BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

The aim of this investigation was to determine the optimal storage medium for testicular hypothermic transportation and identify the ideal concentration for the application of the protective agent 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Furthermore, this study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of the protective effects of 5-ALA. First, we collected and stored mouse testicular fragments in different media, including Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS; n = 5), Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium/Nutrient Mixture F-12 (DMEM/F12; n = 5), and alpha-minimum essential medium (αMEM; n = 5). Storage of testicular tissue in HBSS preserved the integrity of testicular morphology better than that in the DMEM/F12 group ( P < 0.05) and the αMEM group ( P < 0.01). Testicular fragments were subsequently placed in HBSS with various concentrations of 5-ALA (0 [control], 1 mmol l -1 , 2 mmol l -1 , and 5 mmol l -1 ) to determine the most effective concentration of 5-ALA. The 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA group ( n = 3) presented the highest positive rate of spermatogonial stem cells compared with those in the control, 1 mmol l -1 , and 5 mmol l -1 5-ALA groups. Finally, the tissue fragments were preserved in HBSS with control ( n = 3) and 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA ( n = 3) under low-temperature conditions. A comparative analysis was performed against fresh testes ( n = 3) to elucidate the underlying mechanism of 5-ALA. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for WikiPathways revealed that the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was downregulated in the 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA group compared with that in the control group (normalized enrichment score [NES] = -1.57, false discovery rate [FDR] = 0.229, and P = 0.019). In conclusion, these data suggest that using 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA in HBSS effectively protected the viability of spermatogonial stem cells upon hypothermic transportation.
Male ; Animals ; Testis/cytology* ; Aminolevulinic Acid/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Organ Preservation/methods* ; Organ Preservation Solutions/pharmacology* ; Cryopreservation/methods*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of thiotepa (TT)-containing conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). METHODS: Clinical data of 22 children with IEI who underwent HSCT were retrospectively reviewed. Survival after HSCT was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Nine patients received a traditional conditioning regimen (fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide/etoposide) and underwent peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Thirteen patients received a TT-containing modified conditioning regimen (TT + fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide), including seven PBSCT and six umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) cases. Successful engraftment with complete donor chimerism was achieved in all patients. Acute graft-versus-host disease occurred in 12 patients (one with grade III and the remaining with grade I-II). Chronic graft-versus-host disease occurred in one patient. The incidence of EB viremia in UCBT patients was lower than that in PBSCT patients (P<0.05). Over a median follow-up of 36.0 months, one death occurred. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 100% for the modified regimen and 88.9% ± 10.5% for the traditional regimen (P=0.229). When comparing transplantation types, the 3-year OS rates were 100% for UCBT and 93.8% ± 6.1% for PBSCT (P>0.05), and the 3-year event-free survival rates were 100% and 87.1% ± 8.6%, respectively (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS TT-containing conditioning for allogeneic HSCT in children with IEI is safe and effective. Both UCBT and PBSCT may achieve high success rates.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation Conditioning/methods* ; Thiotepa/therapeutic use* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Child ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: To detect and analyze the expression and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA tyrosine kinase non-catalytic region adaptor protein 1-antisense RNA1 (NCK1-AS1) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: 89 AML patients and 23 healthy controls were included from the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of NCK1-AS1 and NCK1 in bone marrow samples. The relationship between the expression of NCK1-AS1 and the clinical characteristics of patients were analyzed, as well as the correlation between NCK1-AS1 and NCK1. RESULTS: The expression level of NCK1-AS1 in all AML, non-M3 AML and cytogenetically normal AML (CN-AML) patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). In non-M3 AML, patients with high NCK1-AS1 expression had a significantly lower hemoglobin level than those with low NCK1-AS1 expression (P =0.036), furthermore, NCK1-AS1 ^high patients had shorter overall survival than NCK1-AS1^low patients (P =0.0378). Multivariate analysis showed that NCK1-AS1 expression was an independent adverse factor in patients with non-M3 AML ( HR =2.392, 95% CI :1.089-5.255, P =0.030). In addition, NCK1 expression was also significantly upregulated in all AML, non-M3 AML and CN-AML patients compared with controls (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.001, respectively). There was a certain correlation between NCK1-AS1 and NCK1 expression (r =0.37, P =0.0058). CONCLUSION High expression of NCK1-AS1 in AML indicates poor prognosis of AML patients.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Oncogene Proteins/genetics* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Clinical Relevance

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Objective:To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and bone mineral density of calcaneus in adults.Methods:Data of the second resurvey of China Kadoorie Biobank study from Tongxiang of Zhejiang Province were used. A total of 2 896 participants aged 44-84 years were included in the final analysis. Overweight was defined as 23.0 kg/m 2≤BMI<25.0 kg/m 2, and obesity was defined as BMI ≥25.0 kg/m 2 based on the criteria recommended by WHO/West Pacific Region. Multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate the association between BMI and calcaneus bone mineral density. Restricted cubic splines were used to investigate the dose-response relationship between BMI and calcaneus bone mineral density. Results:The calcaneus bone mineral density in the study subjects were as follow ( x± SE): the broadband ultrasound attenuation was (109.4±12.1) dB/MHz, the speed of ultrasound was (1 545.9±33.8) m/s, and the stiffness index was 85.7±15.8. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, lifestyle, waist circumference, diabetes and hypertension prevalence, BMI was positively associated with calcaneus stiffness index in non-overweight and non-obese adults, with β of 2.30 (95% CI: 1.11-3.49) for men ( P<0.001) and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.38-1.78) for women ( P=0.003), respectively. In addition, BMI was positively associated with calcaneus stiffness index in overweight and obese women ( β=0.90, 95% CI: 0.38-1.42) ( P<0.001), and null association was found in overweight and obese men ( β=0.06, 95% CI: -0.92-1.04) ( P=0.900). Restricted cubic spline model showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between BMI and calcaneus stiffness index. Conclusion:Non-linear association was found between BMI with calcaneus bone mineral density in adults.

Objective:To investigate the effect of physical activity on mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Sichuan Province.Methods:Based on baseline data from 2004 to 2008 from the China Kadoorie Biobank project site in Pengzhou City, Sichuan Province, a total of 8 501 COPD patients aged 30-79 years were enrolled and followed up for a long period to determine mortality outcomes. Quartiles were used to group physical activity levels. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the effect of physical activity level on mortality outcomes.Results:As of December 31, 2017, the cumulative follow-up of the participants totaled 85 600.58 person-years (mean follow-up duration: 10.07 years). During this period, a total of 2 000 deaths were recorded, yielding a cumulative mortality rate of 23.53%. Among these deaths, 665 were attributed to COPD, corresponding to a cumulative mortality rate of 7.82%; and 1 116 were attributed to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), corresponding to a cumulative mortality rate of 13.13%. The Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis revealed that, after adjusting for confounding factors, total physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of mortality from COPD, CVD, and all causes in patients with COPD. Compared with the low-level group of total physical activity, the medium-high-level group had the lowest risk of COPD mortality, with an HR of 0.39 (95% CI: 0.30-0.49). The high-level group had the lowest risk of CVD death and all-cause death, with HRs of 0.46 (95% CI: 0.37-0.56) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.48-0.64), respectively. The lowest risk of COPD death and CVD death was found in the medium-high level of work-based physical activity group, with HRs of 0.36 (95% CI: 0.28-0.46) and 0.43 (95% CI: 0.36-0.51), respectively; the risk of all-cause mortality was lowest in the medium-high and high-level groups, with HRs values of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.46-0.61) and 0.53 (95% CI: 0.45-0.61). The risk of COPD death was lowest in the high-level transportation physical activity group, with an HR of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.53-0.83), and the risk of CVD and all-cause death was lowest in the medium-high level group, with HRs of 0.63 (95% CI: 0.53-0.76) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.64-0.84), respectively. The risk of COPD death and CVD death was the lowest in the high-level domestic physical activity group, with HRs of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.49-0.89) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.61-0.95), respectively, and the risk of all-cause death was the lowest in the medium-high level group, with an HR of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72-0.94). There is no statistical association between leisure physical activity and the risk of death from three types of diseases. Conclusions:Total physical activity, including work-based, transportation-based, and domestic physical activity, reduced the risk of COPD, CVD, and all-cause mortality in patients with COPD in Sichuan Province. The magnitude of mortality risk was influenced by the type and level of physical activity.

Objective To observe clinical efficacy of Danggui Yinzi prescription combined with focused ultrasound in treatment of vulvar lichen sclerosus(VLS)with blood deficiency and dryness.Methods A total of 60 patients with blood deficiency and dryness VLS hospitalized in Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 2023 to September 2024 were selected as study subjects,they were divided into control group(n=30)and treatment group(n=30)by random number table method.Control group was treated with focused ultrasound,and treatment group was treated with oral Danggui Yinzi prescription on the basis of control group.After 1 month of treatment,symptom scores(skin lesion area,color,etc.)and clinical efficacy of two groups were compared.Results After treatment,symptom scores of two groups were lower than those before treatment,and symptom scores of treatment group were lower than those of control group.Total effective rate of treatment group was higher than that of control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Danggui Yinzi prescription combined with focused ultrasound is effective in treatment of VLS with blood deficiency and dryness,which can significantly reduce or eliminate itching symptoms and promote skin healing.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

A mounting body of research suggests that circRNAs significantly contribute to the develop-ment of myocardial fibrosis.The microarray results of human circular RNA expression profile indicated that circHERC4_041 expression increased in the myocardium of patients with heart failure,RT-qPCR a-nalysis confirmed that the myocardial expression level of circHERC4_041 in individuals with heart failure were considerably elevated compared to that in healthy organ donors.Fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)confirmed that circHERC4_041 was abundant in the cytoplasm of human cardiomyocyte AC16.Overexpression of circHERC4_041 in mouse myocardial fibroblasts(mCFs)mediated by adenovirus in-hibited the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in mCFs.Experiments involving cell proliferation,wound healing,and Transwell assays demonstrated that overexpression of circHERC4_041 suppressed the growth and mobility of mCFs(P＜0.001).Sequence analysis results suggested that circHERC4_041 con-tains potential ribosome entry sequence(IRES)and open reading frame(ORF).Western blot confirmed that circHERC4_041 could translate the 516 amino acid HERC4-516aa protein,which was mainly located in the cytoplasm of the cell.Cell functional experiments confirmed that circHERC4_041 inhibited the fi-brotic phenotype of mCFs by specifically translating HERC4-516aa(P＜0.05).The specific interaction between HERC4-516aa and transglutaminase 2(TGM2)was confirmed by IP-MS screening and Co-IP i-dentification.Further results found that the degradation of TGM2 was promoted through proteasome path-way.The overexpression of TGM2 in mCFs facilitated by adenoviral vectors could counteract the suppres-sive effects of HERC4-516aa on the fibrotic phenotype of mCFs.Therefore,this study confirmed that the HERC4-516aa protein translated by circHERC4_041 can specifically bind to TGM2 to inhibit the fibrotic phenotype of myocardial fibroblasts.