.Conclusion High-resolution MRI is significantly better than conventional MRI for the diagnosis of nerve root compression in intervertebral fora-men stenosis.It visually shows the location,cause and degree of nerve root compression,which can better guide the clinical and accu-rate minimally invasive surgery.

Objective To investigate the impact of intrauterine infection combined with perinatal antibi-otic treatment on early neonatal gut microbiota.Methods Forty-six full term neonates delivered and hospital-ized in the Pediatrics Department of Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January to June 2022 were selected as the study subjects.They were divided into the observation group (hav-ing,n=22) and the control group (not having,n=24) according to whether or not the mothers having chorio-amnionitis.The fecal samples were collected from the subjects on 0-2 d and 5-7 d after birth.The high-throughput sequencing technology was applied to conduct the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis in the fecal samples.The diversity,classification and relative abundance of gut floras were compared.Results Compared with the control group,the antibiotics use rate in prenatal and neonatal period in the observation group was higher,the antibiotic use duration in the neonatal period was longer,and the differences were statistically sig-nificant (P<0.05).The Shannon index on 5-7 d after birth in the two groups was increased compared with that on 0-2 d,moreover the observation group was lower than the control group,and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).The two groups of gut floras were mainly composed of Proteobacteria,Fir-micutes,Bacteroidetes,and Actinobacteria. Compared with the control group,the relative abundance of Pro-teobacteria on 5-7 d after birth in the observation group was higher,and the relative abundance of Actinobac-teria was lower,the differences were statistical significant (P<0.05). The two groups of gut floras were mainly composed of Bifidobacterium,Enterococcus,Streptococcus,Klebsiella,Bacteroidetes,and Escherichia/Shigella genera.Compared with the control group,the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium,Streptococcus and Bacteroides on 5-7 d after birth in the observation group was lower,the relative abundance of Klebsiella,and Escherichia/Shigella was higher,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion In-trauterine infection and perinatal antibiotic treatment decrease the diversity of early neonatal gut flora,and the development of specific floras is delayed.

Objective:To explore the effect of Baduanjin on gait parameters and serum nerve growth factor in Parkinson disease (PD) patients with freezing of gait(FOG).Methods:From December 2021 to December 2022, thirty-eight PD patients with FOG who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into observation group ( n=18) and control group ( n=20) by random number table.The patients in both two groups received 4 weeks of drug therapy combined with basic rehabilitation treatment respectively, and the patients in observation group received additional Baduanjin training.Efficacy was evaluated 1 day before intervention and after 4 weeks of intervention through unified Parkinson's disease rating scale-Ⅱ(UPDRS-Ⅱ) item 14, freezing of gait questionnaire (FOGQ), gait starting time, gait cycle, stride length, dynamic plantar peak pressure and average pressure, while the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor(GDNF) in peripheral blood of patients were tested.SPSS 23.0 software was used to conduct Chi-square test, paired t-test, independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results:Before treatment, there were no significant differences in score of UPDRS-Ⅱ item 14, FOGQ score, gait starting time, gait cycle, stride length, dynamic planar peak pressure, average pressure, peripheral blood BDNF level and GDNF level between the two groups ( t=-0.542, 0.562, 0.490, 0.674, 0.440, 0.606, -0.835, -0.873, -0.250, all P>0.05). After treatment, compared with the control group, dynamic plantar peak pressure (control group (14.26±3.23) N/cm 2, observation group (11.40±4.13) N/cm 2, t=-2.389, P=0.022) and plantar average pressure (control group (3.34±0.72) N/cm 2, observation group (2.79±0.81) N/cm 2, t=-2.209, P=0.034) of the observation group were significantly decreased (both P<0.05). There were no significant differences in UPDRS-Ⅱ item 14, FOGQ score, gait starting time, gait cycle, stride length, BDNF and GDNF concentrations in peripheral blood between the two groups after treatment (all P>0.05). The difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment of FOGQ score (control group 1.00 (0.00, 1.00) , observation group 2.00 (0.75, 3.00), Z=-2.547, P=0.011), gait starting time (control group -1.04 (-1.86, -0.47)s, observation group -2.34 (-3.41, -1.03) s, Z=-2.280, P=0.023), gait cycle (control group 0.29 (0.08, 0.58)s, observation group 0.35 (0.16, 1.00) s, Z=-2.748, P=0.006), stride length(control group 0.19 (0.14, 0.24) m, observation group 0.26 (0.23, 0.38)m, Z=-1.360, P=0.005), the dynamic plantar peak pressure (control group -4.11 (-5.87, -2.57) N/cm 2, observation group -8.44 (-10.12, -4.81) N/cm 2, Z=-3.333, P=0.001) and average pressure (control group -0.55 (-1.00, -0.03) N/cm 2, observation group -1.11 (-1.51, -0.66) N/cm 2, Z=-2.062, P=0.009) in the observation group were better than those in the control group.After treatment, the BDNF level in peripheral blood in observation group was higher than before treatment( t=-2.315, P=0.033). Conclusion:Baduanjin can improve frozen gait score and gait parameters in PD patients with FOG, which may be related to the increase of peripheral blood BDNF.

Objective:To investigate the current status of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in China, and to provide supporting data and reference for the development of endoscopic treatment.Methods:In this study, initiated by the Liver Health Consortium in China (CHESS), a questionnaire was designed and distributed online to investigate the basic condition of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in 2022 in China. Questions included annual number and indication of endoscopic procedures, adherence to guideline for preventing esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB), management and timing of emergent EGVB, management of gastric and isolated varices, and improvement of endoscopic treatment. Proportions of hospitals concerning therapeutic choices to all participant hospitals were calculated. Guideline adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals were compared by using Chi-square test.Results:A total of 836 hospitals from 31 provinces (anotomous regions and municipalities) participated in the survey. According to the survey, the control of acute EGVB (49.3%, 412/836) and the prevention of recurrent bleeding (38.3%, 320/836) were major indications of endoscopic treatment. For primary [non-selective β-blocker (NSBB) or endoscopic therapies] and secondary prophylaxis (NSBB and endoscopic therapies) of EGVB, adherence to domestic guideline was 72.5% (606/836) and 39.2% (328/836), respectively. There were significant differences in the adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals in primary prophylaxis of EGVB [71.0% (495/697) VS 79.9% (111/139), χ2=4.11, P=0.033] and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB [41.6% (290/697) VS 27.3% (38/139), χ2=9.31, P=0.002]. A total of 78.2% (654/836) hospitals preferred endoscopic therapies treating acute EGVB, and endoscopic therapy was more likely to be the first choice for treating acute EGVB in tertiary hospitals (82.6%, 576/697) than secondary hospitals [56.1% (78/139), χ2=46.33, P<0.001]. The optimal timing was usually within 12 hours (48.5%, 317/654) and 12-24 hours (36.9%, 241/654) after the bleeding. Regarding the management of gastroesophageal varices type 2 and isolated gastric varices type 1, most hospitals used cyanoacrylate injection in combination with sclerotherapy [48.2% (403/836) and 29.9% (250/836), respectively], but substantial proportions of hospitals preferred clip-assisted therapies [12.4% (104/836) and 26.4% (221/836), respectively]. Improving the skills of endoscopic doctors (84.2%, 704/836), and enhancing the precision of pre-procedure evaluation and quality of multidisciplinary team (78.9%, 660/836) were considered urgent needs in the development of endoscopic treatment. Conclusion:A variety of endoscopic treatments for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension are implemented nationwide. Participant hospitals are active to perform emergent endoscopy for acute EGVB, but are inadequate in following recommendations regarding primary and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB. Moreover, the selection of endoscopic procedures for gastric varices differs greatly among hospitals.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of unilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) and unilateral PKP combined with posterior medial branch block of the contralateral spinal nerve in the treatment of lumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) in the elderly.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 161 aged patients with newly developed lumbar OVCF, admitted to Xi′an Central Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University School of Medicine from January 2019 to January 2023, including 58 males and 103 females, aged 61-88 [(72.9±6.3)years]. All the patients were diagnosed with type II compression fracture based on acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture classification (ASOTLF). Seventy-eight patients underwent unilateral PKP (PKP group), while the other 83 patients underwent unilateral PKP combined with posterior medial branch block of the contralateral spinal nerve (PKP+contralateral block group). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and length of hospital stay were recorded. Beck index of the injured vertebra, Cobb angle of lumbar lordosis, Roland-Morris disability (RMD) score, visual analogue scale (VAS), and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were evaluated before operation, at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months after operation, and at the last follow-up. The incidence of complications such as cement leakage was recorded as well.Results:All the patients were followed up for 6-8 months [(6.7±0.6)months]. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, or length of hospital stay ( P>0.05). The Beck index of the injured vertebra and Cobb angle of lumbar lordosis were not significantly different between the two groups before operation, at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months after operation, and at the last follow-up ( P>0.05). The RMD score of the injured vertebra, VAS score, and ODI were not significantly different between the two groups before operation ( P>0.05). At 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months after operation, and at the last follow-up, the RMD scores in the PKP+contralateral block group were (11.23±1.05)points, (10.90±1.11)points, (10.10±1.06)points, (9.94±1.06)points, and (9.60±0.83)points respectively, which were all lower than (17.55±0.71)points, (15.78±0.86)points, (13.42±0.92)points, (10.67±0.78)points, and (9.78±0.72)points in the PKP group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); the VAS scores in the PKP+contralateral block group were (3.02±0.60)points, (2.96±0.55)points, (2.92±0.57)points, (2.88±0.61)points, and (2.70±0.51)points respectively, which were all lower than (3.60±0.57)points, (3.47±0.55)points, (3.32±0.46)points, (2.99±0.47)points, and (2.77±0.42)points in the PKP group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); the ODI values in the PKP+contralateral block group were 14.43±1.29, 14.54±1.24, 14.63±1.32, 14.37±1.31, and 13.42±1.45 respectively, which were all lower than 16.72±1.64, 16.09±1.49, 14.82±1.53, 14.74±1.46, and 13.69±1.75 in the PKP group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The bone cement leakage rate was 12.0% (10/83) in the PKP+contralateral block group, similar to 11.5% (9/78) in the PKP group ( P>0.05). No other complications such as neurovascular injury, pulmonary embolism or adjacent vertebral fracture were found in either groups. Conclusion:In the treatment of lumbar OVCF in the elderly, unilateral PKP combined with posterior medial branch block of the contralateral spinal nerve is similar to unilateral PKP in terms of the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, effectiveness of reduction, and incidence of complications, but it can achieve better pain relief and more satisfactory functional recovery.

Objective:To investigate the correlation of the expression of Ephrin A receptor 2(EphA2)and its promoter region DNA hypomethylation with the occurrence of pyroptosis in invasive breast cancer. Methods:The expression level of pyroptosis-related protein EphA2 in normal breast tissue,paracancerous tissues and cancer tissues from 42 breast cancer patients was examined by Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting.The expression level of pyroptosis related protein nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting.The expression levels of apoptosis related proteins Caspase 1 and inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β(IL-1 β)were studied by Western blotting.The DNA methylation level in the promoter region of EphA2 was investigated by nested methylation-specific PCR(nMS-PCR).The expression levels of DNA methyltransferase 1(DNMT1)and DNA methyltransferase 3a(DNMT3a)were examined by Western blotting.The correlation of the protein expression and methylation level of EphA2 in cancer tissues with the expression NLRP3,Caspase 1,IL-1 β,DNMT1 and DNMT3a was analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient. Results:Compared with normal breast tissues and paracancerous tissues,the expression level of EphA2 protein was significantly increased(P＜0.01),while that of NLRP3,Caspasel and IL-1 βwas significantly decreased(P＜0.05)in breast cancer tissues.Meanwhile,compared with normal breast tissues and paracancerous tissues,the DNA methylation level of EphA2 promoter in breast cancer tissues was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the expression level DNMT3a protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),and the difference in the expression level of DNMT1 protein was not statistically significant.Pearson correlation analysis showed that the expression level of EphA2 protein is negatively correlated with that of NLRP3(r=-0.651 2,P＜0.05),Caspasel(r=-0.571 2,P＜0.05),IL-1β(r=-0.654 6,P＜0.05)or DNMT3a(r=-0.537 4,P＜0.05),while the methylation level of EphA2 was positively correlated with the protein expression level of NLRP3(r=0.634 1,P=0.026 8),Caspase1(r=0.672 8,P=0.01 6 5),IL-1 β(r=0.694 0,P=0.01 2 3)and DNMT3a(r=0.687 1,P=0.01 3 6). Conclusion:The expression of EphA2 protein is upregulated in breast cancer tissues is negatively correlated with pyroptosis.DNMT3a may be involved in the process of DNA hypomethylation in the promoter region of EphA2.

Humans ; Arthroscopy ; Injections, Intra-Articular ; Hip Joint/surgery* ; Pain ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To analyze the outcomes of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) after the implementation and quality improvement of an intervention program from the prenatal period to delivery room and the factors influencing the mortality of EPIs.Methods:This was a retrospective study involving 185 EPIs admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2021. The intervention program from the prenatal period to delivery room was implemented in our hospital in January 2018, according to which, EPIs who were admitted before this time were grouped as the historical group ( n=45) and those who were admitted after as the program group ( n=140). The survival rate and morbidity of the two groups were analyzed and compared using t test, Mann Whitney U test, and Chi-square test. The factors influencing the mortality of EPIs were analyzed by univariate screening and logistic regression. Results:(1) The median gestational age of these EPIs was 26 +6 weeks, ranging from 23 +3 to 27 +6 weeks, and the median birth weight was 950 g, ranging from 390 g to 1 290 g. (2) After the intervention, the proportion of patients in whom the neonatologists were involved in prenatal consultation, women who received a full course of antenatal corticosteroid and magnesium sulfate, and cesarean delivery as well as the neonatal temperature on admission to NICU all increased significantly [77.1% (108/140) vs 8.9% (4/45); 67.9% (95/140) vs 35.6% (16/45); 67.1% (94/140) vs 48.9% (22/45); 44.3% (62/140) vs 17.8% (8/45); 36.6 ℃ (36.3-36.9 ℃) vs 35.2 ℃ (35.0-35.3 ℃), respectively, χ2 or Z values were 66.41, 14.81, 4.85, 10.17 and－9.34, respectively, all P<0.05]. Both delayed cord clamping (DCC) and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) were included in the intervention program, with implementation rates from zero before to 67.9% (95/140) and 89.3%(125/140), respectively. Compared to the historical group, the proportion of infants with 1-minute Apgar score ≤3, endotracheal intubation in the delivery room or mechanical ventilation within 72 h after birth were decreased in the program group [7.1% (10/140) vs 17.8% (8/45), 37.1% (52/140) vs 73.3% (33/45), 38.6% (54/140) vs 57.8% (26/45), χ2 values were 4.39, 17.96 and 5.12, respectively. all P<0.05]. (3) After the intervention, the overall survival rate of EPIs and that among those with gestational age from 27 to 27 +6 weeks were significantly improved [72.9% (102/140) vs 53.3% (24/45), OR=2.349, P=0.015; 84.1% (53/63) vs 56.6% (13/23), OR=4.077, P=0.007]. Although the incidence of periventricular and intraventricular hemorrhage, late-onset sepsis, and retinopathy of prematurity showed a downward trend, the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05) (4) Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 1-minute Apgar score ≤3 ( OR=8.890, 95% CI:2.005-39.412), low 5-minute Apgar score ( OR=1.468, 95% CI:1.103-1.953), and higher rate of mechanical ventilation within 72 h ( OR=7.165, 95% CI:2.942-17.449) were independent risk factors for the mortality of EPIs; and using nCPAP in the delivery room ( OR=0.314, 95% CI:0.137-0.719) and birth weight ( OR=0.996, 95% CI:0.993-0.999) were protective factors. Conclusions:Early interventions for EPIs in the prenatal period or the delivery room, the quality improvement program, including intrapartum temperature management, DCC, and nCPAP, is likely to improve the survival rate and outcome of EPIs.

Objective:To analyze the patterns of antibacterial agents in Chinese children surveyed by the China multi-center monitoring network for the application of antibacterial agents in children and neonates in 2019 by using World Health Organization (WHO) Access, Watch, Reserve and Not-recommended (AWaRe) and typical anatomical/therapeutic/chemical (ATC) in this study.Methods:The cross-sectional method was adopted.A multi-center cross-sectional survey was conducted on one day from September to December 2019.The information of all inpatients taking antibiotics was uploaded to the network-based data collection system (https: //garpec-31.mobilemd.cn/login.aspx? relogin=true). This study covered 13 hospitals from 10 provinces and cities in China.All hospitalized children in the Respiratory Department, Infectious Disease Department, General Surgery Department, Pediatric Intensive Care Units, Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Neonatology joined in this survey.The clinically used antibacterial agents were classified by AWaRe and ATC, and the AWaRe and ATC distributions of antibacterial agents prescribed for Chinese children and neonates were described.Results:Of the 2 644 antibiotic prescriptions included from 13 hospitals, 2 134 (80.71%) were for children and 510 (19.29%) were for neonates.Of all antibiotic prescriptions, there were 368 (13.92%) Access antibiotics prescriptions, 1 973 (74.62%) Watch prescriptions, 60 (2.27%) Reserve prescriptions and 243 (9.19%) Not-recommended prescriptions.The top-five antibiotics prescribed for children and neonates were third-generation cephalosporins (1 056, 39.94%), macrolides (492, 18.61%), carbapenems (275, 10.40%), beta lactam-beta lactamase inhibitors (246, 9.30%), and second-generation cephalosporins (136, 5.14%). The use ratios of Access, Watch, Reserve and Not-recommended antibiotics in each center ranged from 0 to 30.00%, 36.67% to 97.20%, 0 to 17.02% and 0 to 33.33%, respectively.In 1 360 antibiotic prescriptions for children and neonates with pneumonia, there were 152 (11.18%) Access antibiotics, 1 051 (77.28%) Watch antibiotics, 37 (2.72%) Reserve antibiotics, and 120 (8.82%) Not-recommended antibiotics.The top-five antibiotics prescribed for children with pneumonia were third-generation cephalosporins (522, 38.38%), macrolides (388, 28.53%), beta lactam-beta lactamase inhibitors (141, 10.37%), carbapenems (117, 8.6%) and penicillins (49, 3.60%).Conclusions:Watch antibiotics and broad spectrum antibiotics such as third-generation cephalosporins and macrolides prone to induce resistance are the main antibacterial agents used in Chinese children and neonates with pneumonia.Broad-spectrum antibiotics may be overused in Chinese children and neonates.

Development of thoracolumbar vertebra (TLV) and rib primordium (RP) is a common evolutionary feature across vertebrates, although whole-organism analysis of the expression dynamics of TLV- and RP-related genes has been lacking. Here, we investigated the single-cell transcriptome landscape of thoracic vertebra (TV), lumbar vertebra (LV), and RP cells from a pig embryo at 27 days post-fertilization (dpf) and identified six cell types with distinct gene expression signatures. In-depth dissection of the gene expression dynamics and RNA velocity revealed a coupled process of osteogenesis and angiogenesis during TLV and RP development. Further analysis of cell type-specific and strand-specific expression uncovered the extremely high level of HOXA10 3'-UTR sequence specific to osteoblasts of LV cells, which may function as anti-HOXA10-antisense by counteracting the HOXA10-antisense effect to determine TLV transition. Thus, this work provides a valuable resource for understanding embryonic osteogenesis and angiogenesis underlying vertebrate TLV and RP development at the cell type-specific resolution, which serves as a comprehensive view on the transcriptional profile of animal embryo development.