The Feasibility of Multiple Fixation Points in C2

Methods@#We used 1.0-mm interval computed tomographic scan images of 100 patients (50 men and 50 women) and screw trajectory simulation software. The diameter of all screws was set at 3.5 mm, considering its common usage in real surgery. The anatomical feasibility of placing both pedicle and laminar screws on the same side was evaluated. For all feasible sides, the three-dimensional distance between the screw entry points was measured. @*Results@#In 85% of cases, both pedicle and laminar screws could be placed on both sides, allowing for the insertion of 4 screws. In 11% of cases, 2 screws could be placed on one side, while only 1 screw was feasible on the other side, resulting in the placement of 3 screws. In all 181 sides where both types of screws could be inserted, the distance between their entry points exceeded 16.1 mm, which was sufficient to prevent the collision between the screw heads. @*Conclusions@#C2 vertebra can accommodate three (11%) or four (85%) screws in 96% of cases.

Automated Breast Ultrasound System for Breast Cancer Evaluation: Diagnostic Performance of the Two-View Scan Technique in Women with Small Breasts

0.05).CONCLUSION: 2-VST of ABUS achieved comparable scan coverage and diagnostic performance to that of conventional 3-VST in women with small breasts.

Diagnostic Indicators for Blood Stasis Syndrome Patients with Gynaecological Diseases / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the important diagnostic indicators for blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in patients of childbearing age with gynaecological diseases.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A partial least squared-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were applied to BSS symptoms data of patients with gynaecological diseases, and the diagnostic indicators used by doctors of Korean medicine (DKMs) among BSS patients with gynaecological diseases were also investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 103 patients of childbearing age with gynaecological diseases and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. Among the 103 patients, 63 (61.7%) and 40 (38.8%) were diagnosed with BSS and non-BSS, respectively, and BSS patients exhibited a more severe extent of disease. A score plot of PLS-DA showed clearly different patterns among the 3 groups. Based on the variable importance on projection of PLS-DA model, menstrual pains, dark lumps in the menstrual blood, ileocoecal tenderness and resistance, sharp pains, and sublingual varicosities were selected as the top five most important indicators. Moreover, more than 75% of DKMs chose dark lumps in menstrual blood, menstrual pain, and dark menstrual blood as the diagnostic indicators of BSS in patients with gynaecological diseases, and more than 49% of them also considered sharp pains, dark red tongue, sublingual varicosities, and tendency to bruise easily as diagnostic indicators of BSS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DKMs focused on menstrual symptoms and certain gynaecological symptoms to diagnose BSS patients of childbearing age with female diseases.</p>

Concurrent progress of reprogramming and gene correction to overcome therapeutic limitation of mutant ALK2-iPSC

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) syndrome is caused by mutation of the gene ACVR1, encoding a constitutive active bone morphogenetic protein type I receptor (also called ALK2) to induce heterotopic ossification in the patient. To genetically correct it, we attempted to generate the mutant ALK2-iPSCs (mALK2-iPSCs) from FOP-human dermal fibroblasts. However, the mALK2 leads to inhibitory pluripotency maintenance, or impaired clonogenic potential after single-cell dissociation as an inevitable step, which applies gene-correction tools to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Thus, current iPSC-based gene therapy approach reveals a limitation that is not readily applicable to iPSCs with ALK2 mutation. Here we developed a simplified one-step procedure by simultaneously introducing reprogramming and gene-editing components into human fibroblasts derived from patient with FOP syndrome, and genetically treated it. The mixtures of reprogramming and gene-editing components are composed of reprogramming episomal vectors, CRISPR/Cas9-expressing vectors and single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide harboring normal base to correct ALK2 c.617G>A. The one-step-mediated ALK2 gene-corrected iPSCs restored global gene expression pattern, as well as mineralization to the extent of normal iPSCs. This procedure not only helps save time, labor and costs but also opens up a new paradigm that is beyond the current application of gene-editing methodologies, which is hampered by inhibitory pluripotency-maintenance requirements, or vulnerability of single-cell-dissociated iPSCs.