Objective: To explore the association between meat consumption and anxiety symptoms in first year junior high school students in Yunnan Province, and to provide theoretical support for preventing and relieving anxiety symptoms in junior high school students. Methods: From October to December 2022, a random cluster sampling method was used to select 8 500 first year junior high school students from 11 counties in Yunnan Province as the survey subjects for a questionnaire survey. The study used Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) to assess the meat consumption and anxiety symptoms of junior high school students.The distribution differences in anxiety symptoms among first year junior high school students with different demographic characteristics were analyzed statistically by using the Chi-square test,and the association between meat consumption and anxiety symptoms in students was analyzed by using a generalized linear model. Results: The detection rate of anxiety symptoms was 48.47%. After controlling for demographic variables and confounding factors, the consumption of livestock meat, poultry meat, processed meat, cured meat, barbecued meat and raw skin meat was statistically significant with anxiety symptoms ( β =-0.05, 0.04, 0.04, 0.08, 0.14, 0.17, all P <0.05). Stratified by ethnicity, The consumption of livestock meat, cured meat and barbecue was statistically correlated with anxiety symptoms in Han adolescents ( β =-0.07, 0.14, 0.22 ); the consumption of processed meat and raw skin meat was statistically correlated with anxiety symptoms in ethnic minority adolescents ( β =0.08, 0.18) (all P <0.05). Conclusions There is a statistical association between meat comsumption and the risk of anxiety symptoms in first year junior high school students in Yunnan Province. Guidance on meat consumption should be strengthened to prevent the occurrence of anxiety symptoms.

With the accelerated global population aging and urbanization, cognitive dysfunction has become a major public health challenge. Epidemiological evidence indicates that long-term exposure to particulate matter and environmental noise are independent risk factors for cognitive decline, and recent studies suggest that their combined exposure may exert a synergistic amplifying effect. This review summarized the progress in epidemiological research on the impacts of particulate matter and noise exposure on cognitive function, specifically focusing on the synergistic effects of their combined exposure. Furthermore, it outlined common biological mechanisms such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular endothelial damage. However, while existing studies have preliminarily revealed the synergistic effects of combined particulate matter and noise exposure on cognitive function, the conclusions remain heterogeneous, and the investigation of underlying mechanisms is still insufficient. Future research should prioritize refined exposure assessment, long-term cohort studies, and specific high-exposure occupational scenarios, and carry out further in-depth investigations, thereby providing a basis for health risk assessment and the development of intervention strategies.

Atherosclerosis is a complex pathological condition resulting from lipid deposition， chronic inflammatory responses， and fibrosis， with a prolonged disease course and multifactorial etiology. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory of accumulation syndrome， atherosclerosis can be classified under this category， with its pathogenesis involving phlegm， blood stasis， deficiency， and accumulation. This paper proposed a stage-based intervention strategy using the four therapeutic principles of "attacking， supplementing， dispersing， dissipating"， and divided into six stages based on the pathological progression， including the stage of accumulation before formation， the stage of accumulation already formed， the stage of nucleus accumulation， the stage of nucleus accumulation decay， the stage of nucleus accumulation consolidation， and the stage of severe stenosis of nucleus. At different stages， the intervention focuses on reinforcing healthy qi and consolidating the root， tonifying the kidneys and spleen， dispersing and removing turbidity， removing phlegm stagnation， promoting qi circulation， dispersing accumulations and removing stasis， attacking accumulation and expelling stasis， directing the turbid downward and dispersing accumulation， and treatment would be adjusted based on specific symptoms， which provides a theoretical framework for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis with TCM.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.

Objective To develop an automated bone mineral density(BMD)assessment model based on proximal femur images from abdomen-pelvic CT scans and to analyze its application value in opportunistic osteoporosis(OP)screening.Methods A retrospective selection was conducted on 351 patients who underwent abdomen-pelvic plain CT examination.The patients were randomly divided into training set(n=245)and test set(n=106)in a ratio of 7∶3.All images were transferred to a quantitative computed tomography(QCT)post-processing workstation to measure the BMD of the left proximal femur.According to the QCT BMD T-score,the patients were divided into osteoporosis(T-score-2.5),osteopenia(-2.5＜T-score＜-1)and normal bone density(T-score≥-1).The left proximal femur was dissected using an automatic segmentation model,and two three-class BMD assessment radiomics models were constructed using random forest(RF)and logistic regression(LR)classifiers,respectively.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were generated,and the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,specificity and other metrics were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the two models.The DeLong test was used to compare differences between the models.Results In the test set,the AUC of the RF and LR models for identifying osteoporosis were 0.953 and 0.954,respectively.The AUC for identifying osteopenia were 0.894 and 0.870,and the AUC for identifying normal bone density were 0.975 and 0.982,respectively.The comparison of model performance showed no statistically significant differences between the RF and LR models in identifying the three bone states in both the training and test sets(P＞0.05).Conclusion Both the RF and LR radiomics models,constructed based on abdomen-pelvic plain CT scans,can be used for opportunistic BMD screening with high diagnostic efficiency.

Objective:To study the relationship between urinary arsenic methylation metabolism patterns and skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities in population exposed to arsenic through drinking water.Methods:Using a cross-sectional study method, a survey on endemic arsenic poisoning was conducted among permanent residents of drinking water endemic arsenic poisoning areas in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2004 (before water improvement). In 2017 (after water improvement), 71 arsenic exposed individuals were followed up as survey subjects. According to the "Diagnosis of Endemic Arsenism" (WS/T 211-2015), the clinical grading of skin injuries (skin keratinization, pigmentation abnormalities) in the survey subjects was evaluated. Urine samples were collected for detection of arsenic methylation metabolite levels by high-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and calibrated with urinary creatinine. The changes and amplitudes of urinary arsenic methylation indicators before and after water improvement were calculated and analyzed according to the outcome of skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities which were divided into reduced, unchanged, and added groups.Results:(1) The changes in urinary total arsenic (TAs), inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethyl arsenic (MMA), and dimethyl arsenic (DMA) levels in different outcome groups of skin keratinization were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 9.08, 8.77, 9.28, 8.57, P < 0.05). The changes in urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, DMA levels, iAs percentage (iAs%), DMA percentage (DMA%), and primary methylation index (PMI) in different outcome groups of skin pigmentation abnormalities were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 8.04, 10.67, 8.29, 9.14, 6.30, 9.10, 7.20, P < 0.05). (2) The comparison of amplitudes in urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, and DMA levels in different outcome groups of skin keratinization showed statistically significant differences ( H = 6.92, 7.34, 6.66, 6.16, P < 0.05). The amplitudes in urinary iAs level, iAs%, DMA%, and PMI in different outcome groups of skin pigmentation abnormalities were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 7.94, 7.61, 9.95, 7.22, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The changes pattern of urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, DMA, iAs%, DMA%, and PMI in population exposed to arsenic through drinking water is related to the transformation of skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of curative esophagectomy versus definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) in patients with clinical T1bN0M0 thoracic esophageal cancer.Methods:The propensity score matching (PSM) and retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinico-pathological data of 163 patients with clinical T1bN0M0 thoracic esophageal cancer who were admitted to Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2014 to December 2020 were collected. There were 125 males and 38 females, aged (58.9±7.0)years. Of 163 patients, 124 cases undergoing curative transthoracic esophagectomy were allocated into the radical resection group, 39 cases undergoing dCRT were allocated into the dCRT group. Observation indicators:(1) PSM and compari-son of clinicopathological characteristics of patients between the two groups after matching; (2) complications in the radical resection group and treatment status in the dCRT group; (3) survival analysis; (4) analysis of factors influencing patients′ prognosis. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution between groups was conducted using the Welch t test. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Comparison of ordinal data was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and plot survival curve, and Log-rank test was used for survival analysis. PSM was performed using the 2∶1 nearest neighbor matching method. The caliper value was set as 0.05. Results:(1) PSM and comparison of clinicopathological charac-teristics of patients between the two groups after matching. Of the 163 patients, 117 cases were successfully matched, with 78 cases in the radical resection group and 39 cases in the dCRT group. After PSM, the elimination of tumor differentiation degree confounding bias ensured comparability. (2) Complications in the radical resection group and treatment status in the dCRT group.Among the 78 patients in the curative esophagectomy group, 22 cases developed complications within 30 days after surgery. There was no death within 30 days after surgery. Among the 39 patients in the dCRT group, 25 cases received concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone, 8 cases received induction chemo-therapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 3 cases received sequential chemoradiotherapy, and 3 cases received radiotherapy alone. Among the 33 patients who received concurrent chemo-radiotherapy, 29 cases were treated with the XP regimen, and 4 cases with the FP regimen. Efficacy evaluation showed that 37 patients achieved complete remission, and 2 patients had residual lesions. Twenty-two patients developed treatment-related adverse reactions. (3) Survival analysis. After PSM, the follow-up duration was 58(range, 13-125)months in the radical resection group and 56(range, 10-129)months in the dCRT group. The postoperative 5-year overall survival rates were 95.7% and 97.1% in the radical resection group and dCRT group, respectively, showing no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=0.001, P>0.05). The postoperative 5-year disease-free progression survival rates were 88.2% and 94.2% in the radical resection group and dCRT group, respectively, showing no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=0.652, P>0.05). (4) Analysis of factors influencing patients prognosis. Age and pathological TNM stage were indepen-dent influencing factors for overall survival time in patients with clinical T1bN0M0 thoracic esophageal cancer ( hazard ratio=1.312, 2.945, 95% confidence interval as 1.042-1.711, 2.204-5.517, P<0.05). Age and pathological TNM stage were independent influencing factors for disease-free survival time in patients with clinical T1bN0M0 thoracic esophageal cancer ( hazard ratio=1.215, 3.301, 95% confidence interval as 1.012-1.699, 2.012-6.321, P<0.05). Conclusions:There is no significant difference in overall survival and disease-free survival between patients with clinical T1bN0M0 thoracic esophageal cancer undergoing curative esophagectomy and dCRT. The treatment modality is not an independent prognostic factor.

Gallbladder cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy of the biliary system, often diagnosed at the advanced stage due to its insidious early symptoms, leading to poor overall progno-sis. In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and their inte-gration into medicine have opened new avenues for the early diagnosis and precision treatment of gallbladder cancer. Currently, AI incorporating deep learning algorithm has significantly improved diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in ultrasound, computed tomography, and pathological analysis. However, clinical translation of AI models remains limited by challenges such as insufficient annota-ted data and limited model interpretability. Future research should focus on establishing multi-center data-sharing mechanisms, developing interpretability tools, and optimizing multimodal data integration strategies, thereby promoting the transformation of AI technologies from an auxiliary diagnostic tool to a core component of clinical decision-making.