Objective:To construct the quality evaluation scale of specification of management for humanistic caring in outpatients and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Referring to the group standards in Specification of Management for Humanistic Caring in Outpatients released by the China Association for Life Care,as well as relevant guidelines and literature,a pool of items for the quality evaluation scale of specification of management for humanistic caring in outpatients was formed.After expert consultation and expert argumentation,a quality evaluation scale of specification of management for humanistic caring in outpatients was constructed.From January to February 2024,243 hospital managers from 5 hospitals in Zhengzhou were selected as survey subjects to conduct item analysis,and reliability and validity testing on the scale.Results:Two rounds of expert inquiry and two rounds of expert argumentation were conducted,with questionnaire response rates of 92.00%and 100.00%,respectively,and expert authority coefficients of 0.952.In the second round of the expert inquiry scale,the mean importance score of the first-level indicators was 4.80 to 5.00,the full score ratio was 88.00%to 100.00%,the coefficient of variation was 0.04 to 0.17,and Kendall's coefficient of concordance was 0.857(P＜0.001);the mean importance score of the second-level indicators was 4.60 to 5.00,the full score ratio was 80.00%to 100.00%,the coefficient of variation was 0.00 to 0.21,and Kendall's coefficient of concordance was 0.775(P＜0.001);the mean importance score of the third-level indicators was 4.60 to 5.00,the full score ratio was 76.00%to 100.00%,the coefficient of variation was 0.00 to 0.21,and Kendall's coefficient of concordance was 0.830(P＜0.001).Finally,a quality evaluation scale of specification of management for humanistic caring in outpatients was formed,including 5 first-level indicators,25 second-level indicators,and 58 third-level indicators.Exploratory factor analysis produced 5 common factors with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 74.628%.The Pearson correlation coefficients between the five-factor scores ranged from 0.648 to 0.798,and the correlation coefficients between the factor scores and the total score of the scale ranged from 0.784 to 0.938.The scale-level content validity index(S-CVI)of the scale was 0.945,the item-content validity index(I-CVI)was 0.725 to 1.000,the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the total scale was 0.973,and the retest reliability coefficient was 0.934.Conclusion:The constructed quality evaluation scale of specification of management for humanistic caring in outpatients has good scientific validity and reliability,and can be used as an evaluation tool for specification of management for humanistic caring in outpatients.

Objective:To investigate the effect of macrophage-derived exosomes on the morphological transformation of Candida albicans (CA), and to explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods:In vitro cultured human acute monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 was induced and differentiated into M0 macrophages using the phorbol ester PMA. CA was activated and prepared as the fungal suspension. M0 macrophages were infected with the CA suspension, and the process of cell phagocytosis was observed under a high-content imaging analysis system. M0 macrophage-derived exosomes (exosome group) and CA-infected M0 macrophage-derived exosomes (CA exosome group) were extracted by differential centrifugation; transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and Western blot analysis were performed to identify and compare exosomes in the two groups. The exosomes from the two groups were separately co-cultured with CA (exosome-treated group and CA exosome-treated group), and independently cultured CA served as the blank control group; the morphological changes of CA were observed under an inverted microscope, the intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) contents were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression levels of cAMP-related genes, RAS1 and CDC35 (also known as Cyr1), were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) . Results:Western blot analysis showed that exosomes from the exosome group and CA exosome group both expressed the tumor susceptibility gene 101 protein (TSG101, an exosome marker), and did not express calnexin (a negative marker) ; transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis showed no significant differences in the morphology or size of the exosomes between the two groups. Compared with the blank control group, the exosome-treated group and CA exosome-treated group both showed obvious inhibition of the yeast-to-mycelial phase transition of CA, with a noticeable reduction in the length of the hyphae under the inverted microscope. ELISA revealed that the intracellular cAMP content in CA significantly decreased in the exosome-treated group and CA exosome-treated group (16.70 ± 0.84 pmol/ml, 16.82 ± 0.87 pmol/ml, respectively) compared with the blank control group (21.82 ± 1.08 pmol/ml; t = 6.45, 6.23, respectively, both P = 0.003). RT-qPCR revealed that the expression of the cAMP-related genes, RAS1 and CDC35, was down-regulated in the exosome-treated group and CA exosome-treated group compared with the blank control group (all P < 0.01), and the RAS1 mRNA expression was significantly lower in the CA exosome-treated group than in the exosome-treated group ( t = 7.43, P = 0.002) . Conclusion:Both M0 macrophage-derived exosomes and CA-infected M0 macrophage-derived exosomes could effectively inhibit the mycelial growth of CA, and the latter one exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect, possibly by down-regulating cAMP in the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway.

Objective:To analyze functional changes in macrophages in mouse models of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) by modulating indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) .Methods:Forty specific-pathogen-free female ICR mice were randomly divided into 4 groups using a complete randomization method: a blank group, a VVC model group, a VVC model + 1-methyltryptophan (1-MT) group (referred to as the 1-MT group), a VVC model + interferon-γ (IFN-γ) group (referred to as the IFN-γ group), with 10 mice in each group. Except for the blank group, all the mice were injected subcutaneously with estradiol benzoate oil solution in the abdomen every other day for 6 days prior to modeling to induce pseudoestrus; after successful induction of pseudoestrus, the mice were inoculated vaginally with Candida albicans suspensions at a concentration of 2 × 10 9 CFU/ml once a day for 5 days to establish VVC mouse models, and subcutaneous injections of estradiol benzoate oil solution were continued simultaneously to maintain the pseudoestrus state; 1 day before inoculation with fungal suspensions, mice in the 1-MT group and IFN-γ group were pretreated with 1-MT and IFN-γ respectively, followed by once-daily same intervention for 6 consecutive days; mice in the blank group and VVC model group were intraperitoneally injected with physiological saline solution once a day for 6 consecutive days. On the 5th day of modeling, vaginal conditions in mice were observed and vaginal symptoms were scored; the vaginal lavage fluid was collected for smear microscopy and fungal colony counting; then, the mice were sacrificed, the vaginal tissues were collected and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and the expression of IDO1 and the macrophage surface marker F4/80 was determined in the vaginal tissues by an immunofluorescence method; real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to determine mRNA expression levels of IDO1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and arginase 1 (Arg-1) in the vaginal tissues, and Western blot analysis to determine the IDO1 protein expression in the vaginal tissues. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences in indices among groups, and Tukey test was used for multiple comparisons. Results:Smear microscopic examination of the vaginal lavage fluid on the 5th day of modeling showed elongated hyphae with a few spores in the VVC model group, a large number of elongated hyphae aggregating in clusters with surrounding spores in the 1-MT group, and a few thin and short hyphae with a large number of spores in the IFN-γ group. Compared with the VVC model group (360.0 ± 15.9), the fungal colony counts in the vaginal lavage fluid significantly increased in the 1-MT group (523.7 ± 67.7, P = 0.002), but significantly decreased in the IFN-γ group (258.3 ± 27.57, P = 0.026). HE staining and PAS staining showed small abscess formation in the epidermis and predominant infiltration of neutrophils throughout the epidermal and dermal layers with a large number of spores and a few hyphae in the VVC model group; thickened epidermis and diffuse inflammatory infiltration predominated by neutrophils in the dermis were seen in the 1-MT group, with a large number of hyphae and spores aggregating into clusters, which were predominated by hyphae; in the IFN-γ group, spores aggregated in the epidermis without obvious hyphae, and a small amount of inflammatory cells predominated by neutrophils infiltrated the dermis. Immunofluorescence assay revealed that the relative fluorescence intensities of IDO1 and F4/80 were highest in the IFN-γ group and the 1-MT group, respectively. Western blot analysis revealed that the IDO1 protein expression in the VVC model group was significantly higher than that in the blank group ( P < 0.001) and the 1-MT group ( P < 0.05), but significantly lower than that in the IFN-γ group ( P < 0.05). qPCR showed that iNOS mRNA expression significantly increased in the VVC model group compared with the blank group ( P < 0.01), and increased in the IFN-γ group compared with the blank group, VVC model group and 1-MT group (all P < 0.001); Arg-1 mRNA expression significantly increased in the VVC model group compared with the blank group ( P < 0.001) and IFN-γ group ( P < 0.01), and increased in the 1-MT group compared with the blank group, VVC model group, and IFN-γ group (all P < 0.001) . Conclusion:In the VVC mouse models, upregulation of IDO1 may cause macrophage polarization toward the M1 phenotype, and inhibition of IDO1 may cause increased macrophage recruitment and exacerbate the inflammatory response.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most prevalent chronic respiratory condition, often accompanied by various comorbidities. Sarcopenia is a significant comorbidity of COPD, impacting its progression and prognosis, therefore early intervention is crucial. Intervention for COPD with sarcopenia includes non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures. Non-pharmacological intervention encompass respiratory rehabilitation, nutritional interventions and exercise training; while pharmaceutical intervention is still in its nascent stages. This article presents a comprehensive review of the research progress on intervention measures for COPD with sarcopenia, aiming to provide insights for prevention and management of this condition.

AIM: To explore the possible mechanism of Xiaokeshu recipe in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by observing the effects of Xiaokeshu Recipe on serum inflammatory factors. METHODS: Male SPF-grade SD rats were fed with high-fat and high-sugar fodder combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) to prepare the model of T2DM. The model rats were randomly divided into a model group,a metformin group, low and high-dose Xiaokeshu recipe groups, and a normal group was set up. After successful modeling, the metformin group and the Xiaokeshu recipe groups were treated with metformin and Xiaokeshu recipe by gavage respectively, normal saline was given by gavage in the normal group and the model group. The general living status of rats before and after treatment was observed. After 4 weeks of drug intervention, serum samples and ileum tissue of rats were collected for biochemical and Western blot. RESULTS: As compaed with the model group,the polydipsia and polyuria in the low and high-dose Xiaokeshu recipe and the metformin groups could be improved. As compaed with the model group, the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) of rats in the low-dose Xiaokeshu recipe group were decreased, but the differences were statistically insignificant (P0.05), the levels of FBG, FINS and IL-1β of rats in the high-dose Xiaokeshu recipe and the metformin groups were significantly decreased as compared with the the model group (P 0.05 or P0.01). As compaed with the model group, the levels of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the high-dose Xiaokeshu recipe and the metformin groups were decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). As compared with the model group, the expressions of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear transcription factor (NF-κB) protein in ileal tissue were down-regulated in the low and high-dose Xiaokeshu Recipe and the metformin groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Xiaokeshu recipe may reduce the level of serum LPS, inhibit the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, and reduce the release of inflammatory factors, thus improving insulin resistance and reducing the blood sugar of the body.

OBJECTIVE To explore the efficacy of alfacalcidol combined with conventional antihypertensive and lipid- lowering drugs on liver and kidney function， serum inflammatory cytokines and renin-angiotensin system（RAS） in hypertensive patients with renal impairment. METHODS A total of 200 hypertensive patients with renal impairment who were treated in the department of nephrology in our hospital from December 2017 to December 2020 were selected and randomly divided into control group and observation group， with 100 cases in each group. Both groups of patients were treated with conventional antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs for a total of 14 weeks， patients in the observation group were additionally treated with oral alfacalcidol after 2 weeks of treatment （0.25 μg each time， once a day， for a total of 12 weeks）. The levels of liver function indexes [aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）]， renal function indexes [blood calcium， blood phosphorus， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， cystatin C （Cys-C）， serum creatinine （Scr）， urine microalbumin （mAlb）， β2-microglobulin （β2-MG）， urinary N- acetyl β-D-glucosaminidase （NAG）， 24 h urinary protein]， inflammatory factors [serum interleukin 6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， hypersensitive C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）] and RAS activity indexes [renin， angiotensin Ⅰ（Ang Ⅰ）， Ang Ⅱ and aldosterone] were observed in 2 groups before and after treatment， and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions was recorded during treatment. RESULTS There was no statistical significance in the levels of detection indexes between 2 groups before treatment （P＞0.05）. After treatment， the level of blood calcium in the observation group was significantly higher than before treatment （P＜0.05）， but remained at clinically normal level. Compared with before treatment， the levels of Cys-C， Scr， BUN， urine mAlb， β2-MG， NAG and 24 h urinary protein， hs-CRP， IL-6， TNF-α， renin， Ang Ⅰ， Ang Ⅱ and aldosterone were significantly decreased in the observation group after treatment （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the level of blood calcium in observation group was significantly higher than control group （P＜0.05）. Additionally， the levels of Cys-C， Scr， BUN，urine mAlb， β2-MG， NAG， 24 h urinary protein， hs-CRP， IL-6， TNF-α， renin， Ang Ⅰ， Ang Ⅱ and aldosterone were significantly lower than control group （P＜0.05）. There was no statistical significance in the incidence of adverse drug reactions between 2 groups during treatment （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Alfacalcidol combined with routine therapy of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs could effectively improve liver and renal functions， inhibit inflammation and RAS activity in hypertensive patients with renal impairment， with a favorable safety.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of very early mobilization intervention in patients with acute cerebral stroke through a Meta-analysis.Methods:Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy and safety of very early mobilization intervention in acute cerebral stroke patients were searched in databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed up until January 23, 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3.Results:A total of 13 studies involving 3 202 acute cerebral stroke patients were included. The Meta-analysis revealed that compared with conventional nursing methods, very early mobilization intervention effectively reduced the incidence of post-stroke complications [ RR=0.59, 95% CI (0.46, 0.75), P<0.001], enhanced patients' daily living abilities [ MD=6.63, 95% CI (2.99, 10.27), P<0.001], and shortened the length of hospital stay [ MD=-2.46, 95% CI (-3.86, -1.05), P<0.001]. The intervention did not increase the rates of mortality [ RR=1.11, 95% CI (0.85, 1.45), P>0.05], adverse events [ RR=0.85, 95% CI (0.60, 1.20), P>0.05], or disability [ RR=0.94, 95% CI (0.76, 1.15), P>0.05] in acute cerebral stroke patients. Subgroup analysis on the initiation time and frequency of the intervention showed a statistically significant reduction in mortality rate in the 24-72 h subgroup ( P<0.05), while no significant difference was found in the 0-24 h subgroup ( P>0.05). Both subgroups with activity frequencies of ≥1 time/day and ≥2 times/day showed significant improvements in daily living abilities compared to conventional care ( P<0.05), whereas no significant difference was found in the subgroup with uncertain daily activity frequency ( P>0.05) . Conclusions:Very early mobilization intervention can safely and effectively reduce the incidence of post-stroke complications in patients with acute cerebral stroke, improve daily living abilities, and shorten the length of hospital stay.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of model superimposition and automatic analysis for upper and lower dentition widths in iTero Progress Assessment during the clear aligner process. METHODS: Nineteen cases were included in this retrospective case control study. Pretreatment dental cast (T0) and post treatment dental cast after staged treatment (T1) were available for three-dimensional (3D) model superimposition. The movements of maxillary teeth in the horizontal plane (cross section) after staged treatment and the widths of upper and lower dentitions were measured by 3D model superimposition in real world and iTero Progress Assessment. The data collected from the two methods were compared. RESULTS: The movements [Median (upper and lower quartiles)] of maxillary teeth in the horizontal plane after staged treatment were 2.31 (1.59, 3.22) and 1.79 (1.21, 3.03) mm in iTero Progress Assessment and 3D model analysis, respectively. Significant difference was observed between the two groups (P<0.05). In the measurement of upper and lower dentition width, four indicators were measured, including intercanine width upper, intermolar width upper, intercanine width lower, and intermolar width lower. Before treatment, the measurement of iTero Progress Assessment were (35.78±2.49), (56.21±2.51), (27.43±1.38), (52.26±2.91) mm, respectively, and actual measurement were (35.77±2.53), (56.17±2.47), (27.40±1.41), (52.30±2.86) mm, respectively, without significant difference (P>0.05). After stage treatment, the measurement of iTero Progress Assessment were (37.37±2.86), (57.76±2.56), (28.89±2.00), (54.16±2.19) mm, respectively, and actual measurement were (37.29±2.94), (57.71±2.63), (28.88±2.05), (54.01±2.15) mm, respectively, and there was no significant difference (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The data from iTero Progress Assessment did not coincide with the model superimposition results with palate as reference. The accuracy of model superimposition in iTero Progress Assessment needs further investigation, whereas the arch width analysis is accurate. Therefore, iTero Progress Assessment results should be interpreted with caution by orthodontists in clinical applications.
Case-Control Studies ; Cuspid ; Dental Arch ; Orthodontic Appliances, Removable ; Retrospective Studies ; Humans

The rapid development of point-of-care testing (POCT) in clinical laboratories has brought challenges to the unified management in the hospital. There are many problems, such as how to ensure the ability and qualification of POCT operators, how to improve the quality management awareness of human, machines, materials, methods and environment in the process of POCT in clinical laboratories, how to help the clinical laboratories in the hospital to carry out POCT comparison, and how to strengthen the information construction of POCT in the hospital. Thus, this article reviews the practice and experience of POCT management in our hospital on POCT quality assurance and the problems existing in POCT in clinical departments, proposes suggestions and solutions to strengthen the unified management of POCT in clinical laboratories and establish POCT quality management documents and to improve quality awareness. We hope to provide references for hospital administrators, medical departments, nursing departments, quality control departments and other functional departments on the quality management of POCT in the hospital, and find helpful answers to the puzzles of clinical laboratory in POCT, so as to make joint efforts to standardize the quality management of POCT in the hospital to ensure the accuracy of testing results.

Objective:To compare the patient-centered doctor-patient communication skills in anesthesiologists with different working experience and genders.Methods:The second and third year residents who had been trained as residents in the Department of Anesthesiology in our hospital from September 2017 and September 2018 and senior physicians who had worked for 10-15 yr in our hospital, were recruited to perform a preoperative interview in a standardized patient counter.Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure was used to assess the communication skills among senior physicians, residents, and anesthesiologists of different genders.The residents also took the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and theory examination.Results:Thirty-six residents and 20 senior physicians were included.There was no significant difference in the CARE measure score between residents and senior physicians and in the total CARE measure score between residents who received doctor-patient communication training at the stage of medical students and those who did not ( P>0.05). Compared with the residents in the second year, the listening ability score and decision-making ability score were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the scores for the other items in the residents in the third year ( P>0.05). Compared with residents, the listening ability scores were significantly increased, and the caring ability scores were decreased ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the scores for the other items in senior physicians ( P>0.05). There was no difference in CARE measure scores between the male and female anesthesiologists.The resident′s CARE measure score was positively correlated with the annual OSCE score ( r=0.486, P<0.05), and there was no correlation between the resident′s CARE measure score and annual theoretical examination grade ( r=0.308, P>0.05). Conclusion:Senior anesthesiologists with more clinical experience are not superior to the junior residents in patient-centered communication skills, and the doctor-patient communication skills of residents are not related to their medical theoretical grade.Moreover, there is no significant difference between male and female anesthesiologists in terms of doctor-patient communication skills before surgery.Therefore, training of patient-centered doctor-patient communication skills should be strengthened at all levels of anesthesiologists.