Myosteatosis is one of the common complications in patients with end-stage liver disease, which is significantly associated with poor outcomes after liver transplantation. Currently, diagnostic criteria of myosteatosis have not been established, and CT is the most commonly used for diagnosis. The pathogenesis of myosteatosis is multifactorial, and the pathophysiological mechanisms linking it to end-stage liver disease are not fully understood. An increasing number of scholars have recognized that the severity of myosteatosis is closely related to its clinical consequences, but there are no effective treatment options available. This article reviews the pathophysiological mechanisms and diagnostic methods of myosteatosis, and its impact on the prognosis of liver transplant recipients, and discusses current treatment strategies to provide references for the perioperative management of liver transplant recipients.

COMPERA 2.0 risk stratification has been demonstrated to be useful in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, its suitability for patients at risk for post-capillary PH or PH associated with left heart disease (PH-LHD) is unclear. To investigate the use of COMPERA 2.0 in patients with severe aortic stenosis (SAS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), who are at risk for post-capillary PH, a total of 327 eligible SAS patients undergoing TAVR at our institution between September 2015 and November 2020 were included in the study. Patients were classified into four strata before and after TAVR using the COMPERA 2.0 risk score. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards regression model. The study cohort had a median (interquartile range) age of 76 (70‒80) years and a pulmonary arterial systolic pressure of 33 (27‒43) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) before TAVR. The overall mortality was 11.9% during 26 (15‒47) months of follow-up. Before TAVR, cumulative mortality was higher with an increase in the risk stratum level (log-rank, both P<0.001); each increase in the risk stratum level resulted in an increased risk of death (hazard ratio (HR) 2.53, 95% confidential interval (CI) 1.54‒4.18, P<0.001), which was independent of age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), hemoglobin, albumin, and valve type (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.01‒3.07, P=0.047). Similar results were observed at 30 d after TAVR. COMPERA 2.0 can serve as a useful tool for risk stratification in patients with SAS undergoing TAVR, indicating its potential application in the management of PH-LHD. Further validation is needed in patients with confirmed post-capillary PH by right heart catheterization.
Humans ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/complications* ; Aged ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/mortality* ; Male ; Female ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ; Aged, 80 and over ; Risk Assessment/methods* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To investigate the changes in interleukin-34 (IL-34)levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with severe pneumonia and their prognostic value. Methods A total of 66 patients with severe pneumonia (severe pneumonia group), 35 patients with non-severe pneumonia (non-severe pneumonia group), and 27 healthy adults (control group) were enrolled. The severe pneumonia group was further divided into survival group of 38 patients and non-survival group of 28 patients based on 28-day survival. Clinical data of all subjects were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to assess the predictive power of serum IL-34 and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF for 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia, as well as the predictive power of serum IL-34 for severe pneumonia. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted, and the Log-rank test was used to compare cumulative survival rates. Cox regression analysis was conducted to explore risk factors for 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between serum IL-34 levels and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF of patients with severe pneumonia. Results Serum IL-34 levels were higher in the severe pneumonia group than those in the non-severe pneumonia group, and were higher in the non-severe pneumonia group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Serum IL-34 levels and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF were higher in the non-survival group than in the survival group (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve for predicting 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia were 0.908 for serum IL-34 levels and 0.878 for relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF. The optimal cutoff value for serum IL-34 levels in predicting severe pneumonia was 129.9 pg/mL. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that increased serum IL-34 levels and increased relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia (P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis results indicate that, with a cutoff value of 129.9 pg/mL, patients with severe pneumonia who had high serum levels of IL-34 exhibited a lower cumulative survival rate compared to those with low IL-34 level(Log-rank P < 0.001). Conclusion Serum IL-34 levels are significantly increased in patients with severe pneumonia, and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF is positively correlated with serum IL-34 levels. Both can be used as indicators for predicting the prognosis of 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia.

Objective:To investigate the application of Wuxing music combined with traditional Chinese medicine bath and golden paste encapsulation in patients with psoriasis vulgaris(blood-heat syndrome).Methods:In this prospective study,80 patients with psoriasis vulgaris(blood heat syndrome)admitted to our hospital from Nov 2020 to Nov 2022 were included and randomly divided into the control group and the observation group,with 40 cases in each group.The control group received routine nursing intervention,and the observation group received Wuxing music combined with traditional Chinese medicine bath and golden paste encapsulation nursing on the basis of control group,4 weeks as a course of treatment.After 2 courses of nursing,nursing effect,the scores of SCL-90 and DQOLS,the levels of serum inflammatory factors[interleukin-13(IL-13),transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)],and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups.Results:The area and severity of skin lesions in the two groups were lower than before nursing,and the changes in the observation group were more significant(P＜0.05).The scores of SCL-90 and DQOLS in the two groups were lower than those before nursing,and the changes in the observation group were more significant(P＜0.05).The levels of IL-13,TGF-β and TNF-α in the two groups were lower than those before nursing,and the levels of these indicators in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The satisfaction rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusions:Wuxing music combined with traditional Chinese medicine bath and golden paste encapsulation has a significant nursing effect on patients with psoriasis vulgaris(blood heat syndrome).It can decrease serum inflammatory factors,alleviate the degree of skin lesions,and iprove quality of life and nursing satisfaction.

Background::Uterine fibroids (UFs), the most common tumors in women worldwide, may reduce quality of life and daily activities and even lead to adverse fertility and general health events in patients, causing significant societal health and financial burdens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the global burden through epidemiological trends and examine the potential risk factors for UFs at the national level.Methods::Data on the incidence, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs), age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPRs), and age-standardized DALY rates for UFs were collected, and the associations with the Human Development Index (HDI) and fertility were evaluated. The age trends in the average annual percent change (AAPC) of the incidence and prevalence rates of UFs were evaluated by joinpoint regression analysis. The associations between lifestyle, metabolic, and socioeconomic factors and the ASIRs of UFs were examined using multivariable linear regression analysis.Results::The worldwide incidence and prevalence of UFs have been increasing in the past decade, with AAPCs of 0.27% in the incidence rate and 0.078% in the prevalence rate. During 2010-2019, significant increasing trends in UF ASIR were observed in 52 of 88 countries. The age-specific incidence and prevalence of UFs in most age groups showed increasing trends except for 45-54-year-old women which showed no significant trend. Ecological analysis demonstrated no relationship between the incidence of UFs and the HDI but an inverse association with fertility. The incidence of UFs was positively correlated with alcohol intake, hypertension, overweight, and obesity and negatively correlated with smoking.Conclusion::With the increasing incidence and prevalence worldwide, effective targeted prevention and control of relevant risk factors at the national level should be encouraged to reduce the disease burden of UFs.

Objective:To explore the awareness and experiences of elder abuse among staff in nursing homes.Methods:Qualitative studies on elder abuse by nursing home staff were systematically searched in databases, including China Biology Medicine disc, Wanfang data, Web of Science, and PubMed, up to August 15, 2023. A meta-synthesis approach was employed to categorize and integrate the findings.Results:Fourteen articles were included, yielding 93 themes. After repeated reading, analysis, and comparison, similar results were categorized into 12 new categories, synthesized into three integrated outcomes: causes of elder abuse, forms of elder abuse, and strategies for prevention and intervention of elder abuse.Conclusions:Staff should pay attention to the issue of elder abuse in nursing homes, establish closer connections between institutions, the aged, and their families, and promote healthy aging within these facilities.

Objective:To understand the incubation periods of infections of Omicron variants BA.2 and BF.7 in two COVID-19 epidemics and related factors in Beijing and provide basic parameters for the establishment of 2019-nCoV dynamic transmission model.Methods:The COVID-19 cases with specific exposure time and onset time in the Omicron variant BA.2 infection epidemic in April 2022 and in the Omicron variant BF.7 infection epidemic in October 2022 in Beijing were included in the analysis. The rank-sum test was conducted to estimate the differences in the incubation period between two types of infections. The incubation period distribution of the Omicron variant infection was fitted by using Weibull, Gamma and lognormal distributions. Multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to assess the effects of age, sex, variant type and vaccination status on the incubation periods.Results:A total of 64 cases of variant BA.2 infection and 58 cases of variant BF.7 infection were included. The M( Q1,Q3) of the incubation period was 3.00 (3.00, 4.00) days for BA.2 infection and 3.00 (2.00, 3.25) days for BF.7 infection. The lognormal distribution was the best fit. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that there were some differences in the incubation periods between two types of infections of Omicron variants, and the incubation period of variant BF.7 infection was shorter than that of variant BA.2 infection. Conclusion:Omicron variant BF.7 infection had shorter incubation period compared with Omicron variant BA.2 infection.

Digestive system malignant tumor is one of the common malignant tumors in humans,and its high morbidity and low survival rate at advanced stages bring heavy disease burden to patients,families and society.However,current tumor screening technologies are not suitable for screening in large-scale populations and long-term follow-up because of the invasiveness or complexity.Thus,liquid biopsy,which based on biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA,circulating tumor cells,exosomes and other new biomarkers,has broad prospects for development in tumor screening.Exosome,secreted by living cells,is a type of extracellular vesicle with the lipid bilayer.Compared to other biomarkers,exosome has the advantages of high stability,wide distribution,and high quantity.The various proteins carried by exosome can reflect the characteristics of the origin cells,and exosome has important research value for the early diagnosis of tumors.This article reviews the studies of exosomal proteins as biomarkers for early diagnosis of digestive system malignant tumors in the past five years,and summarizes the characteristics and limitations of the above studies,so as to provide reference for promoting the clinical transformation of exosomal proteins.

Objective:To investigate the demand and influencing factors of home care social support services for the elderly with dementia in urban areas, and provide a decision-making basis for improving home care social support services for the elderly with dementia.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. From March 2021 to March 2022, 386 family caregivers of elderly people with dementia were randomly selected from tertiary hospitals in four central urban areas of Wuhan by stratified sampling method. A questionnaire was used to investigate the current situation and attributes of the demand for home care social support services for the elderly with dementia in urban areas. The importance of the demand for home care social support services for the elderly with dementia in urban areas was calculated by the Better-Worse coefficient method and sensitivity formula method. The optimal scale regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors and influencing forces of independent variables on service demand.Results:The score of social support service demand for home care was (88.6 ± 29.71) points. The Better coefficient of demand for all social support services was greater than the absolute value of the Worse coefficient. One requirement (pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guidance) was a one-dimensional attribute, and the remaining 29 items were charm attributes. The top 6 items in importance ranking were 2 items of informational support (pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guidance; telephone counselling guidance for family caregivers), 1 items of instrumental support (financial assistance for family caregivers) and 3 items of social companionship support(cultural recreation/physical activity activities, door-to-door accompaniment, accompany the elderly to social activities). Optimal scale regression model test: all four models of social support service demand were statistically significant ( F values were 2.75-4.23, all P <0.01). The gender, education level, number of children of the elderly with dementia, age,education level, self rated physical condition of family caregivers, the average monthly income of families, and the relationship between family caregivers and the elderly with dementia were the influencing factors of self-esteem support (all P<0.05). The educational level, marital status, type of dementia of the elderly with dementia, educational level, self rated physical condition of family caregivers, the average monthly income of the family, and the relationship between family caregivers and the elderly with dementia were the influencing factors of informational support (all P <0.05). The educational level and type of dementia of the elderly with dementia, the educational level, self rated physical condition of family caregivers, and the average monthly income of families were the influencing factors of social companionship support (all P <0.05). The type of dementia of the elderly with dementia, the self rated physical condition of family caregivers, the average monthly income of families, and the relationship between family caregivers and elderly relatives were the influencing factors of instrumental support (all P <0.05). Five times for caregiver human resources, 3 times for family economic resources and 3 times for the elderly with dementia, and 1 time for relatives resource factors were the top 3 times of independent variable influence force entered the ranking. Conclusions:The demand for social support services for home care of the elderly with dementia is low, with the characteristics of expectant tendency and centralized demand. The provision of home-based care social support services should give priority to meeting the needs of "pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guidance", and provide financial assistance, counseling and guidance, social companionship and other services as much as possible. Caregiver human resources are the key factors affecting home care social support services, family economic resources and the elderly with dementia are important factors, it is recommended to fully tap the potential of relatives resources and community resources.

Objective:To explore the incidence and factors of the influence of preoperative related factors on postoperative orthopedic evaluation, through the evaluation of thoracic shape orthopedic evaluation of children pectus excavatum, during plate implantation after Nuss procedure.Methods:From April 2012 to April 2019, the clinical data were analyzed retrospectively for 159 hospitalized cases of Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum in Xi’an Children’s Hospital.The mean age was(6.8±3.4) years old(3.2-17.0 years old); males 124, females 35; Haller index 4.0±1.0(2.7-7.5); 6 cases(4%) were poor orthopedic evaluation with the thoracic shape, males 5, femal 1; 23 cases (14%) were average satisfied with the thoracic shape, males 16, femals 7; 130 cases (82%)were good orthopedic evaluation with the thoracic, males 103, femals 27. Follow-ups were conducted for at least 2 years, Retrospective analysis of the relationship between postoperative thoracic satisfaction and age, gender, Haller index, how the plates were placed during surgery and symmetry of funnel chest, t test and χ2 test were used for statistical analysis. Results:There were statistically significant differences between thoracic orthopedic evaluation after postoperative and classification of pectus excavatum ( P=0.001), and poor orthopedic evaluation after asymmetric pectus excavatum operationand ; There were no significant differences in gender, Haller index, surgical method and how the plates were placed during surgery( P>0.05). However, it can be seen from the mean and percentage that with the decrease of age, and the increase of Haller index, the orthopedic evaluation gradually becomes worse. Conclusion:According to our single-center study, asymmetric pectus excavatum is a factor for poor orthopedic evaluation during plate implantation after Nuss, especially for young children and children with larger Haller index.