Objective To observe the manifestations of adult adrenal glands in intraoperative ultrasound(IOUS).Methods A total of 71 patients who underwent surgery for liver,biliary or pancreatic lesions were enrolled.Adrenal glands manifestations in IOUS were observed,and the displaying rate and the measured thickness of adrenal glands of IOUS were compared with those of CT/MRI.Results Adult adrenal gland manifested as bilateral weak echogenic structures with clear boundary and irregularly shape in IOUS.CT/MRI displaying rate of adrenal gland was 97.18％(138/142),of IOUS was 95.07％(135/142).IOUS displaying rate of the left side adrenal gland was 97.18％(69/71),of the right side adrenal gland was 92.96％(66/71),including 4 adrenal glands not shown on CT/MRI.The thickness of adrenal gland measured with IOUS was greater than those with CT/MRI(all P＜0.05).Conclusion IOUS of Adult adrenal glands present as bilateral weak echogenic structures with clear boundary and irregularly shape.IOUS displaying rate of adult adrenal gland was higher of the left side than the right side.

Objective:Compared with long-term renal replacement therapy,kidney transplantation is the ideal treatment for end-stage renal disease(ESRD),significantly extending patient life and improving quality of life.Kidney transplant patients need to adhere to lifelong immunosuppressive medication regimens,but their medication adherence is generally poor compared with other organ transplant recipients.Medication adherence is closely related to medication literacy and psychological status,yet related studies are limited.This study aims to investigate the current status of medication adherence,inner strength,and medication literacy in kidney transplant patients,analyze the relationships among these 3 factors,and explore the mediating role of inner strength in the relationship between medication literacy and medication adherence. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to October 2023 involving 421 patients aged≥18 years who visited kidney transplantation outpatient clinics at 4 tertiary hospitals in Hunan Province.The inner strength,medication literacy,and medication adherence of kidney transplant patients were investigated using the Inner Strength Scale(ISS),the Chinese version of the Medication Literacy Assessment in Spanish and English(MedLitRxSE),and the Chinese version of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8(C-MMAS-8),respectively.Univariate analysis was performed to examine the effects of demographic and clinical data on medication adherence.Correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationships among medication literacy,medication adherence,and inner strength.Significant variables from univariate and correlation analyses were further analyzed using multiple linear regression,and the mediating effect of inner strength was explored. Results:Among the 421 questionnaires collected,408 were valid,with an effective rate of 96.91％.The scores of C-MMAS-8,MedLitRxSE,and ISS were 6.64±1.16,100.63±14.67,and 8.47±4.03,respectively.Among the 408 patients,only 86(21.08％)patients had a high level of medication adherence,whereas 230(56.37％)patients had a medium level of medication adherence,and 92(22.55％)patients had poor medication adherence.Univariate analysis indicated that the kidney transplant patients'age,marital status,education levels,years since their kidney transplant operation,number of hospitalizations after the kidney transplant,and adverse drug reactions showed significant differences in medication adherence(all P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that inner strength positively correlated with both medication literacy(r=0.183,P＜0.001)and medication adherence(r=0.201,P＜0.00l).Additionally,there was a positive correlation between medication adherence and medication literacy(r=0.236,P＜0.00l).Inner strength accounted for 13.22％of the total effect in the mediating role between medication literacy and medication adherence. Conclusion:The level of medication adherence among kidney transplant patients needs improvement,and targeted intervention measures are essential.Inner strength mediates the relationship between medication literacy and medication adherence in these patients.Healthcare professionals should focus on enhancing medication literacy and supporting patients'inner strength to improve medication adherence.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of secondary transplantation for patients with acute leukemia after failure of the first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Methods Two acute leukemia patients underwent the first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from two donors with thalassemia, and the number of collected CD34⁺ cells was 2.57×10⁶/kg and 1.99×10⁶/kg per donor, respectively. The first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation failed. Secondary transplantation was performed from two non-thalassemia donors, and the number of collected CD34⁺ cells was 4.28×10⁶/kg and 5.75×10⁶/kg per donor, respectively. A reduced-intensity conditioning regimen consisting of fludarabine (Flu), busulfan (Bu) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) was adopted for the secondary transplantation. Results For two recipients, the time of secondary transplantation of neutrophil and platelet was +12 d and +10 d, +10 d and +10 d, respectively. Up to the final follow-up (+1 062 d and +265 d after secondary transplantation), the primary diseases of both two recipients have been completely relieved without evident post-transplantation complications. Conclusions Secondary transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning regimen may successfully treat acute leukemia after failure of the first haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of inhibiting protein arginine methyltransferase 5(PRMT5)in cisplatin-induced hearing loss.The effects of PRMT5 inhibition on cisplatin-induced auditory injury were determined using immunohistochemistry,apoptosis assays,and auditory brainstem response.The mechanism of PRMT5 inhibition on hair cell survival was assessed using RNA-seq and Cleavage Under Targets and Tagment-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(CUT&Tag-qPCR)analyses in the HEI-OC1 cell line.Pharmacological inhibition of PRMT5 significantly alleviated cisplatin-induced damage to hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons in the cochlea and decreased apoptosis by protecting mitochondrial function and preventing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species.CUT&Tag-qPCR analysis demonstrated that inhibition of PRMT5 in HEI-OC1 cells reduced the accumulation of H4R3me2s/H3R8me2s marks at the promoter region of the Pik3ca gene,thus activating the expression of Pik3ca.These findings suggest that PRMT5 inhibitors have strong potential as agents against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity and can lay the foundation for further research on treatment strategies of hearing loss.

Cisplatin-related ototoxicity is a critical side effect of chemotherapy and can lead to irreversible hearing loss. This study aimed to assess the potential effect of the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor RG108 on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Immunohistochemistry, apoptosis assay, and auditory brainstem response (ABR) were employed to determine the impacts of RG108 on cisplatin-induced injury in murine hair cells (HCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Rhodamine 123 and TMRM were utilized for mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assessment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) amounts were evaluated by Cellrox green and Mitosox-red probes. Mitochondrial respiratory function evaluation was performed by determining oxygen consumption rates (OCRs). The results showed that RG108 can markedly reduce cisplatin induced damage in HCs and SGNs, and alleviate apoptotic rate by protecting mitochondrial function through preventing ROS accumulation. Furthermore, RG108 upregulated BCL-2 and downregulated APAF1, BAX, and BAD in HEI-OC1 cells, and triggered the PI3K/AKT pathway. Decreased expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) and high methylation of the LRP1 promoter were observed after cisplatin treatment. RG108 treatment can increase LRP1 expression and decrease LRP1 promoter methylation. In conclusion, RG108 might represent a new potential agent for preventing hearing loss induced by cisplatin via activating the LRP1-PI3K/AKT pathway.

Objectives:To investigate the risk factors for acute liver injury (ALI) in patients after resuscitation from cardiac arrest and their influence on prognosis.Methods:The clinical data of patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in our department from January 2015 to January 2018 were analyzed. According to whether ALI occurred, the selected patients were divided into the ALI group and non-ALI group. The basic situation of the two groups of patients and the occurrence of shock and cardiac insufficiency after cardiac arrest were investigated. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the effect of ALI on the 1-year survival of patients. The 28-day mortality and neurological recovery were observed in patients in the ALI group. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for ALI.Results::There were 54 patients in the ALI group and 158 patients in the non-ALI group. The patients in the ALI group needed a longer time to recover spontaneous circulation [19 (10-27) min, P=0.015], and the overall condition (SOFA score, acidosis, and lactic acid) were more serious. The incidences of shock and heart failure after cardiac arrest in the ALI and non-ALI groups were 74% and 55%, and 89% and 70%, respectively. The 1-year cumulative survival rate of patients in the non-ALI group was significantly higher than that of the ALI group ( P=0.043). The longer the duration of ALI, the higher the incidence of poor prognosis. The time to resume spontaneous circulation ( OR=3.762; 95% CI: 2.347-5.098) and heart failure ( OR=4.272; 95% CI: 2.943-5.932) after cardiac arrest were associated with ALI in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (both P<0.05). Conclusions:The time to resume spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest and heart failure after cardiopulmonary resuscitation are risk factors for ALI, and the occurrence of ALI increases patient’s mortality.

Objective:To understand the current status of foreign dual-degree programs of Medical Doctor (MD) and Master of Public Health (MPH) and provide evidence-based decision-making reference for promoting the education of high-level applied public health talents in China.Methods:The list of involved institutions and information of foreign MD-MPH dual-degree programs was collected through literature retrieval, online information searching, and additional survey of key figures. We extracted the details of each project regarding professional fields, core competence, length of schooling, teaching and learning arrangement, internship eligibility, and graduation assessment. Python 3.8.0 was used for data cleaning, and the occurrence frequency of related items in each dimension was calculated.Results:A total of 99 MD-MPH programs from 104 foreign institutions were included, among which 97.1% of them were implemented in universities from the United States. The School of Public Health provided 42.4% (42/99) of the programs. Epidemiology was the major discipline set up among most programs, accounting for 12.0% (29/241) of all the specialties involved. Epidemiological research methods, health policy management and practice, and public health practice were the top 3 core competencies to be mastered. Of the 99 programs, 87 gave information on the length of the program, of which 74.7% (65/87) were five years, 6.9% (6/87) were four years, and 18.4% (16/87) included both 4-year and 5-year programs.Conclusions:The international MD-MPH programs were sophisticated and mainly organized by the School of Public Health alone or in conjunction with the School of Medicine. Epidemiology is the core course and competence objective, with a length of 4-5 years. Through learning experience from international MD-MPH programs and the Chinese unique medical development background, China should optimize its medical education system to develop a suitable talent training strategy for MD-MPH dual-degree programs in the new era.

Objective:To investigate the incidence of hypoalbuminemia in elderly patients undergoing endovascular treatment(EVT)for large vessel occlusion and to analyze the correlation between hypoalbuminemia and prognosis of EVT.Methods:A total of 640 elderly patients receiving EVT due to acute large vessel occlusion, aged(71.5±7.4)years with 377 males(58.9%), were enrolled into the prospective multicenter cohort study from July 2018 to May 2019.The patients were grouped as the low albumin group(serum albumin levels within 24 h after EVT <35 g/L, n=191, 29.8%)and as the normal albumin group(serum albumin levels≥35 g/L, n=449, 70.2%). The primary outcome was 90-day nerve functional independence defined by the modified Rankin Scale score 0-2.Outcomes were assessed as odds ratio( OR)by using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results:The proportion of prognosis of good nerve functional independence at 90 d was lower in the low albumin group than in the normal albumin group[22.5%(43 cases) vs.41.9%(188 cases), OR=1.88, 95% CI: 1.20~2.95, P=0.01]. The incidence of early neurological deterioration was higher after treatment( OR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.37~0.88, P=0.01), and the proportions of multiple systemic complications were higher( P<0.01)in the low albumin group than in the normal albumin group. Conclusions:Hypoalbuminemia after EVT is correlated with the poor prognosis at 90 d in elderly patients.Elderly patients with hypoalbuminemia after EVT have higher incidences of multiple systemic complications.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize the emergency management of the kidney transplantation for a large tertiary first-class hospital in response to the epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: The clinical data of inpatients in the Department of Kidney Transplantation from January 24, 2020 to February 29, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we conducted telephone, Wechat follow-up, and online education for kidney transplant recipients and patients on waiting-list for kidney transplantation one by one. We also strictly screened for COVID-19 in outpatients. To guarantee the security of medical staff and recipients and to reduce the transmission risk of COVID-19, we have made detailed approaches to prevent COVID-19, which mainly included 6 aspects of preventive approaches, such as kidney transplant clinic, kidney transplant ward, patients on waiting-list for kidney transplantation, kidney transplant operation, medical staff self-protection, and postoperative follow-up of kidney transplant recipients. RESULTS: There were altogether 47 inpatients which included 20 recipients who had just received kidney transplantation in the meantime, 2 577 kidney transplant recipients, 1 689 patients on waiting-list for kidney transplantation, and 794 outpatients in our hospital. No case of COVID-19 occurred in this period. CONCLUSIONS Through strictly implementing proactive and preventive approaches, we avoid the occurrence of COVID-19 in carrying out kidney transplantation in the epidemic period.
Betacoronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Pandemics ; prevention & control ; Pneumonia, Viral ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Transplant Recipients ; Waiting Lists

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of fatal cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in children under 5 years old in China from 2008 to 2018, and provide evidence for the development of targeted prevention and control measures and reduction of the incidence of fatal HFMD cases.Methods:The incidence data of reported HFMD cases in China during 2008-2018 were collected from the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance Reporting System of China for the analyses on the demographic characteristics, spatial distribution, diagnosis or reporting and pathogen spectrum of the HFMD cases. Then the risk factors causing deaths were analyzed by using logistic regression model.Results:From 2008 to 2018, a total of 3 646 fatal cases of HFMD in children under 5 years old were reported in China. There were more fatal HFMD cases in boys than in girls (1.82∶1), the death mainly occurred in age group 0 to 2 years (87.71%). Adjusted mortality rate of HFMD in children under 5 years old in China declined from 0.87 per 100 000 in 2010 to 0.11 per 100 000 in 2018 (APC=-23.20%). In the 2 523 laboratory-confirmed deaths, 2 323 (92.07%) were EV-A71 infections, but the constituents of CV-A16 and other enterovirus infections increased. The interval from onset to diagnosis M=2( P25-P75:2 -4)d. The interval from onset to death M=3( P25-P75:2 -4)d. Age between 0 and 1 years, EV-A71 infection, longer interval between onset and diagnosis, and living in rural area were the risk factors causing fatal HFMD cases. Conclusions:The number of the fatal cases, the rate of mortality and case fatality HFMD in China had shown downward trends since 2010. EV-A71 is still the main pathogen causing fatal cases, but we should pay more attention to gene pattern of the other enteroviruses except EV-A71 and CV-A16. To reduce the risk of the fatal cases we should strengthen the health education about the immunization of EV-A71 inactivated vaccines and reduce the interval from onset to diagnosis in young children in western provinces and rural areas.