Objective: To analyze the implementation status and challenges of sex education in special education schools, so as to provide a scientific basis for formulating effective promotion strategies. Methods: From November 2023 to January 2024, a census survey was conducted among 120 in service teachers from 7 special education schools in Luzhou. The questionnaire covered the current status of sex education in schools, teachers attitudes and knowledge toward sex education, and their coping methods for students inappropriate sexual behaviors. Results: About 77.5% of teachers reported having provided sex education to students, but 93.2% indicated a lack of specialized sex education textbooks for special children, 90.4% reported no full time teachers for sex education, and the methods of sex education were relatively limited (50.0% mainly based on lecture method). Nearly 95.8% of teachers held a positive attitude toward sex education, with 98.3% supporting its implementation. Only 26.7% of teachers demonstrated a good grasp of sex education knowledge, with the best understood topic being "recognition and protection of private parts" (21.6%). When dealing with students inappropriate sexual behaviors, the active response rate of teachers was 23.9%, with the highest active response rate observed for "intentionally hugging or kissing the opposite sex" (39.7%). Conclusions The special education schools in Luzhou lack comprehensive sex education curricula, teaching materials and full time teachers, sufficient knowledge among teachers, and adequate proactive responses to students inappropriate sexual behaviors. Greater emphasis should be placed on sex education for special children, including the training of dedicated teachers, to provide comprehensive and high quality sex education services for special children.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training for promoting transdifferentiation of astrocytes into neurons in mice after cerebral ischemia. METHODS: Male C57/BL6J mice were subjected to intracerebral microinjection of an adeno-associated virus carrying the GFAP promoter for NeuroD1 and Ngn2 overexpression in the astrocytes, followed 3 or 12 days later by electrocoagulation of the distal middle cerebral artery. After modeling, the mice were randomly divided into model group without interventions and intervention group treated with electroacupuncture at the acupoints Baihui (GV20), left Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST36), and Yanglingquan (GB34) 24 h after surgery. The mice in the intervention group were housed individually in cages with running wheels, and their activity was recorded every 24 h. Neurological function scores of the mice were assessed on the 1st, 14th, and 21st days after modeling. Transdifferentiation of astrocytes in the target brain regions was observed using double immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Compared with those in the model group, the mice receiving eletroacupuncture and rehabilitation training showed significant improvement of neurological deficits at 14 and 21 days after modeling. The GFAP promoter of the AAV2/5 vector specifically labeled the local astrocytes, and compared with that that in the model group, the number of AAV-positive cells colabeled with the neuronal marker DCX significantly increased after 14 days of electroacupuncture and rehabilitation intervention, and the number of AAV-positive cells colabeled with the neuronal marker NeuN significantly increased after 21 days of intervention. CONCLUSIONS In mice with cerebral ischemia, electroacupuncture and rehabilitation training can promote transdifferentiation of astrocytes into neurons in the ischemic brain region, and the efficiency of transdifferentiation is positively correlated with the improvement of motor function.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Astrocytes/cytology* ; Cell Transdifferentiation ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain Ischemia/physiopathology* ; Mice ; Neurons/cytology* ; Doublecortin Protein

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of the multidisciplinary team （MDT） management model in improving the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension. MethodsA total of 86 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension who were admitted to Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital from May 2022 to July 2024 were enrolled， and according to whether the MDT treatment regimen was implemented， they were divided into execution group with 51 patients and non-execution group with 35 patients. Baseline clinical data were collected， and the patients were observed in terms of gastrointestinal bleeding， hepatic encephalopathy， liver cancer， and death from admission to the end of follow-up （January 2025）. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves for the cumulative incidence rates of endpoint events （gastrointestinal bleeding， hepatic encephalopathy， liver cancer， and death）， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. The Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis was used to investigate the effect of MDT management on the prognosis of patients. ResultsThere were significant differences between the execution group and the non-execution group in diameter of the portal vein （t=1.216， P=0.017） and ascites （χ²=4.515， P=0.034） at baseline. The patients were followed up for 14.6±6.2 months， and the survival curve analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the cumulative incidence rate of gastrointestinal bleeding between the two groups （χ²=4.573， P=0.024）， while there were no significant differences in the incidence rates of other outcome events between the two groups （all P>0.05）. The Cox regression analysis showed that the execution group had a reduced risk of gastrointestinal bleeding （hazard ratio=0.262， 95% confidence interval： 0.110 — 0.630， P=0.003）. ConclusionImplementation of the MDT treatment regimen can significantly reduce the short-term risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension， while its long-term benefits require further follow-up verification.

In the context of delayed marriage and parenthood, decreased willingness in having children, and population aging in China, maternal and child health has become an important and urgent issue. Being essential platforms for research in maternal and child health, the importance of birth cohorts has been widely recognized. In the past 20 years, tens of birth cohorts have been established in major cities and regions of China, with cohorts ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands. These cohorts, particularly those large ones launched in recent years, have collected a wide spectrum of data and biological samples from mothers and children. Although they have made considerable preliminary achievements, there remain difficulties and challenges. The significant challenges include small and medium-sized cohorts' lacking of clear research themes; insufficient recognition of and emphasis on behavioral and social determinants of health while emphasizing biological determinants of health; variations in types of variables and quality of data collected, which make it difficult for cohorts to be merged and shared; lack of and difficulties in long-term follow-up; significant uncertainties in resources for long-term sustention of the cohorts, and so on. So, we argue that birth cohorts should focus on essential and urgent issues in maternal and child health in the country and seek recognition and support from the government and the entire society. Last but not least, the overall success of birth cohorts in the country requires scientists to be not only academically capable, but also realistic, persistent, altruistic, and collaborative.

Objective To predict whether antiviral therapy is required in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection and an age of≤30 years by establishing a noninvasive model,and to investigate the diagnostic value of this model.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 175 patients with chronic HBV infection who were admitted to Shenzhen Third People's Hospital from January 2017 to January 2023 and met the inclusion criteria,and according to the results of liver biopsy,they were divided into treatment group with 41 patients(with indications for antiviral therapy)and observation group with 134 patients(without indications for antiviral therapy).The two groups were analyzed in terms of the indicators including clinical data,imaging examinations,and serum biochemical parameters.The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the parameters affecting the indication for antiviral therapy,and different models for predicting the need for antiviral therapy were constructed based on related parameters.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to compare the diagnostic value of different models.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous variables between groups,and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous variables between groups;the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.Results There were significant differences between the treatment group and the observation group in alanine aminotransferase,ferritin,total cholesterol(CHOL),triglyceride,platelet count,liver stiffness measured by sound touch elastography(STE),and procollagen Ⅲ N-terminal propeptide(PIIIP)(all P<0.05).The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CHOL(odds ratio[OR]=0.4,95％confidence interval[CI]:0.2—1.0),STE(OR=1.5,95％CI:1.0—2.1),and PIIIP(OR=1.1,95％CI:1.0—1.1)were independent predictive factors for the indications for antiviral therapy.Model 1(STE+PIIIP+CHOL),model 2(STE+PIIIP),model 3(STE+CHOL),model 4(PIIIP+CHOL)had an area under the ROC curve of 0.908,0.848,0.725,and 0.725,respectively,while STE,PIIIP,and CHOL used alone had an AUC of 0.836,0.725,and 0.634,respectively,suggesting that model 1 had the largest AUC,with a specificity of 77.34％and a sensitivity of 96.36％,and had a significant difference compared with STE,PIIIP,CHOL,and the models 2,3,and 4(Z=0.21,3.08,3.06,3.23,0.89,and 0.88,all P<0.05).Conclusion The noninvasive model established based on CHOL,STE,and PIIIP has a good value in predicting the need for antiviral therapy in patients with chronic HBV infection and an age of≤30 years.

ObjectiveTo investigate the menstrual conditions of women infected with COVID-19 in Shanghai and analyze the influencing factors. MethodsFrom December 2022 to March 2023， menstrual data from 281 women infected with COVID-19 in Shanghai were collected with a questionnaire survey， including usual menstrual characteristics， the most recent menstrual period post-infection， symptoms of infection， and medication usage. According to the crossover period between the menstrual period and the infection period of the respondents， the samples were divided into two groups for comparative analysis： those whose menstrual and infection periods overlapped （positive group） and those whose menstruation started after conversion to virus-negative （negative conversion group）. ResultsAmong the 281 respondents， 196 （65.8%） experienced menstrual changes. Among them， 145 （51.6%） had changes in menstrual volume， color and texture， and 109 （38.8%） had changes in menstrual duration or cycle. Decreased menstrual volume （22.1%）， darker color （23.49%）， thicker texture （21.0%）， increased blood clots （16.7%）， and prolonged duration （21.8%） were observed in both groups. The rate of changes in menstrual volume， color， and texture was higher in the positive group （56.8%， 69/110） than that in negative group （37.3%， 76/171） （P<0.05）. Regarding the menstrual cycle changes， the rate of early onset was higher in the positive group （14.5%） compared to the negative conversion group （3.5%）（P<0.05）， while the rate of delayed menstruation was higher in the negative conversion group （25.1%） than that in the positive group （5.5%） （P<0.05）. Correlation analysis showed a weak association between sore throat and menstrual changes （r=0.154， P<0.05）. ConclusionSome women infected with COVID-19 experience short-term changes in their menstrual conditions， characterized by reduced volume， darker color， thick texture， increased clots， and prolonged menstrual duration， reflecting a pathogenesis of blood stasis. Menstruation during the infection period tends to occur earlier， while delayed menstruation is more prevalent at post-conversion.

Objective To observe the value of ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection of hypertonic glucose(HG)for treating knee osteoarthritis in plateau area.Methods Ninety-one patients with knee osteoarthritis in plateau area(124 affected knee joints)were enrolled.The knee joints were divided into 20％HG group(n=67),25％HG group(n=42)or sodium hyaluronate group(n=15)based on the medication.Clinical and ultrasound scores were compared before and after treatment,and the efficacy of injection of HG was evaluated.Results At the 12th and 48th weeks after treatment,visual analog scale(VAS)scores decreased in all 3 groups(all P＜0.05),and Lysholm scores of 20％HG group and 25％HG group increased compared to those before treatment(all P＜0.05).The difference of Lysholm score before and in the 12th week after treatment,and of VAS score before and in the 48th week after treatment of 25％HG group were higher than those of 20％HG group(both P＜0.05).The joint exudation score of 20％HG group decreased in the 48th week after treatment compared to that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the synovial blood flow score decreased in the 12th and 48th weeks after treatment compared to those before treatment(both P＜0.05).The joint exudation score of 25％HG group decreased in the 48th week after treatment compared to that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the synovial hyperplasia and synovial blood flow score decreased in the 12th and 48th weeks after treatment compared to before treatment(all P＜0.05).The joint exudation score of sodium hyaluronate group decreased in the 48th week after treatment compared to that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the synovial hyperplasia score decreased in the 12th and 48th weeks after treatment compared to that before treatment(both P＜0.05).Conclusion Ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection of HG,esp.25％HG,had certain value for treating knee osteoarthritis in plateau area.

BACKGROUND:It was found that the ligands and receptors of Notch are both cell membrane surface proteins,which are important proteins to mediate intercellular communication,and the Notch signaling pathway plays a crucial regulatory role in the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To review the regulatory mechanism of the Notch signaling pathway on the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells,summarize and clarify the research advance in how the Notch signaling pathway regulates the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells,and provide theoretical support for the future use of stem cells to treat various related diseases. METHODS:By using the computer,the first author searched the relevant studies involving Notch signaling pathway regulation of mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and differentiation on CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,PubMed,Web of Science,and Nature databases with Chinese search terms"mesenchymal stem cells,Notch,Notch signaling pathway,proliferation,differentiation"and the English search terms"mesenchymal stem cells,MSC,Notch,Notch signaling pathway,proliferation,differentiation".Part of the literature was searched in combination with the literature tracing method.Finally,87 articles were included in the review analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Notch signaling pathway is a conserved signaling pathway in multicellular organisms,which plays an important role in regulating cell differentiation,proliferation,apoptosis,and the cell cycle by mediating communication between neighboring cells through receptor-ligand binding.(2)Mesenchymal stem cells are a class of adult stem cells with self-proliferative and multi-directional differentiation potential,which can be regulated by external signaling pathways to affect their proliferation and differentiation.Notch signaling pathway,as one of them,when Notch ligands are activated,the Notch proteins will undergo two protein hydrolysis cleavages to release Notch intracellular structural domain NICD,which then enters the nucleus and thus promotes the transcription of target genes to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from different sources,such as bone marrow,adipose,and umbilical cord.However,the specific mechanisms that regulate the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from different tissue sources of the same species are different.(3)The Notch signaling pathway can regulate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into different target cells,but due to different target cells,the expression levels of receptors or ligands in the Notch signaling pathway vary.(4)Clinical targeting of the Notch signaling pathway to promote mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of various refractory diseases,such as aplastic anemia,severe joint injuries,ischemic strokes,and myocardial infarctions,has a promising application.(5)By exploring the Notch signaling pathway via regulating the expression levels of its receptors and ligands in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from rat,mouse,and human,it can be found that the Notch signaling pathway expression levels in the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from different species origins are also different.(6)The role of mesenchymal stem cells in tissue engineering has been gradually highlighted due to their advantages of safety,low immune rejection,and wide therapeutic prospects.The Notch signaling pathway regulates the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells with a wide range of influencing factors,and subsequent studies should further optimize the influencing factor variables and explore the standardized studies of regulating the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism and pathway of Gandou Fumu decoction （GDFMD） in the development of liver fibrosis in Wilson's disease （WD）. MethodFirst， 30 TX-j mice were randomly divided into the model group， high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose GDFMD groups， and penicillamine group， with six mice in each group， and another six wild-type mice were used as the normal group. The high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose GDFMD groups were intragastrically administered drugs of 13.92， 6.96， 3.48 g·kg^-1. In the penicillamine group， 0.1 g·kg^-1 of penicillamine was given by intragastric administration. The model group and the normal group were given equal volume of normal saline， once a day， for four consecutive weeks. Samples were collected four weeks after gavage， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect type Ⅲ procollagen peptide （PCⅢ）， collagen type Ⅳ （Col Ⅳ）， hyaluronic acid （HA）， and laminin （LN）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE）， Masson， and picric acid-Sirus red collagen （Sirus Red） staining were used to observe the histopathological changes of liver fibrosis. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， immunohistochemistry， and Western blot were used to observe the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） and collagen type Ⅰ （Col Ⅰ）， which were related to the activation of hepatic stellate cells （HSCs）. The expression of miR-29b-3p was observed by Real-time PCR. The expression of Unc-51-like kinase 1 （ULK1） and its downstream-related factors were observed by Western blot. The downstream genes of miR-29b-3p were verified by the dual luciferase reporter gene detection method. ResultCompared with the normal group， the four items of liver fibrosis （PCⅢ， Col Ⅳ， HA， and LN） in the model group were significantly abnormal （P<0.01）， and the pathology was significantly abnormal. The expression of HSC activation-related indicators including α-SMA and Col Ⅰ， as well as α-SMA mRNA and Col Ⅰ mRNA was up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and miR-29b-3p expression was down-regulated （P<0.01）. ULK1， p-ULK1， autophagy-related gene 13 （Atg13）， p-Atg13， Beclin-1， FAK family kinase-interacting protein of 200 kDa （FIP200）， activating molecule in BECN1-regulated autophagy protein 1 （AMBKA1）， and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3Ⅱ/Ⅰ（LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ） were up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. p62 protein expression was down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the four items of liver fibrosis in the high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose GDFMD groups and the penicillamine group were significantly improve （P<0.01）， and the pathological conditions were improved. The expression of HSC activation-related indicators including α-SMA and Col Ⅰ， as well as α-SMA mRNA and Col Ⅰ mRNA was down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression of miR-29b-3p was up-regulated （P<0.01）. ULK1， p-ULK1， Atg13， p-Atg13， Beclin-1， FIP200， AMBKA1， and LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ were down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and p62 protein expression was up-regulated （P<0.01）. The prediction software predicted that there was a binding site between miR-29b-3p and ULK1. The dual-luciferase reporter gene detection method indicated that the luciferase activity of the ULK1-WT plasmid-transfected cell group was reduced when miR-29b-3p mimics were co-cultured （P<0.01）. ConclusionGDFMD can regulate ULK1-mediated autophagy by up-regulating miR-29b-3p and further exert its anti-hepatic fibrosis effect in Wilson's disease.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) in patients with non-ischemic heart failure (NIHF) and to construct a nomogram prediction model for NIHF patients with LVT.Methods:This study was a case-control study. A total of 2 592 patients with NIHF hospitalized in Beijing Anzhen Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2018 to July 2022 were selected. Fifty-one patients with LVT identified by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance were classified into LVT group. One hundred and sixty patients were selected as the non-LVT group using a 1∶3 propensity score matching based on age and gender. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of LVT in patients with NIHF. A nomogram prediction model was constructed, and the area under (AUC) the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to evaluate the predictive effect of the model.Results:A total of 211 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 40 years old and 160 males (76%). Compared with non-LVT group, LVT group had lower systolic blood pressure ((112±20) mmHg vs. (120±19) mmHg; 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; (27±12)% vs. (39±14)% ), lower proportion of patients with history of hypertension (28% (14/51) vs. 44% (70/160)) and atrial fibrillation (8% (4/51)vs.39% (62/160)), higher proportion of patients with New York Heart Association functional class Ⅲ to Ⅳ (class Ⅲ: 59% (30/51) vs. 41% (66/160); class Ⅳ: 28% (14/51) vs. 19% (31/160)), and larger left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD; (56±14) mm vs. (50±15) mm). The levels of hemoglobin ((152±23) g/L vs. (142±30) g/L), D-dimer (508 (300, 1 105) μg/L vs. 158 (68, 379) μg/L), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (3 429 (2 462, 4 734) ng/L vs. 1 288 (422, 2 544) ng/L) were higher in LVT group than in non-LVT group ( P all<0.05). LVT group had a higher proportion of patients using beta-blockers (92% (47/51) vs. 78% (124/160)), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (88% (45/51) vs. 72% (115/160)), and anticoagulant drugs (98% (50/51) vs. 32% (51/160)) than non-LVT group (all P <0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that reduced LVEF ( OR=1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.15, P=0.008), decreased LVESD ( OR=1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.12, P=0.013), and increased D-dimer levels ( OR=5.40, 95% CI 1.98-14.74, P=0.001) were independent influencing factors for LVT in patients with NIHF. The ROC curve showed that the AUC of the nomogram for predicting LVT in patients with NIHF was 0.793 (95% CI 0.710-0.876, P<0.001). Conclusion:Reduced LVEF, decreased LVESD, and elevated D-dimer are associated with LVT in NIHF patients. The predictive model developed based on the above indicators has certain value in predicting LVT in NIHF patients.