Objective To investigate the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and potential influencing factors of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases in Qinghai Province from 2016 to 2022, so as to provide insights into the formulation of the echinococcosis control strategy in Qinghai Province. Methods The number of individuals screened for echinococcosis, number of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases, number of registered dogs and number of stray dogs were captured from the annual reports of echinococcosis control program in Qinghai Province from 2016 to 2022, and the detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases was calculated. The number of populations, precipitation, temperature, wind speed, sunshine hours, average altitude, number of year-end cattle stock, number of year-end sheep stock, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and number of village health centers in each county (district) of Qinghai Province were captured from the Qinghai Provincial Statistical Yearbook, and county-level electronic maps in Qinghai Province were downloaded from the National Platform for Common Geospatial Information Services. The software ArcGIS 10.8 was used to map the distribution of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases in Qinghai Province, and the spatial autocorrelation analysis of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases was performed. In addition, the spacetime scan analyses of number of individuals screened for echinococcosis, number of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases and geographical coordinates in Qinghai Province were performed with the software SaTScan 10.1.2, and the spatial stratified heterogeneity of the detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases was investigated with the software GeoDetector. Results A total of 6 569 426 residents were screened for echinococcosis in Qinghai Province from 2016 to 2022, and 5 924 newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases were found. The detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases appeared a tendency towards a decline over years from 2016 to 2022 (χ² = 11.107, P < 0.01), with the highest detection in Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in 2017 (82.12/10⁵). There were spatial clusters in the detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases in Qinghai Province from 2016 to 2018 (Moran’s I = 0.34 to 0.65, all Z values > 1.96, all P values < 0.05), and the distribution of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases appeared random distribution from 2019 to 2022 (Moran’s I = −0.09 to 0.04, all Z values < 1.96, all P values > 0.05). Local spatial autocorrelation analysis showed high-high clusters and low-low clusters in the detection of new diagnosed echinococcosis cases in Qinghai Province from 2016 to 2022, and space-time scan analysis showed that the first most likely cluster areas of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases in Qinghai Province from 2016 to 2022 were mainly distributed in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. GeoDetector-based analysis of the driving factors for the spatial stratified heterogeneity of detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases in Qinghai Province showed that average altitude, number of village health centers, number of cattle and sheep stock, GDP per capita, annual average sunshine hours, and annual average temperature had a strong explanatory power for the spatial distribution of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases, with q values of 0.630, 0.610, 0.600, 0.590, 0.588, 0.537 and 0.526, respectively. Conclusions The detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases appeared a tendency towards a decline in Qinghai Province over years from 2016 to 2022, showing spatial clustering. Targeted control measures are required in cluster areas of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases for further control of the disease.

Objective:To apply the best evidence for nutritional management in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) into clinical practice and evaluate its effectiveness.Methods:Totally 80 CHF patients admitted to the Department of Cardiology at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University from October 2022 to March 2023 and 23 nurses involved in the project were selected by convenience sampling. The 40 CHF patients admitted from October to December 2022 formed the baseline group, while those admitted from January to March 2023 constituted the evidence application group. Evidence-based nursing methods were implemented in four stages: evidence retrieval, current status review, evidence implementation, and effectiveness evaluation. The compliance rates of review indicators, nurses' knowledge of nutritional management for CHF patients, and patient outcomes related to nutrition status and readmission rates were compared before and after evidence-based practice.Results:After evidence-based practice, the compliance rates of review indicators increased from 0-60.87% to 80.00%-100.00%. Nurses' scores on nutritional management knowledge for CHF patients increased significantly from (48.48±13.09) to (91.30±4.82), with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). The NRS 2002 scores of CHF patients decreased from (3.05±0.50) to (2.10±0.44), MNA-HF scores increased from (18.20±2.64) to (21.24±2.94), and albumin levels increased from (37.33±4.98) g/L to (39.24±3.29) g/L, all with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). The 3-month readmission rate for CHF patients in the evidence application group was 10.00% (4/40), significantly lower than the 27.50% (11/40) in the baseline group ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Evidence-based nursing practice for nutritional management in CHF patients can enhance nurses' knowledge, improve patients' nutritional status, reduce readmission rates, and improve the quality of nursing care.

Objective·To identify the functional motifs of mucin 1(MUC1)involved in regulating tumor cell proliferation,migration,and stemness maintenance.Methods·Mutational characteristics of the MUC1 gene across different cancers were identified from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database.Various MUC1 mutation sites were analyzed and localized,followed by ranking based on mutation frequency.Western blotting was used to screen high-frequency MUC1 mutants with stable protein expression.BT549 cell line with MUC1 knocked out and MCF-10A cell line were used to stably overexpress MUC1 wild-type(MUC1-WT)and mutants by using lentiviral technology.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the cellular localization of MUC1 mutants.Using MUC1-WT as a positive control and MUC1-AQA,a loss-of-function mutant,as a negative control,the biological functions of different MUC1 mutant cells were analyzed:cell proliferation ability was assessed by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay and colony formation assay;cell migration ability was evaluated by wound-healing and Transwell assays;cell stemness was examined by sphere formation assay.Structural localization of MUC1 mutants was analyzed by using PyMOL software,and molecular docking analysis was performed by using a protein docking software(ZDOCK Server).Results·A total of 102 mutations located in the MUC1 coding region were identified in the TCGA database,among which five missense mutations(P418S,S251R,V359I,N271S,and N465H)exhibited higher frequencies and were located in the non-variable number of tandem repeats(non-VNTR)region.Further examination revealed that the MUC1-S251R,N271S,and V359I mutants could be stably expressed.The cellular localization assay indicated that these three mutants predominantly localized in the cytoplasm,but were also presented in the nucleus.The nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio showed minimal differences between MUC1-WT and the mutants.Analysis of the tumorigenic biological functions of the cells expressing different MUC1 mutants revealed that:① High expression of MUC1-WT significantly enhanced the proliferation ability of both BT549 and MCF-10A cells;the proliferation of MUC1-AQA,S251R,and N271S mutant cells was decreased compared to MUC1-WT cells,while MUC1-V359I mutant cells exhibited a similar proliferative profile to MUC1-WT cells.② The migration ability of MUC1-WT high-expressing cells was significantly enhanced,whereas MUC1-AQA cells demonstrated attenuated migration.In the BT549 cells,the migration ability of MUC1-S251R and V359I cells was similar to that of MUC1-WT cells,whereas MUC1-N271S cells showed reduced migration.In the MCF-10A cells,the migration ability of MUC1-N271S and MUC1-V359I cells was similar to that of MUC1-WT cells,whereas MUC1-S251R cells exhibited significantly decreased migration.③ Stemness was enhanced in both cell types with high MUC1-WT expression,while MUC1-AQA cells lost stemness;the cells with MUC1-N271S,V359I and MUC1-WT showed comparable maintenance of stemness,whereas MUC1-S251R cells demonstrated compromised stemness.PyMOL software analysis unveiled that MUC1-N271S and V359I were located in or around the sperm protein-enterokinase-agarin(SEA)region,specifically in the loop region and the β-sheet,respectively.The molecular docking analysis revealed that the stability of the complex formed by MUC1-WT or V359I with the extracellular domain of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)surpassed that of MUC1-N271S or S251R,indicating a stability hierarchy of V359I>WT>N271S>S251R.Conclusion·MUC1 mutants exhibit diverse impacts on the biological functions of tumor cells,with their effects on proliferation correlating with the EGFR signaling pathway.MUC1-V359I is similar to MUC1-WT,indicating a negligible effect on tumor cell proliferation,migration,and stemness maintenance.Conversely,MUC1-S251 and N271 sites may be involved in the regulation of signaling pathways governing cell proliferation and migration and the MUC1-S251 site plays a critical role in maintaining cell stemness.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum indirect bilirubin(IBIL)levels and carotid intima-media thickness(CIMT)of acute cerebral infarction patients.Methods A total of 229 patients with acute cerebral infarction at Wuxi No.2 Chinese Medicine Hospital from July 2021 to November 2023 were divided into the intima-media thickness group(CIMT≥0.9mm,n=108)and intima-media normal group(CIMT<0.9mm,n=121)according to CIMT values.The differences in gender,age,body mass index,smoking history,history of alcohol drinking,hypertension,coronary heart disease,diabetes,hyperlipidemia,total bilirubin(TBIL),direct bilirubin(DBIL),indirect bilirubin(IBIL),total cholesterol,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,triglyceride,fasting blood glucose,uric acid,and cystatin C were compared between the two groups.To further elucidate the association between serum bilirubin levels and CIMT using both univariate and multivariate analysis.Results The two groups showed significant differences in gender,body mass index and IBIL in the results(P<0.05).However,there was no significant difference in age,history of alcohol drinking,smoking history,diabetes,coronary heart disease,hypertension,hyperlipidemia,TBIL,DBIL,total cholesterol,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,triglyceride,fasting blood glucose,uric acid and cystatin C levels(P>0.05).Binary Logistic regression analysis indicated that gender,body mass index and IBIL were significant independent predictors of CIMT values(P<0.05).Conclusion Serum indirect bilirubin level is inversely associated with CIMT in acute cerebral infarction patients,which may be one of the protective factors of atherosclerosis.

Objective:To evaluate the protective effect of pressure-controlled volume-guaranteed ventilation (PC-VG) combined with dexmedetomidine on the lung of pediatric patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.Methods:Forty-eight pediatric patients of either sex, aged 2-6 yr, weighing 8-21 kg, scheduled for elective laparoscopic pyeloplasty, were divided into 3 groups ( n=16 each) using a random number table method: volume-controlled ventilation (VCV) group (V group), PC-VG group (P group), and PC-VG combined with dexmedetomidine group (PD group). In PD group, dexmedetomidine was intravenously infused for 15 min at a loading dose of 0.5 μg/kg starting from the time point before anesthesia induction followed by a continuous infusion of 0.2-0.5 μg·kg -1·h -1 until the end of operation. VCV mode was used in group V, and PC-VG mode was used in P and PD groups, ventilator settings were adjusted to the mode with a tidal volume 6-8 ml/kg, respiratory rate 15-25 breaths/min, inspiratory/expiratory ratio 1∶2, oxygen flow rate 2 L/min, fraction of inspired oxygen 60%, and P ETCO 2 was maintained at 35-40 mmHg during mechanical ventilation in three groups. At 5 min before pneumoperitoneum (T 0), 10, 60 and 120 min of pneumoperitoneum (T 1-3) and 10 min after release of pneumoperitoneum pressure (T 4), peak airway pressure (Ppeak), mean airway pressure (Pmean), compliance of lung (C L) and airway resistance (Raw) were recorded, alveolar-arterial oxygen partial pressure difference (PA-aO 2), oxygenation index (OI), and respiratory index (RI) were recorded. The occurrence of pulmonary complications was recorded within 7 days after operation. Results:Compared with V group, the Ppeak and Raw were significantly decreased and C L was increased at T 1-4, and PA-aO 2 and RI were decreased and OI was increased at T 3, 4 in P group and PD group ( P<0.05). Compared with P group, no significant change was found in the parameters of respiratory mechanics mentioned above at each time point ( P>0.05), and PA-aO 2 and RI were decreased and OI was increased at T 3, 4 in PD group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications among the three groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:PC-VG combined with dexmedetomidine has a certain lung-protective effect in pediatric patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

Objective To investigate the application value of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and its influence on bones and kidneys. Methods A total of 36 CHB patients, aged ≥60 years, who received TAF antiviral therapy in Qingdao Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao Sixth People's Hospital, Chengyang People's Hospital, and Jimo People's Hospital from June 2021 to October 2022 were enrolled in this study, and all patients received TAF (25 mg/d) antiviral therapy. Related data were collected at baseline and weeks 24 and 48 of treatment, including virological indicators, biochemical parameters, urinary protein electrophoresis indices, transient elastography (FibroScan), and bone mineral density. Virological indicators included high-sensitivity HBV DNA quantification; biochemical parameters included total bilirubin, direct bilirubin (DBil), indirect bilirubin (IBil), alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total bile acid (TBA), glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and cystatin C (Cys C); urinary protein electrophoresis indices included urinary β2 microglobulin (β2-MG), urinary retinol (URBP), and urinary α1 microspherin (α1-MG). The paired t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment; the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data. Results A total of 36 CHB patients completed 24 weeks of follow-up. The complete virological response rate after 24 weeks of treatment was higher than that at baseline [83.3% (30/36) vs 77.8% (28/36), χ 2 =0.36, P =0.55], and there were significant reductions in DBil ( t =-2.42, P =0.02) and Cys C ( t =-4.34, P < 0.001) from baseline to week 24. A total of 18 CHB patients completed 48 weeks of follow-up. The complete virological response rate after 48 weeks of treatment was higher than that at baseline (94.4% vs 77.8%, χ 2 =2.22, P =0.34), and there were significant increases in IBil ( t =2.43, P =0.03), TBA ( Z =-2.24, P =0.03), and bone mineral density T score of lumbar vertebra ( t =2.92, P = 0.01) and femoral neck ( t =2.42, P =0.03) and a significant reduction in liver stiffness measurement ( t =-2.31, P =0.03). There were no significant changes in β2-MG, URBP, and α1-MG after treatment (all P > 0.05). Conclusion TAF has a good antiviral effect in CHB patients aged ≥60 years and can help more CHB patients achieve complete virological response, without causing damage to the kidney, and it can also improve bone mineral density and liver fibrosis degree.

Humans ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Biological Therapy

Objective:To explore the relationship between serum albumin (ALB), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and coronary artery disease in children with Kawasaki disease (KD).Methods:120 KD children diagnosed in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from December 2016 to November 2021 were selected as the research objects. They were divided into observation group (KD with coronary artery disease) and control group (KD with coronary artery disease) according to whether they had coronary artery disease, with 60 cases in each group; the serum ALB, ESR, PLR, NLR values of the two groups of children were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of the above indicators in diagnosing KD children with coronary artery disease. The serum ALB, ESR, PLR, NLR levels of KD children with different degrees of coronary artery disease were analyzed.Results:The main manifestations of coronary artery disease in 60 children with KD combined with coronary artery disease were left main coronary artery and left anterior descending branch widening [56.67%(34/60)], left main coronary artery and left anterior descending branch widening [20.00%(12/60)], left anterior descending branch widening [16.67%(10/60)], left main coronary artery widening [11.67%(7/60)]. The serum ALB in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P<0.05), and ESR was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in serum PLR and NLR between observation group and control group (all P>0.05). The sensitivity, specificity and area under curve (AUC) value of serum ALB in diagnosing coronary artery disease in KD children were 73.61%, 78.42% and 0.813 respectively; The sensitivity, specificity and AUC of ESR in diagnosing coronary artery disease in KD children were 88.36%, 83.14% and 0.892 respectively; The sensitivity, specificity and AUC value of ESR combined with ALB in diagnosing coronary artery disease in KD children were 90.67%, 97.54% and 0.953 respectively. Among 60 children with KD complicated with coronary artery disease, 39 were diagnosed as coronary artery dilatation and 21 had coronary artery aneurysm. The serum ALB of children in the coronary artery aneurysm group was significantly lower than that in the coronary artery dilatation group ( P<0.05), and ESR was significantly higher than that in the coronary artery dilatation group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in PLR and NLR between the coronary artery aneurysm group and the coronary artery dilatation group (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Children with KD and coronary artery disease have lower serum ALB levels and higher ESR level. The above two indicators are of great value for the diagnosis of children with KD and coronary artery disease.

Background Parabens, a widely used class of preservatives, are suspected to be potential obesogens as emerging endocrine disrupting chemicals with reproductive and developmental toxicity. Objective To analyze five urinary parabens (PBs) and estimate the associations of exposure to PBs with adiposity measures in 10-year-old school-age children. Methods A total of 471 school-age children aged 10 years from the Sheyang Mini Birth Cohort were enrolled in this study. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect socio-demographic information, physical activity, and dietary intake. Weight, height, and waist circumference of children were measured, and age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (BMI-Z score) was calculated. Spot urine samples were collected during the follow-up visits. Urinary concentrations of five PBs including methyl-paraben (MeP), ethyl-paraben (EtP), propyl-paraben (PrP), butyl-paraben (BuP), and benzyl-paraben (BzP) were detected by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Generalized linear models (GLMs) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were applied to estimate associations of individual/overall urinary PBs concentrations with BMI Z-score and waist circumference. Results The positive rates of selected five urinary PBs were in the range from 78.98% to 98.94%. The urinary PBs concentrations (geometric mean) were in the range of 0.31-5.43 μg·L⁻¹. The children's BMI Z-score and waist circumference (mean ± standard deviation) were (0.56±1.40) and (67.62±10.07) cm respectively. The GLMs results showed that the urinary BzP concentration was negatively associated with waist circumference (b=−0.08, 95%CI: −0.14, −0.02; P=0.01). In sex-stratified analysis, the urinary concentration of BzP was negatively associated with BMI-Z score (b=−0.59, 95%CI: −0.88, −0.30; P<0.001) and waist circumference (b=−0.80, 95%CI: −1.23, −0.37; P<0.001) in boys, but not in girls. The BKMR results also found significant negative correlations of urinary BzP concentrations with BMI-Z score and waist circumference, which were consistent with the GLM results. Conclusion The selected 10-year-old children are extensively exposed to PBs in the study area. Furthermore, childhood PBs exposure may have potential impacts on childhood adiposity measures with sex-specific effects.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term efficacy of double-tunnel peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) and traditional POEM in the treatment of achalasia cardia.Methods:A randomized controlled trial was performed on the data of 30 patients with achalasia cardia, who underwent POEM in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2018 to June 2019. The 30 consecutive patients were randomly assigned to double-tunnel POEM group (15 cases, a second tunnel was established opposite to the traditional one) and traditional POEM group (15 cases). Intraoperative information was recorded, and patients were followed up regularly to compare the efficacy and complications between the two groups.Results:Double-tunnel POEM and traditional POEM were all completed with technical success. There were no significant differences in the intraoperative complications (5/15 VS 4/15, P=1.000), hospitalization time or cost between the two groups. The follow-up time was 17.20±4.83 months and 15.33±4.67 months in the traditional POEM group and the double-tunnel POEM group, respectively. The Eckardt scores after surgery between the two groups had no significant difference [1.53 (2.00) VS 1.60 (3.00), Z=-0.363, P=0.744]. The symptom relief cases were both 14 in the two groups. The postoperative 4-second integrated relaxation pressure (4 s IRP) of the double-tunnel group (11.27±3.14 mmHg) was significantly lower than that of the traditional group (15.05±4.21 mmHg, t=2.794, P=0.009). There was no significant difference in postoperative gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire scores between the two groups (4.40±1.64 VS 4.20±1.42, t=0.357, P=0.724). Conclusion:Double-tunnel POEM has almost the same efficacy as the traditional POEM except for a lower post-POEM 4 sIRP.