BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia in the elderly. This study aimed to evaluate urban-rural disparities in its prevalence and management in elderly Chinese. METHODS: Consecutive participants aged ≥ 65 years attending outpatient clinics were enrolled for AF screening using handheld single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) from April 2017 to December 2022. Each ECG rhythm strip was reviewed from the research team. AF or uninterpretable single-lead ECGs were referred for 12-lead ECG. Primary study outcome comparison was between rural and urban areas for the prevalence of AF. The Student's t-test was used to compare mean values of clinical characteristics between rural and urban participants, while the Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare between-group proportions. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between AF and various patient characteristics. RESULTS: The 29,166 study participants included 13,253 men (45.4%) and had a mean age of 72.2 years. The 7073 rural participants differed significantly (P ≤ 0.02) from the 22,093 urban participants in several major characteristics, such as older age, greater body mass index, and so on. The overall prevalence of AF was 4.6% (n = 1347). AF was more prevalent in 7073 rural participants than 22,093 urban participants (5.6% vs. 4.3%, P < 0.01), before and after adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and prior medical history. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified overweight/obesity (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17-1.54) in urban areas and cigarette smoking (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.20-2.17) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04-1.93) in rural areas as specific risk factors for prevalent AF. In patients with known AF in urban areas (n = 781) and rural areas (n = 338), 60.6% and 45.9%, respectively, received AF treatment (P < 0.01), and only 22.4% and 17.2%, respectively, received anticoagulation therapy (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In China, there are urban-rural disparities in AF in the elderly, with a higher prevalence and worse management in rural areas than urban areas. Our study findings provide insight for health policymakers to consider urban-rural disparity in the prevention and treatment of AF.

To formulate an expert consensus on the principles of preoperative hair removal and provide scientific guidance for standardized removal of hair before surgical procedures so as to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections.METHODS Led by the Hospital Management Institute of National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China,this consensus was reached with the joint efforts from the expects of relevant fields such as surgeries,interventional therapies,nursing,and infection prevention and control.The consensus facilitates the classification and evaluation of literatures by following the evidence grade formulated by Oxford Evidence-based Medicine Center and focuses on the association of preoperative hair removal with surgical site infection,it reaches the evidence grade of expert consensus and recommendation intensity by integrating with discussions on meetings and clinical experience of the expects from relevant fields.RESULTS A total of 6 items of consensus were reached by summarizing the latest evidence on the aspects including the indications for preoperative hair removal,tools,range,timing and places.CONCLUSION The consensus,to some extent,make supplements to and complete the exiting regulations and standards.It provides guidance for the medical institutions to carry out the preoperative hair removal.

To formulate an expert consensus on the principles of preoperative hair removal and provide scientific guidance for standardized removal of hair before surgical procedures so as to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections.METHODS Led by the Hospital Management Institute of National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China,this consensus was reached with the joint efforts from the expects of relevant fields such as surgeries,interventional therapies,nursing,and infection prevention and control.The consensus facilitates the classification and evaluation of literatures by following the evidence grade formulated by Oxford Evidence-based Medicine Center and focuses on the association of preoperative hair removal with surgical site infection,it reaches the evidence grade of expert consensus and recommendation intensity by integrating with discussions on meetings and clinical experience of the expects from relevant fields.RESULTS A total of 6 items of consensus were reached by summarizing the latest evidence on the aspects including the indications for preoperative hair removal,tools,range,timing and places.CONCLUSION The consensus,to some extent,make supplements to and complete the exiting regulations and standards.It provides guidance for the medical institutions to carry out the preoperative hair removal.

Biliary fibrosis (BF) is the result of pathological repair of bile tract injury, characterized by thickening and sclerosis of the bile duct wall and progressive stricture of the lumen, which may ultimately lead to serious adverse outcomes such as biliary obstruction, biliary cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatobiliary malignancies. Current research describes BF as a pathological feature of certain bile tract diseases, lacking a systematic summary of its etiology, pathophysiology, molecular mechanisms, and treatment. BF is a common but easily neglected disease state in biliary system, which may promote the development and progression of hepatobiliary diseases through abnormal repair mechanism after pathological biliary tract injury. Based on the latest research progress from both domestic and international perspectives, the authors review the concept, clinical manifestation, etiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic strategies of BF to provide a reference for clinical physicians.

Objective To observe the effects of"Sleep Recipe"on the behavior,brain tissue and central neurotransmitters of insomnia rats.Methods The male rats with SD were randomly divided into control group,model group,sleep formula group,and eszolam group,with 10 rats in each group,and the insomnia model was constructed by intraperitoneal injection of P-chlorphenylalanine(PCPA).After successful modeling,the control group and the model group were given saline gavage,and the medylom group and eszolam group were given drug gavage.The insomnia-like behavior of rats in each group was evaluated by pentobarbital sodium correction experiment and open field experiment,Hematoxlin and eosin(HE)staining observed the pathological changes of rat cerebral cortex,hippocampus,and hypothalamic tissue,and Enzyme-linked mmunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to determine the expression levels of Gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA),5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT).Results The sleep latency of rats in the model group was significantly elongated(P<0.01),while the sleep time was less(P<0.01),and the mental state and fur color were poor,significantly decreased in body weight(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the sleep latency was significantly shortened(P<0.01),the sleep duration was significantly prolonged(P<0.01),and the body mass was significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01);In the open field experiment,the total activity distance of rats in the model group increased,the average speed and central region residence time decreased(P<0.05),the total activity distance of rats in the Sleep Formula group and Eszolam group decreased significantly(P<0.05),the average speed increased and the central region residence time increased(P<0.05).HE results showed that the number of neurons,morphological structure and arrangement of neurons,such as cerebral cortex,hippocampus and hypothalamus in the model group,were damaged to varying degrees,and the sleep formula group and estazolam group were significantly improved.ELISA results showed that the expression of 5-HT and GABA in the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus of rats in the model group was significantly reduced(P<0.01,P<0.05),and the expression of GABA in hippocampal tissues was also significantly reduced(P<0.01).The protein expression levels of cerebral cortical GABA,hypothalamic GABA and 5-HT in the Sleep Formula group were significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusion Sleep Formula can improve the mental state,restore normal body weight,improve sleep efficiency,and reduce anxiety and tension in insomnia rats.The mechanism may be related to increasing the content of 5-HT and GABA,and inhibiting the spread and conduction of hypothalamic and brainstem pro-awakening nuclei.

Objective:Summarizing and analyzing the rules of access and renewal of drugs in Australia,Japan,South Korea,and Chinese Taiwan,this paper aims to provide experience for the improvement of China's policy on national drug reimbursement list renewal.Methods:Through literature review,expert interviews,and other academic methods,it compares the different experience of drug renewal policy from the perspectives of the type,content,and renewal period.Results:Internationally representative national or regional medical insurance drug renewal policies are broadly categorized into single-drug price-volume agreements,joint price-volume agreements,and efficacy-based risk-sharing agreements.Conclusion:It is recommended that China should introduce new content such as joint measurement for renewal of exclusive drugs,combination consideration of quantity,price,and effectiveness,risk-sharing agreement for renewal of non-exclusive drugs,and placing an upper limit on the rate of reduction for the first renewal in its medical insurance policy.

Renal fibrosis is a common and irreversible pathological feature of end-stage renal disease caused by multiple etiologies. The role of inflammation in renal fibrosis tissue has been generally accepted. The latest view is that fatty acid metabolism disorder contributes to renal fibrosis. peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1α (PGC1α) plays a key role in fatty acid metabolism, regulating fatty acid uptake and oxidized protein synthesis, preventing the accumulation of lipid in the cytoplasm, and maintaining a dynamic balanced state of intracellular lipid. In multiple animal models of renal fibrosis caused by acute or chronic kidney disease, or even age-related kidney disease, almost all of the kidney specimens show the down-regulation of PGC1α. Upregulation of PGC1α can reduce the degree of renal fibrosis in animal models, and PGC1α knockout animals exhibit severe renal fibrosis. Studies have demonstrated that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), MAPK, Notch, tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), non-coding RNA (ncRNAs), liver kinase B1 (LKB1), hairy and enhancer of split 1 (Hes1), and other pathways regulate the expression of PGC1α and affect fatty acid metabolism. But some of these pathways interact with each other, and the effect of the integrated pathway on renal fibrosis is not clear.
Animals ; Fatty Acids ; Fibrosis ; Lipid Metabolism ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha/metabolism* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic

Objective: To examine the long term outcome of splenic hilar lymphadenectomy (SHL) for locally advanced Siewert type Ⅱ and Ⅲ adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) with a tumor diameter ≥4 cm. Methods: A total of 489 locally advanced Siewert type Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG patients with a tumor diameter ≥4 cm who underwent radical resection from January 2010 to April 2016 were included. There were 383 males and 106 females. There were 225 patients aged≥65 years and 264 patients aged <65 years. SHL was conducted in 270 patients(SHL group). Wilcoxon rank-sum test or χ² test were conducted for inter-group comparison. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to analyze the long term outcome of SHL and the prognosis factors of overall survival. Kaplan-Meier curve was drawn finally. The results of survival analysis were verified by Log-rank test. Results: Followed-up to April 2021,the median follow-up time was 78.0 months (range: 74.0 to 85.0 months), the follow-up rate was 95.5%(467/489). The splenic hilar lymphnode metastasis rate of the SHL group was 12.6% (34/270). Younger patients (<65 years old), less complications, higher proportion of patients received adjuvant chemotherapy were demonstrated in the SHL group (χ²: 5.644 to 6.744, all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that SHL was the independent prognosis factor of overall survival for patients with Siewert type Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG and a tumor diameter≥4 cm (HR=0.68, 95%CI: 0.52 to 0.88, P=0.004) along with preoperative CA19-9, pathological T stage, pathological N stage, adjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative complication. Further subgroup analysis demonstrated that the SHL group had better 5-year overall survival than non-SHL group (62.4% vs. 39.2%, χ²=17.983, P=0.006) in Siewert type Ⅲ AEG rather than in Siewert type Ⅱ AEG(57.3% vs. 53.7%, χ²=3.031, P=0.805). Conclusion: In experienced center, splenic hilar lymphadenectomy can improve the prognosis of Siewert type Ⅲ AEG with a tumor diameter ≥4 cm.
Adenocarcinoma/surgery* ; Aged ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophagogastric Junction/surgery* ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision/methods* ; Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/surgery* ; Survival Analysis

Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-17 ; Interleukin-23 ; Macrophages ; Pain