Environmental pollution is a significant public health challenge worldwide, and investigating the causal relationship between environmental exposure and population health outcomes is a key objective of environmental epidemiology research. In recent years, the complexity of environmental exposures has increasingly come to the forefront, making it challenging for observational studies that dominate environmental epidemiology to accurately estimate causal effects. Causal inference methods are particularly advantageous in controlling for confounding factors, thus holding great potential in environmental epidemiology research. Researchers can use appropriate causal inference methods to simulate the process of randomization, providing strong support for revealing the causal relationship between environmental exposure and health outcomes. However, there is a lack of reviews on the application of causal inference methods in environmental epidemiology studies in China. Therefore, this study introduced the basic principles of common causal inference statistical methods in environmental epidemiology, summarized the applicable conditions, advantages and disadvantages of various methods, and provided R software implementation codes for these methods, aiming to offer guidance for optimizing research design and practicing causal inference statistical methods.

The development of blood purification materials has progressed from cellulose membranes to high-strength polymer membranes, but the blood compatibility of the membranes remains a major challenge for their clinical applications. In this review, blood purification materials were categorized according to the commonly used material surface modification strategies, including surface grafting of anticoagulant groups, surface coating of materials and electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly, covalent attachment of superhydrophilic hydrogels, and blending method. Anticoagulant properties such as clotting time and surface hydrophilicity of various blood purification materials were also discussed to further analyze the value and challenges of blood purification materials in clinical practice.

In most insects, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids with a carbon-chain length less than 18 carbon atoms, hardly any long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as C20 and C22 that are more valuable and bioactive. This study, by using Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) as a model organism, optimized the Δ6-fatty acid elongase enzyme Elovl5 gene from mice and transferred it to fruit flies for expression. Vectors containing Elovl5 gene were successfully injected into drosophila embryo through the microscopic injection. There were enhanced green fluorescent proteins expressed in the whole developmental stage of Drosophila be means of fluorescence microscope. At the same time, expression of Elovl5 gene significantly contributed to the transformation of fruit flies C18-polyunsaturated fatty acids in the body towards the biosynthesis of longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The transgenic fruit fly model rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as C20 and C22 were obtained, providing a basis for further research on biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in fruit flies.
Acetyltransferases/genetics* ; Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics* ; Fatty Acid Elongases/metabolism* ; Fatty Acids/genetics* ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Mice

OBJECTIVE： To provide scientific evidence for establishing perfect rationality evaluation indicator system of antibiotics. METHODS： On the basis of literature research， Delphi method was used to conduct several rounds of consultations on 30 experts in related fields with E-mail and questionnaire field investigation. After several rounds of consultations， rationality evaluation index system for antibiotics was determined. The effective recovery rate of expert consultation questionnaire was used to express the positive coefficient of experts； the authoritative coefficient was used to express the authoritative degree of experts； the index importance assignment and the full score ratio were used to reflect the concentration degree of experts’ opinions； the coefficient of variation and the coefficient of coordination were used to express the coordination degree of experts’ opinions. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS： After two rounds of consultations， response rates of the questionnaire in two rounds of surveys were 100％ and 96.67％， indicating experts were highly motivated. The authoritative coefficients were 0.91 and 0.88， indicating experts had a high degree of authority. Finally， an evaluation index system for rationality of antibiotics was established， which included four first-level indicators （indications， drug selection， medication process， management indicators） and 35 second-level indicators. Among them， the mean value of importance scoring of first-level indicators ranged from 4.28 to 5.00， the full score ratio from 0.93 to 1.00， the coefficient of variation from 0.00 to 0.15 and the coefficient of coordination was 0.446 （P＜0.001）. While， the mean value of importance scoring of second-level indicators ranged from 3.83 to 4.79； the full score ratio from 0.67 to 1.00； variation coefficient from 0.10 to 0.26 and the coefficient of coordination was 0.115 （P＜0.001）， which indicating the system was reliable.

Treatment by way of pasting TCM on acupoints has a long history and the clinical efficacy is determined. In this article, based on the concept of TCM wholism and meridian theory, the mechanism of acupoint pasting therapy was expounded from the aspects of medicine effects on local stimulation of the body, meridian conduction, medicine transdermal absorption. Combining with the research hot spots of modern medicine transdermal delivery system, metabolomics, and efficacy material, this article proposed a new study mode of systems biology of TCM.

At present, TCM treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is based on the combination of disease differentiation and syndrome differentiation. Therefore, the establishment of IBS-D of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome combined with animal model as a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine innovation theory has become increasingly concerned about, and gradually become a new direction for the development of TCM experimental animal model. This article reviewed the research progress in IBS-D liver and spleen deficiency syndrome in recent years, discussed the establishment of IBS-D liver stagnation and spleen deficiency animal model and research ideas for the treatment of IBS-D, and provided references for mechanism research of TCM treatment for IBS-D and research and development of new medicine.

Background and Purpose:Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Europan and North American males.The incidence of prostate cancer has also been increasing during the past few decades in China.It is widely accepted that this heterogeneity,which results from the tumor progression driven largely by genomic instability(genetic and/or epigenetic alterations)of tumor cells in primary tumor,endows specific populations of tumor cells with the unique character needed for invasion,migration,and metastasis colony formation in other organs and only these subpopulations possessing thost character can survive the potentially destructive journey from the primary tumor to the sites of metastases.The purpose of the present study was to explore the genes associated with invasion and metastasis of human prostate cancer cell line PC-3M in nude mice.Methods:After PC-3M cells were inoculated into orthotopic site(prostate) in a male nude mouse for two months,tumor cells were isolated from the primary tumor and lymph node metastasis,separately.Cell invasion and adhesion ability in vitro were first compared between two cells.Then metastasis-related genes differentially expressed between them were analyzed by utilizing cDNA microarray technique.Results:The in vitro cell invasion and adhesion potential of tumor cells from lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than those from primary tumor by 2.5 fold and 1.5 fold,respectively.Metastasis-related genes differentially expressed between those two sublines were identified,all of them were up-regulated in the tumor cells from lymph node metastasis and could be categorilized: 1.genes encoding cellular matrix-degrading proteolytic enzyme including cathepsin and MMP.2.genes encoding transcription factors.3.genes related to heterotypic adhesion of tumor cells.4.genes encoding cell surface receptors.Conclusions:There are significant differences in invasion and adhesion potential between cells from primary tumor and those from lymph node metastasis.Some differentially expressed molecules might be playing pivotal roles in promoting tumor cells to migrate from primary tumors to distant metastases,which may be helpful to elucidate the possible mechanism of metastasis in prostate cancer.

Observations were carricd out on the changes in the fecundity and the survival rate of Anopheles sinensis infected with microfilariae of Erugia malayi through an artificial membrane and maintained at 25.5?1℃ and R. H. 75-85%。Analysis of the resultant data showed that there was a significant dccrcase in egg-production in the mosquitoes infected with a density of microfilariae over 5.42mf/?l during the first gonotrophic cycle and over 2.69mf/?l during the second, with a tenden-cy of continuous decrease following the increase in microfilarial density. The results were discussed in terms of the hypothesis of "nutritional competition" suggested by Javadian et al in 1974.Four groups of mosquitoes infected with various dcnsitics of microfilariae were observed on their survival rates after exposure to microfilariae. The infected mosquitoes showed lower survival rate as compared with the control group, exhibiting a continuous decrease in the survival rate of Infected mosquitocs with the increase in microfilarial dcnsities in the blood meal engorged. This continuous change was more significant during the lst-12th day post-exposure.