Objective: To investigate the awareness of knowledge about hepatitis C prevention and control among outpatients in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, and its influencing factors, so as to provide the evidence for strengthening health education on hepatitis C prevention and control. Methods: Based on sentinel surveillance of hepatitis C, the outpatients aged 15 to 65 years at seven hospitals in Yinzhou District, Cixi City and Xiangshan County of Ningbo City were selected using the convenient sampling method from April to June during 2020 and 2022. Demographic information, knowledge and behaviors related to hepatitis C prevention and control were collected through questionnaire surveys. The influencing factors for knowledge about hepatitis C prevention and control were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 2 792 participants were surveyed, including 1 157 males (41.44%) and 1 635 females (58.56%). The awareness rate of knowledge about hepatitis C prevention and control was 56.23%, and was lower in knowledge about hepatitis C vaccine and treatment. The awareness rates of knowledge about hepatitis C prevention and control among outpatients from 2020 to 2022 were 47.11%, 53.22% and 70.65%, respectively, showing an upward trend (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that participants aged 25 to <50 years (OR=1.358, 95%CI: 1.073-1.719), with an educational level of high school or junior college (OR=1.431, 95%CI: 1.134-1.806) or above junior college (OR=3.728, 95%CI: 2.958-4.699), with household monthly income per capita of 3 000 to <5 000 yuan (OR=1.828, 95%CI: 1.344-2.486) or ≥5 000 yuan (OR=1.858, 95%CI: 1.366-2.526), without a history of invasive treatments such as pedicure in public places (OR=1.287, 95%CI: 1.024-1.618), without a history of contact with family members' blood-contaminated items (OR=2.050, 95%CI: 1.552-2.707), and always using condoms during sexual contacts (OR=1.740, 95%CI: 1.273-2.378) had higher awareness of knowledge about hepatitis C prevention and control. Conclusions The awareness of knowledge about hepatitis C vaccine and treatment among outpatients in Ningbo City needs to be improved. Age, educational level, household monthly income per capita, history of invasive treatments such as pedicure in public places, history of contact with family members' blood-contaminated items and frequency of condom use during sexual contacts are associated with outpatients' awareness of knowledge about hepatitis C prevention and control.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

The classic formula Mulisan is the 45th of the 93 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Formulas （second batch） of Han medicine published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of Ostreae Concha， Astragali Radix， Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma， and wheat， with the effect of replenishing qi and stopping sweating. It is a common formula in the clinical treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. This study analyzes the historical evolution， composition， dosage， original plants and their processing methods， decocting method， efficacy， indications， and modern clinical application of Mulisan by tracing， comparative analysis， and bibliometric methods. The results showed that Mulisan firstly appeared in the Pulse Classic written by WANG Shuhe in the Western Jin Dynasty. The formulation idea can be traced back to the Important Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergency in the Tang Dynasty. The herb composition， dosage， efficacy， and indications of Mulisan were first recorded in the Treatise on Diseases， Patterns， and formulas Related to Unification of the Three Etiologies in the Southern Song dynasty. In terms of original plants and their processing methods， Ostreae Concha is the shell of Ostrea rivularis， which should be calcined before use. Astragali Radix and Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma are the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Ephedra sinica， respectively， the raw material of which should be used. Wheat is the dried mature fruit of T. aestivum， which can be used without processing， while the stir-fried fruit， being thin and deflated， demonstrates better effect. The composition of Mulisan is Ostreae Concha 8.26 g， Astragali Radix 8.26 g， Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma 8.26 g， and wheat 7.92 g. The medicinal materials should be ground into coarse powder and decocted with 450 mL water to reach a volume of 240 mL， and the decoction should be taken warm. In modern clinical practice， Mulisan has a wide range of indications， including spontaneous sweating and night sweating caused by Yang deficiency or Qi deficiency. The clinical disease spectrum treated by Mulisan involves endocrine system diseases， neurological diseases， respiratory system diseases， and cancer. This formula plays a significant role in the treatment of internal medicine diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the subsequent research， development， and clinical application of Mulisan.

The classic formula Mulisan is the 45th of the 93 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Formulas （second batch） of Han medicine published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of Ostreae Concha， Astragali Radix， Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma， and wheat， with the effect of replenishing qi and stopping sweating. It is a common formula in the clinical treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. This study analyzes the historical evolution， composition， dosage， original plants and their processing methods， decocting method， efficacy， indications， and modern clinical application of Mulisan by tracing， comparative analysis， and bibliometric methods. The results showed that Mulisan firstly appeared in the Pulse Classic written by WANG Shuhe in the Western Jin Dynasty. The formulation idea can be traced back to the Important Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergency in the Tang Dynasty. The herb composition， dosage， efficacy， and indications of Mulisan were first recorded in the Treatise on Diseases， Patterns， and formulas Related to Unification of the Three Etiologies in the Southern Song dynasty. In terms of original plants and their processing methods， Ostreae Concha is the shell of Ostrea rivularis， which should be calcined before use. Astragali Radix and Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma are the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Ephedra sinica， respectively， the raw material of which should be used. Wheat is the dried mature fruit of T. aestivum， which can be used without processing， while the stir-fried fruit， being thin and deflated， demonstrates better effect. The composition of Mulisan is Ostreae Concha 8.26 g， Astragali Radix 8.26 g， Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma 8.26 g， and wheat 7.92 g. The medicinal materials should be ground into coarse powder and decocted with 450 mL water to reach a volume of 240 mL， and the decoction should be taken warm. In modern clinical practice， Mulisan has a wide range of indications， including spontaneous sweating and night sweating caused by Yang deficiency or Qi deficiency. The clinical disease spectrum treated by Mulisan involves endocrine system diseases， neurological diseases， respiratory system diseases， and cancer. This formula plays a significant role in the treatment of internal medicine diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the subsequent research， development， and clinical application of Mulisan.

Objective: To establish a method for determining the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of Poly(Lactide-co-Glycolide Acid) (PLGA) using Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index-Multiangle Laser Light Scattering (SEC-RI-MALLS) and Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index (SEC-RID), and to compare the results obtained from these two methods.
Methods: For SEC-RI-MALLS, tetrahydrofuran was used as the mobile phase, Shodex GPC KF-803L was employed as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, and an injection volume of 100 μL. For SEC-RID, tetrahydrofuran was also used as the mobile phase, Agilent PLgel 5 μm MIXD-D was used as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, differential detector temperature at 35 ℃, and an injection volume of 20 μL. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were calculated using Agilent’s GPC software. The newly established methods were validated methodologically, and the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of 13 batches of samples were determined.
Results: The precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests for SEC-RI-MALLS showed RSD values of 1.35%, 1.58%, 1.53%, and 1.26%, respectively. The SEC-RID method exhibited good linearity (r=0.999 9), with RSD values for precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests (n=6) of 2.05%, 1.62%, 1.30%, and 2.97%, respectively. The results obtained from SEC-RI-MALLS were lower than those from SEC-RID, and the molecular weight distribution coefficient was smaller, but the results from the paired T-test performed with the value measured by SEC-RID method and the value measured by SEC-RI-MALLS method multiplied a conversion coefficient of 1.5 showed no significant difference between the two methods.
Conclusion: Both methods are stable and reliable, and can be used for the determination of PLGA molecular weight and molecular weight distribution based on the specific situations.

Objective:To investigate the effect of laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection (LSD) on liver synthesis and development of liver cirrhosis.Methods:This is a prospective case series study.The clinical data of liver cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension who received LSD at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Northern Jiangsu People′s Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University from September 2014 to January 2016 were included. This study analyzed the diameter of the portal vein, the velocity of portal blood flow, the routine blood parameters, the liver function, the synthetic proteins of liver (antithrombin Ⅲ (AT-Ⅲ), protein S, protein C), and the serum content of liver fibrotic markers(collagen type Ⅳ, procollagen type Ⅲ, laminin, hyaluronidase). Repeated measures ANOVA was used for comparison between multiple groups, and least significance difference was used for post-hoc multiple comparison.Results:A total of 106 patients were included in the study, including 70 males and 36 females, aged (51.8±9.8) years(range: 28 to 75 years).Compared with the preoperative results, the diameter of portal vein and the velocity of portal vein decreased after surgery ( F=14.03, 12.15, respectively, both P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative results, the total bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, Child-Pugh score and classification were improved ( F=17.96, 56.01, 66.63, 35.83, 33.49, and 27.50, respectively, all P<0.01), and the AT-Ⅲ, protein S, protein C,collagen type Ⅳ, procollagen type Ⅲ, laminin and hyaluronidase levels were also improved ( F=47.87, 36.26, 18.02, 2.79, 14.58, 44.35, and 14.38, respectively, all P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative period, the diameter of portal vein was reduced from the first week to the 24 th month after surgery ( t=5.45 to 9.39, all P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative period, the velocity of portal vein blood from the first week after surgery to the 24 th month after surgery was decreased ( t=4.02 to 8.43, all P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative period, routine blood parameters (white blood count, hemoglobin, platelet count), liver function (total bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, Child-Pugh score), liver synthetic protein (AT-Ⅲ, protein S, protein C) and liver fibrotic markers (collagen type Ⅳ, procollagen type Ⅲ, laminin, hyaluronidase) were improved to varying degrees at the 24th month after surgery ( t=-20.46 to 11.93, all P<0.01). Conclusion:Preliminary findings show that LSD can reduce portal vein pressure, restore blood cell number, and improve liver synthesis function and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection (LSD) on liver synthesis and development of liver cirrhosis.Methods:This is a prospective case series study.The clinical data of liver cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension who received LSD at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Northern Jiangsu People′s Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University from September 2014 to January 2016 were included. This study analyzed the diameter of the portal vein, the velocity of portal blood flow, the routine blood parameters, the liver function, the synthetic proteins of liver (antithrombin Ⅲ (AT-Ⅲ), protein S, protein C), and the serum content of liver fibrotic markers(collagen type Ⅳ, procollagen type Ⅲ, laminin, hyaluronidase). Repeated measures ANOVA was used for comparison between multiple groups, and least significance difference was used for post-hoc multiple comparison.Results:A total of 106 patients were included in the study, including 70 males and 36 females, aged (51.8±9.8) years(range: 28 to 75 years).Compared with the preoperative results, the diameter of portal vein and the velocity of portal vein decreased after surgery ( F=14.03, 12.15, respectively, both P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative results, the total bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, Child-Pugh score and classification were improved ( F=17.96, 56.01, 66.63, 35.83, 33.49, and 27.50, respectively, all P<0.01), and the AT-Ⅲ, protein S, protein C,collagen type Ⅳ, procollagen type Ⅲ, laminin and hyaluronidase levels were also improved ( F=47.87, 36.26, 18.02, 2.79, 14.58, 44.35, and 14.38, respectively, all P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative period, the diameter of portal vein was reduced from the first week to the 24 th month after surgery ( t=5.45 to 9.39, all P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative period, the velocity of portal vein blood from the first week after surgery to the 24 th month after surgery was decreased ( t=4.02 to 8.43, all P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative period, routine blood parameters (white blood count, hemoglobin, platelet count), liver function (total bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, Child-Pugh score), liver synthetic protein (AT-Ⅲ, protein S, protein C) and liver fibrotic markers (collagen type Ⅳ, procollagen type Ⅲ, laminin, hyaluronidase) were improved to varying degrees at the 24th month after surgery ( t=-20.46 to 11.93, all P<0.01). Conclusion:Preliminary findings show that LSD can reduce portal vein pressure, restore blood cell number, and improve liver synthesis function and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE To explore the practice and application effect of lean Six Sigma （LSS） management in the cost- benefit management of PIVAS operation in a tertiary comprehensive hospital （hereinafter referred to as “S Hospital”）， providing reference for the operation and management of PIVAS in hospitals. METHODS The five steps （define， measure， analyze， improve and control， i.e. DMAIC） of LSS management were implemented for PIVAS operation cost-benefit of S Hospital， and lean management was implemented for its cost-benefit management elements （human resource cost， medical and health material cost， and all-in-one parenteral nutrition preparation income）. Several intervention measures including personnel training and performance assessment， refined management system of consumables， and doctor’s advice package of full parenteral nutrition were developed. Finally， the overall improvement effect was evaluated by the total benefit， total cost and net benefit of PIVAS. The effects of human resource allocation optimization and improvement were evaluated by the work efficiency， work quality， job satisfaction， turnover rate and accumulated rest days. The effects of consumables cost management were evaluated by the amount of medical and health materials cost. The improvement effects of all-in-one parenteral nutrition preparation income were evaluated by the profit amount， quantity and the proportion of single bottle of parenteral nutrition. RESULTS After implementing DMAIC in S Hospital， the total benefit of PIVAS was increased from （471 366.50±9 201.5） yuan/month to （479 679.50±14 320.14） yuan/month （P＞ 0.05）， the total cost was decreased from （305 878.88±3 201.75） yuan/month to （294 610.59±5 007.33） yuan/month （P＜0.05）， and the net benefit of PIVAS was increased by 11.83% compared with that before the improvement. The work efficiency， work quality and job satisfaction of employees were significantly improved， the accumulated rest days were significantly reduced， and the turnover rate of third-party employees was reduced from 15.0% before the improvement to 7.5% after the improvement. The cost of medical and health materials significantly decreased from （67 826.42±2 812.76） yuan/month before improvement to （56 384.33±4 607.67） yuan/month after improvement （P＜0.05）. The quantity of all-in-one parenteral nutrition was significantly increased from （1 263.75±135.83） group/month before improvement to （2 061.25±89.04） group/month after improvement （P＜0.05）， and the proportion of users of single bottle of parenteral nutrition in total users decreased from 93.25% before improvement to 58.75% after improvement. The profit of all-in-one parenteral nutrition was 63.18% higher than that before implementing DMAIC. CONCLUSIONS The implementation of PIVAS operation cost-benefit management based on DMAIC is conducive to strengthening the cost control of PIVAS and promoting the healthy development of PIVAS.

Objective: To explore the relationship of family function with sleep and externalizing problem behaviors of preschool children, so as to provide a guidance for externalizing problem prevention and intervention among preschool children. Methods: From October 2023 to January 2024, a convenience sampling method was used to select 5 138 preschool children from kindergartens in 8 districts of Wuhan City, Hubei Province. Parents completed the survey for Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale, children s sleep habits and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation of family function with scores of sleep quality and externalizing problem behaviors among preschool children. A mediation model analysis and bootstrap test were conducted to further investigate the mediating role of sleep quality between family function and externalizing problem behaviors. Mplus 8.7 software was used for latent profile analysis of family function. Results: The reported rates of poor sleep quality and externalizing problem behaviors among preschool children were 11.8% ( n =607), 20.0% ( n =1 026). The relevant analysis results showed that family function was negatively correlated with sleep quality and externalizing problem behaviors ( r = -0.20, -0.23), and sleep quality was positively correlated with externalizing problem behaviors ( r =0.27) ( P <0.01). The mediation effect test showed that family function negatively predicted externalizing problem behaviors ( β =-0.079) and sleep quality ( β = -0.075), while sleep quality positively predicted externalizing problem behaviors ( β =0.215) ( P <0.01). The latent profile analysis results showed that family function could be classified into 4 categories: high family function group (23.01%), upper middle family function group (44.65%), moderate family function group (26.24%) and low family function group (6.11%). Compared to high family function, the other three categories significantly positively predicted externalizing problem behaviors, and the mediating effects of sleep quality on different categories of family function were statistically significant [upper middle family function: mediation effect value was 0.022 (95% CI =0.004-0.041) and direct effect value was 0.329 (95% CI =0.263-0.396); middle family function: mediation effect value was 0.087 (95% CI =0.063-0.115) and direct effect value was 0.491 (95% CI =0.416-0.565); low family function: mediation effect value was 0.144 (95% CI =0.107-0.185) and direct effect 0.621 (95% CI =0.503-0.740)] ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion Family function negatively predicts the externalizing problem behaviors of preschool children, and sleep quality plays a partial mediating role.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.