Objective : To explore the mediating effect of self-efficacy on family health and health literacy among middle-aged and elderly chronic diseases patients in rural areas, so as to provide a basis for developing targeted health literacy improvement strategies. Methods: Based on the publicly available 2021 "Survey of Chinese Residents' Psychology and Behavior" database, rural chronic diseases patients aged >45 years were selected as the study subjects. Data on demographic information, family type, and chronic diseases comorbidities were collected. The Chinese simplified Family Health Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Health Literacy Scale were used to assess family health, self-efficacy, and health literacy, respectively. Correlation analysis was employed to explore the relationships between variables, and the 4.1 Process program was used to analyze the mediating effect of self-efficacy on family health and health literacy. The Bootstrap method was applied to test the significance of the mediating effect. Results: A total of 449 participants were included, of whom 241 were male (53.67%) and 208 were female (46.33%). The majority (205 cases, 45.66%) were aged 60-<76 years. There were 168 cases (37.42%) with chronic disease comorbidities. The total score for family health was (37.96±6.25) points. The self-efficacy score was (27.28±5.40) points, the health literacy index was (27.72±8.08) points, and the health literacy proficiency rate was only 14.90% (67 patierts). Mediating effect analysis showed that family health could directly and positively influence health literacy, with a direct effect value of 0.090 (95%CI: 0.001-0.179). It could also indirectly and positively influence health literacy through self-efficacy, with a mediating effect value of 0.164 (95%CI: 0.099-0.234). The mediating effect accounted for 64.31% of the total effect. Conclusion Self-efficacy plays a positive mediating role between family health and health literacy among middle-aged and elderly chronic diseases patients in rural areas.

OBJECTIVES: Near vision loss (NVL) is one of the leading causes of visual impairment worldwide, exerting a profound impact on individual quality of life and socio-economic development. This study aims to analyze the burden of NVL in China by sex and age groups from 1990 to 2021 and to project trends over the next 15 years. METHODS: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, we conducted descriptive analyses of NVL prevalence in China, calculated age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPR) and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years rates (ASDR) to compare burden differences between sexes and age groups, and applied an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to predict NVL trends for the next 15 years. The model selection was based on best-fit criteria to ensure reliable projections. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2021, China's ASPR of NVL rose from 10 096.24/100 000 to 15 624.54/100 000, and ASDR increased from 101.75/100 000 to 158.75/100 000. In 2021, ASPR (16 551.70/100 000) and ASDR (167.69/100 000) were higher among females than males (14 686.21/100 000 and 149.76/100 000, respectively). China ranked highest globally in both NVL cases and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), with female burden significantly exceeding male burden. Projections indicated this trend and sex gap will persist until 2036. Compared with 1990, the prevalence cases and DALYs increased by 239.20% and 238.82%, respectively in 2021, with the highest burden among females and the 55-59 age group. The ARIMA model predicted continued increases in prevalence and DALYs by 2036, with females maintaining a higher burden than males. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals a marked increase in the NVL burden in China and predicts continued growth in the coming years. Public health policies should prioritize NVL prevention and control, with special attention to women and middle-aged populations to mitigate long-term societal and health impacts.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Prevalence ; Middle Aged ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Adult ; Global Burden of Disease ; Adolescent ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Aged ; Sex Factors ; Child ; Young Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Cost of Illness ; Infant ; Aged, 80 and over ; Vision Disorders/epidemiology*

Heat shock factor 1(HSF1)is a core transcription factor in cellular stress response and protein homeostasis maintenance,and is widely involved in biological processes such as cell growth,differentiation,and metabolism.This study aims to design antigenic peptides of the sheep HSF1 protein and prepare polyclonal antibodies through bioinformatics analysis and immunologi-cal techniques,and verify their application effects in sheep lung and testis tissues.Firstly,the se-quence,structure,and evolution of the sheep HSF1 gene were analyzed using bioinformatics meth-ods,and key antigenic epitopes were predicted.Then,suitable peptide fragments were selected for synthesis,emulsified with Freund's complete adjuvant or incomplete adjuvant,and used to immu-nize New Zealand rabbits.The specificity and effectiveness of the antibodies were verified by indi-rect ELISA,Western blot,and immunohistochemistry(IHC)experiments.The results showed that the HSF1 protein is 564 amino acids(aa)in length,with a molecular weight of 60.76 kDa,a theo-retical isoelectric point(pI)of 5.32,and is hydrophilic and unstable.Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that HSF1 is highly conserved among most members of the Bovidae family,as well as in humans,mice,rats,and other species,but with local site differences.Sheep HSF1 is most closely related to goat HSF1,followed by Canadian bighorn sheep and goral.The phosphorylation sites of sheep HSF1 are predominantly concentrated in the middle and C-terminal regions,which is largely consistent with the predicted results for human HSF1,though some local differences exist.The prepared polyclonal antibodies exhibited a titer of over 1:8000 in recognizing the sheep HSF1 pro-tein,and Western blot experiments confirmed clear bands with consistent molecular weight,indica-ting high specificity of the antibodies.Furthermore,the expression and specific distribution of HSF1 were detected in sheep lung and testis tissues.This study successfully prepared polyclonal antibodies based on the sheep HSF1 antigen peptide and,for the first time,detected the immuno-histochemical distribution of HSF1 in the testis and lung tissues of Argali hybrid sheep.This pro-vides an important tool for further exploring the physiological role of HSF1 in Argali hybrid sheep and its potential applications in stress response,disease prevention,and treatment.

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is the mainstay for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the performance of the embolization material is crucial in TAE. With the development of medical imaging and the birth of "X-ray-free" technologies, we designed a new dual-mode imaging material of dimethoxy tetraphenyl ethylene (DMTPE) via emulsification by mixing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PNA) with lipiodol and fluorocarbons, which was evaluated for temperature sensitivity, stability, and dual-mode visualization in vitro. Additionally, blood vessel casting embolization and renal artery imaging were assessed in healthy rabbits. In a rabbit model with a VX2 tumor, the effectiveness of TAE for treating HCC was examined, with an emphasis on evaluating long-term outcomes of embolization and its effects on tumor growth, necrosis, and proliferation through imaging techniques. In vitro experiments confirmed that the temperature-sensitive dual-oil-phase Pickering emulsion had good flow, stable contrast, and embolism when the oil-to-oil ratio and water-to-oil ratio were both 7:3 ( v/v) and stabilized with 8% PNA. Similarly, in vivo, arterial embolization confirmed the excellent properties of DMTPE prepared at the abovementioned ratios. It was observed that DMTPE not only has an antitumor effect but can also achieve dual imaging using X-rays and ultrasound, making it a promising excellent vascular embolization material for TAE in tumor treatment.

Background::An evidence gap still exists regarding the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in patients with erosive esophagitis (EE) in China. This study aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan vs. esomeprazole in patients with EE in China. Methods::This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel, active-controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial of patients with EE randomized 1:1 to tegoprazan 50 mg/day vs. esomeprazole 40 mg/day. This study was conducted in 32 sites between October 24, 2018 and October 18, 2019. The primary endpoint was the cumulative endoscopic healing rate at week 8. The secondary endpoint included endoscopic healing rate at week 4, changes in the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) and gastroesophageal reflux disease health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) scores, and symptom improvement. Results::A total of 261 patients were randomized: 132 to the tegoprazan group and 129 to the esomeprazole group. The cumulative endoscopic healing rate at 8 weeks in the tegoprazan group was non-inferior to that of the esomeprazole group (91.1% vs. 92.8%, difference: -1.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -8.5%, 5.0%, P = 0.008). There were no statistically significant differences in the changes in RDQ (total, severity, and frequency) and GERD-HRQL scores between the two groups (all P >0.05). The percentages of days without symptoms, including daytime and nighttime symptoms based on patients' diaries, were similar between the two groups (all P >0.05). In the tegoprazan and esomeprazole groups, 71.5% (93/130) and 61.7% (79/128) of the participants reported adverse events (AEs), 2.3% and 0 experienced serious AEs, while 70.0% and 60.2% had treatment-emergent AEs, respectively. Conclusion::Tegoprazan 50 mg/day demonstrated non-inferior efficacy in healing EE, symptom improvement, and quality of life, and it has similar tolerability compared with esomeprazole 40 mg/day.

To investigate the application value of disposable subscope-assisted intestinal metal stent placement in the treatment for acute malignant colorectal obstruction, a retrospective analysis was conducted on the patients who underwent intestinal metal stent placement assisted by disposable subscope for acute malignant colorectal obstruction at the Digestive Endoscopy Center, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University from June 2023 to July 2024. The technical success rate, clinical success rate, operation time, postoperative complications and first-stage surgical resection anastomosis rate of intestinal metal stent placement assisted by subscope were analyzed. Among the 16 included patients, there were 10 males and 6 females, with the age of 72.19±9.40 years. Obstruction occurred at the descending colon in 8 cases (50.00%), at the sigmoid colon in 6 cases (37.50%), at the rectosigmoid junction in 1 case (6.25%), and at the splenic flexure of the transverse colon in 1 case (6.25%). All 16 patients successfully underwent stent placement, with a technical success rate of 100.00% (16/16). Obstruction symptoms did not relieve in one patient (6.25%) after stent placement, resulting in a clinical success rate of 93.75% (15/16). The endoscopic operation time for the 16 patients was 37.8±13.9 minutes. No bleeding, perforation, stent displacement, or detachment occurred after the operation. Fourteen patients underwent subsequent surgical treatment, the first-stage surgical resection anastomosis rate was 71.43% (10/14). This preliminary study suggests that the disposable subscope-assisted intestinal metal stent placement for the treatment of acute malignant colorectal obstruction is safe and effective, with no radiation exposure.

Objective:To explore the differential diagnostic value of three gastric function indicators and Helicobacter pylori ( Hp) antibody combined detection in early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions. Methods:A total of 103 patients with gastric cancer (gastric cancer group), 103 patients with precancerous lesions (precancerous lesion group) and 103 healthy physical examination subjects (healthy group) admitted to the Emergency Management Department Emergency General Hospital from December 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively selected as the study objects. Three gastric function tests and 14C breath test were performed in all three groups. The levels of three gastric function indicators and Hp antibody were compared among the three groups. According to the results of 14C breath test, gastric cancer patients were divided into the positive group and the negative group, and the levels of the three gastric function indicators were compared between the two groups. Results:The serum levels of pepsinogen Ⅱ (PGⅡ) and gastrin 17 (G-17) in the gastric cancer group were higher than those in the precancerous lesion group and healthy group: (18.32 ± 4.72) μg/L vs. (13.83 ± 3.63), (11.56 ± 3.47) μg/L; (74.82 ± 8.89) μg/L vs. (61.07 ± 7.51), (49.14 ± 5.29) μg/L; the levels of pepsinogen Ⅰ (PGⅠ) and pepsinogen ratio (PGR, PGⅠ/ PGⅡ) were lower than those in the precancerous lesion group and healthy group: (35.83 ± 5.93) μg/L vs. (73.05 ± 7.23), (86.27 ± 8.48) μg/L; 1.96 ± 0.54 vs. 5.28 ± 1.00, 7.46 ± 1.02, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The positive rates of Hp antibody in gastric cancer group, precancerous lesion group and healthy group were 65.05% (67/103), 33.01%(34/103) and 11.65% (12/103), respectively, there was a statistically significant difference in the positive rates of Hp antibody among the three groups ( χ2 = 64.15, P<0.05). The positive rate of Hp antibody was the highest in gastric cancer group, followed by precancer group, and the lowest in healthy group.The levels of PGⅠand PGR in patients with positive 14C breath test in the gastric cancer group were lower than those with negative results: (25.79 ± 3.63) μg/L vs. (41.82 ± 4.71) μg/L, 1.28 ± 0.42 vs. 2.40 ± 0.56, while the levels of PGⅡ and G-17 were higher than those with negative results: (20.35 ± 3.59) μg/L vs. (17.46 ± 3.52) μg/L, (83.72 ± 10.84) μg/L vs. (65.07 ± 7.76) μg/L, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The combined detection of gastric function and Hp antibody can serve as important screening indicator for evaluating gastric cancer and precancerous lesions.

Hereditary angioedema(HAE)is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by recur-rent,unpredictable episodes of skin and mucosal edema,which may affect the face,extremities,respiratory tract,gastrointestinal tract,and genitals,with a global prevalence of approximately 1 in 50 000.This case re-port presents a young female patient with a history of recurrent abdominal pain and multisite edema.During an acute episode,laboratory tests revealed decreased complement C4 levels along with reduced concentration and function of C1 esterase inhibitor.Computed tomography(CT)demonstrated bowel wall edema and pelvic effu-sion.Previously undiagnosed,the patient was admitted for this acute attack and was ultimately diagnosed with HAE following a multidisciplinary treatment(MDT)team discussion at our hospital.The rapid diagnosis and treatment of this case highlight the critical role of MDT in the management of complex and rare diseases.

BACKGROUND:Neurodegenerative diseases are closely related to the imbalance of mitochondrial autophagy regulation.Previous studies by the research group have shown that lycium barbarum polysaccharide has neuroprotective effects,but whether it can improve the damage of SH-SY5Y cells induced byβ-amyloid protein 1-42 by regulating mitochondrial autophagy is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To explore the protective effect and mechanism of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on SH-SY5Y cells induced by β-amyloid protein 1-42.METHODS:An Alzheimer's disease cell model was established by inducing SH-SY5Y cells with β-amyloid protein 1-42,and then intervening with Lycium barbarum polysaccharide.SH-SY5Y cells were divided into three groups:control group,β-amyloid protein 1-42 group(20 μmol/L β-amyloid protein 1-42 for 24 hours),and Lycium barbarum polysaccharide group(1 g/L Lycium barbarum polysaccharide was added 1 hour in advance to form a protective effect,and then 20 μmol/L β-amyloid protein 1-42 was added to intervene with Lycium barbarum polysaccharide for 24 hours).CCK8 assay was used to detect cell viability.Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1.TUNEL staining was used to detect cell apoptosis.Immunofluorescence and western blot assay were used to detect the expression of synaptic,apoptosis,and mitophagy-related indicators.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the cell viability of the β-amyloid protein 1-42 group decreased(P＜0.05);cell apoptosis rate increased(P＜0.05);mitochondrial membrane potential decreased(P＜0.05);the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase3 increased(P＜0.05);the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 decreased(P＜0.05);the expression levels of synaptic-related proteins Syn and PSD-95 decreased(P＜0.05);the expression levels of mitochondrial autophagy-related proteins Pink1,LC3A/B,Parkin,and Beclin-1 decreased(P＜0.05);and the expression of P62 increased(P＜0.05).(2)Compared with the β-amyloid protein 1-42 group,the cell viability in the Lycium barbarum polysaccharide group was increased(P＜0.05);the apoptosis rate was decreased(P＜0.05);the mitochondrial membrane potential was increased(P＜0.05);the expression levels of Bax and Caspase3 were decreased(P＜0.05);the expression of Bcl-2 was increased(P＜0.05);the expressions of Syn and PSD-95 were increased(P＜0.05);the expression levels of Pink1,LC3A/B,Parkin,and Beclin-1 were increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of P62 was decreased(P＜0.05).These findings indicate that Lycium barbarum polysaccharide may inhibit β-amyloid protein 1-42-induced damage to SH-SY5Y cells by regulating mitophagy,reduce cell apoptosis,and increase neuronal synaptic plasticity.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the common chronic complications of diabetes, presenting with neuropathic pain, sensory abnormalities, and sensory loss, and may lead to foot infections, ulcers, or amputation in severe cases. Its pathogenesis remains unclear, with challenge in early diagnosis and limited treatment efficacy. Emerging evidences suggest that DPN involves in not only the peripheral nervous system but also the central nervous system (CNS). With advances in imaging technologies, multimodal MRI has become a key tool to investigate CNS involvement in DPN. This review summarizes the structural, functional, metabolic, and perfusion-related CNS changes in DPN patients based on structural MRI, functional MRI, MR spectroscopy, and perfusion-weighted imaging, aiming to help early detection, clinical subtyping, and personalized treatment of DPN.