ObjectiveTobacco-related diseases remain one of the leading preventable public health challenges worldwide and are among the primary causes of premature death. In recent years, accumulating evidence has supported the classification of nicotine addiction as a chronic brain disease, profoundly affecting both brain structure and function. Despite the urgency, effective diagnostic methods for smoking addiction remain lacking, posing significant challenges for early intervention and treatment. To address this issue and gain deeper insights into the neural mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence, this study proposes a novel graph neural network framework, termed TI-GNN. This model leverages functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify complex and subtle abnormalities in brain connectivity patterns associated with smoking addiction. MethodsThe study utilizes fMRI data to construct functional connectivity matrices that represent interaction patterns among brain regions. These matrices are interpreted as graphs, where brain regions are nodes and the strength of functional connectivity between them serves as edges. The proposed TI-GNN model integrates a Transformer module to effectively capture global interactions across the entire brain network, enabling a comprehensive understanding of high-level connectivity patterns. Additionally, a spatial attention mechanism is employed to selectively focus on informative inter-regional connections while filtering out irrelevant or noisy features. This design enhances the model’s ability to learn meaningful neural representations crucial for classification tasks. A key innovation of TI-GNN lies in its built-in causal interpretation module, which aims to infer directional and potentially causal relationships among brain regions. This not only improves predictive performance but also enhances model interpretability—an essential attribute for clinical applications. The identification of causal links provides valuable insights into the neuropathological basis of addiction and contributes to the development of biologically plausible and trustworthy diagnostic tools. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that the TI-GNN model achieves superior classification performance on the smoking addiction dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art baseline models. Specifically, TI-GNN attains an accuracy of 0.91, an F1-score of 0.91, and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.83, indicating strong robustness and reliability. Beyond performance metrics, TI-GNN identifies critical abnormal connectivity patterns in several brain regions implicated in addiction. Notably, it highlights dysregulations in the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, consistent with prior clinical and neuroimaging findings. These regions are well known for their roles in emotional regulation, reward processing, and impulse control—functions that are frequently disrupted in nicotine dependence. ConclusionThe TI-GNN framework offers a powerful and interpretable tool for the objective diagnosis of smoking addiction. By integrating advanced graph learning techniques with causal inference capabilities, the model not only achieves high diagnostic accuracy but also elucidates the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction. The identification of specific abnormal brain networks and their causal interactions deepens our understanding of addiction pathophysiology and lays the groundwork for developing targeted intervention strategies and personalized treatment approaches in the future.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

ObjectiveTo explore the establishment of performance assessment indicators for the classification and grading of public health staff in district-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs), and to provide a basis for such evaluations. MethodsThrough literature review and group interviews, performance evaluation indicators were developed based on competency evaluation. Experts were invited to evaluate the weight of performance evaluation indicators for public health staff from different categories, with the average value used to represent the weight of each indicator. ResultsTwenty-nine experts from universities in Shanghai, municipal CDCs, and district CDCs participated, yielding an expert authority coefficient of 0.86. The performance evaluation indicators for department managers were categorized into three levels, with 4 indicators at the primary level, 16 indicators at the secondary level, and 42 indicators at the tertiary level, while those for general staff included 4 primary indicators, 15 secondary indicators, and 36 tertiary indicators. Significant differences were observed in the weight coefficients of the primary indicators (internal operations, professional work, and learning and growth) between department managers and general staff. The top three secondary indicators for department managers were department management, monitoring and prevention, and level of expertise. For mid-level and senior staff, the top three secondary indicators were monitoring and prevention, level of expertise, and research work. The top three secondary indicators for junior staff were monitoring and prevention, professional expertise, and professional attitude. No significant statistical differences were found among tertiary indicators. ConclusionThe developed performance evaluation indicators are reliable. Staff at different levels and classifications should be evaluated using different performance evaluation standards to accurately reflect individual performance and contributions.

Objective: To analyze the change trends in the body shape indicators and proportions of students in Harbin from 2010 to 2024, and to investigate ergonomic compatibility of functional dimensions of school desks and chairs with current student shape indicators, so as to provide a reference for revising furniture standards of desks and chairs. Methods: Between September and November of both 2010 and 2024, a combination of convenience sampling and stratified cluster random sampling was conducted across three districts in Harbin, yielding samples of 6 590 and 6 252 students, respectively. Anthropometric shape indicators cluding height, sitting height, crus length, and thigh length-and their proportional changes were compared over the 15-year period. The 2024 data were compared with current standard functional dimensions of school furniture. The statistical analysis incorporated t-test and Mann-Whitney U- test. Results: From 2010 to 2024, average height increased by 1.8 cm for boys and 1.5 cm for girls; sitting height increased by 1.5 cm for both genders; crus length increased by 0.3 cm for boys and 0.4 cm for girls; and thigh length increased by 0.5 cm for both genders. The ratios of sitting height to height, and sitting height to leg length increased by less than 0.1 . The difference between desk chair height and 1/3 sitting height ranged from 0.4-0.8 cm. Among students matched with size 0 desks and chairs, 22.0% had a desk to chair height difference less than 0, indicating that the desk to chair height difference might be insufficient for taller students. The differences between seat height and fibular height ranged from -1.4 to 1.1 cm; and the differences between seat depth and buttock popliteal length ranged from -9.8 to 3.4 cm. Among obese students, the differences between seat width and 1/2 hip circumference ranged from -20.5 to -8.7 cm, while it ranged from -12.2 to -3.8 cm among non obese students. Conclusion Current furniture standards basically satisfy hygienic requirements; however, in the case of exceptionally tall and obese students, ergonomic accommodations such as adaptive seating allocation or personalized adjustments are recommended to meet hygienic requirements.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive, high temporal-resolution technique for monitoring brain activity. However, affected by the volume conduction effect, EEG has a low spatial resolution and is difficult to locate brain neuronal activity precisely. The surface Laplacian (SL) technique obtains the Laplacian EEG (LEEG) by estimating the second-order spatial derivative of the scalp potential. LEEG can reflect the radial current activity under the scalp, with positive values indicating current flow from the brain to the scalp (“source”) and negative values indicating current flow from the scalp to the brain (“sink”). It attenuates signals from volume conduction, effectively improving the spatial resolution of EEG, and is expected to contribute to breakthroughs in neural engineering. This paper provides a systematic overview of the principles and development of SL technology. Currently, there are two implementation paths for SL technology: current source density algorithms (CSD) and concentric ring electrodes (CRE). CSD performs the Laplace transform of the EEG signals acquired by conventional disc electrodes to indirectly estimate the LEEG. It can be mainly classified into local methods, global methods, and realistic Laplacian methods. The global method is the most commonly used approach in CSD, which can achieve more accurate estimation compared with the local method, and it does not require additional imaging equipment compared with the realistic Laplacian method. CRE employs new concentric ring electrodes instead of the traditional disc electrodes, and measures the LEEG directly by differential acquisition of the multi-ring signals. Depending on the structure, it can be divided into bipolar CRE, quasi-bipolar CRE, tripolar CRE, and multi-pole CRE. The tripolar CRE is widely used due to its optimal detection performance. While ensuring the quality of signal acquisition, the complexity of its preamplifier is relatively acceptable. Here, this paper introduces the study of the SL technique in resting rhythms, visual-related potentials, movement-related potentials, and sensorimotor rhythms. These studies demonstrate that SL technology can improve signal quality and enhance signal characteristics, confirming its potential applications in neuroscientific research, disease diagnosis, visual pathway detection, and brain-computer interfaces. CSD is frequently utilized in applications such as neuroscientific research and disease detection, where high-precision estimation of LEEG is required. And CRE tends to be used in brain-computer interfaces, that have stringent requirements for real-time data processing. Finally, this paper summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of SL technology and envisages its future development. SL technology boasts advantages such as reference independence, high spatial resolution, high temporal resolution, enhanced source connectivity analysis, and noise suppression. However, it also has shortcomings that can be further improved. Theoretically, simulation experiments should be conducted to investigate the theoretical characteristics of SL technology. For CSD methods, the algorithm needs to be optimized to improve the precision of LEEG estimation, reduce dependence on the number of channels, and decrease computational complexity and time consumption. For CRE methods, the electrodes need to be designed with appropriate structures and sizes, and the low-noise, high common-mode rejection ratio preamplifier should be developed. We hope that this paper can promote the in-depth research and wide application of SL technology.

Objective: To establish a progressive research strategy for “colonic components analysis - efficacy verification and mechanism exploration - gut microbiota”, screen pharmacodynamic substances, and investigate their mechanism via gut microbiota. Methods: The pharmacodynamics of Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD) were assessed using a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer was used to identify the prototype and metabolic components of GQD in the colon during UC. To analyze the structure and function of characteristic genera of GQD and its active components, 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. Results: We identified 67 prototypic and 14 metabolic components of GQD in the UC colon. The primary prototype components are flavonoids and alkaloids, including puerarin (PUE), baicalin (BAI), and berberine (BER). The metabolism was predominantly sulfonation. Efficacy verification showed that the main active components, puerarin, baicalin, and berberine, had good therapeutic effects on UC. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that GQD improved UC by regulating the structure and function of the gut microbiota. The abundance of gut microbiota involved in the metabolism of the prototype components was influenced by the corresponding components. The function prediction results showed that PUE was the most comparable to GQD, with 24 consistent pathways. BAI and BER showed comparable gut microbiota regulation pathways. Characteristic pathways of BER include glucometabolic processes. Conclusion This study focused on the key issues in the gut microbiota pathway and developed a progressive research strategy to understand the transformation mechanisms of colonic components. This research systematically analyzed the active components and metabolic transformation of GQD in the colon during the pathological state of UC, as well as changes in the structure and function of the gut microbiota, clarified the mechanism of GQD and its active components in improving UC via the gut microbiota pathway.

Objective:To analyze and identify the expression profiles of oxidative stress-related genes and circular RNAs(circRNAs)in ricin toxin(RT)-induced pyroptosis of mouse mononuclear macrophages(RAW264.7)using transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics technology,and to preliminarily analyze their potential functions.Methods:The macrophages(RAW264.7 cells)were treated with RT to establish a cell pyroptosis model and divided into control group,40 μg·L-1 RT group,and 80 ng/mL RT group.Transmission electron microscope(TEM)was used to observe the morphology of the RAW264.7 cells in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of the pyroptosis pathway-related proteins in the cells in various groups;80 μg·L-1 RT was selected for subsequent experiments.Transcriptome sequencing(RNA-Seq)was performed to obtain the circRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the RAW264.7 cells in control group and RT-treated group,followed by bioinformatics analysis.Results:Compared with control group,the cells in 40 and 80 μg·L-1 RT groups underwent morphological changes;the cells in RT groups showed obvious pyroptosis-like morphological changes,characterized by significant swelling of dying cells and the appearance of characteristic large bubbles on the plasma membrane.Compared with control group,the expression level of gasdermin DN-terminal fragment(GSDMD-N)protein in 40 and 80 μg·L-1 RT groups was increased(P<0.05);compared with 40 μg·L-1 RT group,the expression level of GSDMD-N protein in the cells in 80 μg·L-1 RT group was increased(P<0.05);therefore,the subsequent experiments used the RT concentration of 80 μg·L-1.A total of 2930 differentially expressed messenger RNAs(mRNAs)and 24 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified.The constructed circRNA-microRNA(miRNA)-mRNA competing endogenous RNA(ceRNA)regulatory network consisted of 7 circRNAs,12 miRNAs and 13 mRNAs.Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis showed that in biological process(BP),the functions regulated by differentially expressed genes mainly included immune response and oxidative stress response;in cellular component(CC),differentially expressed genes were mainly localized to the external side of plasma membrane and cell leading edge;in molecular function(MF),they were mainly involved in transporter transmembrane activity and hormone receptor binding.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway,Forkhead box O(FoxO)signaling pathway and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells(NF-κB)signaling pathway.In the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,the top 10 hub genes with the highest connectivity were screened by CytoHubba,including matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),superoxide dismutase 2(SOD2),and v-src sarcoma viral oncogene homolog(Src).Conclusion:The expression profiles of oxidative stress-related genes and circRNAs in RAW264.7 cells are altered after RT treatment.The screened differentially expressed circRNAs and mRNAs may serve as potential targets to regulate RT-induced pyroptosis in RAW264.7 cells through oxidative stress pathways.

Objective To investigate the effect of triglyceride-glucose index(TyG)on the short-term prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.Methods A total of 391 patients with initial acute ischemic stroke who were hospitalized in Kunshan Second People's Hospital and The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Jun.2020 to Jun.2023 were retrospectively included.According to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)scores at 90 d follow-up,they were assigned to good prognosis group(286 cases)or poor prognosis group(105 cases).Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve were used to evaluate the effect of TyG on the short-term prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.Results Compared with the good prognosis group,the patients of poor prognosis group had older age,higher proportion of atrial fibrillation,higher levels of homocysteine,triglyceride,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein,and TyG,and higher National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score(all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,homocysteine,TyG and NIHSS score were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with initial acute ischemic stroke(all P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that TyG combined with NIHSS score had good predictive value for poor prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke,and the area under curve value was 0.795.Conclusion The combination of TyG and NIHSS score is an independent influencing factor for poor short-term prognosis in patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.