Background Metals and metalloids in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) may cause damage to the respiratory and circulatory systems of the human body, and long-term exposure is prone to causing chronic poisoning, cancer, and other adverse effects. Objective To assess the distribution characteristics of metals and metalloids in outdoor PM_2.5 in a southern city of China, conduct source apportionment, and evaluate the associated health risks, thereby providing theoretical support for further pollution control measures. Methods PM_2.5 samples were collected in districts A, B, and C of a southern China city, and the concentrations of 17 metals and metalloids were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Pollution sources were assessed through enrichment factor and principal components analysis, and the main pollution sources were quantified using absolute principal component scores-multivariate linear regression (APCS-MLR). Health risks were evaluated based on the Technical guide for environmental health risk assessment of chemical exposure (WS/T777—2021). Results The ambient air PM_2.5 concentrations in the city were higher in winter and spring, and lower in summer and autumn. The annual average concentrations of ambient PM_2.5 in districts A, B, and C were 36.7, 31.9, and 24.4 μg·m⁻³, respectively. The ambient PM_2.5 levels in districts B and C were below the second-grade limit set by the Ambient air quality standards (GB 3095—2012). The enrichment factors of cadmium (Cd), aluminum (Al), and antimony (Sb) were greater than 10, those of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), and molybdenum (Mo) fell between 1 and 10, and those of manganese (Mn), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), and uranium (U) were below or equal to 1. The comprehensive evaluation of source analysis showed that the main pollution sources in districts A and C and the whole city were coal-burning. In district B, the main pollution source was also coal combustion, followed by industrial process sources and dust sources. The carcinogenic risks of As and Cr were between 1×10⁻⁶ and 1×10⁻⁴. However, the hazard quotients for 15 metals and metalloids in terms of non-carcinogenic risk were below 1. Conclusion Cr and As in the atmospheric PM_2.5 of the city present a certain risk of cancer and should be paid attention to. In addition, preventive control measures should be taken against relevant pollution sources such as industrial emission, dust, and coal burning.

Objective:To summarize the best evidence for the use of ankle pump exercises in preventing perioperative lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing joint replacement surgery and to evaluate its clinical application.Methods:This study utilized an evidence-based continuous quality improvement model. A systematic search was conducted for relevant clinical practice guidelines, expert consensus, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from both domestic and international sources. The best evidence was evaluated and summarized, and audit indicators were developed for baseline assessments. Facilitating and hindering factors were analyzed based on the baseline results. From December 2022 to April 2023, the evidence was applied in the Department of Orthopedics at Henan Provincial People's Hospital. The pre-evidence group for baseline assessments included 36 joint replacement patients and 18 nurses from the orthopedic unit between December 2022 and January 2023, while the post-evidence group included 36 joint replacement patients and the same 18 nurses between March and April 2023. The knowledge level of nurses, the effectiveness of ankle pump exercises, the execution rate, and patient compliance were compared before and after evidence-based practice.Results:A total of 12 articles were included in the study, comprising one clinical practice guideline, five expert consensus papers, one systematic review, and five RCTs. Ten best practices were summarized in terms of applicable populations, exercise assessment, exercise positions, timing, methods, frequency, and patient education. After implementing evidence-based practice, the knowledge scores of nurses on ankle pump exercises significantly improved from (70.56±9.98) to (82.78±8.26) ( P<0.01). The compliance rates of audit items 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 among nurses increased from 0, 22.2%, 0, 27.8%, and 11.1% respectively, to 94.4%, 94.4%, 83.3%, 100.0%, and 100.0% respectively ( P<0.01). On the patient side, the compliance rates for audit items 7 and 8 increased from 5.6% and 0 to 86.1% and 94.4%, respectively ( P<0.01) . Conclusions:Implementing evidence-based ankle pump exercises to prevent DVT in joint replacement patients can significantly improve nurses' knowledge of evidence-based practice, standardize the practice of ankle pump exercises, and explore balanced educational strategies that enhance patient compliance, ensuring clinical practices are evidence-based.

Objective:To investigate the features of the brain structural network in patients with postpartum depression (PPD).Methods:This cross-sectional study included PPD patients who visited the mental health counseling clinic after delivery at the Jiangsu University Affiliated Yixing Hospital from June 2013 to September 2022 (PPD group). Matched non-PPD postpartum women based on age, years of education, and body mass index who came for postpartum follow-up (non-PPD postpartum group), and non-pregnant women who visited the hospital or underwent physical examinations during the same period (non-pregnant group) were also included. Demographic data and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were collected for all three groups. The brain was partitioned into 90 regions using an anatomical template to construct the brain structural network. Network-based statistics (NBS) were applied to further screen and construct subnetworks. The efficacy of the subnetworks in identifying PPD was evaluated through multivariable logistics regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves. A comparison of the connectivity strength of white matter tracts and topological attributes of brain structural network parameters was conducted using independent samples t-tests, and the results were corrected using the false discovery rate (FDR) method. Results:(1) A total of 116 subjects were included, with 40 in the non-pregnant group, 40 in the non-PPD postpartum group, and 36 in the PPD group. PPD group had higher Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores than the non-pregnant and non-PPD postpartum groups [(18.0±4.1) scores vs. (2.5±1.2) and (6.1±2.1) scores, F=340.40; t=24.65,10.60 and 16.16 in pairwise comparison; all P<0.001]. (2) Compared to the non-pregnant group, there was a decrease in the connectivity strength of nine white matter tracts within the brain structural network of the postpartum group (including left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus-left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus-right amygdala, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus-left insula, left insula-left lentiform nucleus, left insula-left hippocampus, left hippocampus-right amygdala, left hippocampus-left precuneus, left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus-right amygdala, and right amygdala-right hippocampus) (all P<0.05, FDR corrected). No increased connection strengths were observed. There were no significant differences in the connection strengths of these nine tracts between the non-PPD and PPD groups. (3) A characteristic subnetwork for the maternal group was successfully constructed based on the nine tracts, which exhibited typical small-world properties (σ>1). Compared to the non-PPD maternal group, the characteristic path length in the PPD group was increased [(3.904±0.328) vs. (4.130±0.433), t=－2.58], and global efficiency was decreased [(0.361±0.036) vs. (0.331±0.053), t=2.91] (both P<0.05). Local property comparisons showed that the node efficiency values for the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, left insula, left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus, left hippocampus, right hippocampus, right amygdala, left precuneus and left putamen in the PPD group were significantly reduced [(0.273±0.023) vs. (0.267±0.030), t=0.98; (0.299±0.035) vs. (0.276±0.041), t=2.64; (0.265±0.019) vs. (0.258±0.025), t=1.38; (0.318±0.028) vs. (0.305±0.031), t=1.92; (0.312±0.027) vs. (0.302±0.031), t=1.50; (0.322±0.030) vs. (0.298±0.026), t=3.71; (0.356±0.040) vs. (0.338±0.056), t=1.62; (0.346±0.028) vs. (0.331±0.036), t=1.74; all P<0.05]. However, only the differences in node efficiency values for the left insula and right amygdala remained significant after FDR correction (corrected P=0.041 and 0.003). (4) Global efficiency, as well as node efficiency for the left insula and right amygdala, demonstrated good value for identifying PPD [areas under the curve (AUC) and their 95% CI were 0.827 (0.732-0.922), 0.741 (0.628-0.854), and 0.761 (0.653-0.867), respectively], with even better performance when combined [0.897 (0.828-0.969)]. (5) In the PPD group, global efficiency ( r=－0.43, P=0.008), node efficiency for the left insula ( r=－0.39, P=0.019), and node efficiency for the right amygdala ( r=－0.42, P=0.011) were all negatively correlated with EPDS scores. Conclusion:Aberrations in global efficiency, node efficiency for the left insula, and node efficiency for the right amygdala may serve as characteristic neuroimaging biomarkers for PPD.

Objective To explore prescription medication rules and potential mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease(ALD)based on the technology of data mining and network pharmacology.Methods The prescriptions related to the treatment of ALD were retrieved in Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang,Chinese Biomedical Literature and VIP databases.After the data were collated according to the filter criteria,IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18 software were used to analyze the prescription rules and association rules.Then,the medication rules of TCM in the treatment of ALD were summarized,and the core drug combinations were obtained.Active ingredients in the core drug combinations for ALD and their targets were screened by network pharmacology.GO and KEGG analysis were performed on the main targets,and molecular docking technique was used to verify the binding ability of active ingredients to main targets.Results A total of 143 prescription for ALD were screened,involving 222 Chinese medicine,among which 28 high-frequency Chinese medicine were used with a frequency≥25 times.Eight core drug combinations were obtained by associations rule analysis.It has been found that there are 215 intersection targets between"Poria-Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma-Hearba Artemisiae Scopariae"and ALD,including six core targets of AKT1,TNF,VEGFA,IL-1β,SRC,EGFR.One hundred and sixty-eight of signaling pathways are involved,including cancer pathways,PI3K/AKT signaling pathways,chemical carcinogenesis-reactive oxygen species,lipid and atherosclerosis,etc.Molecular docking results showed that the main active components including cerevisterol,genkwanin and demethoxycapillarisin had good binding ability to AKT1.Conclusion The main active ingredients in"Poria-Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma-Hearba Artemisiae Scopariae"can participate in the regulation of key signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT by acting on key target proteins(AKT1,TNF,and VEGFA).Subsequently,they play a role in inhibiting inflammatory response and apoptosis,slowing down liver fibrosis,and promoting hepatocyte repair.This study provides data support and theoretical guidance for the study of TCM in the treatment of ALD.

Objective To observe the value of cardiac MR(CMR)compressed sensing(CS)sequence and conventional movie(CM)sequence for evaluating biventricular function in patients with congenital heart disease(CHD).Methods A total of 71 patients with CHD,including 31 cases with regular heart rhythm(regular heart rhythm group)and 40 cases with arrhythmia(arrhythmia group)were prospectively collected and scanned with CM and CS sequences.The scanning time of 2 sequences were recorded,and subjective scores of imaging quality of 2 kinds of images were compared.The differences,consistency and correlation between quantitative parameters of biventricular function measured on 2 kinds of images were analyzed.Results The acquisition time of CS was(18.87±1.75)s,of CM was(147.56±5.23)s,which was shortened by 87.21％than CS.The quality of both 2 kinds of images met the diagnostic requirements.The subjective scores of CS images were lower than that of CM in regular heart rhythm group(4[3,5]vs.4[4,5],Z=-2.070,P=0.038),while of CS images were higher than that of CM images in arrhythmia group(4[4,4]vs.3[4,4],Z=-2.673,P=0.008).No significant difference of the left ventricular function parameters was detected obtained based on 2 kinds of images in all 71 cases,nor in regular heart rhythm group as well as in arrhythmia group(all P＞0.05).Meanwhile,the right ventricular(RV)end-diastolic volume index(EDVI)obtained based on CM and CS images were not significantly different(all P＞0.05),but significant differences of ejection fraction(EF),end-systolic volume index(ESVI)and stroke volume index(SVI)were found in all 71 cases,in regular heart rhythm group and in arrhythmia group(all P＜0.05).CMR parameters of biventricular function measured on CM and CS images were all consistent and positively correlated(all P＜0.05).Conclusion CS sequence could be used to accurately assess biventricular function of CHD patients,significantly improve imaging quality and shorten scanning time.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)poses a serious threat to human health and carries a heavy burden of disease.The disease burden mainly includes traditional epidemiological indicators such as morbidity,disability rate,and mortality rate,as well as economic burden evaluation indicators such as direct economic burden,indirect economic burden,and intangible economic burden,as well as social/health burden evaluation indicators such as potential years of life reduction,disability adjusted life years,and quality adjusted life years.It summarized the existing methods for evaluating the burden of COPD diseases and proposed the following suggestions:(1)enriching economic burden research methods to comprehensively and accurately evaluate direct economic burden;(2)expanding the scope of economic burden research and improve the economic burden research of COPD;(3)strengthening information management and enhance the accuracy of disease burden data;(4)exploring multidimensional indicators and establish a COPD disease burden evaluation system;(5)strengthening relevant research and highlight the health economics advantages of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in COPD.It can provide references for establishing a COPD disease burden evaluation system and policy formulation.

The utilization of optimal orthodontic force is crucial to prevent undesirable side effects and ensure efficient tooth movement during orthodontic treatment.However,the sensitivity of existing detection techniques is not sufficient,and the criteria for evaluating optimal force have not been yet established.Here,by employing 3D finite element analysis methodology,we found that the apical distal region(A-D region)of mesial roots is particularly sensitive to orthodontic force in rats.Tartrate-resistant acidic phosphatase(TRAP)-positive osteoclasts began accumulating in the A-D region under the force of 40 grams(g),leading to alveolar bone resorption and tooth movement.When the force reached 80 g,TRAP-positive osteoclasts started appearing on the root surface in the A-D region.Additionally,micro-computed tomography revealed a significant root resorption at 80 g.Notably,the A-D region was identified as a major contributor to whole root resorption.It was determined that 40 g is the minimum effective force for tooth movement with minimal side effects according to the analysis of tooth movement,inclination,and hyalinization.These findings suggest that the A-D region with its changes on the root surface is an important consideration and sensitive indicator when evaluating orthodontic forces for a rat model.Collectively,our investigations into this region would aid in offering valuable implications for preventing and minimizing root resorption during patients'orthodontic treatment.

Objective:To explore the mediating effect of coping style between family function and psychological resilience in patients with diabetes retinopathy (DR) .Methods:From September 2021 to August 2022, 310 DR patients who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were selected as the study subject by convenience sampling. Patients were surveyed using the General Information Questionnaire, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) , Family Assessment Device (FAD) , and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) . Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between coping style, family function, and psychological resilience in DR patients. AMOS 21.0 software was used to establish structural equation models and verify mediating effects. A total of 310 questionnaires were distributed, and 297 valid questionnaires were collected, and the effective response rate of the questionnaire was 95.81% (297/310) .Results:Among 297 DR patients, the positive coping dimension score in SCSQ was (14.79±3.58) , while the negative coping dimension score was (16.37±4.02) . the FAD score was (169.28±23.34) . The total score of CD-RISC was (65.62±11.52) . The score of the positive coping dimension was negatively correlated with the FAD score ( P<0.05) , and positively correlated with the total score and each dimension score of CD-RISC ( P<0.05) . The score of negative coping dimension was positively correlated with the score of FAD ( P<0.05) , and negatively correlated with the total score and each dimension score of CD-RISC ( P<0.05) . The FAD score was negatively correlated with the total score and each dimension score of CD-RISC ( P<0.05) . Coping styles played a partial mediating effect between family function and psychological resilience, with the mediating effect accounting for 53.65% of the total effect. Conclusions:DR patients have poor family functional and moderate psychological resilience, and their coping styles tend to be negative. Medical and nursing staff should pay attention to and improve the family function of patients, promote their positive response to diseases, and enhance their family function and psychological resilience.

After systematically reviewing the syndrome distribution， evolution， diagnostic criteria， effectiveness evaluation and genomics study on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） in the past decade， we found that there are problems such as inconsistency in the nomenclature of syndrome， lack of quantitative diagnostic tools for syndrome， less developed evaluation tools for syndrome efficacy， and singularity of genomics technique. Based on this， it was proposed that we should pay attention to the standardisation of syndrome naming， strengthen the research on quantitative diagnostic methods， establish standardised and quantitative diagnostic tools， further improve the existing assessment tools of syndrome effectiveness， and integrate the existing genomics techniques to conduct research， so as to support the further research on AECOPD syndromes.

Pancytopenia is one of the serious complications of Graves disease, and its clinical treatment is quite challenging. Based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and combining with literature reports and clinical practice in China, we discuss the etiology, pathogenesis, and syndromes-based treatment of pancytopenia, hoping to open up new treatment approaches, guide clinical practice, and improve treatment effectiveness.