Novel mRNA adjuvant ImmunER enhances prostate cancer tumor-associated antigen mRNA therapy via augmenting T cell activity.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is characterized as a "cold tumor" with limited immune responses, rendering the tumor resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Therapeutic messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have emerged as a promising strategy to overcome this challenge by enhancing immune reactivity and significantly boosting anti-tumor efficacy. In our study, we synthesized Tetra, an mRNA vaccine mixed with multiple tumor-associated antigens, and ImmunER, an immune-enhancing adjuvant, aiming to induce potent anti-tumor immunity. ImmunER exhibited the capacity to promote dendritic cells (DCs) maturation, enhance DCs migration, and improve antigen presentation at both cellular and animal levels. Moreover, Tetra, in combination with ImmunER, induced a transformation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) to cDC1-CCL22 and up-regulated the JAK-STAT1 pathway, promoting the release of IL-12, TNF-α, and other cytokines. This cascade led to enhanced proliferation and activation of T cells, resulting in effective killing of tumor cells. In vivo experiments further revealed that Tetra + ImmunER increased CD8+T cell infiltration and activation in RM-1-PSMA tumor tissues. In summary, our findings underscore the promising potential of the integrated Tetra and ImmunER mRNA-LNP therapy for robust anti-tumor immunity in PCa.

Theoretical Insights into Enhancing Catalytic Performance of Al-Cu Alloy for CO2 Electroreduction toward Ethene Production.

The understanding of the reaction mechanism of CO2 electroreduction (CO2RR) is essential for the precise design of catalysts for specific products with high selectivity. In this work, combined with the computational hydrogen electrode model and kinetic energy barrier calculations, CO2RR pathways on Cu(100) and Al1Cu3(100) are intensively investigated. The free energy barrier of the rate-determining step of ethylene formation is reduced from 1.08 eV for *CCOH formation on Cu(100) to 0.51 eV for *CH2OCHOH formation on Al1Cu3(100) and enhances the catalytic activity. The reaction free energy of *CO-*CO coupling is remarkably reduced from 0.86 eV on Cu(100) to -0.43 eV on Al1Cu3(100) and the coupling barrier is reduced from 0.97 to 0.37 eV, suppressing the production of gas phase CO and enhancing the production of C2 products. Furthermore, the selectivity toward C-O breaking of *CH2CHOH on Cu(100) and *CH2CH2OH on Al1Cu3(100) ensures high selectivity toward ethene rather than ethanol.

Epigenetic editing of BRCA1 promoter increases cisplatin and olaparib sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells.

Drug resistance is the primary contributor to the high mortality rate of ovarian cancer (OC). The loss of BRCA1/2 function is linked to drug sensitivity in OC cells. The aim of this study is to enhance the drug sensitivity of OC cells by inducing BRCA1 dysfunction through promoter epigenetic editing. Epigenetic regulatory regions within the BRCA1 promoter, affecting gene expression, were initially discerned through analysis of clinical samples. Subsequently, we designed and rigorously validated epigenetic editing tools. Ultimately, we evaluated the cisplatin and olaparib sensitivity of the OC cells after editing. The BRCA1 promoter contains two CpG-rich regions, with methylation of the region covering the transcription start site (TSS) strongly correlating with transcription and influencing OC development, prognosis, and homologous recombination (HR) defects. Targeting this region in OC cells using our designed epigenetic editing tools led to substantial and persistent DNA methylation changes, accompanied by significant reductions in H3K27ac histone modifications. This resulted in a notable suppression of BRCA1 expression and a decrease in HR repair capacity. Consequently, edited OC cells exhibited heightened sensitivity to cisplatin and olaparib, leading to increased apoptosis rates. Epigenetic inactivation of the BRCA1 promoter can enhance cisplatin and olaparib sensitivity of OC cells through a reduction in HR repair capacity, indicating the potential utility of epigenetic editing technology in sensitization therapy for OC.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of male breast cancer in China.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of male breast cancer (MBC) patients and the factors influencing their prognosis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series analysis of 117 MBC cases who were treated at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from 2009 to 2022. Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify prognostic factors of MBC. Nomogram was constructed based on these factors, which was further evaluated by C-index and calibration curves. Results: A total of 115 MBC cases were finally included in our analyses, with median diagnosis age of 59 years. Of these cases, 80.0% were estrogen receptor (ER) positive, 79.2% were progesterone receptor (PR) positive, 48.7% were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative, and 42.6% had Ki67 levels higher than 15%. 108 (93.9%) cases underwent radical mastectomy, while only 3 (2.6%) received breast-conserving surgery. The Logrank test suggested that lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was negatively associated with both overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of MBC, while platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were only positively associated with OS (all P-values < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that age (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.13) was significant prognostic factors for OS. Meanwhile, age (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10), histological differentiation grade (poorly differentiated/undifferentiated vs. well-differentiated: HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.05-6.17), and TNM stage (IV vs. I: HR 31.59, 95% CI 6.01-165.93) were also significant prognostic factors for DFS. Nomograms were developed for DFS, with C-indexes of 0.782, indicating good predictive performance. Conclusion: Increased age, bigger tumor size, higher TNM stage, and lower histological differentiation grade were associated with poor MBC prognosis, and LMR, PLR, and NLR might be potential predictors for MBC prognosis.

Intelligent method to predict intensive care unit admission after drainage operation in patients with deep neck space abscess: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUNDS: A deep neck space abscess (DNSA) is a critical condition resulting from infection of deep neck fascia and soft issue, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, intensive care can be very significant for patients with DNSA. This study aimed to develop models to predict the need for postoperative intensive care in patients with DNSA. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 332 patients with DNSA who received drainage operation between 2015 and 2020. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and the eXtrem Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm were used to develop predictive models. RESULTS: We developed two predictive models, the nomogram and the XGBoost model. The area under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram was 0.911 and of the XGBoost model was 0.935. CONCLUSION: We developed two predictive models for guiding clinical decision making for postoperative ICU admission for DNSA patients, which may help improve prognosis and optimize intensive care resource allocation.

Modulating cell proliferation by asymmetric division: A conserved pattern in the early embryogenesis of nematode species.

In the early stage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, the zygote divides asymmetrically into a symmetric fast lineage and an asymmetric slow lineage, producing 16 and 8 cells respectively almost at the same time, followed by the onset of gastrulation. It was recently reported that this cell division pattern is optimal for rapid cell proliferation. In this work, we compare the cell lineages of 9 nematode species, revealing that this pattern is conserved for >60 million years. It further suggests that such lineage design has an important functional role and it might speed up embryonic development in the nematode kingdom, not limited to C. elegans , and independent of the maternal-zygotic transition dynamics.

Erratum: HOXC10 promotes carboplatin resistance of ovarian cancer by regulating ABCC3.

[This corrects the article on p. 4602 in vol. 12, PMID: 36381312.].

Theoretical Insights into Amido Group-Mediated Enhancement of CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol on Cobalt Catalysts.

Catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide into high-value-added products, such as methanol, is an effective approach to mitigate the greenhouse effect, and improving Co-based catalysts is anticipated to yield potential catalysts with high performance and low cost. In this study, based on first-principles calculations, we elucidate the promotion effects of surface *NHx (x = 1, 2, and 3) on the carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol from both activity and selectivity perspectives on Co-based catalysts. The presence of *NHx reduced the energy barrier of each elementary step on Co(100) by regulating the electronic structure to alter the binding strength of intermediates or by forming a hydrogen bond between surface oxygen-containing species and *NHx to stabilize transition states. The best promotion effect for different steps corresponds to different *NHx. The energy barrier of the rate-determining step of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol is lowered from 1.55 to 0.88 eV, and the product selectivity shifts from methane to methanol with the assistance of *NHx on the Co(100) surface. A similar phenomenon is observed on the Co(111) surface. The promotion effect of *NHx on Co-based catalysts is superior to that of water, indicating that the introduction of *NHx on a Co-based catalyst is an effective strategy to enhance the catalytic performance of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.

Erratum: Non-canonical signaling pathway of SNAI2 induces EMT in ovarian cancer cells by suppressing miR-222-3p transcription and upregulating PDCD10: Erratum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/thno.43198.].

OsGA3ox genes regulate rice fertility and plant height by synthesizing diverse active GA.

Gibberellin (GA) is an important hormone, which is involved in regulating various growth and development. GA biosynthesis pathway and synthetase have been basically clarified. Gibberellin 3ß hydroxylase (GA3ox) is the key enzyme for the synthesis of various active GA. There are two GA3ox genes (OsGA3ox1 and OsGA3ox2) in rice, and their physiological functions have been preliminarily studied. However, it is not clear how they work together to synthesize active GA to regulate rice development. In this study, the knockout mutants ga3ox1 and ga3ox2 were obtained by CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The pollen fertility of ga3ox1 decreased significantly, while the plant height of ga3ox2 decreased significantly. It shows that OsGA3ox1 is necessary for normal pollen development, while OsGA3ox2 is necessary for stem and leaf elongation. Tissue expression analysis showed that OsGA3ox1 was mainly expressed in unopened flowers, while OsGA3ox2 was mainly expressed in unexpanded leaves. The GA in different tissues of wild type (WT), and two ga3ox mutants were detected. It was found that pollen fertility is most closely related to the content of GA7, and plant height is most closely related to the content of GA1. It was found that OsGA3ox1 catalyzes GA9 to GA7 in flowers, which is closely related to pollen fertility; OsGA3ox2 catalyzes the GA20 to GA1 in unexpanded leaves, thereby regulating plant height; OsGA3ox1 catalyzes the GA19 to GA20 in roots, regulating the generation of GA3. OsGA3ox1 and OsGA3ox2 respond to developmental and environmental signals, and cooperate to synthesize endogenous GA in different tissues to regulate rice development. This study provides a reference for clarifying its role in GA biosynthesis pathway and further understanding the function of OsGA3ox.

Glycolic acid-based deep eutectic solvents boosting co-production of xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars from corncob and the related kinetic mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Xylo-oligomers are a kind of high value-added products in biomass fractionation. Although there are several chemical methods to obtain xylo-oligomers from biomass, the reports about the deep eutectic solvents (DESs)-mediated co-production of xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars and the related kinetic mechanism are limited. RESULTS: In this work, glycolic acid-based DESs were used to obtain xylo-oligomers from corncob. The highest xylo-oligomers yield of 65.9% was achieved at 120 °C for 20 min, of which the functional xylo-oligosaccharides (XOSs, DP 2-5) accounted for up to 31.8%. Meanwhile, the enzymatic digestion of cellulose and xylan in residues reached 81.0% and 95.5%, respectively. Moreover, the addition of metal inorganic salts significantly accelerated the hydrolysis of xylan and even the degradation of xylo-oligomers in DES, thus resulting in higher selectivity of xylan removal. AlCl3 showed the strongest synergistic effect with DES on accelerating the processes, while FeCl2 is best one for xylo-oligomers accumulation, affording the highest xylo-oligomers yield of 66.1% for only 10 min. Furthermore, the kinetic study indicates that the 'potential hydrolysis degree' model could well describe the xylan hydrolysis processes and glycolic acid/lactic acid (3:1) is a promising solvent for xylo-oligomers production, in particular, it worked well with FeCl2 for the excellent accumulation of xylo-oligomers. CONCLUSIONS: Glycolic acid-based deep eutectic solvents can be successfully applied in corncob fractionation with excellent xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars yields on mild conditions, and the large amount of xylo-oligosaccharides accumulation could be achieved by specific process controlling. The strategies established here can be useful for developing high-valued products from biomass.

Therapeutic silencing of lncRNA RMST alleviates cardiac fibrosis and improves heart function after myocardial infarction in mice and swine.

Rationale: Cardiac fibrosis is an adverse consequence of aberrant fibroblast activation and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition following myocardial infarction (MI). Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to participate in multiple cardiac diseases. However, the biological functions of lncRNA rhabdomyosarcoma 2-associated transcript (RMST) in cardiac fibrosis remain largely unknown. Methods: The role of RMST in regulating cardiac fibroblast (CF) proliferation, fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), and ECM production, which were induced by transforming growth factor-ß1, was evaluated through immunofluorescence staining, cell contraction assay, cell migration assay, qRT-PCR, and western blot. The therapeutic effect of RMST silencing was assessed in murine and porcine MI models. Results: The present study showed that RMST expression was upregulated and associated with cardiac fibrosis in murine and porcine MI models. Further loss-of-function studies demonstrated that RMST silencing in vitro significantly inhibited CF proliferation, FMT, and ECM production. Accordingly, RMST knockdown in vivo alleviated cardiac fibrosis and improved cardiac contractile function in MI mice. Moreover, RMST acted as a competitive endogenous RNA of miR-24-3p. miR-24-3p inhibition abolished, while miR-24-3p agomir reproduced, the RMST knockdown-mediated effects on CF fibrosis by regulating the lysyl oxidase signaling pathway. Finally, the therapeutic potential of RMST knockdown was evaluated in a porcine MI model, and local RMST knockdown significantly inhibited cardiac fibrosis and improved myocardial contractile function in pigs after MI. Conclusion: Our findings identified RMST as a crucial regulator of cardiac fibrosis, and targeting RMST may develop a novel and efficient therapeutic strategy for treating fibrosis-related cardiac diseases.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Bone Marrow Infiltration of Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in bone marrow infiltration (BMI) of newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), compared with the results of bone marrow biopsy (BMB) and investigate whether the BMI diagnosed by 18F-FDG PET/CT and other factors have independent prognostic values.@*METHODS@#Ninety-four newly diagnosed DLBCL patients who underwent PET/CT in Clinical Medical College of Shanghai General Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were included. BMB was performed within 2 weeks before or after PET/CT, and standardized treatment was performed after PET/CT. The manifestations of bone marrow (BM) FDG uptake were recorded. The diagnostic criteria of BMI were BMB positive or focal BM FDG uptake confirmed by imaging follow-up. The relationship between clinical features and BM FDG uptake and the values of PET/CT and BMB in the diagnosis of BMI was analyzed. The progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves, log-rank test was used to compare PFS rate, and Cox regression model was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting PFS.@*RESULTS@#Among 94 DLBCL patients, 34 patients showed focal BM uptake (fPET), 7 patients showed super BM uptake (sBMU), 11 patients showed diffuse homogenous uptake higher than liver (dPET), and the other 42 patients had normal BM uptake (nPET) (lower than liver). BMB positive was found in all sBMU patients, in 20.6%(7/34) of fPET patients, and in 27.3% (3/11) of dPET patients. All nPET patients had negative BMB results. dPET patients were associated with lower hemoglobin level and leukocyte count compared with nPET group (P < 0.001, P =0.026). Compared with fPET patients, sBMU patients were more likely to have B symptoms and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). A total of 44 patients were diagnosed BMI, including 17 cases with BMB+. The sensitivity and specificity of BMB in the diagnosis of BMI was 38.6% (17/44) and 100% (50/50), respectively. Using fPET and sBMU as criteria of PET BMI, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT was 93.2% (41/44) and 100% (50/50), respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that there was no significant difference in 2-year PFS rate between nPET and dPET patients (P >0.05), while sBMU patients had lower 2-year PFS rate compared with fPET patients (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that higher Ann Arbor stage (HR=9.010, P =0.04) and sBMU (HR=3.964, P =0.002) were independent risk factors affecting PFS.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Increased BM FDG uptake of DLBCL can be manifested as dPET, fPET and sBMU. fPET and sBMU can replace BMB to diagnose BMI. Although dPET cannot completely exclude the possibility of BMI, it does not affect the prognosis, so it can be diagnosed as PET BMI negative. sBMU is an independent prognostic risk factor.

Risk factors for infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore risk factors for infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and improve the under standing for reducing infection.@*METHODS@#Clinical data of 2 591 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 1 265 males and 1 326 females, aged from 25 to 82 years old with an average age of (51.5±15.6) years old. They were divided into infection group(n=18) and uninfected group(n=2 573) according to whether or not patients had postoperative infection. Gender, age, smoking, diabetes, body mass index, local closure within 1 month before operation, operation time, preventive use of antibiotics, and internal fixation implantation between two groups were recorded. Univariate Logistic regression analysis screened factors associated with infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Theresultswere entered into the multivariate logistic regression analysis, screening the high risk factors for infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.@*RESULTS@#In 2 591 patients, 18 patients were infected after operation, infection rate was 0.69%. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, operation time, antibiotic prophylaxis, internal fixation implantation were risk factors for infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed male(OR=14.227), age≥65 years(OR=34.313), operation time≥2 h (OR=15.616), without antibiotic prophylaxis(OR=4.891), and internal fixation implantation(OR=5.103) were major risk factors for infection after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Male, age≥65 years, operation time≥2 h, without antibiotic prophylaxis and internal fixation implantation were independent risk factors for infection after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Early diagnosis and timely treatment should be carried out to reduce the incidence of infection.

Clinical Comparison of the Efficacy of Systemic Thrombolysis,Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis,and AngioJet Percutaneous Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To compare the clinical effects of three treatment methods including systemic thrombolysis(ST),catheter-directed thrombolysis(CDT),and AngioJet percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy(PMT)in acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis(LEDVT). Methods The data of 82 patients diagnosed with LEDVT in the Department of Vascular and Gland Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2017 to December 2020 were collected.The patients were assigned into a ST group(n=50),a CDT group(n=16),and a PMT group(n=16)according to different treatment methods.The efficacy and safety were compared among the three groups. Results Compared with that before treatment,the circumferential diameter difference of both lower limbs on days 1,2,and 3 of treatment in the ST,CDT,and PMT groups reduced(all P<0.001).The PMT group showed smaller circumferential diameter difference of lower limbs on days 1,2,and 3 of treatment than the ST group(all P<0.001)and smaller circumferential diameter difference of the lower patellar margin on day 1 of treatment than the CDT group(P<0.001).The PMT group showed higher diminution rate for swelling of the affected limb at the upper and lower edges of the patella than the ST group(P<0.001)and higher diminution rate for swelling at the upper edge of the patella than the CDT group(P=0.026).The incidence of complications after treatment showed no significant differences among the three groups(all P>0.05).The median of hospital stay in the PMT group was shorter than that in the ST and CDT groups(P=0.002,P=0.001).The PMT group had higher thrombus clearance rate than the ST group(P=0.002)and no significant difference in the thrombus clearance rate from the CDT group(P=0.361).The vascular recanalization rates in the PMT(all P<0.001)and CDT(P<0.001,P=0.002,P=0.009)groups 3,6,and 12 months after treatment were higher than those in ST group,and there were no significant differences between PMT and CDT groups(P=0.341,P=0.210,P=0.341). Conclusions ST,CDT,and PMT demonstrated significant efficacy in the treatment of LEDVT,and PMT was superior to ST and CDT in terms of circumferential diameter difference of the lower limbs,diminution rate for swelling of the affected limb,thrombus clearance rate,length of hospital stay,and long-term vascular recanalization.There was no obvious difference in safety among the three therapies.

Minimally invasive right infra-axillary thoracotomy for transaortic modified Morrow procedure: a series of 60 cases / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To examine the short-term curative effect with minimally invasive right infra-axillary thoracotomy for transaortic modified Morrow procedure. Methods: The clinical data of 60 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic transaortic modified Morrow procedure from August 2021 to August 2022 at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 31 males and 29 females, with the age (M (IQR)) of 54.0(22.3) years (range: 15 to 71 years). The echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of moderate mitral regurgitation in 30 patients, and severe mitral regurgitation in 13 patients. Systolic anterior motion (SAM) was present preoperatively in 54 patients. All 60 patients underwent transaortic modified Morrow procedure through a right infra-axillary thoracotomy using femorofemoral cardiopulmonary bypass. Surgical procedures mainly included transverse aortic incision, exposure of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), septal myectomy, and correction of the abnormal mitral valve and subvalvular structures. Results: All 60 patients underwent the programmatic procedures successfully without conversion to full sternotomy. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (142.0±32.1) minutes (range: 89 to 240 minutes), while the cross-clamp time was (95.0±23.5) minutes (range: 50 to 162 minutes). The patients had a postoperative peak LVOT gradient of 7.0 (5.0) mmHg (range: 0 to 38 mmHg) (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). A total of 57 patients were extubated on the operating table. The drainage volume in the first 24 h was (175.9±57.0) ml (range: 60 to 327 ml). The length of intensive care unit stay was 21.0 (5.8)h (range: 8 to 120 h) and postoperative hospital stay was 8 (5) days (range: 5 to 19 days). The postoperative septal thickness was 11 (2) mm (range: 8 to 14 mm). All patients had no iatrogenic ventricular septal perforation or postoperative residual SAM. The patients were followed up for 4 (9) months (range: 1 to 15 months), and none of them needed cardiac surgery again due to valve dysfunction or increased peak LVOT gradient during follow-up. Conclusion: Using a video-assisted thoracoscopic transaortic modified Morrow procedure through a right infra-axillary minithoracotomy can provide good visualization of the LVOT and hypertrophic ventricular septum, ensure optimal exposure of the mitral valve in the presence of complex mitral subvalvular structures, so that allows satisfactory short-term surgical results.

Comparison of two different methods of rapid expansion combined with maxillary protraction in the treatment of skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusion / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To compare the effect of bone-anchored versus tooth-borne rapid palatal expansion (RPE) combined with maxillary protraction in the treatment of skeletal class Ⅲ patients with maxillary hypoplasia. Methods: Twenty-six skeletal class Ⅲ patients with maxillary hypoplasia in the late mixed or early permanent dentition were selected. All the patients underwent RPE combined with maxillary protraction in the Department of Orthodontics, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University from August 2020 to June 2022. The patients were divided into 2 groups. Thirteen patients were enrolled in the bone-anchored RPE group [4 males and 9 females, aged (10.2±1.7) years] and the others were in the tooth-borne RPE group [5 males and 8 females, aged (10.1±1.0) years]. Ten sagittal linear indices [Y-Is distance (the distance from the incisor edge of the maxillary incisor to the vertical reference axis), Y-Ms distance (the distance from the mesial contact point of the maxillary first molar to the vertical reference axis), the relative distance between the maxillary and mandibular molars, overjet, etc.], 6 vertical linear indices [PP-Ms distance (the distance changes from Ms to the palatal plane), etc.] and 8 angle indices [SN-MP angle (the upper external angle of the intersection of the sella-nasion plane and the mandibular plane), U1-SN angle (the lower internal angle of the intersection of the long axis of the maxillary central incisor and the sella-nasion plane), etc.] were measured on the cephalometric radiographs before and after the treatment. Six coronal indicators (the inclination of the left and right first maxillary molar, etc.) were measured on cone-beam CT images before and after the treatment. The proportion of skeletal and dental factors in the changes of overjet were calculated. The differences of the index changes between groups were compared. Results: After the treatment, the anterior crossbite were corrected in both groups, and classⅠor classⅡ molar relationship were attained. In bone-anchored group, the changes of Y-Is distance, Y-Ms distance and maxillary and mandibular molar relative distance were (3.23±0.70), (1.25±0.34) and (2.54±0.59) mm, respectively, significantly less than those in the tooth-borned group in which the corresponding changes were (4.96±0.97) mm (t=-5.92, P<0.001), (3.12±0.83) mm (t=-7.53, P<0.001) and (4.92±1.35) mm (t=-5.85, P<0.05), respectively. The change of overjet in the bone-anchored group was (4.45±1.25) mm, significantly less than that in the tooth-borned group (6.14±1.29) mm (t=-3.38, P<0.05). Skeletal and dental factors accounted for 80% and 20% of the overjet changes in the bone-anchored group, respectively. While in the tooth-borned group, skeletal and dental factors accounted for 62% and 38% of the overjet changes, respectively. The PP-Ms distance change in the bone-anchored group [(-1.62±0.25) mm] was significantly less than that in the tooth-borned group [(2.13±0.86) mm] (t=-15.15, P<0.001). The changes of SN-MP and U1-SN in the bone-anchored group were -0.95°±0.55° and 1.28°±1.30°, respectively, significantly less than those corresponding indices in the tooth-borned group (1.92°±0.95°, t=-9.43, P<0.001; 7.78°±1.94°, t=-10.04, P<0.001). In the bone-anchored group, the inclination changes of maxillary bilateral first molars in the left and right sides were 1.50°±0.17° and 1.54°±0.19°, significantly less than the corresponding indices in the tooth-borned group (2.26°±0.37°, t=6.47, P<0.001; 2.25°±0.35°, t=6.81, P<0.001). Conclusions: The bone-anchored RPE with maxillary protraction could reduce the adverse tooth compensation effect, including the protrusion of maxillary anterior incisors, the increase of overjet and mandibular plane angle, and the mesial movement, extrusion and buccal inclination of maxillary molars.

Analysis of the prevalence and social security situation of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industry in Jiangsu Province / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To understand the social security situation of current cases of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industries in Jiangsu Province, and to provide reference for the treatment and security work of pneumoconiosis patients. Methods: From January to October 2020, a follow-up survey was conducted on 4038 cases of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industries of the province from October 1949 to December 2019. The age, type of pneumoconiosis, industry type, and social security status of the patients were collected. Namely, work-related injury insurance, employer compensation, basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents, major illness insurance, etc. SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical description and analysis. Results: The cases of pneumoconiosis in non-coal mine industries in Jiangsu Province ranged in age from 36 to 105 (70.78±8.43) years old, and had been exposed to dust for 1 to 55 (19.27±9.29) years. Silicosis was the main form (3875 cases, 95.96%), and non-metallic mining and dressing industry was the main form (2618 cases, 64.83%). A total of 3991 cases (98.84%) of pneumoconiosis patients enjoyed social security, most of them were urban and rural residents with basic medical insurance (3624 cases, 89.75%), but there were still 47 patients without any social security. 15 cases (0.37%) enjoyed the subsistence allowance, with the monthly allowance amount ranging from 104 to 3960 yuan, with the average amount of 954.87 yuan/month. Conclusion: In Jiangsu Province, the proportion of pneumoconiosis patients in non-coal mine industries enjoying social security is relatively high, but there are still patients who do not enjoy any social security, and the difference in the amount of subsistence allowance is slightly larger. It is necessary to further improve the medical security of pneumoconiosis patients and improve their quality of life.

Analysis of operation efficiency and resource allocation of clinical departments in a hospital based on data envelopment andlysis / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To establish a calculation model for the operational efficiency and resource allocation of clinical departments in hospitals, for references for hospitals to optimize resource allocation.Methods:The informations including hospitalization time, nursing grade, etc. of inpatients admitted by 32 clinical departments in a tertiary public hospital from January to December in 2021 were extracted. A data envelopment analysis method was conducted on the operation efficiency and input edundancy of the departments. The K-means algorithm was used to divide inpatients into 3 categories according to the level of medical workload. Taking the numbers of doctors, nurses and beds as the input indicators, and the numbers of patients in the 3 categories as the output indicators, a BCC model 1 was established to evaluate the efficiency of resources invested by clinical departments into professional human value. At the same time, a BCC model 2 was established with the total number of patients admitted and medical income as the output indicators to evaluate the efficiency of resources invested by clinical departments into economic benefits.Results:A total of 38 147 inpatients were enrolled. There were 14 departments with overall technical efficiency (OTE) =1.000 in the BCC model 1, 10 departments with OTE=1.000 in the BCC model 2, and 8 departments with OTE=1.000 in the 2 models. As for the input redundancy, 6 departments had high input redundancy in the BCC model 1, 11 departments had high input redundancy in the BCC model 2, and 4 departments had high input redundancy in both models.Conclusions:The model established by this study could effectively evaluate the operational efficiency and input redundancy of clinical departments, identify departments with high workload and low economic benefits, and provide reference for the rational allocation of medical resources in hospitals.

Clinical efficacy of anterior radius head fracture combined with lateral ligament complex injury / 中华骨科杂志

Objective:To investigate the operation efficacy of anterior radius head fracture combined with lateral ligament complex injury.Methods:The patients with radial head fracture admitted from September 2017 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, 51 males and 54 females, average age of 38.84±13.63 years (range of 16-70 years). Based on the radial head fractures of Mason classification of type II, the cases involving the anterior radius head fracture were divided into three subtypes according to the number of fracture blocks and the type of displacement: type A (53 cases): one part of the anterior radius head collapse fracture; type B (50 cases): two or more parts of the anterior radial head collapse fracture; type C (2 cases): anterior radius head dissociated and displaced fracture. All fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation. Among them, the lateral ligament complex of type B were elongated due to the injury but the continuity existed. Therefore, the lateral ligament complex in 21 cases were not repaired in the early period (unrepaired group); in recent years, 29 cases repaired the lateral ligament complex (repair group). The postoperative efficacy was evaluated by elbow range of motion, table-top relocation test, Mayo score, and Broberg Morrey score. the patients were evaluated at final follow-up, except table-top relocation test was recorded according to the actual completion time.Results:All operations were successfully completed. The mean follow-up was 14.08±1.52 months (range of 12-18 months). Type A: the flexion and extension range was 115.70°±6.35°; the completion time of the table-top relocation test was 75.68±11.90 days; the Mayo score was 93.72±2.40 point, and the Broberg Morrey score was 92.89±2.28 point. Type B: lateral ligament repair group (repaired group) 29 cases and unrepaired lateral ligament group (unrepaired group) 21 cases. The flexion and extension range of elbow in repaired group was 112.1°±4.4°, which was better than that in unrepaired group 105.8°±3.7° ( t=5.31, P<0.001). The completion time of table-top relocation test was 77.72±6.51 days in repaired group and 104.29±18.45 days in unrepaired group ( t=6.32, P<0.001). The Mayo score of the repaired group was 90.21±5.88 points and that of the unrepaired group was 87.14±5.26 points ( t=1.90, P=0.063), and there was no significant difference between the two groups. Broberg Morrey score of 90.93±6.43 points in the repaired group was better than 86.95±6.37 points in the unrepaired group ( t=2.17, P=0.035). Type C for 2 patients, the flexion and extension range of elbow were 107°and 106°; the completion time of table-top relocation test were 82 days and 98 days; the Mayo scores were 91 point and 87 point; Broberg Morrey scores were 93 point and 85 point. There was a patient developed myositis ossificans in unrepair group of tybe B. Conclusion:The elbow joint is stable when one part of the anterior radius head collapse fracture; there is a degree of instability in the elbow when two or more parts of the anterior radial head collapse fractures suggest to repair the lateral ligament complex. The elbow joint is extremely unstable when anterior radius head dissociated and displaced fractures, the lateral ligament complex should be repaired in time.