A novel strategy for the quality control of carbonized Typhae pollen using colorimeter, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and efficacy evaluation coupled with multivariate statistical analysis.

In this study, a novel quality control strategy was proposed, aiming to establish a multivariate specification for the processing step by exploring the correlation between colors, chemical components, and hemostatic effects of the carbonized Typhae pollen (CTP) using multivariate statistical analysis. The CTP samples were stir-fried at different durations. Afterward, the colorimeter and LC-MS techniques were applied to characterize the CTP samples, followed by the determination of bleeding time and clotting time using mice to evaluate their hemostatic effect. Then, principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and multi-block partial least squares were used for data analysis on colors, chemical components, and their correlation with the hemostatic effect. Consequently, 13 critical quality attributes (CQAs) of CTP were identified via multivariate statistical analysis-L*, a*, b*, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, azelaic acid, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin. The multivariate specification method involving the 13 CQAs was developed and visualized in the latent variable space of the partial least squares model, indicating that the proposed method was successfully applied to assess the quality of CTP and the degree of carbonization. Most importantly, this study offers a novel insight into the control of processing for carbonized Chinese herbal medicines.

The relationship between calcium (water) density and age distribution in adult women with spectral CT: initial result compared to bone mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

BACKGROUND: Calcium (water) density (DCa(Wa)) of gemstone spectral imaging by spectral computed tomography (CT) is a new method of evaluating bone structures. PURPOSE: To investigate age-related change of DCa(Wa) of a chosen lumbar vertebra in adult women with spectral CT and the correlation between the DCa(Wa) and bone mineral density (BMD) of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 305 adult women underwent spectral CT, 127 of whom simultaneously underwent DXA. All the patients were divided into 11 subgroups based on age. DCa(Wa) and BMD were measured at the second lumbar vertebra on the calcium (water)-based material decomposition images of spectral CT and DXA, respectively. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for the difference of the measurements among adjacent age subgroups. Pearson correlation was used to assess the association between age and DCa(Wa), age and BMD, as well as DCa(Wa) and BMD. RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between DCa(Wa) and age (r = -0.719) as well as BMD and age(r = -0.851). The mean DCa(Wa) of L2 vertebral body was significantly different between the 40-44- and 45-49-, 45-49- and 50-54-, 55-59- and 60-64-, 65-69- and 70-74-year-old age subgroups. BMD was significantly different between the 35-39- and 40-44-, 45-49- and 50-54-, and 65-69- and 70-74-year-old age subgroups. There was a significant positive correlation between DCa(Wa) and BMD. CONCLUSIONS: The DCa(Wa) of lumbar vertebra by spectral CT demonstrated similar age distribution as BMD of DXA and could be used as a method of measuring the vertebral bone mineral density in adult women.

Virtual monochromatic spectral imaging for the evaluation of vertebral inconspicuous osteoblastic metastases from lung.

Background The diagnosis of inconspicuous osteoblastic metastases (OBMs) is a challenge in computed tomography (CT) images. The virtual monochromatic spectral (VMS) image of spectral CT is useful for the detection of the low-contrast lesions. Purpose To select the optimal monochromatic level for VMS images of spectral CT for detecting and diagnosing inconspicuous OBMs of the vertebra from lung cancer. Material and Methods Thirty-five patients underwent spectral CT for chest or abdomen. The CT number and standard deviation (SD) of lesions and adjacent normal bone and the SD value of subcutaneous fat were measured on the conventional polychromatic image (140 kVp) and 40-140 keV VMS images. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was compared among the 11 VMS images and 140 kVp images. The scores of two observers for different images and the inter-observer agreement were evaluated. The diameter and CNR of the detected and missed lesions were assessed. Results The lowest image noise was distributed in 70 and 140 keV images and the highest CNR was noted in 70 keV images. Good and moderate inter-observer agreement were identified for the evaluation of diagnostic ability, and the subjective scores of two observers for 60 and 70 keV images were increased compared with 140 kVp images ( P < 0.05). The diameter had no significant difference between the detected and missed lesions. The CNR of the missed lesions was reduced compared with detected lesions. Conclusion VMS images at 70 keV may be optimal for detecting and diagnosing inconspicuous OBMs from lung cancer.

Association between weight-adjusted-waist index and depression: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Depression has become a multifaceted global health issue, with complex connections to obesity. Weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) can effectively evaluate central obesity, but the relationship between WWI and depression has not been well studied. The study aims to investigate the potential correlation between these two health parameters. Methods: According to the data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, this cross-sectional study used multiple regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and smooth curve fitting to explore the relationship between WWI and depression. The assessment ability of WWI was evaluated and compared to other obesity indicators using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: This study analyzed 38,154 participants. Higher WWI is associated with higher depression scores (ß = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.36-0.47). After adjusting for various confounding factors, the positive correlation between WWI and depression remained significant (P for trend < 0.0001). Nonlinear positive correlation was detected with a breakpoint of 11.14. ROC analysis shows that compared to other obesity indicators (ROCWWI = 0.593; ROCBMI = 0.584; and ROCWC = 0.581), the correlation between WWI and depression has better discrimination and accuracy. DII mediated 4.93%, SII mediated 5.08%, and sedentary mediated 0.35% of the total association between WWI and depression. Conclusion: WWI levels were related to an increased likelihood of depression and showed a stronger relationship than BMI and waist circumference. Our findings indicated that WWI may serve as a simple anthropometric index to evaluate depression.

Response surface optimization of light conditions for organic matter accumulation in two different shapes of Arthrospira platensis.

Arthrospira platensis has attracted wide attention as a cyanobacteria with high nutritional value. In this research, the response surface method was used to study the effects of light cycle, light intensity and red-blue LED conditions on the growth and organic matter accumulation in spiral shaped strain A. platensis OUC623 and linear shaped strain A. platensis OUC793. The light conditions suitable for A. platensis OUC623 were as follows: growth (light time 12.01 h, light intensity 35.64 µmol/m2s, LED red: blue = 6.38:1); chlorophyll a (light time 12.75 h, light intensity 31.06 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 6.25:1); carotenoid (light time 13.12 h, light intensity 32.25 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 5.79:1); polysaccharide (light time 16.00 h, light intensity 31.32 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 6.24:1); protein (light time 12.18 h, light intensity 6.12 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 7.95:1); phycocyanin (light time12.00 h, light intensity 5.00 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 8.00:1). The light conditions suitable for A. platensis OUC793 were as follows: growth (light time 13.52 h, light intensity 40.22 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 5.98:1); chlorophyll a (light time 14.22 h, light intensity 44.96 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 5.94:1); carotenoid (light time 14.13 h, light intensity 44.50 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 6.02:1); polysaccharide (light time 16.00 h, light intensity 31.85 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 6.08:1); protein (light time12.00 h, light intensity 5.00 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 8.00:1); phycocyanin (light time12.01 h, light intensity 5.01 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 8.00:1). Under the theoretical optimal light conditions, compared with white LED, the growth rate, chlorophyll a, carotenoid, phycocyanin, protein and polysaccharide contents in strain 623 increased by 91.67%, 114.70%, 85.05%, 563.54%, 386.14%, 201.18%, and in strain 793 increased by 75.00%, 150.94%, 113.43%, 427.09%, 1284.71%, 312.38%, respectively. The two strains showed different advantages. Growth rate, chlorophyll a, polysaccharide, protein and phycocyanin content of strain 623 were higher than those of strain 793, while carotenoid was higher in strain 793. After optimization, both strains could reach a good growth state, and the growth rate and organic matter content were close. And then a 20 L photobioreactor was used to expand the culture of the two strains, validating the theoretical optimal light conditions of response surface method. This study laid the foundation for the establishment of optical conditions for organic matter accumulation in two different strains of A. platensis, which provided more options for meeting the industrialization needs of A. platensis.

Protective effect of isoflurane preconditioning on neurological function in rats with HIE.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an important cause of neonatal death and disability, which can lead to long-term neurological and motor dysfunction. Currently, inhalation anesthetics are widely used in surgery, and some studies have found that isoflurane (ISO) may have a positive effect on neuroprotection. In this paper, we investigated whether ISO pretreatment has a neuroprotective effect on the neurological function of HIE rats. Here, 7-day-old neonatal rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a hypoxic-ischemic (HI) group, and an ISO pretreatment (pretreatment) group. The pretreatment group was pretreated with 2% ISO for 1 h, followed by the HI group to establish an HI animal model. The HI­induced neurological injury was evaluated by Zea­Longa scores and triphenyltetrazolium (TTC) staining. Neuronal number and histomorphological changes were observed with Nissl staining and Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. In addition, motor learning memory function was evaluated by the Morris water maze (MWM), the Y-maze, and the rotarod tests. HI induced severe neurological dysfunction, brain infarction, and cell apoptosis as well as obvious neuron loss in neonatal rats. In the MWM, the rats in the pretreatment group showed a decrease in escape latency (p = 0.042), indicating that pretreatment with ISO could improve the learning ability of HI rats. The results of Nissl staining showed that in the HI group, there was an irregular arrangement of neurons and nuclear fixation; however, the cell damage was significantly reduced and the total number of neurons was increased after ISO pretreatment (p < 0.001). In conclusion, ISO pretreatment improved cognitive function and attenuated HI-induced reduction of Nissl-positive cells and spatial memory impairment, suggesting that pretreatment with ISO before HI modeling could reduce neuronal cell death in the hippocampus after HI.

Evolving of treatment paradigms and challenges in acute promyelocytic leukaemia: A real-world analysis of 1105 patients over the last three decades.

Although acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) is a highly curable disease, challenges of early death (ED) and relapse still exist, and real-world data are scarce in the ATRA plus ATO era. A total of 1105 APL patients from 1990 to 2020 were enrolled and categorized into three treatment periods, namely ATRA, ATRA plus ATO, and risk-adapted therapy. The early death (ED) rate was 20.2%, 10.1%, and 7.0%, respectively, in three periods, while there was no significant decline in the 7-day death rate. Consistently, the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of APL patients markedly improved over time. Despite the last two periods exhibiting similar DFS, the chemotherapy load was substantially lower in Period 3. Notably, leveraging older age and higher WBC count (especially > 50 × 109/L), we could identify a small group of extremely high-risk patients who had a very high ED rate and poor prognosis, while those with NRAS mutations and higher WBC tended to relapse, both representing obstacles to curing all patients. In conclusion, the evolvement of treatment paradigms can reduce the ED rate, improve clinical outcomes, and spare patients the toxicity of chemotherapy. Special care and innovative agents are warranted for the particularly high-risk APL.

Reconstruction of distal radius by fibula following excision of grade III giant cell tumour: follow-up of 18 cases.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of vascularised fibular graft for reconstruction of the wrist after excision of grade III giant cell tumour in the distal radius. From January 1998 to September 2003, 18 patients with wrist defects due to distal radius grade III giant cell tumour resection were treated with vascularised fibular graft and were followed-up. The limb function was restored to an average 80% of normal function and bone union was achieved within six months in 18 patients with vascularised fibular graft. MSTS score averaged 25.6 and ranged between 21 and 29; Mayo wrist score averaged 56 with a range from 40 to 65. It is appropriate to use the head of the fibula as a substitute for the distal radius. The healing of vascularised fibular graft is very quick and without bone resorption. Thus, in the procedure for reconstruction and limb salvage after bone tumour resection of distal radius, the free vascularised fibular graft with fibular head is an ideal substitute.

AdipoR2 inhibits human glioblastoma cell growth through the AMPK/mTOR pathway.

BACKGROUND: AdipoR2, which belongs to the seven-transmembrane-domain receptor family, has been shown to play an important role in the development of human tumours, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we found that AdipoR2 expression correlates with glioma grade. In addition, we also investigated the mechanisms behind the antiproliferative effects of AdipoR2 in U251 cells (a human glioma cell line) using colony formation and WST-8 growth assays. METHODS: The U251 cell line was cultured in vitro. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of relevant proteins. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 expression. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle assay results. The gene expression profiles of glioma samples from the CGGA database were analysed by MATLAB and GSEA software. RESULTS: The AMPK/mTOR pathway plays a central role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration and may promote tumorigenesis. Therefore, we can control cancer progression by modulating the AMPK/mTOR pathway. However, there is no information on the relationship between AdipoR and AMPK/mTOR in central nervous system tumours such as GBM. In this study. We found 648 upregulated genes and 436 downregulated genes correlated with AdipoR2 expression in 158 glioma samples. GSEA suggested that AdipoR2 is a cell cycle-associated gene. The results of the flow cytometry analysis indicated that AdipoR2 induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in U251 cells. Furthermore, we identified the AMPK/mTOR signalling axis to be involved in AdipoR2-induced cell cycle arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that AdipoR2 may represent a novel endogenous negative regulator of GBM cell proliferation. These findings also suggest that AdipoR2 may be a promising therapeutic target in GBM patients.

Proceedings of the 2023 annual meeting of European Association for the Study of Diabetes: Advances in diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

The 59th European Association for the Study of Diabetes(EASD) annual meeting was held in Hamburg, Germany from October 2nd to 6th, 2023. In the past decades, there have been significant advancements in the clinical management of diabetes. Novel anti-hyperglycemic medications, particularly those targeting the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor and dual/multiple receptors, have garnered attention. These medications show great promise in glycemic control, weight reduction, metabolic improvements, and additional benefits. This article provided an overview of some of the key topics discussed at this EASD conference.

Factors influencing medical arrears in public hospitals and countermeasures:a case study of F hospital / 现代医院

Objective To reduce the amount of public hospital arrears,strengthen debt management,improve the over-all operational efficiency of the hospital,promote fine management of the hospital,and boost high-quality development of the hos-pital.Methods We analyzed relevant data collected from 3 000 inpatients,including 486 with outstanding debts,treated at a tertiary public hospital in Chongqing between 2019 and 2023.Single factor analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the causes of medical arrears,and subsequently propose effective debt management strategies.Results Uni-variate analysis revealed that factors such as medical insurance status,department,gender,age,and cause of arrears significantly influenced the occurrence of medical arrears(P＜0.05).The analysis based on the binary logistic model exhibited a good fit with the observed values,with the value of each classification factor's significance less than 0.05.The incidence of arrears was higher among self-funded patients compared to those with medical insurance.The surgical department had the highest rate of arrears,ne-cessitating specialized training for better debt management.The patients aged between 41 and 60 had the highest arrear rate,indi-cating the need for professionally trained nurses to pay close attention to this age group.The primary reasons for arrears included deliberate evasion,disputes,questionable sources(green passage),unforeseen public events,and economic difficulties.Conclusion To effectively manage medical arrears,hospitals should enhance their debt management systems,delineate depart-mental responsibilities and management processes,and implement stringent controls at key points from admission to discharge.

Research progress on the effect of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors on immunotherapy of lung cancer through intestinal flora / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#The treatment of patients with advanced lung cancer has been revolutionized with the advent of immunotherapy. However, not all patients can benefit equally from immunotherapy. In recent years, the relationship between intestinal flora and the efficacy of immunotherapy has gradually attracted scholars' attention. During the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the use of antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors and other drugs will affect the patient's intestinal flora, thus affecting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, leading to poor prognosis of patients. This review will discuss that antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors reduce the efficacy of immunotherapy by affecting the diversity of intestinal flora, in order to facilitate the rational use of related drugs in clinical practice and improve the patient's outcomes.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children related with COVID-19 infection / 中国免疫学杂志

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a disease related with severe acute respiratory syndrome corona-virus 2 infection,which can involve multiple system damage.Most cases included features of shock,cardiac dysfunction,gastrointestinal symptoms,significantly elevated markers of inflammation and cardiac damage,and positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 by serology.Although its clinical features overlap with Kawasaki disease,it is more likely to occur in older children and adolescents,and most of them need to be treated with intensive care and a variety of immunomodulators.At present,the pathogenesis and long-term prognosis of the disease need to be further studied.

The epidemiology and prediction of brain tumors incidence and mortality in China / 基础医学与临床

Objective To describe the incidence and mortality of brain tumors in China in 2020 and to predict the disease burden up to 2040.Methods The brain tumor incidence and mortality in 2020 were recorded based on the data from International Agency for Cancer Research(IARC),Cancer Today database.The incidence and mortality were standardized by age using Segi's world standard population.The burden of brain tumors in 2040 was predicted with assuming that national rates remained constant in 2020.Results It was estimated there were approximately 79 600 new brain tumors cases and 65 200 deaths in China in 2020.The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of brain tumors in China were 4.1/100 000 and 3.2/100 000,respectively,which were lower than the United States of America,most of European countries and Australia.The incidence and mortality were higher than Africa,central America,and the Caribbean.From 2020 to 2040,the brain tumors cases and deaths are predicted to have an increase as 32.1%and 41.5%respectively.Conclusions The disease burden of brain tumors was still heavy in China.Further studies are urgently needed to clarify the epidemic trend of tissue typing and risk factors of brain tumors,which may support the development of effective prevention strategies.

Frontier and hotspot of biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To analyze the current development of researches on biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer and to provide reference for subsequent studies. Methods Studies on biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection from 2017 to 2021 were searched by computer. The annual distribution, journals, authors, countries, institutions, and keywords of studies were visualized and analyzed by CiteSpace. Results A total of 426 studies were collected, including 298 articles and 128 reviews. The average number of published studies was about 85, and increased year by year. PD-L1 expression, tumor mutational burden, tumor microenvironment and liquid biopsy were hot keywords in this field. Conclusion In the future, combination of biomarkers in the liquid biopsy and tumor microenvironment with radiomics analysis will be the research hotspot and frontier in this field for more accurate assessment with tumor-related signatures such as lymphocytic immune status and characteristics of tumor lesions in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Diagnostic value of hs-CRP and PCT combined with IL-6 in children with severe hand-foot-mouth disease / 中国现代医生

@#Objective To investigate the diagnostic value and clinical significance of hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),procalcitonin(PCT)combined with interleukin-6(IL-6)in children with severe hand-foot-mouth disease.Methods A total of 62 children hospitalized in our hospital from January 2022 to December 2022 were collected as research objects.According to the severity of infection,they were divided into observation group(severe infection group)with 29 cases and control group(mild infection group)with 33 cases.The differences of general data,total leukocyte count,neutrophil count,lymphocyte count,platelet count,hs-CRP,PCT,IL-6 and creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB)between the two groups and their clinical applications were analyzed and compared.Results The total white blood cell count,neutrophil count,lymphocyte count,hs-CRP,PCT and IL-6 in the observation group were higher than those in the control group,and the difference has statistically significant.Receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve analysis of hs-CRP predicted the sensitivity and specificity of severe infection of hand-foot-mouth disease were 79.3%and 93.9%(95%CI:0.852-10.985,P<0.05);The sensitivity and specificity of PCT were 93.1%and 84.8%(95%CI:0.907-1,P<0.05);The sensitivity and specificity of IL-6 were 96.6%and 87.9%(95%CI:0.945-1,P<0.05).Conclusions In hand-foot-mouth classification,PCT and IL-6 are highly sensitive.Although hs-CRP is less sensitive than the former,its specificity is higher than the former.Therefore,the combination of hs-CRP,PCT and IL-6 has higher value for hand-foot-mouth classification.

Efficacy of rituximab therapy for 10 patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus with intestinal involvement / 中华内科杂志

We retrospectively analyzed therapy efficacy and the adverse reactions of 10 patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with intestinal involvement treated with rituximab (RTX). Patients were hospitalized in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from January 2015 to January 2023. Among the 10 patients, two were men and eight were women. The age of the cohort was (41.9±8.8) years. The age at disease onset was (28.8±9.2) years. The total course of the SLE diagnosis was(109.6±59.9) months. The course of the diagnosis of SLE with intestinal involvement was (89.3±50.2) months. The time from the appearance of intestinal symptoms to the diagnosis of SLE with intestinal involvement was 1.5 (1.0,8.0) months. The time from the diagnosis of SLE with intestinal involvement to RTX use was 13.0 (1.0,46.3) months. Follow-up duration after application of RTX treatment was (55.3±28.4) months. There were five cases of abdominal pain, four cases of abdominal distension, nine cases of diarrhea, three cases of nervous-system involvement, nine cases of lupus nephritis, and seven cases of serositis. All 10 patients underwent computed tomography and radiology of the abdomen. Eight patients had intestinal-wall edema, seven suffered intestinal dilation, four had target signs, three suffered congestion of mesenteric blood vessels, eight had increased mesenteric-fat density, and six had false intestinal obstruction. All 10 patients showed a low level of complement C3 (250-750 mg/L). Nine cases showed a low level of complement C4 (10-90 mg/L). The SLE disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) at baseline in 10 patients was 20.5 (17.8, 30.0). After receiving RTX (0.5 g: day 1, day 14, or 375 mg/m 2: day 1, day 14) induction treatment, the intestinal symptoms of 10 cases were relieved completely. Four patients had adverse reactions, of which three received a high-dose glucocorticoid combined with RTX treatment simultaneously. Adverse reactions manifested mainly as a reduced level of IgG and infection with herpes simplex virus in one case, reduced level of IgG and lung infection in one patient, lung infection in one case, and reduced IgG level in one patient. RTX may an efficacious treatment strategy for patients suffering from refractory SLE with intestinal involvement.

Research Progress in Physiological Evaluation and Treatment of Visually Induced Motion Sickness in Virtual Reality / 中国医学科学院学报

Visually induced motion sickness(VIMS)is the major barrier to be broken in the development of virtual reality(VR)technology,which seriously affects the progress in the VR industry.Therefore,the detection and evaluation of VIMS has become a hot research topic nowadays.We review the progress in physiological assessment of VIMS in VR based on several physiological indicators,including electroencephalogram(EEG),postural sway,eye movements,heart rate variability,and skin electrical signals,and summarize the available therapies,aiming to provide an outlook on the future research directions of VIMS.

Profiles and differences of submucosal microbial in peri-implantitis and health implants: A cross-sectional study / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To describe the submucosal microbial profiles of peri-implantitis and healthy implants, and to explore bacteria that might be correlated with clinical parameters.@*METHODS@#In the present cross-sectional study, 49 patients were recruited. Each patient contributed with one implant, submucosal biofilms were collected from 20 healthy implants and 29 implants with peri-implantitis. DNA was extracted and bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes were amplified. Submucosal biofilms were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing at Illumina MiSeq platform. Differences between the groups were determined by analyzing α diversity, microbial component and microbial structure. The potential correlation between the bacteria with pocket probing depth (PPD) of peri-implant calculated by Spearman correlation analysis.@*RESULTS@#The α diversity of submucosal microbial of health group was significantly lower than that in peri-implantitis group (Chao1 index: 236.85±66.13 vs. 150.54±57.43, P < 0.001; Shannon index: 3.42±0.48 vs. 3.02±0.65, P=0.032). Principal coordinated analysis showed that the submucosal microbial structure had significant difference between healthy and peri-implantitis groups [R2=0.243, P=0.001, analysis of similarities (ANOSIM)]. Compared with healthy implants, relative abundance of periodontal pathogens were higher in peri-implantitis, including members of the red complex (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola) and some members of orange complex (Precotella intermedia, Eubacterium nodatum, Parvimonas micra), as well as some new periodontal pathogens, such as Fillifactor alocis, Fretibacterium fastidiosum, Desulfobulbus sp._HMT_041, and Porphyromonas endodontalis. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the relative abundance of Treponema denticola (r=0.686, P < 0.001), Tannerella forsythia (r=0.675, P < 0.001), Fretibacterium sp. (r=0.671, P < 0.001), Desulfobulbus sp._HMT_041 (r=0.664, P < 0.001), Filifactor alocis (r=0.642, P < 0.001), Fretibacterium fastidiosum (r=0.604, P < 0.001), Porphyromonas gingivalis (r=0.597, P < 0.001), Porphyromonas endodontalis (r=0.573, P < 0.001) were positive correlated with PPD. While the relative abundance of Rothia aeria (r=-0.615, P < 0.001) showed negatively correlation with PPD.@*CONCLUSION@#Marked differences were observed in the microbial profiles of healthy implants and peri-implantitis. The members of red and orange complex as well as some new periodontal pathogens seem to play an important role in peri-implant disease. Compared with healthy implants, the submucosal microbial of peri-implantitis were characterized by high species richness and diversity.

The effectiveness and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with nimotuzumab for patients with inoperable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with nimotuzumab in the treatment of patients with inoperable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 503 patients with inoperable ESCC who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou No. 2 People′s Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University and Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from 2014 to 2020. Among these patients, 69 received concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with nimotuzumab (the combined therapy group) and 434 received concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone (the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group). Patients of both groups were matched at a ratio of 1∶2 using the propensity score matching (PSM) method. As a result, 168 patients were determined for clinical analysis, including 61 in the combined therapy group and 107 in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group. The short-term efficacy and adverse reactions of both groups were compared. The overall survival (OS) curves and progression-free survival (PFS) curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method for the Log-rank test.Results:The two groups showed no statistical difference ( P > 0.05) in clinical baseline characteristics after the PSM. The objective response rate (ORR) of the combined therapy group was significantly higher than that of the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with statistically significant differences (85.2% vs. 71.0%, χ2 = 4.33, P = 0.037). There was no statistical difference (98.4% vs. 91.6%, P > 0.05) in the disease control rate (DCR) between the two groups. The combined therapy group had median PFS of 28.07 months and 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS ratios of 78.2%, 37.5% and 29.1%, respectively. The concurrent chemoradiotherapy group had mPFS of 19.54 months and 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS ratios of 72.9%, 28.3% and 21.3%, respectively. Both groups showed statistically significant differences in PFS ( χ2 = 4.49, P = 0.034). The combined group had median OS of 34.93 months and 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS ratios of 88.5%, 46.8% and 37.4%, respectively. The concurrent chemoradiotherapy group had mOS of 24.30 months and 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS ratios of 81.3%, 35.2% and 28.0%, respectively. Both groups showed statistically significant differences in OS (χ 2= 5.11, P = 0.024), but did not show statistical differences ( P > 0.05) in the severity degree of each adverse effect during the treatment. Conclusions:Concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with nimotuzumab can improve the ORR and prolong the PFS and OS of patients with inoperable ESCC compared with concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone. Furthermore, combining with nimotuzumab does not increase adverse effects and can be tolerated by patients with high safety.