Background As one of the key populations in the prevention and treatment of iodine deficiency disorders, it is important to continuously monitor the iodine nutritional level of school-age children. The current reference interval for thyroid volume in China is based on age only, without taking into account differences in individual developmental levels, and the distribution of thyroid volume may vary regionally due to economic, demographic, and environmental factors. The current reference cut-off points for thyroid volume proposed by the World Health Organization are not based on the Chinese population. Objective To understand the iodine nutritional status and distribution of thyroid volume (Tvol) among children aged 8-10 years in Huangpu District, Shanghai, China, to identify impact factors of Tvol, and to propose a reference range upper limit for local thyroid health surveillance, so as to provide a basis for goiter control and prevention. Methods Six hundred children aged 8-10 years in Huangpu District were recruited in 2017, 2020, and 2023, and body height, weight, thyroid volume, urinary iodine, and iodine content of household edible salt were determined. A multilevel model was constructed using population density and area as regional variables, and age, body surface area (BSA), and body mass index (BMI) as potential impact factors for at the individual level, to assess their effects on thyroid volume. Quantile regression of thyroid volume was performed, and the 98th percentile (P₉₈) of thyroid volume was predicted based on age and BSA. Results The iodized salt coverage in the households of surveyed children in 2017, 2020, and 2023 was 72.0%, 57.0%, and 48.0%, respectively, and the iodized salt coverage decreased by year (χ²=24.31, P<0.001). The urinary iodine level of children in 2017 was higher than that in 2020 and 2023 (χ²=18.77, P<0.001). The Tvol medians of children in 2017, 2020, and 2023 were 2.29, 2.49, and 2.97 mL, respectively, and the Tvol increased by year (χ²=60.04, P<0.001). The proportion of goiter was higher in children in 2023 than in 2017 and 2020 (χ²=6.57, P<0.05). Sex differences were not statistically significant for urinary iodine levels, thyroid volume, and goiter. The median Tvol was 2.26, 2.58, and 2.76 mL in children of 8, 9, and 10 years old respectively, and the Tvol increased with age (χ²=49.02, P <0.001). Tvol was positively correlated with age, BSA, and BMI with correlation coefficients of 0.2846, 0.3723, and 0.2950, respectively. The final quantile regression model showed that the strongest effect of BSA was associated with the 98th percentile of Tvol. Multilevel models considering population density or area as regional variables failed to achieve convergence. Conclusion To establish the upper limit of the reference interval for thyroid volume of healthy children in Huangpu District, the effects of age and BSA should be considered at the individual level, and the upper limit of the normal interval for goiter screening is suggested to be the 98th percentile value of BSA at the same age. In addition, the adaptability of population density and regional area as indicators of regional aggregation of thyroid volume distribution still needs to be further explored.

Exosomes are ubiquitous in all types of body fluids, exhibiting a high degree of abundance and diversity. Given their distinctive structure and function, exosomes are involved in a range of life activities, including intercellular communication, material transport, and immune regulation. An increasing number of studies have identified exosomes as a source of diagnostic markers for diabetic retinopathy. Furthermore, exosomes represent a novel avenue for therapeutic intervention, with promising clinical applications. This paper examines the diagnostic and therapeutic mechanisms of exosomes in diabetic retinopathy, reviews the advancements in exosomes-based diagnostics and therapeutics for diabetic retinopathy, and aims to enhance the precision and efficiency of clinical diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

ObjectiveTo analyze the detected results of CD4⁺T lymphocytes and viral load in newly identified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients in Huangpu District of Shanghai in 2023, to explore the correlation between them, so as to provide a scientific basis for the development of targeted prevention and control measures and antiviral treatment programs. MethodsThe data of CD4 cell count, viral load and demographic characteristics of the newly infected patients living with HIV in Huangpu District, Shanghai in 2023 were collected and analyzed by using descriptive epidemiological method. ResultsThe mean CD4 cell count of the 67 newly identified HIV infected patients in Huangpu District was (301.22±235.19) cells·µL^-1, with a mean viral load of (5.15±1.28) ×10⁵ copies·mL^-1.There were statistically significant differences in CD4 cell count and viral load among different age groups (P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences by gender and marital status (both P>0.05). The CD4 cell count and CD4/CD8 ratio both were negatively correlated with the lg value of viral load (r=-0.290, -0.378; P=0.027, 0.002). ConclusionThe CD4 cell counts of the newly identified HIV infected patients in Huangpu District in 2023 were generally low, the proportion of patients with high viral load was high, but the risk for elderly infected with HIV was high. The elderly have gradually become the key population for AIDS prevention and control in Huangpu District. It is recommended to expand HIV screening in the elderly to reduce the risk of HIV transmission and increase the rate of early detection and treatment.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of three Chinese pedigrees affected with Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+ ).Methods:Three GEFS+ probands and their pedigree members presented at the Children′s Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data of the pedigrees were collected. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the probands, and Sanger sequencing was used to verify the candidate variants.Results:Proband 1 was a 3-year-and-2-month-old male with febrile seizure plus. His father, two aunts, grandmother, aunt grandmother, uncle grandfather, and paternal great-grandmother also had onset of febrile seizures at 1 ~ 2 years of age with remission before 6 years old. Proband 2 was a 1-year-and-4-month-old male with complex febrile seizure. His mother, maternal uncle, and maternal grandmother also had febrile seizures before 5 ~ 6 years of age. Proband 3 was a 3-year-and-11-month-old male with febrile seizure plus. His father and grandfather also had febrile seizures plus with remission at 7 ~ 8 years of age. Genetic testing revealed that proband 1 had harbored a paternally derived heterozygous SCN1A: c. 1613T>C variant, proband 2 had harbored a maternally derived heterozygous SCN1A: c. 2804A>G variant, and proband 3 had harbored a paternally derived heterozygous SCN1A: c. 1271T>C variant. All of the three variants were predicted as likely pathogenic based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (PM1+ PM2_Supporting+ PP1+ PP3+ PP4). Conclusion:The c. 1613T>C, c. 2804A>G and c. 1271T>C variants probably underlay the pathogenesis of GEFS+ in these pedigrees.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and the collective brain responses of acupuncture for post-stroke limb numbness.Methods A total of 24 patients with post-stroke limb numbness and 23 matched healthy participants were recruited.Both groups received coordinated acupuncture treatment to regulate their physical and mental state,three times a week for 4 weeks.Changes in limb numbness assessed by the visual analog scale(VAS)were observed before and after acupuncture.Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)scans were conducted on the participants during the scanning process with acupuncture intervention.Blood oxygen level-dependent(BOLD)data were collected in three states:resting state,acupuncture task state,and needle retention state.Data processing was performed using software such as fMRIPrep and brainIAK.Intersubject correlation(ISC)analysis was conducted to compare the ISC values of different brain regions between the two groups under different conditions.Results Acupuncture treatment significantly reduced the VAS scores of limb numbness.No significant changes in ISC values in both groups during resting state.Under acupuncture conditions,the patient group exhibited significantly increased ISC values in the left precentral gyrus,left paracentral lobule,left postcentral gyrus,left insula,left anterior cingulate gyrus,right middle frontal gyruss and right anterior cingulate gyrus.Under the needle retention condition,a slight negative activation was observed in the bilateral precentral gyrus of the control group.In the patient group,the ISC values of the left superior frontal gyrus,left precentral gyrus,left paracentral lobule,left precuneus,left postcentral gyrus,left insula,left anterior cingulate gyrus,left thalamus,right superior frontal gyrus,right middle frontal gyrus,right precentral gyrus,and right anterior cingulate gyrus showed a significant increase compared to the resting state.Conclusion Acupuncture can improve post-stroke limb numbness symptoms and induce a specific pattern of collective brain activation in patients.This activation involves the precentral gyrus,postcentral gyrus,thalamus,insula,frontal lobe and cingulate gyrus.Acupuncture may enhance the processing of sensory information by activating the somatosensory-motor network and the cortical-thalamic-cortical loop.It may also modulate the central executive network and the descending pain control pathway to promote the relief of pain symptoms.

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for improving the classification management of prescription drugs and non- prescription drugs in China by learning from the classification management system of prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs in Canada. METHODS The content and experience of classification management system of prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs in Canada were analyzed， and the thinking of the classification management of prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs in China was proposed. RESULTS ＆＆CONCLUSIONS According to the classification of prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs， drugs can be divided into class Ⅰ drugs， class Ⅱ drugs， class Ⅲ drugs， unclassified drugs in Canada. Specific evaluation factors and management requirements have been established for drug classification. Canada has established a set of systematic management systems and technical standards， which has reference value for improving the classification management system in China. It is suggested to further improve the drug classification management system and supporting policies， strengthen fine classification management of prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs and improve classification registration and transformation review standards in China， by learning from Canadian prescription drug and non-prescription drug system and management model.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of sodium ferulate （SF） on corneal endothelial dysfunction and corneal endothelial cell （CEC） injury. METHODS The male New Zealand rabbits were divided into control group， benzalkonium chloride （BAK） group and BAK+SF group， with 6 rabbits in each group. Except for control group， the other groups were given BAK into the anterior chamber to induce bullous keratopathy model， and BAK+SF group then given SF solution 200 mg/kg intraperitoneally the next day after surgery， twice a day， for consecutive 14 d. The transparency of corneal and edema of corneal stroma in each group of rabbits （before and on the 1st， 7th， and 14th day after surgery） were observed， and the corneal thickness （14th day after surgery） and intraocular pressure （1st to 14th day after surgery） were measured. On the 14th day after operation， the corneal endothelial structure was evaluated and the expressions of functionally related proteins [phalloidin， zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1）， Na+/K+-ATPase， Ki67] were detected. On the 14th day after surgery， the corneal tissue was collected in BAK group， the primary rabbit CECs were isolated and cultured， and they were divided into blank group and SF groups with different mass concentrations. The cell viabilities after being cultured for different time， and the protein expressions of Ras homologous gene family A （RhoA）， bone morphogenetic protein receptor 1A （BMPR1A） and BMRP2 were determined in each group. RESULTS Compared with BAK group， the transparency of corneal and edema of corneal stroma were gradually improved， and the corneal thickness was significantly decreased in BAK+SF group （P＜0.05）. The rabbit CECs in BAK+SF group were only damaged to zone B and showed a normal hexagonal endothelial cells structure. The protein expressions of phalloidin， ZO-1， Na+/K+-ATPase and Ki67 in BAK+SF group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. When SF concentration was lower than and equal to 200 mg/L， it could promote the proliferation of rabbit CEC， in concentration manner （P＜0.05） and time-dependent trend. SF at concentrations of 50， 100， and 200 mg/L could up-regulate the protein expressions of RhoA， BMPR1A and BMPR2 in concentration-dependent manner （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS SF can improve the transparency of corneal and edema of corneal stroma in bullous keratopathy model rabbits， reduce corneal thickness， maintain the integrity of corneal endothelium structure， and promote the recovery of corneal endothelial function； this compound can promote the proliferation of CEC， the mechanism of which may be related to the activation of RhoA-ROCK-BMP pathway.

In recent years, a number of policies have been implemented to strengthen the cultivation of general practitioners in China. However, the development of community-level health professionals is still lagging behind, the development is uneven among regions, the overall number of general practitioners is insufficient, and the quality of medical services needs to be improved. Based on the Shanhai (Mountain and Sea) promotion project, with the close cooperation between the Second Affiliated Hospital and the medical consortium unit Suichang County People′s Hospital, a " Joint Cultivation by Dual-Teachers " model has been applied in training general practitioners for Suichang county community since March 2021. In this article we discuss the optimization and integration of medical and health resources through the outreaching assistance of high-quality personnel, management and system of medical service, to comprehensively upgrade the primary care and the quality of grass-roots general practitioners in remote mountainous areas.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of serological indicators and evaluate the diagnostic value of a new established combined serological model on identifying the minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in patients with compensated cirrhosis.Methods:This prospective multicenter study enrolled 263 compensated cirrhotic patients from 23 hospitals in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China between October 2021 and August 2022. Clinical data and laboratory test results were collected, and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was calculated. Ammonia level was corrected to the upper limit of normal (AMM-ULN) by the baseline blood ammonia measurements/upper limit of the normal reference value. MHE was diagnosed by combined abnormal number connection test-A and abnormal digit symbol test as suggested by Guidelines on the management of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis. The patients were randomly divided (7∶3) into training set ( n=185) and validation set ( n=78) based on caret package of R language. Logistic regression was used to establish a combined model of MHE diagnosis. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve. The internal verification was carried out by the Bootstrap method ( n=200). AUC comparisons were achieved using the Delong test. Results:In the training set, prevalence of MHE was 37.8% (70/185). There were statistically significant differences in AMM-ULN, albumin, platelet, alkaline phosphatase, international normalized ratio, MELD score and education between non-MHE group and MHE group (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that AMM-ULN [odds ratio ( OR)=1.78, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.05-3.14, P=0.038] and MELD score ( OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.20, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for MHE, and the AUC for predicting MHE were 0.663, 0.625, respectively. Compared with the use of blood AMM-ULN and MELD score alone, the AUC of the combined model of AMM-ULN, MELD score and education exhibited better predictive performance in determining the presence of MHE was 0.755, the specificity and sensitivity was 85.2% and 55.7%, respectively. Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ( P=0.733). The AUC for internal validation of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.752. In the validation set, the AUC of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.794, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good calibration ( P=0.841). Conclusion:Use of the combined model including AMM-ULN, MELD score and education could improve the predictive efficiency of MHE among patients with compensated cirrhosis.

Objective:To investigate the incidence and treatment of gastric cancer in 16 medical centers in Tianjin from 2020 to 2021.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 3 122 gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery in 16 medical centers, including Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, et al, in Tianjin from 2020 to 2021 were collected. There were 2 112 males and 1 010 females, aged (64±11)years. Observation indicators: (1) general data of patients; (2) treatment situations; (3) postoperative complications. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were descri-bed as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was conducted by the chi-square test. Results:(1) General data of patients. From 2020 to 2021, a total of 3 122 gastric cancer patients received surgeries in 16 medical centers in Tianjin, including 2 112 males and 1 010 females. There were 1 443 cases in 2020, including 976 males and 467 females, aged (63±11) years. There were 1 679 cases in 2021, including 1 136 males and 543 females, aged (65±11) years. Of the 3 122 pati-ents, cases in stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ were 696, 667, 1 466, 293, accounting for 22.293%(696/3 122), 21.365%(667/3 122), 46.957%(1 466/3 122), 9.385%(293/3 122), respectively. Cases with early gastric cancer, locally advanced gastric cancer, advanced gastric cancer account for 17.265%(539/3 122), 73.350%(2 290/3 122), 9.385%(293/3 122). There were 2 829 patients without distant metastasis and 293 patients with distant metastasis. For the 2 829 patients without distant metas-tasis, cases in stage T1, T2, T3, T4a, T4b accounted for 19.053%(539/2 829), 12.089%(342/2 829), 20.148%(570/2 829), 41.499%(1 174/2 829), 7.211%(204/2 829)respectively, cases in stage N0, N1, N2, N3 account for 37.328%(1 056/2 829), 16.331%(462/2 829), 15.836%(448/2 829), 30.505%(863/2 829). For the 293 advanced gastric cancer patients with distant metastasis, 190 cases had peri-toneal metastasis, 47 cases had lymph node metastasis, 27 cases had ovarian metastasis, 37 cases had liver metastasis, 14 cases had other metastasis (some patients had ≥2 distant metastases). (2) Treatment situations. ① For the 539 with early gastric cancer, cases undergoing endoscopic submu-cosal dissection, laparoscopic surgery, open surgery were 22, 150, 86 in 2020, versus 19, 212, 50 in 2021, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=19.42, P<0.05). For the 498 patients with early gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic or open surgery, cases undergoing open surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proximal gastrectomy were 25, 81, 30, and cases undergoing laparoscopic surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proximal gastrec-tomy were 18, 309, 35, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=40.62, P<0.05). For the 2 290 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, cases undergoing open surgery and laparoscopic surgery were 446 and 617 in 2020, versus 410 and 817 in 2021, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=17.75, P<0.05). For the 2 290 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, cases undergoing open surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proxi-mal gastrectomy were 336, 377, 143, and cases undergoing laparoscopic surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proximal gastrectomy were 377, 920, 137, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=89.64, P<0.05). Of the 293 patients with advanced gastric cancer, 175 cases underwent surgeries due to hemorrhage, stenosis, perforation, 76 cases under-went surgery after chemotherapy, 42 cases underwent surgery directly. ② For 756 cases of 3 122 pati-ents undergoing total gastrectomy, 357 and 4 cases received open digestive tract reconstruction including Roux-en-Y and other anastomosis, versus 380 and 15 cases with laparoscopic digestive tract reconstruction including Roux-en-Y and other anastomosis, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=5.57, P<0.05). For 1 687 cases undergoing distal gastrectomy, 84, 160, 158, 55 cases received open digestive tract reconstruction including Billroth Ⅰ anastomosis, Billroth Ⅱ + Braun anastomosis, Roux-en-Y anastomosis, uncut Roux-en-Y anastomosis, versus 154, 489, 417, 170 cases with laparoscopic digestive tract reconstruction including Billroth Ⅰ anastomosis, Billroth Ⅱ + Braun anastomosis, Roux-en-Y anastomosis, uncut Roux-en-Y anastomosis, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=10.90, P<0.05) . Of the 539 patients with early gastric cancer, 65 cases had lymph node metastasis, in which 18 of 306 stage T1a cases had lymph node metastasis and 47 of 233 stage T1b cases had lymph node metastasis. The number of detected lymph nodes for the 2 290 patients with advanced gastric cancer was 31±15, including ≥16 for 2 059 cases and ≥30 for 1 276 cases. Of the 3 122 patients, cases with neoadjuvant therapy, complete response and incomplete response was 128, 13 and 115 in 2020, versus 250, 49 and 201 in 2021, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=5.51, P<0.05). (3) Postoperative complications. Of the 3 122 patients, 746 cases had postoperative complications, with an incidence of 23.895%(746/3 122). There were 62 patients with grade 3 or more complications. Reoperation was conducted in 34 patients. There were 14 cases of postoperative death. The duration of postoperative hospital stay and hospital expense were (11±5)days and (98 114±46 598)yuan for the 3 122 patients, (26±14)days and (122 066±68 317)yuan for cases with complications, (40±21)days and (196 926±12 747)yuan for cases with grade 3 or more complications. Conclusion:Compared with 2020, cases undergoing laparoscopic surgery and distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer in Tianjin increases in 2021, and the digestive tract reconstruction also differs. The number of patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and complete response rate for advanced gastric cancer increases.