Patients with liver cirrhosis are more susceptible to various bacterial or viral infections due to immune dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that compared with the general population， individuals with liver cirrhosis show a significant increase in the incidence rate of adverse outcomes after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection， including the progression of liver injury and the increase in mortality rate. Vaccination can reduce the incidence rates of breakthrough infections and severe coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） in patients with liver cirrhosis， but such patients have low immune response and thus require booster doses to enhance immunity. This article reviews the clinical features of cirrhotic patients with COVID-19 and related management strategies， in order to provide evidence-based guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of such patients.

Objective: To assess the association of family food environment with dietary and nutrition literacy among junior and senior high school students, providing a basis for nutritional health education and adolescent nutritional improvement. Methods: From January 9 to February 10, 2025, a total of 1 473 junior and senior high school students aged 12-20 were recruited by using a cluster random sampling method combined with convenient sampling from 15 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) across China. Data on basic demographic characteristics, home food environment, and dietary and nutrition literacy were collected by using the Food and Nutritional Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese School age Children. Multiple linear regression and Logistic regression models were employed to analyze the association of the home food environment on adolescent dietary and nutrition literacy. Results: The total score of dietary and nutrition literacy among junior and senior high school students was (65.28±9.03). The score in the cognitive domain (67.59±10.56) was higher than that in the skill domain (60.74±9.15), and the score for food preparation skills (56.60±14.28) was the lowest. Students aged 16-20, senior high school students, those for only children, non boarding students, those with urban household registration, those from wealthier families, those whose primary caregivers were parents with higher education levels, and those who previously received nutrition and health education had significantly higher dietary and nutrition literacy scores compared to their respective counterpart groups ( t/F =-8.32, -8.14, 4.76, -2.70, 7.15, 18.29, 10.68, 11.66 , all P <0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that family food environment was associated with dietary and nutrition literacy, and the model was statistically significant ( R 2=0.20, F=20.54, P <0.05). Lower availability of fruits at home in the past month and lower frequency of family communication regarding dietary and nutrition were associated with lower dietary nutrition literacy scores among junior and senior high school students ( β =-1.35, -1.67, both P <0.01). Among junior and senior high school students, lower frequency of dining out with the family, watching videos during family meals, and being urged by parents to eat more food in the past month were associated with higher scores on dietary nutrition literacy ( β =1.35, 1.13, 0.71, all P <0.01). Logistic regression model results indicated that watching videos during family meals ( OR =1.70) and family communication regarding dietary and nutrition ( OR =0.51) were significantly associated with dietary and nutrition literacy levels (both P <0.05). Conclusions The score of dietary and nutrition literacy among junior and senior high school students is relatively low, and the family food environment is a key factor. It is recommended that nutrition education and improvement initiatives for junior and senior high school students prioritize attention on children and adolescents from households with less favorable food environments.

Clear aligner treatment is a novel technique in current orthodontic practice. Distinct from traditional fixed orthodontic appliances, clear aligners have different material features and biomechanical characteristics and treatment efficiencies, presenting new clinical challenges. Therefore, a comprehensive and systematic description of the key clinical aspects of clear aligner treatment is essential to enhance treatment efficacy and facilitate the advancement and wide adoption of this new technique. This expert consensus discusses case selection and grading of treatment difficulty, principle of clear aligner therapy, clinical procedures and potential complications, which are crucial to the clinical success of clear aligner treatment.
Humans ; Consensus ; Orthodontic Appliance Design ; Orthodontic Appliances, Removable ; Tooth Movement Techniques/methods* ; Malocclusion/therapy* ; Orthodontics, Corrective/instrumentation*

The CRISPR/dCas9 system is a gene editing tool that has proven to be highly efficient and precise. By utilizing transcriptional activators, such as VP64, p65, and Rta, the system can effectively and stably activate target genes. Sox17, a transcription factor belonging to the SOX family, plays a crucial role in the differentiation of the germ layers and the determination of cell fates during the early stages of embryonic development. Sheep embryonic stem cells (sESCs) are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation, serving as a significant in vitro model for studying the mechanisms of cell differentiation during early embryonic development. However, the importing of exogenous genes into sESCs is challenging due to their unique growth characteristics. The objective of this study was to investigate the conditions necessary for successfully activating Sox17 in sESCs. To this end, we employed the CRISPR/dCas9 system along with liposome transfection, lentivirus invasion, and electroporation to activate Sox17 in sESCs. The expression of Sox17 was then determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR, on the basis of which the performance of different transfection methods was compared. The results indicated that the electroporation group had the best transfection effect and the highest Sox17 expression among the three transfection methods. The efficient and stable gene activation protocol will provide a reference for embryonic stem cell research in other species, especially livestock animals, and lay the foundation for the subsequent study of gene function and realization of precise cell fate regulation by regulating gene expression in sheep embryonic stem cells.
Animals ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; Sheep ; SOXF Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Embryonic Stem Cells/cytology* ; Genetic Vectors/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/genetics* ; Transfection ; Gene Editing/methods*

Objective:To explore the relationship between urinary cadmium levels and thyroid hormone levels in people aged 40-89 years old in selected areas of China.Methods:Based on the "Investigation of the Impact of Soil Quality of Agricultural Land on Human Health in Typical Areas" project from October 2019 to August 2020, a multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to include 6 588 middle-aged and older adults aged 40-89. Demographic characteristics, dietary frequency and disease status were collected through the questionnaire and physical examination. Urinary cadmium and urinary creatinine were detected by random midstream urine. Fasting venous blood was collected for the detection of Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4). The linear mixed effects model was used to explore the association of urine cadmium levels with thyroid hormone levels. Its dose-response relationship was explored by using the restricted cubic spline.Results:The age of the subjects was (63.48±12.18) years, with males accounting for 51.28%. The M ( Q 1,Q 3) of urinary cadmium level, T3 and T4 was 2.48 (1.36, 4.42) μg/g·creatinine, (1.96±0.51) nmol/L and (113.75±29.11) nmol/L, respectively. The linear mixed effects model showed that the changes of T3 and T4 were 0.027 (0.009, 0.044) nmol/L and 2.019 (1.084, 2.953) nmol/L for each one-unit increase (natural logarithm transformed) of urinary cadmium. The restricted cubic spline showed that there was a positive nonlinear association between urinary cadmium and T3 as well as T4 (all Pnonlinear<0.05). Conclusion:In selected areas of China, the urinary cadmium level of middle-aged and older adults aged 40-89 years is positively associated with T3 and T4.

Objective:To analyze the time to reach full enteral feedings (TFEF) among preterm infants with gestational age (GA)<32 weeks admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN).Methods:This was a retrospective analysis based on the database from the CHNN 89 participating centers between January 1 st, 2019 and December 31 st, 2022. All 16 155 preterm infants with a GA <32 weeks and a birth weight <1 500 g, admitted to the NICU within 24 h after birth, hospitalization for at least 7 d and achieved full enteral feedings before discharge were included. According to the birth weight, these infants were divided into extremely low birth weight (ELBW) group and very low birth weight (VLBW) group. The practice characteristics of TFEF across different GA, the severity of neonatal admission, the NICU interventions before reaching full enteral feeding, and relevant neonatal diseases were described. Mann-Whitney U tests or Kruskal-Wallis H tests was used for comparison between groups. Results:Among the 16 155 preterm infants with a GA <32 weeks, 8 505 case (52.6%) were male. The TFEF in 3 374 cases of ELBW groups was 32 (22, 46) d, 351 cases (10.4%) with TFEF ≤2 weeks, 1 050 cases (31.1%) with TFEF >2-4 weeks, 964 cases (28.6%) with TFEF >4-6 weeks, and 1 009 cases (29.9%) with TFEF >6 weeks. The TFEF in 12 781 cases of VLBW group was 22 (15, 32) d, 439 cases (3.4%) with TFEF ≤1 week, 2 565 cases (20.1%) with TFEF >1-2 weeks, 5 526 cases (43.2%) with TFEF >2-4 weeks, and 4 251 cases (33.3%) with TFEF >4 weeks. The TFEF was 36(23, 52) d of 625 preterm infants at a GA ≤25 weeks and 20 (13, 28) d of 2 606 preterm infants at a GA 31 weeks. Inborn infants had a shorter TFEF than those outborn infants and the infants with breast-fed achieved shorter than formula and mixed feeding both in ELBW and VLBW groups (all P<0.001). The earlier enteral feeding started, the shorter TFEF will be both in ELBW and VLBW groups (both P<0.001). The TFEF of preterm infants who were treated before full enteral feeding like peripherally inserted central catheters, and blood transfusions and blood product providers were all longer than those who were not treated (all P<0.001). The TFEF of preterm infants with complications like hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis, late onset sepsis, severe retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were all longer than those without (all P<0.001). Conclusions:The distribution of TFEF in VLBW and ELBW has a large difference. The TFEF of preterm infants varies with different GA, treatment measures and complications. Further quality improvement is required to shorten TFEF.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the level of angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT1-AA) in the uterine fluid and the thickness of endometrium in infertile women with chronic endometritis.Methods:A case-control study was conducted to select 122 patients who underwent hysteroscopy and endometrial tissue biopsy at Assisted Reproduction Center, Taiyuan Central Hospital due to infertility from March 2023 to January 2024 as the study subjects. According to the results of hysteroscopy and endometrial tissue biopsy, the patients were divided into 52 cases in the infertility group with normal endometrium (NE infertility group) and the chronic endometritis combined with infertility group (CE infertility group) with 70 cases. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of AT1-AA in uterine fluid of the two groups. General clinical data, AT1-AA absorbance value of uterine fluid and uterine related indexes of the two groups were analyzed, and the correlations between AT1-AA level and the variation of indexes were analyzed.Results:Gravidity (median: 1 vs 1; Z=7.029, P=0.030) and parity (median: 0 vs 0; Z=12.258, P=0.002) in CE infertility group were higher than those in NE infertility group. There was AT1-AA in the uterine fluid, and the level of AT1-AA in CE infertility group was significantly higher than that in NE infertility group (median: 2.07 vs 1.44; Z=3.099, P=0.029). The endometrial thickness of CE infertility group was lower than that of NE infertility group (median: 6.0 vs 7.0 mm; Z=-2.179, P=0.029), and there were no statistical differences in other indexes between the two groups (all P>0.05). Further correlation analysis showed that there were no correlation between the level of AT1-AA in uterine fluid and parity, endometrial thickness, gravidity in NE infertility group (all P>0.05). However, the level of AT1-AA in uterine fluid of CE infertility group was positively correlated with parity (Spearman′s r=0.339, P=0.004), and negatively correlated with endometrial thickness (Spearman′s r=-0.499, P<0.001), but not correlated with gravidity ( P>0.05). Conclusions:AT1-AA is present in the uterine fluid of infertile women. The elevated level of AT1-AA in uterine fluid of infertile women with CE is related to the thinning of the endometrium.

Objective:To evaluate the levels and source of cadmium exposure by dietary pathway among middle-aged and elderly people ≥40 in cadmium-contaminated areas of China.Methods:A total of 7 193 people aged 40-89 years from four typical cadmium-contaminated areas in China were selected as the study subjects. Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), Total Diet Study (TDS) and a 3-day-24-hour dietary recall survey were conducted. Dietary cadmium intake and food sources through dietary pathways were assessed based on cadmium content in foods, consumption amounts and intake frequencies.Results:The mean age of the participants was 63.39±12.21 years, with 50.05% being males. The average monthly dietary cadmium intake was 7.39 μg/(kg·BW). Staple foods and vegetables were the primary sources of dietary cadmium intake, accounting for 57.51% and 32.48%, respectively. The monthly dietary cadmium intake in all surveyed regions did not exceed the Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).Conclusion:The monthly dietary cadmium intake among middle-aged and elderly people in cadmium-contaminated areas of China is relatively low, with the risk remaining at an acceptable level. Staple foods and vegetables are the most significant contributors to dietary cadmium intake.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder with an estimated prevalence of approximately 6.4% among children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 in China. The etiology and pathogenesis of ADHD remain incompletely understood, and conventional treatment methods often have limited effectiveness. With advances in research into the etiology of ADHD, nutritional intervention has emerged as a potential adjunctive treatment and has garnered widespread attention. Multiple studies have demonstrated the potential effectiveness of nutritional interventions for ADHD. This review aims to summarize the progress in nutritional interventions for pediatric ADHD, particularly focusing on nutrient-level interventions (including polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins), nutrition-related factors (such as probiotics), as well as the combined use of multiple nutrients and dietary nutrition (including dietary patterns). We will analyze and discuss the effectiveness of different nutritional interventions to provide a valuable reference for clinical nutritional diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of full free-breathing cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in clinical practice.Methods:The study prospectively included patients who underwent full free-breathing CMR and traditional breath-holding cine imaging between June 1 and June 30, 2024. An analysis and comparison were conducted on the image acquisition time, image quality, and left ventricular function parameters under two scanning methods, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular cardiac output (LVCO),left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end systolic volume index (LVESVI), left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV), and left ventricular mass (LVM). In addition, the study conducted both quantitative and qualitative analyses of other sequences in full free-breathing CMR, including T 1 mapping, T 2 mapping, flow imaging, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Group comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test or paired t-test. Consistency assessments included Bland-Altman analysis, intraclass correlation coefficient ( ICC), and linear regression analysis. Results:Totally, 150 patients were recruited into the study. The average acquisition time of full free-breathing CMR was (22.1±3.1) min, with an average short axis cine sequence examination time of (2.7±0.4) min; The average acquisition time of short axis images in a breath-holding state was (4.9±1.4) min, which was significantly longer than the cine scan in the free-breathing state ( P0.001). The cine and LGE images quality scores obtained from full free-breathing CMR were 4 (4, 4) points and 5 (4, 5) points, respectively, while the cine image quality score obtained in a breath-holding state was 5 (4, 5) points. Compared with traditional breath-hold CMR, free-breathing CMR measurements showed slightly higher LVESV, and LVESVI, while LVEDV, LVEDVI, LVSV, LVCO, LVEF, and LVM were slightly lower, except for LVSV and LVCO, which showed no statistically significant difference, the differences in other cardiac function parameters were statistically significant ( P0.05). However, the two methods demonstrated good consistency( ICC0.947) and correlation (0.808 r0.993, P0.001). The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the bias for all cardiac function parameters was within 8.0%. The Native T 1 and T 2 values for free-breathing CMR were (1 277.5±57.0) ms and 40.1 (38.5, 41.4) ms, respectively, and the results of flow imaging and echocardiography were basically consistent. Conclusions:Free-breathing CMR is feasible and effective in clinical practice, showing a high level of consistency with left ventricular functional parameters obtained from traditional breath-hold scanning. It significantly shortens examination time and holds great clinical value for the promotion and widespread use of CMR.