BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a major global health challenge, often foreshadowing poor patient outcomes. The C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) serves as a pivotal biomarker, demonstrating a strong correlation with adverse outcomes in cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study sought to examine the correlation between CAR and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with CKD stages 3-5. METHODS: This study utilized data of CKD patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2010, with follow-up to December 31, 2019. The optimal CAR cutoff value was identified utilizing the method of maximally selected rank statistics. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model, restricted cubic splines (RCS) model, and subgroup analysis were employed to assess the association between CAR and mortality among CKD patients. RESULTS: During a median (with interquartile range) follow-up period of 115 (112,117) months among 2,841 CKD individuals, 1,893 deaths were observed, including 692 deaths due to CVD events. Based on the RCS analysis, a non-linear correlation was observed between CAR and mortality. Using 0.3 as the optimal CAR cutoff value, the cohort was divided into high and low groups. In the fully adjusted model, CKD patients with high CAR values exhibited an elevated risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-1.83, P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.08-2.02, P = 0.014). Compared to the population aged >65 years (HR 1.32, 95% CI 0.99-1.76, P = 0.064), the risk of cardiovascular mortality was significantly higher in those aged ≤65 years (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.18-4.09, P = 0.014) with elevated CAR levels. CONCLUSIONS A notable correlation exists between the elevation of CAR and increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, suggesting its potential as an independent indicator for evaluating the prognosis of patients with CKD stages 3-5.
Humans ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/epidemiology* ; Cardiovascular Diseases/blood* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism* ; Aged ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Adult ; United States/epidemiology* ; Serum Albumin/analysis*

Objective To explore the effects of the multiple shared decision-making mode using a decision aid manual in conjunction with online labor and delivery decision support on the delivery mode for pregnant women with a scarred uterus.Methods A total of 94 women with scarred uterus who received prenatal care at a tertiary hospital from September 2019 to October 2022 were enrolled and assigned to experimental and control groups using the random number table method.The control group received standard prenatal education,and the experimental group received multiple shared decision-making interventions in addition to standard prenatal education.The degree of conflict in decision-making for delivery,preference for delivery mode,postpartum decision regret,and the final delivery mode between the two groups were compared,respectively.Results Following the multiple shared deci-sion intervention,decision conflict scores in the experimental group were significantly reduced(P<0.001).In the survey on delivery mode preferences,there was a reduction in the number of individuals in the experimental group expressing"uncertainty",and an increase in those choosing vaginal delivery.Ultimately,in the experimental group,30 women(68.2%)underwent cesarean sections,and 14(31.8%)had vaginal deliveries.The level of post-decision regret in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.001).Conclusions Multiple shared decision-making for women pregnant with a scarred uterus could reduce the level of decision-making conflict,increase the willingness for vaginal delivery,and assist them in making rational and scientifically informed decisions regarding childbirth.

Objective:To explore the effectiveness and safety of comprehensive treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on syndrome differentiation and diet.Methods:Prospective clinical study. A total of 147 patients with T2DM from September 2021 to August 2022 who met the inclusion criteria were included in the self-controlled trial. On the basis of diet and exercise intervention, the subjects were treated and observed with comprehensive treatment based on syndrome differentiation for 120 days. The main outcome indicators including TCM symptom score, fasting blood glucose (FPG), 2 hPG, HbA1c , Fasting insulin (FINS), C-peptide(C-PR), and the secondary outcome indicators including blood lipid (TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C), blood pressure, and safety indicators were performed before and after treatment.Results:After treatment, the FPG of subjects decreased from (8.75±2.26) mmol/L to (7.05±1.23) mmol/L, 2 hPG decreased from (10.75±3.01) mmol/L to (7.07±0.78) mmol/L, HbA1c decreased from (6.82±1.47)% to (5.49±0.63)%, and FINS decreased from (15.4±9.33) μIU/ml to (8.82±7.28) μIU/ml, C-PR decreases from (1.95±0.91) nmol/L to (1.72±1.53) nmol/L, SBP decreased from (137.51±17.94) mmHg to (125.79±7.57) mmHg, DBP decreased from (82.85±9.65) mmHg to (77.54±6.21) mmHg,TG decreased from (1.57±1.04) mmol/L to (1.25±1.24) mmol/L, HDL-C increased from　(1.48±0.41) mmol/L to (1.66±0.46)mmol/L. The above differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The comprehensive treatment of T2DM based on syndrome differentiation and diet can significantly reduce the blood glucose indicators including FPG, 2 hPG, HbA1c, FINS and C-PR, and benefit blood pressure and blood lipids with no adverse reactions.

Objective:To construct a scientific, comprehensive, and reliable core competency evaluation index system for doulas based on the perspective of midwives.Methods:From September 2021 to March 2022, a preliminary core competency evaluation index system for doulas was developed by consulting domestic and foreign literature. Using the Delphi expert consultation method, two rounds of correspondence were conducted with 32 senior midwives and obstetric managers to form the final version of the core competency evaluation index system for doulas. The expert positive coefficient was expressed by the effective recovery rate of the questionnaire. The degree of expert authority was expressed by the authority coefficient, and calculated by the coefficient of expert judgment basis and the arithmetic average of experts ' familiarity with the index. The degree of expert opinion coordination was expressed by coefficient of variation and Kendall 's harmony coefficient (Kendall 's W) . Results:The response rate of the first round of questionnaire was 93.75% (30/32), and the second response rate of the first round of questionnaire was 100.00% (30/30). The expert judgment coefficient for two rounds was 0.96, the familiarity coefficient with the problem was 0.93, and the degree of authority of expert opinions was 0.95. After two rounds of correspondence, the expert opinions tended to be consistent, and the coefficient of variation of indicators at all levels was lower than 0.25. The Kendall 's harmony coefficients of the first round indexes were 0.486, 0.374 and 0.268 ( P<0.01), and the Kendall 's harmony coefficients of the second round indexes were 0.487, 0.410 and 0.287 ( P < 0.01). The core competency evaluation index system for doulas based on the perspective of midwives constructed in the study included 3 first-level indicators, such as theoretical knowledge, operational skills and comprehensive ability, 12 second-level indicators and 45 third-level indicators. Conclusions:The core competency evaluation index system for doulas based on the perspective of midwives constructed in the study is comprehensive, reliable and practical, which has guiding significance for training and assessment, the qualification certification and management of doulas.

Objective:To screen, obtain domestic and foreign evidence on the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, and evaluate and summarize the quality of the evidence.Methods:We searched the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) , UpToDate, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, British Medical Journal (BMJ) , Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) , WanFang Data, Yimaitong, VIP by computer. The search time limit was from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2021. Four researchers independently screened the articles, and extracted and summarized the evidence that met the quality standards.Results:A total of 16 articles were included, including 4 guidelines, 1 evidence summary, 8 systematic reviews, 2 Meta-analysis and 1 expert consensus. Through the screening and acquisition of evidence for the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, the 32 best evidences were finally summarized from 7 aspects including assessment and diagnosis, classification and grading, risk factors, basic management principles, prevention, non-drug treatment, and drug treatment.Conclusions:The prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy should first evaluate the patient, determine the patient's symptoms and severity, analyze the risk factors, and conduct cognitive, psychological, and behavioral interventions for the patient, as well as non-pharmacological or drug treatment.

Age-associated changes in immune cells have been linked to an increased risk for infection. However, a global and detailed characterization of the changes that human circulating immune cells undergo with age is lacking. Here, we combined scRNA-seq, mass cytometry and scATAC-seq to compare immune cell types in peripheral blood collected from young and old subjects and patients with COVID-19. We found that the immune cell landscape was reprogrammed with age and was characterized by T cell polarization from naive and memory cells to effector, cytotoxic, exhausted and regulatory cells, along with increased late natural killer cells, age-associated B cells, inflammatory monocytes and age-associated dendritic cells. In addition, the expression of genes, which were implicated in coronavirus susceptibility, was upregulated in a cell subtype-specific manner with age. Notably, COVID-19 promoted age-induced immune cell polarization and gene expression related to inflammation and cellular senescence. Therefore, these findings suggest that a dysregulated immune system and increased gene expression associated with SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility may at least partially account for COVID-19 vulnerability in the elderly.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aging ; genetics ; immunology ; Betacoronavirus ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Cell Lineage ; Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly ; Coronavirus Infections ; immunology ; Cytokine Release Syndrome ; etiology ; immunology ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Disease Susceptibility ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Gene Rearrangement ; Humans ; Immune System ; cytology ; growth & development ; immunology ; Immunocompetence ; genetics ; Inflammation ; genetics ; immunology ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; immunology ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Transcriptome ; Young Adult

Objective    To observe the short-term therapeutic outcomes of atrial septal defects (ASD) repair using on-pump beating-heart technique assisted by robotic surgery system (Da Vinci Si) or thoracoscopy. Methods    Clinical data of 50 patients undergoing ASD repair at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different surgical methods, patients were divided into a robot group and a total thoracoscopy group. In the robot group, there were 35 patients including 11 males and 24 females, at an average age of 42.1±16.8 years, and in the total thoracoscopy group there were 15 patients including 8 males and 7 females at an average age of 38.4±10.9 years. During follow-up, the left ventricular ejection fraction, left and right atrial diameter, and right ventricular end-diastolic diameter in the cardiac Doppler echocardiography were recorded. The operation time, extracorporeal circulation time, ventilation time, postoperative ICU stay, postoperative hospital stay, perioperative pleural drainage and early complications were compared between the two groups. Results    In the perioperative period, the robot group had less operation time (3.8±0.3 h vs. 6.1±1.4 h), extracorporeal circulation time (72.3 ± 10.4 min vs. 139.1 ± 32.8 min), ventilation time (5.5±1.2 h vs. 9.5 ± 2.1 h), postoperative hospital stay (6.7±0.5 d vs. 9.8 ± 0.6 d) and thoracic drainage (253.4±26.8 mL vs. 289.3 ± 29.5 mL) than the total thoracoscopy group (P<0.05), while the postoperative complications were not statistically significant between the two groups (P>0.05). All patients were reviewed by color Doppler ultrasound at 1 month after operation. The postoperative dilated right atrium, right ventricle and left atrium were smaller than those before surgery. Conclusion    For patients undergoing ASD repair, robot-assisted and total thoracoscopy can achieve good results, but the robot group has more advantages in terms of operation time, extracorporeal circulation time, ventilation time, postoperative hospital stay and thoracic drainage.

Objective　 To investigate the effect of pre-pregnancy age, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood glucose (GLU) level on premature birth. Methods Based on the free pre-marital health check-ups and pre-pregnancy eugenic health check-ups in Dongguan, the examination results of the subjects were obtained and the pregnancy outcomes were followed up. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between women^’s pre-pregnancy age, ALT, and GLU levels and the incidence of premature birth. Results A total of 18 150 subjects were included in this study, and the overall incidence of premature birth was 6.06% (1,099/18,150). The women^’s pre-pregnancy age 30 to 34 (RR=1.26, 95% CI:1.07～1.48), age>34 (RR=1.82, 95% CI:1.52～2.18), ALT≥40 U/L (RR=1.40, 95% CI: 1.09～1.80) and GLU>6.1 mmol/L(RR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.01～2.97) were the influencing factors of premature birth. Conclusion Older women, abnormal serum alanine aminotransferase level and hyperglycemia had an impact on the occurrence of premature birth, which has important guiding significance for health education of eugenics before pregnancy.

Objective To investigate the blood pressure variability(BPV) and circadian rhythms in young and middle-aged people with H-type hypertension.Methods The ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data from 89 young and middle-aged patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension were retrospectively analyzed.All cases were divided into the H-type hypertension group (n=56) and non-H-type hypertension group(n=33) according to plasma homocysteine(Hcy) level.Blood pressure in different time periods(including 24hSBP/24hDBP,dSBP/dDBP,nSBP/nDBP,mSBP/mDBP,mnSBP/mnDBP),variability(including 24hSBPV/24hDBPV,dSBPV/dDBPV,nSBPV/nDBPV,mSBPV/mDBPV,mnSBPV/mnDBPV),day and night average heart rate,dipper ratio of SBP/DBP and morning blood pressure surge were compared between the two group.Results 24hSBP,dSBP,nSBP and mSBP in the H-type hypertension group were significantly higher than those in the non-H-type hypertension group,while 24hDBP,dDBP,nDBP and mDBP were significantly lower than those in the non-H-type group,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.01).24hSBPV,24hDBPV,dSBPV,nDBPV and mSBPV had statistically significantly difference between the H-type hypertension group and non-H-type hypertension group(P＜0.05).The dipper ratio of SBP and mean MBPS in the H-type hypertension group were significantly higher than those in the non-H-type hypertension group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Blood pressure variability is increased within a certain range in young and middle-aged patients with H-type hypertension,which is correlated to circadian rhythm changes.

Objective To investigate the biomechanical properties and clinical effects of the unilateral/bilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) on the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in elderly patients. Methods The finite element models of the unilateral/bilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were established to evaluate changes in strain and stress of the fractured vertebra after surgery. Eighty patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures underwent unilateral or bilateral PVP were collected for retrospective analysis. The operation time,intraoperative fluoroscopy times,injected bone cement volume, bone cement leakage rate and visual analogue scales (VAS) score between the two groups were analyzed. Results The maximum strain and stress in unilateral PVP group were 1.18 times and 1.15 times of those in bilateral PVP group,respectively.The operation time and intraoperative fluoroscopy times in unilateral PVP group were obviously smaller than those in bilateral PVP group (P<0.001). There was no statistical significance in the injected bone cement volume, bone cement leakage rate, and VAS score between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusions The biomechanical effect of unilateral PVP was similar to that of bilateral PVP. The puncture needle localization of unilateral PVP for treating elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures had the advantage of less operation time and limited X-ray exposure.