ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of Shenqi Wenfei prescription （SQWF） on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）. MethodsA rat model of COPD with lung Qi deficiency was established using lipopolysaccharide （LPS） combined with cigarette smoke. Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose SQWF groups （2.835， 5.67， 11.34 g·kg^-1）， and a Yupingfeng group （1.35 g·kg^-1）. Drug administration began on day 29 after modeling and continued for 2 weeks. The general condition of the rats was observed， and the lung function in each group was assessed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung tissue. The proportion of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） was measured. Apoptosis in lung tissue was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling （TUNEL） staining. The release level of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in BALF was detected by a microplate assay. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels in lung tissue were detected using fluorescent probes. The levels of malondialdehyde （MDA）， total superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and reduced glutathione （GSH） in BALF were measured by biochemical methods. Ultrastructural changes in lung cells were observed via transmission electron microscopy. Double immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP） and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） in lung tissue. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression of TXNIP， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， Caspase-1 p20， gasdermin D （GSDMD）， GSDMD N-terminal active fragment （GSDMD-N）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and IL-18 in lung tissue. Serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels were measured by ELISA. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed lassitude， fatigue， tachypnea， and audible phlegm sounds， and lung function significantly declined （P0.01）. Pulmonary emphysema and inflammatory cell infiltration were obvious. The level of inflammatory cells in BALF increased significantly （P0.05）. The number of TUNEL-positive cells increased （P0.01）. Levels of LDH， ROS， and MDA in BALF increased significantly （P0.01）， while GSH and SOD activities decreased significantly （P0.01）. Lung tissue cells showed irregular morphology， swollen mitochondria， disrupted cell membranes， and abundant vesicles， i.e.， pyroptotic bodies. Protein levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， Caspase-1 p20， GSDMD， GSDMD-N， IL-1β， and IL-18 in lung tissue were significantly elevated （P0.01）， and serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels also increased significantly （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， each medication group showed alleviation of qi deficiency symptoms and improved lung function （P0.01）. Pulmonary emphysema and inflammatory cell infiltration were reduced. Inflammatory cell levels decreased （P0.05）. The number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased significantly （P0.01）. Levels of LDH， ROS， and MDA decreased significantly （P0.05）， while GSH and SOD activities significantly increased （P0.01）. Morphological and structural damage in lung tissue was improved to varying degrees. Protein levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， Caspase-1 p20， GSDMD， GSDMD-N， IL-1β， and IL-18 in lung tissue significantly decreased （P0.01）， and serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels also decreased significantly （P0.05）. ConclusionSQWF can improve lung function and alleviate inflammatory responses in COPD rats. Its mechanism may be related to regulating the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway and inhibiting pyroptosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of Shenqi Wenfei prescription （SQWF） on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）. MethodsA rat model of COPD with lung Qi deficiency was established using lipopolysaccharide （LPS） combined with cigarette smoke. Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose SQWF groups （2.835， 5.67， 11.34 g·kg^-1）， and a Yupingfeng group （1.35 g·kg^-1）. Drug administration began on day 29 after modeling and continued for 2 weeks. The general condition of the rats was observed， and the lung function in each group was assessed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung tissue. The proportion of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） was measured. Apoptosis in lung tissue was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling （TUNEL） staining. The release level of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in BALF was detected by a microplate assay. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels in lung tissue were detected using fluorescent probes. The levels of malondialdehyde （MDA）， total superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and reduced glutathione （GSH） in BALF were measured by biochemical methods. Ultrastructural changes in lung cells were observed via transmission electron microscopy. Double immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP） and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） in lung tissue. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression of TXNIP， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， Caspase-1 p20， gasdermin D （GSDMD）， GSDMD N-terminal active fragment （GSDMD-N）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and IL-18 in lung tissue. Serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels were measured by ELISA. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed lassitude， fatigue， tachypnea， and audible phlegm sounds， and lung function significantly declined （P0.01）. Pulmonary emphysema and inflammatory cell infiltration were obvious. The level of inflammatory cells in BALF increased significantly （P0.05）. The number of TUNEL-positive cells increased （P0.01）. Levels of LDH， ROS， and MDA in BALF increased significantly （P0.01）， while GSH and SOD activities decreased significantly （P0.01）. Lung tissue cells showed irregular morphology， swollen mitochondria， disrupted cell membranes， and abundant vesicles， i.e.， pyroptotic bodies. Protein levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， Caspase-1 p20， GSDMD， GSDMD-N， IL-1β， and IL-18 in lung tissue were significantly elevated （P0.01）， and serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels also increased significantly （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， each medication group showed alleviation of qi deficiency symptoms and improved lung function （P0.01）. Pulmonary emphysema and inflammatory cell infiltration were reduced. Inflammatory cell levels decreased （P0.05）. The number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased significantly （P0.01）. Levels of LDH， ROS， and MDA decreased significantly （P0.05）， while GSH and SOD activities significantly increased （P0.01）. Morphological and structural damage in lung tissue was improved to varying degrees. Protein levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， Caspase-1 p20， GSDMD， GSDMD-N， IL-1β， and IL-18 in lung tissue significantly decreased （P0.01）， and serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels also decreased significantly （P0.05）. ConclusionSQWF can improve lung function and alleviate inflammatory responses in COPD rats. Its mechanism may be related to regulating the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway and inhibiting pyroptosis.

Objective To investigate the impact of holiday effects and prevention/control measures on the development characteristics and incidence trends of influenza in Hefei City using a Prophet-LSTM hybrid model, and to validate the applicability of the Prophet-LSTM model in influenza prediction by comparing the performance of different forecasting models. Methods Influenza incidence data from Hefei City (2016–2024) were collected to construct a Prophet-LSTM feature analysis and prediction model to analyze the impact of holiday effects and intervention measures on influenza incidence trends. Comparative models (ARIMA, GRU, and TimeGPT) were established and evaluated on the same test set. Results The data analysis revealed significantly increased influenza incidence during holidays (e.g., New Year's Day, Spring Festival, and National Day), while prevention and control measures led to declining trends. The Prophet-LSTM model demonstrated high consistency between the predicted and actual values, outperforming the comparative models with superior MAE (0.209), MSE (0.195), and IA (0.914), indicating higher prediction accuracy and trend-fitting capability. Conclusion The Prophet-LSTM model effectively captures spatiotemporal characteristics of influenza incidence, exhibits enhanced predictive performance when incorporating holiday effects and intervention measures, and demonstrates significant advantages and application value in influenza forecasting.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Liuwei Buqi prescription （LWBQ） regulates alveolar macrophage efferocytosis and improves inflammatory responses in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） characterized by lung-kidney Qi deficiency based on the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/macrophage receptor with collagenous structure （MARCO） pathway. MethodsSuccessfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， low-dose LWBQ group （LWBQ-L， 2.25 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium-dose LWBQ group （LWBQ-M， 4.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， high-dose LWBQ group （LWBQ-H， 9 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and aminophylline group （AMIN， 50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 8 rats in each group. Another 8 healthy rats were included as the blank group. Except for the blank group， rats in the remaining groups were subjected to smoke exposure combined with forced swimming， intratracheal lipopolysaccharide （LPS） instillation， and subcutaneous hydrocortisone injection to establish a COPD model with lung-kidney Qi deficiency. After successful modeling， rats were administered different doses of LWBQ or AMIN by gavage. Body weight， fur condition， and oral secretions were observed. Pulmonary function was measured using an animal lung function analyzer. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the expression levels of interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1 （IL-1）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and serum （SER）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to examine pathological changes in lung tissue. Giemsa staining was performed to detect eosinophils， basophils， and neutrophils in BALF. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） was used to detect apoptosis in lung tissue. Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were employed to determine the protein and mRNA expression levels of efferocytosis-related proteins growth arrest-specific gene 6 （GAS6）， milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 （MFG-E8）， and pathway-related proteins Nrf2 and MARCO in lung tissue. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed reduced food intake， nasal and oral secretions with sputum， and decreased body weight （P<0.01）， decreased peak expiratory flow （PEF） （P<0.01）， increased forced vital capacity （FVC） （P<0.01）， and decreased forced expiratory volume in 0.3 s/forced vital capacity ［FEV0.3/FVC （%）］ （P<0.01）. The expression levels of IFN-γ， IL-6， IL-1， and TNF-α in BALF and SER were increased （P<0.01）. Lung tissue exhibited structural destruction， hyperplasia， inflammatory exudation， increased apoptotic cells， and increased mean optical density （P<0.01）. The protein and mRNA expression levels of GAS6， MFG-E8， and MARCO， as well as Nrf2 mRNA expression， were increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the LWBQ groups showed increased food intake， reduced nasal and oral secretions with sputum， and increased body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）. PEF was increased （P<0.01）. FVC was increased in rats treated with low- and medium-dose LWBQ （P<0.01）， and FEV0.3/FVC （%） was increased in rats treated with medium- and high-dose LWBQ （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression levels of IFN-γ， IL-6， IL-1， and TNF-α in BALF and SER were decreased （P<0.01）. Lung tissue structure was relatively intact， with improvement in hyperplasia and inflammatory exudation. The number of apoptotic cells in lung tissue was reduced， and mean optical density was decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein and mRNA expression levels of efferocytosis-related proteins GAS6 and MFG-E8 and pathway-related proteins Nrf2 and MARCO were increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionLWBQ can alleviate pulmonary and systemic inflammation， improve lung function， and reduce lung tissue damage in rats with COPD characterized by lung-kidney Qi deficiency. The mechanism may be related to enhancement of alveolar macrophage efferocytosis through regulation of the Nrf2/MARCO pathway.

ObjectiveTo develop an early - warning approach for influenza in Anhui province using the moving epidemic method （MEM）， offering a scientific basis for influenza prevention and control in the province. MethodsBased on the surveillance data reported weekly by influenza sentinel hospitals and network laboratories in the “China Influenza Surveillance Information System”， the weekly influenza virus detection positive rate （positive rate， PR） across the province was analyzed. The MEM was used to estimate the epidemic threshold and classification intensity threshold of influenza in Anhui province before and after the COVID-19 pandemic， respectively. The early warning effect of the MEM was evaluated using cross-validation. ResultsEpidemic and graded intensity thresholds of influenza were derived using PR and MEM. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic， the starting， medium-intensity， high-intensity， extremely-high-intensity， and ending thresholds of influenza epidemics were 17.08%， 38.47%， 53.20%， 59.71%， and 12.34% respectively. At this point， the model exhibited sensitivity of 0.98， specificity of 0.86， Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.84， and Youden index of 0.84. After the COVID-19 pandemic， these thresholds were 25.61%， 43.81%， 63.29%， 74.46%， and 17.82% respectively. At this point， the model demonstrates sensitivity of 0.86， specificity of 0.92， Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.78， and Youden index of 0.77. ConclusionMEM shows good applicability in estimating the epidemic and graded intensity thresholds of influenza during the winter and spring in Anhui province. Both the influenza epidemic threshold and graded intensity thresholds after the COVID-19 pandemic are higher than those before the pandemic.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of meteorological factors on influenza-like illness （ILI） cases in Anhui Province. MethodsILI surveillance data of Anhui Province from 2016 to 2023 were collected from the “China Influenza Surveillance Information System”， and meteorological data were obtained from Anhui Meteorological Center. R 4.2.1 was used to conduct Spearman rank correlation analysis between ILI cases and meteorological factors. A generalized additive model （GAM） was established to analyze the impact of meteorological factors on ILI cases. ResultsCorrelation analysis and GAM analysis showed that the average temperature and average relative humidity with a one-week lag had significant non-linear effects on ILI （P<0.05）. When the weekly average temperature was below 14 ℃， the number of ILI cases gradually increased as the temperature decreased. When the weekly average relative humidity was below 65%， the number of ILI cases gradually increased as the weekly average relative humidity decreased. The changes in ILI among the age groups 5-14， 15-24 and 25-59 years were influenced by meteorological factors， exhibiting a nonlinear relationship with weekly average temperature or weekly average relative humidity. ConclusionWeekly average temperature and weekly average relative humidity are the main factors affecting ILI in Anhui Province， and there is a lag effect， which can provide a reference for influenza surveillance and early warning.

ObjectiveTo systematically elucidate the accumulation characteristics of secondary metabolites in the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng with different stem colors. MethodsUltra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry （UHPLC-QqQ-MS） was employed to determine the of 22 ginsenosides in the stems and leaves of 2- to 5-year-old P. ginseng plants with green and purple stems. Principal component analysis （PCA）， orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA）， and one-way analysis of variance （ANOVA） were performed to explore the distribution patterns of ginsenosides from three dimensions： tissue distribution， growth duration， and stem color. Results① Tissue distribution： Leaves served as the primary organ for ginsenoside accumulation， exhibiting significantly higher total ginsenoside content than stems， which indicated distinct tissue-specific distribution of ginsenosides. ② Growth duration： Ginsenoside levels in stems generally peaked in the 2-year-old plants before stabilizing， while those in leaves displayed a declining-rebounding pattern， indicating that the 2-year-old plants （harvest stage） was a critical time point for the resurgence of leaf ginsenosides. ③ Stem color： A stage-specific correlation was observed between stem color and ginsenoside accumulation. In stems， the early-growth stage （2-year-old） of purple-stemmed plants exhibited higher content of specific ginsenosides （e.g.， ginsenoside Rk₁ and notoginsenoside R₁）， which may be associated with its stronger early-stage stress resistance. In leaves， the content of core ginsenosides （e.g.， ginsenosides Re and Rd） in 5-year-old plants with green stems showed a surpassing trend， demonstrating higher potential of resource development. ConclusionThe accumulation of ginsenosides in P. ginseng stems and leaves is multidimensionally regulated by tissue type， growth duration， and stem color phenotypes. Purple-stemmed plants exhibit early-stage specific ginsenoside accumulation and stress resistance potential， whereas green-stemmed plants are more advantageous for core leaf ginsenoside development at the harvest stage. The findings confirm that aboveground stem color can serve as a biomarker for directed breeding and efficient resource utilization of P. ginseng.

ObjectiveTo systematically elucidate the accumulation characteristics of secondary metabolites in the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng with different stem colors. MethodsUltra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry （UHPLC-QqQ-MS） was employed to determine the of 22 ginsenosides in the stems and leaves of 2- to 5-year-old P. ginseng plants with green and purple stems. Principal component analysis （PCA）， orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA）， and one-way analysis of variance （ANOVA） were performed to explore the distribution patterns of ginsenosides from three dimensions： tissue distribution， growth duration， and stem color. Results① Tissue distribution： Leaves served as the primary organ for ginsenoside accumulation， exhibiting significantly higher total ginsenoside content than stems， which indicated distinct tissue-specific distribution of ginsenosides. ② Growth duration： Ginsenoside levels in stems generally peaked in the 2-year-old plants before stabilizing， while those in leaves displayed a declining-rebounding pattern， indicating that the 2-year-old plants （harvest stage） was a critical time point for the resurgence of leaf ginsenosides. ③ Stem color： A stage-specific correlation was observed between stem color and ginsenoside accumulation. In stems， the early-growth stage （2-year-old） of purple-stemmed plants exhibited higher content of specific ginsenosides （e.g.， ginsenoside Rk₁ and notoginsenoside R₁）， which may be associated with its stronger early-stage stress resistance. In leaves， the content of core ginsenosides （e.g.， ginsenosides Re and Rd） in 5-year-old plants with green stems showed a surpassing trend， demonstrating higher potential of resource development. ConclusionThe accumulation of ginsenosides in P. ginseng stems and leaves is multidimensionally regulated by tissue type， growth duration， and stem color phenotypes. Purple-stemmed plants exhibit early-stage specific ginsenoside accumulation and stress resistance potential， whereas green-stemmed plants are more advantageous for core leaf ginsenoside development at the harvest stage. The findings confirm that aboveground stem color can serve as a biomarker for directed breeding and efficient resource utilization of P. ginseng.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Shenqi Buzhong (SQBZ) Formula for alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in light of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway. METHODS: Fifty male SD rat models of COPD, established by intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) instillation, exposure to cigarette smoke, and gavage of Senna leaf infusion, were randomized into 5 groups (n=10) for treatment with saline (model group), SQBZ Formula at low, moderate and high doses (3.08, 6.16 and 12.32 g/kg, respectively), or aminophylline (0.024 g/kg) by gavage for 4 weeks, with another 10 untreated rats as the control group. Pulmonary function of the rats were tested, and pathologies and ultrastructural changes of the lung tissues were examined using HE staining and transmission electron microscopy. The levels of SOD, ATP, MDA, and mitochondrial membrane potential in the lungs were detected using WST-1, colorimetric assay, TBA, and JC-1 methods. Flow cytometry was used to analyze ROS level in the lung tissues, and the protein expression levels of P-AMPKα, AMPKα, SIRTI, and PGC-1α were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The rat models of COPD showed significantly decreased lung function, severe histopathological injuries of the lungs, decreased pulmonary levels of SOD activity, ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential, increased levels of MDA and ROS, and decreased pulmonary expressions of P-AMPKα, SIRTI, and PGC-1α proteins. All these changes were significantly alleviated by treatment with SQBZ Formula and aminophylline, and the efficacy was comparable between high-dose SQBZ Formula group and aminophylline group. CONCLUSIONS SQBZ Formula ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction in COPD rats possibly by activating the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Sirtuin 1/metabolism* ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Rats ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

Background The prevalence of low back pain among workers using vibrating tools in the automobile manufacturing industry is high; however, research on associated risk factors remains limited. Objective To investigate the association between use of vibrating tools and low back pain among automobile manufacturing workers, and to estimate related population attributable risk percentage (PAR%). Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Chinese Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire among workers with over one year of service in an automobile manufacturing enterprise. Workers were categorized into an exposed group (vibrating tool users) and a control group (non-users) based on their use of vibrating tools during work. The variables showing statistically significant differences between the two groups were selected as covariates for matching by 1∶2 nearest-neighbor propensity score. Chi-square test was used to compare the prevalence of low back pain between the matched exposed and control groups. Log-binomial regression model was employed to calculate the prevalence ratio (PR), and the PAR% of low back pain attributable to vibrating tool use was subsequently determined. Results A total of 6973 valid questionnaires were collected, comprising 5676 males and 1297 females, with an overall low back pain prevalence of 40.3% (2809/6973). The exposed group included 1255 workers (1134 males, 121 females), with a mean age of (44.2 ± 8.7) years and a mean tenure in the current position of (23.5 ± 9.9) years; the matching control group consisted of 2510 workers (2279 males, 231 females), with a mean age of (44.7 ± 8.6) years and a mean tenure in the current position of (24.0 ± 10.0) years. The prevalence of low back pain was 76.7% (963/1255) in the exposed group, significantly higher than the 29.9% (750/2510) in the control group (P<0.001). The log-binomial regression analysis showed a PR of 2.57 (95%CI: 2.28, 2.90) for the exposed group, with a PAR% of 22.03%. Conclusion The use of vibrating tools among automobile manufacturing workers is positively associated with reporting low back pain. Implementing effective measures to mitigate vibration hazards is crucial for reducing the burden of low back pain in this population.