Objective: To investigate the influencing factors for social alienation among the elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), so as to provide insights into formulating targeted intervention measures. Methods: T2DM patients aged 60 years and older were selected from Hangzhou First People's Hospital from January to October 2023. Their demographics, diabetes complications were collected using questionnaire surveys, social support level was evaluated using the Social Support Scale, and the stigma was evaluated using the Chinese version of the Type 2 Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale, and the social alienation was assessed using General Alienation Scale. Factors affecting the social alienation were identified among the elderly patients with T2DM using a multiple linear regression model. Results: A total of 316 elderly patients with T2DM were investigated, including 171 males (54.11%) and 145 females (45.89%), and had a mean age of (69.75±8.12) years. The level of social support was mainly medium, with 162 cases accounted for 51.27%. The average stigma scores were (61.87±12.50) points, and average social alienation scores were (42.09±6.33) points. Multiple linear regression analysis identified educational level (high school/junior college, β'=-0.159; college and above, β'=-0.301), marital status (married persons, β'=-0.236), monthly household income (3 000 Yuan and more, β'=-0.175), diabetes complications (β'=0.192), social support level (medium, β'=-0.210; high, β'=-0.352) and stigma score (β'=0.283) as factors affecting the social alienation among the elderly patients with T2DM. Conclusion The social alienation among the elderly patients with T2DM are associated with educational level, marital status, family income, diabetes complications, social support level and stigma.

Objective To investigate the role of interleukin-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1) signaling in H1N1 influenza virus infection. Methods IL-1R1 knockout ( IL-1R1-/-) mice and wild type ( WT) mice were infected intranasally with 2×104 TCID50(50% tissue culture infective dose) of influenza virus H1N1 PR8. Changes in clinical signs, survivals and bodyweights of those mice were monitored daily for 14 consecutive days. Three mice from each group were sacrificed at 3, 7 and 14 days post infection (d. p. i), from which whole lungs were harvested. A part of the lobes was fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for histopatho-logical assessment and the rest were split and stored at-80 centigrade for further analysis. Real-time quanti-tative PCR and cytometric bead array ( CBA) were performed to detect viral loads in lungs and inflammatory cytokines in supernatants of lung homogenates. Results The mice in both groups showed severe symptoms after the infection of PR8. The maximum bodyweight loss of IL-1R1-/- mice [(24. 22±0. 80) % at 8 d. p. i] was lower than that of WT mice [(28. 03±1. 51)% at 9 d. p. i] (P<0. 05). The IL-1R1-/- mice with PR8 infection showed a higher survival rate (90%) as compared with that of the control group (40%) (P<0. 05). No statistical differences in virus loads were observed between the two groups at 3, 7 and 14 d. p. i. The lung weight to body weight ratio of IL-1R1-/-mice [(1. 42±0. 03) %] was lower than that of WT mice [(1. 79±0. 08) %] at 3 d. p. i (P<0. 05). Pathological changes in IL-1R1-/- mice were less severe than those in WT mice. CBA detection assay revealed that the proinflammatory cytokines in lungs of IL-1R1-/-mice were less than those in WT mice. Conclusion IL-1R1 signaling plays a pathogenic role in mice infec-ted with 2×104 TCID50 of influenza virus PR8 by promoting inflammatory responses.

Objective To estimate the influence of the ambient PM10 and PM2.5 pollution on the hospital outpatient department visit due to respiratory diseases in local residents in Jinan quantitatively.Methods Time serial analysis using generalized addictive model (GAM) was conducted.After controlling the confotmding factors,such as long term trend,weekly pattern and meteorological factors,considering lag effect and the influence of other air pollutants,the excess relative risks of daily hospital visits associated with increased ambient PM10 and PM2.5 levels were estimated by fitting a Poisson regression model.Results A 10 μtg/m3 increase of PM10 and PM2.5 levels was associated with an increase of 0.36％ (95％ CI:0.30％-0.43％) and 0.50％ (95％ CI:0.30％-0.70％) respectively for hospital visits due to respiratory diseases.Lag effect of 6 days was strongest,the excess relative risks were 0.65％ (95％ CI:0.58％-0.71％) and 0.54％ (95％ CI:0.42％-0.67％) respectively.When NO2 concentration was introduced,the daily hospital visits due to respiratory disease increased by 0.83％ as a 10 μg/m3 increase of PM10 concentration (95％CI:0.76％-0.91％).Conclusion The ambient PM10 and PM2.5 pollution was positively associated with daily hospital visits due to respiratory disease in Jinan,and ambient NO2 concentration would have the synergistic effect.

Background: and Purpose A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed of the outcome of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Methods: Relevant studies published before November 2022 in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Web of Science databases were retrieved using the following search expression: (“multiple sclerosis” OR “MS”) AND (“DMT” OR “disease modifying therapies”) AND (“COVID-19”). Two authors independently screened the articles and extracted the data. Qualitative analyses and a meta-analysis constituted 22 of the 794 retrieved articles. Differences in the hospitalization and mortality rates were used as the main measures of efficacy, and the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software. Results: 22 clinical trials were selected. The hospitalization rate was lower in the 3,216 patients who received DMTs than in the 774 patients who did not receive any treatment, with a moderate effect size of 0.43 (p<0.00001). The mortality rate was also lower among patients with MS treated using DMTs than in controls (odds ratio [OR]=0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.13–0.27, p<0.00001). The hospitalization rates for COVID-19 infection in patients with MS treated with anti-CD20 therapy also increased markedly (OR=3.32, 95% CI=2.63–4.20, p<0.00001). However, there was no significant difference between patients with MS who did and did not receive DMTs. Conclusions In summary, the application of DMTs was found to be valuable for patients with MS infected with COVID-19. However, more clinical studies are needed to determine the use of anti-CD20 drugs in patients with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The incidence of rectal cancer gradually increased in our country in recent years.Preoperative imaging methods are used to accurately display the lesions of rectal cancer,providing accurate quantitative diagnostic information,therefore being important to formulate reasonable and individualized therapy clinically.Intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) is a multi parameter imaging technology.IVIM can provide the diffusion and perfusion information from the molecular level.Theoretically,the microstructure information of internal rectal cancer cell density and the vascular density,and the tumor cell metabolism can be displayed quantitatively with IVIM imaging,which can reflect the heterogeneity of the tumor and its degree during different periods.The application status and the future development of IVIM technique in management of rectal cancer were reviewed in this article.

Objective To observe the dynamic changes of cardiac lymphangiogenesis in Doxorubicin(DOX)-induced dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM)model mice,and to study the the protective mechanism of Kuoxin Decoction.Methods The DCM mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of DOX,and the dynamic observation was performed every week.On this basis,60 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups(n=10):control group,Model group,L-KXD,M-KXD and H-KXD groups and Captopril group.After successful modeling,the KXD and the positive control drug Captopril were administered continuously for 28 days.Echocardiography was used to detect cardiac function in mice,HE staining and Masson staining were used to observe pathological and morphological changes of the heart,Whole-mount immunofluorescent staining was used to detect the expression of LYVE-1 and Podoplanin in epicardial lymphatic vessels,Western blot was used to detect the expression of VEGFR-3 protein,and qPCR was used to detect the expression of VEGFR-3 mRNA.Results DCM mice induced by DOX showed significant cardiac function decline from the third week(DOX:15 mg·kg-1,P<0.05),and significant ventricular remodeling at the fifth week(DOX:15 mg·kg-1,P<0.01);The lymphatic vessel area of the mouse heart decreased significantly from the fourth week(DOX:20 mg·kg-1,P<0.0001),and the expression of VEGFR-3 decreased significantly from the third week(DOX:15 mg·kg-1,P<0.01).Conclusion KXD can improve ventricular remodeling and cardiac function in DOX-induced DCM mice,promote cardiac lymphangiogenesis,and upregulate the expression of VEGFR-3 at protein and mRNA levels,with a better effect than captopril.DOX-induced cardiac lymphangiogenesis in DCM mice leads to severe myocardial fibrosis and weakened cardiac function,which gradually worsens with the accumulation of modeling time and dose.KXD can promote cardiac lymphangiogenesis and improve cardiac function in DOX-induced DCM mice.The mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of VEGFR-3 expression.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of hyperthermia on radiation pneumonitis (RP) in elderly patients with esophageal cancer undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).Methods:Clinical data of 177 elderly esophageal cancer patients (aged ≥60 years) receiving IMRT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and Yixing Cancer Hospital from August 1, 2017 to February 6, 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the hyperthermia and non-hyperthermia groups based on whether they received hyperthermia treatment. Patients in two groups received IMRT with 6 MV X-rays. Patients in the hyperthermia group underwent high-frequency hyperthermia within 1 h before radiation using the external thermotherapy device HG-2000Ⅲ (heating temperature: 41-43 ℃ for 40 min, twice a week). After adjusting for confounding factors between two groups using propensity score matching (PSM), the short-term effective rates between two groups were compared using Chi-square test. Univariate analysis and logistic multivariate analysis were employed to compare the incidence of RP between two groups. Results:After applying PSM, 42 pairs were successfully matched, and the baseline data and radiotherapy parameters showed no statistically significant differences between two groups (all P>0.05). The objective response rate (ORR) in the hyperthermia group was significantly higher than that in the non-hyperthermia group (83.3% vs. 64.3%, P=0.047). Univariate analysis revealed that the incidence of RP and symptomatic RP (≥ grade 2) in the hyperthermia group was significantly lower than that in the non-hyperthermia group (61.9% vs. 85.7%, P=0.013; 21.4% vs. 47.6%, P=0.012). Logistic multivariate analysis indicated that hyperthermia was an independent protective factor for symptomatic RP ( P=0.011). Conclusions:The incidence and severity of RP in elderly esophageal cancer patients receiving IMRT can be reduced by hyperthermia. Hyperthermia, as a clinically beneficial green treatment, improves efficacy and reduces toxicity for patients with esophageal cancer.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of procalcitonin (PCT) in predicting mortality of patients with acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP).Methods:The clinical data of 196 ABP patients admitted in the emergency department of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical College from January 2013 to June 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The enrolled patients were divided into survival group ( n=176) and death group ( n=20) according to clinical outcome, and their clinical characteristics, laboratory results(including WBC, CRP, PCT), APACHEⅡ score, BISAP score, modified Marshall score, SOFA score and CTSI at admission were compared between two groups. The ROC curve and AUC were used to evaluate the effectiveness of PCT and multiple scoring systems in predicting mortality in ABP patients, and the Delong test was used to compare the predictive efficacy of various methods at 1-2 d, 3-4 d, and 5-7 d days after onset. Results:The PCT level, APACHEⅡ score, BISAP score, modified Marshall score, SOFA score, and CTSI of patients in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group [6.98(3.12, 13.64) μg/L vs 0.55(0.17, 1.74) μg/L, 12.00(6.00, 18.75) vs 6.00(3.00, 9.00), 3.20±1.47 vs 1.59±1.05, 2.85±0.37 vs 1.96±0.64, 5.50(4.00, 9.50) vs 2.00(1.00, 4.25), 5.05±2.33 vs 3.39±1.74], and all the differences were statistically significant (all P values <0.05). The AUC of PCT for predicting death was 0.881 (95% CI 0.820-0.938)and the cut-off value was 2.44. The predictive value of PCT was similar to that of the modified Marshall score, BISAP score and SOFA score, but higher than that of APACHEⅡ score and CTSI (all P values <0.05). The predictive AUC of PCT at 3-4 days after onset was higher than that of modified Marshall score, BISAP score and SOFA score, and were significantly higher than those at 1-2 days after onset. Conclusions:PCT can be used to predict the mortality of ABP within 7 days of onset. The predictive value of PCT was comparable to the modified Marshall score, BISAP score and SOFA score, and the best predictive time was 3-4 days after onset.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between indicators of carotid atherosclerosis and onset of ischemic stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).Methods:This is a case-control study, a total of 397 NVAF patients with newly diagnosed ischemic stroke (case group) and 3 038 NVAF patients without ischemic stroke (control group) from January 2015 to December 2017 were included in the study. Differences in general clinical features and carotid atherosclerosis indexes between the two groups were compared. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the correlation between carotid atherosclerosis indexes and ischemic stroke.Results:Proportions of patients with carotid intima thickening, carotid plaque, stable plaque, unstable plaque, and moderate to severe stenosis were higher in the ischemic stroke group than those in the control group (82.1% vs. 64.4%, 69.3% vs. 50.3%, 43.6% vs. 30.6%, 25.7% vs. 19.7%, and 7.3% vs. 4.0%, respectively, all P <0.05). After adjustment of age, gender, heart failure, hypertension, low density lipoprotein -cholesterol and drug use, multivariate analyses showed that subjects with carotid intima thickening, carotid plaque, stable plaque, unstable plaque, moderate to severe stenosis had 1.766, 2.111, 1.892, 2.256 and 1.824 times the risk for the development of ischemic stroke compared with the subjects without any carotid atherosclerosis indicators. Conclusion:Carotid atherosclerosis, especially with unstable carotid plaque, is associated with ischemic stroke in patients with NVAF.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology in patients with high-angle skeletal Class Ⅱ open bite, aiming to provide a reference for clinical treatment. . Methods: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from the patients. CBCT images of eighty-one untreated patients (40 anterior open bite patients and 41 normal overbite patients) with high-angle skeletal Class Ⅱ malocclusion were selected before treatment. Dolphin software was used to study the root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology, and the differences between the two groups were analyzed. Results: There was no statistical significance in the root length of maxillary lateral incisor and canine between the open bite group and the normal overbite group, significant differences were found in the root length of maxillary central incisor （11.12 ± 1.37） mm、mandibular central incisor（10.15 ± 1.09）mm, mandibular lateral incisor（11.27 ± 1.15）mm and mandibular canine（12.81 ± 1.48）mm between the open bite group and the normal overbite group（P<0.05）. On the other hand, the two groups were significantly different in crown-root morphology of the maxillary central incisor (1.10° ± 3.62° vs. 4.53° ± 2.30°, P<0.01) but not in the mandibular central incisor. Conclusion The root length of the maxillary central incisor, mandibular central incisor, mandibular lateral incisor, mandibular canine in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients is shorter than that in high-angle Class Ⅱ normal overbite patients, and the long axis of the crown of the maxillary central incisor in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients obviously deviates toward the labial side relative to the long axis of the root. The crown-root angle is smaller, which is beneficial to torque control or adduction movement of the anterior teeth in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients.