Objective To investigate the status quo of the assurance and subsidy for severe diseases acquired by juvenile in rural areas in Qinghai, and provide evidences for building a subsidy system for such population. Methods Quantitative surveys were made to collect data on medical expenses and the compensation practice for such expenses for severe diseases of juvenile in the area, for a knowledge of the present medication and disease load in question; specialists in two hospitals were interviewed to learn the present treatnents for such a population, and their expenditures in case of such diseases. Results Juveniles in rural Qinghai rely on the new rural cooperative medical scheme, under which however the reimbursement rate was only 26% ～35%. Families with juvenile patients of severe diseases were found to suffer heavy burdens. As a result, a high percentage of the patients give up treatment. To make things worse, as only two hospitals in the provincial capital city can provide professional treatment for children with severe diseases, rural children have to pay heavy indirect costs other than medication such as heavy travel expenses. Conclusion It is critical to build a medical assurance system for juvenile with severe diseases. It is also imperative to build and strengthen the capacity of medical centers for such a population in Qinghai, and upgrade the diagnosis and treatment competence of local health providers, ensuring adequate medical resources for juvenile with severe diseases upon joint development of both healthcare providers and the medical insurance system.

Objective · To survey the willingness to enroll in nursing homes among the elders in Shanghai and explore its predictors. Methods · A field survey was performed to collect data from 641 elders aged 60 years old and above in six community health centers in Shanghai. Sociodemographic variables, willingness to use nursing home, perceived barriers and perceived benefits were measured. Results · The questionnaire is with good structural validity and good intrinsic reliability. KMO index, P value of Bartlett's test of sphericity, and the range of Cronbach's α coefficients were 0.862, 0.000,and 0.739-0.824, respectively. Among the respondents, 46% were willing to enroll in a nursing home in this survey. Age had significant influence on their willingness (P=0.045). After adjusting for age, the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that shame (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.62-0.94), adaptability (OR=0.61, 95% CI=0.50-0.74) and perceived benefits (OR=1.63, 95% CI=1.32-2.03) were related to willingness (P<0.05).Conclusion · Elders in Shanghai have a relatively high level of willingness to enroll in nursing homes, especially the elders aged from 60 to 69. Shame and adaptability of elders, and the services provided by nursing homes were the predictors of the elders' willingness.

Non-infectious uveitis, an autoimmune disease that can cause severe visual impairment, can be difficult to treat. According to the prevailing hypothesis, the immune-mediated imbalance that contributes to non-infectious uveitis is primarily driven by CD4+T cells. However, recent research has shown that B cells also play a significant role in this process, participating in various ways such as antibody production, antigen presentation, and cytokine secretion in both human uveitis and experimental autoimmune uveitis models. Therapies targeting B cells have been used extensively in various autoimmune diseases. Rituximab, a B-cell inhibitor, is effective in treating noninfectious uveitis that is unresponsive to conventional corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy. This paper provides an overview of the involvement of B cells in non-infectious uveitis and their potential use in cellular therapies, aiming to further investigate the mechanisms and develop more effective strategies for prevention and treatment.

Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; COVID-19