Health risk assessment of eight chemicals in urban drinking water in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2021 / 环境与职业医学

Background The safety of drinking water is closely related to people's health. In recent years, relevant studies have identified some health related problems with drinking water in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The complex and diverse natural environment embraced by the vast jurisdiction of the region may lead to uneven drinking water quality across the region. Objective To evaluate eight chemicals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium (hexavalent), lead, mercury, fluoride, trichloromethane, and carbon tetrachloride in urban drinking water in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2021, and to provide reference for optimizing urban water supply system and ideas for further developing strategies to promote population health. Methods A total of 1228 monitoring sites were set up in urban areas of Inner Mongolia, and water samples were collected once in dry season (May) and once in wet season (August−September). Eight chemicals of interest in drinking water were detected according to the Standard examination methods for drinking water, and assessed for health risks using the health risk assessment model recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and following the Technical guide for environmental health risk assessment of chemical exposure. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the concentrations of eight chemicals in urban drinking water by water seasons and water sample types. Results In 2021, a total of 2381 samples of urban drinking water were tested in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including 1195 samples in wet season and 1186 samples in dry season; 389 samples of finished water and 1992 samples of tap water. The positive rates of arsenic and fluoride were 26.25% and 96.77%, respectively. The positive rates of cadmium, chromium (hexavalent), lead, mercury, trichloromethane, and carbon tetrachloride were 6.22%, 16.63%, 6.09%, 16.67%, 18.98%, and 8.36%, respectively. The exceeding standard rate of fluoride was 4.87%. Trichloromethane and carbon tetrachloride were qualified in all samples. There were statistical differences in the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium (hexavalent), lead, and carbon tetrachloride in urban drinking water between water seasons (Z=−3.847, P<0.05; Z=2.464, P=0.014; Z=−3.129, P=0.002; Z=4.341, P<0.05; Z=4.342, P<0.05). Only fluoride concentration was found statistically different among different water sample types (Z=−2.287, P=0.022). The non-carcinogenic risks of ingestion and dermal exposure to each chemical in drinking water by water seasons and water sample types were all less than 1, but the P95 total non-carcinogenic risks of oral exposure were greater than 1. The P95 carcinogenic risks of oral exposure to some chemicals in drinking water by water seasons and water sample types were>10−4, which suggested carcinogenic risks, while the carcinogenic risks of dermal explore to chemicals were all less than 10−6. Conclusion In 2021, urban drinking water in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is generally safe, but arsenic, cadmium, chromium (hexavalent), lead, mercury, and fluoride still exceed the national limits, posing certain health risks.

Comparison of diagnostic performance of Clear Cell Likelihood Score v1.0 and v2.0 for clear renal cell carcinoma / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the performance of Clear Cell Likelihood Score (ccLS) v1.0 and v2.0 in diagnosing clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) from small renal masses (SRM).@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and MR images of patients with pathologically confirmed solid SRM from the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021, and from Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University and Peking University First Hospital between January 1, 2019 and May 17, 2021. Six abdominal radiologists were trained for use of the ccLS algorithm and scored independently using ccLS v1.0 and ccLS v2.0. Random- effects logistic regression modeling was used to generate plot receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ccLS v1.0 and ccLS v2.0 for ccRCC, and the area under curve (AUC) of these two scoring systems were compared using the DeLong's test. Weighted Kappa test was used to evaluate the interobserver agreement of the ccLS score, and differences in the weighted Kappa coefficients was compared using the Gwet consistency coefficient.@*RESULTS@#In total, 691 patients (491 males, 200 females; mean age, 54 ± 12 years) with 700 renal masses were included in this study. The pooled accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of ccLS v1.0 for diagnosing ccRCC were 77.1%, 76.8%, 77.7%, 90.2%, and 55.7%, as compared with 80.9%, 79.3%, 85.1%, 93.4%, 60.6% with ccLS v2.0, respectively. The AUC of ccLS v2.0 was significantly higher than that of ccLS v1.0 for diagnosis of ccRCC (0.897 vs 0.859; P < 0.01). The interobserver agreement did not differ significantly between ccLS v1.0 and ccLS v2.0 (0.56 vs 0.60; P > 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#ccLS v2.0 has better performance for diagnosing ccRCC than ccLS v1.0 and can be considered for use to assist radiologists with their routine diagnostic tasks.

Efficacy of W-genioplasty on the broad and short chin / 中华医学美学美容杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of W-shaped genioplasty in the correction of broad and short chin deformity.Methods:Thirty-eight patients (5 males, 33 females, aged 20 to 41 years, mean 27.3 years) complained with broad and short chin were admitted to the Affiliated Friendship Plastic Surgery Hospitalof Nanjing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2021. CBCT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction were performed to design osteotomy line and determine the distance of chin lengthening, narrowing and advancing or retrocession preoperatively. Under general anesthesia, the W-shaped osteotomy was performed using an intraoral incision, and the angle between the bilateral free bone fragments, the distance of downward and forward movement were adjusted to change the curvature, width, length and prominence of the lower edge of the chin according to the preoperative designs. The results were evaluated by clinical appearances and image analyses at a follow-up of 3-24 months.Results:The amount of vertical lengthening of the chin in 38 cases were 2 mm to 5 mm, with an average of 3.02 mm. The horizontal narrowing width distances were 3-7 mm, with an average of 5.6 mm. The patients were followed up for 3-24 months, with an average of 10.6 months. There were no complications such as hematoma, wound dehiscence, accidental fracture, surgical area infection and permanent neurosensory disorder. 38 patients had transient sensory loss in the lower lip region of varying degrees, but all recovered spontaneously during routine follow-up period. All patients were satisfied with the improvement of facial contour.Conclusions:W-shaped geinoplasty preserves the central bone of the chin and the attachment of genioglossus muscle, which does not affect the normal anatomy and physiological function of the oral cavity. After osteotomy, the bone is removed and the bilateral bone fragments move flexibly. It can effectively change the radian, width, length and protrusion of the lower edge of the chin in three dimensions, so as to correct the wide and short deformity of the chin.

The Physiological Functions and Polymorphisms of Type II Deiodinase

Type II deiodinase (DIO2) is thought to provide triiodothyronine (T3) to the nucleus to meet intracellular needs by deiodinating the prohormone thyroxine. DIO2 is expressed widely in many tissues and plays an important role in a variety of physiological processes, such as controlling T3 content in developing tissues (e.g., bone, muscles, and skin) and the adult brain, and regulating adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, the identification and cloning of DIO2 have been challenging. In recent years, several clinical investigations have focused on the Thr92Ala polymorphism, which is closely correlated with clinical syndromes such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and osteoarthritis. Thr92Ala-DIO2 was also found to be related to bone and neurodegenerative diseases and tumors. However, relatively few reviews have synthesized research on individual deiodinases, especially DIO2, in the past 5 years. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the physiological functions of DIO2 in thyroid hormone signaling and adaptive thermogenesis in BAT and the brain, as well as the associations between Thr92Ala-DIO2 and bone and neurodegenerative diseases and tumors. This discussion is expected to provide insights into the physiological functions of DIO2 and the clinical syndromes associated with Thr92Ala-DIO2.

[Effects of Oyster Shell Powder and Lime on Availability and Forms of Phosphorus and Enzyme Activity in Acidic Paddy Soil].

Soil acidification improvement in the main grain production regions of southern China is an important issue to enhance the quality of cultivated land and promote grain yield. In order to explore the effects of oyster shell powder and lime on acidity and availability and inorganic forms of phosphorus in acidic paddy soil, a pot experiment was performed using oyster shell powder and lime amendments with dosages of 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15%. The results showed that both oyster shell powder and lime significantly (P<0.05) increased the pH and decreased exchangeable acid content of paddy soil. The improvement effects increased with the dosage of soil amendments. Under the same amendment dosage, the effects of lime on soil pH and acidity were higher than those of oyster shell powder. Both lime and oyster shell powder significantly increased the content of available P extracted using H2SO4-P, Bray-1 P, and Olsen-P techniques. The contents of inorganic P in soils decreased in the order of Fe-P>Al-P>Ca-P. The application of lime and oyster shell powder significantly increased the contents of Al-P and Fe-P in soil. Compared with the control treatment, lime and oyster shell power increased Al-P and Fe-P by 26.3%-37.4% and 7.9%-23.7%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in Al-P content among treatments of the three amendment dosages. The contents of Fe-P and Ca-P in soils increased with an increased dosage of amendments. The activities of DHA, ALP, and IPP and the copy number of the phoD gene in soil increased with the application of lime and oyster shell powder, whereas the activities of ACP and the copy numbers of phoC and pqqC decreased. The application of lime and oyster shell powder at a rate of 0.10% and 0.15% significantly (P<0.05) increased the yield of rice. The lime and oyster shell powder treatments at the dosage of 0.15% increased rice yield by 34.2% and 46.8%, respectively, whereas the amendment had no significant effect on straw biomass of the rice crop. Correlation analysis showed that soil pH and the ALP activity were significantly positively correlated with inorganic P and available P contents, respectively. These results suggested that lime and oyster shell power could effectively increase the content of available phosphorus by eliminating soil acidity and improving the phosphatase activity, which played a positive role in increasing crop yield.

Correlation between plasma glutathione peroxidase 4 and N-acetylneuraminic acid levels with clinical risk stratification and prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between plasma glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) with clinical risk stratification and outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. METHODS: Between October 2018 and July 2019, 413 patients that were scheduled for coronary angiography were enrolled in this prospective study at the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China. Patients were divided into control and ACS groups. Patients with ACS were divided into 3 risk levels based on their thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk score. After discharge, ACS patients were followed for the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). For the analysis of cumulative endpoint event occurrences, the Kaplan-Meier method was applied. RESULTS: The ACS group had lower plasma GPX4 but higher Neu5Ac levels than the control group. There was a greater increase in plasma Neu5Ac in the high-risk group when compared with the medium-risk and low-risk groups, while GPX4 levels were higher in the low-risk group. The MACEs group had higher plasma Neu5Ac but lower GPX4 levels than the non-MACEs group. The plasma Neu5Ac was an independent risk factor but GPX4 was a protective factor for MACEs. CONCLUSION: Glutathione peroxidase 4 and Neu5Ac levels in plasma can be used to diagnose, stratify risks, and predict long-term outcomes in patients with ACS.

[Remediation Effect and Mechanism of Inorganic Passivators on Cadmium Contaminated Acidic Paddy Soil].

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the main pollutants in acidic paddy fields, and its accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and subsequent transfer to the food chain is an important environmental issue in China. In our field study, three types of inorganic passivators (silicon-calcium-magnesium-potassium fertilizer (SCMK), calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer (CMP), and lime (L) at the rate of 750, 1500, and 2250 kg·hm-2, respectively) were applied to acidic paddy soils polluted by the heavy metal Cd in southern Zhejiang province. The objective of this study was to reveal the effects and chemical mechanisms of passivators on soil acidification and Cd accumulation in rice. The field experimental results showed that the three passivators could effectively improve soil acidification and reduce Cd accumulation in rice grains. The application of 2250 kg·hm-2 SCMK, CMP, and L increased soil pH by 0.62, 0.65, and 0.86 units; decreased exchangeable acidity by 67%, 69%, and 78%; and reduced the content of Cd in brown rice by 73%, 68%, and 77%, respectively. The application of 2250 kg·hm-2 SCMK, CMP, and L reduced the content of Cd in brown rice planted on polluted paddy rice fields to lower than 0.2 mg·kg-1, which reached the national food safety standard. Compared with the control, the application of SCMK, CMP, and L significantly (P<0.05) decreased the content of available Cd extracted by DTPA; decreased the contents of weak acid-extractable (F1) and reducible (F2) Cd; and increased the content of residual (F4) Cd. Correlation analyses indicated that Cd content in brown rice was significantly negatively correlated with soil pH and exchangeable cation content and significantly positively correlated with DTPA-Cd, weak acid-extractable (F1) and reducible (F2) Cd, and exchangeable Al contents. The partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) was used to analyze the relationship between the Cd content of brown rice, DTPA-Cd, and various chemical forms of Cd and soil properties. The direct path coefficients of soil exchangeable cations on Cd content in brown rice, available cadmium, and rice yield were -0.566, -0.866, and 0.873, respectively. Soil pH indirectly affected Cd content of brown rice mainly by directly affecting available Cd in soil. Field experiments demonstrated that the three passivators SCMK, CMP, and L were effective technologies for the safe production of rice in acidic paddy soils polluted by Cd. The possible mechanism for passivators reducing the bioavailability of Cd in soil and its accumulation in brown rice contributed to increased exchangeable cations in the soils. These findings could provide a scientific basis for the safe production of rice in acidic paddy soil polluted by heavy metals.

Efficacy of endoscopic-assisted transaxillary breast augmentation with ultrasonic scalpel and electroscalpel / 中华医学美学美容杂志

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effects of the dissection of the implant pockets with ultrasonic scalpel or traditional electroscalpel through the axillary approach under endoscopic assistant.Methods:A total of 125 female patients with an average of 32.5 years, ranged from 21 to 44 years, underwent endoscopic-assisted transaxillary breast augmentation in the Department of Plastic Surgery, the Affiliated Friendship Plastic Surgery Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from January 2019 to December 2020, were analyzed retrospectively. The implant pockets were dissected with ultrasonic scalpel (ultrasonic scalpel group) in 64 patients or with traditional electroscalpel (electroscalpel group) in 61 patients. The operation time, operation speed, postoperative drainage, drainage tube removal time and hospital stay of the two groups were compared and analyzed statistically.Results:Compared with the electroscalpel group, the average operation time of the ultrasonic scalpel group 75(71-90) min was significantly shorter than that of the electroscalpel group 105(80-135) min ( t=4.10, P<0.001), the operation speed (3.27±0.44 ml/min) was faster than that of the electroscalpel group (2.52±0.72 ml/min) ( t=4.71, P<0.001), the postoperative drainage 130.5(98.8-193.3) ml was significantly less than that of the electroscalpel group 281.75(145.5-328.3) ml ( t=2.21, P<0.05), and the drainage tube removal time 3 (3-4) d and hospital stay 3 (3-4) d were remarkablely shorter than that of the electroscalpel group 4 (3-4) d, 5 (4-6) d ( t=3.58; t=4.06, P<0.05). Conclusions:The application of ultrasonic scalpel in endoscopic-assisted transaxillary breast augmentation is safe and reliable. In addtion to improving the surgical efficiency, ultrasonic scalpel can reduce blood loss, shorten the time of hospital stay and reduce complications, which is worthy of further promotion in clinical application.

Effects of eyebrow arch augmentation with personalized PEEK implant assisted by endoscope / 中华医学美学美容杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of eyebrow arch augmentation with personalized polyether ether ketone (PEEK) implant assisted by endoscope.Methods:From January 2019 to August 2021, 9 patients with low and flat eyebrow arch requiring eyebrow arch augmentation were treated in the plastic surgery department of the Friendship Plastic Surgery Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University. The cranial and maxillofacial CT scanning data were obtained before operation, the eyebrow arch elevation range and height were designed according to the patient's requirements, and personalized peek implants were manufactured. During the operation, a small temporal hairline incision was used to accurately separate the implantation cavity of individualized peek implants under the periosteum of the eyebrow arch implantation area with the aid of endoscope. Personalized PEEK implants were implanted under endoscope to make them fully fit with the eyebrow arch bone and fixed with titanium nails. Photos were taken and analyzed before and after operation.Results:All patients were followed up for 3 months to 2 years. Their facial expressions were normal, and there were no motor nerve injury, rejection and iatrogenic infection. The patients were satisfied with the postoperative effect. Compared with before operation, the low level of orbital bone in eyebrow area was improved, and the facial contour was three-dimensional and harmonious.Conclusions:The eyebrow arch augmentation with individualized peek implant assisted by endoscope is safe and effective. It can greatly reshape the upper contour of the face, deepen the upper eyelid fossa and improve the convex eye phenomenon, so as to achieve the cosmetic effect of enhancing the three-dimensional sense of the eyebrow orbital area, which is worthy of clinical application.

Effect of local gene therapy on expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin in callus of distraction gap during mandibular distraction osteogenesis in rabbits / 中华医学美学美容杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of electroporation-mediated local gene therapy on the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin in callus of distraction gap during mandibular distraction osteogenesis of rabbits.Methods:The experiments were conducted in the laboratory of the Affiliated Friendship Plastic Surgery Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from September 2019 to December 2019. Forty eight New-Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into control group (group A), gene therapy group (group B) and normal saline group (group C), with 16 rabbits in each group. After bilateral mandible osteotomy and distractors were implanted, the distractors were activated at a speed of 0.8 mm/d on 4th day, postoperatively, and lasted for 7 days, followed by consolidation period. Group A distracted only, group B was subject to local injection of recombinant plasmid pIRES-hBMP2-hVEGF165 in the distraction gap and electroporation stimulation at the beginning of activation distractors; and group C local injection of the same dose of normal saline in the distraction gap and electroporation stimulation at the beginning of activation distractors. Four animals in each group were sacrificed on the day at the end of distraction, 7th, 14th, 28th days of consolidation period, respectively. The callus in the distraction gap was taken for immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR to detect the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin, and image analysis was performed. SPSS 22.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Results:Immunohistochemical staining showed that Wnt3a and β-catenin were mainly located in the cytoplasm and nuclei of fibroblasts, chondrocytes and osteoblasts in callus tissue. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR showed that the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin reached a peak at the end of distraction. With the disappearance of distraction tension, the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin gradually decreased. After gene therapy intervention, the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin was significantly increased, and the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin in group B was the highest at each time point, with statistically significant difference compared with groups A and C ( F=96.3, P<0.01). Conclusions:Gene therapy promotes the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin in the callus of distraction gap, regulating the balance of the bone reconstruction system and thus promoting the formation of new bone in the distraction gap.

Optimization of formulation of paclitaxel nanosuspension encapsulated by erythrocyte membrane based on Box-Behnken method / 中国中药杂志

In view of the longevity and innate immune escape of red blood cells, this study designed the red blood cell membrane-coated paclitaxel nanosuspension [RBC-(PTX)NS] and investigated its physicochemical properties and antitumor effect in vitro. Paclitaxel nanosuspension [(PTX)NS] was prepared by ultrasonic precipitation and then RBC-(PTX)NS by ultrasonic coating. The formulation of(PTX)NS was optimized with Box-Behnken method and indexes of particle diameter, zeta potential, and stability. The morphology, particle diameter, stability, in vitro dissolution, and antitumor effect of(PTX)NS and RBC-(PTX)NS were characterized. The results showed that the particle diameter and zeta potential were(129.38±0.92) nm and(-22.41±0.48) mV, respectively, for the optimized(PTX)NS, while(142.5±0.68) nm and(-29.85±0.53) mV, respectively, for RBC-(PTX)NS. Under the transmission electron microscope,(PTX)NS was spherical and RBC-(PTX)NS had obvious core-shell structure. RBC-(PTX)NS remained stable for 5 days at 4 ℃. The in vitro dissolution test demonstrated that the cumulative release rate of RBC-(PTX)NS reached 79% within 20 min, which was significantly higher than that(25%) of(PTX)NS(P<0.05). As evidenced by MTT assay, RBC-(PTX)NS highly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The cell membrane-coated nano-preparation preparation method is simple and reproducible. It improves the solubility of PTX and endows RBC-(PTX)NS with higher stability and stronger cytotoxicity. Thus, it is a new method for the delivery of PTX via nanocrystallization.

Mine Vegetation Identification via Ecological Monitoring and Deep Belief Network.

Based on the characteristics of remote sensing images of mine vegetation, this research studied the application of deep belief network model in mine vegetation identification. Through vegetation identification and classification, the ecological environment index of mining area was determined according to the analysis of vegetation and coverage. Deep learning algorithm is adopted to improve the depth study, the vegetation coverage in the analysis was studied. Parameters and parameter values were selected for identification by establishing the optimal experimental design. The experimental results were compared with remote sensing images to determine the accuracy of deep learning identification and the effectiveness of the algorithm. When the sample size is 2,000,000 pixels, through repeated tests and classification effect comparison, the optimal parameter setting suitable for mine vegetation identification is obtained. Parameter setting: the number of network layers is 3 layers; the number of hidden layer neurons is 60. The learning rate is 0.01 and the number of iterations is 2. The average recognition rate of vegetation coverage was 95.95%, outperforming some other models, and the accuracy rate of kappa coefficient was 0.95, which can accurately reflect the vegetation coverage. The clearer the satellite image is, the more accurate the recognition result is, and the accuracy is closer to 100%. The identification of vegetation coverage has important guiding significance for determining the area and area of ecological restoration.

Reduction of fibrosis and immune suppressive cells in ErbB2-dependent tumorigenesis by an LXR agonist.

One of the central challenges for cancer therapy is the identification of factors in the tumor microenvironment that increase tumor progression and prevent immune surveillance. One such element associated with breast cancer is stromal fibrosis, a histopathologic criterion for invasive cancer and poor survival. Fibrosis is caused by inflammatory factors and remodeling of the extracellular matrix that elicit an immune tolerant microenvironment. To address the role of fibrosis in tumorigenesis, we developed NeuT/ATTAC transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active NeuT/erbB2 transgene, and an inducible, fat-directed caspase-8 fusion protein, which upon activation results in selective and partial ablation of mammary fat and its replacement with fibrotic tissue. Induction of fibrosis in NeuT/ATTAC mice led to more rapid tumor development and an inflammatory and fibrotic stromal environment. In an effort to explore therapeutic options that could reduce fibrosis and immune tolerance, mice were treated with the oxysterol liver X receptor (LXR) pan agonist, N,N-dimethyl-3-ß-hydroxy-cholenamide (DMHCA), an agent known to reduce fibrosis in non-malignant diseases. DMHCA reduced tumor progression, tumor multiplicity and fibrosis, and improved immune surveillance by reducing infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells and increasing CD4 and CD8 effector T cells. These effects were associated with downregulation of an LXR-dependent gene network related to reduced breast cancer survival that included Spp1, S100a9, Anxa1, Mfge8 and Cd14. These findings suggest that the use of DMHCA may be a potentially effective approach to reduce desmoplasia and immune tolerance and increase the efficacy of cancer therapy.

Clinical outcomes of personalized PEEK prosthesis in correcting nasolabial fold depression / 中华医学美学美容杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcomes of personalized polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implant in the correction of nasolabial fold depression.Methods:A total of 30 patients with nasolabial fold depression (5 males, 25 females, aged 26 to 52 years, mean 36.3 years) admitted to the Affiliated Friendship Plastic Hospital of Nanjing Medical University who want to undergo nasolabial fold augmentation from January 2019 to January 2021. All patients underwent CBCT scan and three-dimensional simulation, the personalized PEEK implant was designed and produced with CAD/CAM technique, the personalized PEEK was implanted during the operation. The patients were followed up for 3-12 months, and the wrinkle score and satisfaction were compared before operation and 3 months and 6 months after operation.Results:The depressions of nasolabial fold were significantly improved in all patients, and there were no complications such as hematoma and infection after operation. During the follow-up, there was no implant displacement or exposure, and the effect was stable and lasting. The scores of wrinkles at 3 months after operation (2.30±0.47) and 6 months after operation (2.17±0.38) were significantly lower than those before operation (4.03±0.67), and the scores of satisfaction were significantly higher than those before operation ( P<0.05). The scores of satisfaction at 3 months after operation (3.97±0.56) and 6 months after operation (4.23±0.57) were significantly higher than those before operation (1.70±0.60). The difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:3D printing personalized PEEK prosthesis is effective in correcting nasolabial fold depression, and it is safe and stable, so it is recommended for clinical application.

Development and Validation of Web-Based Nomograms to Precisely Predict Survival Outcomes of Non-metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in an Endemic Area / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#This study aimed to develop web-based nomograms to precisely predict survival outcomes in patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in an endemic area. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 10,126 patients who underwent radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) from 2009 to 2015 were analyzed. We assigned patients into a training cohort (SYSUCC-A, n=6,751) and an internal validation cohort (SYSUCC-B, n=3,375) based on computer-generated random numbers. Patients collected from Wuzhou Red Cross Hospital (WZRCH) between 2012 and 2015 were used as the independent external validation cohort (WZRCH, n=450). Concordance index (C-index) was used to determine predictive accuracy and discriminative ability for the nomogram. The web-based clinicopathologic prediction models for predicting survival were based on Cox regression. @*Results@#The C-indexes for SYSUCC-A, SYSUCC-B, and WZRCH cohorts for the established nomograms to predict 3-year overall survival (OS) was 0.736, 0.715, and 0.691. Additionally, C-indexes to predict 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) was 0.717, 0.706, and 0.686, disease-free survival (DFS) was 0.713, 0.697, and 0.656, local relapse-free survival was 0.695, 0.684, and 0.652, and regional relapse-free survival was 0.672, 0.650, and 0.616. The calibration plots showed great agreement between nomogram-predicted 3-year survival outcomes and actual 3-year survival outcomes. Moreover, C-indexes of the nomograms for OS, DMFS, and DFS were significantly superior than TNM stage (p< 0.001 for all). @*Conclusion@#These user-friendly nomograms can precisely predict survival endpoints in patients with non-metastatic NPC. They may serve as a useful tool for providing patient counseling and help physicians to make individual follow-up plans.

Development and Validation of Web-Based Nomograms to Precisely Predict Survival Outcomes of Non-metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in an Endemic Area / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#This study aimed to develop web-based nomograms to precisely predict survival outcomes in patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in an endemic area. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 10,126 patients who underwent radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) from 2009 to 2015 were analyzed. We assigned patients into a training cohort (SYSUCC-A, n=6,751) and an internal validation cohort (SYSUCC-B, n=3,375) based on computer-generated random numbers. Patients collected from Wuzhou Red Cross Hospital (WZRCH) between 2012 and 2015 were used as the independent external validation cohort (WZRCH, n=450). Concordance index (C-index) was used to determine predictive accuracy and discriminative ability for the nomogram. The web-based clinicopathologic prediction models for predicting survival were based on Cox regression. @*Results@#The C-indexes for SYSUCC-A, SYSUCC-B, and WZRCH cohorts for the established nomograms to predict 3-year overall survival (OS) was 0.736, 0.715, and 0.691. Additionally, C-indexes to predict 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) was 0.717, 0.706, and 0.686, disease-free survival (DFS) was 0.713, 0.697, and 0.656, local relapse-free survival was 0.695, 0.684, and 0.652, and regional relapse-free survival was 0.672, 0.650, and 0.616. The calibration plots showed great agreement between nomogram-predicted 3-year survival outcomes and actual 3-year survival outcomes. Moreover, C-indexes of the nomograms for OS, DMFS, and DFS were significantly superior than TNM stage (p< 0.001 for all). @*Conclusion@#These user-friendly nomograms can precisely predict survival endpoints in patients with non-metastatic NPC. They may serve as a useful tool for providing patient counseling and help physicians to make individual follow-up plans.

Survival analysis of rectal cancer patients with liver metastasis treated by different methods / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the survival status of rectal cancer patients with liver metastasis after receiving different treatments and its influencing factors.Methods:The clinicopathological characteristics, treatment methods and survival of 211 rectal cancer patients with liver metastasis who received different treatments in Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital from January 2012 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the related factors affecting the prognosis of patients.Results:The median overall survival (OS) time of 211 rectal cancer patients with liver metastasis was 19 months (1-115 months), and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 66%, 22% and 10%. The OS of rectal cancer patients with metachronous liver metastasis was better than that of rectal cancer patients with simultaneous liver metastasis ( χ2 = 17.225, P < 0.01). The OS of patients with primary tumor resection was better than that of patients without primary tumor resection ( χ2 = 69.54, P < 0.01). Among patients with primary tumor resection, the OS of patients with untreated liver metastasis was worse than that of patients with interventional treatment of liver metastasis ( χ2 = 7.311, P = 0.007). Among the patients without primary tumor resection, the OS of patients with chemotherapy alone was better than that of untreated patients ( χ2 = 4.123, P = 0.042). The OS of patients with primary tumor resection and untreated liver metastasis and patients with primary tumor resection and liver metastasis intervention therapy was better than that of patients with chemotherapy alone (both P < 0.01). The results of Cox regression analysis showed that the differentiation degree of primary tumor, liver metastasis and carbohydrate antigen 199 level at diagnosis were independent factors influencing the survival of rectal cancer patients with liver metastasis (all P < 0.01). Conclusion:For patients with diagnosed rectal cancer, even if there is liver metastasis before surgery, active surgical resection of the primary tumor and local treatment of liver metastasis can still improve the survival.

[Dynamic Effects of Direct Returning of Straw and Corresponding Biochar on Acidity, Nutrients, and Exchangeable Properties of Red Soil].

To compare the dynamic effects of straw and corresponding biochar on soil acidity, nutrients, and exchangeable capacity in red soil, a pot experiment was performed. The treatments included control (CK), rice straw (R1B0), rice straw biochar prepared at 350℃ (R1B1) and 550℃ (R1B2), rape stalk (R2B0), and rape stalk biochar prepared at 350℃ (R2B1) and 550℃ (R2B2). Straw at 1% and corresponding biochar were added to a strongly acidic red soil. The rice was planted as the experimental crop. Soils were collected at the seedling, tillering, filling and mature stages of rice growth, respectively. The changes in soil pH, exchangeable acidity, organic matter, nutrients (NH4+-N and NO3--N), and exchangeable cations in soils were measured. The results showed that soil pH, NH4+-N, and NO3--N concentrations decreased with the growth period of rice, while the organic matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased. Direct returning of straw and biochar could increase soil pH, organic matter content, and exchangeable cations content, and reduce the total amount of exchangeable acids. In the mature stage of rice, rice straw and rape stalk biochar at 350℃ increased the soil pH by 0.29 and 0.42, respectively, compared to the control treatment. Similarly, biochar decreased the exchangeable acidity and exchangeable Al3+ content significantly compared to the direct returning treatments of straw. The exchangeable acidity and exchangeable Al3+ contents of soils in R1B2 and R2B1 treatments decreased by 54.8% and 58.9%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. The soil organic matter (SOM) content and CEC in biochar treatments were significantly higher than those in direct returning treatments of straw. Overall, the effects of rape stalk biochar on soil properties were slightly stronger than those of rice straw. The correlation analysis showed that soil exchangeable acids had a significantly negative correlation with organic matter (R=-0.912, P<0.01), and CEC (R=-0.866, P<0.05). The CEC in soils was positively related to organic matter (R=0.833, P<0.05). Direct returning of straw and biochar applications can effectively improve soil acidity and increase nutrient contents. The effects of straw biochar on soils were stronger than the direct returning of straw in decreasing soil acidity, and increasing soil organic matter content and exchangeable capacity in acidic soils.

[Dynamic Effects of Different Biochars on Soil Properties and Crop Yield of Acid Farmland].

To investigate the dynamic effects of biochars produced from different biomass materials on farmland soil acidity, exchangeable cations, phosphorus nutrient, and crop yield, a field experiment was performed on acid paddy soil. Five types of biochars-rice straw biochar (RSB), maize straw biochar (MSB), wheat straw biochar (WSB), rice husk biochar (RHB), and bamboo charcoal (BCB)-were applied to farmland soil at mass fraction of 0.1%. No biochar addition was used as control treatment (CK). The soil physicochemical properties and crop yields were analyzed after harvesting rice, rapeseed, and corn crops. Results indicated that the addition of biochars could effectively increase soil pH and exchangeable cations and reduce exchangeable acid content, but the effects decreased with time. The biochars increased the content of exchangeable K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ and decreased the exchangeable Na+ content in soils. The biochars increased the contents of organic matter (SOM), available phosphorus, total phosphorus, and inorganic phosphorus (Al-P and Fe-P). Compared with the control treatment, biochars significantly (P<0.05) increased the yields of rice, oil seed, and maize crops. Rice husk biochar (RHB) had the best effect in improving acid soil physicochemical properties and increasing crop yield.

Application of vacuum stretcher combined with feeding in cranial magnetic resonance imaging examination for neonates: a prospective randomized controlled study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effect and safety of vacuum stretcher combined with feeding in cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination for neonates.@*METHODS@#A prospective study was performed for the neonates with hyperbilirubinemia, with a gestational age of >34 weeks and stable vital signs, who needed cranial MRI examination and did not need oxygen inhalation hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from September to November, 2019. The neonates were randomly divided into a vacuum stretcher combined with feeding group and a conventional sedation group. Vital signs were monitored before, during, and after MRI examination. The success rate of MRI procedure was recorded.@*RESULTS@#A total of 80 neonates were enrolled in the study, with 40 neonates in the vacuum stretcher combined with feeding group and 40 in the conventional sedation group. The vacuum stretcher combined with feeding group had a significantly higher success rate of MRI procedure than the conventional sedation group (P0.05). No complications, such as apnea, acute allergic reactions, and malignant fever, were observed.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Vacuum stretcher combined with feeding can improve the success rate of MRI procedure and reduce the use of sedatives, and meanwhile, it does not increase related risks.