Objective To explore the impact of number of positive regional lymph nodes (nPRLN) in N1 stage on the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods Patients with TxN1M0 stage NSCLC who underwent lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection from 2010 to 2015 were screened from SEER database (17 Regs, 2022nov sub). The optimal cutoff value of nPRLN was determined using X-tile software, and patients were divided into 2 groups according to the cutoff value: a nPRLN≤optimal cutoff group and a nPRLN>optimal cutoff group. The influence of confounding factors was minimized by propensity score matching (PSM) at a ratio of 1 : 1. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) of patients. Results A total of 1316 patients with TxN1M0 stage NSCLC were included, including 662 males and 654 females, with a median age of 67 (60, 73) years. The optimal cutoff value of nPRLN was 3, with 1165 patients in the nPRLN≤3 group and 151 patients in the nPRLN>3 group. After PSM, there were 138 patients in each group. Regardless of before or after PSM, OS and LCSS of patients in the nPRLN≤3 group were superior to those in the nPRLN>3 group (P<0.001). N1 stage nPRLN>3 was an independent prognostic risk factor for OS [HR=1.52, 95%CI (1.22, 1.89), P<0.001] and LCSS [HR=1.72, 95%CI (1.36, 2.18), P<0.001]. Conclusion N1 stage nPRLN>3 is an independent prognostic risk factor for NSCLC patients in TxN1M0 stage, which may provide new evidence for future revision of TNM staging N1 stage subclassification.

Objective:To construct a visual analysis system for the operation efficiency of medical equipment,improve the quality of medical services while improving the management level and efficiency of medical equipment.Method:Using the hospital LAN and Internet of Things technology,using advanced indoor positioning technology,three-dimensional high-precision map technology,installing active Bluetooth technology tags in movable high-value medical examination equipment,using LoRa long-distance wireless communication technology,real-time collection of equipment operation status,use frequency,fault information and other data,docking the hospital's business system,with the help of data visualization technology,designed to be able to real-time data,Historical data is integrated into a visual medical equipment operation efficiency analysis system that analyzes graphical interfaces in different dimensions.Results:The system realized the tracking,positioning,monitoring and traceability of the operation status and real-time movement trajectory of medical equipment through maps,ring charts,bar charts,line charts,stand-alone operation status charts,equipment operation status rankings,etc.,providing multi-dimensional,accurate and real-time equipment operation information for the use and management of medical equipment to ensure the high-quality development of the hospital.Conclusion:Through the accurate analysis of the operation efficiency of medical equipment,hospitals can better control medical costs and improve economic and social benefits.

[Purpose]To analyze the epidemiology and disease burden of gastric cancer in China,Japan and Republic of Korea from 1990 to 2021 and to predict changing trends from 2022 to 2031.[Methods]Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)database.Age-stan-dardized incidence rate(ASIR),age-standardized mortality rate(ASMR),crude incidence rate(CIR),crude mortality rate(CMR),and disability-adjusted life years(DALY)rate for China,Japan and Republic of Korea from 1990 to 2021 were analyzed.Joinpoint regression software was used to analyze trends and calculate annual percentage changes.The autoregressive integrated moving average(ARIMA)model was applied to predict incidence and mortality from 2022 to 2031.[Results]In 2021,China had 611 799 new gastric cancer cases and 445 013 deaths,with an ASIR of 29.05/105 and an ASMR of 21.51/105,both significantly higher than those in Japan and Republic of Korea.Among men in China,both the ASIR(44.48/105)and ASMR(32.61/105)were the highest among the three countries,exceeding those in Japan(38.77/105,20.26/105)and Re-public of Korea(38.98/105,20.50/105).Among women,China had the highest number of new cases,but its ASIR(15.23/105)was slightly lower than Republic of Korea's(15.57/105)and higher than Japan's(14.66/105).However,China's ASMR among women(12.02/105)remained significantly higher than Japan's(7.64/105)and Republic of Korea's(8.08/105).From 1990 to 2021,ASIR,ASMR and DALY rates for gastric cancer declined in all three countries,but the reduction in China was significantly smaller than that in Japan and Republic of Korea,with Republic of Korea showing the steepest declines across all indicators.ARIMA model predictions indicated significant differences in disease burden among the three countries from 2022 to 2031.ASIR is projected to continue declining in China and Republic of Korea,reaching 22.87/105 and 12.45/105,respectively by 2031,while in Japan it is predicted to rise to 26.55/105.ASMR is projected to decline in all three countries,reaching 13.71/105(China),10.44/105(Japan),and 9.08/105(Republic of Korea)in 2031.[Conclusion]Among China,Japan and Republic of Korea,China had the highest ASIR and ASMR of gastric cancer in 2021.Moreover,from 1990 to 2021,the reductions in ASIR,ASMR and DALY rates for gastric cancer were the smallest in China compared to Japan and Republic of Korea.These findings suggest that the disease burden of gastric cancer remains substantial in China,high-lighting the need for increased efforts in gastric cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment.

AIM:To elucidate the mechanism by which Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides(PSP)miti-gate high-sugar diet-induced neuroinflammation through the gut microbiota-serum metabolome axis.METHODS:Fifty male ICR mice were divided into 5 groups:control group,model group,low-dose(250 mg/kg)PSP group,high-dose(500 mg/kg)PSP group,and donepezil hydrochloride(3 mg/kg)group.The neuroinflammation model was established through administration of high-sugar chow and 10%sucrose water for 12 weeks.Cognitive function assessment was per-formed utilizing the Morris water maze.Hippocampal histopathology was examined by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,activated microglia were assessed via immunofluorescence,and neuronal apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL assay.Serum and hippocampal levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),IL-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and nitric oxide(NO)were quantified using ELISA and Western blot.Gut microbiota diversity and serum untargeted metabolomics analyses were car-ried out employing 16S rRNA sequencing and LC-MS/GC-MS,respectively.Differential metabolites were screened,and key metabolic pathways were enriched using MetaboAnalyst 6.0.Spearman correlation analysis established relationships between gut microbiota,metabolites,and inflammatory factors.RESULTS:Model mice demonstrated increased escape latency(P<0.05 or P<0.01)and decreased platform crossings(P<0.01)compared with controls,which were reversed by PSP treatment(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Treatment with PSP substantially reduced IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α and NO levels in se-rum and hippocampus(P<0.05 or P<0.01),diminished inflammatory infiltration,inhibited microglial activation,and re-duced neuronal damage.Gut microbiota analysis demonstrated that PSP increased Lactobacillus and Bacteroides abun-dance while reducing Alistipes(P<0.05).Metabolomics identified 15 differential metabolites(including betaine,kyotor-phin and ε-caprolactam)and highlighted the significance of alanine,aspartate and glutamate metabolism pathways.Spear-man analysis revealed that abundance of Alistipes and Bacteroides were positively correlated with IL-1β(P<0.05),while abundance of Lactobacillus was negatively correlated with inflammatory factors(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Key metabolites(be-taine,kyotorphin,ε-caprolactam,trans-cinnamate,cis-zeatin and galactitol)showed strong associations with inflamma-tion factors(P<0.05 or P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Treatment with PSP attenuates neuroinflammation through modula-tion of gut microbiota(Lactobacillus,Bacteroides and Alistipes),regulation of metabolites(betaine,kyotorphin and so on),and targeting amino acid metabolism pathways.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy as conversion therapy for initially unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Methods:This retrospective case series study analyzed clinical and pathological data of 32 patients with initially unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, from June 2020 to December 2024. The cohort included 27 males and 5 females, with an age ( M(IQR)) of 61(9)years (range:46 to 73 years). Five patients were diagnosed with stage Ⅲ, 27 with stage ⅣA. All patients received PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab combined with nedaplatin and albumin-bound paclitaxel. Radiological evaluations were performed every two cycles, the multidisciplinary team evaluation was conducted to determine conversion to resectable status, and patients with successful conversion underwent radical esophagectomy. Follow-up was conducted via telephone or outpatient visits every 3 to 6 months after the last treatment. The primary endpoint was R0 resection rate, secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), pathological complete response (pCR) rate, major pathological response (MPR) rate, event-free survival (EFS), disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with R0 resection, overall survival (OS) and safety. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves and estimate median EFS, DFS, OS rates and their 95% CI. The 95% CI for ORR, pCR rate, MPR rate, and downstaging rate were calculated using the Clopper-Pearson method. Results:The median treatment cycle of 2(1) (range:2 to 8). As of June 2025, the median follow-up was 32.5(13.5)months (range:6.4 to 59.1 months). Among the 32 patients, 9 experienced progression or recurrence, including 2 with liver and lymph node metastases, 2 with lung metastases, 2 with thoracic vertebral metastases, and 3 with mediastinal lymph node metastases. After conversion therapy, 29 patients underwent surgery, achieving an R0 resection rate of 84.4% (95% CI:67.2% to 94.7%), a pCR rate of 27.6% (95% CI:12.7% to 47.2%), and an MPR rate of 55.2% (95% CI:35.7% to 73.6%). Grade 3 or higher surgical complications occurred in 6.9%(2/29) of patients, and grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events were observed in 15.6%(5/29). Among the 32 patients, the ORR was 56.3% (95% CI:37.7% to 73.6%),the 3-year EFS rate and OS rate was 59.4% (95% CI:40.8% to 86.4%) and 59.7% (95% CI:40.0% to 89.0%) respectively. Conclusion:Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy demonstrates high conversion rates and favorable safety in the conversion therapy of initially unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, representing a promising treatment strategy.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized the expansion of international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation. Against this backdrop, the radiological health research institutions bear important responsibilities in the field of international radiological health. As a key institution in the industry, the National Institute for Radiological Protection (NIRP), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention shoulders the important mission of promoting international exchanges in radiation health in China. A case study was conducted on the NIRP using data of official overseas visits from 2010 to 2024. The SWOT analysis was used to comprehensively and systematically examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of NIRP in international cooperation and exchanges. To effectively enhance the depth and scope of international exchanges, this article proposes a series of innovative optimization strategies such as establishing dedicated personnel positions to ensure efficient handling of affairs, implementing stringent approval procedures to guarantee the rationality and compliance of overseas visits, strengthening pre-departure training to improve the professionalism of outbound personnel, conducting follow-up evaluations to continuously refine management practices, and centralizing the management of official passports to ensure their secure use. This article aims to provide practical optimization strategies for the management of official overseas visits for NIRP and other similar institutions, promote international exchanges and cooperation in the field of radiation health, and help China play a more important role in the global radiation health field.

Objective To investigate the relationships of CXC motif chemokine ligand 10(CXCL10)and CC motif chemokine ligand 11(CCL11)in the peripheral blood with type 2 diabetic osteoporosis(T2DOP),and to construct a predictive model.Methods A total of 260 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)were prospectively selected as the T2DM group.They were divided into T2DOP group(n=82)and non-T2DOP group(n=178)according to the occurrence of T2DOP.Additionally,68 healthy volunteers with physical examinations in the same period were se-lected as control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of CXCL10 and CCL11 in the peripheral blood as well as bone metabolism indicators[β-C-terminal te-lopeptide of type Ⅰ collagen(β-CTX),N-terminal propeptide of type Ⅰ procollagen(PⅠNP)].Pear-son correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation of CXCL10 and CCL11 in peripheral blood with bone metabolism indicator levels in patients with T2DM.Multifactor non-conditional Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of T2DOP and construct a pre-dictive model.The Hosmer-Lemeshow(H-L)test was used to assess the goodness of fit.The re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of each indicator and the predictive model for T2DOP,and decision curve analysis and Bootstrap resa-mpling were used for internal validation.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of CXCL10 and CCL11 in the peripheral blood as well as β-CTX in the T2DM group were significantly increased,while the level of P Ⅰ NP was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Pearson correlation a-nalysis showed that CXCL10 and CCL11 in the peripheral blood in patients with T2DM were posi-tively correlated with β-CTX level(r=0.786,0.816,P＜0.001)and negatively correlated with P ⅠNP level(r=-0.675,-0.716,P＜0.001).Compared with the non-T2DOP group,the T2DOP group had significantly increased age and the ratio of diabetic nephropathy,prolonged dura-tion of diabetes,decreased body mass index(BMI)and P ⅠNP levels,and increased fasting blood glucose,glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),β-CTX,CXCL10,and CCL11 levels(P＜0.05).Non-conditional Logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age,long duration of diabetes,high HbA1c,high CXCL10,and high CCL11 were independent risk factors for T2DOP(P＜0.05),while high BMI was an independent protective factor(P＜0.05).The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the predictive model for predicting T2DOP was 0.919,which was significantly greater than the AUCs of 0.643,0.742,0.654,0.715,0.759 and 0.741 respectively for age,duration of diabetes,BMI,HbA1c,CXCL10 and CCL11 alone(Z=7.468,5.400,7.415,6.365,5.242,5.800,P＜0.001).After internal validation,the decision curve of the predictive model was higher than the two extreme curves.After 1,000 times of Bootstrap resampling internal validations,the concordance index of the predictive model was 0.919(95％CI,0.914 to 0.923).Conclusion Increased levels of CXCL10 and CCL11 in the peripheral blood are associat-ed with T2DOP,and the predictive model constructed based on these factors has a high predictive value for T2DOP.

Sustained inflammatory responses are closely related to various severe diseases,and inhibiting the excessive activation of inflammasomes and pyroptosis has significant implications for clinical treatment.Natural products have garnered considerable concern for the treatment of inflammation.Huanglian-Wumei decoction(HLWMD)is a classic prescription used for treating inflammatory diseases,but the necessity of their combination and the exact underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism have not yet been elucidated.Inspired by the supramolecular self-assembly strategy and natural drug compatibility theory,we successfully obtained berberine(BBR)-chlorogenic acid(CGA)supramolecular(BCS),which is an herbal pair from HLWMD.Using a series of characterization methods,we confirmed the self-assembly mechanism of BCS.BBR and CGA were self-assembled and stacked into amphiphilic spherical supra-molecules in a 2:1 molar ratio,driven by electrostatic interactions,hydrophobic interactions,and π-πstacking;the hydrophilic fragments of CGA were outside,and the hydrophobic fragments of BBR were inside.This stacking pattern significantly improved the anti-inflammatory performance of BCS compared with that of single free molecules.Compared with free molecules,BCS significantly attenuated the release of multiple inflammatory mediators and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced pyroptosis.Its anti-inflammatory mechanism is closely related to the inhibition of intracellular nuclear factor-kappaB(NF-κB)p65 phosphorylation and the noncanonical pyroptosis signalling pathway mediated by caspase-11.

Sustained inflammatory responses are closely related to various severe diseases, and inhibiting the excessive activation of inflammasomes and pyroptosis has significant implications for clinical treatment. Natural products have garnered considerable concern for the treatment of inflammation. Huanglian-Wumei decoction (HLWMD) is a classic prescription used for treating inflammatory diseases, but the necessity of their combination and the exact underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism have not yet been elucidated. Inspired by the supramolecular self-assembly strategy and natural drug compatibility theory, we successfully obtained berberine (BBR)-chlorogenic acid (CGA) supramolecular (BCS), which is an herbal pair from HLWMD. Using a series of characterization methods, we confirmed the self-assembly mechanism of BCS. BBR and CGA were self-assembled and stacked into amphiphilic spherical supramolecules in a 2:1 molar ratio, driven by electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, and π-π stacking; the hydrophilic fragments of CGA were outside, and the hydrophobic fragments of BBR were inside. This stacking pattern significantly improved the anti-inflammatory performance of BCS compared with that of single free molecules. Compared with free molecules, BCS significantly attenuated the release of multiple inflammatory mediators and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pyroptosis. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism is closely related to the inhibition of intracellular nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 phosphorylation and the noncanonical pyroptosis signalling pathway mediated by caspase-11.