Objective Objective To analyze the potential spatial factors affecting the genetic differentiation of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni in Yunnan Province. Methods A total of 13 administrative villages were selected from schistosomiasis-endemic areas of Yunnan Province as O. hupensis snail sampling sites. At least 200 snails were collected in each site, and the spatial variable data of each site were recorded, including longitude, latitude and altitude. Thirty active and Schistosoma japonicum uninfected O. hupensis snails were selected from each sampling site by means of the crawling method and the cercarial shedding method. Genomic DNA was extracted from O. hupensis snails. Following PCR amplification, purification of PCR amplification products and sequencing, the gene sequences of O. hupensis snail samples were spliced and edited using the DNAstar software and the NCBI database to yield the complete mitochondrial sequences of O. hupensis snails at each sampling site, and the mitochondrial genetic distance matrix of O. hupensis robertsoni was calculated at each sampling site. The geographical coordinates of each sampling site were marked using the software ArcGIS 10.2, and the straight-line geographical distance between each sampling site was calculated. The altitude difference, longitude difference and latitude difference between each sampling site were calculated using the Excel software, and the correlation between the mitochondrial genetic distance matrix of O. hupensis robertsoni and each spatial variable matrix was examined by using the Mantel test at 13 sampling sites in Yunnan Province. Results Among the 13 O. hupensis snail sampling sites in Yunnan Province, the largest mitochondrial genetic distance of O. hupensis robertsoni snail populations was seen between Anding Village, Nanjian Yi Autonomous County and Caizhuang Village, Midu County (26.244 2), and the largest geographical distance was seen between Dongyuan Village, Gucheng District and Cangling Village, Chuxiong County (272.64 km). The highest altitude difference was seen between Anding Village, Nanjian Yi Autonomous County and Dongyuan Village, Gucheng District (1 086.10 m), and the largest longitude difference was found between Qiandian Village, Eryuan County and Cangling Village, Chuxiong County (1.86°), while the largest latitude difference was measured between Leqiu Village, Nanjian Yi Autonomous County and Dongyuan Village, Gucheng District (1.81°). In addition, the mitochondrial genetic distance of O. hupensis robertsoni snail populations was positively correlated with altitude at 13 snail sampling sites in Yunnan Province (r = 0.542 8, P < 0.001), and showed no significant correlations with geographical distance (r = 0.093 4, P > 0.05), longitude (r = −0.199 5, P > 0.05) or latitude (r = 0.205 7, P > 0.05). Conclusion Altitude may be a potential spatial factor affecting the genetic differentiation of O. hupensis robertsoni in Yunnan Province.

Objective: To explore the association between mental health and muscle strength among Chinese adolescents aged 13- 18, providing a theoretical foundation and intervention strategies for mental health promotion. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2019 Chinese National Survey on Students Constitution and Health, including 98 631 Chinese adolescents aged 13- 18. Psychological distress was assessed by using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and mental well being was measured with the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well being Scale (WEMWBS). Based on the gender and age specific Z scores of various test items [grip strength, standing long jump, pull ups (for males), and sit ups (for females)], muscle strength index (MSI) was constructed to evaluate the comprehensive level of muscle strength in adolescents. According to the Dual factor Model (DFM) of mental health, participants were categorized into four groups:troubled, symptomatic but content, vulnerable, and complete mental health. Gender differences were analyzed by using Chi-square tests, trends were tested with Cochran-Armitage tests, and multinomial Logistic regression models were applied to assess associations between muscle strength and mental health among adolescents. Results: In 2019, 37.4% of Chinese adolescents aged 13-18 were reported of high mental distress, and 59.9% were reported of low mental well being. Boys had significantly lower rates of high mental distress (35.3%) and low mental well being (55.6%) compared to girls (39.4%, 64.3%), and the differences were of statistical significance ( χ 2=176.13, 780.42, both P <0.05). In 2019, the rate of complete mental health among adolescents showed a downward trend with increasing age ( χ 2 trend = 258.47) and a gradual upward trend with increasing muscle strength levels ( χ 2 trend =123.14)，and both boys and girls exhibited similar trends ( χ 2 trend =103.83, 168.46; 57.00 , 67.34) (all P <0.05). The results of the unordered multiclass Logistic regression model showed that after controlling for confounding factors such as age and gender, when the completely pathological group as a reference, for every 1 unit increase in MSI in adolescents, the likelihood of being in a completely mental health state increased by 29% ( OR = 1.29); for every unit increase in the Z-score for pull ups, the likelihood of being in a completely mental health state increased by 6% ( OR =1.06) among boys; for every 1 unit increase in sit up Z score, the likelihood of being in a completely mental health state increased by 19% ( OR =1.19) among girls (all P <0.05). Conclusions The mental health status of Chinese adolescents is not good enough. Muscle strength is positively associated with mental health.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a prevalent clinical vascular condition and serves as a pivotal pathological foundation for cardiovascular diseases. Understanding the pathogenesis of AS has significant clinical and societal implications, aiding in the development of targeted drugs. Neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes in circulation, assume a central role during inflammatory responses and closely interact with AS, which is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are substantial reticular formations discharged by neutrophils that serve as an immune defense mechanism. These structures play a crucial role in inducing dysfunction of the vascular barrier following endothelial cell injury. Components released by NETs pose a threat to the integrity of vascular endothelium, which is essential as it acts as the primary barrier to maintain vascular wall integrity. Endothelial damage constitutes the initial stage in the onset of AS. Recent investigations have explored the intricate involvement of NETs in AS progression. The underlying structures of NETs and their active ingredients, including histone, myeloperoxidase (MPO), cathepsin G, neutrophil elastase (NE), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), antimicrobial peptide LL-37, alpha-defensin 1-3, and high mobility group protein B1 have diverse and complex effects on AS through various mechanisms. This review aims to comprehensively examine the interplay between NETs and AS while providing insights into their mechanistic underpinnings of NETs in this condition. By shedding light on this intricate relationship, this exploration paves the way for future investigations into NETs while guiding clinical translation efforts and charting new paths for therapeutic interventions.
Extracellular Traps/physiology* ; Humans ; Atherosclerosis/immunology* ; Neutrophils/physiology* ; Leukocyte Elastase/metabolism* ; Peroxidase/physiology* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases/physiology* ; Cathepsin G/metabolism* ; Cathelicidins ; HMGB1 Protein/physiology* ; Histones ; Animals ; Endothelium, Vascular

The development of bone in human body and the maintenance of bone mass in adulthood are regulated by a variety of biological factors. Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), as one of the many factors regulating bone tissue development and balance, has been shown to play a key role in bone development and metabolism. However, there is limited systematic analysis on the effects of MEF2C on bone tissue. This article reviews the role of MEF2C in bone development and metabolism. During bone development, MEF2C promotes the development of neural crest cells (NC) into craniofacial cartilage and directly promotes cartilage hypertrophy. In terms of bone metabolism, MEF2C exhibits a differentiated regulatory model across different types of osteocytes, demonstrating both promoting and other potential regulatory effects on bone formation, with its stimulating effect on osteoclasts being determined. In view of the complex roles of MEF2C in bone tissue, this paper also discusses its effects on some bone diseases, providing valuable insights for the physiological study of bone tissue and strategies for the prevention of bone diseases.
Humans ; MEF2 Transcription Factors/physiology* ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Animals ; Bone Development/physiology* ; Osteogenesis/physiology* ; Myogenic Regulatory Factors/physiology*

The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) industry is a crucial part of China's pharmaceutical sector and plays a strategic role in ensuring public health and promoting economic and social development. In response to the practical demand for high-quality development of the TCM industry, this paper focused on the bottlenecks encountered during the digital and intelligent transformation of TCM production systems. Specifically, it explored technical strategies and methodologies for constructing the best TCM production mode. An innovative artificial intelligence(AI)-centered technical architecture for TCM production was proposed, focusing on key aspects of production management including process modeling, state evaluation, and decision optimization. Furthermore, a series of critical technologies were developed to realize the best TCM production mode. Finally, a novel AI-driven TCM production mode characterized by a closed-loop system of "measurement-modeling-decision-execution" was presented through engineering case studies. This study is expected to provide a technological pathway for developing new quality productive forces within the TCM industry.
Artificial Intelligence ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with glioma experience a high symptom burden and have diverse palliative care needs. However, the assessment scales used in palliative care remain non-standardized and highly heterogeneous. To evaluate the application patterns of the current scales used in palliative care for glioma, we aim to identify gaps and assess the need for disease-specific scales in glioma palliative care. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of five databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL for quantitative studies that reported scale-based assessments in glioma palliative care. We extracted data on scale characteristics, domains, frequency, and psychometric properties. Quality assessments were performed using the Cochrane ROB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools. RESULTS: Of the 3,405 records initially identified, 72 studies were included. These studies contained 75 distinct scales that were used 193 times. Mood (21.7%), quality of life (24.4%), and supportive care needs (5.2%) assessments were the most frequently assessed items, exceeding half of all scale applications. Among the various assessment dimensions, the Distress Thermometer (DT) was the most frequently used tool for assessing mood, while the Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) was the most frequently used tool for assessing quality of life. The Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was the most common tool for cognitive assessment. Performance status (5.2%) and social support (6.8%) were underrepresented. Only three brain tumor-specific scales were identified. Caregiver-focused scales were limited and predominantly burden-oriented. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant heterogeneity, domain imbalances, and validation gaps in the current use of assessment scales for patients with glioma receiving palliative care. The scale selected for use should be comprehensive and user-friendly.
Humans ; Glioma/psychology* ; Palliative Care/methods* ; Quality of Life ; Psychometrics ; Brain Neoplasms/psychology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the predictive factors for plastic bronchitis (PB) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and to establish a nomogram prediction model for PB occurrence. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on children with MPP hospitalized at The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2023 to June 2024. The patients were randomly divided into a training set (n=562) and a validation set (n=240) at a ratio of 7:3 using simple random sampling. In the training set, patients were categorized into a PB group (n=70) and a non-PB group (n=492) based on the occurrence of PB. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to exclude collinearity among variables, followed by univariate analysis and LASSO regression to identify predictive factors. A nomogram prediction model for PB in children with MPP was constructed. The discriminative ability of the model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, model calibration was evaluated with calibration curves, and clinical utility was appraised through decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the non-PB group, the PB group exhibited significantly longer disease duration prior to bronchoscopy, prolonged fever duration, higher fever peaks, higher proportions of patients with a family history of allergy and personal allergy history, and a higher proportion of patients with pleural effusion, as well as significantly elevated levels of white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, fibrinogen, D-dimer, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, immunoglobulin A, and interleukin-6, along with a significantly lower lymphocyte percentage (all P<0.05). LASSO regression analysis identified pleural effusion, procalcitonin, D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase as major predictive factors for PB occurrence in children with MPP. The nomogram model based on these factors demonstrated good discriminative ability (area under the ROC curve: 0.852 in the training set and 0.830 in the validation set), with satisfactory calibration and clinical benefit. CONCLUSIONS The nomogram prediction model based on pleural effusion, procalcitonin, D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase provides effective predictive performance for the occurrence of PB in children with MPP.
Humans ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/complications* ; Nomograms ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Bronchitis/etiology* ; Infant ; ROC Curve ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy and safety of decitabine-based myeloablative preconditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: The clinical characteristics and efficacy of 115 AML patients who underwent allo-HSCT at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from August 2018 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 37 patients treated with decitabine conditioning regimen (decitabine group) and 78 patients without decitabine conditioning regimen (non-decitabine group). The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), overall survival (OS), leukemia-free survival (LFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM) and graft versus host disease (GVHD) were analyzed. RESULTS: For the patients in first complete remission (CR1) state before allo-HSCT, the 1-year relapse rates of decitabine group(22 cases) and non-decitabine group(69 cases) were 9.1% and 29.6%, respectively, the difference was statistically significant(P =0.042). The 1-year cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in decitabine group and non-decitabine group was 62.2% and 70.5%, respectively, and the 1-year cumulative incidence of chronic inhibitor-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was 18.9% and 14.1%, respectively, there were no significant differences in the incidence of aGVHD and cGVHD between the two groups (P >0.05). Of the 115 patients, there were no significantly differences in the 1-year CIR(21.7% vs 28.8%, P =0.866), NRM(10.9% vs 3.9%, P =0.203), OS(75.2% vs 83.8%, P =0.131) and LFS(74.6% vs 69.1%, P =0.912) between the decitabine group(37 cases) and the non-decitabine group(78 cases). CONCLUSION Decitabine-based conditioning regimen could reduce the relapse rate of AML CR1 patients with good safety.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Decitabine/therapeutic use* ; Transplantation Conditioning/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a most common sexual dysfunction caused by various factors. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are commonly used for the treatment of ED, but often with a poor effect for patients with moderate to severe ED and those with underlying diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (Li-ESWT), as a novel non-invasive physical therapy, has the advantages of mild tissue damage, high safety and short treatment cycle. The effectiveness and safety of Li-ESWT in the treatment of ED has been preliminarily demonstrated by more than a decade of research and development, and its therapeutic effect evidently exhibited by significantly improving the symptoms of the ED patients with poor response to PDE5i. Researches on Li-ESWT are increasing at home and abroad, and its application in the treatment of ED has become a hot spot of attention. This review elaborates the action mechanisms and application of Li-ESWT in the treatment of ED, aiming to provide some new ideas for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
Humans ; Male ; Erectile Dysfunction/therapy* ; Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic interstitial lung disease, is characterized by aberrant wound healing, excessive scarring and the formation of myofibroblastic foci. Although the role of alternative splicing (AS) in the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis has garnered increasing attention, its specific contribution to pulmonary fibrosis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified an up-regulation of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (SRSF7) in lung fibroblasts derived from IPF patients and a bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model, and further characterized its functional role in both human fetal lung fibroblasts and mice. We demonstrated that enhanced expression of Srsf7 in mice spontaneously induced alveolar collagen accumulation. Mechanistically, we investigated alternative splicing events and revealed that SRSF7 modulates the alternative splicing of pyruvate kinase (PKM), leading to metabolic dysregulation and fibroblast activation. In vivo studies showed that fibroblast-specific knockout of Srsf7 in conditional knockout mice conferred resistance to bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Importantly, through drug screening, we identified lomitapide as a novel modulator of SRSF7, which effectively mitigated experimental pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, our findings elucidate a molecular pathway by which SRSF7 drives fibroblast metabolic dysregulation and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.