ObjectiveTo obtain the epidemiological characteristics of re-positive cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Pudong New Area from March to July 2022, including clinical manifestations, duration of a negative nucleic acid conversion after tested for re-positive, and length of time from the discharge of the initial infection to the most recent re-positivity, so as to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of COVID-19. MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted among the re-positive cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 after discharged from hospital/quarantine facility in Pudong New Area, and descriptive epidemiological methods were used for characteristics analysis. ResultsA total of 2 422 re-positive cases met the inclusive and exclusive criteria, with males accounting for 61.02%. The age distribution mainly fell between 18 and <60 years old, accounting for 62.39%. Clinical manifestations were predominantly asymptomatic (72.15%), followed by cough (12.03%) and sore throat (6.58%). Among the stratified randomized sample of 416 individuals, there were statistically significant differences in symptoms (χ²=262.667, P<0.001), clinical typing (χ²=12.996, P=0.001), and duration of a negative nucleic acid conversion (χ²=142.578, P<0.001) between the initial positive and re-positive instances. Besides, statistically significant differences in symptoms (χ²=13.696, P=0.016) and self-perception of the severity of re-infection (χ²=7.923, P=0.048) between the initial and re-positive cases were observed by different genders. ConclusionAmong re-positive cases, males experienced milder symptoms compared to females, and the self-perception of symptoms during re-positivity is milder than that in the initial positive infection. The length of time for negative nucleic acid conversion during the initial positive period is shorter than that during the re-positive period.

Cells and exosomes derived from them are extensively used as biological carrier systems. Cells demonstrate superior targeting specificity and prolonged circulation facilitated by their rich array of surface proteins, while exosomes, due to their small size, cross barriers and penetrate tumors efficiently. However, challenges remain, cells' large size restricts tissue penetration, and exosomes have limited targeting accuracy and short circulation times. To address these challenges, we developed a novel concept termed exosomal spheres. This approach involved incorporating platelet-derived exosomes shielded with phosphatidylserine (PS) and linked via pH-sensitive bonds for drug delivery applications. The study demonstrated that, compared with exosomes, the exosomal spheres improved blood circulation through the upregulation of CD47 expression and shielding of phosphatidylserine, thereby minimizing immune clearance. Moreover, the increased expression of P-selectin promoted adhesion to circulating tumor cells, thereby enhancing targeting efficiency. Upon reaching the tumor site, the hydrazone bonds of exosome spheres were protonated in the acidic tumor microenvironment, leading to disintegration into uniform-sized exosomes capable of deeper tumor penetration compared to platelets. These findings suggested that exosome spheres addressed the challenges and offered significant potential for efficient and precise drug delivery.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

OBJECTIVE To observe the preventive and therapeutic effect of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder on cancer-related fatigue in postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy patients with breast cancer, and to provide a basis for using traditional Chinese medicine processed by modern processing to effectively improve the quality of life of cancer patients. METHODS Seventy-four female patients who received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from November 2021 to March 2023 were randomly divided into either treatment(n=37) or control group(n=37). Both groups were given 4 cycles of epirubicin(or liposomal doxorubicin) combined with cyclophosphamide adjuvant chemotherapy and corresponding symptomatic treatment: the treatment group was treated with sporoderm-removed Ganoderma lucidum spore powder 2 g·d–1, and the control group was treated with placebo. The incidence and severity of cancer-related fatigue, the changes in T lymphocyte subsets, serum inflammatory factors, intestinal flora, and the effects of drugs on blood routine, liver, and kidney function were compared between the two groups after treatment. RESULTS The incidence of cancer-related fatigue and the score of the Piper correction scale in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05), the proportion of CD3+, CD4+, and CD3-CD56+ was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05), while the proportion of CD8+ was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05). The counts of IL-2 and IL-10 were higher than those in the control group, while the counts of IL-6, IL-8, and CRP were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05). The counts of leukocytes, neutrophils, and platelets in the control group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05), and the abundance of intestinal microflora in the control group was higher than that in the control group. There was no significant difference in liver and kidney function between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION Sporoderm-removed Ganoderma lucidum spore powder can significantly reduce the incidence and level of cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients during adjuvant chemotherapy, inhibit inflammatory factors, regulate intestinal flora and body immunity.

Peritoneal metastasis is one of the common site of colorectal cancer metastasis and associated with a poor prognosis. The core strategy for colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis primarily revolves around a comprehensive treatment approach with cytoreductive surgery and systemic chemotherapy as the mainstay, supplemented by intraperitoneal chemotherapy. As an important supplement to treatment, intraperitoneal chemotherapy has broad application prospects. The main modalities are hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy (NIPS), early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC), sequential postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (SPIC), normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (NIPEC) and pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). To promote the standardized application of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, further research on the mechanisms underlying peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer, selection of effective intraperitoneal chemotherapy agents, determination of optimal timing and administration protocols, exploration of the feasibility of sequential intraperitoneal chemotherapy and conduction of valuable basic and clinical research are currently needed. This paper will review the development and origins of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, treatment modalities, as well as the current application status and prospects of various treatment approaches in the context of peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of vitamin K2 on vascular calcification in a type 2 diabetes rat model.Methods:Thirty male Wistar rats,6 weeks old,were acclimatized for 7 days.Ten rats were randomly selected as the negative control group,fed a normal diet,and injected with an equal amount of citrate buffer.The remaining rats were fed a high-fat and high-sugar diet for 4 weeks,and then type 2 diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.After successful induction of the diabetes model,the diabetic rats were numbered by body weight and divided into the diabetes group and the diabetes+vitamin K2 group according to the principle of stratified random grouping.These two groups were fed a high-fat diet and a high-fat diet containing vitamin K2,respectively,while the control group continued to be fed a normal diet.After 13 weeks of feeding,the rats were sacrificed for sample collection,and blood glucose and vascular calcium concentration were measured.Von Kossa staining was used for histopathological detection.The relative expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α),pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4(PDK4),matrix Gla protein(MGP),and bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2)mRNA and proteins were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot,respectively.Results:Compared with the control group,blood glucose levels in the diabetes group and diabetes+vitamin K2 group were significantly elevated(P＜0.01),but there was no significant difference between the two groups.There was no significant difference in vascular calcium concentration among the three groups(P＞0.05).Von Kossa staining showed that the control group exhibited normal vascular structures,while the diabetes group showed a large number of brown-black calcification plaques between elastic fibers in the vascular media.The diabetes+vitamin K2 group had either no calcification plaques or only a few brown-black calcification plaques.Compared with the control group,the expression levels of PDK4,MGP,and BMP-2 mRNA and proteins were higher in the diabetes group(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in the expression level of HIF-1α.Only the expression level of PKD4 protein had significance between the control group and diabetes+vitamin K2 group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the above indexes between the diabetic group and diabetic+vitamin K2 group(P＞0.05).Conclusions:Type 2 diabetes mellitus may cause vascular calcification by increasing the expression of PDK4,which in turn leads to increased expression of BMP-2 and MGP.Vitamin K2 can inhibit vascular calcification in diabetes.

Objective To investigate the prognostic value of red cell distribution width(RDW)on neurological prognosis in patients with cardiac arrest(CA).Methods Retrospective analysis the case data,RDW and biochemical indicators of 107 CA patients treated in our department(January 2020 to November 2023).According to cerebral performance category(CPC),patients were divided into good neurological prognosis group and bad neurological prognosis group.The differences in clinical data and RDW between the two groups were compared.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors on neurological prognosis.Predictive effect of RDW on poor neurological prognosis in CA patients was assessed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.According to the optimal cut-off value of RDW,it was divided into high RDW group(≥ 13.45％)and low RDW group(＜13.45％)to compare the incidence of poor neurological prognosis.Results Totally 107 CA patients were included,34 patients in the good neurological prognosis group and 73 patients in the bad neurological prognosis group,the incidence of poor prognosis of neurological function was 68.22％.Compared with good neurological prognosis group,the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ score,RDW,cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR)time,age,serum sodium and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase in bad neurological prognosis group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that RDW,age and CPR time were independent risk factors for poor prognosis of neurological function(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of RDW to predict poor neural function prognosis in CA patients was 0.766.When the optimal threshold of RDW was 13.45％,the sensitivity was 73％and the specificity was 71％.The incidence of poor prognosis of neurological function in high RDW group was 84.13％,which was significantly higher than 45.45％in low RDW group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Elevated RDW is an independent risk factor for increased risk of poor neurological outcomes in patients with CA.It has certain predictive value for neurological outcomes in patients with CA.

Objective To investigate the current status of clinical nurses'core competency in palliative care,analyze the potential characteristics of different types of nurses in palliative care,and provide references for formulating intervention plans for nurses'core competence in palliative care.Methods The oncology nurses'palliative care core competence questionnaire was used in a hospital in Xiamen in December 2022 to conduct a questionnaire survey on 205 clinical nurses.Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.3.Results The average score of core competence in palliative care for clinical nurses was(125.72±31.93),and two potential categories were identified:The low core competence group and the high core competence group,accounting for 30.7％and 69.3％respectively.The results indicated that whether to participate in palliative care training and whether to discuss death with patients were the influencing factors of the potential profile category of nurses'core competence in palliative care(P＜0.05).Conclusion The core competence of clinical nurses in palliative care is at a medium level,and there are two potential profile categories:The low core competence group and the high core competence group.Nursing managers should adopt precise measures to enhance the core competence of palliative care for clinical nurses based on different potential categories of influencing factors.