Capillary condensation under atomic-scale confinement.

Capillary condensation of water is ubiquitous in nature and technology. It routinely occurs in granular and porous media, can strongly alter such properties as adhesion, lubrication, friction and corrosion, and is important in many processes used by microelectronics, pharmaceutical, food and other industries1-4. The century-old Kelvin equation5 is frequently used to describe condensation phenomena and has been shown to hold well for liquid menisci with diameters as small as several nanometres1-4,6-14. For even smaller capillaries that are involved in condensation under ambient humidity and so of particular practical interest, the Kelvin equation is expected to break down because the required confinement becomes comparable to the size of water molecules1-22. Here we use van der Waals assembly of two-dimensional crystals to create atomic-scale capillaries and study condensation within them. Our smallest capillaries are less than four ångströms in height and can accommodate just a monolayer of water. Surprisingly, even at this scale, we find that the macroscopic Kelvin equation using the characteristics of bulk water describes the condensation transition accurately in strongly hydrophilic (mica) capillaries and remains qualitatively valid for weakly hydrophilic (graphite) ones. We show that this agreement is fortuitous and can be attributed to elastic deformation of capillary walls23-25, which suppresses the giant oscillatory behaviour expected from the commensurability between the atomic-scale capillaries and water molecules20,21. Our work provides a basis for an improved understanding of capillary effects at the smallest scale possible, which is important in many realistic situations.

Limits on gas impermeability of graphene.

Despite being only one-atom thick, defect-free graphene is considered to be completely impermeable to all gases and liquids1-10. This conclusion is based on theory3-8 and supported by experiments1,9,10 that could not detect gas permeation through micrometre-size membranes within a detection limit of 105 to 106 atoms per second. Here, using small monocrystalline containers tightly sealed with graphene, we show that defect-free graphene is impermeable with an accuracy of eight to nine orders of magnitude higher than in the previous experiments. We are capable of discerning (but did not observe) permeation of just a few helium atoms per hour, and this detection limit is also valid for all other gases tested (neon, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, krypton and xenon), except for hydrogen. Hydrogen shows noticeable permeation, even though its molecule is larger than helium and should experience a higher energy barrier. This puzzling observation is attributed to a two-stage process that involves dissociation of molecular hydrogen at catalytically active graphene ripples, followed by adsorbed atoms flipping to the other side of the graphene sheet with a relatively low activation energy of about 1.0 electronvolt, a value close to that previously reported for proton transport11,12. Our work provides a key reference for the impermeability of two-dimensional materials and is important from a fundamental perspective and for their potential applications.

Ballistic molecular transport through two-dimensional channels.

Gas permeation through nanoscale pores is ubiquitous in nature and has an important role in many technologies1,2. Because the pore size is typically smaller than the mean free path of gas molecules, the flow of the gas molecules is conventionally described by Knudsen theory, which assumes diffuse reflection (random-angle scattering) at confining walls3-7. This assumption holds surprisingly well in experiments, with only a few cases of partially specular (mirror-like) reflection known5,8-11. Here we report gas transport through ångström-scale channels with atomically flat walls12,13 and show that surface scattering can be either diffuse or specular, depending on the fine details of the atomic landscape of the surface, and that quantum effects contribute to the specularity at room temperature. The channels, made from graphene or boron nitride, allow helium gas flow that is orders of magnitude faster than expected from theory. This is explained by specular surface scattering, which leads to ballistic transport and frictionless gas flow. Similar channels, but with molybdenum disulfide walls, exhibit much slower permeation that remains well described by Knudsen diffusion. We attribute the difference to the larger atomic corrugations at molybdenum disulfide surfaces, which are similar in height to the size of the atoms being transported and their de Broglie wavelength. The importance of this matter-wave contribution is corroborated by the observation of a reversed isotope effect, whereby the mass flow of hydrogen is notably higher than that of deuterium, in contrast to the relation expected for classical flows. Our results provide insights into the atomistic details of molecular permeation, which previously could be accessed only in simulations10,14, and demonstrate the possibility of studying gas transport under controlled confinement comparable in size to the quantum-mechanical size of atoms.

[Clinical study of modified Shirodkar transvaginal cervical cerclage during pregnancy in the treatment of cervical insufficiency].

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of modified Shirodkar transvaginal cervical cerclage (TVCC) in the treatment of cervical insufficiency (CI) and its impact on maternal and fetal outcomes. Methods: The clinical data of 218 pregnant women with CI admitted to Fu Xing Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 1, 2015 to August 31, 2021 was retrospectively analyzed. According to different surgical approaches, they were divided into modified Shirodkar TVCC treatment during pregnancy (TVCC group, 108 cases) and non-pregnant women underwent laparoscopic cervical cerclage (LACC) treatment (LACC group, 110 cases). The clinical data and pregnancy outcomes of the two groups were compared. Furthermore, the two groups of pregnant women were stratified according to cervical length (CL) to explore the effects of the two surgical methods on the pregnancy outcomes of CI women with different CL. Results: (1) Related indicators before and during cerclage: there were no complications such as massive hemorrhage, bladder injury and anesthesia accident in the two groups of pregnant women during cerclage. Compared with the LACC group, TVCC group had longer preoperative CL [(2.3±0.6) vs (2.7±0.6) cm], more intraoperative blood loss [(7.5±0.5) vs (14.4±1.4) ml] and longer hospital stay [(6.0±0.1) vs (7.3±0.4) day]. However, the operation time was shorter [(42.9±1.6) vs (25.9±1.4) minute] and the hospitalization cost was less [(9 912±120) vs (5 598±140) yuan], and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (2) Pregnancy outcomes: live birth rates were 95.4% (103/108) in the TVCC group and 96.4% (106/110) in the LACC group, showing no significant difference between the two groups (χ2=2.211, P=0.232). The preterm birth rate (12.0%, 13/108) in the TVCC group was higher than that in the LACC group (7.3%, 8/110), the neonatal birth weight was lower than that in the LACC group [(3 006±96) vs (3 225±42) g], and the proportion of low birth weight infants was higher than that in the LACC group [15.5% (16/103) vs 1.9% (2/106)], and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (3) Stratified analysis of CL: for pregnant women with CL<2.0 cm, the miscarriage rate of the TVCC group was higher than that of the LACC group (2/9 vs 3.0%), and the live birth rate was lower than that of the LACC group (7/9 vs 97.0%), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). For CL 2.0-<2.5 cm, 2.5-<3.0 cm, CL≥3.0 cm, there were no statistically significant differences in preterm birth rate and live birth rate between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Modified Shirodkar TVCC is simple and easy to operate, which significantly reduces the cesarean section rate and medical cost compared with LACC, and there is no significant difference in the live birth rate. When there is inevitable late abortion, laparoscopic cerclage removal does not need to be performed again, which could reduce the second operation and is worthy of clinical application.

[Study of the predictive role of serum HBV RNA on HBeAg serological conversion in children with chronic hepatitis B].

Objective: To investigate the role of serum hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA) in predicting HBeAg serological conversion in children with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: 175 children aged 1~17 years with chronic hepatitis B who received interferon α (IFNα) for 48 weeks were selected. Patients were divided into HBeAg seroconversion and non-conversion based on whether HBeAg seroconversion occurred at 48 weeks of treatment.T-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare between groups; chisquare test or Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the frequency between groups of classified variables; and Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between indicators. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify influencing factors associated with HBeAg serological conversion. The predictive effect of HBV RNA, HBV DNA, and HBsAg on HBeAg serological conversion was compared and analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results: The seroconversion rate of HBeAg at 48 weeks was 36.0% (63/175). The reduction in HBVRNA levels from baseline to the 12th, 24th, 36th, and 48th weeks of antiviral therapy was significantly greater in the HBeAg serological conversion group than that in the non-conversion group, and the difference was statistically significant between the two groups (P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that age and a decline in HBV RNA levels at week 12 were independent predictors of HBeAg serological conversion. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of HBV RNA decline at week 12 was 0.677(95% CI∶0.549-0.806, P = 0.012), which was significantly better than the same period of AUROC of HBV DNA (0.657, 95% CI∶0.527-0.788, P = 0.025) and HBsAg (0.660, 95% CI∶0.526-0.795, P = 0.023) decline. HBV RNA levels decreased (>1.385 log10 copies/ml) at week 12, with a positive predictive value of 53.2%, a negative predictive value of 72.2%, a sensitivity of 77.4%, and a specificity of 57.9% for HBeAg seroconversion. Conclusion: HBV RNA level lowering during the 12th week of antiviral therapy can serve as an early predictor marker for HBeAg serological conversion in children with chronic hepatitis B.

Molecular transport through capillaries made with atomic-scale precision.

Nanometre-scale pores and capillaries have long been studied because of their importance in many natural phenomena and their use in numerous applications. A more recent development is the ability to fabricate artificial capillaries with nanometre dimensions, which has enabled new research on molecular transport and led to the emergence of nanofluidics. But surface roughness in particular makes it challenging to produce capillaries with precisely controlled dimensions at this spatial scale. Here we report the fabrication of narrow and smooth capillaries through van der Waals assembly, with atomically flat sheets at the top and bottom separated by spacers made of two-dimensional crystals with a precisely controlled number of layers. We use graphene and its multilayers as archetypal two-dimensional materials to demonstrate this technology, which produces structures that can be viewed as if individual atomic planes had been removed from a bulk crystal to leave behind flat voids of a height chosen with atomic-scale precision. Water transport through the channels, ranging in height from one to several dozen atomic planes, is characterized by unexpectedly fast flow (up to 1 metre per second) that we attribute to high capillary pressures (about 1,000 bar) and large slip lengths. For channels that accommodate only a few layers of water, the flow exhibits a marked enhancement that we associate with an increased structural order in nanoconfined water. Our work opens up an avenue to making capillaries and cavities with sizes tunable to ångström precision, and with permeation properties further controlled through a wide choice of atomically flat materials available for channel walls.

Square ice in graphene nanocapillaries.

Bulk water exists in many forms, including liquid, vapour and numerous crystalline and amorphous phases of ice, with hexagonal ice being responsible for the fascinating variety of snowflakes. Much less noticeable but equally ubiquitous is water adsorbed at interfaces and confined in microscopic pores. Such low-dimensional water determines aspects of various phenomena in materials science, geology, biology, tribology and nanotechnology. Theory suggests many possible phases for adsorbed and confined water, but it has proved challenging to assess its crystal structure experimentally. Here we report high-resolution electron microscopy imaging of water locked between two graphene sheets, an archetypal example of hydrophobic confinement. The observations show that the nanoconfined water at room temperature forms 'square ice'--a phase having symmetry qualitatively different from the conventional tetrahedral geometry of hydrogen bonding between water molecules. Square ice has a high packing density with a lattice constant of 2.83 Å and can assemble in bilayer and trilayer crystallites. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that square ice should be present inside hydrophobic nanochannels independently of their exact atomic nature.

[Postherpetic abdominal pseudohernia]. / L'image du mois. Pseudo-hernie abdominale post-zostérienne.

Postherpetic neuralgia is the most feared complication of herpes zoster (HZ). The incidence increases with age. Nevertheless, around 5 % of HZ patients will experience a motor deficiency known as segmental zoster paresis (SZP) according to the affected dermatome. Abdominal pseudohernia is an exceptional clinical presentation of SZP, involving the T6-L1 dermatomas. The recognition of this rare complication of HZ prevents unnecessary explorations and interventions. There is no specific treatment but in general the evolution is favorable and spontaneous healing is observed within several months.

La névralgie post-zostérienne est la complication la plus redoutée du zona, et son incidence augmente avec l'âge. Néanmoins, environ 5 % des patients peuvent également présenter une atteinte motrice appelée parésie segmentaire zostérienne (PSZ) et dont la clinique dépend du dermatome affecté. La pseudohernie abdominale est une forme exceptionnelle de PSZ, dépendant des dermatomes T6-L1. Reconnaître cette complication rare permet d'éviter des explorations et des interventions inutiles. Il n'y a pas de traitement spécifique et, en règle générale, l'évolution est spontanément favorable en quelques mois.

Proton transport through one-atom-thick crystals.

Graphene is increasingly explored as a possible platform for developing novel separation technologies. This interest has arisen because it is a maximally thin membrane that, once perforated with atomic accuracy, may allow ultrafast and highly selective sieving of gases, liquids, dissolved ions and other species of interest. However, a perfect graphene monolayer is impermeable to all atoms and molecules under ambient conditions: even hydrogen, the smallest of atoms, is expected to take billions of years to penetrate graphene's dense electronic cloud. Only accelerated atoms possess the kinetic energy required to do this. The same behaviour might reasonably be expected in the case of other atomically thin crystals. Here we report transport and mass spectroscopy measurements which establish that monolayers of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are highly permeable to thermal protons under ambient conditions, whereas no proton transport is detected for thicker crystals such as monolayer molybdenum disulphide, bilayer graphene or multilayer hBN. Protons present an intermediate case between electrons (which can tunnel easily through atomically thin barriers) and atoms, yet our measured transport rates are unexpectedly high and raise fundamental questions about the details of the transport process. We see the highest room-temperature proton conductivity with monolayer hBN, for which we measure a resistivity to proton flow of about 10 Ω cm(2) and a low activation energy of about 0.3 electronvolts. At higher temperatures, hBN is outperformed by graphene, the resistivity of which is estimated to fall below 10(-3) Ω cm(2) above 250 degrees Celsius. Proton transport can be further enhanced by decorating the graphene and hBN membranes with catalytic metal nanoparticles. The high, selective proton conductivity and stability make one-atom-thick crystals promising candidates for use in many hydrogen-based technologies.

[Innovations in physical and rehabilitation medicine]. / Innovations en médecine physique et réadaptation.

Over the last decade, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) is a medical specialty that has evolved considerably in the various fields that concern it : from the management of low back pain and lumbosciatalgia or osteoporosis in a multidisciplinary manner, through the use of new technologies in neuro-locomotor rehabilitation and robotisation in amputee patients for example, the development of regenerative medicine and prevention in sports traumatology and, finally, the progress of electrophysiology techniques for the diagnosis of small-fibre neuropathies. These various advances will be discussed in this article.

Au cours de la dernière décennie, la Médecine Physique et Réadaptation (MPR) est une spécialité médicale qui a fortement évolué dans les différents domaines qui la concernent : de la prise en charge des lombalgies et lombosciatalgies ou encore de l'ostéoporose de manière pluridisciplinaire, en passant par l'utilisation des nouvelles technologies en rééducation neuro-locomotrice et de la robotisation en rééducation, chez les patients amputés par exemple, le développement de la médecine à vocation régénérative et la prévention en traumatologie du sport et, enfin, les progrès des techniques d'électrophysiologie pour le diagnostic des neuropathies à petites fibres. Ces différentes avancées seront abordées dans cet article.

Calhm2 governs astrocytic ATP releasing in the development of depression-like behaviors.

Extracellular ATP is a widespread cell-to-cell signaling molecule in the brain, where it functions as a neuromodulator by activating glia and neurons. Although ATP exerts multiple effects on synaptic plasticity and neuro-glia interactions, as well as in mood disorders, the source and regulation of ATP release remain to be elaborated. Here, we define Calhm2 as an ATP-releasing channel protein based on in vitro and in vivo models. Conventional knockout and conditional astrocyte knockout of Calhm2 both lead to significantly reduced ATP concentrations, loss of hippocampal spine number, neural dysfunction and depression-like behaviors in mice, which can be significantly rescued by ATP replenishment. Our findings identify Calhm2 as a critical ATP-releasing channel that modulates neural activity and as a potential risk factor of depression.

The role of miR-145 in promoting the fibrosis of pulmonary fibroblasts.

The effects of miR-145 (microRNA 145) on M. pneumoniae (MP)-infected MRC-5 (Medical Research Council cell strain 5) cell TGF-ß/Smad (transforming growth factor beta/Smad) fibrosis pathway were explored through constructing MP-infected MRC-5 cell models. In addition, the qPCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of miR-145, TGF-ß1 (transforming growth factor beta 1), Smad3, Smad4, MMP2 (matrix metalloproteinase 2), FN1 (fibronectin 1), ELN (elastin) and COLI α1 (collagen type I alpha 1) signaling molecules in TGF-ß/Smad fibrosis pathway. The results showed that the expression of miR-145 in MRC-5 cells was significantly increased after MP infection. In addition, miR-145 inhibited the fibrosis promoting TGF-ß/Smad pathway by targeting Smad3, a key factor in the TGF-ß/Smad pathway. It can be concluded that, in the process of MP infection, the expression of miR-145 is stimulated to negatively regulate the fibrosis-promoting pathway of TGF-ß/Smad.

[A randomized controlled study on factors influencing the curative effect of sequential combined interferon and lamivudine therapy in children with immune-tolerant phase chronic hepatitis B].

Objective: To investigate the curative effect of antiviral therapy and related factors influencing the curative affect in children with immune-tolerant phase chronic hepatitis B. Methods: From May 2014 to April 2015, 46 children with chronic hepatitis B, aged 1 to 16 years with immune-tolerant phase were enrolled as the treatment group. All cases in the treated group either received interferon alpha (3-5 MIU/m(2), once daily) in lamivudine combination (if HBV DNA decreased < 2 log(10)) or repeatedly received interferon-alpha alone (if HBV DNA decreased >2 log(10)) for 12 weeks. Interferon was discontinued at 72 weeks and followed-up period was continued with lamivudine for 24 weeks. At the same time, data of 23 cases of untreated children with immune-tolerant phase chronic hepatitis B were collected as the control group. The treatment group and the control group were divided into two age groups: 1-7 years old and 7-15 years old. Data measurements were compared using t-test, analysis of variance and single factor analysis methods, and the count data were analyzed by χ (2) test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of different factors on response. Results: (1) There were 22 cases aged 1-7 years in the treatment group (47.8%) and 12 cases aged 1-7 years in the control group (52.2%). The cases of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) in treatment and control group were 34 (73.9%) and 17 (73.9%), while children with normal baseline ALT in the treatment and control group were 18 (39.1%) and 10 (43.5%). (2) At the end of follow-up, 15 cases in the treatment group (32.6%) had HBeAg serological conversion. Among them, nine (19.6%) cases had HBsAg clearance or HB-Ag seroconversion with anti-HBs, and one (2.2%) case had HBsAg clearance, but both HBeAg and anti-HBe were positive. In the control group, one case had HBV DNA lower than the lower limit of detection level, and one case had HBeAg seroconversion without HBsAg clearance. (3) At the end of follow-up, the seroconversion rates of HBeAg in patients aged 1 to 7 years and patients aged 7 to 15 years were 45.5% and 20.8%, respectively (P = 0.078) and the clearance rates of HBsAg were 36.4% and 8.3% (P = 0.023). The serum conversion rates of normal and abnormal baseline alanine aminotransferase levels were 5.6% and 50.0% (P = 0.005), and the clearance rates of HBsAg were 5.6% and 32.1% (P = 0.077), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in gender, mother-to-child transmission, HBV DNA genotyping and baseline HBsAg level in antiviral efficacy among children (P > 0.05). (4) HBsAg and HBeAg clearance occurred in 100% of patients at the end of follow-up who had HBsAg < 3 000 IU/ml at 24 weeks of treatment. (5) Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum HBeAg conversion rate had relation with non-MTCT transmission and abnormal baseline alanine aminotransferase. Furthermore, HBsAg clearance rate was associated with the age of children. Conclusion: Sequential combination of interferon and lamivudine with a prolonged course can improve the HBV DNA negative conversion rate, HBeAg seroconversion rate, HBsAg loss rate and mild ALT abnormalities at baseline in children under the age of 7 years with immune-tolerant phase chronic hepatitis B.

Ultrathin graphene-based membrane with precise molecular sieving and ultrafast solvent permeation.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes continue to attract intense interest due to their unique molecular sieving properties combined with fast permeation. However, their use is limited to aqueous solutions because GO membranes appear impermeable to organic solvents, a phenomenon not yet fully understood. Here, we report efficient and fast filtration of organic solutions through GO laminates containing smooth two-dimensional (2D) capillaries made from large (10-20 µm) flakes. Without modification of sieving characteristics, these membranes can be made exceptionally thin, down to ∼10 nm, which translates into fast water and organic solvent permeation. We attribute organic solvent permeation and sieving properties to randomly distributed pinholes interconnected by short graphene channels with a width of 1 nm. With increasing membrane thickness, organic solvent permeation rates decay exponentially but water continues to permeate quickly, in agreement with previous reports. The potential of ultrathin GO laminates for organic solvent nanofiltration is demonstrated by showing >99.9% rejection of small molecular weight organic dyes dissolved in methanol. Our work significantly expands possibilities for the use of GO membranes in purification and filtration technologies.

Early improvement in PANSS-30, PANSS-8, and PANSS-6 scores predicts ultimate response and remission during acute treatment of schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: PANSS-8 and PANSS-6 are derived from the 30-item Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-30). We investigate whether PANSS-8 or PANSS-6 is a reliable, valid, sensitive to change measure, and scalable, and whether early improvement using them can predict response/remission. METHOD: Data were from 3 trials for 270 schizophrenia inpatients receiving antipsychotics. Internal consistency, validity, sensitivity to change, and scalability using PANSS-30, PANSS-8, and PANSS-6 at each assessment were examined. Early improvement was defined as at least 20% reduction of PANSS-30, PANSS-8, or PANSS-6 scores at week 2. Response was defined as at least 40% reduction of PANSS-30 and remission as a score of PANSS-8 ≤ 3 on each item at endpoint. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine which rating scale had better discriminative capacity. RESULTS: PANSS-8 and PANSS-6 showed acceptable internal consistency, were highly correlated with PANSS-30, and had sensitivity to change. PANSS-8 and PANSS-6 were scalable at each assessment, except for PANSS-6 at baseline. Early improvement using PANSS-8 or PANSS-6 had comparable predictive values with that of PANSS-30 for response/remission. CONCLUSION: PANSS-8 and PANSS-6 are clinically useful measures. Early improvement, regardless of whether PANSS-30, PANSS-8, or PANSS-6 is used, is a statistically significant predictor of response/remission.

[A retrospective study on HBsAg clearance rate after antiviral therapy in children with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B aged 1-7 years].

Objective: To investigate the HBsAg clearance rate after antiviral therapy in children with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) aged 1-7 years. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the HBsAg clearance rate in 293 children who were hospitalized in 302 Hospital of PLA from June 2006 to December 2013, met the inclusion criteria, received antiviral therapy, and were followed up for at least 6 months after the withdrawal of antiviral therapy. The t-test or the rank sum test was applied according to the distribution of continuous data, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data. Results: The HBsAg positive rate of children's mothers was 91.1%. In the age groups of >1-≤2 years, >2-≤3 years, >3-≤4 years, >4-≤5 years, >5-≤6 years, and >6-≤7 years, the HBsAg clearance rates were 66.1%, 65.5%, 45.7%, 41.3%, 20.6%, and 27.6%, respectively. There were significant differences in HBsAg clearance rate between the age groups of >1-≤3 years and >3-≤5 years, >1-≤3 years and >5-≤7 years, and >3-≤5 years and >5-≤7 years (P = 0.001, 0.000, and 0.008). Of all children, 64.8% were boys, among whom 41.1% achieved HBsAg clearance, and 35.2% were girls, among whom 61.2% achieved HBsAg clearance; there was a significant difference in HBsAg clearance rate between boys and girls (P = 0.001). The children with pretreatment alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels of ≤80 IU/L, > 80 IU/L, ≤200 IU/L, and > 200 IU/L had HBsAg clearance rates of 40.7%, 51.2%, 47.6%, and 49.4%, respectively; there were no significant differences in HBsAg clearance rate between the ALT ≤80 IU/L and ALT > 80 IU/L groups and the ALT ≤200 IU/L and ALT > 200 IU/L groups (P = 0.101 and 0.778). There was no significant difference in HBsAg clearance rate between the pretreatment HBV DNA load < 1×107 IU/ml and ≥1×107 IU/ml groups (54.9% vs 46.7%, P = 0.286). Of all children, 14.2% had genotype B and an HBsAg clearance rate of 57.1%, and 85% had genotype C and an HBsAg clearance rate of 39.5%; there was no significant difference in HBsAg clearance rate between the genotype B group and the genotype C group (P = 0.051). Of all children, 90.4% underwent liver biopsy, among whom 10.9% had severe liver fibrosis (F≥3) and liver cirrhosis, as well as an HBsAg clearance rate of 31%; the non-severe liver fibrosis/liver cirrhosis group had an HBsAg clearance rate of 49.2%, and there was no significant difference in HBsAg clearance rate between these two groups (P = 0.065). There was no significant difference in HBsAg clearance rate between the liver inflammation grade (G) < 2 group and the G ≥ 2 group (39.5% vs 50.9%, P = 0.084). Of all children, 58.7% received interferon antiviral therapy alone and had an HBsAg clearance rate of 48.8%, and 41.3% received interferon alone for 6 months followed by lamivudine antiviral therapy and had an HBsAg clearance rate of 47.1%; there was no significant difference between these two groups (P = 0.770). Conclusion: In children with HBeAg-positive CHB aged 1-7 years who receive antiviral therapy, HBsAg clearance rate is correlated with age and sex, and the children aged < 5 years can achieve a higher HBsAg clearance rate.

[The anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome: a case report]. / LE CAS CLINIQUE DU MOIS. Le syndrome tarsien antérieur.

The anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome is a rare entrapment neuropathy of the deep peroneal nerve beneath the inferior extensor retinaculum of the ankle. It is frequently unrecognized and may lead to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. We report the case of a 77 year old patient complaining of symptoms of an anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome with neuropathic pain located at the dorsal part of the foot, without any sensorimotor loss. The ENMG was in favour of a motor impairment of the deep peroneal nerve. MRI exploration of the ankle showed a millimetric bony overgrowth of the upper pole of the navicular bone, irritative to the deep peroneal nerve. Infiltration at overgrowth of the navicular provided a partial and temporary decrease in pain symptoms. Surgical nerve decompression was then considered.