Objective: To understand the current status of neglect among rural preschool children in Xi an under the multi child policy and the association with family characteristics, so as to provide a reference for preventing and reducing the occurrence of child neglect. Methods: A total of 7 052 parents of preschool children were selected using stratified cluster sampling across 9 suburban counties/districts in Xi an from March to April 2025. A questionnaire survey was administered using the Chinese Norm Scale for Neglect Assessment of Rural(Preschool) Children Aged 3-6. The t-test, Chi-quare test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for inter group comparisons. Results: The overall prevalence rate and mean score of neglect among rural preschool aged children in Xi an were 32.4% and 38.27±6.70, respectively. Statistically significant differences were detected in neglect rates and neglect degrees among preschool children of different genders and grade levels ( χ 2=30.41, 15.15, t/F =4.92,7.03, all P <0.05). Statistically significant differences were also detected in neglect rates and neglect degrees among preschool children from whether only one child, different family structures, numbers of children in a family and families with different annual incomes ( χ 2=29.22, 10.41 , 31.99, 186.47, t/F =-9.96, 5.50, 33.57, 68.63, all P <0.05). In multi child families, there was a statistically significant difference in neglect degree among children with different birth orders ( F =4.25, P <0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in neglect rate ( χ 2=5.73, P >0.05). Among all subgroups, the highest neglect rates and neglect degrees were observed in children from multi child families(35.0%,39.00±6.71), other family types(50.0%，42.38±12.34) and families with three children(39.9%，39.50±7.43). Lower annual family income was associated with higher neglect rates and neglect degrees among preschool children( χ 2 trend =186.47， F =270.68，both P <0.05). Conclusions Under the multiple child policy, the neglect of preschool children in rural areas of Xi an is quite severe, particularly in families with multiple children and low income households. Targeted interventions should be implemented for high risk groups.

Objective To explore the predictive performance of machine learning models integrating clinico-pathological features and inflammatory markers for lymphovascular invasion (LVI) before gastric cancer surgery. Methods A retrospective cohort of 193 gastric cancer patients from The First Hospital of Lanzhou University (training set) and 185 patients from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (validation set) was included. Preoperative clinical pathological characteristics, tumor markers, and inflammatory markers were collected to identify independent risk factors for LVI. Six machine learning models were established in the training set. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and Brier scores. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) was applied for model interpretability. Results The multivariate logistic regression showed increased tumor invasion depth (T-stage), lymph node metastases (N-stage), and the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) were independent risk factors for gastric cancer LVI (P＜0.05). Using these three indicators, 6 machine learning models were developed, all of which demonstrated favorable predictive performance, with 0.79 and 0.76 of minimum AUC values in the training set and the validation set, respectively. Among them, the light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) model exhibited the best overall performance, achieving AUCs of 0.83 and 0.82 in the training set and the validation set, along with Brier scores of 0.163 and 0.187, respectively. Calibration and DCA curves further confirmed that the model possesses strong predictive accuracy and application value. SHAP analysis showed the feature importance in LightGBM model, identifying the N-stage as the top contributor, followed by the T-stage and the SII. Conclusion The machine learning models incorporating clinical pathological features and inflammatory indicators can effectively predict LVI status in gastric cancer, with the LightGBM model demonstrating optimal performance.

Metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide， and its progression is closely associated with the development of liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， and even hepatocellular carcinoma. However， there is still a lack of effective therapies for MAFLD in clinical practice. Telomere is the protective structure at the end of chromosomes， and telomere shortening and functional impairment have been identified as one of the key factors regulating the pathological progression of MAFLD. This article systematically reviews the core mechanism of action of telomere regulation in MAFLD， including its molecular functions in nucleotide metabolism， oxidative stress， and epigenetic regulation， as well as its pathological effect in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells. In addition， this article explores the clinical prospects of telomeres as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for MAFLD， in order to provide a theoretical reference for improving the precise diagnosis and treatment system of MAFLD.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Insulin degludec and liraglutide injection （IDegLira） and Insulin glargine and lixisenatide injection（iGlarLixi） in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus（T2DM）， and provide an evidence-based basis for the clinical treatment of T2DM. METHODS Computerized searches of PubMed， Embase， the Cochrane Library， CNKI， Wanfang data and VIP were conducted with a time frame from the inception to August 2024. Randomized controlled trials（RCTs） were rigorously screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria， from which information was extracted and included studies were evaluated for risk of bias. Network meta-analysis was performed using Stata 14.0 software. RESULTS A total of 15 RCTs， including 9 513 patients， were included， involving four treatment regimens： IDegLira， iGlarLixi， insulin degludec（IDeg）， and insulin glargine（iGlar）. The differences between IDegLira and iGlarLixi were not statistically significant（P＞0.05） for the outcome indexes of glycosylated hemoglobin（HbA1c）， fasting blood glucose， body weight， and the incidence of adverse events（P＞0.05）； for the outcome index of the incidence of hypoglycemic events， IDegLira was significantly superior to iGlarLixi [OR＝0.41，95%CI（0.18，0.91），P＜0.05]. Surface under the cumulative ranking curve（SUCRA） results showed that iGlarLixi（84.5%）＞IDegLira（81.7%） in lowering HbA1c； IDegLira（71.3%）＞iGlarLixi（20.0%） in lowering fasting blood glucose； IDegLira（90.7%）＞iGlarLixi（61.8%） in lowering body weight； IDegLira（95.5%）＞iGlarLixi（9.7%） in reducing the incidence of hypoglycemic events； and IDegLira（27.1%）＞iGlarLixi（14.5%） in reducing the incidence of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS iGlarLixi has better therapeutic efficacy in reducing HbA1c； IDegLira has better therapeutic efficacy in reducing fasting blood glucose and body weight. IDegLira has the lowest risk of hypoglycemia.

BACKGROUND: It is inaccurate to reflect the level of dust exposure through working years. Furthermore, identifying a predictive indicator for lung function decline is significant for coal miners. The study aimed to explored whether club cell secretory protein (CC16) levels can reflect early lung function changes. METHODS: The cumulative respiratory dust exposure (CDE) levels of 1,461 coal miners were retrospectively assessed by constructed a job-exposure matrix to replace working years. Important factors affecting lung function and CC16 were selected by establishing random forest models. Subsequently, the potential of CC16 to reflect lung injury was explored from multiple perspectives. First, restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to compare the trends of changes in lung function indicators and plasma CC16 levels after dust exposure. Then mediating analysis was performed to investigate the role of CC16 in the association between dust exposure and lung function decline. Finally, the association between baseline CC16 levels and follow-up lung function was explored. RESULTS: The median CDE were 35.13 mg/m³-years. RCS models revealed a rapid decline in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁), and their percentages of predicted values when CDE exceeded 25 mg/m³-years. The dust exposure level (<5 mg/m³-years) causing significant changes in CC16 was much lower than the level (25 mg/m³-years) that caused changes in lung function indicators. CC16 mediated 11.1% to 26.0% of dust-related lung function decline. Additionally, workers with low baseline CC16 levels experienced greater reductions in lung function in the future. CONCLUSIONS CC16 levels are more sensitive than lung indicators in reflecting early lung function injury and plays mediating role in lung function decline induced by dust exposure. Low baseline CC16 levels predict poor future lung function.
Uteroglobin/blood* ; Humans ; Dust/analysis* ; Occupational Exposure/analysis* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Coal Mining ; Biomarkers/blood* ; China/epidemiology* ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; Female

Objective To explore the efficacy of endoscopic therapy for esophageal and gastric variceal bleeding(EGVB),investigate the risk factors for rebleeding within 1 year,and establish a predictive model accordingly.Methods A retrospective study was conducted using the clinical and follow-up data of 120 EGVB patients who underwent endoscopy at our hospital between January 2021 and December 2022.The efficacy of endoscopic therapy was analyzed,and the patients were divided into a bleeding group and a non-bleeding group based on whether rebleeding occurred within 1 year after treatment.The factors influencing rebleeding within 1 year after treatment were analyzed,and a predictive model was established using logistic regression analysis.The model's goodness of fit was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test,and its clinical value was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The hemostasis success rate within 72 hours after endoscopic therapy was 100％in all 120 patients.Four weeks after endoscopic treatment,endoscopic reexamination showed that the complete and partial disappearance rate of varices was 75.83％(91/120),with rebleeding occurring in 10 cases(8.33％).There were 34 cases(28.33％)of cumulative rebleeding at 6 months and 63 cases(52.50％)at 1 year after endoscopic therapy.Nine patients(7.50％)died within 1 year after endoscopic therapy,all of whom were rebleeding cases.A total of 63 patients with rebleeding were included in the bleeding group,and 57 patients without rebleeding were included in the non-bleeding group.Serum sodium＜135 mmol/L(odds ratio[OR]=3.837,95％confidence interval[CI]:1.095-13.445),Child-Pugh grade C(OR=3.835,95％CI:1.137-12.935),esophageal varices degree G3(OR=5.113,95％CI:1.565-16.707),and main portal vein diameter＞12 mm(OR=5.964,95％CI:2.295-15.497)were identified as risk factors of rebleeding within 1 year after endoscopic therapy in EGVB patients(P＜0.05).The risk prediction model for rebleeding within 1 year after endoscopic therapy in EGVB patients was shown as P=1/{1+e[-(-3.815+1.345×serum sodium+1.344×Child-Pugh grade+1.786×main portal vein diameter+1.632×esophageal varices degree)]}.The Hosmer-Lemeshow x2 was 3.158(P=0.856).The area under the curve(AUC)for predicting rebleeding within 1 year after endoscopic therapy in EGVB patients was 0.815,indicating good predictive performance.Clinical validation showed that the model had an accuracy of 82.30％,with sensitivity and specificity being 81.03％and 83.63％,respectively.Conclusion Endoscopic therapy for EGVB achieves a high rate of acute bleeding control,but patients remain at risk of rebleeding.Rebleeding is associated with serum sodium＜135 mmol/L,Child-Pugh grade C,main portal vein diameter＞12 mm,and esophageal varices degree G3.The logistic regression model can effectively predict the probability of rebleeding within 1 year after endoscopic therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the preparation of nano-silver acupuncture needles and evaluate the appearance, structure and properties. METHODS: Stainless steel acupuncture needles were pretreated by polishing with sandpaper and cleaning with ultrapure water and absolute ethanol. As the working electrodes, the needles were placed in an electrolyte solution contained silver nitrate (AgNO₃), potassium nitrate (KNO₃), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP); and the silver nanoparticles were deposited at a constant voltage of -0.2 V for 1 200 s. The heat-treatment was conducted at 600 ℃ for 15 min in an argon atmosphere to strengthen the adhesion between the nanoparticles and the substrate. The surface appearance and structure of nano-silver acupuncture needles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and biocompatibility of the needles were evaluated. The cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of the sample were assessed using the CCK-8 assay. According to the national standard, Acupuncture Needles (GB 2024-2016), the other physicochemical performances of nano-silver acupuncture needles were tested. RESULTS: ①By controlling the AgNO₃ concentration and the molar ratio of AgNO₃ to PVP, it was found that at an AgNO₃ concentration of 2 mmol/L and a molar ratio of 5∶1, silver nanoparticles with the diameter of 50-100 nm, regular appearance, and uniform distribution were obtained. At a lower concentration, the size of silver nanoparticles was smaller and unevenly distributed particles, whereas a higher concentration tended to produce a dendritic structure. ②By sandpaper polishing, acid etching pretreatment, and heat-treatment at 600 ℃ under argon for 15 min, the adhesion of silver nanoparticles on the surface of the needle body was strengthened, and the simulated pig skin puncture test showed the intact coating without shedding. ③SEM found that the silver nanoparticles were uniformly deposited, forming a nanofilm approximately 1.5 μm thick; XRD analysis showed the diffraction peaks corresponding to cubic crystal silver (111), (200), (220) and (311); and XPS detected characteristic peaks of Ag 3d3/2 and Ag 3d5/2, confirming the successful deposition and good crystallinity of the silver nanoparticles. ④Resistivity measurements indicated that the nano-silver acupuncture needles exhibited a resistivity of approximately 0.15 Ω·cm, about three times lower than that of unmodified stainless steel needles. The infrared thermography demonstrated that their thermal conductivity was superior to that of traditional acupuncture needles. In vitro CCK-8 cytotoxicity assay showed that the nano-silver acupuncture needles had no adverse effects on human skin fibroblasts and possessed good biocompatibility. ⑤ The key parameters such as needle tip performance, hardness, and the adhesion between the needle body and handle were in compliance with the requirements in Acupuncture Needles (GB 2024-2016), ensuring a quality guarantee provided for clinical applications. CONCLUSION The preparation of nano-silver acupuncture needles effectively overcomes the insufficient toughness of traditional silver needles and improves the electrical and thermal conductivity of stainless acupuncture needles.
Silver/chemistry* ; Needles ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Humans ; Electric Conductivity ; Animals

BACKGROUND: Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors are both hypoglycemia agents that specifically impact on postprandial hyperglycemia. We compared the effects of acarbose and sitagliptin add on to metformin on time in range (TIR) and glycemic variability (GV) in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus through continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). METHODS: This study was a randomized, open-label, active-con-trolled, parallel-group trial conducted at 15 centers in China from January 2020 to August 2022. We recruited patients with type 2 diabetes aged 18-65 years with body mass index (BMI) within 19-40 kg/m 2 and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between 6.5% and 9.0%. Eligible patients were randomized to receive either metformin combined with acarbose 100 mg three times daily or metformin combined with sitagliptin 100 mg once daily for 28 days. After the first 14-day treatment period, patients wore CGM and entered another 14-day treatment period. The primary outcome was the level of TIR after treatment between groups. We also performed time series decomposition, dimensionality reduction, and clustering using the CGM data. RESULTS: A total of 701 participants received either acarbose or sitagliptin treatment in combination with metformin. There was no statistically significant difference in TIR between the two groups. Time below range (TBR) and coefficient of variation (CV) levels in acarbose users were significantly lower than those in sitagliptin users. Median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) of TBR below target level <3.9 mmol/L (TBR 3.9 ): Acarbose: 0.45% (0, 2.13%) vs . Sitagliptin: 0.78% (0, 3.12%), P = 0.042; Median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) of TBR below target level <3.0 mmol/L (TBR 3.0 ): Acarbose: 0 (0, 0.22%) vs . Sitagliptin: 0 (0, 0.63%), P = 0.033; CV: Acarbose: 22.44 ± 5.08% vs . Sitagliptin: 23.96 ± 5.19%, P <0.001. By using time series analysis and clustering, we distinguished three groups of patients with representative metabolism characteristics, especially in GV (group with small wave, moderate wave and big wave). No significant difference was found in the complexity of glucose time series index (CGI) between acarbose users and sitagliptin users. By using time series analysis and clustering, we distinguished three groups of patients with representative metabolism characteristics, especially in GV. CONCLUSIONS: Acarbose had slight advantages over sitagliptin in improving GV and reducing the risk of hypoglycemia. Time series analysis of CGM data may predict GV and the risk of hypoglycemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000039424.
Humans ; Metformin/therapeutic use* ; Sitagliptin Phosphate/therapeutic use* ; Acarbose/therapeutic use* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Blood Glucose/drug effects* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Aged ; Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism* ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; China ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVES: To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Flos Sophorae (FS) for treatment of psoriasis. METHODS: The active ingredients, targets and psoriasis-related disease targets of FS were obtained from TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, DisGeNET and String databases, and Cytoscape 3.8.0 software was used to construct the "FS -active ingredient-key target-signaling pathway-psoriasis" network. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the key targets were conducted, and molecular docking was performed using Discovery Studio 2019. In a BALB/c mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis, the effects of vaseline, FS at high, medium and low doses (3.00, 1.50 and 0.75 g/kg, respectively) and a positive drug, given 1 week before and during modeling, were evaluated on body weight changes, spleen coefficient, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score and skin pathological changes. Phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: A total of 10 active components and 110 key targets were screened. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that FS improved psoriasis primarily through the PI3K/AKT, TNF, and IL-17 signaling pathways. Molecular docking showed that both quercetin and kaempferol could spontaneously bind to AKT1, TNF and other sites. In the mouse model of psoriasis, treatment with low-dose FS significantly improved epidermal thickening, increased body weight, lowered PASI score, and reduced phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins. CONCLUSIONS The therapeutic mechanism of FS for psoriasis involves multiple components, targets, and pathways that mediate the inhibition of the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins to suppress the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Animals ; Psoriasis/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Imiquimod ; Phosphorylation