INTRODUCTION: Health literacy plays an essential role in one's ability to acquire and understand critical medical information in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infodemic and in other pandemics. We aimed to summarise the assessment, levels and determinants of pandemic-related health literacy and its associated clinical outcomes. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in Medline ® , Embase ® , PsycINFO ® , CINAHL ® and four major preprint servers. Observational and interventional studies that evaluated health literacy related to the novel COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) were included. Items used in health literacy instruments were grouped under the themes of knowledge, attitudes and practices. Determinants of health literacy were grouped into five domains: sociodemographic, medical, psychological/psychiatric, health systems-related and others. RESULTS: Of the 2,065 articles screened, 70 articles were included. Of these, 21, 17 and 32 studies evaluated health literacy related to COVID-19, SARS and MERS, respectively. The rates of low pandemic health literacy ranged from 4.3% to 57.9% among medical-related populations and from 4.0% to 82.5% among nonmedical populations. Knowledge about the symptoms and transmission of infection, worry about infection, and practices related to mask usage and hand hygiene were most frequently evaluated. Sociodemographic determinants of health literacy were most frequently studied, among which higher education level, older age and female gender were found to be associated with better health literacy. No studies evaluated the outcomes associated with health literacy. CONCLUSION The level of pandemic-related health literacy is suboptimal. Healthcare administrators need to be aware of health literacy determinants when formulating policies in pandemics.
Humans ; Health Literacy ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome/epidemiology* ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Pandemics ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology* ; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus ; Female ; Male

The present study aimed to explore whether hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) improved hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) in rats by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group, normal+NaHS group, hypoxia group, and hypoxia+NaHS group, with 6 rats in each group. The control group rats were placed in a normoxic (21% O₂) environment and received daily intraperitoneal injections of an equal volume of normal saline. The normal+NaHS group rats were placed in a normoxic environment and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. The hypoxia group rats were placed in a hypoxia chamber, and the oxygen controller inside the chamber maintained the oxygen concentration at 9% to 10% by controlling the N₂ flow rate. An equal volume of normal saline was injected intraperitoneally every day. The hypoxia+NaHS group rats were also placed in an hypoxia chamber and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. After the completion of the four-week modeling, the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of each group was measured using right heart catheterization technique, and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) was weighed and calculated. HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung tissue, Masson staining was used to observe fibrosis of lung tissue, and Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels of hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), GSDMD-N-terminal domain (GSDMD-N), Caspase-1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 in lung tissue. ELISA was used to detect contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in lung tissue. The results showed that, compared with the normal control group, there were no significant changes in all indexes in the normal+NaHS group, while the hypoxia group exhibited significantly increased mPAP and RVHI, thickened pulmonary vascular wall, narrowed lumen, increased collagen fibers, up-regulated expression levels of aerobic glycolysis-related proteins (HK2 and PKM2), up-regulated expression levels of pyroptosis-related proteins (NLRP3, GSDMD-N, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18), and increased contents of IL-1β and IL-18. These changes of the above indexes in the hypoxia group were significantly reversed by NaHS. These results suggest that H₂S can improve rat HPH by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/metabolism* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Hydrogen Sulfide/therapeutic use* ; Hypoxia/complications* ; Rats ; Pyroptosis/drug effects*

Evidence mapping was used to systematically analyze the clinical research evidence of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH), thus revealing the distribution and quality of evidence in this field. The relevant articles were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to July 5, 2024. The distribution characteristics of evidence were presented numerically and graphically. A total of 35 Chinese patent medicines were identified, involving 261 articles. The basic information of the 35 Chinese patent medicines, publication trend, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes, interventions, and outcome indicators were compared and analyzed, and the methodological quality of the articles was evaluated. The results indicated that the clinical scope of Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of ICH was broad. However, the available studies inadequately emphasized the advantages and characteristics of TCM, lacked the safety information and the standards for evaluating outcome indicators, and paid insufficient attention to cognitive ability and neuropsychology. In addition, these articles demonstrated low quality. It is recommended that follow-up clinical research should be standardized and highlight the characteristics of TCM. In the analysis of outcome indicators, TCM syndrome evaluation should be taken as an important outcome indicator, and the evaluation criteria should be unified. Moreover, more attention should be paid to patients' cognitive ability and neuropsychology. The holder of marketing license of Chinese patent medicines should standardize the clinical position and improve the safety information in the medicine instructions according to the relevant requirements of the National Medical Products Administration. Additionally, the proportion of Chinese patent medicines in the category A list of medical insurance should be increased, and the limited medical resources should be rationally allocated.
Cerebral Hemorrhage/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs/administration & dosage* ; Administration, Oral

OBJECTIVE: Meta-analysis of the clinical efficacy of plate and external fixator fixation in the treatment of AO-C type distal radius fractures. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Medical Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed databases were searched for all literature on randomized controlled clinical trials of AO-C distal radius fractures. The search time limits were from each database. The database will be established until June 30, 2023. The included studies were extracted according to the Cochrane Handbook (Version 6.3, 2022) for information extraction and literature quality evaluation. RevMan 5.4 was used to evaluate the risk of Publication bias, test heterogeneity and Perform Meta-analysis. The outcome indicators were:imaging anatomy indicators (volar inclination angle, ulnar deviation angle, radial height), wrist joint mobility (flexion, extension, rotation, ulnar deviation), complication rate, and comparison of surgical treatments (operative blood loss, operation time, hospitalization time, fracture healing time) and wrist joint function scores and related scales. RESULTS: (1) A total of 28 studies were included, with a total of 2 192 patients, including 1 096 cases in the plate internal fixation group and 1 096 cases in the external fixation group.(2) Meta analysis results showed:the surgical treatment situation of the external fixation group:surgical blood loss MD=-37.93, 95%CI(-48.54, -27.31), P<0.000 01;operation time MD=-31.58, 95%CI(-48.96, -14.20), P<0.000 4;hospitalization time MD=-4.58, 95%CI(-5.44, -3.71), P<0.000 01;the fracture healing time MD=-0.88, 95%CI(-1.35, -0.41), P<0.000 2, which were significantly better than that of the plate internal fixation group(P<0.05).(3) The two groups:palmar inclination angle MD=-0.17, 95%CI(-0.95, 0.61), P=0.68;ulnar declination MD=0.22, 95%CI(-0.73, 1.17), P=0.65, radial height MD=-0.24, 95%CI(-1.15, 0.67), P=0.60;flexion and extension MD=-5.63, 95%CI(-11.85, 0.58), P=0.08;rotation MD=-5.80, 95%CI(-12.77, 1.17), P=0.10, radioulnar deviation MD=-2.86, 95%CI(-10.87, 5.15), P=0.48;complication rate RR=0.96, 95%CI(0.63, 1.46), P=0.83;Gartland-Werley clinical wrist score MD=0.13, 95%CI(-0.80, 1.06), P=0.78;excellent and good rate of Gartland-Werley wrist clinical score RR=0.93, 95%CI(0.87, 1.01), P=0.08;excellent and good rate of Cooney wrist score RR=0.99, 95%CI(0.62, 1.59), P=0.98;wrist DASH score MD=-4.67, 95%CI(-14.96, 5.62), P=0.37;the differences were not significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared with internal fixation with plate, external fixation can significantly reduce the amount of surgical bleeding, shorten the operation time, hospitalization time and fracture healing time, and its imaging anatomical indicators, wrist mobility, and complications can be significantly reduced in treating AO-C distal radius fractures. Rates and wrist function scores were equivalent.
Humans ; External Fixators ; Bone Plates ; Radius Fractures/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation/methods* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Wrist Fractures

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical and genetic characteristics of osteopetrosis (OPT) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 14 children with OPT. Whole-exome sequencing was used to detect pathogenic genes, and clinical phenotypes and genotypic features were summarized. RESULTS: Among the 14 children (10 males and 4 females), the median age at diagnosis was 8 months. Clinical manifestations included systemic osteosclerosis (14 cases, 100%), anemia (12 cases, 86%), infections (10 cases, 71%), thrombocytopenia (9 cases, 64%), hepatosplenomegaly (8 cases, 57%), and developmental delay (5 cases, 36%). Malignant osteopetrosis (MOP) cases had lower platelet counts, creatine kinase isoenzyme, and serum calcium levels, but higher white blood cell counts, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase levels compared to non-MOP cases (P<0.05). Genetic testing identified 15 variants in 12 patients, including 8 variants in the CLCN7 gene (53%), 6 in the TCIRG1 gene (40%), and 1 in the TNFRSF11A gene (7%). Three novel CLCN7 variants were identified: c.2351G>C, c.1215-43C>T, and c.1534G>A. All four patients with TCIRG1 variants exhibited MOP clinical phenotypes. Of the seven patients with CLCN7 variants, 4 presented with intermediate OPT, 2 with benign OPT, and 1 with MOP. CONCLUSIONS Clinical phenotypes of OPT in children are heterogeneous, predominantly involving CLCN7 and TCIRG1 gene variants, with a correlation between clinical phenotypes and genotypes.
Humans ; Osteopetrosis/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases/genetics* ; Child ; Chloride Channels/genetics* ; Mutation ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B

An ideal dermal filler should integrate filling, repair, and anti-aging effects, with immediate tissue augmentation, slow degradation, and progressive stimulation of collagen regeneration. However, commonly used hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels, while effective for rapid filling, suffer from limited duration of support, weak cell adhesion, and an inability to promote collagen regeneration. Silk fibroin (SF), a natural protein from silkworm cocoons, is known for its excellent cell adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. However, its limited gelation capability restricts its potential application as a standalone injectable hydrogel. Based on a complementary strategy, this study combines the rapid gelling properties of HA with the collagen regenerative properties of SF to create a co-crosslinked HA-SF hydrogel. The composite hydrogel merges HA's rapid filling effect with SF's strong tissue adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. The formulation, physicochemical properties, degradation, biocompatibility, and filling effects of the HA-SF hydrogel were systematically investigated. HA-SF hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties and ensures long-term support while maintaining injectability. Interestingly, after intradermal injection in the UVB-induced photoaging model, HA-SF hydrogel not only enhances hydrogel-cell interaction but also continues to stimulate collagen regeneration, especially type III collagen. This dual action achieves the biological effects of repair and anti-aging while maintaining the filling effect. Proteomic analysis confirms that repair and anti-aging effects are enhanced by the regulation of skin fibroblasts and modulation of amino acid and lipid metabolism. This composite hydrogel holds strong promise for clinical applications, offering a safer, long-lasting, and more natural injectable filler that combines filling, repair, and anti-aging into one system.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

OBJECTIVE: Poxviruses are zoonotic pathogens that infect humans, mammals, vertebrates, and arthropods. However, the specific role of ticks in transmission and evolution of these viruses remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic raw data from 329 sampling pools of seven tick species across five continents were mined to assess the diversity and abundance of poxviruses. Chordopoxviral sequences were assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to trace the origins of the unblasted fragments within these sequences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight poxvirus species, representing two subfamilies and 20 genera, were identified, with 212 poxviral sequences assembled. A substantial proportion of AT-rich fragments were detected in the assembled poxviral genomes. These genomic sequences contained fragments originating from rodents, archaea, and arthropods. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that ticks play a significant role in the transmission and evolution of poxviruses. These viruses demonstrate the capacity to modulate virulence and adaptability through horizontal gene transfer, gene recombination, and gene mutations, thereby promoting co-existence and co-evolution with their hosts. This study advances understanding of the ecological dynamics of poxvirus transmission and evolution and highlights the potential role of ticks as vectors and vessels in these processes.
Animals ; Poxviridae/physiology* ; Ticks/virology* ; Phylogeny ; Transcriptome ; Evolution, Molecular ; Poxviridae Infections/virology* ; Genome, Viral

Objective To design an embedded cervical spine health intelligent system for health monitoring and disease prevention of cervical spine.Methods The system was composed of a portable monitoring terminal,a cloud server and a WeChat App.The portable monitoring terminal consisted of a data acquisition module,a data processing module and an IoT communication module,in which the data acquisition module used JY 901-S as the main data sensor,the data processing had STM32F4 as the main control chip and China-made RT-Thread as the embedded operating system and realized classified head motion identification with an activity recognition model,and the IoT communication module selected an ESPRESSIF ESP32-C3 series Wi-Fi Bluetooth dual-mode module.The cloud server had a Web server architecture of Linux+Nginx+uWSGI,which stored user data with MySQL database and assessed cervical health status with an evaluation model.The WeChat App was developed with WXML+WXSS+WXS.Results The system developed basically realized the functions for health status monitoring and motion guidance of cervical spine,with an average accuracy for classified head motion identification higher than 90％and a measurement accuracy for neck joint mobility being±1°.Condusion The system developed effectively help users establish and maintain regular cervical spine health exercise behaviors,and provides hospitals and other institutions with reliable rehabilitation exercise treatment programs and rehabilitation care data support.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(8):26-31]

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.