With the population ageing, the number of elderly with noncommunicable diseases and functional disabilities is increasing. The assistive technology can improve the ability of older adults for daily living activities and reduce dependence on caregivers to facilitate home-based care for the elderly. However, the provision of assistive technology service in China is still in the early stage and lacks implementable model. This article introduces international experiences on the delivery of assistive technology service, and discusses the status quo and problems of assistive technology service in China, to provide insights for promoting assistive technology service in the primary health care.

ObjectiveEstablish an animal model of preeclampsia in goats, collect data on various physiological indicators and maternal biological characteristics of the disease model to compare with clinical feature of the disease in humans, provide reference for the prevention and treatment of preeclampsia in humans.Methods Twenty-three goats bred in Chongming district were divided into three groups: Control group, no surgical procedure was performed on animals of this group; sham group, ewes in this group underwent the sham operation on the 100±5th day of gestation, and only the uterine artery was exposed and dissociated; surgical group, a silver vascular clamp was clipped on one side of the uterine body artery of the ewe to narrow the inner diameter of the artery at the same gestation period (100±5) days. Heart rate and hindlimb blood pressure were continuously monitored in control and surgical ewes from 100 to 140 d of gestation, and blood flow data within the lateral branches of the uterine arteries of ewes in the sham group were collected using a hemodynamometer in combination with a hemodynamic probe and an animal physiological signal collector, as well as changes in blood flow within the uterine arteries in the lateral branches of the uterine arteries of the surgical group before and after placement of vascular clips in the surgical ewes. At the expected date of delivery, jugular vein blood was taken from ewes for routine blood test, creatinine, urea nitrogen, and blood ion analysis; urine was also collected from ewes in each group for analysis of urinary protein and urinary creatinine. All experimental groups were subjected to cesarean section on the 140±5th day of gestation in ewes, and then liver, kidney, uterus and placenta tissues were taken from ewes in each group and stained with HE for pathological observation. Results After 15 minutes of preeclampsia modeling surgery, blood flow volume remained stable in the vessel stenosis segment and the volume differential was relatively reduced in comparison to the control group and sham group (P＜0.05，P＜0.01). Compared with the control group, the ewes in the surgical group showed prenatal changes such as increased serum osmolality, decreased hemoglobin, increased blood glucose and urea nitrogen values, as well as increased levels of calcium, sodium, and chloride ions (all P<0.05) and proteinuria, with urinary creatinine and urinary protein-creatinine ratios were significantly higher than those in the control group and sham group (all P<0.05). The elastic lamina of the uterine body arteries on the operated side of the animals in the surgical group was thicker than that on the opposite side, but the structure was loose. The placenta on the operated side showed pathological changes such as cell interstitial swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration. The above physiological index characteristics were more consistent with the clinical features of human preeclampsia disease.Conclusion In this experiment, we successfully constructed a goat preeclampsia model and obtained data on relevant physiological indexes of this model, which further verified the correlation between preeclampsia disease and uterine artery lesions.

Objective:To explore the effect of patient engagement on medication safety for patients with chronic disease through a systematic review.Methods:Relevant randomized controlled trials of patient engagement on medication safety were searched from PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP database. The literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data extraction and literature quality evaluation was conducted on the selected literature.Results:A total of 15 eligible studies was included. Most of the studies occurred in outpatient and home settings, and the subjects were patients with chronic diseases. Patient engagement strategies can be divided into three categories: (1) patient engagement in medical decision-making; (2) patient engagement in medication adjustment; (3) patient engagement in medication management. The outcomes of medication safety included medication adherence, medication knowledge, medication beliefs, adverse events and medication errors. Intervention strategies for patients to actively engage in medication safety significantly improved patients′ medication knowledge and beliefs, but did not improve medication adherence of patients.Conclusion:Promoting patient active engagement is an effective intervention measure to improve patients ′ perception of medication safety. Due to the limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusions.

Objective:To investigate whether silencing signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) with siRNA can inhibit eosinophilic inflammation of sinonasal mucosa in a mouse model of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS).Methods:The study was conducted from March to September in 2022. Forty-eight female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, the Vehicle (transfection reagent)-treated group, the Scramble siRNA (Control siRNA)-treated group, and the STAT6 siRNA-treated group, with twelve mice in each group. An ovalbumin (OVA)-staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)-induced ECRS murine model was established. SiRNA prepared in Lipofectamine was locally administered to the nasal cavity. After administration, samples of the peripheral blood and sinonasal mucosa were collected. Eosinophils in peripheral blood were detected by hematology analyzer. Total and OVA-specific IgE (OVA-sIgE) in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mucosal levels of cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin (IL)-5, IL-17A, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and eotaxin-1, were also measured using ELISA. Mucosal histological changes of eosinophil infiltration were examined using hematoxylin, and eosin staining, and tissue eosinophil count was performed using a microscope under a high-power field (HPF). Tissue expression of STAT6 and phosphorylated STAT6 (p-STAT6) was detected with the western blot method. Immunofluorescence staining was used to localize the expression of p-STAT6 in sinonasal mucosa. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 18.0 software.Results:Peripheral blood eosinophil count, percentage of peripheral blood eosinophil, total serum IgE level, and serum OVA-sIgE level in the STAT6 siRNA-treated group [(0.318±0.045)×10 3/μl, (3.667±0.479)%, (102.070±13.205) ng/ml, and (38.870±7.352) ng/ml] were significantly different from those of the Vehicle-treated group [(0.532±0.049)×10 3/μl, (6.710±1.061)%, (203.102±29.653) ng/ml, and (74.575±6.432) ng/ml, Z value was -2.56, -2.24, -2.40, and -2.56, respectively, all P<0.05] and Scramble siRNA-treated group [(0.493±0.036)×10 3/μl, (5.858±0.872)%, (189.964±30.042) ng/ml, and (80.935±8.358) ng/ml, Z value was -2.17, -2.08, -2.24, and -2.72, respectively, all P<0.05]. Besides, IL-5 and eotaxin-1 levels in the STAT6 siRNA-treated group [(312.279±34.281) pg/ml and (25.297±4.323) pg/ml] were significantly lower than those in the Vehicle-treated group [(689.667±31.905) pg/ml and (68.278±6.485) pg/ml, Z value was -2.73 and -2.88, respectively, both P<0.01] and Scramble siRNA-treated group [(661.783±42.094) pg/ml and (63.015±7.416) pg/ml, Z value was -2.72 and -2.81, respectively, both P<0.01]. Tissue eosinophil count in sinonasal mucosa was (29.132±4.163)/HPF in the STAT6 siRNA-treated group, and were significantly less than those in the Vehicle-treated group [(78.050±7.912)/HPF, Z=-2.88, P<0.01] and Scramble siRNA-treated group [(73.864±8.671)/HPF, Z=-2.72, P<0.01]. The expression level of STAT6 protein (0.105±0.021) was significantly decreased in the mice treated with STAT6 siRNA compared with PBS, Vehicle, and Scramble siRNA (0.232±0.037, 0.243±0.039, and 0.228±0.032, Z value was -2.25, -2.49, and -2.56, respectively, all P<0.05). Corresponding, p-STAT6 protein level (0.292±0.038) was markedly decreased by the introduction of STAT6 siRNA, the difference was statistically significant as compared with the Vehicle-and Scramble siRNA-treated groups (0.613±0.046 and 0.641±0.050, Z value was -2.81 and -2.88, respectively, both P<0.01). Immunofluorescence staining showed that p-STAT6 was mainly located in the nucleus of nasal epithelial cells and inflammatory cells. The green fluorescence of p-STAT6 expression in sinonasal mucosa in the STAT6 siRNA-treated group was weaker than that in the Vehicle-and Scramble siRNA-treated groups. Conclusion:Intranasal administration of STAT6 siRNA can significantly downregulate STAT6 expression, decrease p-STAT6 level, and prohibit the development of Th2-skewed ECRS.

This paper reviewed the assessment tools, influencing factors and interventions of intimacy between breast cancer patients and their spouses at home and abroad so as to provide a reference for establishing the close conjugal relationship between breast cancer patients and their spouses.

Objective: To study the clinical value of serum cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9/NGAL-1 measurements for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Methods: This study included 102 patients with hepatitis B virus related ACLF and 31 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were enrolled as controls. Biomarkers including serum cystatin C, NGAL and MMP-9/NGAL-1 were measured twice in the patients with ACLF at admission and at the time progressed to AKI and once in the controls. Results: In patients with ACLF, serum cystatin C levels was higher than that of the CHB control (t=3.609, P=0.000), whereas NGAL and MMP-9/NGAL-1 levels were lower in patients with ACLF than that of CHB controls (t=3.016, P=0.003; t=7.514, P=0.000, respectively). Thirty-three patients (32.4%) progressed to AKI during hospitalization period. In AKI group of the patients serum cystatin C levels was higher than that of non-AKI group of the patents (t=4.543, P=0.000). MMP-9/ NGAL-1 and NGAL levels were not different in patients with and without AKI (t=0.905, P=0.368; t=0.061, P=0.952). Serum cystatin C in patients with mild AKI (serum creatinine<1.5 mg/dl) and AKI serum creatinine>1.5 mg/dl were 33.59± 9.19 ng/ml and 43.32±9.02 ng/ml respectively. That was higher than that of non-AKI patients (27.94±7.93 ng/ml, P=0.022, 0.000, respectively). Serum cystatin C was the independent risk factors associated with development of AKI by a multivariate logistic regression in patients with ACLF. Conclusions Serum cystatin C measurement may contribute to more earlier diagnosis of AKI even in patients with S. creatinine<1.5 mg/dl. NGAL and MMP-9/NGAL-1 may be the biomarker of progress for ACLF.

BACKGROUND: Reducing perioperative blood loss in total hip arthroplasty is a hot topic for joint surgeons. Both intravenous infusion and intra-articular injection of tranexamic acid significantly reduce perioperative blood loss, blood transfusion volume, and need for blood transfusion in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. However, differences between the intravenous and intra-articular methods are not clear.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of these two tranexamic acid administration methods on perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.METHODS: We are conducting a prospective, single-center, open-label, randomized, controlled clinical trial at the Tengzhou Central People's Hospital, China. Ninety patients undergoing unilateral total hip arthroplasty have been randomized into three groups. In the intravenous infusion group (n=30), 15 mg/kg tranexamic acid diluted in 100 mL physiological saline was infused intravenously at the beginning of surgery and 20 mL of physiological saline was injected intra-articularly after deep fascia suturing. In the intra-articular injection group (n=30), 100 mL of physiological saline was infused intravenously at the beginning of surgery and a mixture of 1.5 g tranexamic acid and 20 mL physiological saline was injected intra-articularly after deep fascia suturing. In the control group (n=30), 100 mL of physiological saline was infused intravenously at the beginning of surgery and 20 mL of physiological saline was injected intra-articularly after deep fascia suturing. The primary outcome is hidden blood loss at 1 and 3 days postoperatively. The secondary outcomes are visible blood loss, need for blood transfusion, and mean blood transfusion volume intraoperatively and on days 1 and 3 postoperatively. Other outcomes are the incidence of adverse reactions and complications within 3 months of surgery. The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Tengzhou Central People's Hospital of China, approval number 2015-026. All protocols will be performed in accordance with the Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects in the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was provided by each patient and their family members after they indicated that they fully understood the treatment plan.DISCUSSION: This trial was designed in April 2015. Cases were collected in July 2015. Data analysis will be finished in December 2017. This study is designed to investigate the effects of intravenous infusion versus intra-articular injection of tranexamic acid on perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty to determine the more effective mode of administration.

BACKGROUND:Increasing reports have focused on the application of tranexamic acid to reduce bleeding during total knee arthroplasty, but its usage method remains controversial.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the impact of topical articular application of tranexamic acid and intravenous application of tranexamic acid on blood loss during primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty.
METHODS:According to randomized control ed principle, 90 patients who received unilateral total knee arthroplasty in the Tengzhou Central People’s Hospital from October 2013 to December 2014 were enrol ed in this study, and randomly assigned to intravenous injection group and topical injection group (n=45). Patients in the intravenous injection group were given tranexamic acid by intravenous injection (10 mg/kg, maximum 1.2 g) during the induction of anaesthesia. Patients in the topical injection group were given intraarticularly tranexamic acid (2 g dissolved in 50 mL physiological saline) before articular capsule suture and after prosthesis fixation. Drainage amount after replacement, hemoglobin and hematocrit on the next day after replacement, and the number of blood transfusion population were compared between the two groups. Simultaneously, clinical symptoms of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis in the lower limb were observed. If necessary, lower extremity vascular Doppler ultrasound was conducted.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:No significant differences in drainage amount after replacement, hemoglobin and hematocrit on the next day after replacement, the number of blood transfusion population, and the proportion of blood transfusion were detected between the two groups (P>0.05). No deep vein thrombosis was found in the lower limbs at 14 days after replacement in both groups. These findings confirm that compared with intravenous systemic application, periarticular topical application of tranexamic acid during total knee replacement could obtain identical effects on reducing blood loss and blood transfusion after surgery, and could avoid relevant complications of intravenous application of tranexamic acid.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the expression of GATA-3 and the level of Th1 and Th2 cytokines upon repeated exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin B(SEB) of different concentrations in the maxillary sinus mucosa of rabbits. METHOD: The rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups (24 rabbits per group): low-dose SEB group and high-dose SEB group. The low-dose SEB group and high-dose SEB group received daily injections of 0.6 ng of SEB (2 ml) and 60 ng of SEB (2 ml) into the left maxillary sinus of rabbits for 28 days, respectively. Concurrent treatment of the right maxillary sinus with normal saline was used as a control. Six rabbits chosen randomly in two groups were killed on days 3, 7, 14, and 28, and to obtain the sinus mucosa from the two-side maxillary sinuses for measurement. Mucosal levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-γ were measured using ABC-ELISA. Tissue expression of GATA-3 were examined using Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULT: IFN-γ and IL-2 levels were significantly elevated in the high-dose SEB group compared with the low-dose SEB and control groups on days 7, 14, and 28 (P < 0.05). However, IL-4 and IL-5 levels were markedly enhanced in the low-dose SEB group compared with the high-dose SEB and control groups on days 14 and 28 (P < 0.05). Real-time PCR showed that the expression of GATA-3 mRNA in the low-dose SEB group was markedly enhanced, and immunohistochemical staining illustrated that the number of GATA-3 positive cells was markedly increased in the low-dose SEB group as compared with the high-dose SEB group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in GATA-3 expression between the high-dose SEB and the control groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION SEB promoted Th1 cytokines production at high concentrations, and enhanced Th2 cytokines expression and Th2 immune response at low concentrations.
Animals ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Enterotoxins ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-5 ; metabolism ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Th1 Cells ; Th2 Cells ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the ultrastructure of ciliated epithelia and inflammatory changes upon repeated exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) of different concentrations in the maxillary sinus mucosa of rabbits.Methods The rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups (24 rabbits per group):low-dose SEA group and high-dose SEA group.The low-dose SEA group and high-dose SEA group received daily injections of 0.6 ng of SEA (2 ml) and 60 ng of SEA (2 ml) into the left maxillary sinus of rabbits for 28 days,respectively.Concurrent treatment of the right maxillary sinus with normal saline was used as control.Six rabbits chosen randomly in two groups were examined by computed tomography (CT) scans and then sacrificed to obtain thc sinus mucosa from the two-side of maxillary sinuses for histological assessment on days 3,7,14 and 28.To characterize the inflammatory changes of the sinus mucosa examined using light microscope,hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and toluidine blue staining was performed.Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe ultrastructure of ciliated epithelia in the maxillary sinus mucosa.SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results On days 14 and 28,CT images showed opacification of the left maxillary sinus in the high-dose SEA group.The percentage of epithelial disruption was (22.73 ± 5.72) ％ and (30.79 ± 4.30)％ in the high-dose SEA group respectively,and were significantly greater than those in the low-dose SEA group (5.12％ ± 1.98％ and 5.38％ ± 1.64％,q value was 10.079 and 19.132) and control group (4.08％ ± 1.29％ and 4.81％ ± 1.62％,q value was 11.016 and 19.592,respectively,all P ＜ 0.01).The subepithelial thickness in the high-dose SEA group was (113.34 ± 14.81) μm and (120.86 ± 12.35) μm respectively,and were significantly different from those of the low-dose SEA group[(71.08 ± 10.39) μm and (81.63 ±9.32) μm,q value was 8.090 and 8.782] and control group [(37.45 ± 7.67) μm and (38.79 ± 7.68) μm,q value was 15.759 and 19.541,all P ＜0.01].Viewed under the electron microscope,loss of cilia was observed,a few compound cilia and cytoplasmic protrusion were found,an obvious stretching of the endoplasmic reticulum and an obvious turgescence of the mitochondria was also observed.However,in the low-dose SEA group on days 14 and 28,CT scan of the left maxillary sinus showed transparency; light microscopy observations of the maxillary sinus mucosa showed the number of eosinophils was markedly increased as compared with the high-dose SEA and control groups,the differences were significant (q value was 5.871 and 6.766 on day 14,and q value was 7.572 and 8.970 on day 28,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).But no significant differences were observed in epithelial disruption between the low-dose SEA and the control groups on days 14 and 28 (q value was 1.512 and 0.859 respectively,all P ＞0.05) ; inordinate array and adhesion of cilia was observed,but cilia loss,compound cilia,cytoplasmic protrusions,mitochondrial swelling and endoplasmic reticulum stretching were not found.Conclusions SEA may induce allergic inflammation of the sinus mucosa without damaging the structure of ciliated epithelia at low concentration.Whereas SEA impairs the structure of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in ciliated epithelial cells at high concentration,and results in cilia loss and epithelial disruption,which may be one of the main reasons to induce acute sinusitis.