Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of thermal tomography in breast cancer (BC) screening. Methods We conducted a general population-based BC screening in three regions of Hubei Province (Xiantao, Hongan, and Yangxin Districts). Participants underwent a questionnaire-based interview for baseline data collection. They then received a physical examination, thermal tomography, and ultrasound from doctors and technicians. We compared the efficacies, including sensitivity, specificity, and false-positive rates, of ultrasound and thermal tomography in BC screening. Results A total of 59 712 eligible women were included in this screening program. The BI-RADS 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 accordance rates between the two screening methods were 0.9549, 0.8047, 0.9037, 0.3352, and 0, respectively. The overall accordance rate was 0.933 1. The kappa consistency results showed that the Cicchetti-Allison and Fleiss-Cohen kappa values were 0.7970 and 0.8583, respectively. Although the two methods had equal sensitivities, specificity was higher in thermal tomography than in ultrasound. The false-positive rate was lower in thermal tomography than in ultrasound. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of thermal tomography was significantly larger than that of ultrasound. Conclusion The general consistency between thermal tomography and ultrasound in BC screening was high. Thermal tomography outperformed ultrasound in terms of specificity and diagnostic efficiency. Therefore, thermal tomography has a high application value for general population-based BC screening.

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） therapy has unique clinical advantages in the treatment of atrial fibrillation， mainly reflected in five aspects， improving quality of life， enabling early diagnosis and treatment， promoting cardiac rehabilitation， making up for the limitations of Western medicine， and improving the success rate of catheter ablation. However， there is insufficient evidence in current clinical research. Based on the current status of TCM research in the treatment of atrial fibrillation， it is suggested that future studies should focus on standardized research on syndrome differentiation and classification. This can be achieved through clinical epidemiological surveys， expert consensus， and other methods to establish a unified syndrome differentiation and classification standard for atrial fibrillation. Clinical efficacy evaluation indicators should be standardized， and core outcome measures for clinical research on TCM treatment of atrial fibrillation should be developed through systematic reviews， patient interviews， and other methods. Additionally， clinical research design， implementation， and data management should be improved. By leveraging modern information technologies such as artificial intelligence， the scientific and standardized nature of TCM intervention research on atrial fibrillation can be enhanced， ultimately improving the quality of research.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the use of drugs and the development of pharmaceutical care in the tight medical alliance （shorted for “medical alliance”） of Wanzhou District of Chongqing， and provide reference for the further construction of the medical alliance. METHODS A survey form was designed and distributed to 21 constituent units （5 leading units and 16 member units） of 5 medical alliances in Wanzhou District of Chongqing. The statistical analysis was conducted in aspects of basic drug allocation and use， pharmaceutical personnel team construction， the development of pharmaceutical care， and rational use of antibiotics. RESULTS Among the 21 constituent units， 4 leading units and 14 member units achieved the target for the proportion of essential drug procurement varieties， with a total compliance rate of 85.71%； 4 leading units and 13 member units achieved the target for the proportion of national essential drug allocation and usage amount， with a total compliance rate of 80.95%. The proportions of personnel with doctoral degrees in the 5 leading units and 16 member units were 1.71% and 0 respectively， and the proportions of personnel with senior professional titles were 8.56% and 1.63%， respectively. A total of 5 pharmacy or pharmaceutical combined outpatient clinics were set up in the 21 medical alliance units， and 5 clinical pharmacy information service platforms were established； all 5 leading units were able to regularly carry out clinical pharmacy projects， while only 4 out of 16 member units had conducted medical order review and evaluation. The proportions of irrational use of antibiotics in outpatient prescriptions and inpatient medical records of the 16 member units （4.81%， 5.21%） were significantly higher than those of the 5 leading units （2.80%， 4.00%）. CONCLUSIONS The allocation and usage of national essential drugs in 21 constituent units from Wanzhou District of Chongqing are both in good standing. However， the data on the allocation of pharmaceutical professionals and the number， qualifications， and job titles of clinical pharmacists in member units are generally low. Moreover， the pharmaceutical service projects and service quality in member units need to be further improved.

Esophageal cancer is one of the malignant tumors that poses a threat to human health, with both high incidence and malignancy. Currently, surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer; however, the long-term prognosis remains unsatisfactory. In recent years, inhibitors of programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (programmed death ligand-1, PD-L1) have achieved breakthrough progress in other solid tumors, and research on esophageal cancer is gradually being conducted. With the demonstration of good efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced unresectable esophageal cancer, their incorporation into neoadjuvant treatment regimens has become a hot topic. Therefore, this article reviews the mechanism of action of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and their application in the neoadjuvant treatment of esophageal cancer.

Pre-admission is a critical initiative to optimize medical service processes and alleviate the challenge of "difficult access to healthcare. "However, there is currently a lack of standardized protocols for pre-admission procedures. This study aims to systematically analyze key nodes and risk factors in pre-admission process design and propose optimization strategies, providing a foundation for policy formulation and hospital practices. By constructing a "forward-reverse" dual-process model of pre-admission and identifying risk points based on stakeholder theory (patients, hospitals, healthcare administration, and insurance), the study reveals that while pre-admission can reduce the average length of stay, improve bed turnover rates, and enhance patient satisfaction, it also presents risks such as cross-period financial settlement, challenges in insurance policy adaptability, demands for information system integration, and the need for defining medical safety boundaries. To optimize the pre-admission process and mitigate these risks, this study explores framework improvements in areas including eligibility criteria, mode selection, cost settlement, transition between pre-admission and inpatient status, and cancellation of pre-admission, offering practical guidance for public hospitals. The authors argue that pre-admission requires tripartite collaboration among hospitals, insurers, and healthcare administrations: hospitals should establish top-level design, continuously refine processes, and implement dynamic risk assessment mechanisms; insurance providers should support cross-period settlement policies; and healthcare administrations should issue guiding policies or standardized protocols. Through multi-department coordination and collaborative efforts, the optimization and innovation of pre-admission processes can be advanced, ultimately delivering more efficient and convenient healthcare experiences for patients.

Background::Breast cancer is ranked among the most prevalent malignancies in the Chinese female population. However, comprehensive reports detailing the latest epidemiological data and attributable disease burden have not been extensively documented.Methods::In 2018, high-quality cancer surveillance data were recorded in 700 population-based cancer registries in China. We extracted data on female breast cancers (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision [ICD-10]: C50) and estimated the incidence and mortality in 2022 according to the baseline data and corresponding trends from 2010 to 2018. Pathological types were classified according to the ICD for Oncology, 3rd Edition codes. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated as the sum of the years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs).Results::In 2022, approximately 357,200 new female breast cancer cases and 75,000 deaths occurred in China, accounting for 15.59% and 7.94% of total new cancer cases and deaths, respectively. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) was 33.04 per 100,000. When analyzed by pathological type, the ASIRs for papillary neoplasms, invasive breast carcinoma, rare and salivary gland-type tumors, and other types were 1.13, 29.79, 0.24, and 1.88 per 100,000, respectively. The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) was 6.10 per 100,000. A total of 2,628,000 DALYs were found to be attributable to female breast cancer in China, comprising 2,278,300 YLLs and 349,700 YLDs. The ASIR, ASMR, and age-standardized rate (ASR) for DALYs in urban areas were consistently higher than those in rural areas. We observed a four-fold increase in the ASIR and ASR for DALYs and an eight-fold increase in the ASMR among females over 55 years compared with those aged under 55 years.Conclusion::These data provide invaluable insights into the latest epidemiology of female breast cancer in China and highlight the urgency for disease prevention and control strategy formulation.

Objective:To describe the detail sampling design,weighting,instruments,filed procedures and quality control methods of the epidemiological survey on dementia among community residents in Tongliao City.Methods:A three-stage disproportionate probability sampling design was used to investigate the inhabitants aged 65 years and over in Tongliao City,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.The 10/66 Dementia Research Group(10/66 DRG)assessment instruments were used to diagnose dementia,using computer-assisted personal interview mode in the selected older people.Comprehensive quality control methods were implemented throughout the field-work.Results:A total of 166 villages or communities were sampled from nine counties or districts in Tongliao Cit-y.Totally 4 345 older people were interviewed with 96.2％response rate.By calculating sampling design weights,non-response adjustment weights and post-stratification adjustment weights,these weights were multiplied and per-formed trimming adjustment and standardization adjustment to generate final weights.The 171 interviewers were well-trained and qualified to carry out filed interview.Quality control methods included computer data check,audio record check,and telephone check in order to ensure the quality of the survey.Conclusion:This survey is imple-mented using a rigorous sampling design and timely quality control methods,and uses the 10/66 DRG assessment instruments with satisfactory international validity and reliability as survey instruments,which has international cross-cultural comparability.It provides a valid and feasible methodology of epidemiological survey on dementia for further studies in different regions in China.

Objective To explore the regulatory role of hederagenin(HG)on glutamate(Glu)-in-duced ferroptosis and corresponding inflammatory responses in mouse hippocampal neuron HT22 cells and investigate its potential mechanisms.Methods HT22 cells were randomly divided into control,Glu and HG groups(n=3).The cells of the control group received no treatment,the cells of the Glu group were treated with 35 mmol/L Glu for 24 h to establish a cellular model of ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease,and the cells of the HG group were treated with 0.5 μmol/L HG and 35 mmol/L Glu for 24 h simultaneously.FerroOrange fluorescent probe was used to de-tect intracellular Fe2+.The production of reactive oxygen species(ROS),mitochondrial membrane potential,and levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in the cells were assessed.Finally,the expression of the key regulator of iron death,glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)was measured.Results Compared to the control group,the levels of intracellular Fe2+,ROS,TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 were significantly elevated,while the mitochondrial membrane potential was obvi-ously reduced in the Glu group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The HG group had significantly decreased Fe2+,ROS,TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 and enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential than the Glu group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The GPX4 expression was significantly lower in the Glu group than the control group(1.00±0.02 vs 0.46±0.04,P＜0.01),and was notably higher in the 0.5 and 1.0 μmol/L HG groups when compared to the Glu group(0.64±0.03 and 0.59±0.05 vs 0.46±0.04,P＜0.01).Conclusion HG inhibits ferroptosis by regulating GPX4 expression,and thereby effec-tively alleviates the inflammatory response.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the levels of serum neuron-specific enolase(NSE)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)and the attack stage and prognosis of children with epilepsy secondary to viral encephalitis(VE).Methods A total of 96 children with VE admitted to the People's Hospital Affiliated to Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2015 to January 2020 were selected as the research subjects,and they were divided into the control group(children with VE,n=30)and the observation group(children with epilepsy secondary to VE,n=66).In addition,30 healthy children who underwent physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the health group.The levels of serum NSE and TNF-α in the health group,control group and observation group were compared.Children in the observation group were further divided into the 24h relapse group(n=48)and 24h non-relapse group(n=18)according to the attack of disease within 24h after admission.The levels of serum NSE and TNF-α were compared between the two groups.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relationship between the levels of NSE,TNF-α and the attack stage of epilepsy secondary to VE.Children in the observation group were divided into the good prognosis group(n=45)and the poor prognosis group(n=21)according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale score at discharge.The serum levels of NSE,TNF-α and other possible prognostic factors were compared between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the prognostic factors of children with epilepsy secondary to VE,and the predictive value of serum NSE and TNF-αlevels on the prognosis of children with epilepsy secondary to VE was analyzed by drawing the receiver operating characteristic curve.Results The level of serum NSE in the control group was significantly higher than that in the health group(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference in the level of serum TNF-α between the control group and the health group(P＞0.05).The serum levels of NSE and TNF-α in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of NSE and TNF-α in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The levels of serum NSE and TNF-α in the 24 h relapse group were significantly higher than those in the 24 h non-relapse group(P＜0.05).The proportion of severe abnormal EEG,severe abnormal brain images and complicated respiratory failure,and serum levels of c-reactive protein,NSE and TNF-α in the good prognosis group were lower than those in the poor prognosis group(P＜0.05);there were no significant differences in sex,age,body mass,brain injury site,fever,hypokalemia,hyponatremia,previous convulsions,stress hyperglycemia,complicated organ dysfunction,viral infection,first episode of epilepsy,Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission,duration of convulsion,length of hospital stay,white blood cell count,aspartate transaminase,creatine kinase and cardiac troponin levels between the two groups(P＞0.05).The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that complicated respiratory failure,serum NSE and TNF-α levels were correlated with the prognosis of children with epilepsy secondary to VE(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum NSE and TNF-α levels in predicting the prognosis of children with epilepsy secondary to VE was 0.724(95％confidence interval:0.672-0.776)and 0.689(95％confidence interval:0.637-0.734),respectively,with a sensitivity of 82.22％and 75.56％and a specificity of 76.19％and 71.43％;the AUC of the combination of the two in predicting the prognosis of children with epilepsy secondary to VE was 0.826(95％confidence interval:0.774-0.873),with a sensitivity of 73.33％and a specificity of 80.95％.Conclusion The serum levels of NSE and TNF-α are abnormally high in children with epilepsy secondary to VE.Both of them are factors affecting the prognosis of children with epilepsy secondary to VE,showing a good predictive value for the prognosis of epilepsy secondary to VE.

TCM dispensing is the most basic clinical pharmaceutical work of TCM.In recent years,based on the 9 key technologies of TCM dispensing,the TCM dispensing industry has ushered in great development,and innovative TCM dispensing information system and intelligent dispensing equipment have appeared.This article sorted out the current situation of TCM dispensing industry and looked forward to its future development route.The results showed that the introduction of new technology and new equipment in the key technical links of procurement acceptance,dispensing review,TCM decocting,medication guidance and so on have improved the quality of dispensing service and ensured the quality and safety of medication.In the development of modern TCM dispensing industry,it is necessary to improve the quality control standard system,service standard system and core equipment standard system in the standardization of dispensing technology;in terms of talent cultivation in the field of dispensing,it is necessary to focus on restructuring and building new educational models to cultivate new medical talents that intersect medical and engineering fields;in terms of informatization and intelligence,it is necessary to develop intelligent equipment that is more in line with the characteristics of TCM,and further promote and improve the"shared TCM pharmacy"model.Through improving the content of TCM clinical pharmaceutical care,developing new technology and equipment of TCM dispensing,and improving the level of dispensing service and education,it is expected to gradually realize the standardization,informatization and intelligent development of modern TCM dispensing industry.