BACKGROUND:The pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy has not yet been clarified,and TAM(Tyro3,Axl,and MerTK)receptor tyrosine kinases can control apoptotic cells and suppress inflammatory responses in the central nervous system. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the difference of Mer receptor tyrosine kinase(MerTK)levels in plasma and sciatic nerve tissue of Sprague-Dawley rats with type 2 diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy,and to study the correlation between MerTK and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. METHODS:Forty male Sprague-Dawley were randomly divided into control group with 15 rats,type 2 diabetes group with 10 rats,and diabetic peripheral neuropathy group with 15 rats.The control group was fed with ordinary diet,while the experimental groups were fed with high-fat and high-sugar diet.After 6 weeks,intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at the minimum dose of 35 mg/kg was administered in the two experimental groups.After 14 days,tail vein blood was collected to detect blood glucose.If blood glucose≥16.7 mmol/L,the model of type 2 diabetes was successfully established.Rats in the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group continued to be fed with a high-sugar and high-fat diet for 8 weeks.The sciatic nerve conduction velocity of rats was detected through live isolation under anesthesia.Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta,and the sciatic nerve tissue was collected.Histological changes of nerve fibers in each group were observed under a light microscope to confirm the success of diabetic peripheral neuropathy modeling.ELISA was used to detect peripheral blood glucose,blood lipids and serum MerTK levels in rats;hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the histological changes in the sciatic nerve;immunofluorescence,immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to detect the expression of MerTK in the sciatic nerve tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The Sprague-Dawley rat models of type 2 diabetes and type 2 diabetes peripheral neuropathy were successfully constructed,and the modeling rate of diabetic peripheral neuropathy was 80%.Compared with the control group,the blood glucose levels of rats in the type 2 diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy groups were significantly higher(P<0.000 1),while the blood glucose level in the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group was higher than that in the type 2 diabetes group;and the sciatic nerve conduction velocity was significantly decreased(P<0.05),which was lower in the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group than the type 2 diabetes group.Histological examination:Compared with the control group,the sciatic nerve nuclei were reduced in the type 2 diabetes group,with some vacuolar degeneration and phagocytosis;in the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group,the cell body was swollen,the nuclear spacing was increased,vacuolar degeneration was observed,and the myelin sheath was partitioned and unsmooth,and lattice-like axons appeared.Serum MerTK levels were significantly higher in the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group than the control group.Expression of MerTK in the sciatic nerve tissue was significantly upregulated in the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group compared with the control group(P<0.05).To conclude,elevated levels of MerTK in plasma and sciatic nerve tissue of rats with diabetic peripheral neuropathy are presumably related to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.

Objective To explore the predictive value of serum high-mobility group box protein B1(HMGB1)and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products(sRAGE)in the occurrence and short-term prognosis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy(SAE).Methods Clinical data of 228 patients with sepsis were retrospectively analyzed.According to the presence of SAE,patients were divided into the SAE group(96 cases)and the non-SAE group(132 cases).General clinical data,laboratory test results,Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)scores,Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)scores and serum HMGB1 and sRAGE levels were compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors influencing SAE occurrence.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive ability of HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio to predict the occurrence and short-term prognosis of SAE.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare the 28-day mortality rates of SAE patients with different HMGB1 and sRAGE expression levels.Results Compared to the non-SAE group,patients in the SAE group exhibited elevated serum HMGB1 levels,decreased sRAGE levels and an increased HMGB1/sRAGE ratio(P＜0.05).The areas under the curve(AUC)for predicting SAE using HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio were 0.826(95%CI:0.770-0.872),0.682(95%CI:0.617-0.742)and 0.895(95%CI:0.848-0.932),respectively,indicating predictive value.Among the 96 SAE patients,52(54.2%)died within 28 days.There were no statistically significant differences in HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio between surviving and deceased patients(P＞0.05).Similarly,there were no significant differences in 28-day mortality rates between SAE patients with different HMGB1 or sRAGE expression levels.Conclusion Elevated serum HMGB1 and reduced sRAGE are of significant value in the auxiliary diagnosis of SAE,but have limited clinical predictive value for short-term prognosis.

Objective To explore the factors influencing cognitive frailty in elderly inpatients with chronic heart failure(CHF)during hospitalisation,8 prediction models were developed with various machine learning algorithms to identify the best model as a guidance for medical staff on clinical interventions.Methods Convenience sampling method was used to select 650 elderly CHF inpatients who stayed in our hospital between September 2023 and June 2024 as the study objects in the cross-sectional investigation.A total of 607 patients had completed the study.The patients were divided into a cognitive frailty group and a non-cognitive frailty group according to the presence or absence of cognitive frailty.Variables were initially screened using univariate analysis and stepwise Logistic regression.The total sample was then randomly divided into a training set(n=424)and a testing set(n=183)of a 7:3 ratio.Eight predictive models were created using the algorithms of neural network(NN),k-nearest neighbour(KNN),linear discriminant analysis(LDA),support vector machine(SVM),naive Bayes(NB),logistic regression,decision tree(DT)and random forest(RF)on the training set.The predictive performance of the models was compared using the data of the testing set.Results The prevalence of cognitive frailty in elderly CHF inpatients was 48.3%.Results of Logistic regression showed that age,marital status,education,body mass index,multi-morbidity,nutritional status,medication,frequency of weekly exercise and the living conditions were the key factors(P<0.05).The overall accuracy in classification of the eight predictive models ranged from 0.803 to 0.847,with F1-values of 0.778 to 0.833,precision of 0.848 to 0.897,and recall rate of 0.700 to 0.778.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.820 to 0.901.Conclusion Of the eight predictive models,the prediction model created with LDA shows the best performance and prediction in terms of comprehensive prediction metrics,while the prediction model created with NN shows the worst performance in comprehensive prediction.

Objective To explore the factors influencing cognitive frailty in elderly inpatients with chronic heart failure(CHF)during hospitalisation,8 prediction models were developed with various machine learning algorithms to identify the best model as a guidance for medical staff on clinical interventions.Methods Convenience sampling method was used to select 650 elderly CHF inpatients who stayed in our hospital between September 2023 and June 2024 as the study objects in the cross-sectional investigation.A total of 607 patients had completed the study.The patients were divided into a cognitive frailty group and a non-cognitive frailty group according to the presence or absence of cognitive frailty.Variables were initially screened using univariate analysis and stepwise Logistic regression.The total sample was then randomly divided into a training set(n=424)and a testing set(n=183)of a 7:3 ratio.Eight predictive models were created using the algorithms of neural network(NN),k-nearest neighbour(KNN),linear discriminant analysis(LDA),support vector machine(SVM),naive Bayes(NB),logistic regression,decision tree(DT)and random forest(RF)on the training set.The predictive performance of the models was compared using the data of the testing set.Results The prevalence of cognitive frailty in elderly CHF inpatients was 48.3%.Results of Logistic regression showed that age,marital status,education,body mass index,multi-morbidity,nutritional status,medication,frequency of weekly exercise and the living conditions were the key factors(P<0.05).The overall accuracy in classification of the eight predictive models ranged from 0.803 to 0.847,with F1-values of 0.778 to 0.833,precision of 0.848 to 0.897,and recall rate of 0.700 to 0.778.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.820 to 0.901.Conclusion Of the eight predictive models,the prediction model created with LDA shows the best performance and prediction in terms of comprehensive prediction metrics,while the prediction model created with NN shows the worst performance in comprehensive prediction.

Objective:To survey the availability status of pharmaceutical and medical device for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention and the awareness among healthcare workers in community health service centers in Shanghai.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted by online questionnaire survey among doctors, nurses, and pharmacists from 20 community health service centers in Shanghai from June 2023 to April 2024. The survey covered participants′ demographic information, VTE prevention and management practices at their centers, the knowledge of VTE prevention, and related training or education. The assessment of VTE prevention and management status was completed by department heads of pharmacy, medical equipment, nursing, and inpatient units.Results:A total of 864 healthcare professionals participated in the survey, including 587(67.9%) doctors, 246(28.5%) nurses, and 31(3.6%) pharmacists, and 675(78.1%) were females. Among the 20 centers, 19 stocked VTE prevention medications, while only 8 had VTE prevention devices. Of the 864 participants, 145(16.8%) reported conducting VTE risk assessments for all patients, and 279(32.3%) correctly identified VTE as comprising deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. While 664(76.9%) believed that VTE risk assessment for hospitalized patients was necessary, only 11(1.3%) were familiar with and routinely used VTE risk assessment tools. Over 85% recognized advanced age, body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m2, recent major surgery, prolonged immobilization, stroke, and varicose veins as VTE risk factors. A majority (837(96.9%)) agreed that bleeding risk assessment should precede pharmacological VTE prevention, and 549(63.5%) preferred oral antiplatelet agents as the first choice. Convenience (730(84.5%)) and safety (719(83.2%)) were key considerations in drug selection, while 710(82.2%) expressed concern about bleeding risks during medication. Only 258(29.9%) had received VTE-related training.Conclusions:Community health service centers in Shanghai face shortages in VTE prevention devices and medications, and healthcare professionals′ awareness of VTE needs to be improved. Enhanced training and education on VTE prevention are warranted.

Objective:To estimate the economic burden of 14 chronic diseases among middle-aged and elderly people in China.Methods:This cross-sectional study was based on longitudinal data from five waves (2011 to 2020) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Participants aged 45 and over who had been diagnosed with exactly one target chronic disease were included in the study. The 14 chronic diseases included: hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes or elevated blood glucose, malignant tumors, chronic pulmonary diseases, liver diseases, heart diseases, stroke, kidney diseases, digestive system diseases, emotional and mental diseases, memory-related diseases, arthritis or rheumatic diseases, and asthma. The economic burden of disease was measured in terms of both direct and indirect economic burden, with the results adjusted using a healthcare-specific Consumer Price Index (CPI). The direct economic burden included direct medical and non-medical burden. The human capital method was employed to calculate the indirect economic burden. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was conducted to compare the differences in the economic burden between urban and rural areas, with provinces and prefecture-level cities set as random effects and residence (urban or rural areas) as fixed effects to control for the effects of geographic hierarchical structure. Gender, age and educational attainment were also included as covariates to control for confounding factors. The model′s robustness was assessed by comparing the significance of urban-rural differences before and after adding the covariates.Results:The median annual economic burden of the 14 chronic diseases among the middle-aged and elderly population in China ranged from 7 565 to 17 174 CNY, of which the direct economic burden ranged from 6 909 to 16 565 CNY, and the indirect burden ranged from 284 to 1 276 CNY. The direct economic burden was primarily driven by direct medical burden (83.67% to 95.01% of direct economic burden). Out-of-pocket expenses for outpatient medical burden ranged from 50% to 100%, while those for inpatient ranged from 36.30% to 61.29%. GLMM analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in the overall economic burden between urban and rural areas across diseases. However, the burden of inpatient medical burden for arthritis or rheumatism was higher in urban areas than in rural areas (5 338 vs. 3 898 CNY; LR=6.04, P=0.014). Similarly, the burden of self-treatment for hypertension was also higher in urban areas than in rural areas (324 vs. 238 CNY; LR=8.30, P=0.004). The outpatient non-medical burden for diabetes or elevated blood glucose (59 vs. 149 CNY; LR=5.99, P=0.014), stroke (0 vs. 307 CNY; LR=4.55, P=0.033), and digestive system diseases (45 vs. 107 CNY; LR=9.58, P=0.002) was lower in urban areas than rural. Conclusions:Chronic diseases cause heavy economic burden on middle-aged and elderly people in both urban and rural areas of China, with direct economic burden accounting for the majority of expenditure. The outpatient medical burden accounts for a higher proportion of out-of-pocket expenses than the inpatient.

Objective To explore the predictive value of serum high-mobility group box protein B1(HMGB1)and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products(sRAGE)in the occurrence and short-term prognosis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy(SAE).Methods Clinical data of 228 patients with sepsis were retrospectively analyzed.According to the presence of SAE,patients were divided into the SAE group(96 cases)and the non-SAE group(132 cases).General clinical data,laboratory test results,Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)scores,Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)scores and serum HMGB1 and sRAGE levels were compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors influencing SAE occurrence.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive ability of HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio to predict the occurrence and short-term prognosis of SAE.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare the 28-day mortality rates of SAE patients with different HMGB1 and sRAGE expression levels.Results Compared to the non-SAE group,patients in the SAE group exhibited elevated serum HMGB1 levels,decreased sRAGE levels and an increased HMGB1/sRAGE ratio(P＜0.05).The areas under the curve(AUC)for predicting SAE using HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio were 0.826(95%CI:0.770-0.872),0.682(95%CI:0.617-0.742)and 0.895(95%CI:0.848-0.932),respectively,indicating predictive value.Among the 96 SAE patients,52(54.2%)died within 28 days.There were no statistically significant differences in HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio between surviving and deceased patients(P＞0.05).Similarly,there were no significant differences in 28-day mortality rates between SAE patients with different HMGB1 or sRAGE expression levels.Conclusion Elevated serum HMGB1 and reduced sRAGE are of significant value in the auxiliary diagnosis of SAE,but have limited clinical predictive value for short-term prognosis.

Objective:To survey the availability status of pharmaceutical and medical device for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention and the awareness among healthcare workers in community health service centers in Shanghai.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted by online questionnaire survey among doctors, nurses, and pharmacists from 20 community health service centers in Shanghai from June 2023 to April 2024. The survey covered participants′ demographic information, VTE prevention and management practices at their centers, the knowledge of VTE prevention, and related training or education. The assessment of VTE prevention and management status was completed by department heads of pharmacy, medical equipment, nursing, and inpatient units.Results:A total of 864 healthcare professionals participated in the survey, including 587(67.9%) doctors, 246(28.5%) nurses, and 31(3.6%) pharmacists, and 675(78.1%) were females. Among the 20 centers, 19 stocked VTE prevention medications, while only 8 had VTE prevention devices. Of the 864 participants, 145(16.8%) reported conducting VTE risk assessments for all patients, and 279(32.3%) correctly identified VTE as comprising deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. While 664(76.9%) believed that VTE risk assessment for hospitalized patients was necessary, only 11(1.3%) were familiar with and routinely used VTE risk assessment tools. Over 85% recognized advanced age, body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m2, recent major surgery, prolonged immobilization, stroke, and varicose veins as VTE risk factors. A majority (837(96.9%)) agreed that bleeding risk assessment should precede pharmacological VTE prevention, and 549(63.5%) preferred oral antiplatelet agents as the first choice. Convenience (730(84.5%)) and safety (719(83.2%)) were key considerations in drug selection, while 710(82.2%) expressed concern about bleeding risks during medication. Only 258(29.9%) had received VTE-related training.Conclusions:Community health service centers in Shanghai face shortages in VTE prevention devices and medications, and healthcare professionals′ awareness of VTE needs to be improved. Enhanced training and education on VTE prevention are warranted.

Objective:To estimate the economic burden of 14 chronic diseases among middle-aged and elderly people in China.Methods:This cross-sectional study was based on longitudinal data from five waves (2011 to 2020) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Participants aged 45 and over who had been diagnosed with exactly one target chronic disease were included in the study. The 14 chronic diseases included: hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes or elevated blood glucose, malignant tumors, chronic pulmonary diseases, liver diseases, heart diseases, stroke, kidney diseases, digestive system diseases, emotional and mental diseases, memory-related diseases, arthritis or rheumatic diseases, and asthma. The economic burden of disease was measured in terms of both direct and indirect economic burden, with the results adjusted using a healthcare-specific Consumer Price Index (CPI). The direct economic burden included direct medical and non-medical burden. The human capital method was employed to calculate the indirect economic burden. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was conducted to compare the differences in the economic burden between urban and rural areas, with provinces and prefecture-level cities set as random effects and residence (urban or rural areas) as fixed effects to control for the effects of geographic hierarchical structure. Gender, age and educational attainment were also included as covariates to control for confounding factors. The model′s robustness was assessed by comparing the significance of urban-rural differences before and after adding the covariates.Results:The median annual economic burden of the 14 chronic diseases among the middle-aged and elderly population in China ranged from 7 565 to 17 174 CNY, of which the direct economic burden ranged from 6 909 to 16 565 CNY, and the indirect burden ranged from 284 to 1 276 CNY. The direct economic burden was primarily driven by direct medical burden (83.67% to 95.01% of direct economic burden). Out-of-pocket expenses for outpatient medical burden ranged from 50% to 100%, while those for inpatient ranged from 36.30% to 61.29%. GLMM analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in the overall economic burden between urban and rural areas across diseases. However, the burden of inpatient medical burden for arthritis or rheumatism was higher in urban areas than in rural areas (5 338 vs. 3 898 CNY; LR=6.04, P=0.014). Similarly, the burden of self-treatment for hypertension was also higher in urban areas than in rural areas (324 vs. 238 CNY; LR=8.30, P=0.004). The outpatient non-medical burden for diabetes or elevated blood glucose (59 vs. 149 CNY; LR=5.99, P=0.014), stroke (0 vs. 307 CNY; LR=4.55, P=0.033), and digestive system diseases (45 vs. 107 CNY; LR=9.58, P=0.002) was lower in urban areas than rural. Conclusions:Chronic diseases cause heavy economic burden on middle-aged and elderly people in both urban and rural areas of China, with direct economic burden accounting for the majority of expenditure. The outpatient medical burden accounts for a higher proportion of out-of-pocket expenses than the inpatient.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of 25G+and 27G+pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)in the treat-ment of idiopathic epiretinal membrane(iERM).Methods A total of 50 iERM patients(50 eyes)who were admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from December 2019 to August 2022 were selected as the research subjects.These patients were divided into the control group and observation group based on different surgical methods,with 25 patients(25 eyes)in each group.Patients in the control group received 25G+PPV treatment,while patients in the observation group received 27G+PPV treatment.The surgical duration and postoperative 1-day incision subconjunctival hemorrhage and e-dema of patients in two groups were compared;central macular thickness(CMT)was measured by optical coherence tomo-graphy before surgery,1 day,1 week,1 month,and 3 months postoperatively in the two groups.Visual acuity of patients in both groups was assessed according to the early treatment diabetic retinopathy study(ETDRS)visual acuity chart.Intraocular pressure was measured by using a non-contact Callon tonometer.Complications,such as intraoperative macular injury,retinal hole,postoperative choroidal detachment,retinal hemorrhage,retinal detachment,and intraocular infection,were observed in both groups.Results The surgical duration of patients in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group(t=2.314,P＜0.05).The extent of subconjunctival hemorrhage and edema of patients in the observation group was significantly smaller than that in the control group(t=13.706,P＜0.01).The ETDRS visual acuity of patients at 1 day,1 week,1 month,and 3 months after surgery in both groups was significantly higher than that before surgery(P＜0.05).There was no signifi-cant difference in ETDRS visual acuity of patients between the two groups at 1 day,1 week,1 month,and 3 months postoperatively(P＞0.05).At 1 day after surgery,the intraocular pressure of patients in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).At 1 week,1 month,and 3 months after surgery,there was no significant difference in intraocular pressure of patients between the two groups(P＞0.05).Two patients in the control group experienced transient ocular hypotension 1 day after surgery,while no such complication was observed in the observation group.Patients in both groups presented with varying degrees of retinal nerve epithelial layer traction,retinal edema,thickening,and vascular distortion before surgery.At 1 day after surgery,epiretinal membrane traction was relieved in both groups,and there was a significant improvement in the anatomical structure of the macular area compared to preoperative conditions.At 1 day,1 week,1 month,and 3 months after surgery,the CMT of patients in both groups was reduced compared to preoperative values(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in CMT of patients between the two groups at 1 day,1 week,1 month,and 3 months after surgery(P＞0.05).In the control group,18 eyes(72.0％)were sutured at the scleral puncture sites due to leakage,while no suturing was performed in the observation group.Patients in both groups completed the surgery successfully,without any intraoperative complications such as macular injury or retinal hole.During the 3-month follow-up,no postoperative complications such as choroidal detachment,retinal hemorrhage,retinal detachment,or intraocular infection were observed in both groups.Conclusion Both 27G+PPV and 25G+PPV have good clinical effects and high surgical safety in the treatment of iERM.Compared with 25G+PPV,27G+PPV can shorten the surgical duration,better maintain postoperative intraocular pressure stability,and reduce the range of subconjunctival bleeding and edema.