AIM: To investigate the mechanism of Hexue Mingmu Tablets(HXMMT)in improving diabetic retinopathy(DR)based on transcriptomics.METHODS: Zebrafish DR models were established by 3-day glucose induction(130 mmol/L)starting at 3 days post-fertilization(dpf). Larvae were randomized into four groups: control group(CG; aquaculture water), model group(MG; 130 mmol/L glucose), low-dose HXMMT treatment group(L-HX; 130 mmol/L glucose +7.5 mg/L HXMMT), and high-dose HXMMT treatment group(H-HX; 130 mmol/L glucose +75 mg/L HXMMT), with a 3-day intervention period until 6 dpf. The area and length of eyes, and body length of zebrafish were observed by stereomicroscopy, retinal morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE), and retinal vessel diameter was observed under fluorescence microscope. Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified by RNA-sequencing(RNA-seq)technology to further elucidate the molecular mechanism of HXMMT in improving DR in zebrafish, and the sequencing accuracy was validated through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).RESULTS: HE staining demonstrated that the intervention with HXMMT significantly improved the disordered cell arrangement, widened gaps, and thickened inner nuclear layer(INL)in ganglion cell layer GCL); retinal vascular diameter quantification revealed that the retinal vessel diameter of the MG significantly increased compared with the CG, and it was significantly changed after the intervention of HXMMT, with significant efficacy in the H-HX(P<0.05); transcriptomics profiling identified 1 470 reversed DEGs, predominantly enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, retinal developmental processes, and tight junction regulation. Technical validation confirmed strong correlation between qRT-PCR and RNA-seq data(R2=0.8571, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: HXMMT may improve retinal vascular microcirculation disorders in DR by regulating core targets including vsx1, pde6c, arr3a, plk1, fbp1b, foxo1a, pcna, and cdk1, as well as synergistically modulating processes such as retinal development in camera-type eyes, visual perception, microtubule cytoskeletal organization, tight junctions, and the AMPK signaling pathway, Foxo signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the nutritional status and influencing factors among Tibetan and Mongolian children and adolescents aged 7-18 years in high-altitude regions, so as to provide evidence for early prevention and control of malnutrition in this population. Methods: From May to June 2022, a cluster sampling method was employed to recruit 1 019 Tibetan and Mongolian children and adolescents aged 7-18 years from two primary and secondary schools in Golmud City. Physical examinations, dietary frequency questionnaires, and physical activity assessments were conducted. Nutritional status was classified as obesity, combined overweight/obesity, underweight, or central obesity according to national standards including Screening for Overweight and Obesity among School-age Children and Adolescents, Screening Standard for Malnutrition of School-age Children and Adolescents, Blue Book on Obesity Prevention and Control in China. Chi-square tests, t-test and Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with different nutritional statuses. Results: The detection rates of obesity, combined overweight/obesity, underweight, and central obesity were 8.0%, 18.1%, 5.2%, and 19.7%, respectively. The height of children and adolescents across all age groups was generally lower than the national standard values. Tibetan participants exhibited significantly lower height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ)(9-10, 13-17 years, Z =2.01, 2.78, 4.16, 3.38, 4.12, 3.63, 3.00) and BMI-for-age Z-scores (BAZ) compared to Mongolian participants ( Z =-2.95, -2.47, -2.31, -2.89, -2.14, -2.17)( P < 0.05 ). Multivariate Logistic regression revealed that Mongolian children and adolescents had higher risks of obesity ( OR =2.20) and combined overweight/obesity ( OR = 2.18 ) ( P <0.05). Additionally, insufficient moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was associated with an increased risk of central obesity ( OR =1.48, P <0.05), compared with children and adolescents who meet the standard of MVPA. Conclusions The rates of overweight and obesity among Tibetan and Mongolian children and adolescents in Golmud City are higher, influenced by multiple factors. Nutrition interventions and physical activity strategies tailored to ethnic characteristics should be implemented, with emphasis on promoting MVPA to improve nutritional outcomes in this population.

Objective: To analyze the timeliness of antir-etroviral therapy (ART) and its influencing factors among newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2023, so as to provide a reference for improving the ART effect of HIV/AIDS cases. Methods: Newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Wenzhou City from 2016 to 2023 were selected as the research subjects. Demographic information, the situation of the first CD4+ T lymphocyte (CD4 cell) test, baseline CD4 cell count, and ART situation were collected through the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The timely rate of ART was analyzed, and the influencing factors for timely ART among HIV/AIDS cases were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 4 500 newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Wenzhou City from 2016 to 2023 were included, among which 3 679 were males, accounting for 81.76%, and 821 were females, accounting for 18.24%. The median age was 46.24 (interquartile range, 26.23) years. Among these cases, 3 606 received timely ART, with a timely rate of 80.13%. The timely rate of ART increased from 57.54% in 2016 to 91.97% in 2023 (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that unmarried/divorced/widowed (OR=0.769, 95%CI: 0.641-0.922), detainees (OR=0.492, 95%CI: 0.269-0.900), untimely first CD4 cell test (OR=0.278, 95%CI: 0.234-0.330), baseline CD4 cell count ≥200 cells/µL (OR=0.709, 95%CI: 0.595-0.843) or undetected (OR=0.131, 95%CI: 0.080-0.213) were associated with a lower timeliness for ART among HIV/AIDS cases. Conclusion From 2016 to 2023, the timely rate of ART among newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Wenzhou City showed an upward trend, which was mainly affected by marital status, case source, timeliness of the first CD4 cell test, and baseline CD4 cell count.

BACKGROUND: Without timely and effective rehabilitation, hearing loss may profoundly affect human life quality. China has a large population of hearing-impaired individuals, which imposes a heavy health burden on society. Moreover, this population is projected to increase rapidly owing to China's aging society. METHODS: We used data from a population-representative epidemiological investigation of hearing loss and ear diseases in four Chinese provinces. We estimated the national prevalence using multiple linear regression of the age-group proportions and prevalence in 31 provinces with clustering analysis. We used years lived with disability (YLDs) to analyze the disease burden and forecasted the prevalence of hearing loss by 2060 in China. RESULTS: An estimated 115 million people had moderate-to-complete hearing loss in 2015 across the 31 provinces of China (8.4% of 1.37 billion people). Of these, 85.7% were older than age 50 years (99 million people) and 2.4% were younger than 20 years old (2.8 million people). Of all YLDs attributable to hearing loss, 68.9% were attributable to moderate-to-complete cases. By 2060, a projected 242 million people in China will have moderate-to-complete hearing loss, a 110.0% increase from 2015. CONCLUSIONS The hearing loss prevalence in China is high. Population aging and socioeconomic factors substantially affect the prevalence and severity of hearing loss and the disease burden. The prevalence and severity of hearing loss are unevenly distributed across different provinces. Future public health policies should take these trends and regional variations into account.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Hearing Loss/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cost of Illness

Objective To investigate the positive nucleic acid detection of respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)in children with acute respiratory tract infection in Hangzhou.Methods The information of RSV nucleic acid positive cases detected in Hangzhou Children's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022 was collected and analyzed retrospectively by age,gender,detection time and other factors.Results A total of 22 755 samples were sent for examination,among which 4079 cases of RSV were reported,with a total positive detection rate of 17.93%,showing constant fluctuation of infection over the years.In terms of gender,the positive detection rate of RSV was 10.36%in boys and 7.57%in girls,and the ratio of male to female was 1.36:1,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).In terms of age,there were 2378 positive cases in infants<1 year old,accounting for 58.30%of all positive cases,and 94.93%in infants<3 years old.The positive detection rate of RSV in children of different age groups showed a decreasing trend with the increase of age.In terms of seasons,RSV occurred frequently in autumn and winter,and the detection rate in two seasons was 83.82%,while the detection rate in spring and summer was only 16.18%.The positive detection rate of RSV in autumn and winter was significantly higher than that in spring and summer(P<0.05).Conclusion RSV infection fluctuates in children with acute respiratory tract infection in Hangzhou over the years,and the incidence is high in autumn and winter.The positive detection rate is high in infants and boys.Attention should be paid to the protection of key populations in corresponding seasons.

Objective:To explore the inhibitory effect of curcumin on the malignant biological behavior of uveal melanoma (UM) and its possible mechanism.Methods:M23 cells were cultured in curcumin medium with different concentrations (0, 20, 40 and 80 μmol/L) for 48 hours, respectively.The morphological changes of cells were observed under an inverted microscope.The cell survival rate was detected by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method.The apoptosis, colony formation, migration and invasion of cells were detected by flow cytometry, plate clone formation experiment, cell scratch experiment and Transwell assay, respectively.The relative expressions of genes related to Wnt/β-catenin pathway, c-Myc, Cyclin D1, Survivin and matrix metallo proteinase 9 ( MMP-9) mRNA in cells were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The relative expressions of proteins related to Wnt/β-catenin pathway, c-Myc, Cyclin D1, Survivin, MMP-9 and β-catenin, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), phosphorylated GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β) and axis inhibition protein 2 (Axin2) proteins were detected by Western blot.Another 20 female BALB/c mice were selected and injected with M23 cell suspension under the subcutaneous fat pad in the left posterior abdomen to establish the in vivo M23 transplanted tumor model.The mice successfully modeled were randomly divided into model group, low-dose curcumin group, medium-dose curcumin group and high-dose curcumin group according to the random number table method, which was intraperitoneally injected with 0, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg curcumin physiological saline solution respectively.After a continuous injection for 30 days, the subcutaneous tumor was stripped and weighed.The animal experiment process followed the 3Rs principle of animal research and was approved by the Laboratory Animal Ethics Committee of Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Hospital (No.2021MER-023). Results:The cell survival rate, the number of colony formation, the apoptosis rate, the cell invasion rate and the cell migration rate were (100.00±0.00)%, 128.67±9.18, (1.33±0.29)%, (89.76±4.57)% and 148.33±8.18 in 0 μmol/L curcumin group, (83.78±4.59)%, 100.33±8.73, (14.53±2.04)%, (65.43±3.70)% and 125.33±7.41 in 20 μmol/L curcumin group, (66.09±3.92)%, 58.67±6.55, (27.23±3.56)%, (34.83±2.19)% and 73.67±6.34 in 40 μmol/L curcumin group, and (47.16±3.63)%, 31.67±4.92, (44.73±4.36)%, (18.82±1.99)% and 45.67±5.31 in 80 μmol/L curcumin group.There were statistically significant differences in the survival rate, colony formation number, cell apoptosis rate, migration rate and invasion rate of M23 cells among the four groups ( F=125.321, 97.941, 72.516, 277.097, 139.006; all at P<0.001). With the increase of curcumin concentration, the cell survival rate, colony formation number, cell migration rate and cell invasion number decreased obviously, and the cell apoptosis rate increased obviously, and the pairwise comparisons showed significant differences (all at P<0.05). With the increase of curcumin concentration, the relative expression levels of c-Myc, Cyclin D1, Survivin, MMP-9 mRNA and proteins, β-catenin and p-GSK-3β proteins decreased significantly, while the relative expression level of Axin2 protein increased significantly, showing significant differences in pairwise comparisons (all at P<0.05). The tumor tissue weight of mice decreased with the increase of curcumin dosage, and the pairwise comparisons were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:Curcumin can inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion and other malignant biological behaviors of UM M23 cells, inhibit tumor growth and promote cell apoptosis.Its mechanism may be related to blocking the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors for low back pain after decompression and fusion in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and to construct a Nomogram prediction model.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 132 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who had been treated at Department of Orthopedics, Nanyang Central Hospital from May 2021 to March 2022. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to their visual analog scale (VAS) pain score: a back pain-free group (104 cases with VAS ≤ 2) and a back pain group (28 cases with VAS > 2). Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the influencing factors for occurrence of lower back pain and a Nomogram prediction model for the risk of lower back pain was constructed in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis after decompression and fusion. The accuracy of the model was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Furthermore, the model accuracy was pre-tested using an external validation model which included 66 illegible patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated at Department of Orthopedics, Nanyang Central Hospital from May 2022 to March 2023. A comparison was made between the outcomes predicted by the model and the actual outcomes observed. The fit of the model was evaluated through the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Results:The results of the multifactorial analysis indicated that interleukin (IL-1 β), postoperative aseptic inflammation in the vertebral canal, and intraoperative blood loss were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of lower back pain (all P < 0.05). A risk Nomogram prediction model was thus established based on these factors. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.975, the sensitivity 92.90%, the specificity 91.30%, and the Youden index 0.842. External validation of the model showed an overall accuracy of 99.80%. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test demonstrated good model fit ( χ2=3.512, P=0.898). Conclusions:IL-1 β, postoperative aseptic inflammation in the vertebral canal, and intraoperative blood loss may be the primary influencing factors for the occurrence of lower back pain in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis after decompression fusion surgery. The Nomogram prediction model based on these influencing factors demonstrates excellent predictive efficacy for lower back pain.

Objective:To examine the early to mid-term clinical outcomes of aortic valve repair in patients with bicuspid aortic insufficiency.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 124 patients with BAV insufficiency who underwent aortic valve repair from January 2017 to June 2023 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Fuwai Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. There were 117 males and 7 females with an age of (38.1±12.7) years (range: 14 to 65 years). Depending on whether the aortic sinus was replaced or not, surgical approaches were divided into valve sparing root replacement (reimplantation, remodeling, modified remodeling) and isolated aortic valve repair (annuloplasty, isolated aortic valve leaflet repair). Perioperative and follow-up data were collected. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the curves of survival rate, free recurrence rate of massive aortic valve insufficiency and free re-operation rate, and Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups.Results:Among the surgeries, there were 47 cases of reimplantation, 8 cases of remodeling, 8 cases of modified remodeling, 48 cases of aortic annuloplasty (external annuloplasty in 22 cases, CV-0 annuloplasty in 26 cases), and 13 cases of isolated leaflet repair. Leaflet plication was the most used leaflet repair technique, used in 103 patients. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (133.7±56.9) minutes (range: 48 to 461 minutes), and aortic cross-clamp time was (103.8±47.8) minutes (range: 25 to 306 minutes), with no surgical mortality. All patients underwent outpatient or telephone follow-up. The cumulative follow-up time was 340.3 person-years and the mean follow-up time was ( M (IQR)) 34.0 (25.5) months (range: 3 to 76 months). The 5-year survival rate was 98.4%, the 5-year freedom from significant insufficiency rate was 93.4% and the 5-year freedom from aortic valve reoperation rate was 95.6%. The subgroup analysis revealed a significantly better freedom from the significant insufficiency rate in the aortic valve annular reduction group compared to the non-reduction group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Aortic valve repair in patients with bicuspid aortic insufficiency could obtain steady early to mid-term outcomes. Aortic annuloplasty can reduce the risk of recurrent aortic valve insufficiency in patients undergoing aortic repair.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy in the treatment of anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic pyeloplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the data of 15 children with peritoneal irritation after LP who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to January 2023, of which 10 cases were anastomotic leaks and 5 cases were with renal pelvic blood clots. There were 12 males and 3 females. Age (4.2±2.7) years. The lesions were located on the left side of 11 cases and on the right side of 4 cases. All 15 cases had varying degrees of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and other symptoms. Physical examination: the children all showed painful faces and tense abdominal muscles. 15 patients had a preoperative pain score of 9.5 (8, 10). Ultrasound examination showed that the anterior and posterior diameters of renal pelvis separation were (34.93±4.86) mm, the anterior and posterior diameter/renal parenchymal thickness of renal pelvis separation was 15.66±1.02, renal dynamic nuclear imaging shows the renal function of the affected side was (29.69±1.71)%. Thirteen cases had the above symptoms before the abdominal drainage tube was removed, and the time of symptom onset was (3.3±1.1) days after surgery, of which 8 cases had a large increase in abdominal drainage, and color Doppler ultrasonography showed a large amount of fluid in the intra-abdominal intestinal space (about 500 ml). In 5 cases, the intraperitoneal drainage volume did not increase, and color Doppler ultrasonography showed strong echo in the renal pelvis, and blood clots were considered. All 13 patients were placed in the prone position under local anesthesia and underwent color Doppler ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy. The remaining 2 cases had abdominal drainage tube removed on the 3rd day after surgery, and peritoneal irritation signs appeared on the 4th and 6th days after surgery, respectively. Color Doppler ultrasonography showed that there was a large amount of fluid in the intra-abdominal intestinal space, and color Doppler ultrasound-guided peritoneal puncture and drainage + prone percutaneous nephrostomy was performed in the supine position under local anesthesia, and the biochemical analysis of the peritoneal puncture drainage fluid was confirmed to be anastomotic urine leakage. The drainage volume and urine output of 15 cases of peritoneal puncture drainage and pyelostomy were recorded, and the relief of nausea and vomiting symptoms and the score of postoperative pain after percutaneous nephrostomy were recorded. The changes of hydronephrosis and renal function before and after percutaneous nephrostomy were compared.Results:In this study, 15 patients underwent percutaneous nephrostomy with a duration of (16.8±1.9) min. The symptoms of nausea and vomiting disappeared after operation, and the pain scores were 3.2(2, 4) and 0.4(0, 2) at 2 h and 12 h after operation, respectively, which were statistically significant compared with those before operation ( P<0.01). In 13 children with simple percutaneous nephrostomy, the abdominal drainage tube was removed on (3.6±0.8) days and (8.6±1.0) days after percutaneous nephrostomy. In 2 children with peritoneal puncture and drainage plus percutaneous nephrostomy, the abdominal drainage tube was removed 3 days after the fistula operation, and the pyelostomy tube was removed 8 days after the fistula operation. The anterior and posterior diameters of renal pelvis separation were (10.87±4.05), (10.13±3.50) and (9.13±3.11) mm by color Doppler ultrasound at 3, 6 and 12 months after LP operation, respectively, and there were statistically significant differences compared with preoperative comparisons ( P<0.01).The diameter before and after renal pelvis separation was (7.60±2.86) mm, the diameter before and after renal pelvic separation/renal parenchymal thickness was 1.97±0.22, and the renal function was (39.23±2.66)% at 24 months after operation, which was statistically significant compared with that before operation ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Color Doppler ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy can effectively alleviate symptoms in the early stage, which could help to the healing of ureteral anastomosis, and has less trauma and short operation course.