INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading global health concern. Modifiable behavioral risk factors are increasingly recognized in young adults, especially among medical students who often live independently. This study investigated the association between living alone and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors—sleep quality, sodium intake, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI)—among medical students at UERMMMCI during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Researchers conducted an analytical cross-sectional study among 220 medical students. Validated tools were used: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Scored Sodium Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and BMI classification. Researchers performed statistical analyses using Chi-square tests and calculated relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals.

A significant positive association was found between living alone and poor sleep quality (RR 2.132 p = 0.047). No significant associations were observed between living alone and sodium intake (RR 0.96 p = 0.6868), physical activity (RR 1.18 p = 0.2239), or BMI (RR 1.03 p = 0.7367).

Among the studied cardiovascular risk factors, only poor sleep quality was significantly more prevalent among students living alone. These findings highlight the importance of interventions targeting sleep hygiene in this demographic.

The chemical constituents of sesquiterpenes from 95% ethanol extract of Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum were isolated and purified by various column chromatography techniques, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, octadecylsilyl(ODS), and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Their planar structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by ultraviolet(UV) spectrometry, infrared(IR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry(MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR), electronic circular dichroism(ECD), and other techniques. Eight sesquiterpenoids were isolated and identified as(+)-(7R,10R)-selina-4,11-dien-12-dimethoxy-15-al(1),(+)-(7R,10R)-selina-4,11-diene-12,15-dial(2), agalleudesmanol B(3), aquisinenoid C(4), 12,15-dioxo-α-selinen(5), agarospiranic aldehyde B(6), neopetasane(7), and eremophila-7(11),9-dien-8-one(8). Compound 1 was a new compound, and it was the first time to find a dimethoxy substitution on the side chain of eudesmane-type sesquiterpene skeleton.
Sesquiterpenes/isolation & purification* ; Thymelaeaceae/chemistry* ; Molecular Structure ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the pillar for the development of motherland medicine, and animal medicine has a long history of application in China, characterized by wide resources, strong activity, definite efficacy, and great benefits. It has significant potential and important status in the consumption market of raw materials of TCM. In the context of global climate change, farming system alterations, and low renewability, the depletion of wild medicinal animal resources has accelerated. Accordingly, the conservation and sustainable utilization of wild resources of animal medicinal materials has become a problem that garners increasing attention and urgently needs to be solved. This paper summarizes the current situation of domestic and foreign medicinal animal breeding and research progress in industrial application in recent years and points out the issues related to standardized breeding, germplasm selection and breeding, and quality evaluation standards for medicinal animals. Furthermore, this paper discusses standardized breeding, quality standards, resource protection and utilization, and the search for alternative resources for rare and endangered medicinal animals. It proposes that researchers should systematically carry out in-depth basic research on animal medicine, improve the breeding scale and level of medicinal animals, employ modern technology to enhance the quality standards of medicinal materials, and strengthen the research and development of alternative resources. This approach aims to effectively address the relationship between protection and utilization and make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of medicinal animal resources and the animal-based Chinese medicinal material industry.
Animals ; Breeding ; China ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Conservation of Natural Resources

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease. Its pathological process is related to inflammatory response, chondrocyte apoptosis, and cartilage degeneration. Hippo-yes-associate protein(YAP) signaling pathway plays an important role in mediating organ size and tissue homeostasis. In recent years, the key effector protein YAP in the Hippo-YAP pathway has become a research hotspot in osteoarthritis. This article introduces the activation process of Hippo-YAP signaling pathway and the biological role of YAP. It reviews the progress of YAP in regulating osteoarthritis by influencing the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of articular chondrocytes. It analyzed the problems encountered in YAP research in OA, introduces the research potential of YAP in other orthopedic diseases, and provides new ideas for subsequent research in Osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis/metabolism* ; Humans ; Signal Transduction ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/physiology* ; Hippo Signaling Pathway ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/physiology* ; Animals ; Transcription Factors ; Chondrocytes/cytology* ; Cell Cycle Proteins

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis/blood* ; Adult ; Pelvic Pain/blood* ; Metabolomics ; Prostate/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Pain/blood* ; Metabolome ; Case-Control Studies ; Tryptophan/blood* ; Depression/blood* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology*

Background Improper settings of outdoor smoking points in public places may increase the risk of secondhand smoke exposure among the population. Conducting research on air pollution in and around smoking spots and related influencing factors can provide valuable insights for optimizing the setting of outdoor smoking points. Objective To investigate the influence of the number of smokers at outdoor smoking points and the distance on the diffusion characteristics of surrounding air pollutants, in order to optimize the setting of outdoor smoking points. Methods Surrounding the exhibition halls in the China International Import Expo (CIIE), two outdoor smoking points were randomly selected, one on the first floor (ground level) and the other on the second floor (16 m above ground), respectively. At 0, 3, 6, and 9 m from the smoking points in the same direction, validated portable air pollutant monitors were used to measure the real-time fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations for consecutive 5 d during the exhibition, as well as the environmental meteorological factors at 0 m with weather meters including wind speed, wind direction, and air pressure. An open outdoor atmospheric background sampling point was selected on each of the two floors to carry out parallel sampling. Simultaneously, the number of smokers at each smoking point were double recorded per minute. The relationships between the number of smokers, distance from the smoking points, and ambient PM_2.5 and CO₂ concentrations were evaluated by generalized additive regression models for time-series data after adjustment of confounders such as temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Results The median numbers of smokers at smoking points on the first and second floors were 6 [interquartile range (IQR): 3, 9] and 9 (IQR: 6, 13), respectively. Windless (wind speed <0.6 m·s⁻¹) occupied most of the time (85.9%) at both locations. The average concentration of ambient PM_2.5 at the smoking points (0 m) [mean ± standard deviation, (106±114) μg·m⁻³] was 4.2 times higher than that of the atmospheric background [(25±7) μg·m⁻³], the PM_2.5 concentration showed a gradient decline with the increase of distance from the smoking points, and the average PM_2.5 concentration at 9 m points [(35±22) μg·m⁻³] was close to the background level (1.4 times higher). The maximum concentration of CO₂ [(628±23) μmol·mol⁻¹] was observed at 0 m, and its average value was 1.3 times higher than that of the atmospheric background [(481±40) μmol·mol⁻¹], and there was no gradient decrease in CO₂ concentration with increasing distance at 0, 3, 6, and 9 m points. The regression analyses showed that, taking smoking point as the reference, every 3 m increase in distance was associated with a decrease of ambient PM_2.5 by 24.6 [95% confidence interval (95%CI): 23.5, 25.8] μg·m⁻³ (23.2%) and CO₂ by 54.1 (95%CI: 53.1, 55.1) μmol·mol⁻¹ (8.6%). Every one extra smoker at the smoking point was associated with an average increase of PM_2.5 and CO₂ by 2.0 (95%CI: 1.7, 2.8) μg·m⁻³ and 1.0 (95%CI: 0.7，1.2) μmol·mol⁻¹, respectively. The sensitivity analysis indicated that, under windless conditions, the concentrations of PM_2.5 and CO₂ at the smoking points were even higher but the decreasing and dispersion characteristics remained consistent. Conclusion Outdoor smoking points could significantly increase the PM_2.5 concentrations in the surrounding air and the risks of secondhand smoke exposure, despite of the noticeable decreasing trend with increasing distance. Considering the inevitable poor dispersion conditions such as windless and light wind, outdoor smoking points are recommended to be set at least 9 m or farther away from non-smoking areas.

On May 25, 2024, Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation released Shanghai local standard Requirements for Outdoor Smoking Areas Setting Up and Management (DB 31/T 1482‒2024) (hereinafter referred to as Standard), which scheduled for official implementation from September 1, 2024. This article provided an interpretation of the key provisions in the Standard, with a particular emphasis on the scope of application, establishment and management requirements. In addition, the significance and potential difficulties and challenges during subsequent implementation of the Standard was summarized and outlined simultaneously, so as to provide a guarantee for users to fully comprehend and effectively implement the Standard.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and safety of low-dose azacitidine in the treatment of senile myelodys-plastic syndromes(MDS).Methods:A total of 92 elderly MDS patients who were initially diagnosed in the Huaibei Miners General Hospital and the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2018 to June 2022 were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group with 46 patients in each group.The observation group received a low dose of azacitidine 100 mg/d,dl-7,28 days as a course of treatment,6 courses in total,and the control group received a standard dose of azacitidine 75 mg(m2·d),d1-7,28 days as a course of treatment,a total of 6 courses of treatment.The clinical efficacy,overall survival(OS)and adverse reactions of the two groups of patients were observed.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the clinical data between the two groups(P＞0.05).After treatment,the hemoglobin and platelet levels of the two groups of patients were significantly higher than before treatment in each group(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in leukocyte,hemoglobin and platelet levels between patients in the observation group and control group(P＞0.05).The number of cases with complete remission,partial remission,hematological remission,disease stabilization and disease progression in the observation group were 4,10,22,6 and 4,respectively,with a total effective rate of 78.26％.The numbers of cases with complete remission,partial remission,hematological remission,disease stabilization and disease progression in control group were 8,12,18,4 and 4,respectively,with a total effective rate of 82.61％.The total effective rate of patients in the observation group was slightly lower than that of the control group(x2=0.457,P=0.254).There was no significant difference between the two treatment schemes in the treatment of patients with blood transfusion dependence and patients with low risk,medium risk and high risk(P＞0.05).It takes 4 and 6 courses of treatment to achieve the best treatment response in the control group and observation group respectively.There was no significant difference in OS between the two groups(P＞0.05).In the observation group,there were 4,6 and 2 cases of infection,Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reaction,respectively,with the incidence rate of adverse events being 26.09％.In the control group,there were 6,16 and 6 cases of infection,Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reaction,respectively,with the adverse event rate was 60.87％.The incidence of adverse events in the control group was significantly higher than that in the observation group(x2=7.095,P=0.036).Conclusion:Elderly patients with MDS have poor tolerance to chemotherapy.Reducing azacitidine in the treatment of elderly MDS patients shows good efficacy and safety.

Objective To explore the medication rules in the patented Chinese medicine(CM)compound formulas for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases,and to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases.Methods CM compound formulas for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases were collected from the national patent database.After data screening and standardization,R language was used for data mining.Results A total of 429 patented CM compound formulas were included,involving 846 Chinese medicinals.There were 26 kinds of high-frequency Chinese medicinals,and the top 10 frequently-used drugs were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Scutellariae Radix,Forsythiae Fructus,Platycodonis Radix,Stemonae Radix,Armeniacae Semen Amarum,Astragali Radix,Bupleuri Radix,and Menthae Haplocalycis Herba.Most of the high-frequency Chinese medicinals were heat-clearing and toxin-removing drugs and qi-replenishing drugs.The medicinal properties of the patented CM compound formulas were usually cold,the medicinal flavors were usually bitter,sweet and pungent,and mostly had the meridian tropism of lung meridian.The association rule analysis yieled 19 core association rules and multiple drug combinations.Three drug clusters were obtained after cluster analysis.Conclusion For the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases,patented CM compound formulas are commonly formulated following the principles of compatibility of cold and warm drugs,compatibility of drugs for dispersing and descending,usually have the actions of dispersing pathogens in the lung,clearing heat and removing toxins,and also have the actions of replenishing qi and harmonizing the middle energizer,and nourishing yin and moistening dryness.The formulas have the efficiency of eliminating pathogens while not hurting the healthy qi,and strengthening the healthy qi while not maintaining pathogens.