Red blood cells(RBCs)are the primary mediators of oxygen transport in the human body,and their function is mainly achieved through conformational changes of hemoglobin(Hb).Hb is a tetramer composed of four subunits,with HbA being the predominant Hb in healthy adults,existing in two forms:tense state(T state)and relaxed state(R state).Endogenous regulators of Hb conformation include 2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid,carbon dioxide,protons,and chloride ions,while exogenous regulators include inositol hexaphosphate,inositol tripyrophosphate,benzabate,urea derivative L35,and vanillin,each with different mechanisms of action.The application of Hb conformational regulators provides new insights into the study of hypoxia oxygen supply issues and the treatment of sickle cell disease.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of insomnia in college students and analyze the correlation between insomnia and perceived stress. Methods A cluster sampling method was used to investigate the prevalence of insomnia and stress levels in 3702 college students using Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Results Insomnia was detected in 31.4％ of the college students, and the symptoms were more severe in male students (t=2.047, P=0.041) and in those with poorer family economic conditions (F=20.423, P<0.001). Insomnia was positively correlated with perceived stress, perceived distress, and perceived coping ability, with correlation coefficients of 0.42, 0.38, and 0.31, respectively (P<0.001). The students with higher levels of perceived stress had higher insomnia scores (F=203.03, P<0.001) and higher detection rate of insomnia (x2=359.784, P<0.001), and those with moderate or severe insomnia also had higher levels of perceived stress (F=293.569, P<0.001). The types of perceived stress among college students included incontrollable (15.3％), nervous (8.3％), vulnerable (23.0％) and the relaxed types (53.5％). The incontrollable type was associated with the highest insomnia scores, followed by the nervous type and susceptible type, and the relaxed type had the lowest insomnia scores (F=185.969, P<0.001). The prevalence rates of insomnia in students with the 4 types of perceived stress were 57.3％, 43.3％, 39.3％, and 18.7％, respectively (x2=368.876, P<0.001). Conclusion There is a close correlation between perceived stress and insomnia, and identification of the high-risk population for insomnia from the perspectives of perceived stress level and perceived stress type can facilitate the management and prevention of insomnia.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of insomnia in college students and analyze the correlation between insomnia and perceived stress. Methods A cluster sampling method was used to investigate the prevalence of insomnia and stress levels in 3702 college students using Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Results Insomnia was detected in 31.4％ of the college students, and the symptoms were more severe in male students (t=2.047, P=0.041) and in those with poorer family economic conditions (F=20.423, P<0.001). Insomnia was positively correlated with perceived stress, perceived distress, and perceived coping ability, with correlation coefficients of 0.42, 0.38, and 0.31, respectively (P<0.001). The students with higher levels of perceived stress had higher insomnia scores (F=203.03, P<0.001) and higher detection rate of insomnia (x2=359.784, P<0.001), and those with moderate or severe insomnia also had higher levels of perceived stress (F=293.569, P<0.001). The types of perceived stress among college students included incontrollable (15.3％), nervous (8.3％), vulnerable (23.0％) and the relaxed types (53.5％). The incontrollable type was associated with the highest insomnia scores, followed by the nervous type and susceptible type, and the relaxed type had the lowest insomnia scores (F=185.969, P<0.001). The prevalence rates of insomnia in students with the 4 types of perceived stress were 57.3％, 43.3％, 39.3％, and 18.7％, respectively (x2=368.876, P<0.001). Conclusion There is a close correlation between perceived stress and insomnia, and identification of the high-risk population for insomnia from the perspectives of perceived stress level and perceived stress type can facilitate the management and prevention of insomnia.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance combined with renal damage is named monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance. There are few reports about IgA vasculitis in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Here, we report a case of monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance, who had manifestations of IgA vasculitis, including purpura, gastrointestinal bleeding and joint pain. The patient had elevated serum creatinine levels, prompting further investigation through immunofixation electrophoresis and bone marrow aspiration biopsy. Immunofixation electrophoresis showed IgA-λ-type monoclonal immunoglobulin, while the bone marrow aspiration biopsy suggested plasmacytosis. Kidney biopsy indicated membranous hyperplastic glomerulonephritis, light and heavy chain deposition, IgA-λ. The patient was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance. In light of the elevated serum creatinine, the patient was treated with chemotherapy regimen (bortezomib +cyclophosphamide +dexamethasone). After chemotherapy, there was no significant improvement in the patient's renal function. Subsequently, the patient experienced abdominal pain, skin purpura, joint pain and severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Gastroenteroscopy did not find the exact bleeding position. Angiography revealed hyperplasia of left jejunal artery. Surgical operation found that the bleeding site was located between the jejunum and ileum, where scattered hemorrhagic spots and multiple ulcers were present on the surface of the small intestine, with the deepest ulcers reaching the serosal layer. And the damaged intestine was removed during the operation. Intestinal pathology showed multiple intestinal submucosal arteritis, rusulting in intestinal wall necrosis and multiple ulcers. Considering intestinal lesions as gastrointestinal involvement of IgA vasculitis, methylprednisolone was used continually after the operation, and the patient's condition was improved. However, after half a year, the patient suffered a severe respiratory infection and experienced a recurrence of serious gastrointestinal bleeding. It was considered that the infection triggered the activity of IgA vasculitis, accompanied by gastrointestinal involvement. Finally, the patient died from gastrointestinal bleeding. The present case represented a patient with monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance and IgA vasculitis, prominently presenting with renal insufficiency and severe gastrointestinal bleeding, making the diagnosis and treatment process complex. Patients with IgA monoclonal gammopathy who presented with abdominal pain, purpura, and arthralgia should be vigilant for the possibility of concomitant IgA vasculitis. The treatment of cases with IgA vasculitis combined with monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance was rather challenging. Plasma cell targeting therapy might be an effective regimen for IgA vasculitis with monoclonal gammopathy. However, patients with poor renal response to the treatment indicated poor prognosis.
Humans ; Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology* ; IgA Vasculitis/complications* ; Immunoglobulin A ; Intestine, Small/pathology* ; Kidney/pathology* ; Kidney Diseases/pathology* ; Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance/complications* ; Necrosis ; Paraproteinemias/complications* ; Vasculitis/etiology*

【Objective】 To investigate the relationship between maternal oral health behavior during pregnancy and premature birth. 【Methods】 A total of 248 preterm and 700 non-preterm pregnant women who delivered in Northwest Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Shaanxi Province from January to December 2022 were included in case group and control group, respectively. General demographic characteristics and oral health behavior during pregnancy were collected by questionnaires, and the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) was used to assess the oral health related life quality of pregnant women. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between maternal oral health behavior during pregnancy and premature birth. 【Results】 During pregnancy, maternal frequent eating after brushing teeth (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.03-2.57), unused fluoride toothpaste (OR=2.03, 95%CI: 1.25-3.05), late visit to the doctor for oral discomfort (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.02-1.96), brushing teeth less than twice one day (OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.13-2.78) or less than 3 minutes each time (OR=1.52, 95%CI: 1.09-2.11), and elevated OHIP-14 score (OR=1.07, 95%CI: 1.04-1.10) increased the risk of premature birth. 【Conclusion】 Poor oral health behavior during pregnancy may increase the risk of premature birth. Therefore, more efforts should be made to publicize oral health knowledge and guide pregnant women to establish good oral health habits so as to improve oral health and promote maternal and child health.

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor with extreme invasiveness and metastasis as well as dismal prognosis. It is critical to rapidly find a unique therapy strategy capable of significantly improving the prognosis of osteosarcoma. Tumor immunotherapy has the potential to reawaken the immune system, restart and sustain the tumor-immune cycle in the body, resulting in the death of tumor cells. CD8+ CTL, CD4+ T cells, NK cells and NKT cells all play critical roles in tumor immunity, while humoral immunity may not only inhibit tumor growth but also enhance it. Researchers have devised various strategies to boost the immune system in recent years based on tumor immune response studies. This paper highlights and examines osteosarcoma immunotherapy from two perspectives: (1) boosting the response of patient's own immune system to the tumor; (2) exogenously improving the patient's immunological function.

Objective:To elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) by which methyl salicylate enhances the skin de-livery of herbal ingredients with diverse lipophilicity.Methods:The toxicity of methyl salicylate on skin cell lines was evaluated using the MTT assay.The Franz diffusion cell method was used to measure the permeability enhancing activities of methyl salicylate for five herbal ingredients with a range of lipophilicities.The interaction between methyl salicylate and the stratum corneum (SC) was observed by using an infrared spectroscopy technique.Moreover,the solu-bilities and SC-vehicle partition coefficient were determined to monitor the impact of methyl salicylate on the drug thermodynamic activities and partition into the SC layer,respectively.Results:Compared with azone (1-dodecylazacycloheptan-2-one),methyl salicylate showed lower toxicity to skin cells in terms of the ICso values.The in vitro skin permeation studies showed that methyl salicylate could greatly improve the cumulative amounts or steady state flux of the selected model drugs with the exception of osthole,which indicated that methyl salicylate was prone to promote the skin delivery of hydrophilic drugs.The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies revealed that methyl salicylate mainly interacted with SC lipids,leading to the disruption of the orderly arrangement of the SC.In addition,methyl salicylate had no obvious effect on the drug thermodynamic activity and partition into the SC.Conclusion:Methyl salicylate could effectively promote the skin delivery of relatively hydrophilic in-gredients in externally used traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) without obvious cytotoxicity.

【Objective】 To explore the effects of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and mid-pregnancy blood glucose levels on gestational weeks in Northwestern China. 【Methods】 For this prospective cohort study, we recruited the first-trimester pregnant women who underwent obstetrical examinations at Northwest Women’s and Children’s Hospital from July 2018 to July 2019 as the cohort. We investigated their socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, we collected the OGTT test results of pregnant women in mid-pregnancy and followed up their pregnancy outcomes. The relationship of GDM and blood glucose levels with gestational weeks was analyzed by using the generalized linear model. 【Results】 A total of 2 434 subjects were included in this study. There were 668 pregnant women with GDM, with a ratio of 27.44%. GDM in pregnant women shortened the gestational weeks (β=-0.17, 95% CI: -0.28—-0.05). Fasting blood glucose, OGTT-1 h blood glucose, and OGTT-2 h blood glucose increased by 1 mmol/L; gestational weeks were shortened by 0.17 (95% CI: -0.28—-0.05), 0.05 (95% CI: -0.09—-0.02) and 0.07 (95% CI: -0.12—-0.03). Fasting blood glucose and OGTT-1 h blood glucose abnormalities shortened gestational weeks by 0.18 (95% CI: -0.31—-0.05) and 0.28 (95% CI: -0.47—-0.10) respectively. An increase by 1 mmol/L or abnormality of fasting blood glucose would increase preterm delivery risk by 1.44 (95% CI: 1.01-2.06) and 1.73 times (95% CI: 1.10-2.69), respectively. 【Conclusion】 GDM in pregnant women may shorten their gestational weeks; the abnormal and elevated fasting blood glucose, in particular, would increase the risk of preterm delivery. Therefore, we should carry out active health education to control the blood glucose and other risk factors of GDM patients and promote healthy pregnancy.

【Objective】 To explore the association of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and blood glucose level with birth weight of the newborns in Northwest China. 【Methods】 Pregnant women in their first trimester who joined the birth cohort of Northwest Women and Children’s Hospital from July 2018 to July 2019 were consecutively enrolled. We collected their basic demographic characteristics, lifestyle behavior and other data. We followed up the results of the OGTT test and pregnancy outcomes. The generalized linear model was used to analyze the effects of GDM and blood glucose levels on the birth weight of newborns. 【Results】 A total of 2 422 subjects were included in this study, and 656 (27.09%) pregnant women had GDM during pregnancy. Pregnant women with GDM increased the birth weight (β=50.00, 95% CI: 17.48-82.51), Z-value (β=0.11, 95% CI: 0.03-0.19) and Z Centile value (β=3.22, 95% CI: 0.88-5.55), and increased the risk of macrosomia (OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.04-2.28). Abnormal FPG value during the second trimester would increase the risk of macrosomia and LGA. With the increase of OGTT blood glucose value in the second trimester, the birth weight value and the incidence of macrosomia and LGA showed an upward trend. 【Conclusion】 Pregnancy in women with GDM might increase the birth weight of newborns and the risk of macrosomia, especially FPG. We should vigorously control the blood glucose level of GDM patients to promote the health of mothers and infants.

In the battle of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in China, the "countermarching people" faced up to all difficulties and went forward one after another to the forefront of anti-epidemic. Many vivid figures and examples have aroused our feelings and thoughts on life. Under the background of this special period, medical colleges should take the COVID-19 prevention and control as an opportunity to enrich the contents of bioethics education, blend in patriotism education, social responsibility education, medical moral education, and life and death culture education. By strengthening the construction of teaching staff, attaching importance to the integration of teaching contents, optimizing teaching carriers, expanding practical activities and recommending online teaching resources, the teaching reform of bioethics education is explored in order to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of bioethics education and moral education.