Background Air pollution remains a critical public health issue, with persistent exposure to air pollutants continuing to pose significant health risks. Currently, research investigating the association between air pollution and myocardial infarction mortality in Shenzhen remains inadequate. Objective To quantitatively assess the association between air pollutants and myocardial infarction mortality in residents. Methods Based on the mortality surveillance system of Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, we conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of 10089 permanent residents who died from myocardial infarction in Shenzhen between 2013 and 2022. Using residential address information, we obtained individual-level exposure data for air pollutants from the China High Air Pollutants dataset and meteorological factors from the China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System. A time-stratified case-crossover study design was employed to construct a conditional logistic regression model to assess the association between short-term exposure to air pollutants and myocardial infarction mortality. The exposure-response relationship was visualized, and a comprehensive health risk assessment was performed. Results This study included a total of 10 089 cases of myocardial infarction deaths in Shenzhen. The median [interquartile range (IQR)] concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O₃) in Shenzhen from 2013 to 2022 were 24.59 (20.19) μg·m⁻³, 42.85 (28.42) μg·m⁻³, 8.53 (3.39) μg·m⁻³, 29.47 (13.56) μg·m⁻³, 0.77 (0.27) mg·m⁻³, and 86.53 (51.39) μg·m⁻³, respectively. The moving average concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ over the current day and the previous 2 days (lag02) showed the highest risk of myocardial infarction mortality, with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of 1.004 (1.001, 1.007) and 1.004 (1.002, 1.006), respectively. At lag05, SO₂ demonstrated the strongest association with the risk of myocardial infarction mortality, with an OR (95%CI) of 1.042 (1.019, 1.065). The exposure-response relationships of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and SO₂ with myocardial infarction mortality were approximately linear, whereas NO₂ exhibited a nonlinear relationship. At lag05, the highest risk of myocardial infarction mortality associated with NO₂ exposure was observed when the NO₂ concentration was ≤21.92 μg·m⁻³, with an OR (95% CI) of 1.024 (1.003, 1.046). The health risk assessment indicated that, using the WHO Air Quality Guidelines as the reference, the local PM_2.5 and NO₂ exposure led to an excess mortality of 398 and 298 cases, respectively. The sensitivity analysis revealed that after adjusting for O₃ and restricting the study period to 2013—2019, the effect estimates for PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, and SO₂ on myocardial infarction mortality slightly increased. Conclusion Short-term exposure to air pollutants, including PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, and SO₂, could increase the risk of myocardial infarction mortality. This study provides important scientific evidence for environmental health risk assessment and environmental management in Shenzhen.

Objective To quantitatively assess the association of short-term exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with residents mortality. Methods A time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted from 2020 to 2022 among 10606 non-accidental residents by using the Guangzhou Cause of Death Surveillance System in Conghua District, Guangzhou. Exposure levels of PAHs in PM_2.5 and meteorological data during the study period were obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Conghua District and the China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS-V2.0), respectively. Conditional Poisson regression model was used to estimate the exposure-response association between PAHs and the mortality risk. Results Fluoranthene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality. For every one interquartile range increase in exposure levels, the non-accidental mortality risks increased by 8.33% (95% CI: 1.80%, 15.27%), 4.67% (95% CI: 1.86%, 7.57%), 6.07% (95% CI: 2.08%, 10.21%), 4.62% (95% CI: 1.85%, 7.47%), and 4.70% (95% CI: 0.53%, 9.03%), respectively. The estimated non accidental deaths attributable to exposure to fluoranthene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluorine, benzo[a]pyrene and indine[1,2,3-cd]pyrene were 5.91%, 6.08%, 6.51%, 6.46%, and 4.21%, respectively. Conclusions Short-term exposure to PAHs in PM_2.5, including fluoranthene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene and indine[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, was significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality among residents.

Background Exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of diseases in multiple systems, including respiratory and cardiovascular systems, yet its association with neurological diseases remains unclear. Objective To quantitatively evaluate the association between short-term exposure to air pollutants and outpatient and emergency visits for neurological diseases, identify potential susceptible populations, and quantify associated disease burden. Methods Daily 24-hour average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO), daily maximum 8-hour average concentration of ozone (O₃), daily meteorological data (24-hour average temperature, 24-hour average relative humidity), and data on daily outpatient and emergency department visits for neurological diseases from two hospitals in Conghua District, Guangzhou, China, were collected from 2015 to 2022. A time-stratified case-crossover design was adopted, and a conditional Poisson regression model was constructed to analyze the association between air pollution exposure and neurological disease visits. Two-pollutant models and sensitivity analysis were used to validate model stability. Stratified analyses by season (cold season: from November to March; warm season: from April to October), sex (male, female), and age (≤45 years, 46–60 years, ≥61 years) were performed to identify vulnerable group. Additionally, the number and proportion of neurological disease visits attributable to short-term air pollutant exposure were calculated. Results A total of 72 673 outpatient and emergency department visits for neurological diseases were included during the study period. Most of the patients were middle-aged and elderly individuals (69.89% were over 45 years old) and females (60.25%). The results of single-pollutant models showed that for each interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure to PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃, the risk of outpatient and emergency department visits for neurological diseases increased by 7.54% (95%CI: 4.69%, 10.46%), 6.66% (95%CI: 3.92%, 9.46%), 16.72% (95%CI: 10.58%, 23.19%), 8.12% (95%CI: 4.82%, 11.53%), 5.60% (95%CI: 2.34%, 8.97%), and 6.11% (95%CI: 2.91%, 9.40%), respectively. The results of the two-pollutant model showed that the association between PM_2.5 and SO₂ exposure and outpatient and emergency department visits for neurological diseases were relatively stable. The stratified analyses showed that the effect of SO₂ was stronger in the cold season. It was estimated that 8.32% (95%CI: 5.55%, 10.96%) and 6.65% (95%CI: 4.27%, 8.96%) of the outpatient and emergency department visits were attributable to short-term exposure to SO₂ and PM_2.5, respectively. Conclusion Exposure to PM_2.5 and SO₂ is associated with increased risks of outpatient and emergency visits for neurological diseases. SO₂ shows stronger effects during the cold season, and exposure to air pollution contributes to up to 8.32% of neurological disease visits.

In traditional Chinese medicine， it is believed that the disease of tubal infertility is located in the uterus vessels， with stasis blocking uterus vessels as the core mechanism， and according to the characteristics of pathological changes in the course of treatment， the "three-stage advanced method" is proposed as the treatment plan. In the first stage of eliminating evil， the disease mechanism is characterized by externally-contracted heat toxin combined with endogenous dampness， stagnation and stasis in the uterus vessels， and the treatment is to clear heat and promote dampness， move qi and activate blood， and the self-prescribed Penyan Xiao Formula （盆炎消方）. In the second stage of dissolving fixed abdominal mass， the disease mechanism is characterized by qi and blood stagnation and uterus vessels obstruction， and the treatment is to break up the stagnation of blood and move qi， drive away blood stasis and clear the channels， with self-prescribed Tongguan Formula （通管方）. In the third stage of reinforcing healthy qi to support pregnancy， the disease mechanism is characterized by stasis of uterus vessels for a long period， and loss of kidney essence， therefore the treatment is to warm up the kidneys and eliminate the stasis， boost qi and nourish yin， with self-prescribed Yulin Zhuyun Formula （毓麟助孕方）. At the same time， attention should be paid to the synergistic diagnosis and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicines， and combination of syndrome differentiation with the identification of diseases.

Small molecule drug screening technology is continuously evolving and expanding along with drug discovery,and the innovation in drug screening technology can improve the research and development efficiency and success rate,shorten the cycle time,and reduce the cost.From traditional screening technologies based on known active compounds and high-throughput screening(HTS)to new technologies such as structure-based drug discovery(SBDD),fragment-based drug discovery(FBDD),DNA encoded compound library(DEL)and proteolysis targeting chimeras(PROTAC),small molecule drug screening technologies are continuously broadening the market potential for small molecule drugs.This article will provide an overview of the current status of small molecule drug screening technology,systematically review each technique along with their advantages and disadvantages,and offer essential insights for the development of new small molecule drug screening technologies.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of compression rate(CR)of median nerve combined with Young's modulus value(E)in quantitatively evaluating median nerve injury of patients with dialysis-related amyloidosis(DRA).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 53 maintenance hemodialysis(HD)patients who admitted to department of blood purification of Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital of Capital Medical University from November 2019 to October 2020,and they were divided into case group,and 60 volunteers who underwent physical examination at the outpatient of the department of ultrasound medicine were selected as healthy control group.Basic clinical data of the patients were collected.Based on the results of physical examination,the patients with dialysis were divided into a sign group(n=18)and a non-sign group(n=35).High-frequency ultrasound was used to measure the anteroposterior diameter of the median nerve at the entrance of the carpal tunnel and the protrusion of the distal radius in all subjects.The CR values of anteroposterior diameters were calculated.Shear Wave Velocity elastography(SWE)technique was employed to measure E values of the median nerves of compressed position.The differences in CR and E values between case group and healthy control group,as well as between sign group and non-sign group were respectively compared and analyzed.Furthermore,the diagnostic efficacies of CR alone,E value alone and their combination for median nerve injury were evaluated.Results:The CR and E values of median nerve of cases group were respectively(0.16±0.01)and(104.49±49.42)kPa,and they were respectively(0.07±0.05)and(42.47±15.64)kPa in health control group.The CR and E values of median nerve in case group were significantly higher than those in health control group(t=4.92,6.39,P<0.001),respectively.The CR and E values of the median nerve in the sign group of cases group were respectively(0.31±0.09)and(150.58±47.71)kPa,and those in the non-sign group of case group were respectively(0.10±0.09)and(87.95±38.73)kPa.The CR and E values of median nerve of the sign group were significantly higher than those in the non-sign group(t=7.78,4.89,P<0.001),respectively.The duration of the disease was positive correlation with E value and CR value of median nerve in HD patients who underwent dialysis(r=0.598,0.459,P<0.001),respectively.The area under curve (AUC) value of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the best CR cut-off value was 21％ and the E value was 76.22kpa in diagnosing median nerve injury,.and the AUC values of CR and E value were respectively 0.844 and 0.817,and the AUC value,sensitivity and specificity of the combine of them reached respectively 0.908,100％ and 89％. Conclusion:Both CR and E values of the median nerve can be used to evaluate the median nerve injury in patients with DRA,and the combination of them has a higher diagnostic efficiency. Conventional ultrasound and SWE elastography can be the preferred imaging methods for the evaluation of median nerve injury.

Objective To explore the automated identification and diameter measurement methods for inferior vena cava (IVC) based on clinical ultrasound images of IVC. Methods An automated identification and localization method based on topology and automatic tracking algorithm was proposed. Tracking algorithm was used for identifying and continuously locating to improve the efficiency and accuracy of measurement. Tests were conducted on 18 sets of ultrasound data collected from 18 patients in intensive care unit (ICU),with clinicians' measurements as the gold standard. Results The recognition accuracy of the automated method was 94.44％ (17/18),and the measurement error of IVC diameter was within the range of±1.96s (s was the standard deviation). The automated method could replace the manual method. Conclusion The proposed IVC automated identification and localization algorithm based on topology and automatic tracking algorithm has high recognition success rate and IVC diameter measurement accuracy. It can assist clinicians in identifying and locating IVC,so as to improve the accuracy of IVC measurement.

Objective:To study the changing trend of brucellosis epidemic in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province from 2004 to 2022, and to provide reference for formulating brucellosis prevention and control policies.Methods:Through the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System, the epidemic data of human brucellosis with the onset time from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2022 and the current address in Taiyuan City were collected. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the temporal, regional, and population distribution characteristics of brucellosis.Results:From 2004 to 2022, a total of 1 834 cases of brucellosis were reported in Taiyuan City, with an average annual incidence rate of 2.25/100 000. The incidence rate of brucellosis in each year showed a fluctuating upward trend (χ 2trend = 428.04, P < 0.001). The onset time was mainly concentrated from February to August, accounting for 76.94% (1 411/1 834) of the total cases, with May being the peak month (283 cases). The incidence rate of brucellosis in all counties (cities and districts) ranged from 0 to 38.37/100 000, with the highest incidence rate in Loufan County in 2021. There were 1 470 males and 364 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 4.04 ∶ 1.00. The age range was 1 to 95 years old, among which the 1 - 29 age group accounted for 14.29% (262/1 834), the 30 - 39 age group accounted for 13.14% (241/1 834), the 40 - 49 age group accounted for 21.05% (386/1 834), the 50 - 59 age group accounted for 27.54% (505/1 834), and the 60 - 95 age group accounted for 23.99% (440/1 834). The main occupation was farmers and herdsmen, accounting for 67.23% (1 233/1 834). Conclusion:From 2004 to 2022, the epidemic of brucellosis in Taiyuan City shows a fluctuating upward trend, with males, middle-aged and elderly people, and farmers and herdsmen as the main affected population.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence that long-term exposure to ambient air pollution increases mortality among older adults, particularly those residing in low-level air pollution locations, remains scarce. This study investigated the potential links between long-term low-level air pollution exposure and mortality among Chinese older adults. METHODS: A population-based study with 317,464 individuals aged ≥ 65 years was conducted in Shenzhen, China during 2018 and 2020. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and all-cause mortality, as the primary outcome, as well as non-accidental, cancer and cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS: Significant associations of PM ₁, PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, SO ₂, CO, and O ₃ exposures with a higher risk of all-cause mortality were found. Adjusted odds ratio ( OR) for each 1 µg/m ³ increment was 1.49 [95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.46, 1.53] for PM ₁, 1.30 (1.27, 1.32) for PM _2.5, 1.05 (1.04, 1.06) for PM ₁₀, 5.84 (5.39, 6.32) for SO ₂, 1.04 (1.04, 1.05) for CO, and 1.02 (1.00, 1.03) for O ₃, respectively. Long-term PM ₁, PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, SO ₂, and CO exposures also elevated the risks of non-accidental, cancer and cardiovascular mortality. CONCLUSION Long-term low-level air pollution exposure was associated with an increased mortality risk among Chinese older adults.
Humans ; Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Air Pollution/adverse effects* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Cardiovascular Diseases/mortality* ; Mortality ; Neoplasms/mortality* ; East Asian People

Objective:To investigate the difference in left ventricular dysfunction between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with hyperlipidemia and those without hyperlipidemia, and analyze the application value of three-dimensional speckle tracking technology.Methods:The clinical data of 70 patients with T2DM admitted to Heji Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College from January 2020 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among these patients, 35 patients had hyperlipidemia and 35 patients had no hyperlipidemia. At the same time, 40 healthy subjects who concurrently underwent health checkups in the same hospital were included as healthy controls. All subjects underwent routine cardiac ultrasound and 3D-STE examinations. General clinical information and left ventricular function-related parameters, including global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain, global area strain, and global radial strain were compared between healthy controls and T2DM patients with hyperlipidemia and those without hyperlipidemia.Results:The proportion of left ventricular remodeling increased in T2DM patients without hyperlipidemia, and the proportion of left ventricular hypertrophy was the highest in T2DM patients with hyperlipidemia. Global longitudinal strain and global circumferential strain in T2DM patients without hyperlipidemia were (-16.97 ± 2.59)% and (-17.41 ± 2.50)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than (-18.86 ± 2.46)% and (-18.71 ± 2.92)% in healthy controls ( t = 0.95, 0.57, both P < 0.05). Global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain, and global area strain in T2DM patients with hyperlipidemia were (-14.98 ± 3.15)%, (-15.80 ± 3.16)%, (-27.17 ± 4.54)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than (-18.86 ± 2.46)%, (-18.71 ± 2.92)%, (-30.62 ± 4.02)% in healthy controls ( t = 0.46, 1.37, 0.98, all P < 0.05) and (-16.97 ± 2.59)%, (-17.41 ± 2.50)%, (-30.06 ± 3.59)% in T2DM patients without hyperlipidemia ( t = 0.37, 1.02, 0.77, all P < 0.05). Global radial strain in T2DM patients with hyperlipidemia was significantly higher than [(51.49 ± 8.94)%, t = 1.35, P < 0.05] in healthy controls and [(47.71± 8.46)%, t = 0.98, P < 0.05] in T2DM patients without hyperlipidemia. In patients with T2DM, fasting blood glucose and hyperlipidemia were independently correlated with all strain-related parameters. Conclusion:Hyperlipidemia can aggravate left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction in patients with T2DM and 3D-STE is one of the examination methods for subclinical left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction in T2DM patients with or without hyperlipidemia.