ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of long COVID and to investigate its main influencing factors by examining individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 between March and June 2022 in two communities in Shanghai, to lay the foundation for further research on the mechanism and clinical treatment of long COVID, and to provide the basis for the development of inexpensive, convenient, and feasible prevention and intervention strategies. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 6 410 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey. The incidence and common symptoms of long COVID were analyzed, along with their associations with demographic characteristics, medical history, and behavioral factors. A logistic regression model was used to identify the major factors associated with the development of long COVID symptoms. ResultsThe overall incidence rate of long COVID among the study population was 13.9%. The most commonly reported symptoms included fatigue (65.1%), attention disorders (23.1%), and cough (16.9%). The analysis showed that having underlying chronic diseases (OR=2.580, 95%CI: 2.165‒3.074), a history of allergies (OR=1.418, 95%CI: 1.003‒1.971), current smoking (OR=1.461, 95%CI: 1.013‒2.079), ever smoking (OR=2.462, 95%CI: 1.687‒3.551), a greater number of symptoms during the acute phase [1 symptom (OR=1.778, 95%CI: 1.459‒2.162), 2 symptoms (OR=2.749, 95%CI: 2.209‒3.409), ≥3 symptoms (OR=7.792, 95%CI: 6.333‒9.593)] and aggravated symptoms during the acute phase (OR=1.082, 95%CI: 1.070‒1.094) were factors associated with a higher risk of developing long COVID symptoms. Additionally, individuals who had consumed alcohol in the past year (OR=1.914, 95%CI: 1.344‒2.684) were more prone to objective long COVID symptoms. Among individuals under 50 years of age, females (OR=1.427, 95%CI: 1.052‒1.943) were more likely to develop objective long COVID symptoms. ConclusionThis study has identified the diversity of long COVID symptoms, which involve multiple organs and systems, including fatigue, attention disorders, cough, and joint pain. It has also revealed associations between long COVID and various demographic factors (e.g., age, gender), personal medical history (e.g., underlying chronic diseases, history of allergies), acute-phase characteristics (e.g., number and severity of symptoms), and behavioral factors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption). These findings highlight the need for further research and ongoing surveillance of long COVID and may inform the development of more targeted health management strategies for specific populations.

Objective:To study the in vitro construction of functional and self-renewing cartilage organoids based on cartilage acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) microcarriers.Methods:Fresh porcine articular cartilage was taken. The merely crushed cartilage particles were set as natural cartilage group and ECM microcarriers of appropriate particle size, which were prepared by the acellular method of combining physical centrifugation and chemical extraction, were set as microcarrier group. Cartilage organoids were constructed by loading human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and human chondrocytes (hCho) with a ratio of 3∶1 with microcarriers through a rotating bioreactor. The organoids with different induction times were divided into 0-, 7-, 14-, and 21-day induction groups. The cell residues of the microcarrier group and natural cartilage group were evaluated by 4′, 6-diaminidine 2-phenylindole (DAPI) fluorescence staining and DNA quantitative analysis. The retention of microcarrier components was observed by Safranin O and toluidine blue stainnings, and the collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAGs) levels in the microcarrier group and the natural cartilage group were determined by colorimetric method and dimethyl-methylene blue (DMMB) method. The microcarriers were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The hUCMSCs cultured with Dulbecco′s Modified Eagle′s Medium (DMEM) supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS) in a volume fraction of 10% was used as the control group and the hUCMSCs cultured with the microcarrier extract was used as the experimental group. Subgroups of hUCMSCs cultured at 3 time points: 1, 3 and 5 days were set up in the two groups separately. Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the biocompatibility of the two groups. The cellular activity of the organoids of the 0-, 7-, 14-, and 21-day induction groups was detected by live/dead staining and the self-renewal ability of the cartilage organoids of the 14-day induced group was identified by Ki67 fluorescence staining. The organoids of the 7-, 14-, and 21-day induction groups were detected by RT-PCR in terms of the expression levels of chondrogenesis-related marker aggrecan (ACAN), type II collagen (COL2A1), SRY-related high mobility group-box gene-9 (SOX9), cartilage hypertrophy-and mineralization-related marker type I collagen (COL1A1), Runt-related transcription factor-2 (RUNX2), and osteocalcin (OCN). Colorimetric and DMMB assays were performed to determine the ability of organoids in the 0-, 7-, 14-, and 21-day induction groups to secrete collagen and GAGs.Results:The results of DAPI fluorescent staining showed that the natural cartilage group had a large number of nuclei while the microcarrier group hardly had any nuclei. The DNA content of the microcarrier group was (7.8±1.8)ng/mg, which was significantly lower than that of the natural cartilage group [(526.7±14.7)ng/mg] ( P<0.01). Saffranin O and toluidine blue staining showed that the microcarrier was dark- and uniform-colored and it kept a lot of cartilage ECM components. The collagen and GAGs contents of the microcarrier group were (252.9±1.4)μg/mg and (173.4±0.8)μg/mg, which were significantly lower than those of the natural cartilage group [(311.9±2.2)μg/mg and (241.3±0.7)μg/mg] ( P<0.01). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the surface of the microcarriers had uneven and interleaved collagen fiber network. The results of energy spectrum analysis showed that elements C, O and N were evenly distributed in the microcarriers, indicating that the composition of the microcarrier was uniform. The microcarrier had good biocompatibility and there was no statistical significance in the results of CCK-8 test between the control group and the experimental group after 1 and 3 days of culture ( P>0.05). After 5 days of culture, the A value of the experimental group was 0.53±0.02, which was better than that of the control group (0.44±0.03) ( P<0.05). In the 0-, 7-, 14-, and 21-day induction groups, hUCMSCs and hCho were attached to the surface of the microcarriers, with good cellular activity, and the live/death rates were (70.6±1.1)%, (80.5±0.6)%, (94.5±0.9)%, and (90.8±0.5)% respectively ( P<0.01). There were a large number of Ki67 positive cells in cartilage organoids. RT-PCR showed that the expression levels of ACAN, COL2A1, SOX9, COL1A1, RUNX2 and OCN were 1.00±0.09, 1.00±0.24, 1.00±0.18, 1.00±0.03, 1.00±0.06 and 1.00±0.13 respectively in the 7-day induction group; 4.16±0.28, 5.09±1.25, 5.65±1.05, 0.47±0.01, 1.68±0.02 and 0.21±0.06 respectively in the 14-day induction group; 13.42±0.92, 3.07±0.21, 1.84±1.08, 2.72±0.17, 2.91±0.18 and 3.32±1.20 respectively in the 21-day induction group. Compared with the 7-day induction group, the expression levels of ACAN, COL2A1, SOX9 and RUNX2 in the 14-day group were increased ( P<0.05), but COL1A1 expression level was decreased ( P<0.05), with no significant difference in OCN expression level ( P>0.05). Compared with the 7-day induction group, the expression levels of ACAN, COL1A1 and RUNX2 in the 21-day induction group were significantly increased ( P<0.01), with no significant differences in the expression levels of COL2A1, SOX9 and OCN ( P>0.05). Compared with the 14-day induction group, the expression levels of ACAN, COL1A1, RUNX2 and OCN in the 21-day group were increased ( P<0.05 or 0.01), with no significant difference in the expression level of COL2A1 ( P>0.05), but the expression level of SOX9 was decreased ( P<0.05). The contents of collagen in 0-, 7-, 14-and 21-day induction groups were (219.15±0.48)μg/mg, (264.07±1.58)μg/mg, (270.83±0.84)μg/mg and (280.01±0.48)μg/mg respectively. The GAGs contents were (171.18±1.09)μg/mg, (184.06±1.37)μg/mg, (241.08±0.84)μg/mg and (201.14±0.17)μg/mg respectively. Compared with the 0-day induction group, the contents of collagen and GAGs in 7-, 14-, and 21-day induction groups were significantly increased ( P<0.01), among which the content of collagen was the lowest in 7-day induction group ( P<0.01) but the highest in the 21-day induced group ( P<0.01); the content of GAGs was the lowest in the 7-day induced group ( P<0.01) but the highest in the 14-day induction group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:The microcarriers prepared by combining physical and chemical methods are decellularized successfully, with more matrix retention, uniform composition and on cytotoxicity. By loading microcarriers with hUCMSCs and hCho, cartilage organoids are successfully constructed in vitro, which are characterized by good cell activity, self-renewal ability, strong expression of genes related to chondrogenesis and secretion of collagen and GAGs. The cartilage organoids constructed at 14 days of induction have the best chondrogenic activity.

Objective To construct a non-drug intervention program for acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer and to evaluate its efficacy.Methods Through literature review and Delphi expert correspondence,a non-drug intervention program for acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer was constructed.By the convenience sampling method,200 consecutive children who received chemotherapy in the neurosurgery department of a tertiary children's hospital in Zhejiang province from February 1 to October 31,2023 were included as the application subjects,with 100 cases in an experimental group and 100 cases in a control group.The experimental group applied the non-drug intervention program of acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer,and the routine measures were applied in the control group.The incidence of nausea and vomiting,severity of vomiting,compliance rate of normal sleep duration and incidence of negative emotions were compared between the 2 groups.Results The recovery rate of the valid questionnaire in 2 rounds of expert letter inquiry was 100％,and the expert authority coefficient was 0.836.The Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.471 and 0.820(P＜0.001),and the final non-drug intervention program for pediatric acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting included 5 primary,14 secondary and 18 tertiary items.The results showed that the incidence of nausea,vomiting and negative emotions in the experimental group were lower than that in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).The severity of vomiting was less than it in the control group,with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).The standard rate of normal sleep time was higher than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The non-drug intervention program of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children is scientific and feasible,and the implementation of the program can reduce the incidence of nausea,vomiting and negative emotions,reduce the severity of vomiting,and improve the standard rate of normal bedtime in children.

The global production and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been on the rise in recent decades. The intake of SSBs has been increasing in China, and it is more prevalent among children and adolescents. As research continues to intensify, more and more studies have shown that, in addition to the increased risks of dental caries and obesity reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), SSBs intake can also increase risks of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gout, and cancer, and early death, adding to the burden of disease. Due to the health risks associated with the overconsumption of SSBs, many countries around the world have taken measures to control the intake. The main measures currently in place are taxation of SSBs, restrictions on marketing and sales of SSBs, front-of-package labeling and reducing availability of SSBs in schools. In China, the main measures currently in place are to control the sales of beverages in schools, with Shenzhen taking the lead in implementing health warning labeling to alcoholic beverages and carbonated beverages, extending the measures to reduce SSBs intake beyond school grounds.

AIM: To study the distribution of CYP2C9∗3 and VKORC1-1639G>A gene polymorphism in Han population in Anhui province and their influence on the stable dose of warfarin. METHODS: The blood samples of 1 169 patients from 6 tertiary general hospitals in 5 areas of Anhui province from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected, the genotype of CYP2C9∗3 and VKORC1-1639G>A was detected by fluorescent staining in situ hybridization technique. RESULTS: The distribution of CYP2C9∗3 genotypes in 1 169 patients: the frequencies of AA, AC and CC genes were 90.16%, 9.24% and 0.60%, respectively; The distribution of VKORC1 genotype: the frequencies of AA, AG and GG genes were 84.26%, 14.71% and 1.03% respectively; There was no significant difference between the two genotypes in gender, age and regional distribution (P>0.05). The average daily warfarin dose of CYP2C9∗3 AA genotype in 755 patients with stable warfarin dose was (3.02±0.59) mg/d, which was significantly higher than patients with AC genotype and CC genotype; The average daily warfarin dose of patients with VKORC1-1639AA genotype was (2.72±0.40) mg/d, which was significantly lower than that of patients with AG genotype and GG genotype (P<0.05). And the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); There are significant differences in gender, age and clinical diagnosis between patients with stable dose of warfarin and those without stable dose (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes are associated with the stable dose of warfarin. Clinical anticoagulation therapy guided by CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes can provide guidance for individualized medication of warfarin.

Thyroid carcinoma is a common cervical tumor. Its occurrence is associated with genetic and environmental factors. The incidence rate of thyroid cancer is increasing. However, the pathogenesis and the influencing factors of thyroid carcinoma are not yet fully understood. Many clinical studies and epidemiological investigations have found that such factors as radiation exposure, female hormone metabolism, and obesity have important links with the occurrence of thyroid cancer, but its association with factors such as dietary factors remains controversial. Therefore, it is urgent to explore and validate the relationship between various factors and thyroid cancer through epidemiological studies. In order to provide reference for the prevention of thyroid cancer, this special column “Thyroid carcinoma and associated risk factors” focused on the associations of female reproductive factors and dietary factors (including intake of iodine-rich foods) with thyroid carcinoma (nodules).

Background Papillary thyroid cancer is the result of a variety of pathogenic factors. The prevalence of papillary thyroid cancer varies greatly in different regions, and the disease is more harmful to women. Objective This study aims to explore the relationship between reproductive factors and papillary thyroid cancer, and to provide basic data for prevention and control of the disease. Methods A 1∶1 age (±3 years) matched case-control study was conducted in 331 pairs of newly confirmed papillary thyroid cancer cases and controls from two hospitals in Shanghai from November 2012 to December 2013. Comparisons were made in the history of menstruation, pregnancy, gynecological and breast diseases, and other variables between the two groups. Results The results of univariate analysis indicated that the proportions of education below bachelor degree, married, and mainly manual workers in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05); the proportion of those with a family history of thyroid diseases in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the proportions of the cases with irregular menstruation (77.34%), a history of using oral contraceptive or hormone drugs (24.77%), a history of benign gynecological diseases (31.72%), and a history of gynecological surgery (9.67%) were significantly higher than the proportions in the control group (P<0.05). After adjusting potential confounding factors such as history of CT examination, age, kinds of family salt, total iodine intake every day, education level, occupation, marital status, body mass index, and family history of thyroid diseases, the results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that irregular menstruation (OR=1.767, 95%CI: 1.122-2.782; P=0.014), surgical menopause (OR=12.787, 95%CI: 3.202-51.057; P<0.001), pregnancy >1 time (OR =2.490, 95%CI: 1.196-5.184; P=0.015), and the history of using oral contraceptive or hormone drugs (OR=2.389, 95%CI: 1.338-4.268; P=0.003) were the risk factors of papillary thyroid cancer. Conclusion Irregular menstruation, surgical menopause, history of pregnancy, and history of using oral contraceptive or hormone drugs might be the risk factors of papillary thyroid cancer. To reduce the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer, strengthened health education and rational use of contraceptives are recommended.

Background There are few studies on the diet quality of patients with thyroid cancer, and the relationship between diet quality and thyroid cancer remains uncertain. Objective This study aims to assess the diet quality with the Chinese Health Diet Index (CHDI) and to explore the relationship between diet quality and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods A 1∶1 gender- and age-matched hospital-based case-control study included newly diagnosed PTC patients and matched controls from Shanghai Cancer Hospital and Renji Hospital (East) in Shanghai, China. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on general characteristics, history of diseases, dietary intakes, and lifestyles. Food intakes in the past one year were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, from which the CHDI score was calculated. The CHDI, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents, was employed to evaluate the diet quality of the two groups. A multiple conditional logistic regression model was conducted to explore the relationship between diet quality and PTC. Results A total of 350 pairs of cases and controls were recruited. The overall median CHDI score of the cases was lower than that of the controls (67.8 vs. 73.4, P<0.001). The cases had lower median scores of fruits (6.8 vs. 9.5), dairy products (3.6 vs. 5.6), and soybeans (4.6 vs. 5.5) than the controls (P<0.05); the cases had a higher median score of refined grains than the controls (5.0 vs. 4.9), and the percentage of the cases that met diet recommendations for refined grains was higher than the percentage of the controls (65.4% vs. 48.6%) (P<0.05); the cases showed lower median scores of whole grains/beans/tubers, total vegetables, dark vegetables, and fish/shrimps (0.9 vs. 1.4, 3.1 vs. 4.4, 3.6 vs. 5.0, and 3.3 vs. 4.0, respectively), and the percentages of the cases meeting their diet recommendations were lower than the percentages of the controls (6.3% vs. 8.6%, 32.6% vs. 42.0%, 38.6% vs. 50.6%, and 34.0% vs. 40.3%, respectively, P<0.05). The results of multiple conditional logistic regression analysis suggested that qualified and good diet quality were associated with a reduced the risk of PTC (qualified diet quality, OR=0.37, 95%CI: 0.23−0.62; good diet quality, OR=0.19, 95%CI: 0.10−0.36); the statistical significance remained after excluding patients who had a history of benign thyroid conditions (qualified diet quality, OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.15−0.52; good diet quality, OR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.09−0.43). Conclusion Those with qualified or good diet quality have a lower risk of PTC. PTC patients have insufficient intakes of fruits, dairy, soybeans, whole grains/beans/tubers, vegetables, and fish/shrimps.

Background Thyroid carcinoma is a serious threat to human health in Shanghai and a focus of cancer prevention and treatment. Objective This study aims to assess the relationship between foods rich in iodine and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)．Methods In a hospital-based case-control study matched by gender and age (±3 years old), 402 pairs of cases (new incidences) and controls were included and studied. A validated questionnaire and food frequency questionnaire survey was conducted face to face to obtain demographic characteristics and dietary intake. A multiple conditional logistic regression model was applied to explore the relationship between foods rich in iodine (including seaweeds, kelp, and dried shrimps) and PTC. Results The mean age of the participants was (41.17±11.51) years in this study. Compared with the controls, more cases had a lower education and a manual occupation (P<0.05); more cases were overweight or obese, had a history of benign thyroid conditions, and had a family history of thyroid diseases (P<0.05); the two groups were different in the frequency of CT examination in the past ten years (P<0.05). The results of multiple conditional logistic regression analysis showed that consumption of iodine-rich foods was associated with a lower risk of PTC (for <1 time per week, OR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.12−0.35; for 1−2 times per week, OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.10−0.33; for ≥3 times per week, OR=0.13, 95%CI: 0.04−0.44) (P<0.05). Specifically, those who consumed seaweeds (for <1 time per week, OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.11−0.30; for 1−2 times per week, OR=0.11, 95%CI: 0.05−0.23; for ≥3 times per week, OR=0.15, 95%CI: 0.03−0.75), kelp (for <1 time per week, OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.18−0.43; for ≤2 times per week, OR=0.24, 95%CI: 0.11−0.50), and dried shrimps (for <1 time per week, OR=0.44, 95%CI: 0.29−0.69; for ≤2 times per week: OR=0.34, 95%CI: 0.18−0.65) had a lower risk of PTC (P<0.05). After excluding patients who had a history of benign thyroid conditions, the favorable association remained significant among patients who had consumption of iodine-rich foods, seaweeds, shrimps, and kelp (P<0.05). Conclusion Less PTC patients consume iodine-rich foods than the controls.

Background Both domestic and foreign studies on the diet quality of patients with thyroid nodules are rare at present, and the relationship between thyroid nodules and diet quality is still unclear. Objective This study aims to evaluate the diet quality of thyroid nodules with the China Healthy Diet Index (CHDI) and to explore the relationship between diet quality and thyroid nodules. Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in which 387 patients with thyroid nodules were matched individually (1∶1) by gender and age (±3 years) to the controls who ordered a routine physical examine and with negative thyroid nodules reported by B-ultrasound in the same hospital. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on general characteristics and diet. CHDI was employed to evaluate the diet quality of the two groups. CHDI is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents and the recommended food intake in the balanced diet pagoda, combined with the dietary nutritional status of Chinese population. The index contains 13 scoring components, and the highest total score is 100, with a higher score representing better dietary quality. CHDI scores < 60, 60-<80, and ≥80 are recognized as unqualified, qualified, and good diet quality, respectively. Results The scores of the thyroid nodule cases were lower than the scores of the controls in total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, and fish/shrimps (all Ps<0.05). The nonparametric test results found that there were significant differences in the distributions of scores in total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, soybeans, and fish/shrimps between the case and the control groups (all Ps<0.05). The percentages reaching the full scores in food variety, meat and eggs, and empty calories in both groups exceeded 60%, while the percentages reaching the full scores in whole grains/beans/tubers, dairy, soybeans, and sodium were lower than 30% in the two groups. The median CHDI scores of the thyroid nodule cases and the controls were 69.1 and 72.9, respectively; the cases' CHDI score was lower than the controls' (P<0.05). The proportions of unqualified diet in the case and the control groups accounted for 23.0% and 13.7% respectively (P=0.001). After being adjusted for education level, marital status, occupation, monthly household income per capita, body mass index, hypertension/diabetes, energy, and iodine intake, the results of logistic regression analysis showed that the risk for thyroid nodules was negatively associated with CHDI score (CHDI qualified group vs. CHDI unqualified group, OR=0.484, 95%CI: 0.291-0.804; CHDI good dietary quality group vs. CHDI unqualified group, OR=0.414, 95%CI: 0.230−0.746). Conclusion The diet quality of patients with thyroid nodules is lower than that of the control group, as the former reported lower consumptions of total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, and fish/shrimps. Those who have good or qualified diet quality show a reduced risk of thyroid nodules than those with unqualified dietary quality.