Objective To evaluate the value of pre-ascent 6-minute walking test performed at a high altitude in predicting the incidence of acute mountain sickness(AMS)induced by rapid ascent to a very high altitude.Methods After baseline information was collected,participants completed the 6-minute walking test at a high altitude of 2 900 m.Then,they rapidly ascended to a very high altitude of 5 000 m.The Lake Louise score was recorded to assess AMS.Results The AMS group showed a shorter pre-ascent 6-minute walking distance(6MWD)at the high altitude than the non-AMS group[480.00(450.00,521.75)m vs.546.00(516.50,568.50)m,P=0.006].No difference was observed regarding the pre-ascent heart rate or peripheral oxygen saturation(both P>0.05).The pre-ascent 6MWD at the high altitude was negatively correlated with the Lake Louise score assessed after rapid ascent to the very high altitude(r=-0.497,P=0.012).Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the pre-ascent 6MWD at the high altitude was associated with the risk of AMS induced by rapid ascent to the very high altitude(OR=0.971,95% CI=0.947-0.996,P=0.022).The results indicated that the pre-ascent 6MWD demonstrated ideal prediction performance(area under receiver operating characteristic curve=0.846,P=0.006).Conclusion The pre-ascent 6MWD recorded at the high altitude is a convenient and reliable predictor of the AMS induced by rapid ascent to the very high altitude.
Humans ; Altitude Sickness/diagnosis* ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Acute Disease ; Walk Test ; Walking ; Altitude ; Exercise Test

Nitrogen oxides(NOx=NO+NO2)are important precursors of ozone(O3),and NOx and its oxides together constitute reactive nitrogen oxides(NOy)in the atmosphere.A comprehensive understanding of the total NOy level in the atmosphere is of great significance for a deeper understanding of the atmospheric nitrogen cycle and oxidation,as well as for formulating strategies for air pollution prevention and control.In this work,a thermal decomposition-broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy(TD-BBCEAS)technique for online measurement of total NOy in the atmosphere was developed.With this method,the NOy was efficiently converted into NO2,and the total NOy concentration in the atmosphere was indirectly obtained by measuring NO2.Focusing on the key factors affecting the measurement of total NOy,the influence of NO titration efficiency and other NOy component TD efficiency on measurement accuracy was emphasized.By changing the oxygen(O2)flow rate through the mercury lamp to alter the O3 concentration for titrating NO,the conversion efficiency of NO was evaluated.At O2 flow rate of 6 mL/min,the conversion efficiency of NO was greater than 99%.TD efficiency testing and analysis on NO2,peroxyacetyl nitrate(PAN),nitric acid(HNO3),and nitrous acid(HONO),which account for a large proportion of atmospheric NOy components,was carried out using 680℃as the optimal TD temperature for efficient conversion of NOy.With NO and HONO sample gases as typical verification gases,the conversion efficiency of NOy and the accuracy of NOy measurement by TD-BBCEAS system were verified by switching the on and off modes of mercury lamp and TD device.At integration time of 60 s,the detection limit of the system for NOy was 2.83×1010 molecules/cm3(60 s,2σ).A comparative measurement of actual atmospheric NOy was conducted between the TD-BBCEAS system and the NOy analyzer.The observation results showed a correlation coefficient(R2)of 0.98 and a slope of 0.93,further verifying the feasibility and accuracy of applying the TD-BBCEAS system to measurement of total NOy.

Objective To investigate the relationship and potential pathways between metal(loid)exposure and the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)in women of childbearing age. Methods This case-control study included 200 patients with PCOS(cases)and 896 non-PCOS controls with the age of 25-37 years.The concentrations of 29 metal(loid)s in the follicular fluid(FF)and clinical indicators in the serum were measured in all participants.Logistic regression analysis and mediation analysis were conducted to evaluate the associations between metal(loid)exposure and PCOS risk and investigate the possible roles of clinical indicators,respectively. Results Logistic regression analysis revealed an association between high copper levels in FF and increased PCOS risk(highest vs.lowest quartile:adjusted odds ratio=2.94,95%confidence interval:1.83-4.72).A high luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio and elevated levels of testosterone and anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)were strongly associated with increased PCOS risk induced by high copper exposure.The mediation analysis indicated a mediating effect of AMH in the association between copper exposure and PCOS risk. Conclusion Copper may affect PCOS risk through the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis,mediated by AMH.Copper exposure and internal AMH levels are important indicators for early warning of PCOS development.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of modified meibomian gland massage combined with ultrasonic atomization and drug therapy for dry eye in high-altitude military personnel.Methods A total of 180 patients(360 eyes)with dry eye who were diagnosed and treated by the medical team of General Hospital of Central Theater Command of Chinese PLA from July to October 2022 in Linzhi,Tibet(average altitude of 3100 meters)were selected as the research subjects.Patients were divided into four block groups based on the course of the disease:＜1 month,1-3 months,3-6 months,and≥6 months,and each block group was randomly assigned to control group,traditional group and modified group by random number table method,with 60 cases in each group.Control group received routine treatment(artificial tear drops and atomization fumigation);on the basis of routine treatment,traditional group underwent traditional meibomian gland massage,and modified group underwent modified meibomian gland massage.After 3 months of treatment,the scores of symptoms and signs,total effective rate,duration of treatment and incidence of adverse events were compared among the 3 groups.Results In the intra-group comparison before and after treatment,except for control group's symptom scores difference which was not statistically significant(P＞0.05),all other scores decreased significantly(P＜0.05).In the inter-group comparison after treatment,the scores of both traditional group and modified group were significantly better than those of control group(P＜0.05),but no significant difference was observed in symptom and sign scores between traditional and modified groups(P＞0.05).Compared with control group,the total effective rates of traditional group and modified group both significantly increased(P＜0.01),but there was no significant difference in total effective rate between traditional and modified groups(P＞0.05).The treatment time in modified group was significantly longer than that in control group(P＜0.05),but significantly shorter than that in traditional group(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse events was significantly lower in modified group than that in traditional group(P＜0.001).Conclusion In high-altitude areas,modified meibomian gland massage combined with ultrasonic atomization and local drug therapy for dry eye is safe and effective,non-invasiveness and easy to perform,and suitable for promoting and application in military field training.

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes,promoting the onset and progression of cancer.Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks,tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes,which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy,cancer immunotherapy,and their combinations.Herein,we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes,DNA methylation,histone post-translational modification,and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity,and introduce these epigenetic research methods.We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immuno-therapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.

Objective: To explore the clinical and imaging features of acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion(AESD) in children. Methods: For the case series study, 21 children with AESD from Peking University First Hospital, Provincial Children's Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, and Shanxi Children's Hospital who were diagnosed and treated from October 2021 to July 2023 were selected. Clinical data were collected to summarize their clinical information, imaging, and laboratory tests, as well as treatment and prognostic characteristics. Descriptive statistical analysis was applicated. Results: Of the 21 cases with AESD, 11 were males and 10 were females, with the age of onset of 2 years and 6 months (1 year and 7 months, 3 years and 6 months). Of the 21 cases, 18 were typical cases with biphasic seizures. All typical cases had early seizures within 24 hours before or after fever onset. Among them, 16 cases had generalized seizures, 2 cases had focal seizures, and 7 cases reached the status epilepticus. Of the 21 cases, 3 atypical cases had late seizures in biphasic only. The late seizures in the 21 cases occurred on days 3 to 9. The types of late seizures included focal seizures in 12 cases, generalized seizures in 6 cases, and both focal and generalized seizures in 3 cases. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) test on days 3 to 11 showed reduced diffusion of subcortical white matter which was named "bright tree sign" in all cases. The diffuse cerebral atrophy predominantly presented in the front-parietal-temporal lobes was found in 19 cases between day 12 and 3 months after the onset of the disease. Among 21 cases, 20 had been misdiagnosed as autoimmune encephalitis, central nervous system infection, febrile convulsions, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy syndrome. All the cases received high-dose gammaglobulin and methylprednisolone pulse therapy with poor therapeutic effect. By July 2023, 18 cases were under follow-up. Among them, 17 cases were left with varying degrees of neurologic sequelae, including 11 cases with post-encephalopathic epilepsy; 1 recovered completely. Conclusions: AESD is characterized by biphasic seizures clinically and "bright tree sign" on DWI images. Symptomatic and supportive treatments are recommended. The immunotherapy is ineffective. The prognosis of AESD is poor, with a high incidence of neurological sequelae and a low mortality.
Male ; Female ; Child ; Humans ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome/complications* ; Seizures/etiology* ; Brain Diseases/diagnostic imaging* ; Status Epilepticus ; Seizures, Febrile/diagnostic imaging*

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of preoperative inflammatory and nutritional condition detection in the postoperative survival, and establish a prognostic model for predicting the survival of patients with gastric cancer. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 1123 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone radical gastrectomy in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital from January 2005 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with history of other malignancy, with history of gastrectomy, who had received preoperative treatment, who died during the initial hospital stay or first postoperative month, and missing clinical and pathological information were excluded. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent clinicopathological factors associated with the survival of these gastric cancer patients. Cox univariate analysis was used to identify preoperative inflammatory and nutritional indexes related to the survival of patients with gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy. Moreover, the Cox proportional regression model for multivariate survival analysis (forward stepwise regression method based on maximum likelihood estimation) was used. The independent clinicopathological factors that affect survival were incorporated into the following three new prognostic models: (1) an inflammatory model: significant preoperative inflammatory indexes identified through clinical and univariate analysis; (2) a nutritional model: significant preoperative nutritional indexes identified through clinical and univariate analysis; and (3) combined inflammatory/nutritional model: significant preoperative inflammatory and nutritional indexes identified through clinical and univariate analysis. A model that comprised only pT and pN stages in tumor TNM staging was used as a control model. The integrated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (iAUC) and C-index were used to evaluate the discrimination of the model. Model fitting was evaluated by Akaike information criterion analysis. Calibration curves were used to assess agreement between the predicted probabilities and actual probabilities at 3-year or 5-year overall survival (OS). Results: The study cohort comprised 1 123 patients with gastric cancer. The mean age was 58.9±11.6 years, and 783 were males. According to univariate analysis, age, surgical procedure, extent of lymph node dissection, tumor location, maximum tumor size, number of examined lymph nodes, pT stage, pN stage, and nerve invasion were associated with 5-year OS after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer (all P<0.050). Multivariate analysis further identified age (HR: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.03-1.36, P=0.019), maximum tumor size (HR: 1.19, 95%CI: 1.03-1.38, P=0.022), number of examined lymph nodes (HR: 0.79, 95%CI: 0.68-0.92, P=0.003), pT stage (HR: 1.40, 95%CI: 1.26-1.55, P<0.001) and pN stage (HR: 1.28, 95%CI: 1.21-1.35, P<0.001) as independent prognostic factors for OS of gastric cancer patients. Additionally, according to univariate survival analysis, the preoperative inflammatory markers of neutrophil count, percentage of neutrophils, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/neutrophil ratio and preoperative nutritional indicators of serum albumin and body mass index were potential prognostic factors for gastric cancer (all P<0.05). On the basis of the above results, three models for prediction of prognosis were constructed. Variables included in the three models are as follows. (1) Inflammatory model: age, maximum tumor size, number of examined lymph nodes, pT stage, pN stage, percentage of neutrophils, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio; (2) nutritional model: age, maximum tumor size, number of examined lymph nodes, pT stage, pN stage, and serum albumin; and (3) combined inflammatory/nutritional model: age, maximum tumor size, number of examined lymph nodes, pT stage, pN stage, percentage of neutrophils, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and serum albumin. We found that the predictive accuracy of the combined inflammatory/nutritional model, which incorporates both inflammatory indicators and nutrition indicators (iAUC: 0.676, 95% CI: 0.650-0.719, C-index: 0.698),was superior to that of the inflammation model (iAUC: 0.662, 95% CI: 0.673-0.706;C-index: 0.675), nutritional model (iAUC: 0.666, 95% CI: 0.642-0.698, C-index: 0.672), and TNM staging control model (iAUC: 0.676, 95% CI: 0.650-0.719, C-index: 0.658). Furthermore, the combined inflammatory/nutritional model had better fitting performance (AIC: 10 762) than the inflammatory model (AIC: 10 834), nutritional model (AIC: 10 810), and TNM staging control model (AIC: 10 974). Conclusions: Preoperative percentage of neutrophils, NLR, and BMI have predictive value for the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. The inflammatory / nutritional model can be used to predict the survival and prognosis of gastric cancer patients on an individualized basis.
Male ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Female ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoplasm Staging ; Gastrectomy ; Serum Albumin

Aim To explore the protective effects of ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLPS) on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the underlying mechanism. Methods Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group, EAE model group and GLPS group (5 mg • kg

Objective: To understand the distribution and characteristics of suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning reported online by Jiangsu Province, and to track the final diagnosis of suspected cases. Methods: The suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning cases in Jiangsu Province reported online from 2014 to 2018 were collected as the survey objects. Based on the reporting of the Occupational Disease Report Card from January 1, 2014 to November 5, 2019, the distribution characteristics and reporting institutions of suspected cases and final confirmed cases were analyzed. Results: From 2014 to 2018, 312 cases of suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning were reported online in Jiangsu Province. There were significant differences in the number of online reported cases of occupational chronic lead poisoning, online reported cases of suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning and confirmed cases of suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning in different years (P<0.05) , especially in 2015. Among the suspected occupational lead poisoning cases reported online, 236 cases (75.6%) were male, mainly distributed in the manufacturing industry, and 246 cases (79.1%) were operators. All the suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning cases reported online were concentrated in private enterprises, 229 cases (73.4%) in small and medium-sized enterprises. The top three cities were Suqian with 111 cases (35.6%) , Yangzhou with 79 cases (25.3%) and Huai'an with 50 cases (16.0%) . From 2014 to 2018, 19 suspected cases of occupational chronic lead poisoning were finally confirmed in Jiangsu Province, with a diagnosis rate of 6.1%. Conclusion: The majority of suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning cases reported online in Jiangsu Province are men, manufacturing and small and medium-sized enterprises, and the final diagnosis rate of suspected occupational chronic lead poisoning cases reported online is low.
China/epidemiology* ; Cities ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; Lead Poisoning/epidemiology* ; Male ; Manufacturing Industry ; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology*

Objective: To compare the effects of three treatment options: emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery, on the pathological characteris- tics of surgically-resected specimens from patients with completely obstructive colorectal cancer. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study analyzing clinicopathological data of patients with complete obstructive colorectal cancer who were admitted to the General Surgery Department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, between May 2012 and August 2020. The inclusion criteria were diagnosed with complete colorectal obstruction, pathologically confirmed as adenocarcinoma, resectable on imaging assessment, and without distant metastasis, combined with the patients' clinical manifestations and imaging examination findings. Patients with multiple colorectal cancers, refusal to undergo surgery, and concurrent peritonitis or intestinal perforation before stenting of the intestinal obstruction were excluded. Eighty-nine patients with completely obstructive colorectal cancer were enrolled in the study and were divided into emergency surgery group (n=30), stent-surgery group (n=34), and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy- surgery group (n=25) according to the treatment strategy. Differences in the pathological features (namely perineural infiltration, lymphovascular infiltration, tumor deposits, specimen intravascular necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, abscesses, mucus lake formation, foreign body giant cells, calcification, and tumor cell ratio) and biomolecular markers (namely cluster of differentiation (CD)34, Ki67, Bcl-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and hypoxia-inducible factor alpha) were recorded. Pathological evaluation was based on the presence or absence of qualitative evaluation of pathological features, such as peripheral nerve infiltration, vascular infiltration, and cancer nodules within the specimens. The evaluation criteria for the pathological features of the specimens were as follows: Semi-quantitative graded evaluation based on the proportion of tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltrates, abscesses, mucus lake formation, foreign body giant cells, calcification, and tumor cells in the field of view within the specimen were classified as: grade 0: not seen within the specimen; grade 1: 0-25%; grade 2: 25%-50%; grade 3: 50%-75%; and grade 4: 75%-100%. The intensity of cellular immunity was classified as none (0 points), weak (1 point), moderate (2 points), and strong (3 points). The two evaluation scores were then multiplied to obtain a total score of 0-12. The immunohistochemical results were also evaluated comprehensively, and the results were defined as: negative (grade 0): 0 points; weakly positive (grade 1): 1-3 points; moderately positive (grade 2): 4-6 points; strongly positive (grade 3): 7-9 points; and very strong positive (grade 4): 10-12 points. Normally-distributed values were expressed as mean±standard deviation, and one-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences between the groups. Non-normally-distributed values were expressed as median (interquartile range: Q1, Q3). A nonparametric test (Kruskal-Wallis H test) was used for comparisons between groups. Results: The differences were not statistically significant when comparing the baseline data for age, gender, tumor site, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, tumor T-stage, N-stage, and degree of differentiation among the three groups (all P>0.05). The differences were not statistically significant when comparing the pathological characteristics of the resected tumor specimens, such as foreign body giant cells, inflammatory infiltration, and mucus lake formation among the three groups (all P>0.05). The rates of vascular infiltration were 56.6% (17/30), 41.2% (15/34), and 20.0% (5/25) in the emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent- neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups, respectively, with statistically significant differences between the groups (χ²=7.142, P=0.028). Additionally, the rate of vascular infiltration was significantly lower in the stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery group than that in the emergency surgery group (P=0.038). Peripheral nerve infiltration rates were 55.3% (16/30), 41.2% (14/34), and 16.0% (4/25), in the emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups, respectively, with statistically significant differences (χ²=7.735, P=0.021). The infiltration peripheral nerve rates in the stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery group were significantly lower than those in the emergency surgery group (P=0.032). The necrosis grade was 2 (1, 2), 2 (1, 3), and 2 (2, 3) in the emergency surgery, stent- surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups, respectively, with statistically significant differences (H=10.090, P=0.006). Post hoc comparison revealed that the necrosis grade was higher in the stent-surgery and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups compared with the emergency surgery group (both P<0.05). The abscess grade was 2 (1, 2), 3 (1, 3), and 2 (2, 3) in the emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups, respectively, with statistically significant differences (H=6.584, P=0.037). Post hoc comparison revealed that the abscess grade in the emergency surgery group was significantly lower than that in the stent-surgery group (P=0.037). The fibrosis grade was 2 (1, 3), 3 (2, 3), and 3 (2, 3), in the emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups, respectively, with statistically significant differences (H=11.078, P=0.004). Post hoc analysis revealed that the fibrosis degree was higher in both the stent-surgery group and the stent- neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery group compared with the emergency surgery group (both, P<0.05). The tumor cell ratio grades were 4 (3, 4), 4 (3, 4), and 3 (2, 4), in the emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups, respectively, with statistically significant differences (H=8.594, P=0.014). Post hoc analysis showed that the tumor cell ratio in the stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery group was significantly lower than that in the emergency surgery group (P=0.012). The CD34 grades were 2 (2, 3), 3 (2, 4), and 3 (2, 3) in the emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (H=9.786, P=0.007). Post hoc analysis showed that the CD34 grades in the emergency surgery, stent-surgery, and stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery groups were 2 (2, 3), 3 (2, 4), and 3 (2,3), respectively. Post hoc analysis revealed that the CD34 concentration was higher in the stent-surgery group than that in the emergency surgery group (P=0.005). Conclusion: Stenting may increase the risk of distant metastases in obstructive colorectal cancer. The stent-neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery treatment model promotes tumor cell necrosis and fibrosis and reduces the proportion of tumor cells, vascular infiltration, and peripheral nerve infiltration, which may help decrease local tumor infiltration and distant metastasis in completely obstructive colorectal cancer after stent placement.
Humans ; Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods* ; Abscess ; Retrospective Studies ; Intestinal Obstruction/etiology* ; Stents ; Colorectal Neoplasms/therapy* ; Necrosis