The immunomodulatory， repair， and regeneration-promoting functions of mesenchymal stem cells make them one of the potential treatment methods for liver diseases. At present， viral and non-viral delivery methods have been developed to genetically modify mesenchymal stem cells， and gene modification can promote the survival， homing， and cytokine secretion of mesenchymal stem cells， thereby enhancing the ability of mesenchymal stem cells to treat liver diseases. This article mainly summarizes the research advances in gene-modified mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of liver diseases， in order to provide new insights and strategies for the clinical treatment of liver diseases.

Objective To construct a predictive model for cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) MRI burden based on β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], analyze its predictive value, and validate the model. Methods A total of 138 CSVD patients admitted to Anhui No.2 Provincial People’s Hospital from February 2023 to August 2024 were enrolled. Patients were divided into a low-burden group (n=63) and a moderate/severe burden group (n=75) according to the CSVD MRI burden scoring criteria. The related clinical data were compared between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors for CSVD moderate/severe MRI burden. A nomogram predictive model was constructed based on these factors and its performance was evaluated. Results The proportions of male patients, as well as those with a history of diabetes or hypertension, were significantly higher in the moderate/severe burden group than those in the low burden group. Additionally, the age of patients in the moderate/severe burden group was significantly older, and the levels of β2-MG, Lp(a), and homocysteine (Hcy) were higher than those in the low burden group (P＜0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that hypertension, diabetes, β2-MG, and Lp(a) were independent factors for CSVD moderate/severe MRI burden (P＜0.05). The nomogram predictive model based on these four factors had a cut-off value of 0.467 0, with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.838 7 (95%CI 0.760 8-0.916 6) in the training set (n＝97) and 0.854 1 (95%CI 0.742 1-0.966 1) in the internal validation set (n＝41) . The calibration curve demonstrated good agreement between predicted and observed values. Decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the nomogram model had good clinical utility. Conclusions The nomogram model based on β2-MG and Lp(a) has high predictive performance in assessing the risk of CSVD moderate/severe MRI burden, with good discrimination and calibration.

Objective: To investigate the trends in incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer in cancer registration areas of Anhui Province from 2014 to 2020, so as to provide the basis for formulating prevention and control measures. Methods: The incidence and mortality data of esophageal cancer in Anhui Province from 2014 to 2020 was collected through the Cancer Registry in Anhui Province. The crude incidence and crude mortality were calculated. The Chinese population-standardized rate was standardized using the age structure of the standard population from the Fifth National Population Census in 2000. The trends in incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer were analyzed using the average annual percent change (APPC), stratified by genders, urban/rural areas, and ages. Results: In Anhui Province, the rank of esophageal cancer incidence dropped from the third in 2014 to the sixth in 2020. Concurrently, the crude incidence and Chinese population-standardized incidence declined from 28.74/100 000 and 20.74/100 000 to 19.23/100 000 and 10.59/100 000, respectively (AAPC=-5.846%, -9.658%, both P<0.05). The mortality rank remained stable at the fourth in 2014 and 2020, while the crude mortality and Chinese population-standardized mortality decreased from 19.96/100 000 and 14.09/100 000 to 16.00/100 000 and 8.41/100 000, respectively (AAPC=-3.542%, -7.784%, both P<0.05). The Chinese population-standardized incidence (AAPC=-9.682%, -9.188%, -6.175% and -12.575%, all P<0.05) and Chinese population-standardized mortality (AAPC=-7.734%. -7.447%. -5.366% and -10.209%, all P<0.05) showed declining trends in males, females, urban, and rural areas, respectively. From 2014 to 2020 in Anhui Province, the crude incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer generally increased with age. However, significant declining trends were observed in crude incidence (AAPC=-12.779%, -11.701%, -11.955% and -5.751%, all P<0.05) and crude mortality (AAPC=-12.255%, -11.120%, -10.985% and -5.751%, all P<0.05) for the age groups of 40-<50, 50-<60, 60-<70, 70-<80 years. A significant declining trend in crude incidence was also seen in the ≥80 years group (APPC=-6.334%, P<0.05), but the trend in crude mortality was no statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion In registration areas of Anhui Province, the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer exhibited a declining trend from 2014 to 2020, calling for focused attention on the middle-aged and elderly population and enhanced health behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol control.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of HBV infection on pre- and postpartum health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pregnant women. METHODS: A prospective matched cohort consisting of 70 HBV-infected and 70 healthy pregnant women was recruited from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between April 17 and September 25, 2023. HRQoL of the participants was assessed at 16-24 weeks of gestation, between 32 weeks and delivery, and 5-13 weeks postpartum. Mixed linear models were used for evaluating temporal trends of HRQoL changes, and univariate ANOVA with multiple linear regression was used to identify the predictors of HRQoL. RESULTS: Compared with healthy pregnant women, HBV-infected pregnant women had consistently lower total HRQoL scores across all the 3 intervals, with the lowest scores observed between 32 weeks of gestation and delivery, during which these women had significantly reduced mental component scores (74.27±13.43 vs 80.21±12.9, P=0.009) and postpartum mental (76.52±16.19 vs 85.02±6.51, P<0.001) and physical component scale scores (77.17±14.71 vs 83.09±10.1, P=0.009). HBV infection was identified as an independent risk factor affecting HRQoL during late pregnancy and postpartum periods. Additional independent risk factors for postpartum HRQoL reduction included self-pay medical expenses, spouse's neutral attitude toward the current pregnancy, and preexisting comorbidities (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS HRQoL of pregnant women deteriorates progressively in late pregnancy, and HBV infection exacerbates reductions of physical function and role emotion in late pregnancy and after delivery, suggesting the importance of targeted interventions for financial burdens, partner support and comorbid conditions to improve HRQoL of pregnant women with HBV infection.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Quality of Life ; Prospective Studies ; Postpartum Period ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/psychology* ; Adult ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious

Vascular damage plays a significant role in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the induction of neuronal injury by vascular damage remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine the impact of fibrinogen (Fg) on tau pathology. The results showed that Fg deposits in the brains of tau P301S transgenic mice interact with tau, enhancing the cytotoxicity of pathological tau aggregates and promoting tau phosphorylation and aggregation. Notably, Fg-modified tau fibrils caused enhanced neuronal apoptosis and synaptic damage compared to unmodified fibrils. Furthermore, intrahippocampal injection of Fg-modified tau fibrils worsened the tau pathology, neuroinflammation, synaptic damage, neuronal apoptosis, and cognitive dysfunction in tau P301S mice compared to controls. The present study provides compelling evidence linking Fg and tau, thereby connecting cerebrovascular damage to tau pathology in AD. Consequently, inhibiting Fg-mediated tau pathology could potentially impede the progression of AD.
Animals ; tau Proteins/metabolism* ; Alzheimer Disease/metabolism* ; Fibrinogen/metabolism* ; Mice, Transgenic ; Mice ; Disease Models, Animal ; Memory Disorders/metabolism* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain/metabolism* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Protein Aggregation, Pathological/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Phosphorylation

Abstract In recent years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has risen rapidly, posing a serious threat to their physical and mental health. To provide scientific, systematic, and standardized weight management guidance for overweight and obese children and adolescents, the study focuses on the core concept of healthy lifestyle intervention, integrates multidisciplinary expert opinions and research findings,and proposes a comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention framework covering scientific exercise intervention, precise nutrition and diet, optimized sleep management, and standardized psychological support. It calls for the establishment of a multi agent collaborative management mechanism led by the government, implemented by families, fostered by schools, initiated by individuals, optimized by communities, reinforced by healthcare, and coordinated by multiple stakeholders. Emphasizing a child and adolescent centered approach, the consensus advocates for comprehensive, multi level, and personalized guidance strategies to promote the internalization and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. It serves as a reference and provides recommendations for the effective prevention and control of overweight and obesity, and enhancing the health level of children and adolescents.

Objective To compare the application effects of laryngeal mask airway anesthesia and endotracheal intubation anesthesia in interventional occlusion for young-age patients with congenital heart disease. Methods A total of 102 young-age patients with congenital heart disease undergoing interventional occlusion were enrolled and randomly divided into control group and observation group using a random number table method, with 51 patients in each group. The control group received endotracheal intubation anesthesia, while the observation group received sevoflurane anesthesia via laryngeal mask airway. The awakening time, extubation time, incidence of laryngeal spasm, and incidence of lung infection were compared between the two groups. Additionally, hemodynamic parameters [heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP)], oxidative stress indicators [malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD)], and myocardial injury indicators [creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP)] levels at different time points were compared. Results The observation group had shorter awakening time and extubation time, and lower incidence of lung infection and laryngeal spasm compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Before anesthesia (T₀), there were no statistically significant differences in HR, MAP, MDA, SOD, CK-MB, and H-FABP levels between the two groups (P>0.05). During laryngeal mask insertion or intubation (T₁), during arteriovenous puncture (T₂), and immediately after occluder placement (T₃), the observation group had lower HR, MAP, CK-MB, and H-FABP levels compared with the control group (P < 0.05). At T₁, T₂, and T₃, the MDA levels in both groups were higher than that at T₀, and the SOD levels were lower than that at T₀; however, the observation group had lower MDA levels and higher SOD levels compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Compared with endotracheal intubation anesthesia, sevoflurane anesthesia via laryngeal mask airway has a better application effect in interventional occlusion for young-age patients with congenital heart disease, thereby effectively maintaining intraoperative hemodynamic stability, shortening awakening time and extubation time, and exhibiting higher safety.

The aim of this study is to investigate the immune effect of H9 subtype avian influenza virus(AIV)NP protein on mice and lay the foundation for the development of avian influenza vi-rus(AIV)vaccine.The H9N2 virus NP gene amplification product was cloned into the pET-32a expression vector,and the protein expression was verified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot,and the immune effect was evaluated by measuring the secretion of supernatant multicytokines in mouse splenocytes culture.The results showed that the total length of the coding region sequence of NP gene was 1 497 bp,NP recombinant proteins exist in both soluble and insoluble protein forms,and the specific bands were visible in Western blot.After immunizing mice,serum produces IgG-bind-ing antibodies with antibody titers of 1∶40 000.Compared with the control group,IL-2,IL-5 and IL-13 were significantly increased(P＜0.001),and the secretion of IL-6 was significantly increased compared with the control group.IL-4 and IL-12 p70 secretions were elevated compared with con-trols,but there was no significant difference.Compared with the control group,the secretions of IL-1β,IL-18,GM-CMF,TNF-α and IFN-γ were inhibited,but the difference was not significant(P＞0.05).The results showed that NP recombinant protein is a good immunogen,laying a foundation for in-depth research on influenza vaccine.

Objective:To estimate the costs of dementia from a societal perspective in Tongliao City and ex-plore the influencing factors of these costs.Methods:Dementia was diagnosed using the 10/66 Dementia Research Group assessment instruments.Data on healthcare utilization,caregiver's care time or costs,and the distress due to caregiving were collected.The cost-proportion conversion method was used to estimate the per capita cost of health services based on data from the National Statistical Yearbook.The human capital approach was used to estimate the unit value of informal care time,and the willingness-to-pay method was used to measure the intangible costs of car-egivers.The total societal costs of dementia were calculated based on the reference year 2023,and a two-part model was employed to analyze the factors influencing the societal costs.Results:A total of 390 dementia patients were di-agnosed,with an average societal cost per capita of 117 877 Yuan.The largest cost component was informal care provided by unpaid family members,accounting for 73.1％of the total societal cost.The societal costs for female patients were 61 395 Yuan higher than those for male patients.Patients with comorbid stroke had a higher societal cost of 63 008 Yuan compared to patients without stroke,and each additional chronic disease added 5 868 Yuan to societal costs.Additionally,each non-memory dimension impairment in the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale in-creased the societal costs by 53 997 Yuan.Conclusion:Dementia poses a significant socio-economic burden,with informal care being the major component of this burden.

Objective:To explore the effects of midazolam oral solution on preoperative sedation, hemodynamics, and awakening agitation in children undergoing tonsillectomy combined with adenoidectomy.Methods:A total of 267 pediatric patients who underwent tonsillectomy combined with adenoidectomy at the Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January to September 2022 were randomly divided into a low-dose group ( n=89), a high-dose group ( n=89), and a control group ( n=89) using a random number table method. 30 minutes before anesthesia, the low-dose group received 0.25 mg/kg of midazolam orally, the high-dose group received 0.5 mg/kg of midazolam orally, and the control group received 5 ml of 10% glucose mixture orally. We compared the extubation time and post anesthesia recovery room (PACU) retention time among three groups of pediatric patients; Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) levels before administration and 10, 20, and 30 minutes after administration; The Yale Modified Perioperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) score and restlessness incidence were measured before administration and 10 and 60 minutes after administration. Results:The retention time of PACU in the low-dose group was shorter than that in the high-dose group ( P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between the low-dose group and the control group ( P>0.05). At 10, 20, and 30 minutes after administration, the levels of MAP and HR in the low-dose and high-dose groups were lower than before administration (all P<0.05), and at 10, 20, and 30 minutes after administration, the levels of MAP and HR in the low-dose and high-dose groups were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Before administration, there was no statistically significant difference in mYPAS scores among the three groups (all P>0.05); At 10 and 60 minutes after administration, the mYPAS scores of the low-dose and high-dose groups were lower than before administration, and the mYPAS scores of the low-dose and high-dose groups were lower than those of the control group (all P<0.05); At 10 and 60 minutes after administration, there was no statistically significant difference in mYPAS scores between the control group and before administration (all P>0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in mYPAS scores between the low-dose and high-dose groups (all P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of agitation among the three groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Preoperative oral administration of 0.25 mg/kg or 0.5 mg/kg midazolam can effectively alleviate preoperative anxiety and improve hemodynamics in children undergoing tonsillectomy combined with adenoidectomy. However, due to the fast metabolism of midazolam, its effect on improving postoperative restlessness during the recovery period is not significant. The 0.25 mg/kg dose of midazolam can reduce the retention time of PACU compared to the 0.5 mg/kg dose, which is worthy of clinical recommendation.