Hygroscopicity research has long been a key focus and hot topic in Chinese materia medica（CMM）. Elucidating hygroscopic mechanisms plays a vital role in formulation design， process optimization， and storage condition selection. Hygroscopic models serve as essential tools for characterizing CMM hygroscopic mechanisms， with various types available. The double exponential model is a kinetic mathematical model constructed based on the law of conservation of energy and Fick's first law of diffusion， tailored to the physical properties of CMM extracts. In recent years， this model has been extensively applied to simulate the dynamic moisture absorption behavior of CMM extracts and solid dosage forms under varying humidity conditions. It has revealed the correlation between moisture absorption kinetic parameters and material properties， offering a new perspective for characterizing the moisture uptake behavior of CMM. This paper systematically reviews the application progress of this model in the field of CMM， analyzes its advantages， disadvantages， and challenges in this domain， and explores its potential application trends in other fields. It aims to provide references for elucidating the moisture absorption mechanisms of CMM and researching moisture-proofing technologies， while also offering insights for its broader application in food and polymer materials.

Objective: To explore the relationship between snack consumption and depressive symptoms in first year junior high school students with different left behind experiences in Yunnan Province, so as to provide a basis for improving depressive symptoms among first year junior high school students with different left behind experiences. Methods: From October to December 2022,a cluster random sampling method was used to select 8 500 first year junior high school students from 11 ethnic minority areas (Fugong County, Longling County, Longyang District, Luchun County, Mojiang County, Nanjian County, Qiaojia County, Shuangjiang County, Tengchong City, Yuanmou County, Zhenyuan County) in Yunnan Province for a questionnaire survey. The Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 was applied to assess depressive symptoms in first year junior high school students, and snack consumption was collected by employing food frequency questionnaire. The generalized linear model was used to analyze the association between first year junior high school students snack consumption and depressive symptoms, and the analysis was stratified according to left behind experience. Results: The detection rates of depressive symptoms among firstyear junior high school students with and without left behind experience were 36.25% and 26.91%, respectively. After controlling for confounding variables, the generalized linear model analysis showed that sweet snacks ( β=0.16, 95%CI =0.07-0.25), fast food ( β=0.14, 95%CI =0.04-0.23) and carbonated drinks ( β=0.09, 95%CI =0.01-0.17) of first year junior high school students with left behind experience (all P <0.05). Compared with those without such behavior, the risk of depressive symptoms was higher in consumption of fast food ( β=0.13, 95%CI =0.07-0.18) and carbonated drinks ( β=0.10, 95%CI =0.06-0.15)among first year junior high school students without left behind experience (both P <0.05). Conclusion Snack consumption among first year junior high school students in Yunnan may increase the risk of developing depressive symptoms, while first year junior high school students with left behind experience may have a greater risk of developing depressive symptoms.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.

Autophagy is a conservative lysosome-dependent material catabolic pathway, and exists in all eukaryotic cells. Autophagy controls cell quality and survival by eliminating intracellular dysfunction substances, and plays an important role in various pathophysiology processes. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male disease. It is resulted from a variety of causes and pathologies, such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, aging, spinal cord injury, or cavernous nerve injury caused by radical prostatectomy, and others. In the past decade, autophagy has begun to be investigated in ED. Subsequently, an increasing number of studies have revealed the regulation of autophagy contributes to the recovery of ED, and which is mainly involved in improving endothelial function, smooth muscle cell apoptosis, penile fibrosis, and corpus cavernosum nerve injury. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarize the possible role of autophagy in ED from a cellular perspective, and we look forward to providing a new idea for the pathogenesis investigation and clinical treatment of ED in the future.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of Jingangteng capsules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. METHODS Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and modeling group. The modeling group was fed a high-fat diet to establish a NAFLD model. The successfully modeled rats were then randomly divided into model group， atorvastatin group[positive control， 2 mg/（kg·d）]， and Jingangteng capsules low- and high-dose groups [0.63 and 2.52 mg/（kg·d）]， with 6 rats in each group. The pathological changes of the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and oil red O staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the serum levels of triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， tumour necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， IL-18. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and metabolomics techniques were applied to explore the effects of Jingangteng capsules on gut microbiota and metabolisms in NAFLD rats. Based on the E-mail：591146765@qq.com metabolomics results， Western blot analysis was performed to detect proteins related to the nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB）/NOD-like receptor family protein 3 （NLRP3） signaling pathway in the livers of NAFLD rats. RESULTS The experimental results showed that Jingangteng capsules could significantly reduce the serum levels of TG， TC， LDL-C， AST， ALT， TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， IL-18， while increased the level of HDL-C， and alleviated the hepatic cellular steatosis and inflammatory infiltration in NAFLD rats. They could regulate the gut microbiota disorders in NAFLD rats， significantly increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Oscillospira， and significantly decreased the relative abundance of Blautia （P＜0.05）. They also regulated metabolic disorders primarily by affecting secondary bile acid biosynthesis， fatty acid degradation， O-antigen nucleotide sugar biosynthesis， etc. Results of Western blot assay showed that they significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and NF-κB inhibitor α， and the protein expression levels of NLRP3， caspase-1 and ASC （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Jingangteng capsules could improve inflammation， lipid accumulation and liver injury in NAFLD rats， regulate the disorders of gut microbiota and metabolisms， and inhibit NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Their therapeutic effects against NAFLD are mediated through the inhibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Background In recent years, the detection rate of thyroid nodules in China's occupational population has shown an upward trend. The prevalence of this disease needs to be taken seriously and targeted measures should be taken to address its influencing factors. Objective To analyze the detection and influencing factors of thyroid nodules among adult male workers in coal mining enterprises in Shanxi Province, and provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of thyroid nodules. Methods A total of 5195 adult male workers from coal mining enterprises who ordered physical examination provided by the Xishan Coal Electricity (Group) Corporation Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Institute in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province from May 2023 to December 2023 were selected as research subjects. A questionnaire survey, physical examination, ultrasound examination, and biological sample collection and testing were conducted. Thyroid nodules were diagnosed based on ultrasound results, classified and evaluated according to the Chinese-Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS), and the crude detection rate and standardized detection rate of thyroid nodules in adult male coal mine workers in Shanxi Province wereestimated. Occupational history and occupational exposure information were retrieved from their annual occupational health examination reports provided by the employer. Logistic regression modeling was used to analyze the influencing factors of thyroid nodule. Results A total of 1688 cases of thyroid nodules were detected, with a crude detection rate of 32.49% and an age-standardized detection rate of 31.17%. The cases (constitution ratio) of thyroid nodules by category in the detected cases was as follows: 358 cases (21.21%) were classified as category 2, 1261 cases (74.70%) as category 3, 67 cases (3.97%) as category 4a, and 2 cases (0.12%) as category 4b. The results of logistic regression showed that the duration of exposure to occupational hazards for 11-20 years, 21-30 years, ≥31 years, average monthly working>26 days, and shift work were positively correlated with the detection of thyroid nodules (P<0.05), and the associated ORs (95%CIs) were 1.29 (1.01, 1.65), 1.55 (1.20, 1.99), 1.68 (1.26, 2.55), 1.19 (1.00, 1.40), and 1.15 (1.02, 1.29), respectively. Conclusion The duration of exposure to occupational hazards, average monthly working days, and shift work are influencing factors of thyroid nodules. Intervention measures should be developed based on these influencing factors to prevent the occurrence of thyroid nodules.

Objective: To investigate the association of physical activity and screen time with overweight and obesity among children and adolescents with special needs in Tianjin, so as to provide scientific evidence for childhood obesity prevention and intervention measures in the population. Methods: From January 2022 to June 2024, 296 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders aged 2-18 years were recruited from special education schools and institutions in Tianjin. Height and weight were measured, and a standardized questionnaire was used to assess physical activity and screen time. Binary Logistic regression analysis was carried out to investigate the association of physical activity and screen time with overweight and obesity. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents with special needs in Tianjin were 17.2% and 21.6%, respectively, and the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 38.9%. The median of moderatetovigorous physical activity (MVPA) time was 0.20 h/d, and physical activity sufficiency rate was 7.8%. The median of screen time was 1.79 h/d, and the screen time compliance rate was 68.2%. The binary Logistic regression results showed that lower levels of MVPA time and increased screen time were associated with a higher risk of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents with special needs [OR(95%CI)=1.80(1.06-3.07), 2.40(1.42-4.07),P<0.05]. Conclusions Insufficient physical activity and excessive screen time are associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents with special needs. Therefore, comprehensive intervention measures should be implemented as early as possible to prevent and reduce the incidence of overweight and obesity in this population.

Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) is a widely used technique for structural analysis of small molecular compounds. It can obtain information about the hydrogen-hydrogen correlation, hydrogen-carbon single bond correlation, hydrogen-carbon remote correlation, and hydrogen-hydrogen spatial arrangement of compounds. Thus, 2D NMR has an irreplaceable role in the structure elucidation of small molecular products. However, the sample amount of trace components in phytochemical research is very low, and the traditional sampling method (uniform sampling) has problems of poor spectral quality and too long measure time. Increasing the number of scans results in several hours of the acquisition time for a single two-dimensional spectrum, which in turn causes strain on the NMR machine. The non-uniform sampling (NUS) technique can shorten the acquisition time to a large extent and not affect the quality of 2D NMR data, which greatly improves the efficiency of 2D NMR acquisition. In this paper, fuziline, a small molecular compound in the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii was selected as the research object. Its ¹H-¹³C HSQC, ¹H-¹H COSY, HMBC, and NOESY spectra were acquired by US and NUS methods, respectively. By comparing the integral values of NMR signals of three chemical groups in fuziline, it is confirmed that the NUS technique has the advantages of improving the quality of 2D NMR spectra and shortening the acquisition time in structure elucidation of small molecule compounds. In HMBC spectrum, it was further confirmed that NUS technology can improve the quality of the 2D spectra and the signal resolution. This indicates that NUS technology can improve the efficiency and reliability of the structure elucidation of small molecule compounds.

Objective: To understand the current situation and related factors of screening myopia among students in special education schools, so as to provide evidence for promoting the health level of this population. Methods: From November 2021 to December 2023, a total of 281 students from 6 special education schools in 5 districts of Tianjin were selected by cluster random sampling method for computer optometry visual acuity examination for non ciliary paralysis and questionnaire survey. Multiple Logistic regression was performed to analyze the influencing factors of screening myopia among special education students. Results: The screening myopia detection rate among these special education students in Tianjin was 27.0%, and the screening myopia detection rates of students with autism, developmental delays, and intellectual disabilities were 22.4%, 12.5%, and 33.0%, respectively. The degree of myopia increased with age ( χ 2 trend =22.65, P <0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age(10-13 years old: OR =5.40, 14-17 years old: OR =8.40, 18-23 years old: OR =6.02), accommodation(non resident: OR =0.29), daily mobile phone usage ≥2 hours ( OR =2.37), and daily computer/tablet usage ≥2 hours ( OR =2.70) were the risk factors for screening myopia among special education students ( P <0.05). Conclusions The detection rate and degree of screening myopia increase with age in special education students. Prolonged screen time exposure is a primary risk factor for screening myopia in special education students. Effective myopia prevention and control strategies should be designed according to the characteristics of special education students.