OBJECTIVES: End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major disease that seriously threatens the health of young people, and kidney transplantation is an effective treatment method to improve its prognosis.Young ESRD patients at a critical stage of life development often face significant physical and psychological challenges while waiting for kidney transplantation. Their psychological state directly affects treatment compliance and transplantation outcomes.This study aims to explore the psychological experiences of young patients with end stage renal disease during the waiting period for kidney transplantation, and provide a reference for formulating relevant psychological intervention measures. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative research design was adopted. Using purposive sampling, 20 young ESRD patients awaiting for kidney transplantation at the Transplantation Center of Xiangya Third Hospital, Central South University, from June to August 2024, were recruited. Based on the socio-ecological systems theory, a semi-structured interview outline was developed, and directed content analysis was applied to analyze the interview data. RESULTS: According to the results of qualitative interviews, 3 themes and 9 sub-themes were summarized as follows: Microsystem (disease pain experience, anxiety during transplantation waiting period, cognitive differentiation and coping differences), mesosystem (imbalance of family roles and dependent guilt, physician-patient trust dynamics, ambivalence toward peer support), and macrosystem (decision-making powerlessness caused by information asymmetry, sociocultural stigma and public bias, institutional dependence and passive behavior). CONCLUSIONS Young ESRD patients experience complex psychological experiences during the waiting period for kidney transplantation. Healthcare providers should explore corresponding intervention measures based on patients' psychological status to improve their waiting period experience and promote both physical and mental health.
Humans ; Kidney Transplantation/psychology* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/surgery* ; Qualitative Research ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Adaptation, Psychological ; Waiting Lists ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Anxiety/psychology*

Increasing evidence has underscored the significance of post-stroke alterations along gut-brain axis, while its role in pathogenesis and treatment of ischemic stroke (IS) remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects and action targets of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) on IS and explore a novel pathogenesis and treatment strategy of IS via profiling the microbial community and metabolic characteristics along gut-brain axis. Our findings revealed for the first time that the therapeutic effect of PNS on IS was microbiota-dependent. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) modeling significantly down-regulated Lactobacilli in rats, and PNS markedly recovered Lactobacilli, particularly Lactobacillus reuteri (L.Reu). Metabolomics showed a significant reduction in serum histidine (HIS) in clinical obsolete IS patients and rehabilitation period I/R rats. Meanwhile, the L.Reu colonization in I/R rats exhibited significant neuroprotective activity and greatly increased HIS in serum, gut microbiota, and brain. Moreover, exogenous HIS demonstrated indirect neuroprotective effects through metabolizing to histamine. Notably, vagus nerve severance in I/R rats was performed to investigate HIS's neuroprotective mechanism. The results innovatively revealed that PNS could promote HIS synthesis in gut by enhancing L.Reu proportion, thereby increasing intracerebral HIS through peripheral pathway. Consequently, our data provided novel insights into HIS metabolism mediated by L.Reu in the pathogenesis and treatment of IS.

Objective A novel variable-diameter cortical threaded screw used in a modified cortical bone trajectory(MCBT)was designed to verify its mechanical properties using the MCBT technique.Methods According to MCBT technology,the screw pitch was fixed at 2 mm,the total length was 45 mm,the diameter of the thick rod was 5.5 mm,the diameter of the thin rod was 4.0-4.5 mm,and the length of variable-diameter position connecting the thick rod and the thin rod was 2 mm.The parameters were set based on three aspects:variable-diameter position,thread depth,and thread type.Three-factor and three-level L9 tests were conducted and screw models were established.The torsion and the bending and pull-out force of the designed screws were calculated based on the finite element method,the results were analyzed using range analysis,and then the screw models were determined.The three-dimensional(3D)model of L4 vertebral body in osteoporosis specimens was established and screws were placed according to the MCBT technique.The pull-out force of the novel variable-diameter cortical threaded screw was compared with that of a conventional non-variable-diameter cortical threaded screw.Results Range analysis showed that screw No.6(variable-diameter position:24 mm from the screw head,thread depth:0.7 mm,45° symmetrical thread)was the optimal screw.The anti-pull-out force of the No.6 variable-diameter cortical threaded screw was 13.1%higher than that of the 4.5 mm conventional non-variable-diameter cortical threaded screw,and no statistical difference in anti-pull-out force was found between the No.6 variable-diameter cortical threaded screw and the 5.5 mm conventional non-variable-diameter cortical threaded screw.Conclusions The variable-diameter position has the smallest influence on pull-out force of the screw,the thread type has the largest influence on pull-out force,and the thread depth has the largest influence on torsion and bending.Compared with that of the conventional non-variable-diameter cortical threaded screw,the variable-diameter cortical threaded screw had a smaller front end,which prevented splitting at the entrance point of the screw.The screw has a large diameter at rear end,thereby showing improved pull-out performance.The results provide a new theoretical basis for the clinical application of MCBT technology.

Objective:To investigate the mediating role of self-regulatory fatigue between psychological distress and patient activation among elderly patients undergoing PCI, in order to establish a foundation for enhancing patient activation in this population.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 267 elderly patients hospitalized in the Department of Geriatrics at Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, for PCI treatment of coronary artery disease from March to August 2023.The study utilized the Patient Self-Regulation Fatigue Scale(SRF-S), the Positivity Scale(PAM), and the Kessler Scale of Psychological Distress(K10)to evaluate self-regulation fatigue, positivity, and psychological distress in the patients.Additionally, a structural equation model was developed to investigate the relationships among these variables.Results:The study found that the scores of PAM, SRF-S, and K10 were as follows: (56.49±9.52), (42.74±8.11), and(23.42±4.45)respectively.Patient activation showed a negative correlation with self-regulatory fatigue and psychological distress, while self-regulatory fatigue was positively correlated with psychological distress.Furthermore, self-regulatory fatigue was identified as playing a partial mediating role between psychological distress and patient activation, with a mediating effect of 0.198, which accounted for 53.8% of the total effect.Conclusions:self-regulatory fatigue serving as a mediating factor between psychological distress and patient activation.Clinicians should prioritize addressing self-regulatory fatigue to enhance the efficacy of patient activation interventions.

Objective:Hepatic fibrosis is a common pathological basis for many chronic liver diseases and can progress to cirrhosis,a leading cause of mortality in liver diseases.Early identification and reversal of hepatic fibrosis are key in the treatment of chronic liver disease.This study aims to compare the expression levels of serum core fucosylated low molecular weight kininogen(LMWK-Fc)and alpha-galactosylated(α-Gal)antibodies in patients with hepatic fibrosis at different stages,and to evaluate their diagnostic efficacy for hepatic fibrosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 275 patients with chronic liver disease who visited the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between June 2022 and March 2023.Among these,115 patients underwent liver biopsy.Based on the extent of collagen deposition and its impact on liver structure and microcirculation,patients were staged from 0 to 4:S0(no significant collagen deposition in liver tissues;liver structure and microcirculation are normal),S1(mild collagen deposition in liver tissues,with partial disruption of lobule structure,but microcirculation remains largely normal),S2(moderate collagen deposition in liver tissues,with partial disruption of lobule structure and microcirculation),S3(extensive collagen deposition in liver tissues,with substantial disruption of lobule structure and microcirculation),and S4(development of cirrhosis,with heavy collagen deposition,complete disruption of lobule structure,and severe impairment of microcirculation).Patients were grouped as no fibrosis(S0),fibrosis(S1-S2),and significant fibrosis(S3-S4).For the 160 patients without liver biopsy,they were categorized based on liver stiffness measurement(LSM)value:no fibrosis(F0:LSM＜7.3 kPa),fibrosis(F1-F2:LSM 7.3-12.4 kPa),and significant fibrosis(F3-F4:LSM＞12.4 kPa).Demographic data(age,gender)and laboratory indicators(alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,gamma-glutamyl transferase,alkaline phosphatase,alpha-fetoprotein,platelet count)were collected to calculate the fibrosis-4 index(FIB-4)and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI).Serum LMWK-Fc and α-Gal antibodies were measured and compared across the groups,and their correlation with fibrosis severity was analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess the predictive value of serum LMWK-Fc and α-Gal antibody levels for hepatic fibrosis. Results:Among the 160 patients without complete liver biopsy,serum α-Gal antibody and LMWK-Fc levels increased progressively from the no fibrosis group to the significant fibrosis group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Among the 115 patients with liver biopsy,serum LMWK-Fc levels were significantly higher in the fibrosis group and the significant fibrosis groups compared with the no fibrosis group,and α-Gal antibody levels were significantly higher in the significant fibrosis group compared with the no fibrosis group and the fibrosis group(P＜0.001,P=0.032,respectively).Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses showed that hepatic fibrosis was correlated with gender and LMWK-Fc levels(both P＜0.05),but not with age,α-Gal antibody levels,FIB-4,or APRI(all P＞0.05). Conclusion:The expression levels of serum LMWK-Fc and α-Gal antibodies vary across different stages of hepatic fibrosis,suggesting a potential association with fibrosis progression.LMWK-Fc levels have a certain predictive value for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis.

Objective To investigate dynamic shifts in the oral microbiota and their association with the progression and aggravation of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis(RIOM)in patients with head and neck malignancies undergoing radiotherapy.Methods Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing,dynamic changes of oral microbiota in patients was analyzed.Results Firmicutes,Bacteroidetes,and Actinobacteria consistently constituted the predominant bacteria in the oral cavity.While there were no significant changes in the abso-lute abundance of microbiota,there were notable alterations in their relative richness and evenness.Analyses including CCA/RDA and Kruskal-Wallis indicated a significant increase in the proportions of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus genera in the later stages post-radio-therapy,showing statistically meaningful differences.Conclusion RIOM is associated with dysbiosis of oral microbiota.Microbial dys-biosis may aggravate the severity of RIOM.Streptococcus and Lactobacillus could be closely related to the progression of RIOM,pending further validation through animal experiments.

BACKGROUND: Exosomes derived from breast cancer have been reported to play a role in promoting cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, which has the potential to accelerate the healing process of diabetic wounds. The aim of this investigation was to examine the function of exosomes originating from 4T1 mouse breast carcinoma cells (TEXs) in the process of diabetic wound healing. METHODS: The assessment of primary mouse skin fibroblasts cell proliferation and migration was conducted through the utilization of CCK-8 and wound healing assays, while the tube formation of HUVECs was evaluated by tube formation assay. High-throughput sequencing, RT-qPCR and cell experiments were used to detect the roles of miR-126a-3p in HUVECs functions in vitro. The in vivo study employed a model of full-thickness excisional wounds in diabetic subjects to explore the potential therapeutic benefits of TEXs. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent techniques were utilized to evaluate histological changes in skin tissues. RESULTS: The findings suggested that TEXs facilitate diabetic wound healing through the activation of cell migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis. An upregulation of miR-126a-3p has been observed in TEXs, and it has demonstrated efficient transferability from 4T1 cells to HUVEC cells. The activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway has been attributed to miR-126a-3p derived from TEXs. CONCLUSIONS The promotion of chronic wound healing can be facilitated by TEXs through the activation of cellular migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis. The activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by miR-126a-3p originating from TEXs has been discovered, indicating a potential avenue for enhancing the regenerative capabilities of wounds treated with TEXs.

OBJECTIVE To provide re ference for accurate measurem ent of population health status ，pharmacoeconomic evaluation and guidance of health resource allocation. METHODS Using quota and convenient sampling ，five administrative villages were selected from the rural areas under the jurisdiction of Liuzhi special zone ，Qianxi city and Jianhe county of Guizhou province from July to September 2020. Based on the gender and age ratio quota of rural population in the results of the national census，330 respondents were selected for questionnaire survey. The contents of the questionnaire included the self-made scale containing sociodemographic characteristics and general health information ，five-level EuroQoL five-dimension questionnaire （EQ-5D-5L，hereinafter referred to as the “new dimension scale ”）with cognitive dimensions （including attention ，memory， computing ability and learning ability ）and mini-mental state examination （MMSE）. The effects of reliability ，validity and new dimensions of new dimension scale on respond ents’quality of life were investigate ，and its measurement characteristics were verified；the application value of it in pharmacoeconomic hy_cheer@126.com evaluation and guiding the allocation of health resources were explored. RESULTS A total of 330 questionnaires weredistributed，320 were recovered and 320 were effective. The recovery rate and effective rate were 96.97％ and 100％ respectively. The ceiling effect of new dimension scale was 13.44％，the split-half reliability was 0.821，and the overall Cronbach ’s α was 0.852. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the new dimension scale was loaded with physiological ，cognitive and psychological factors ，and the cumulative contribution rate was 69.35％. The correlation coefficient between the new dimension and the dimension of MMSE scale were 0.19-0.61，showing a moderate or medium to strong correlation （P＜0.01）. Compared with EQ- 5D-5L，after adding each dimension ，the interpretation ability of the regression model was improved by 5.00％-17.50％. CONCLUSIONS The new dimension scale has high feasibility ，good reliability and validity ，significantly reduces the ceiling effect of EQ- 5D-5L，has higher sensitivity to the evaluation of people ’s quality of life，and can better evaluate the quality of life of rural population. It is suggested that it can be applied for quality of life evaluation，intervention effect analysis and related economic evaluation.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of radiomics based on computed tomography (CT) examination in preoperative differential diagnosis of pancreatic serous cystadenoma (SCA) and mucinous cystadenoma (MCA).Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological and imaging data of 154 patients with pancreatic cystic neoplasms who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2012 to December 2019 were collected. There were 24 males and 130 females, aged (50±13)years. Of the 154 patients, 99 cases were diagnosed as SCA and 55 cases were diagnosed as MCA. All the 154 patients underwent plain and enhanced CT scan of pancreas before operation. The clinical characteristics, radiology features and radiomics features of all patients were collected to construct the clinical characteristics model, radiology model, radiomics model and fused model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of each model was drawn, and those constructed models were evaluated by area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Based on the optimal model, the nomogram was constructed. Observation indicators: (1) establishment and validation of clinical characteristics model; (2) establishment and validation of radiology model; (3) establishment and validation of radiomics model; (4) establishment and validation of fused model; (5) nomogram of fused model. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Results:(1) Establishment and validation of clinical characteristics model: 3 clinical characteristics, including age, symptoms and preoperative serum CA19-9, were selected using multinomial logistic linear regression analysis to construct the clinical characteristics model. Result of the multinomial logistic linear regression analysis was expressed by formula ①: clinical characteristics model score=0.635-0.007×age+0.054×clinical symptoms+0.108×preoperative serum CA19-9. The ROC curve for the test dataset of clinical characteristics model was drawn. The AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of clinical characteristics model were 0.611(95% confidence interval as 0.488?0.734, P<0.05), 56.6%, 66.7%, 56.3%, 41.5%, 78.4% for the training dataset and 0.771(95% confidence interval as 0.624?0.919, P<0.05), 77.8%, 63.1%, 88.5%, 80.1%, 76.7% for the test dataset, respectively. (2) Establishment and validation of radiology model: 5 radiology characteristics, including tumor location, the number of tumors, tumor diameter of cross section, lobulated tumor and polycystic tumor (more than 6), were selected using multinomial logistic linear regression analysis to construct the radiology model. Result of the multinomial logistic linear regression analysis was expressed by formula ②: radiology model score=?0.034+0.300×tumor location+0.202×the number of tumors+0.014×tumor diameter of cross section?0.251×lobulated tumor?0.170×polycystic tumor (more than 6). The ROC curve for the test dataset of radiology model was drawn. The AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of radiology model were 0.862(95% confidence interval as 0.791?0.932, P<0.05), 78.8%, 81.8%, 77.5%, 62.8%, 90.2% for the training dataset and 0.853(95% confidence interval as 0.713?0.994), P<0.05), 88.9%, 89.4%, 88.5%, 85.0%, 92.0% for the test dataset, respectively. (3) Establishment and validation of radiomics model: 4 categories of a total 1 067 radiomics features were extracted from 154 patients with pancreatic cystic neoplasms, including 7 first-order histogram features, 53 texture features, 848 wavelet features and 159 local binary pattern features. A total of 896 stable radiomics features were retained to construct the model, based on the condition of intraclass correlation coefficient >0.9. After selected by variance threshold and correlation coefficient threshold, 350 radiomics features were retained. Fifty synthetic radiomics features were constructed based on the original features in order to obtain potential radiomics features, and the total number of radiomics features was 400. After analyzed by the five-fold recursive feature elimination, 22 radiomics features were screened out, including 13 wavelet features, 7 synthetic radiomics features and 2 local binary pattern features. The support vector machine algorithm was used to construct the radiomics model. The penalty coefficient 'C' and parameter 'γ' of the radiomics model were 35.938 and 0.077, respectively. The kernel function of the radiomics model was 'radial basis function kernel'. The ROC curve of radiomics model using 5-fold cross validation was drawn. The average AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the radiomics model were 0.870 ( P<0.05), 83.1%, 81.8%, 83.8%, 73.8% and 89.2%, respectively. (4) Establishment and validation of fused model: the fused model was constructed after selecting the tumor location and lobulated tumor of radiology characteristics and radiomics score. Result of the multinomial logistic linear regression analysis was expressed by formula ③: fused model socre=?0.154+0.218×tumor location?0.223×lobulated tumor+0.621×radiomics score. The ROC curve for the test dataset of fused model was drawn. The AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of fused model were 0.893(95% confidence interval as 0.828?0.958, P<0.05), 83.7%, 81.8%, 84.5%, 71.1%, 90.9% for the training dataset and 0.966(95% confidence interval as 0.921?0.999, P<0.05), 91.1%, 84.2%, 96.2%, 94.1%, 89.3% for the test dataset, respectively. (5) Nomogram of fused model: the nomogram of fused model was illustrated with the Youden index of 0.416. Conclusion:The prediction model based on the radiomics signature and radiological features extracted from preoperative CT examination can make the differential diagnosis of pancreatic SCA from MCA.

Background: Bovine papillomatosis is a type of proliferative tumor disease of skin and mucosae caused by bovine papillomavirus (BPV). As a transboundary and emerging disease in cattle, it poses a potential threat to the dairy industry. Objectives: The aim of this study is to detect and clarify the genetic diversity of BPV circulating in dairy cows in Xinjiang, China. Methods: 122 papilloma skin lesions from 8 intensive dairy farms located in different regions of Xinjiang, China were detected by polymerase chain reaction. The genetic evolution relationships of various types of BPVs were analyzed by examining this phylogenetic tree. Results: Ten genotypes of BPV (BPV1, BPV2, BPV3, BPV6, BPV7, BPV8, BPV10, BPV11, BPV13, and BPV14) were detected and identified in dairy cows. These were the first reported detections of BPV13 and BPV14 in Xinjiang, Mixed infections were detected, and there were geographical differences in the distribution of the BPV genotypes. Notably, the BPV infection rate among young cattle (< 1-year-old) developed from the same supply of frozen sperm was higher than that of the other young cows naturally raised under the same environmental conditions. Conclusions Genotyping based on the L1 gene of BPV showed that BPVs circulating in Xinjiang China displayed substantial genetic diversity. This study provided valuable data at the molecular epidemiology level, which is conducive to developing deep insights into the genetic diversity and pathogenic characteristics of BPVs in dairy cows.