Background: Japan and South Korea, two advanced East Asian nations with universal health coverage and similar demographic challenges, have developed markedly different emergency medical services (EMS) systems. Despite growing interest in international benchmarking, structured, comparative studies that yield policy-relevant insights remain limited. Methods: We conducted a multisource comparative health-systems analysis using statutory laws, government publications, academic society reports, peer-reviewed literature, and national statistics. Key domains included EMS governance, workforce, prehospital organization, hospital-based emergency care, legal obligations for EMS patient transport and hospital acceptance, and governance and quality assurance mechanisms. Data were synthesized in comparative tables and narrative summaries to highlight structural and operational differences. Results: Japan’s EMS system operates under decentralized municipal control through 722 fire departments, serving 4,100 designated emergency institutions with 6,139 board-certified emergency physicians. In 2023, over 6.64 million ambulance dispatches occurred, and 8.6% were classified as critical cases (1.3% death and 7.3% severe). Korea’s EMS system is centrally governed with 412 designated facilities in a tiered system and 2,464 specialists. Annual ambulance activations exceeded 3.5 million, with severe cases accounting for approximately 5% to 10%. Japan employs a multilayered legal–institutional structure, primarily involving the Fire Service Act and the Medical Practitioners Act, allowing clinical discretion, whereas Korea enforces unified regulations with stricter obligations and criminal penalties for hospital refusal of emergency patients. Conclusion The contrasting systems suggest that hybrid governance that combines centralized standard settings with local operational flexibility may optimize EMS performance. These findings provide lessons for EMS reform, cross-border collaboration, and disaster preparedness in high-income nations facing similar demographic and healthcare challenges.

Objective:To evaluate the practical effectiveness of a one-to-one mentorship-based short-term training model for senior medical professionals in clinical, teaching, research, and management dimensions based on the reaction and learning levels of the Kirkpatrick model, and to explore its application value.Methods:A total of 109 physicians and their 109 mentors who participated in the senior medical professional training program at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2023 to May 2024 were included. The one-to-one mentorship teaching method was implemented. Data were collected through self-assessment questionnaires and mentor evaluation forms to analyze satisfaction, proficiency, competency improvement, and training effectiveness and their correlations.Results:Valid feedback forms were collected from 100 physicians and 100 mentors. At the reaction level, the satisfaction of trainees was high for mentors (99.00%, 99/100) and training content [clinical: 98.96%(95/96), teaching: 93.75%(15/16), research 85.71%(12/14), management: 100.00%(24/24)]. At the learning level, trainee self-assessed and mentor-evaluated proficiency exceeded 75.00% across all dimensions except research. Significant improvements in clinical, teaching, research, and management competencies were reported by both trainees and mentors ( P<0.001). Notably, evaluations of clinical competency improvement showed strong consistency ( r s=0.37, P<0.001). Conclusions:The one-to-one mentorship-based short-term training model demonstrated positive effects in enhancing mentorship outcomes and excellent educational effectiveness in senior medical professionals. This model is recommended for implementation in similar hospitals for training senior medical professionals.

Objective To prepare a multifunctional mesoporous silica-based nanocarrier system(MMSN@Gem)with gemcitabine and investigate its effect on bladder cancer cells BIU-87.Methods The multifunctional meso-porous silica-based nano drug-carrying system was prepared by a modified method.Transmission electron microsco-py,high-performance liquid chromatography,and thermal imaging were used to characterize the morphology,drug-carrying and photothermal properties of MMSN@Gem.The effect of MMSN@Gem on BIU-87 bladder cancer cells was detected by in vitro experiments.Results MMSN@Gem exhibited a well-defined spherical morphology with an average particle size of(102.48±1.03)nm with a drug loading capacity of 25.04％±0.17％,and an average zeta potential of(-24.84±0.07)mV.The photothermal conversion efficiency was 40.7％which significantly enhanced the release of Gem under near-infrared irradiation.In vitro studies showed that MMSN@Gem significantly inhibited BIU-87 cell activity,induced apoptosis of BIU-87 cells,reduced migration and invasion ability,and enhanced its uptake by BIU-87 cells.Conclusions MMSN@Gem exhibits excellent photothermal properties,enhances cellular uptake efficiency,inhibits the proliferation and migration of BIU-87 cells,and promotes apoptosis,providing a promising drug delivery system for the clinical treatment of bladder cancer.

Objective:To explore the effects of diversified teaching combined with the affective-cognitive theory in neurology clerkship instruction.Methods:We enrolled 406 medical students on clerkship at the affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University from November 2023 to April 2024. They were randomly assigned by cluster to either observation group ( n=164) or control group ( n=242). The observation group received a diversified teaching model that selected context-appropriate teaching methods based on clinical scenarios, while using the affective-cognitive theory to optimize instructional pathways. The control group received traditional teaching. The effectiveness of teaching was evaluated through an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE; maximum score, 10 points) and a questionnaire survey. SPSS 22.0 was used to perform Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and multiple linear regression analysis. NVivo 12.0 was employed to process open-ended questions. Results:In the OSCE, the observation group had a significantly higher mean score than the control group [9 (8, 10) points vs. 8 (7, 9) points, Z=-6.10, P<0.001]. The distribution difference across different score ranges between the two groups was also statistically significant ( Z=-5.94, P<0.001). Stratified analyses by sex and neurological theory test score demonstrated significantly higher mean scores in the observation group than in the control group ( P<0.001). The multiple linear regression analysis indicated an independent positive correlation between the novel teaching model and OSCE score ( P<0.001). The results of the questionnaires revealed that in the observation group, 98.57% reported that they were satisfied with the teaching model, and 90.72% reported that they accomplished the core teaching objectives; core competencies including knowledge and skills, communication and collaboration, and professionalism were improved; additionally, the participants of the observational group highly endorsed the practical content, the logical structure and richness of instruction, and the active classroom learning environment. Conclusions:The diversified teaching model integrated with the affective-cognitive theory significantly improves proficiency in core clinical skills across different groups of neurology clerks.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) systems in China, the perceptions of health professionals regarding CME/CPD, and their views on the extent to which the current CME/CPD systems meet learning needs.Methods:A questionnaire survey method was employed. The Chinese version of the global CME/CPD questionnaire developed by the Association for Medical Education in Europe was used to conduct an online survey of 2 951 health professionals across 32 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government in mainland China from 2020 to 2021. The survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and content analysis.Results:Among the 2 951 respondents, internal medicine practitioners accounted for the highest proportion (664, 22.50%), and 2 050 (69.47%) of the respondents were located in the eastern region. In the past 12 months, 1 489 (50.46%) respondents participated in 11-30 hours of CME/CPD, and 2 406 (81.53%) considered that the existing activities met their learning needs. There were statistically significant differences ( P<0.05) in the learning needs for CME/CPD, participation in educational training and interprofessional continuing education, and satisfaction with industry-supported CME/CPD among health professionals with different years of practice. Conclusions:Health professionals in China have a high level of participation in CME/CPD. There are differences in their familiarity and satisfaction with the current systems. It is recommended to enhance the promotion of the CME/CPD systems, optimize the teaching content, improve education quality, and strengthen commercial interest regulation. These will better meet the learning needs of health professionals and promote high-quality development in medical education.

Objective:To explore the effects of diversified teaching combined with the affective-cognitive theory in neurology clerkship instruction.Methods:We enrolled 406 medical students on clerkship at the affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University from November 2023 to April 2024. They were randomly assigned by cluster to either observation group ( n=164) or control group ( n=242). The observation group received a diversified teaching model that selected context-appropriate teaching methods based on clinical scenarios, while using the affective-cognitive theory to optimize instructional pathways. The control group received traditional teaching. The effectiveness of teaching was evaluated through an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE; maximum score, 10 points) and a questionnaire survey. SPSS 22.0 was used to perform Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and multiple linear regression analysis. NVivo 12.0 was employed to process open-ended questions. Results:In the OSCE, the observation group had a significantly higher mean score than the control group [9 (8, 10) points vs. 8 (7, 9) points, Z=-6.10, P<0.001]. The distribution difference across different score ranges between the two groups was also statistically significant ( Z=-5.94, P<0.001). Stratified analyses by sex and neurological theory test score demonstrated significantly higher mean scores in the observation group than in the control group ( P<0.001). The multiple linear regression analysis indicated an independent positive correlation between the novel teaching model and OSCE score ( P<0.001). The results of the questionnaires revealed that in the observation group, 98.57% reported that they were satisfied with the teaching model, and 90.72% reported that they accomplished the core teaching objectives; core competencies including knowledge and skills, communication and collaboration, and professionalism were improved; additionally, the participants of the observational group highly endorsed the practical content, the logical structure and richness of instruction, and the active classroom learning environment. Conclusions:The diversified teaching model integrated with the affective-cognitive theory significantly improves proficiency in core clinical skills across different groups of neurology clerks.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) systems in China, the perceptions of health professionals regarding CME/CPD, and their views on the extent to which the current CME/CPD systems meet learning needs.Methods:A questionnaire survey method was employed. The Chinese version of the global CME/CPD questionnaire developed by the Association for Medical Education in Europe was used to conduct an online survey of 2 951 health professionals across 32 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government in mainland China from 2020 to 2021. The survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and content analysis.Results:Among the 2 951 respondents, internal medicine practitioners accounted for the highest proportion (664, 22.50%), and 2 050 (69.47%) of the respondents were located in the eastern region. In the past 12 months, 1 489 (50.46%) respondents participated in 11-30 hours of CME/CPD, and 2 406 (81.53%) considered that the existing activities met their learning needs. There were statistically significant differences ( P<0.05) in the learning needs for CME/CPD, participation in educational training and interprofessional continuing education, and satisfaction with industry-supported CME/CPD among health professionals with different years of practice. Conclusions:Health professionals in China have a high level of participation in CME/CPD. There are differences in their familiarity and satisfaction with the current systems. It is recommended to enhance the promotion of the CME/CPD systems, optimize the teaching content, improve education quality, and strengthen commercial interest regulation. These will better meet the learning needs of health professionals and promote high-quality development in medical education.

Objective:To evaluate the practical effectiveness of a one-to-one mentorship-based short-term training model for senior medical professionals in clinical, teaching, research, and management dimensions based on the reaction and learning levels of the Kirkpatrick model, and to explore its application value.Methods:A total of 109 physicians and their 109 mentors who participated in the senior medical professional training program at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2023 to May 2024 were included. The one-to-one mentorship teaching method was implemented. Data were collected through self-assessment questionnaires and mentor evaluation forms to analyze satisfaction, proficiency, competency improvement, and training effectiveness and their correlations.Results:Valid feedback forms were collected from 100 physicians and 100 mentors. At the reaction level, the satisfaction of trainees was high for mentors (99.00%, 99/100) and training content [clinical: 98.96%(95/96), teaching: 93.75%(15/16), research 85.71%(12/14), management: 100.00%(24/24)]. At the learning level, trainee self-assessed and mentor-evaluated proficiency exceeded 75.00% across all dimensions except research. Significant improvements in clinical, teaching, research, and management competencies were reported by both trainees and mentors ( P<0.001). Notably, evaluations of clinical competency improvement showed strong consistency ( r s=0.37, P<0.001). Conclusions:The one-to-one mentorship-based short-term training model demonstrated positive effects in enhancing mentorship outcomes and excellent educational effectiveness in senior medical professionals. This model is recommended for implementation in similar hospitals for training senior medical professionals.

Benzene is a carcinogenic pollutant with significant emission sources present in the atmosphere. The need for accurate and precise measurement of benzene in the atmosphere has become increasingly evident due to its toxicity and the adverse health effects associated with exposure to different concentrations. Certified reference material (CRM) is essential to establish the traceability of measurement results. The present review compiles the available national and international measurement methods, certified reference materials (CRMs) for benzene and the limit of benzene in fuel composition (v/v) worldwide. Overall, the review indicates the benzene level in the atmosphere and the resulting impacts on the environment and human health, which frequently exceed the exposure limits of different environment regulatory agencies. An extensive literature review was conducted to gather information on monitoring and analysis methods for benzene, revealing that the most preferred method, i.e. Gas Chromatography- Flame Ionization Detector and Mass Spectrometry, is neither cost-effective nor suitable for real-time continuous monitoring. By analysing existing literature and studies, this review will shed light on the understanding of the importance of benzene pollution monitoring in ambient air and its implications for public health. Additionally, it will reflect the mitigation strategies applied by regulators & need for future revisions of air quality guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a blood-based product containing platelets and growth factors, is being utilized to treat numerous non-hemostatic disorders. Studies have explored the use of PRP to provide rapid repair, healing, and recovery from various injuries; some studies mentioned the effectiveness of PRP as compared with other forms of treatment like the use of hyaluronic acid. Commercially available PRP systems are available now, and each varies from one another depending on how it is prepared, thus causing variations in platelet concentration and growth factor content. These variations also implicated different therapeutic applications. METHODS: The paper reviews the various applications of PRP, including factors to consider before using PRP therapy, and provides an extensive list of PRP applications. RESULTS: The administration of PRP as a standalone treatment or as a co-therapy results in observed positive outcomes.However, there is a lack of standardization for PRP preparation, increasing the risks for heterogeneity and bias amongst results. CONCLUSION The use of PRP is indeed an option for regenerative therapy, but more research is needed before it can fully be recommended as a primary treatment modality.