Introduction: Current education on diabetes self-management is time-consuming as it is conducted face-to-face. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of diabetes education via mobile application on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Methodology: This was a double-blinded randomized controlled study conducted in the Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Pulau Pinang and Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun. Participants were stratified randomized according to HbA1c to intervention group (using T-Manis) and control group. The primary objective was to assess the difference in HbA1c between the groups. Secondary objectives were to assess the difference in body weight, hospitalization related to diabetes, diabetes knowledge between groups and usability and satisfaction of T-Manis. Laboratory investigations and questionnaires were conducted at baseline, 4 months and 8 months. Results: A total of 112 participants were randomized into two groups each with 56 participants. Mean age was 51 years with similar diabetes duration of 16 years in both groups. Participants comprised of 61.6% females with ethnic distribution of 49.1% Malay, 30.4% Chinese, 19.6% Indian and 0.9% Siamese. Baseline HbA1c levels were comparable between intervention and control groups (10.04% versus 9.91%; mean difference 0.13%; 95% CI −0.56 to 0.81; p = 0.718). At 4 months, HbA1c of the intervention group demonstrated a significant reduction compared to the control group (8.93% versus 9.80%; mean difference −0.86; 95% CI −1.59 to −0.14; p = 0.02). Sustained reduction of HbA1c in the intervention group was observed at 8 months (mean difference −1.01; 95% CI −1.85 to −0.16; p = 0.02). Baseline body weight was 77 kg, with no betweengroup differences in body weight, hospitalization related to diabetes and diabetes knowledge scores, although diabetes knowledge scores improved at 4 months in the intervention group. 89.3% of participants reported satisfaction with T-Manis Conclusion The T-Manis mobile application aided in significantly improving glycemic control with high user satisfaction, supporting its feasibility as an adjunct to standard diabetes care.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Glycemic Control ; Mobile Applications ; Pangolins

Objective:To analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics of norovirus (NoV) outbreaks in Qingdao.Methods:Anus swab specimens were collected during NoV outbreaks from 2016 to 2020 and detected by real-time RT-PCR. Full length of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and VP1 gene were amplified by RT-PCR for sequencing, evolutionary analysis, and homology modeling.Results:A total of 65 NoV outbreaks were reported, with 59 outbreaks occurring in kindergartens and primary/secondary schools, showing a double peak epidemic pattern, with peaks occurring from March to May and from October to December. A GⅡ.P16 outbreak in Qingdao first appeared in March 2017 and became the predominant strains from 2017 to 2020(67.9%, 38/56), including two genotypes: GⅡ.2[P16] (97.4%, 37/38) and GⅡ.4 Sydney[P16] (2.6%, 1/38). The GⅡ.2[P16] strains isolated were closely related to the 2010-2012 GⅡ.2[P16] strains, from whichi they probably evolved. The GⅡ.2[P16] Qingdao strains shared five common substitutions, namely D173E (motif F), V175I (motif F), S293T, K357Q (motif D), and T360A (motif D). The RdRp nucleotide consistency between GⅡ.2[P16] and GⅡ.4 Sydney[P16] was greater than 95%, and there were mainly four amino acid differences, namely K54R, V125A, A312T, and K457R.The evolutionary variation of GⅡ.2[P16] VP1 was minimal, with only a few amino acid substitutions taking place. The main functional variations of GⅡ.4 Sydney[P16] VP1 included R297H (epitope A), D310N (NERK motif), D372N (epitope A), and R373H (positive selection site).Conclusions:GⅡ.P16 NoV is the predominant epidemic strain of ad norovirus outbreaks in Qingdao from 2016 to 2020, and continuous monitoring of its epidemic trend and in-depth study of its evolutionary mechanism are necessary.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of antiviral therapy and influencing factors of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) negative conversion for hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B(CHB) in children.Methods:The clinical data of 38 children with CHB who received antiviral treatment in Children's Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2019 to August 2024 were collected.All patients were treated with interferon alpha monotherapy or combined with nucleoside analogues for 48 weeks.The patients were divided into HBsAg negative group and HBsAg non-negative group according to the therapeutic results at 48 weeks.Multivariate Logistic regression were used to identify influencing factors of HBsAg negative conversion at 48 weeks.The receiver operator characteristic（ROC）curve was used to analyze the predictive value of each factor to HBsAg negative conversion.Results:The alanine aminotransferase normalization rate，hepatitis B virus DNA negative rate，HBeAg negative rate and HBsAg negative rate were 76.3%，94.7%，39.5% and 47.4%，respectively at 48 weeks.There were 18 cases in HBsAg negative group and 20 cases in HBsAg non-negative group.There were statistical significant differences in age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks of antiviral treatment between HBsAg negative group and HBsAg non-negative group（ P<0.05）.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks of antiviral treatment were independent predictors of HBsAg negative conversion at 48 weeks（ OR=0.664，95% CI 0.473-0.932， P=0.018； OR=8.719，95% CI 1.920-39.604， P=0.005； OR=6.182，95% CI 2.083-18.347， P=0.001）.The area under the curve of age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks were 0.737（95% CI 0.576-0.899， P=0.012），0.847（95% CI 0.725-0.969， P<0.001）and 0.939（95% CI 0.811-0.991， P<0.001），respectively.When the age was less than 4.625 years，the sensitivity，specificity，positive predictive value and negative predictive value of HBsAg negative conversion at 48 weeks were 83.3%，65.0%，68.2% and 81.3%，respectively.A decrease in HBsAg level of >1.07 lg IU/mL at 12 weeks of treatment had a sensitivity，specificity，positive predictive value，and negative predictive value of 72.2%，90.0%，86.7%，and 78.3%，respectively，for predicting HBsAg seroclearance at 48 weeks.A reduction in HBsAg of >1.92 lg IU/mL at 24 weeks of treatment showed a sensitivity，specificity，positive predictive value，and negative predictive value of 83.3%，90.0%，88.2%，and 85.7%，respectively，in predicting HBsAg seroclearance at 48 weeks. Conclusion:The children with CHB have a higher rate of HBsAg negative conversion after antiviral therapy at 48 weeks.Age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks of antiviral treatment can serve as early predictors for HBsAg negative conversion in children with CHB.

The global aging population has intensified the incidence of degenerative bone diseases and the therapeutic demand for traumatic bone injuries, thereby making bone regenerative medicine a research focus. There is a close connection and interaction between the skeletal system and the nervous system, and innervation plays an indispensable regulatory role in the process of bone regeneration: the sympathetic nervous system exerts a negative regulatory effect during bone regeneration, while the parasympathetic nervous system plays a positive regulatory role in this process. Nerve fibers within bones are distributed alongside blood vessels, with their density decreasing from the periosteum to the cancellous bone. Nerve signals regulate bone regeneration either by directly acting on target cell receptors or indirectly modulating the metabolism of the local microenvironment (such as the levels of inflammatory factors and the supply of nutrients). A variety of neuropeptides (e.g., calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P, neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal peptide, etc.) play a crucial role in bone tissue, constructing a "neuro-osseous" regulatory axis, which in turn regulates the osteoblast-osteoclast balance, angiogenesis, and the homeostasis of the local microenvironment. This review focuses on the neural regulatory mechanisms in bone regeneration, with an emphasis on sorting out the functions of key neuropeptides and related neurotransmitters. Neuropeptides are the core mediators of neuro-osseous interaction; however, the interaction network among neuropeptides remains to be further clarified, which requires the application of advanced in vitro models such as three-dimensional bioprinted bone models and organoid technology, as well as cutting-edge techniques like single-cell sequencing for analysis. In the future, the integration of neural regulation strategies with traditional bone regeneration technologies, along with the expansion into interdisciplinary fields such as neuro-vascular and neuro-muscular fields, is expected to provide new directions for the treatment of bone defects and large maxillofacial tissue defects, and promote the transformation of regenerative medicine from prosthetic treatment to functional and neurotized tissue regeneration.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of urea cycle disorder (UCD), the efficacy and safety of glyceryl phenylbutyrate (GPB) therapy in pediatric patients with UCD.Methods:This study was a retrospective, single-arm, multicenter clinical study. The clinical data of 20 pediatric patients with UCD who received GPB treatment at 9 hospitals nationwide between December 2021 and August 2024 were collected. The clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and molecular genetic characteristics were analyzed, ammonia levels and other laboratory results were evaluated pre-post GPB therapy by paired t-tests or Wilcoxon tests. Results:Among the 20 pediatric patients with UCD, there were 8 males and 12 females, and the onset age was 2.8 (1.4, 5.7) years. The ammonia levels were 174 (125, 342) μmol/L at first onset. The symptoms included vomiting in 6 cases, drowsiness in 5 cases, epilepsy in 5 cases, developmental delay in 5 cases, psychiatric and behavioral abnormalities in 3 cases, and lethargy in 1 case, and 18 cases exhibited abnormal liver function. Twenty cases included 6 UCD subtypes, with 11 cases being ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. A total of 27 variants were identified, 11 (41%) of which were novel. The age of patients who began GPB therapy was 4.0 (1.5, 6.6) years. Ten cases stopped GPB after 4.2 (3.4, 5.3) months, with 4 patients undergoing liver transplantation and 6 discontinuing for financial reasons. The remaining ten patients continued GPB therapy for 11.6 (8.6, 14.0) months. The duration of GPB treatment was 6.0 (4.2, 12.3) months, at the final visit, the levels of ammonia, platelets and aspartate aminotransferase were lower compared to those of pre-treatment (all P<0.05). The serum albumin level was higher than that of pre-treatment ( P=0.016). Two patients suffered only one episode of acute hyperammonaemia, with ammonia levels of 232 and 141 μmol/L, respectively. Nine cases experienced adverse effects potentially related to GPB, decreased appetite in 6 cases, vomiting in 3 cases, abnormal skin oil odor in 2 cases, somnolence, fatigue and diarrhea each in 1 case, with symptoms improved within 6 (3, 10) days. Conclusions:UCD primarily manifests with neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms, and early diagnosis of UCD could be achieved through the analysis of ammonia. GPB may effectively reduce ammonia levels in UCD pediatric patients, with favorable safety and tolerability.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features, imaging features and diagnosis and treatment process of a female pelvic epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) with peritoneal metastasis, so as to improve the clinical understanding and diagnostic ability of the disease and avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.Methods:The clinical data of a female patient with pelvic EIMS combined with peritoneal metastasis in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The triad examination of the patient involved an irregular solid mass in the pelvic cavity about 8.0 cm×9.0 cm in size. Laboratory examination revealed human epididymal protein 4(HE4)154.00 pmol/L. The ultrasonography showed multiple low-echo masses in deep pelvic cavity with unclear boundary and uneven internal echo, and color doppler flow imaging (CDFI) showed abundant internal blood flow signals. Enhanced CT showed uneven and obvious enhancement of the lesion. Pathological examination showed the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the mucous interstitial background. The tumor cells were round and epithelioid, with large nuclei, deep staining and obvious nucleolus. Immunohistochemistry showed anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive, and molecular pathology fluorescence in situ hybridization showed ALK gene amplification (positive). Combined with pathological, immunohistochemical and genetic tests, EIMS was diagnosed. Conclusions:EIMS should be considered when there are single or multiple solid or cystic nodules or masses in the pelvic cavity with obvious enhancement, invasive growth and peritoneal implantation metastasis, and the correct diagnosis can be made according to the pathological findings, immunohistochemistry and genetic test results.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of social skills and problem behaviors of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as the association with core symptoms.Methods:A total of 409 patients aged 5-18 years old with ASD or ADHD in the outpatient department of Nanjing Brain Hospital from 2023 to 2024, and 344 children and adolescents with typical development(TD) were recruited.All participants were matched in a ratio of 1∶1∶1 (ASD∶ADHD∶TD) according to gender and age, and 97 participants were included in each group for analysis.The Chinese version of the social skills improvement system rating scales(SSIS-RS-C) was used to evaluate social skills and problem behaviors, and autistic child behavior checklist(ABC), childhood autism rating scale(CARS), the Chinese version of the social communication questionnaire(SCQ) and the Chinese version of Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version Ⅳ scale-parent form(SNAP-Ⅳ) were used to evaluate the core symptoms of ASD and ADHD, respectively. SPSS 26.0 software was used to perform variance, Chi-square test, Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results:The social skills score of ASD group was lower than ADHD group ((61.53±24.26) vs (80.89±15.19), P<0.05), while the problem behavior score of ASD group was higher than ADHD group ((38.82±11.92) vs (34.00±12.45), P<0.05). In ASD group, the scores of ABC, CARS and SCQ were negatively correlated with the score of social skills ( r=-0.26--0.55, P<0.05). In ADHD group, the total score and each subscale of SNAP-Ⅳ were positively correlated with the score of problem behavior ( r=0.25-0.65, P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that empathy was a negative influencing factor of ASD ( B=-0.246, OR=0.782, P<0.05), and hyperactivity/inattention was a positive influencing factor of ASD ( B=0.589, OR=1.802, P<0.01), while only hyperactivity/inattention was a positive influencing factor of ADHD( B=0.779, OR=2.180, P<0.01). Conclusion:Children and adolescents with ASD and ADHD both have defects in social skills and problem behaviors, and these defects are associated with the core characteristics of their respective diseases.

Objective:To analyze and validate the reliability and validity of the social skills improvement system-rating scales Chinese version (parent version) (SSIS-RS-C) in middle school students.Method:A total of 1 486 parents of middle school students were recruited according to the cluster sampling method.The social responsiveness scale and strengths and difficulties questionnaire were used as criterion validity tools.A retest was conducted one month later.SPSS 27.0 was used for descriptive statistics, item analysis, internal consistency test, test-retest reliability test and criterion validity test. AMOS 24.0 was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis .Results:Item analysis indicated significant positive correlations between each item and the subscales ( r=0.293-0.782, all P<0.01), with significant differences in scores between high and low groups ( t=10.079-37.038, all P<0.01).Confirmatory factor analysis supported a seven-factor structure for the social skills subscale(communication, cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, engagement and self control) and a five-factor structure for the problem behavior subscale (externalizing, bullying, hyperactivity/inattention, internalizing and autism spectrum) of the SSIS-RS-C.There was a positive correlation between the social skills subscale and prosocial behavior ( r=0.637, P<0.001), and between the problem behavior subscale and social impairments and difficult behaviors ( r=0.765, 0.688, both P<0.001).The Cronbach's α coefficients for the total scale, social skills subscale and problem behavior subscale were 0.934, 0.972 and 0.963, respectively.The test-retest correlation coefficients for the total score and the two subscales were 0.665, 0.871 and 0.598, respectively (all P<0.001). Conclusion:The SSIS-RS-C demonstrated good reliability and validity in the Chinese adolescent population.

The global aging population has intensified the incidence of degenerative bone diseases and the therapeutic demand for traumatic bone injuries, thereby making bone regenerative medicine a research focus. There is a close connection and interaction between the skeletal system and the nervous system, and innervation plays an indispensable regulatory role in the process of bone regeneration: the sympathetic nervous system exerts a negative regulatory effect during bone regeneration, while the parasympathetic nervous system plays a positive regulatory role in this process. Nerve fibers within bones are distributed alongside blood vessels, with their density decreasing from the periosteum to the cancellous bone. Nerve signals regulate bone regeneration either by directly acting on target cell receptors or indirectly modulating the metabolism of the local microenvironment (such as the levels of inflammatory factors and the supply of nutrients). A variety of neuropeptides (e.g., calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P, neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal peptide, etc.) play a crucial role in bone tissue, constructing a "neuro-osseous" regulatory axis, which in turn regulates the osteoblast-osteoclast balance, angiogenesis, and the homeostasis of the local microenvironment. This review focuses on the neural regulatory mechanisms in bone regeneration, with an emphasis on sorting out the functions of key neuropeptides and related neurotransmitters. Neuropeptides are the core mediators of neuro-osseous interaction; however, the interaction network among neuropeptides remains to be further clarified, which requires the application of advanced in vitro models such as three-dimensional bioprinted bone models and organoid technology, as well as cutting-edge techniques like single-cell sequencing for analysis. In the future, the integration of neural regulation strategies with traditional bone regeneration technologies, along with the expansion into interdisciplinary fields such as neuro-vascular and neuro-muscular fields, is expected to provide new directions for the treatment of bone defects and large maxillofacial tissue defects, and promote the transformation of regenerative medicine from prosthetic treatment to functional and neurotized tissue regeneration.

Objective:To analyze the degree of intervertebral disc degeneration above and below the vertebral body in pilots with lumbar spondylolysis.Methods:The medical records of 66 pilots who underwent lumbar imaging examinations at the Air Force Medical Center between September 2011 and January 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. The degree of intervertebral disc degeneration was compared between 33 pilots with lumbar spondylolysis and another 33 age-matched pilots without spondylolysis. The spondylolysis group was divided into subgroups with/without spondylolisthesis and unilateral/bilateral subgroups. The degree of disc degeneration above and below the vertebral body was compared between these subgroups using the modified Pfirrmann grading system.Results:The modified Pfirrmann scores of the discs above and below the spondylolytic vertebral body in the spondylolysis group were significantly higher than those at the corresponding segments in the non-spondylolysis group ( Z=-2.39, -4.41, P=0.017,<0.001). In pilots with spondylolysis accompanied by spondylolisthesis, the modified Pfirrmann score of the disc below the slipped vertebral body was significantly higher than that in pilots without spondylolisthesis ( Z=-3.02, P=0.003). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the modified Pfirrmann score of the disc above the slipped vertebral body between pilots with and without spondylolisthesis ( P>0.05). No significant differences were observed in the modified Pfirrmann scores of the discs above and below the vertebral body between pilots with unilateral and bilateral spondylolysis (both P>0.05). Conclusions:Pilots with lumbar spondylolysis exhibit severe intervertebral disc degeneration above and below the affected vertebral body. Spondylolisthesis can continue to exacerbate degeneration in the disc inferior to the affected vertebra.