OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of eye transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (Eye-TEAS) on preventing the progression of pre-myopic to myopia in children aged 6-12 years. METHODS: A total of 170 pre-myopic children aged 6-12 years were randomly divided into an Eye-TEAS group (85 cases, 3 cases dropped out, 2 cases were eliminated) and a placebo Eye-TEAS group (85 cases, 3 cases dropped out, 2 cases were eliminated). The Eye-TEAS group received Eye-TEAS intervention at bilateral Cuanzhu (BL2), Yuyao (EX-HN4), Sizhukong (TE23), Taiyang (EX-HN5), Sibai (ST2), and Jingming (BL1), with continuous wave at a frequency of 4 Hz and a current of 1-2 mA for 30 min per session. The placebo Eye-TEAS group received sham intervention with the same equipment and procedure, but no electrical stimulation. Both groups received intervention once every other day, at least 3 times a week, for a duration of 20 weeks. After intervention and during the 28-week follow-up period after the intervention completion, the changes in axial length (AL), spherical equivalent refraction (SER), and the incidence of myopia were compared between the two groups. Adherence and safety during the intervention period were also evaluated. RESULTS: Compared before intervention, both groups showed an increase in AL after the intervention and during the follow-up (P<0.01). The AL during follow-up was higher than that after the intervention in the two groups (P<0.01). The Eye-TEAS group exhibited a smaller change in AL than the placebo Eye-TEAS group after the intervention and during follow-up (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared before intervention, both groups showed a decrease in SER after the intervention and during follow-up (P<0.01). The SER during follow-up was lower than that after the intervention in the two groups (P<0.01). The Eye-TEAS group had a higher SER than the placebo Eye-TEAS group after the intervention (P<0.05). The Eye-TEAS group exhibited a smaller change in SER than the placebo Eye-TEAS group after the intervention and during follow-up (P<0.01). The incidence of myopia in the Eye-TEAS group was lower than that in the placebo group during follow-up (20.0% [14/70] vs 34.7% [25/72], P<0.05). Both groups had good adherence, with no adverse events related to the intervention. CONCLUSION Eye-TEAS can delay the progression of pre-myopic to myopia in children, and has a high safety profile.
Humans ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Myopia/prevention & control* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Treatment Outcome ; Disease Progression

Climate change has led to an increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events such as heat and drought extremes with considerable global public health burden. This systematic review collected 87 domestic and international studies from 2000 to 2023, considering the impacts of heat extremes, drought extremes, and compound hot-dry events on infectious diseases attributable to various transmission pathways such as waterborne, foodborne, insect-borne, airborne, and contact-transmitted diseases. Our results showed that high temperature was associated with increased transmission risks of waterborne and foodborne diseases including infectious diarrheal diseases (cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and paratyphoid) and infectious gastroenteritis; vector-borne diseases including dengue fever, Zika virus (ZIKV) disease, chikungunya fever, malaria, West Nile fever, and Rift Valley fever; airborne diseases including influenza-like diseases, influenza A, measles, and mumps; and contact-transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, schistosomiasis, and leptospirosis. Additionally, drought conditions also amplified the transmission risks of waterborne and foodborne diseases including cholera, Escherichia coli infection, rotavirus infection, and hepatitis E; vector-borne diseases such as scrub typhus, schistosomiasis, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, and West Nile fever; airborne diseases including meningococcal meningitis, pertussis, measles, and upper respiratory infections; and contact-transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Along with global warming, the frequency of compound high temperature and drought events shows a considerably increasing trend, causing more adverse health effects than heat or drought alone. However, there is limited research quantifying their effects on infectious diseases. These associations may be mediated through temperature and precipitation on infectious disease pathogens, transmission vectors, population susceptibility, public health services, and behaviors. In the context of climate change, the increasing occurrence of compound events of high temperatures and droughts raises health concerns, and further studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the impacts of climate change on infectious diseases and improve human adaption to climate change.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. Methods The data of the patients who underwent robotic cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) from July 2016 to June 2022 in Daping Hospital of Army Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether arrhythmia occurred after operation, the patients were divided into an arrhythmia group and a non-arrhythmia group. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic analysis were used to screen the risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. Results A total of 146 patients were enrolled, including 55 males and 91 females, with an average age of 43.03±13.11 years. There were 23 patients in the arrhythmia group and 123 patients in the non-arrhythmia group. One (0.49%) patient died in the hospital. Univariate analysis suggested that age, body weight, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, left atrial anteroposterior diameter, left ventricular anteroposterior diameter, right ventricular anteroposterior diameter, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, uric acid, red blood cell width, operation time, CPB time, aortic cross-clamping time, and operation type were associated with postoperative arrhythmia (P<0.05). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis suggested that direct bilirubin (OR=1.334, 95%CI 1.003-1.774, P=0.048) and aortic cross-clamping time (OR=1.018, 95%CI 1.005-1.031, P=0.008) were independent risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. In the arrhythmia group, postoperative tracheal intubation time (P<0.001), intensive care unit stay (P<0.001) and postoperative hospital stay (P<0.001) were significantly prolonged, and postoperative high-dose blood transfusion events were significantly increased (P=0.002). Conclusion Preoperative direct bilirubin level and aortic cross-clamping time are independent risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. Postoperative tracheal intubation time, intensive care unit stay, and postoperative hospital stay are significantly prolonged in patients with postoperative arrhythmia, and postoperative high-dose blood transfusion events are significantly increased.

Background::Growth retardation is a common complication of chronic kidney disease in children, which can be partially relieved after renal transplantation. This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive model for growth patterns of children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) after kidney transplantation using machine learning algorithms based on genomic and clinical variables.Methods::A retrospective cohort of 110 children who received kidney transplants between May 2013 and September 2021 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were recruited for whole-exome sequencing (WES), and another 39 children who underwent transplant from October 2021 to March 2022 were enrolled for external validation. Based on previous studies, we comprehensively collected 729 height-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exon regions. Seven machine learning algorithms and 10-fold cross-validation analysis were employed for model construction.Results::The 110 children were divided into two groups according to change in height-for-age Z-score. After univariate analysis, age and 19 SNPs were incorporated into the model and validated. The random forest model showed the best prediction efficacy with an accuracy of 0.8125 and an area under curve (AUC) of 0.924, and also performed well in the external validation cohort (accuracy, 0.7949; AUC, 0.796). Conclusions::A model with good performance for predicting post-transplant growth patterns in children based on SNPs and clinical variables was constructed and validated using machine learning algorithms. The model is expected to guide clinicians in the management of children after renal transplantation, including the use of growth hormone, glucocorticoid withdrawal, and nutritional supplementation, to alleviate growth retardation in children with ESRD.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of pediatric kidney transplant recipients reinfected with SARS-CoV-2.Method:The relevant clinical data were retrospectively reviewed for 191 pediatric kidney transplant recipients at a single center. Based upon whether or not there was a reinfection of SARS-CoV-2, they were assigned into two groups of single infection (group A, 127 cases) and reinfection (group B, 64 cases). Baseline profiles, clinical symptoms, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, markers of disease progression, immune status, respiratory support modalities, comorbidities and transplantation-related data were collected for comparing the inter-group differences during primary infection and between two infections in reinfected group.Result:As compared with group A, group B recipients had a higher proportion of age <12 years (71.9% vs 54.3%) ,unvaccinated (81.2% vs 66.1%) and such symptoms as high fever (34.4% vs 12.6% ), dry cough (43.8% vs 23.6% ) and chest tightness (14.1% vs 3.9 %) during primary infection (all P<0.05). During primary infection, the levels of IL-6 and CRP were higher in group B than in group A and inter-group difference was statistically significant (both P<0.01). The levels of IL-6 ( P<0.01), CRP ( P<0.01) and PCT ( P= 0.023) were lower in group B during reinfection than those during primary infection and the difference was statistically significant. During primary infection, the counts of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK and B lymphocyte of group B were lower than those of group A. And inter-group differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). During reinfection, the levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK and B lymphocyte counts of group B spiked as compared with those of group A during primary infection and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). The levels of SCr and UA in group B differed insignificantly before and after primary infection with SARS-CoV-2. However, the differences before and after reinfection were statistically significant (both P<0.01) . Conclusion:Symptomatic and immunocompromised pediatric KT recipients during primary infection with SARS-CoV-2 are more prone to reinfection during subsequent epidemics. Though mildly symptomatic, reinfection may exacerbate impairments of graft kidney function in pediatric KT recipients.

Objective:To explore the characteristic pathological manifestations of non-HLA antibodies after kidney transplantation (KT) and examine the differences of MFT values of non-HLA antibodies in different pathological manifestations.Methods:The study was conducted on KT recipients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2021 to June 2023 with unexplained elevated serum creatinine. Patients undergoing pathological puncture and concurrent HLA antibody testing were included, focusing on those with DSA (MFI>4 000) and non-HLA antibody negativity. According to the detection results of non-HLA and HLA antibodies, they were assigned into two groups of non-HLA antibody positive (45 cases) and HLA-DSA positive (28 cases). Both non-HLA and HLA antibodies were detected by luminex single antigen microbeads, χ2, t or Mann-Whitney U nonparametric tests were utilized for examining the inter-group differences in pathological manifestations. The recipients with positive non-HLA antibodies were grouped according to the differential pathological features[microvascular inflammation group (22 cases) and non-microvascular inflammation group (23 cases), interstitial fibrosis group (39 cases) and non-interstitial fibrosis (9 cases) ]. MFI values of non-HLA antibodies were standardized and heat map was generated with R language ComplexHeatmap package. The differences of response values of non-HLA antibodies with different pathological manifestations were examined by rank-sum test. Results:The positive rates of microvascular inflammation were 48.9% (22/45) and 82.1% (23/28) in HLA-DSA positive and non-HLA antibody positive groups with statistical significance ( χ2=8.073, P=0.006). The positive rates of interstitial fibrosis in two groups were 80.8% (36/45) and 53.6% (15/28) and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=5.726, P=0.021). The relative levels of anti-arachnotoxin receptor 1 (Latrophilin 1, LPHN1), keratin 8 (KRT8), keratin 18 (KRT18) and Sjogren's syndrome antigen B (SSB) were higher in microvascular inflammation group than those in non-microvascular inflammation group. The differences were statistically significant [559.50 (262.00, 801.25) vs 285.00 (183.00, 460.00), P=0.024; 504.50 (369.5, 725.25) vs 317.00 (231.50, 458.00), P=0.014; 672.50 (454.50, 969.50) vs 399.00 (246.50, 772.50), P=0.030; 967.50 (482.00, 2 066.50) vs 399.00 (246.50, 772.50), P=0.033]. The relative levels of anti-cyclic citrullinate peptide (CCP), colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) and collagen Ⅳ antibody were higher in interstitial fibrosis group than those in non-interstitial fibrosis group with statistical significance [100.00 (79.88, 167.50) vs 64.50 (37.00, 89.00), P=0.016; 146.25 (93.38, 244.75) vs 87.00 (66.00, 105.00), P=0.041; 132.50 (106.38, 229.50) vs 95.00 (55.00, 125.00), P=0.037; 432.50 (280.75, 653.75) vs 208.00 (192.00, 301.00), P=0.028]. Conclusions:As compared with HLA-DSA, the characteristic pathological manifestations of non-HLA antibodies post-KT include a lower incidence of microvascular inflammation and a higher incidence of interstitial fibrosis. For non-HLA antibody response values of characteristic pathological manifestations, the expressions of different non-HLA antibodies vary statistically.

[Objective]To explore the academic thought of erectile dysfunction in Fengshi Jinnang Milu written by Zhejiang physician FENG Zhaozhang,and to provide reference for clinical practice of erectile dysfunction.[Methods]It takes the chapter of"Fangmai Yangwei"in Fengshi Jinnang Milu as the main research object,combines with other chapters in the book to systematically sort out the academic thought characteristics of the book in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.[Results]FENG praised the theory of"Mingmen",and paid special attention to the role of Yin and Yang,water and fire in the occurrence and development of diseases.He discussed the etiology and pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction in detail in the chapter of"Fangmai Yangwei".He believed that the damage of the five internal organs was the precursor of erectile dysfunction,and the imbalance of Yin and Yang,stagnation of fire caused by various reasons could lead to the occurrence of this disease.In the treatment,many prescriptions were listed,focusing on tonifying Yin and Yang,and most of them were pills.At the same time,the drug delivery was mainly based on wine,ginger soup,salt soup,etc.It also had the method of taking different decoctions at different times and the method of taking medicine by solar terms,which was quite distinctive.[Conclusion]FENG's discussion on the etiology,pathogenesis,diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction is quite detailed,and his understanding is distinctive.The academic thought of impotence in his book also has practical significance for the treatment of erectile dysfunction today.

Objective: To investigate the effects of the interaction between occupational noise exposure and arterial stiffness on blood glucose, so as to provide insights into for early prevention of diabetes among workers exposed to occupational noise. Methods: A total of 518 noise workers were selected from a tobacco plant in Wuhan City. Participants' gender, age and work duration were collected using questionnaire surveys, and participants' height and weight were measured. Blood glucose and arterial stiffness were detected, and the noise intensity was measured in working environments with a personal noise dosimeter. The effects of occupational noise exposure, arterial stiffness and their interactions on blood glucose were examined using a multiple linear regression model. Results: A total of 518 workers were included, with 398 males (76.83%), a mean age of (40.85±10.68) years, a mean working age of (19.50±12.69) years, a mean body mass index of (23.66±3.31) kg/m2, and a mean blood glucose level of (5.15±0.99) mmol/L. There were 247 workers with occupational noise exposure (47.68%) and 175 workers with arterial stiffness (33.78%). Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant associations of noise (β'=0.112) and arterial stiffness (β'=0.168) with blood glucose, and there was an additive interaction between noise and arterial stiffness on blood glucose (β'=0.314). Conclusion The interaction between occupational noise and arterial stiffness affects blood glucose.

Ameloblasts are specialized cells derived from the dental epithelium that produce enamel, a hierarchically structured tissue comprised of highly elongated hydroxylapatite (OHAp) crystallites. The unique function of the epithelial cells synthesizing crystallites and assembling them in a mechanically robust structure is not fully elucidated yet, partly due to limitations with in vitro experimental models. Herein, we demonstrate the ability to generate mineralizing dental epithelial organoids (DEOs) from adult dental epithelial stem cells (aDESCs) isolated from mouse incisor tissues. DEOs expressed ameloblast markers, could be maintained for more than five months (11 passages) in vitro in media containing modulators of Wnt, Egf, Bmp, Fgf and Notch signaling pathways, and were amenable to cryostorage. When transplanted underneath murine kidney capsules, organoids produced OHAp crystallites similar in composition, size, and shape to mineralized dental tissues, including some enamel-like elongated crystals. DEOs are thus a powerful in vitro model to study mineralization process by dental epithelium, which can pave the way to understanding amelogenesis and developing regenerative therapy of enamel.
Mice ; Animals ; Durapatite/metabolism* ; Dental Enamel/metabolism* ; Ameloblasts/metabolism* ; Amelogenesis ; Stem Cells ; Organoids

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive value of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and modified early warning score (MEWS) in evaluating the prognosis of patients in intensive care unit (ICU) of secondary hospitals, and to provide guidance for clinical application. METHODS: The clinical data of adult critical patients admitted to the ICU of Wanzhou District First People's Hospital from October 2022 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the clinical outcome of ICU, the patients were divided into improvement group and death group. The general information, blood routine, heart, liver and kidney function indicators, coagulation indicators, blood gas analysis, APACHE II score, SOFA score, qSOFA score, MEWS score at the time of admission to the ICU, the number of cases of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and continuous blood purification (CBP) were compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis was performed, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors of death. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to analyze the predictive value of the four scores in ICU patients. RESULTS: A total of 126 patients were included, of which 45 patients died in the ICU and 81 patients improved and transferred out. Univariate analysis of death-related critically ill patients showed that procalcitonin (PCT), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin (ALB), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial prothrombin time (APTT), D-dimer, pH value, HCO₃^-, blood lactic acid (Lac), number of patients treated with IMV and CBP, APACHE II score, SOFA score, qSOFA score and MEWS score were significantly different between the two groups (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the APACHE II score [odds ratio (OR) = 1.115, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.025-1.213, P = 0.011], SOFA score (OR = 1.204, 95%CI was 1.037-1.398, P = 0.015), MEWS score (OR = 1.464, 95%CI was 1.102-1.946, P = 0.009), and APTT (OR = 1.081, 95%CI was 1.015-1.152, P = 0.016) were independent risk factors affecting the mortality of critically ill patients in the ICU. ROC curve analysis showed that APACHE II, SOFA, qSOFA, and MEWS scores could predict the prognosis of critically ill ICU patients, among which SOFA score had the strongest predictive effect, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.808. There was a statistically significant difference in the time required for the four scores (F = 117.333, P < 0.001), among which the MEWS scoring required the shortest time [(1.03±0.39) minutes], and the APACHE II scoring required the longest time [(2.81±1.04) minutes]. CONCLUSIONS APACHE II, SOFA, qSOFA, and MEWS scores can be used to assess the severity of critically ill patients and predict in-hospital mortality. The SOFA score is superior to other scores in predicting severity. The MEWS is preferred because its assessment time is shortest. Early warning score can help secondary hospitals to detect potentially critical patients early and provide help for clinical rapid urgent emergency decision-making.
Adult ; Humans ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Critical Illness ; Early Warning Score ; Organ Dysfunction Scores ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; Hospitals