Objective: To investigate the epidemilogical characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province from 2014 to 2023, so as to provide the basis for formulating prevention and control measures for the construction of "TB-free city". Methods: The data of pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Huzhou City from 2014 to 2023 was collected through the Infectious Disease Reporting Management System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The onset time, region, and population distribution characteristics of the cases were described. Results: A total of 11 598 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were reported in Huzhou City from 2014 to 2023, with an average annual incidence of 37.42/105. The reported incidence decreased from 47.50/105 in 2014 to 28.36/105 in 2023 (P<0.05), with an annual decline rate of 5.57%. There were 6 304 etiological positive cases, accounting for 54.35%. The peak season for pulmonary tuberculosis cases was from March to September, with the highest seasonal ratio of 112.48% in May. The average annual reported incidence rates in Anji County and Changxing County were relatively high (46.14/105 and 41.15/105). The reported incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis in Huzhou City increased with age (P<0.05), peaking at 97.36/105 in the group aged 75 to <80 years. There were 7 991 male pulmonary tuberculosis cases and 3 607 female cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.22∶1. The average annual incidence rates of pulmonary tuberculosis was higher in males than in females (50.39/105 vs. 23.87/105). Farmers were the primary occupation affected, with 6 350 cases accounting for 54.75%. Conclusions The reported incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis in Huzhou City decreased from 2014 to 2023, with a high incidence in spring and summer. The incidence rates in Anji County and Changxing County were higher than Huzhou City's average. Male, elderly residents and farmers were the key populations for pulmonary tuberculosis prevention and control.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have become one of the cutting-edge technologies in the world, and have been mainly applicated in medicine. In this article, we sorted out the development history and important scenarios of BCIs in medical application, analyzed the research progress, technology development, clinical transformation and product market through qualitative and quantitative analysis, and looked forward to the future trends. The results showed that the research hotspots included the processing and interpretation of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, the development and application of machine learning algorithms, and the detection and treatment of neurological diseases. The technological key points included hardware development such as new electrodes, software development such as algorithms for EEG signal processing, and various medical applications such as rehabilitation and training in stroke patients. Currently, several invasive and non-invasive BCIs are in research. The R&D level of BCIs in China and the United State is leading the world, and have approved a number of non-invasive BCIs. In the future, BCIs will be applied to a wider range of medical fields. Related products will develop shift from a single mode to a combined mode. EEG signal acquisition devices will be miniaturized and wireless. The information flow and interaction between brain and machine will give birth to brain-machine fusion intelligence. Last but not least, the safety and ethical issues of BCIs will be taken seriously, and the relevant regulations and standards will be further improved.
Humans ; Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Medicine ; Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; Brain

Purpose: To analyze the gene mutation, immune infiltration and tumor growth of primary tumor and distant tumor under different treatment modes. Materials and Methods: Twenty B16 murine melanoma cells were injected subcutaneously into the of both sides of the thigh, simulating a primary tumor and a secondary tumor impacted by the abscopal effect, respectively. They were divided into blank control group, immunotherapy group, radiotherapy group, and radiotherapy combined immunotherapy group. During this period, tumor volume was measured, and RNA sequencing was performed on tumor samples after the test. R software was used to analyze differentially expressed genes, functional enrichment, and immune infiltration. Results: We found that any treatment mode could cause changes in differentially expressed genes, especially the combination treatment. The different therapeutic effects might be caused by gene expression. In addition, the proportions of infiltrating immune cells in the irradiated and abscopal tumors were different. In the combination treatment group, T-cell infiltration in the irradiated site was the most obvious. In the immunotherapy group, CD8+ T-cell infiltration in the abscopal tumor site was obvious, but immunotherapy alone might have a poor prognosis. Whether the irradiated or abscopal tumor was evaluated, radiotherapy combined with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy produced the most obvious tumor control and might have a positive impact on prognosis. Conclusion Combination therapy not only improves the immune microenvironment but may also have a positive impact on prognosis.

Objective:To analyze the mutation types and distribution characteristics of thalassemia gene among high-risk populations in Sanya City, and to evaluate the effectiveness of blood routine screening, in order to provide scientific basis for formulating measures for prevention and control of thalassemia in Sanya City.Methods:Retrospective analysis was used to collect detection results and clinical data from high-risk individuals who completed genetic screening for thalassemia at Sanya Materal and Child Health Hospital from January 2019 to August 2021. Mutation types and distribution characteristics of thalassemia gene were analyzed, and the missed detection rate and sensitivity of blood routine indicators [mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)] were evaluated based on the results of genetic screening for thalassemia.Results:A total of 5 760 high-risk individuals were included in the screening results of thalassemia genes, and 3 868 samples of thalassemia gene mutations were detected, with a detection rate of 67.15%. Among them, there were 2 979 samples with α-thalassemia genetic mutations, with a detection rate of 51.72%; including 2 966 common genotype samples (99.56%), the main genotype was αα/-α 3.7 (20.14%, 600/2 979); 13 rare genotype samples (0.44%), 4 cases of αα/-- THAI, 3 cases of α CD40(AAG>AA-)α/αα, 2 cases of α PPα/αα, and 1 case of Fusion gene/αα, Fusion gene/α WSα, α WSα/α PPα, and α CD40(AAG>AA-)α/α WSα each. There were 340 samples with β-thalassemia gene mutations, with a detection rate of 5.90%; including 336 common genotype samples (98.82%). The β CD41/42/β N genotype was dominant (57.65%, 196/340); 4 rare genotype samples (1.18%), β CD5(-CT)/β N, β IVS-Ⅱ-2(-T)/β N, β IVS-Ⅱ-761(-T)/β N and β Initiation(ATG>AGG)/β N 1 case each. There were 549 samples of αβ-compound type thalassemia, with a detection rate of 9.53%. The α missing recombination β CD41/42 genotype was dominant (61.02%, 335/549). There were a total of 4 226 samples that could be traced back to MCV and MCH. Among them, 3 007 samples were found to have mutations in thalassemia genes through screening, 2 584 cases were found to have abnormalities in the combination of MCV and MCH indicators, and 423 samples were missed in blood routine screening, with a missed detection rate of 14.07% (423/3 007). The missed samples were mainly α static type, accounting for 89.13% (377/423) of the total missed samples. The screening sensitivity of MCV combined with MCH for α-, β- and αβ-compound type thalassemia was 82.65%, 98.07% and 98.15%, respectively. Conclusion:The types of genetic mutations in thalassemia in Sanya City are complex and diverse, and there are certain omissions in the blood routine screening of MCV combined with MCH.

Background::Given that seizures may be triggered by vaccination, this study aimed to evaluate the risk and correlative factors of seizures in patients with epilepsy (PWE) after being vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods::This study retrospectively enrolled PWE who were vaccinated against COVID-19 in the epilepsy centers of 11 hospitals in China. We divided the PWE into two groups as follows: (1) patients who developed seizures within 14 days of vaccination were assigned to the SAV (with seizures after vaccination) group; (2) patients who were seizure-free within 14 days of vaccination were assigned to the SFAV (seizure-free after vaccination) group. To identify potential risk factors for seizure reccurence, the binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Besides, 67 PWE who had not been vaccinated were also included for elucidating the effects of vaccination on seizures recurrence, and binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether vaccination would affect the recurrence rate of PWE who had drug reduction or withdrawal.Results::The study included a total of 407 patients; of which, 48 (11.8%) developed seizures within 14 days after vaccination (SAV group), whereas 359 (88.2%) remained seizure-free (SFAV group). The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that duration of seizure freedom ( P < 0.001) and withdrawal from anti-seizure medications (ASMs) or reduction in their dosage during the peri-vaccination period were significantly associated with the recurrence of seizures (odds ratio= 7.384, 95% confidence interval = 1.732–31.488, P = 0.007). In addition, 32 of 33 patients (97.0%) who were seizure-free for more than three months before vaccination and had a normal electroencephalogram before vaccination did not have any seizures within 14 days of vaccination. A total of 92 (22.6%) patients experienced non-epileptic adverse reactions after vaccination. Binary logistic regression analysis results showed that vaccine did not significantly affect the recurrence rate of PWE who had the behavior of ASMs dose reduction or withdrawal ( P = 0.143). Conclusions::PWE need protection from the COVID-19 vaccine. PWE who are seizure-free for >3 months before vaccination should be vaccinated. Whether the remaining PWE should be vaccinated depends on the local prevalence of COVID-19. Finally, PWE should avoid discontinuing ASMs or reducing their dosage during the peri-vaccination period.

Objective:To understand the employment psychology of college students in traditional Chinese medicine universities through analyzing relevant influencing factors, and to provide solutions to improve employment quality of the medical students.Methods:An online questionnaire survey on employment psychology and employment situation was conducted from August to September in 2017 among 384 students who had graduated from Longhua Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from 2013 to 2017. SPSS 19.0 was used for chi-square test and linear trend test on the survey results.Results:A total of 374 valid questionnaires were recovered, with the effective recovery rate of 97.4%. The results showed that the most important factors to be considered were professional counterparts (77.01%, 288 students), salary (75.67%, 283 students) and development prospect (69.52%, 260 students) and the most important psychological characteristics were hesitation and contradiction (50.8%, 190 students) and anxiety (25.13%, 94 students). The study found that employment psychology was related to students' family situation, category, temperament and performance during their education period.Conclusion:Students have different employment psychology, which can be improved by consummating career planning, broadening employment channels, combing employment policies, supplementing professional shortcomings, and improving comprehensive skills. Meanwhile, colleges and universities can expand their practice bases, provide employment counseling, and improve education resources, speed up the construction of the second classroom, pay attention to special groups to conduct employment guidance and improve the quality of employment.

Objective: To investigate the effect of denture stomatitis of selective laser melting (SLM) titanium alloy for removable partial denture frameworks. Methods : Twenty patients with dentition defects in our hospital were divided into two groups according to the different methods of creating a removable partial denture framework: the SLM group and casting group. The success rate, placement rate, masticatory efficiency and incidence of denture stomatitis were compared. Experimental data were analyzed with SPSS20.0. Results : The success rate of the SLM framework group was 100.00%, which was higher than that of the casting group (90.00%) (P ＜ 0.01). The rate of framework placement in the SLM group was slightly lower than that in the casting group (P ＜ 0.05). The masticatory efficiency of the SLM group was higher than that of the casting group (0.783 ± 0.030 vs. 0.699 ± 0.037, P ＜ 0.001). The incidence of denture stomatitis (10.00%) in the SLM group was significantly lower than that in the casting group (30.00%) (P ＜ 0.001). Conclusion SLM is superior to the traditional casting method in mastication efficiency and reducing the incidence of denture stomatitis. This method can meet the clinical requirements, but the accuracy of the long-term stent needs to be improved.

Objective: To investigate the radiographic manifestations and clinical relevance to central nervous system complications of leukemia (CNSCL)in children. Methods: The CT and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) fin-dings and clinical features of 49 pediatric patients with CNCSL in Shanghai Children′s Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from May 2010 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: (1) Cerebrovascular abnormalities in 23 cases included hemorrhage(20 cases), infarction(2 cases) and sinus thrombosis(1 case). One case of epidural hematoma and 19 cases of intracerebral multiple bleeding were seen in the hemorrhage group, which demonstrated high-density on CT and different signal on MRI as time went by.Microhe-morrhage displayed as low signal on susceptibility weighted imaging.(2) Among 23 cases of leukemic infiltration, the dura and/or skull were involved in 18 cases, which presented as fusiform or mass, with high density on CT, low signal on T1WI, intermediate signal on T2WI and strong enhancement; 6 leptomeningeal infiltration demonstrated as meningeal thickening and enhancement; 2 parenchymal involvement manifested with high-density mass; 2 oculomotor nerve and 1 optic nerve infiltration demonstrated thickening and enhancement.(3)White matter disease was seen in 2 cases, with hyper-intensity on T2WI.(4) One case of secondary tumor was glial tumor in the brainstem. Conclusions The radiographic manifestations of CNCSL in children are various.CT and MRI are of important diagnostic values.Choosing the best imaging examination method and sequence according to clinical symptoms and test results can provide more valuable information for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective: To study the influential factor of hyperlactatemia after the brain tumor craniotomy. Methods: Patients who underwent selective brain tumor (including glioma, meningioma and acoustic schwannoma) craniotomyin the neurosurgery intensive care unit (NSICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from December 1st 2018 to May 20th 2019 were enrolled. The incidence of hyperlactatemia after the brain tumor craniotomy was investigated. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed to identify the association of initial artery lactate with the operation duration, the intraoperative blood loss, the total intraoperative fluid infusion, intraoperative ringer lactate fluid infusion, intraoperative urine volume, intraoperative fluid balance, the total intraoperative corticosteroids dosage and the tumor type. Pearson method was used to analyze the correlation between lactate in arterial blood and independent related factors. Results: A total of 148 patients were enrolled including 45 patients (30.41%) with glioma, 64 patients (43.24%) with meningioma, and 39 patients (26.35%) with acoustic schwannoma. The initial lactate level in arterial blood increased significantly in 148 patients, with a median of 4.80 (3.68, 5.90) mmol/L. Among them, 78 patients (52.70%) had mild elevation of lactate in arterial blood (2 mmol/L < lactate ≤ 5 mmol/L), 61 patients (41.22%) had significant elevation of lactate in arterial blood (5 mmol/L < lactate ≤ 10 mmol/L), and 2 patients (1.35%) had serious elevation of artery lactate (> 10 mmol/L). And only 7 patients (4.73%) had normal level of lactate in arterial blood (≤ 2 mmol/L). Univariate analysis showed that initial postoperative artery lactate was positively correlated with the operation duration [β = 0.556, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.257-0.855, P < 0.001] and the total intraoperative corticosteroids dosage (β = 0.477, 95%CI was 0.174-0.779, P = 0.002). There was no significant correlation between the initial postoperative artery lactate and tumor types, the intraoperative blood loss, the total fluid infusion, the ringer lactate fluid infusion, urine volume, and the fluid balance. Further multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the operation duration (β = 0.499, 95%CI was 0.204-0.795, P = 0.001) and the total intraoperative corticosteroids dosage (β = 0.407, 95%CI was 0.111-0.703, P = 0.008) were independent risk factors affecting the initial postoperative artery lactate. The correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between lactate in arterial blood and operation time and total hormone dosage during operation (r₁ = 0.289, r₂ = 0.248, both P < 0.01). Conclusion Initial artery lactate after brain tumor craniotomy is associated with surgery duration and exogenous administration of corticosteroids.

PURPOSE: This study was done to estimate supply and demand for nursing workforce to provide community-based primary healthcare in the North Korean region to cost-efficiently narrow the health gap between the two Koreas in case of a Korean reunification. METHODS: To understand the nursing education system and current state of nursing workforce in North Korea, the authors interviewed six North Korean defectors who had worked as nurses in North Korea. Based on the interview results and literature review, the supply and demand for the primary healthcare nursing workforce that would be needed after Korean reunification were estimated RESULTS: Currently, a total of 2,100 to 2,700 North Korean nurses were estimated to have graduated from nursing schools with a 2 year curriculum or completed 6-month military nurse training courses every year. The projected number of nurses in demand to provide primary health care ranged from 84,160 to 105,200 and the shortage would be between 31,586 and 52,626. CONCLUSION: An active utilization of the North Korean nursing workforce to improve the health of North Koreans after reunification will be the best way to reduce the reunification cost which will be inflicted mainly on South Korea.
Curriculum ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Korea ; Military Personnel ; Nursing ; Primary Health Care ; Schools, Nursing