ObjectiveTo construct a family-centered care model for children with tuberculosis based on the double ABC-X model, and to evaluate its clinical effects. MethodsFrom December 2022 to October 2023, 64 newly admitted children with tuberculosis who met the criteria and their caregivers were recruited from the tuberculosis department of Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center were randomly divided into an experimental group (32 cases) and a control group (32 cases).The control group was given a conventional health care, while the experimental group was given a family-centered health care intervention based on the double ABC-X model, in which a multidisciplinary care team provided personalized information and emotional support for the caregivers and their children. Medication adherence of the children, caregiver’s teading burden, and disease management competence were compared between the 2 groups. ResultsA total of 29 cases in the experimental group and 27 cases in the control group completed the intervention. At 12 weeks of intervention, the medication adherence score (7.72±0.45 vs 7.41±0.50, P<0.05) and disease management competence score (36.97±7.85 vs 31.56±7.30, P<0.05) were higher in the experimental group than that in the control group while the caregiving burden score (31.79±13.40 vs 40.04±9.01, P<0.05) and difficulty of disease management score (30.41±12.41 vs 38.56±9.48, P<0.05) were lower than that in the control group. At 24 weeks of intervention, the medication adherence score (7.34±0.97 vs 6.70±1.14, P<0.05) and disease management competence score (42.07±6.93 vs 35.63±7.32, P<0.05) were higher in the experimental group than that in the control group as well, but the caregiving burden score (31.62±11.72 vs 39.63±10.17, P<0.05) and difficulty of disease management score (30.59±10.87 vs 37.81±9.32, P<0.05) were lower than that in the control group. ConclusionFamily-centered care based on the double ABC-X model can effectively promote medication adherence among children with tuberculosis, reduce caregivers’ care burden and disease management difficulties, and improve caregiver’s disease management competence.

Objective To investigate the entrance surface dose (ESD) of dental radiological diagnosis and treatment devices in Nanping City of Fujian Province, China, assess the radiation risk differences between cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and conventional oral panoramic tomography (COPT), and compare the output dose levels between domestic and imported devices and between public and private medical institutions, and to provide evidence for optimizing radiation protection strategies. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 38 extraoral dental X-ray devices from 38 dental institutions in Nanping City. Measurements of ESD for different exposure types (adult/child COPT and CBCT) were performed using an adult head-and-neck phantom and thermoluminescent dosimeters. A statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney U test) was applied to compare dose differences by device type and institution type. Results The median tooth-region doses for adult/child CBCT (8.97/6.80 mGy) were significantly higher than those of adult/child COPT (0.33/0.24 mGy), with the 75th percentile values (12.44/8.18 mGy) exceeding the national guideline level of 7 mGy. Domestically manufactured devices demonstrated higher median doses and greater dose variability compared to imported devices (P < 0.05). Private institutions exhibited inferior dose control stability relative to public institutions (P < 0.001). CBCT delivered substantially higher radiation exposure to the thyroid and ocular lenses, with child lens dose reaching 5.9 times that of COPT. Conclusion Dental CBCT radiation doses in Nanping City exceed the guideline level. Enhanced protection for sensitive organs, restriction of unnecessary pediatric examinations, technological upgrades for domestic devices, and strengthened regulation and operational standardization of private institutions are critical to achieve precise radiation protection and improved medical quality.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Niuhuang Qingxinwan （NHQXW） in improving intracerebral hemorrhage （ICH） with Tanre Fushi （phlegm-heat and fu-organ excess） syndrome by maintaining blood-brain barrier （BBB） integrity， and to explore its potential mechanism. MethodsMale mice were administered with 15% autologous feces for 3 consecutive days to simulate spontaneous Tanre Fushi syndrome， followed by surgical induction of collagenase-induced ICH on the fourth day. Mice were randomly assigned to seven groups： Sham， Sham+NHQXW-H， collagenase， collagenase+feces， and NHQXW intervention groups at low （NHQXW-L， 0.225 g·kg^-1）， medium （NHQXW-M， 0.45 g·kg^-1）， and high （NHQXW-H， 0.9 g·kg^-1） doses. Treatments were administered for 3 days after surgery. NHQXW effects on Tanre Fushi syndrome were assessed via fecal water content and small intestinal carbon propulsion rate. Protective effects of NHQXW against ICH with Tanre Fushi syndrome were evaluated by measuring hematoma volume， neurological deficits， and brain water content. BBB integrity was further assessed using Evans blue staining， hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， immunofluorescence， and Western blot for Claudin-5， plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein （PLVAP）， matrix metalloproteinase （MMP）-2， and MMP-9. The potential mechanism of NHQXW was investigated by detecting protein expression of protein kinase B （Akt）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）， Yes-associated protein （YAP）， and their phosphorylated forms. ResultsCompared with the collagenase+feces group， NHQXW-M and NHQXW-H significantly reduced fecal water content （P<0.05， P<0.01） and intestinal propulsion rate （P<0.01）， alleviated neurological deficits （P<0.01）， decreased hematoma volume （P<0.01） and Evans blue extravasation （P<0.01）， increased Claudin-5 protein expression （P<0.05， P<0.01） and fluorescence intensity （P<0.01）， and decreased PLVAP protein expression （P<0.01） and fluorescence intensity （P<0.05， P<0.01）， as well as MMP-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and MMP-9 （P<0.01） expression. NHQXW-H downregulated p-Akt （P<0.05）， p-ERK1/2 （P<0.05）， p-STAT3 （P<0.01）， and p-YAP （P<0.05）， with the most significant effect observed on STAT3 phosphorylation. ConclusionNHQXW effectively alleviates neurological deficits and BBB injury in ICH mice with Tanre Fushi syndrome， primarily by inhibiting STAT3 activation.

Objective To assess the safety of transeptal puncture(TSP)guided by transthoracic echocardiography(TEE)in percutaneous transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale(PFO).Methods From March 2022 to December 2022,our department performed TSP guided by TEE in 45 patients with PFO who were unable to pass through the PFO with transcatheter standard technique.After guiding the delivery of the sheath,the foramen ovale was occluded.Results PFO closure with TSP technique guided by transthoracic echocardiography was successfully finished in all the 45 patients,with an operative time of(15.0±3.7)min.No complications such as arrhythmia or cardiac perforation happened immediately and at 12 h after surgery.All the patients recovered and were discharged on the next day after surgery.All the 45 patients were followed up by outpatient echocardiography and dynamic electrocardiogram at 3 months after surgery,and no complications such as intracardiac shunt,pericardial effusion,atrial fibrillation,aortic regurgitation,or arrhythmia were observed.Conclusion TSP guided by TEE is safe and feasible,and it can be used as a supplementary method for complex PFO.

Objective To investigate the frequency of therapy-oriented oral radiation in Nanping, China and its distribution, and to provide a basis for the rational application of therapy-oriented oral radiation and the effective allocation of resources in Nanping. Methods A questionnaire was designed to investigate the frequency of therapy-oriented oral radiation in all oral radiation diagnosis and treatment institutions in Nanping. Results In 2021, there were 54 oral radiation diagnosis and treatment institutions and 79 oral radiation machines in Nanping. The total frequency of therapy-oriented oral radiation was 61593 visits and the radiation frequency was 19.54 visits per thousand patients. The average annual frequency of medical institutions at all levels was 721.87 to 3713.25 visits per institution; the male-to-female composition ratio of frequency of therapy-oriented oral radiation in December 2021 was 50.5%:49.5%. The proportion of radiation frequency of different devices was as follows: 38.7% (intraoral dental film), 46.5% (oral panorama), 10.3% (oral computed tomography [CT]), and 4.5% (cranial photography). The proportion of radiation frequency in patients of different ages was as follows: 17.1% (0−15 years), 48.2% (15−40 years), and 34.7% (over 40 years). The frequency of therapy-oriented oral radiation grew by 77.43%, 35.18%, and 8.16% every two years from 2015 to 2021, respectively. Conclusion The frequency level of therapy-oriented oral radiation in Nanping is at the level of Class II health care. The distribution of therapy-oriented oral radiation is highly unbalanced and is related to the level of economic development. Private healthcare institutions are growing rapidly, and public healthcare institutions of grade two and above occupy the main healthcare resources. The oral panorama accounts for the most, cranial photography accounts for the least, and oral CT is the fastest-growing portion. Therapy-oriented oral radiation is predominantly performed in the young and middle-aged populations, regardless of sex. Except for intraoral dental films, the general trend is upward.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the major complications of sepsis.Aurantio-obtusin (AO) is an anthraquinone compound with antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities. This study was developed to concentrate on the role and mechanism of AO in sepsis-induced AKI. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and BALB/c mice receiving cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery were used to establish in vitro cell model and in vivo mouse model. HK-2 cell viability was measured using MTT assays. Histological alterations of mouse renal tissues were analyzed via hematoxylin and eosin staining.Renal function of mice was assessed by measuring the levels of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in HK-2 cells and serum samples of mice were detected using corresponding ELISA kits. Protein levels of factors associated with nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway were measured in HK-2 cells and renal tissues by Western blotting. AO exerted no cytotoxic effect on HK-2 cells and AO dose-dependently rescued LPS-induced decrease in HK-2 cell viability. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in response to LPS or CLP treatment, and the alterations were reversed by AO treatment. For in vivo experiments, AO markedly ameliorated renal injury and reduced high levels of SCr and BUN in mice underwent CLP operation. In addition, AO administration inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, AO alleviates septic AKI by suppressing inflammatory responses through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.

Sepsis is a complex syndrome caused by multiple pathogens and involves multiple organ failure, particularly spleen dysfunction. In 2017, the worldwide incidence was 48.9 million sepsis cases and 11 million sepsis-related deaths were reported (Rudd et al., 2020). Inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis are the most common pathologies seen in sepsis. Liensinine (LIE) is a bisbenzylisoquinoline-type alkaloid extracted from the seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera. Lotus seed hearts have high content of LIE which mainly has antihypertensive and antiarrhythmic pharmacological effects. It can exert anti-carcinogenic activity by regulating cell, inflammation, and apoptosis signaling pathways (Manogaran et al., 2019). However, its protective effect from sepsis-induced spleen damage is unknown. In this research, we established a mouse sepsis model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and investigated the protective effects of LIE on sepsis spleen injury in terms of inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.
Mice ; Animals ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Spleen ; Inflammation ; Apoptosis ; Sepsis ; Oxidative Stress

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of repetitive facilitative exercise (RFE) on the hand function of stroke patients with hemiplegia during recovery period. MethodsFrom January to December, 2022, 80 stroke patients with hemiplegia following hand dysfunction during recovery period in Beijing Bo'ai Hospital were randomly divided into control group (n = 40) and experimental group (n = 40). Both groups received routine rehabilitation, the control group added functional occupational therapy, and the experimental group added RFE, for four weeks. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) before and after treatment. ResultsOne case dropped down in the experimental group. After treatment, all the scores increased in both groups (|t| > 12.698, P < 0.001), and were better in the experimental group than in the control group (|t| > 2.302, P < 0.05). ConclusionRFE could promote the recovery of hand function and activities of daily living in patients with hemiplegia during stroke recovery period.

Cancer is a major threat to human health and causes death worldwide. Research on the role of radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of cancer is progressing; however, RT not only causes fatal DNA damage to tumor cells, but also affects the interactions between tumor cells and different components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including immune cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, extracellular matrix, and some soluble products. Some cancer cells can survive radiation and have shown strong resistance to radiation through interaction with the TME. Currently, the complex relationships between the tumor cells and cellular components that play major roles in various TMEs are poorly understood. This review explores the relationship between RT and cell-cell communication in the TME from the perspective of immunity and hypoxia and aims to identify new RT biomarkers and treatment methods in lung cancer to improve the current status of unstable RT effect and provide a theoretical basis for further lung cancer RT sensitization research in the future.
Humans ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Lung Neoplasms/complications* ; Fibroblasts/pathology* ; Biomarkers ; Macrophages/pathology* ; Hypoxia ; Tumor Microenvironment

[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the effect of circAGFG1 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cells and its possible mechanism. Methods: The tumor tissues and corresponding para-cancerous tissues of 33 patients with cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection in the 988th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force from April 2017 to October 2019 were collected. qPCR was used to detect the expression level of circAGFG1 and miR-4429 in the tissues. Cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cells were cultured in vitro and transfected with si-circAGFG1 or miR-4429 mimics, or co-transfected with si-circAGFG1 and anti-miR-4429. Then, cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method and clone formation test, cell migration and invasion were detected by scratch test and Transwell assay, and the protein expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in cells was determined by Western blotting. Dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment was adopted to verify the regulatory relationship between circAGFG1 and miR-4429. Results: The expression of circAGFG1 was higher (3.89±0.26 vs 1.00±0.08, P<0.05) while the expression of miR-4429 (0.28±0.03 vs 1.00±0.05, P<0.05) was lower in cholangiocarcinoma tissues than those in para-cancerous tissues. After the interference with circAGFG1 or over-expression of miR-4429, the cell proliferation level, number of clone formation, scratch healing rate, number of invaded cells, and the protein expression of N-cadherin in QBC939 cells were reduced (all P<0.05), but the protein expression of E-cadherin was elevated (P<0.05). circAGFG1 could targetedly bind with miR-4429, and interfering circAGFG1 promoted the expression of miR-4429 in QBC939 cells (all P<0.05). Down-regulation of miR-4429 reversed the effect of interfering circAGFG1 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of QBC939 cells (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The expression of circAGFG1 is up-regulated in cholangiocarcinoma tissues, which may promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cells by targetedly inhibiting the expression of miR-4429.