Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease lacking effective therapy. Metformin, an antidiabetic medication, has shown promising therapeutic properties in preclinical fibrosis models; however, its precise cellular targets and associated mechanisms in fibrosis resolution remain incompletely defined. Most research on metformin's effects has focused on mesenchymal and inflammatory responses with limited attention to epithelial cells. In this study, we utilized Sftpc lineage-traced and Fgfr2b conditional knockout mice, along with BMP2/PPARγ and AMPK inhibitors, to explore metformin's impact on alveolar epithelial cells in a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model and cell culture. We found that metformin increased the proliferation and differentiation of alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells, particularly the recently identified injury-activated alveolar progenitors (IAAPs)-a subpopulation characterized by low SFTPC expression but enriched for PD-L1. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a reduction in apoptosis among mature AT2 cells. Interestingly, metformin's therapeutic effects were not significantly affected by BMP2 or PPARγ inhibition, which blocked the lipogenic differentiation of myofibroblasts. However, Fgfr2b deletion in Sftpc lineage cells significantly impaired metformin's ability to promote fibrosis resolution, a process linked to AMPK signaling. In conclusion, metformin alleviates fibrosis by directly activating AT2 cells, especially the IAAPs, through a mechanism that involves AMPK and FGFR2b signaling, but is largely independent of BMP2/PPARγ pathways.

Objective:To assess the current status of geriatrics department development in public general hospitals at or above the second grade in Shandong province.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 27 to November 3, 2023 using a web-based electronic questionnaire to investigate the current status of geriatrics department development in all public general hospitals at or above the second grade across 16 prefecture-level cities in Shandong province.The survey included participation from medical department staff and managers of geriatric medicine departments.Results:Shandong province has 355 public general hospitals at or above the second grade, of which 337 completed the questionnaire.Among these 337 hospitals, 92.28%(311/337)have established geriatric departments, 83.09%(280/337)have set up geriatric clinics, 69.14%(233/337)have independent geriatric wards, and 71.51%(241/337)have implemented comprehensive geriatric assessments(CGA).Regarding the configuration of geriatric departments, 60.24%(203/337)of hospitals met the requirement of having at least 20 ward beds, 34.42%(116/337)met the doctor-to-bed ratio requirement of at least 0.3, and 22.26%(75/337)met the nurse-to-bed ratio requirement of at least 0.6.Only 13 hospitals met all the requirements for geriatric wards, beds, doctors, and nurses, accounting for 3.86%(13/337)of the participating hospitals.Conclusions:The establishment of geriatrics departments in second-grade or higher public general hospitals in Shandong province has surpassed the national target in China ahead of schedule.Most hospitals have established geriatric clinics and wards and have implemented CGA.However, significant challenges remain, including a shortage of ward beds and a lack of medical staff.

Objective:To describe the distribution characteristics of alcohol consumption in adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), and further explore the influence of genetic factors on alcohol consumption in adult twins.Methods:The subjects of the study were twins registered by CNTR in 11 project areas across China from 2010 to 2018. A total of 56 966 twins (28 483 pairs) aged 18 years and above who answered questions about drinking behavior were included, and the random effect model was used to describe the population and regional distribution characteristics of alcohol consumption. Intra-pair analysis was performed to calculate the concordance rate and heritability of their alcohol consumption.Results:The age of all subjects was (36.6±12.0) years, and current drinkers accounted for 16.6% (9 461/56 966) of all subjects. In men, those aged 50-59 years, those in northern China, those living in rural area, those with low education level and those with high BMI, the proportions of current drinkers were higher. After excluding 468 pairs of twins who had stopped alcohol use and 21 764 pairs of twins who had no drink or had small amount drink, an intra-pair analysis was conducted in 4 929 pairs of same-sex twins, and found that the concordance rate of alcohol consumption was 64.0% (2 059/3 215) in monozygotic twins, and 52.6% (902/1 714) in dizygotic twins, the difference was significant ( P<0.001), and the heritability of alcohol consumption was 24.1% (95% CI: 18.9%- 29.3%). The further stratified analysis found that in southern men, the heritability was highest in those aged 40-49 years (36.1%, 95% CI: 21.6%-50.7%), while in northern men, the heritability was highest in those aged 50-59 years (34.2%, 95% CI: 18.1%-50.3%). Conclusions:In adult twins in China, there were population and regional differences in the distribution of alcohol consumption behavior, and alcohol consumption was influenced by genetic factors, and gender, age and region had potential modifying effects.

Objective:To retrieve, summarize and evaluate the best evidence for the non-pharmacological management of patients with cancer pain, so as to provide an evidence-based basis for the scientific management of cancer pain by healthcare professionals.Methods:A systematic search of the national and international literature on the non-pharmacological management of cancer pain was conducted, with a timeframe of January 2017 to January 2024. The quality of the included literature was evaluated, and evidence was extracted and summarized for those that met the quality criteria.Results:A total of 18 papers were included, including one clinical decision, seven guidelines, three expert consensus, and seven systematic reviews. Twenty-eight pieces of evidence were summarized around six themes of pain assessment, cognitive-behavioral interventions, physical therapy, interventional therapy and surgery, and self-management education and follow-up.Conclusions:Healthcare professionals should develop a patient-centered, appropriate and feasible non-pharmacological management plan for cancer pain with multiple agreements with patients and families, taking into account the clinical context and individual differences of patients in China, in order to improve the quality of life.

Objective:To retrieve, summarize and evaluate the best evidence for the non-pharmacological management of patients with cancer pain, so as to provide an evidence-based basis for the scientific management of cancer pain by healthcare professionals.Methods:A systematic search of the national and international literature on the non-pharmacological management of cancer pain was conducted, with a timeframe of January 2017 to January 2024. The quality of the included literature was evaluated, and evidence was extracted and summarized for those that met the quality criteria.Results:A total of 18 papers were included, including one clinical decision, seven guidelines, three expert consensus, and seven systematic reviews. Twenty-eight pieces of evidence were summarized around six themes of pain assessment, cognitive-behavioral interventions, physical therapy, interventional therapy and surgery, and self-management education and follow-up.Conclusions:Healthcare professionals should develop a patient-centered, appropriate and feasible non-pharmacological management plan for cancer pain with multiple agreements with patients and families, taking into account the clinical context and individual differences of patients in China, in order to improve the quality of life.

Objective:To assess the current status of geriatrics department development in public general hospitals at or above the second grade in Shandong province.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 27 to November 3, 2023 using a web-based electronic questionnaire to investigate the current status of geriatrics department development in all public general hospitals at or above the second grade across 16 prefecture-level cities in Shandong province.The survey included participation from medical department staff and managers of geriatric medicine departments.Results:Shandong province has 355 public general hospitals at or above the second grade, of which 337 completed the questionnaire.Among these 337 hospitals, 92.28%(311/337)have established geriatric departments, 83.09%(280/337)have set up geriatric clinics, 69.14%(233/337)have independent geriatric wards, and 71.51%(241/337)have implemented comprehensive geriatric assessments(CGA).Regarding the configuration of geriatric departments, 60.24%(203/337)of hospitals met the requirement of having at least 20 ward beds, 34.42%(116/337)met the doctor-to-bed ratio requirement of at least 0.3, and 22.26%(75/337)met the nurse-to-bed ratio requirement of at least 0.6.Only 13 hospitals met all the requirements for geriatric wards, beds, doctors, and nurses, accounting for 3.86%(13/337)of the participating hospitals.Conclusions:The establishment of geriatrics departments in second-grade or higher public general hospitals in Shandong province has surpassed the national target in China ahead of schedule.Most hospitals have established geriatric clinics and wards and have implemented CGA.However, significant challenges remain, including a shortage of ward beds and a lack of medical staff.

Objective:To describe the distribution characteristics of alcohol consumption in adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), and further explore the influence of genetic factors on alcohol consumption in adult twins.Methods:The subjects of the study were twins registered by CNTR in 11 project areas across China from 2010 to 2018. A total of 56 966 twins (28 483 pairs) aged 18 years and above who answered questions about drinking behavior were included, and the random effect model was used to describe the population and regional distribution characteristics of alcohol consumption. Intra-pair analysis was performed to calculate the concordance rate and heritability of their alcohol consumption.Results:The age of all subjects was (36.6±12.0) years, and current drinkers accounted for 16.6% (9 461/56 966) of all subjects. In men, those aged 50-59 years, those in northern China, those living in rural area, those with low education level and those with high BMI, the proportions of current drinkers were higher. After excluding 468 pairs of twins who had stopped alcohol use and 21 764 pairs of twins who had no drink or had small amount drink, an intra-pair analysis was conducted in 4 929 pairs of same-sex twins, and found that the concordance rate of alcohol consumption was 64.0% (2 059/3 215) in monozygotic twins, and 52.6% (902/1 714) in dizygotic twins, the difference was significant ( P<0.001), and the heritability of alcohol consumption was 24.1% (95% CI: 18.9%- 29.3%). The further stratified analysis found that in southern men, the heritability was highest in those aged 40-49 years (36.1%, 95% CI: 21.6%-50.7%), while in northern men, the heritability was highest in those aged 50-59 years (34.2%, 95% CI: 18.1%-50.3%). Conclusions:In adult twins in China, there were population and regional differences in the distribution of alcohol consumption behavior, and alcohol consumption was influenced by genetic factors, and gender, age and region had potential modifying effects.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the psychological experience of cancer bereaved, so as to provide basis for bereavement care and intervention.Methods:Qualitative studies on the emotional experiences of cancer bereaved were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, VIP, and China Biomedical Database. The search period was from database establishment to July 2023. The quality evaluation was conducted using the 2020 version of the quality evaluation criteria for qualitative research of the Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Health Care Center, and the results were integrated using the Meta-synthesis.Results:A total of 11 studies were included, 44 research results were extracted, and 8 new categories and 3 integrated results were summarized, namely the differences in grief emotions after bereavement, grief coping, and support needs after bereavement.Conclusions:The psychological experience of bereaved is relatively complex, and their grief emotions vary. Medical and nursing staff should pay attention to the grief response of the bereaved, guide them to self-adjustment, attach importance to the needs of the bereaved, and provide social support to assist them in returning to society as soon as possible.

Gastric cancer is a common malignant tumor with complex pathological mechanisms， a low early diagnosis rate， and a high mortality rate. However， surgical treatment， targeted therapy， and chemotherapy have their treatment limitations and toxic side effects. Therefore， exploring the pathogenesis and mechanism of gastric cancer and finding effective treatment methods are important. At present， researches has found that tumor epithelial cells exhibit individual differences in molecular characteristics and exhibit metabolic heterogeneity that affects cell phenotype and function. The interaction between metabolites and cytokines can inhibit the formation of the tumor immune microenvironment and promote malignant progression. Therefore， metabolic reprogramming is regarded as a key feature of tumors and plays an important role in the process of tumor occurrence and development. However， the continuous deterioration of gastric cancer may be closely related to changes in the energy metabolism of cancer cells. Gastric cancer cells may regulate the dysregulation of synthesis or decomposition pathways such as glucose metabolism， amino acid metabolism， lipid metabolism， and nucleotide metabolism and activate associated signaling pathways， key proteins， and genes， leading to proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of cancer cells. In recent years， there has been a close relationship between the effective intervention by traditional Chinese medicine in gastric cancer and the regulation of metabolic reprogramming. There has been some progress in the intervention research on effective ingredients and formulas of traditional Chinese medicine for cancer. This article summarized existing Chinese and foreign literature on how gastric cancer cells affect disease progression by regulating their related metabolic networks， such as glucose metabolism， amino acid metabolism， lipid metabolism， and nucleotide metabolism， as well as how effective ingredients and formulas of traditional Chinese medicine enhance anti-tumor effects through targeted metabolism. It reviewed metabolic reprogramming intervention in gastric cancer， providing a reference for research on metabolic reprogramming regulation by traditional Chinese medicine and new targets and strategies for the treatment and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Objective:To explore the influencing and prognosis factors of emphysematous urinary tract infection (EUTI).Methods:The baseline clinical data of the patients admitted to Shandong University Qilu Hospital (Qingdao) from December 2013 to June 2020 and diagnosed with EUTI were analyzed retrospectively. The patients with non-EUTI (NEUTI) during the same period were selected as the control group. The baseline characteristics between the two groups were compared. Logistic regression analysis method was used to analyze the influencing factors of EUTI.Results:(1) 24 EUTI patients and 53 NEUTI patients were included in the present study. Compared with the NEUTI group, the hemoglobin level was lower ( t=-5.245, P<0.001) and the levels of blood urine nitrogen ( Z=-4.361, P<0.001), serum creatinine (Scr, Z=-4.543, P<0.001), blood glucose ( Z=-2.608, P=0.009), and triacylglycerol ( Z=-2.408, P=0.016) were higher in the EUTI group. The proportions of diabetes mellitus ( χ2=13.453, P<0.001) and chronic kidney disease ( χ2=17.936, P<0.001) in the EUTI group were higher than those in the NEUTI group. Increasing Scr was the risk factor of EUTI in patients with urinary tract infection ( OR=1.011, 95% CI 1.001-1.020, P=0.025). (2) Escherichia coli ( E.coli, 14 cases, 58.3%) was the most common causative organism. The other causative organisms included Klebsiella pneumoniae (2 cases, 8.3%), Enterococcus faecium (1 case, 4.2%), Pantoea (1 case, 4.2%), and mixed bacteria of E.coli and Enterococcus faecium (1 case, 4.2%). Ten cases of E.coli were extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-positive. (3) Of the 24 patients with EUTI, 4 patients had adverse outcomes. The length of stay ( Z=-2.457, P=0.014), blood urea nitrogen ( t=2.432, P=0.024), shock ( P=0.002), autoimmune disease ( P=0.022), and white blood cell count ( Z=-2.091, P=0.036) were statistically different between good prognosis group ( n=20) and poor prognosis group ( n=4). However, logistic regression analysis results showed that neither was the influencing factor of poor prognosis of EUTI. Conclusions:The elevated Scr level is the independent influencing factor of EUTI among urinary infection patients. E.coli is the most common pathogenic bacteria, and ESBL-positive bacteria are common.