Objective: Data on syncopal donation-related vasovagal reaction (DRVR) collected from 74 blood centers between 2020 and 2023 was statistically analyzed to provide a reference for developing preventive strategies against syncopal DRVR. Methods: Data on blood donation adverse reactions and basic information of donors from 2020 to 2023 were collected through the information management system at monitoring sentinel sites. Statistical analysis was performed on the following aspects of syncopal DRVR: characteristics of donors who experienced syncope, reported incidence, triggers, duration, presence and occurrence time of syncope-related trauma, clinical management including outpatient and inpatient treatment, and severity grading. Results: From 2020 to 2023, 45 966 donation-related adverse reactions were recorded. Of these, 1 665 (3.72%) cases were syncopal DRVR. The incidence of syncopal DRVR decreased with age, being the highest in the 18-22 age group. Incidence was significantly higher in female donors than male donors, in first-time donors than repeat donors, and in university and individual donors than group donors (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among different blood donation locations (P>0.05). The top three triggers were tension, fatigue, and needle phobia or fear of blood. Among syncopal DRVR cases, 60.36% occurred during blood collection, 87.63% lasted for less than 60 seconds, and 5.05% were accompanied by trauma. Notably, 57.14% of these traumas occurred after donor had left the blood collection site. Syncope severity was graded based on required treatment: grade 1 (fully recovered without treatment, 95.50%); grade 2 (recovered after outpatient treatment, 4.02%); and grade 3 (recovered after inpatient treatment, 0.48%). Conclusion: By analyzing the data of syncopal DRVR cases, it is possible to provide a reference for formulating blood donor safety policies.

Process analytical technology(PAT) is a key means for digital transformation and upgrading of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) manufacturing process, serving as an important guarantee for consistent and controllable TCM product quality. Near-infrared(NIR) spectroscopy has become the core technology for measuring the TCM manufacturing process. By incorporating NIR spectroscopy into PAT and starting from the construction of a smart platform for the TCM manufacturing process, this paper systematically described the development history and innovative application of the combination of NIR spectroscopy with chemometrics in measuring the TCM manufacturing process by the research team over the past two decades. Additionally, it explored the application of a validation method based on accuracy profile(AP) in the practice of NIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the software development progress driven by NIR spectroscopy supported by modeling technology was analyzed, and the prospect of integrating NIR spectroscopy in smart factory control platforms was exemplified with the construction practices of related platforms. By integrating with the smart platform, NIR spectroscopy could improve production efficiency and guarantee product quality. Finally, the prospect of the smart platform application in measuring the TCM manufacturing process was projected. It is believed that the software development for NIR spectroscopy and the smart manufacturing platform will provide strong technical support for TCM digitalization and industrialization.
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Software ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Quality Control

Approximately 30%-40% of epilepsy patients do not respond well to adequate anti-seizure medications (ASMs), a condition known as pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The management of pharmacoresistant epilepsy remains an intractable issue in the clinic. Its early prediction is important for prevention and diagnosis. However, it still lacks effective predictors and approaches. Here, a classical model of pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was established to screen pharmacoresistant and pharmaco-responsive individuals by applying phenytoin to amygdaloid-kindled rats. Ictal electroencephalograms (EEGs) recorded before phenytoin treatment were analyzed. Based on ictal EEGs from pharmacoresistant and pharmaco-responsive rats, a convolutional neural network predictive model was constructed to predict pharmacoresistance, and achieved 78% prediction accuracy. We further found the ictal EEGs from pharmacoresistant rats have a lower gamma-band power, which was verified in seizure EEGs from pharmacoresistant TLE patients. Prospectively, therapies targeting the subiculum in those predicted as "pharmacoresistant" individual rats significantly reduced the subsequent occurrence of pharmacoresistance. These results demonstrate a new methodology to predict whether TLE individuals become resistant to ASMs in a classic pharmacoresistant TLE model. This may be of translational importance for the precise management of pharmacoresistant TLE.
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/diagnosis* ; Animals ; Drug Resistant Epilepsy/drug therapy* ; Electroencephalography/methods* ; Rats ; Anticonvulsants/pharmacology* ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Male ; Humans ; Phenytoin/pharmacology* ; Adult ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Young Adult ; Convolutional Neural Networks

With the rapid development of competitive sports, the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is on the rise. Such injuries may shorten athletes′ career and lead to other long-term adverse consequences. Although athletes generally recover well after ACL reconstruction, many still struggle to return to their pre-injury performance levels. Advances in the understanding of ACL anatomy and injury mechanisms, along with the evolution of surgical techniques and rehabilitation methods, have provided more individualized and tailored options for athletes following ACL injuries. However, there is currently no consensus in China regarding surgical and rehabilitation strategies for competitive athletes aiming to return to sports after ACL injuries. To this end, the Sports Medicine Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association and the Editorial Board of the Chinese Journal of Trauma jointly formulated the Expert consensus on surgical treatment and rehabilitation for competitive sports athletes returning to sports after anterior cruciate ligament injury ( version 2025), and presented 14 recommendations covering surgical indications, preoperative rehabilitation, surgical timing, surgical strategies and postoperative rehabilitation strategies, aiming to improve the surgical treatment and rehabilitation system for ACL injuries in competitive athletes and facilitate their return to high-level sports performance after injury.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection frequently develop central nervous system damage, yet the mechanisms driving this pathology remain unclear. This study investigated the primary pathways and key factors underlying brain tissue damage induced by the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant (lineage B.1.351). METHODS: K18-hACE2 and C57BL/6 mice were intranasally infected with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant. Viral replication, pathological phenotypes, and brain transcriptomes were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to identify altered pathways. Expression changes of host genes were verified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: Pathological alterations were observed in the lungs of both mouse strains. However, only K18-hACE2 mice exhibited elevated viral RNA loads and infectious titers in the brain at 3 days post-infection, accompanied by neuropathological injury and weight loss. GO analysis of infected K18-hACE2 brain tissue revealed significant dysregulation of genes associated with innate immunity and antiviral defense responses, including type I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll-like receptor signaling components, and interferon-stimulated genes. Neuroinflammation was evident, alongside activation of apoptotic and pyroptotic pathways. Furthermore, altered neural cell marker expression suggested viral-induced neuroglial activation, resulting in caspase 4 and lipocalin 2 release and disruption of neuronal molecular networks. CONCLUSION These findings elucidate mechanisms of neuropathogenicity associated with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant and highlight therapeutic targets to mitigate COVID-19-related neurological dysfunction.
Animals ; COVID-19/genetics* ; Mice ; Brain/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pyroptosis ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Male ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity. CONCLUSION Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology* ; Exercise ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Aged ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Risk Factors ; United Kingdom/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Adult

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the biological functions and clinical value of mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD) 7 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) through bioinformatics analysis and basic experiments. METHODS: The expression of SMAD7 in HNSCC in public databases was studied. Western blot was used to detect the expression of SMAD7 in HNSCC cell lines and normal epithelial cells. The SMAD7 highly expressed HNSCC cell line HSC-4 was silenced, and CCK-8, Transwell assays, and cell scratch experiments were conducted to study the effect of SMAD7 on the biological functions of HSC-4 cells. HNSCC expression profile data were obtained from UCSC xena, and genes related to SMAD7 were selected for gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes gene enrichment analysis, construction of a co-expression gene interaction network, and screening of related cell signaling pathways. Western blot was used to detect the expression changes of proteins in the related cell signaling pathways in HNSCC cells with silenced SMAD7. cBioPortal was utilized to analyze the mutation rate of the SMAD7 gene, and the MethSurv database was used to analyze the methylation level of the SMAD7 gene and its correlation with prognosis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the diagnostic value of SMAD7 for HNSCC. TIMER2.0 was used to analyze the correlation between SMAD7 expression and immune cell infiltration. RESULTS: SMAD7 was highly expressed in HNSCC tumor tissues and some cell lines. Silencing the expression of SMAD7 can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. Silencing SMAD7 can induce the downregulation of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). The bioinformatics analysis showed that the mutation rate of the SMAD7 gene and the methylation level were significantly correlated with the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. The expression of SMAD7 was related to the level of immune cell infiltration in HNSCC. CONCLUSIONS SMAD7 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HNSCC cells by regulating the expression of VCAM-1. It may be a potential tumor biomarker and therapeutic target for HNSCC.
Humans ; Smad7 Protein/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Signal Transduction ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Gene Silencing ; Computational Biology

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Jiande City, Zhejiang Province from 2005 to 2024, so as to provide the evidence for strengthening the prevention and control of brucellosis. Methods: Data on brucellosis cases and surveillance in Jiande City from 2005 to 2024 were collected through the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System, the annual brucellosis surveillance reports from the Jiande Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the annual summaries of brucellosis prevention and control efforts. The epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method. Results: A total of 1 125 individuals were monitored in Jiande City from 2005 to 2024, with 18 seropositive cases identified and the seropositivity rate of 1.60%. The average annual seropositivity rate from 2015 to 2024 was 3.35%, which was significantly higher than that of 0.57% from 2005 to 2014 (P<0.05). There were 10 confirmed brucellosis cases and 8 asymptomatic infections, with no reported deaths. The peak incidence occurred between March and August. Among the 16 towns (streets) in Jiande City, 8 reported brucellosis cases. Of the brucellosis cases, 14 were male and 4 were female, with a male-to-female ratio of 3.5∶1. The majority of cases (13 cases) were aged between 40 and 60 years. Occupational exposure was identified in 16 cases, all of whom were infected through direct hand contact with the excreta, secretions, or animal products of infected sheep or cattle. The primary source of infection was sheep, followed by cattle. Five strains of Brucella were isolated and cultured, all identified as Brucella melitensis biovar 3. Conclusions The brucellosis epidemic in Jiande City remained at a sporadic and low prevalence level from 2005 to 2024, with an increasing trend observed from 2015 to 2024. Male occupational groups aged 40 to 60 years were the key population for brucellosis prevention and control, and sheep were the primary source of infection.

The engineering application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)is limited by pH-dependent conformational dynamics of urease.Focusing on the α-subunit urease from Sporosarcina pasteurii,this study integrated conductivity experiments and constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations to analyze active site conformational dynamics and catalytic function across pH 3-11.Results showed that under neutral conditions(pH 7-8),key histidine residues(HIS139/HIS249)exhibited minimal dis-placement(＜0.5 ?),the longest hydrogen bond lifetime(＞8 ps),highest conformational stability(root mean square deviation,RMSD:0.15-0.18 nm),and optimal catalytic activity(conductivity change rate:0.03 mS/cm·min-1,CaCO3 precipitation:3.84 g).Extreme pH(pH 3/11)induced structural collapse(displacement up to 1.8 ?)and complete activity loss.Simulations revealed that neutral pH sta-bilizes a protonation-dependent cooperative allosteric network by maintaining active site cavity volume(～120 ?3)and moderate conformational coherence(correlation coefficient～0.8).This work deciphers the molecular mechanism of pH-regulated urease dynamics through protonation states,providing theoreti-cal support for MICP applications in acidic mine tailing remediation and alkaline soil stabilization.

Background::An evidence gap still exists regarding the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in patients with erosive esophagitis (EE) in China. This study aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan vs. esomeprazole in patients with EE in China. Methods::This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel, active-controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial of patients with EE randomized 1:1 to tegoprazan 50 mg/day vs. esomeprazole 40 mg/day. This study was conducted in 32 sites between October 24, 2018 and October 18, 2019. The primary endpoint was the cumulative endoscopic healing rate at week 8. The secondary endpoint included endoscopic healing rate at week 4, changes in the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) and gastroesophageal reflux disease health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) scores, and symptom improvement. Results::A total of 261 patients were randomized: 132 to the tegoprazan group and 129 to the esomeprazole group. The cumulative endoscopic healing rate at 8 weeks in the tegoprazan group was non-inferior to that of the esomeprazole group (91.1% vs. 92.8%, difference: -1.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -8.5%, 5.0%, P = 0.008). There were no statistically significant differences in the changes in RDQ (total, severity, and frequency) and GERD-HRQL scores between the two groups (all P >0.05). The percentages of days without symptoms, including daytime and nighttime symptoms based on patients' diaries, were similar between the two groups (all P >0.05). In the tegoprazan and esomeprazole groups, 71.5% (93/130) and 61.7% (79/128) of the participants reported adverse events (AEs), 2.3% and 0 experienced serious AEs, while 70.0% and 60.2% had treatment-emergent AEs, respectively. Conclusion::Tegoprazan 50 mg/day demonstrated non-inferior efficacy in healing EE, symptom improvement, and quality of life, and it has similar tolerability compared with esomeprazole 40 mg/day.