BACKGROUND: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the predominant form of chronic liver disease worldwide. This study was designed to investigate the proportion and characteristics of MAFLD within the general Chinese population and to identify the contributory risk factors for liver fibrosis among MAFLD individuals. METHODS: The participants were recruited from a cohort undergoing routine health evaluations at the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between May 2019 and March 2023. The diagnosis of MAFLD was based on the established clinical practice guidelines. The fibrosis-4 index score (FIB-4) was employed to evaluate hepatic fibrosis, with a FIB-4 score of ≥1.3 indicating significant fibrosis. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to determine risk factors associated with significant hepatic fibrosis in MAFLD. RESULTS: A total of 22,970 participants who underwent comprehensive medical examinations were included in the analysis. The overall proportion of MAFLD was 28.77% (6608/22,970), with 16.87% (1115/6608) of these patients showing significant fibrosis as assessed using FIB-4. Independent risk factors for significant liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients were male (odds ratio [OR] = 0.676, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.558-0.821), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity (OR = 2.611, 95% CI: 1.557-4.379), body mass index ≥23.00 kg/m 2 (OR = 0.632, 95% CI: 0.470-0.851), blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg (OR = 1.885, 95% CI: 1.564-2.272), and plasma glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L (OR = 1.815, 95% CI: 1.507-2.186) (all P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS The proportion of MAFLD in an urban Chinese population is 28.77%. About 16.87% of MAFLD patients presented with significant liver fibrosis. Independent risk factors for significant liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients should be noticed.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Liver Cirrhosis/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Adult ; Fatty Liver/pathology* ; Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Logistic Models ; Urban Population ; East Asian People

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective Most patients with chronic insomnia depend on long-term medication， which may easily lead to a poor treatment outcome and adverse drug reactions， and transcranial alternating current stimulation （tACS）， as a noninvasive neuromodulation technique， can improve chronic insomnia. This study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of tACS combined with pharmacotherapy in the treatment of chronic insomnia. Methods A total of 46 patients with chronic insomnia were enrolled and randomly divided into pharmacotherapy group with 20 patients and pharmacotherapy+tACS treatment group with 26 patients. The tACS electrodes were attached to the frontal region and the bilateral mastoids， with a frequency of 77.5 Hz and a current intensity of 15 mA， for 40 minutes each time， once a day for 10 consecutive days. The primary outcome measures were Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI） score and its improvement rate after 4 weeks， and the secondary outcome measures included the scores of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale （HAMD）， Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale （HAMA）， Mini-Mental State Examination （MMSE）， and Montreal Cognitive Assessment （MoCA） and their improvement rates. Results Compared with the pharmacotherapy group， the pharmacotherapy+tACS treatment group had a significant reduction in PSQI score （P<0.05）， with an improvement rate of 37% and 21%， respectively， suggesting that the combined therapy had a better effect in improving sleep quality. The pharmacotherapy+tACS treatment group also had reductions in HAMA and HAMD scores， suggesting improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms， and there were no significant differences in MMSE and MoCA scores between the two groups. Conclusion Pharmacotherapy combined with tACS has a better effect than pharmacotherapy alone in improving sleep quality and anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with chronic insomnia， and therefore， it has good application prospects in clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate associations between cardiac biomarkers with stroke severity and short-term outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:Patients with AIS admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from June 2018 to February 2024 whose etiological classification was large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), small vessel occlusion (SVO) or cardioembolism (CE) were included retrospectively. According to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, patients were divided into mild stroke group (≤8) and moderate to severe stroke group (>8). According to the modified Rankin Scale score at discharge, patients were divided into good outcome group (≤2) and poor outcome group (>2). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation between cardiac biomarkers and short-term outcome. The predictive value of cardiac biomarkers for poor outcome in patients with AIS and different stroke etiology subtypes were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results:A total of 2 151 patients with AIS were enrolled, including 1 256 males (58.4%), aged 67.40±11.34 years. 1 079 patents were LAA type (50.2%), 679 were SVO type (31.6%), and 393 were CE type (18.3%); 1 223 were mild stroke (56.86%) and 928 (43.14%) were moderate to severe stroke; 1 357 patients (63.09%) had good short-term outcome, and 794 (36.91%) had poor short-term outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), NT-proBNP/creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) ratio, and CK-MB/CK ratio were independent risk factors for poor short-term outcome. ROC curve analysis shows that the CK-MB/CK ratio had a higher predictive value for short-term poor outcome in patients with AIS (the area under the curve, 0.859, 95% confidence interval 0.839-0.879). Various cardiac biomarkers had a higher predictive value for short-term outcome of CE type and LAA type, but the predictive value for short-term outcome of SVO type was lower. Conclusions:Cardiac biomarkers are associated with the severity and poor outcome of AIS. NT-proBNP/CK-MB and CK-MB/CK ratios have higher predictive value for short-term poor outcome of AIS, especially in patients with CE type.

Objective To explore the relationship between C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 13(CTRP13)and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM),and the predictive value of CTRP13 for adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients.Methods A total of 163 pregnant women who underwent prenatal examination in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January to May 2023 were enrolled in GDM group(n=83)and normal glucose tolerance(NGT)group(n=80)according to the results of oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks of gestation.Collect general information,biochemical data,and adverse pregnancy outcomes from two groups of subjects.Analyze the correlation between serum CTRP13 and glucose and lipid metabolism indicators in GDM pregnant women.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of CTRP13 for adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women.Results The pre pregnancy body mass index,prenatal body mass index,triglycerides,total cholesterol,low density lipoprotein,fasting blood glucose,2-hours plasma glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,fasting insulin,and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistanc index in GDM group was significantly higher than those in NGT group,while CTRP13 was significantly lower than that in NGT group(P＜0.05).Serum CTRP13 was negatively correlated with total cholesterol,triglycerides,low density lipoprotein,2-hours plasma glucose,and glycosylated hemoglobin in GDM patients(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as gestational hypertension and premature rupture of membranes in GDM group were significantly higher than those in NGT group(P＜0.05).The area under the curve of serum CTRP13 for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women was 0.805,with sensitivity and specificity of 75.80％and 76.00％,respectively.Conclusion Serum CTRP13 is associated with glucose and lipid metabolism in GDM pregnant women,and is a potential biomarker for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women.

Hepatic stellate cell(HSC)activation is a key link in the development of liver fibrosis.The metabolic reprogramming of activated HSC has become a hot topic in current research,especially the change of glycolysis is an important factor in regulating HSC activation.Based on the metabolic reprogramming in the process of HSC activation,this paper expounds the mechanism of regulating HSC activation and liver fibrosis through glycolysis,and reviews the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine and its active ingredients in regulating HSC glycolysis to prevent and treat liver fibrosis.Liver fibrosis is a complex pathological process involving multiple factors and pathways.From the perspective of regulating the glycolysis of activated HSC,it can provide a new idea for the development of anti-liver fibrosis drugs.

Objective To screen items of the Clinical Aided Decision Scheme for Stroke Simultaneous Treatment of Disease,Pulse and Syndrome;To provide reference for the formulation and improvement of the scheme.Methods The Delphi method was used to distribute two rounds of questionnaires to 60 experts in cerebropathy or neurology across the country.Statistical analysis was performed on the questionnaire results of the scheme's items,including the disease names,etiology and pathogenesis,syndrome characteristics,rules and regulations,representative prescriptions,acupuncture and other therapies,and preventive care.Results Totally 42 and 50 valid questionnaires were collected.The experts reached the consensus for the importance of etiology and pathogenesis,rules and regulations,acupuncture and other therapies,and preventive care.In the section on syndrome characteristics,items with low relevance or causing ambiguity were removed.Items that were no longer used in modern times and different prescriptions with the same name were removed from the representative prescriptions.The names of syndromes,rules and regulations were unified.Conclusion The experts generally reached the consensus for the importance of the Clinical Aided Decision Scheme for Stroke Simultaneous Treatment of Disease,Pulse and Syndrome.However,there are still some limitations that require further study and discussion.

Abstract Tobacco use is not only harmful to adolescents physical and mental health, but is also closely related to future adults smoking prevalence, and interventions can delay the age at which adolescents take their first puff as much as possible. The article summarizes and analyzes the effectiveness of tobacco control interventions based on schools, communities or families, and a combination of multiple venues. It compares the characteristics of offline, online, and a combination of offline and online tobacco control interventions for adolescents,so as to provide references for the design and implementation of adolescent tobacco control interventions, and the effective, sustainable, and replicable adolescent tobacco control intervention models.

Post traumatic depression (PTD) is a serious complication after traumatic brain injury, with high incidence rate; PTD seriously affects the rehabilitation, outcome and quality of life of patients. Due to unclear pathogenesis of PTD, effective treatments have not yet been found in clinical practice. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), as a new non-invasive neuroregulatory technique, has been used in major depression disorder (MDD). Few clinical evidence on PTD treated by rTMS is noted and optimal rTMS treatment regimen has not yet been defined.This article reviews the clinical studies of rTMS in PTD in recent years, with a view to provide references for clinical application.