Objective To investigate the current distribution of radiotherapy resources in Gansu Province, evaluate the equity of resource allocation, and provide a scientific basis for optimizing regional resource allocation. Methods A questionnaire survey was carried out to assess radiotherapy resources in medical institutions across Gansu Province, China. The equity of radiotherapy resource distribution and associated disparities were assessed using the Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve, and Theil index. Results A total of 23 medical institutions in Gansu Province provided radiotherapy services, comprising 39 radiotherapy devices and 438 professionals, of whom medical physicists accounted for 16.9%. The radiotherapy frequency was 0.47 cases per thousand population. The Gini coefficients for radiotherapy resource distribution ranged from 0.38 to 0.56 by population and from 0.52 to 0.70 by geography. The Theil index for radiotherapy resources ranged from 1.36 to 3.67. Conclusion Radiotherapy resources in Gansu Province were insufficient, and the capacity of radiotherapy service was suboptimal. The equity of radiotherapy resource allocation by geography was worse than that by population. Therefore, it is imperative to address the shortage of radiotherapy resources, strengthen the professional workforce, enhance the capacity radiotherapy service and resource utilization, optimize resource allocation, and promote regional equity in radiotherapy provision in Gansu Province.

Objective: To analyze the associations of physical activity with overweight/obesity, depressive symptoms, and their co-occurrence among junior and senior high school students, so as to provide reference for optimizing physical activity intervention strategies and promoting healthy lifestyles. Methods: From March to November 2023, a cross sectional survey was conducted among 90 457 junior and senior high school students aged 11-18 years in Zhejiang Province using a stratified cluster random sampling method. Data on physical activity and dietary behavior were collected through questionnaires, height and weight were measured. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The Chi-square test was used to examine differences, and Logistic regression was applied to evaluate the associations of physical activity characteristics with overweight/obesity, depressive symptoms, and their co-occurrence. Additionally, the effectiveness of physical activity performed on rest days versus work days was examined. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity, depressive symptoms, and their co-occurrence among junior and senior high school students were 25.1%, 27.9%, and 6.7%, respectively, with significant sex differences ( χ 2=2 005.3, 587.7, 99.6, all P <0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that students with insufficient physical activity had a higher risk of overweight/obesity compared with those with sufficient physical activity ( OR=1.12, 95%CI=1.06-1.17, P <0.01). Comparing to students who exercised 0-1 day per week, those who exercised 5-7 days per week were associated with a reduced risk of overweight/obesity and depressive symptoms ( OR=0.93, 95%CI =0.90-0.97; OR=0.95, 95%CI =0.91-0.99, both P <0.05). When total activity volume and frequency were held constant, students with sufficient rest day physical activity had lower risks of overweight/obesity, depressive symptoms, and their co-occurrence than those with insufficient rest day activity (all P < 0.01). Conclusions Sufficient amount of physical activity and higher frequency of rest day physical activity are significantly associated with lower risks of overweight/obesity, depressive symptoms, and their co-occurrence in adolescents. Physical activity performed on rest days may confer greater health benefits than activity performed on work days.

BACKGROUND:The cortical bone reinforcement area of bone cement in the vertebral body during percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebralcompression fractures has an important influence on spinal biomechanics and clinical efficacy,but previous studies were mostly limited to the two-dimensional level. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of the difference in cortical bone reinforcement of bone cement in the three-dimensional plane of the vertebral bodyon the biomechanical distribution of the vertebral body,adjacent intervertebral disc and endplate in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures by finite element analysis during percutaneous vertebroplasty,so as to evaluate its effect.METHODS:The finite element model of percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures of T12 vertebrae was established. The presence or absence of cortical reinforcement of bone cement was analyzed in groups from the transverse,sagittal and coronal planes. The effects of cortical reinforcement on the biomechanics of T12 vertebral cancellous bone,cortical bone,T11/T12 intervertebral disc,T12/L1 intervertebral disc,T11 lower endplate,and L1 upper endplate under different body position changes were studied.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Under the effect of vertical compression force,percutaneous vertebroplasty cortical reinforcement with or without bone cement had no significant changes in structural stress except for the injured vertebral cortical bone. (2) The Von Mises stress value of the injured cortical bone was significantly different in human forward flexion,left/right bend,and left/right axial rotation. The maximum Von Mises stress value in the best group of cortical reinforcement was significantly smaller than that in the non-cortical reinforcement group. The Von Mises stress value showed a downward trend with extensive cortical reinforcement in the same plane. (3) It is indicated that when percutaneous vertebroplasty is performed,bone cement should be distributed as broadly and symmetrically horizontally along the cortical edge of the vertebral body as far as possible in cross section. Bone cement in sagittal plane should be widely distributed longitudinally near the upper and lower endplates and the anterior and posterior walls. Bone cement in coronal plane should be widely distributed on both sides of the midline while symmetrically touching the upper and lower endplates and lateral walls. It can effectively avoid the risk of refracture of the injured vertebra and does not increase the risk of adjacent vertebral fracture and residual discogenic pain.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of clinical isolates in Xi'an No.3 Hospital from 2019 to 2023.Methods Clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2019 to December 31,2023.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol of China Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network using Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems.The data were interpreted according to the breakpoints released by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2023.Results A total of 6 621 clinical isolates were collected from 2019 to 2023,including 1 569(23.7％)strains of Gram-positive bacteria and 5 052(76.3％)strains of Gram-negative bacteria.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus,S.epidermidis and other Staphylococcus species(except SS.pseudintermedius and S.schleiferi)was 39.0％,62.3％,and 74.4％,respectively.Methicillin-resistant strains showed much higher resistance rates to most of other antimicrobial agents than methicillin-sensitive strains.No Staphylococcus strains were found resistant to vancomycin or linezolid.E.faecium strains demonstrated much higher resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than E.faecalis.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis and vancomycin-resistant E.faecium was 0.9％and 0.4％,respectively.The prevalence of penicillin-nonsusceptible strains(PISP+PRSP)was 5.8％in nonmeningitis S.pneumoniae isolates.The prevalence of ESBL-producing E.coli,K.pneumoniae,and P.mirabilis in Enterobacterales was 48.5％,37.8％,and 47.2％,respectively.Among Enterobacterales strains,K.pneumoniae had the highest resistance rate to imipenem(18.2％)and meropenem(17.9％).Other Enterobacterales were highly sensitive to carbapenems.The resistance rates of P.aeruginosa to imipenem and meropenem were 22.5％and 19.5％,respectively.The resistance rates of A.baumannii to imipenem and meropenem were 65.0％and 71.6％,respectively.Conclusions Antibiotic resistance is still serious in this hospital.Nearly half of the strains of E.coli,K.pneumoniae and P.mirabilis produced ESBLs.K.pneumoniae and A.baumannii showed high resistance rates to carbapenems.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be performed appropriately.Relevant departments need to strengthen cooperation to curb the spread of drug-resistant bacteria.

Objective To investigate the association between intraoperative dexamethasone administration and long-term survival outcomes.Methods A total of 1 629 NSCLC patients who underwent lung tumor resection between January 2008 and December 2014 were included in this study.A propensity score-matched cohort was generated at a ratio of 1∶2 to compare patients who received dexamethasone with those who did not.This matching process resulted in a cohort of 532 patients in the non-DEX group and 283 patients in the DEX group.Within this propensity score-matched cohort,disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)were compared between the non-DEX and DEX groups using the Kaplan-Meier method.Additionally,Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between intraoperative administration of dexamethasone and high-risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV),as well as their impact on DFS and OS.Results After propensity score matching,intraoperative dexamethasone was significantly associated with worse OS(P=0.005),while no significant correlation was observed between intraoperative dexamethasone and DFS.Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that intraoperative dexamethasone was associated with poorer overall survival(HR=1.233,95%CI:1.002～1.516,P=0.048).In subgroup analyses,intraoperative dexamethasone was significantly associated with shorter OS in the female,video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS),prolonged anesthetic time,and inhalation anesthesia subgroups.Conclusions There was a significant correlation between intraopera-tive dexamethasone administration and overall survival in NSCLC patients following curative surgery.In high-risk subgroups for PONV,including females,those undergoing VATS,patients with prolonged anesthetic duration,and those under inhalation anesthesia,the administration of intraoperative dexamethasone was associated with a potentially poorer prognosis compared to patients who did not receive intraoperative dexamethasone.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)is associated with the pathophysiology of various lung diseases.Multiple experiments have confirmed that inhibiting ERS can alleviate inflammatory responses,improve lung function,and possess certain anti-infective effects.ERS inhibitors can positively impact the treatment of respiratory system diseases by targeting the unfolded protein response(UPR)in the ERS pathway and regulating the balance of calcium ions within the endoplasmic reticulum.Most current research on ERS inhibitors is still in the preclinical stage.This article thoroughly reviews the relevant reviews and various experimental research results on ERS in respiratory diseases,systematically examining the potential roles of the main branches of UPR,including inositol requiring enzyme 1 alpha(IRE 1α),protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK),and activated transcription factor 6(ATF6),as well as other ERS inhibitors in respiratory diseases.The aim is to promote clinical trial exploration of ERS inhibitors,with the hope of providing effective drug selection strategies for the treatment and symptom relief of respiratory diseases.

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is the most common neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia in the elderly,characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive function and daily living abilities.The pathogenesis of AD remains unclear,and the efficacy of existing pharmacological treatments is limited,making the search for new therapeutic approaches imperative.Current research suggests that transcranial alternating current stimulation(tACS)can ameliorate cognitive deficits in AD,potentially due to its ability to modulate single or nested brain rhythms,local or distant synchronization,and metabolic activity,which can influence cognitive functions.This review summarizes the research progress of tACS in the treatment of AD,aiming to provide new insights into the exploration of the pathogenesis and treatment of AD.

AIM:To explore the role and mechanism of calcium-sensing receptor(CaSR)in regulating macro-phage polarization in hypertensive rats.METHODS:Male spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR)and Wistar-Kyoto(WKY)rats were categorized into WKY group,SHR group,SHR+R568(CaSR agonist)group,and SHR+NPS2143(CaSR inhibitor)group.The thoracic aorta was isolated,and the expression of CaSR and macrophage polarization markers in the aorta was observed through immunofluorescence staining.The primary peritoneal macrophages of SHR and WKY rats were aseptically extracted following anesthesia.After intervention with R568 and NPS2143,the expression levels of M1 and M2 markers of peritoneal macrophages were observed by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining.The levels of interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-10 were measured by ELISA.The concentration of Ca2+in peritoneal macrophages was mea-sured by immunofluorescence.Western blot was employed to identify the expression of CaSR and nucleotide-binding oligo-merization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome components.Following anesthesia,vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)were isolated from SHR using an adherent method.Subsequently,a co-culture system was estab-lished with macrophage supernatant.The optimal action time for this co-culture system was determined through CCK-8 as-say.RESULTS:Compared with SHR group,activation of CaSR resulted in a significant decrease in the protein expres-sion of M1 polarization markers(P<0.05)and a concomitant increase in the protein expression of M2 polarization markers in the aorta(P<0.05).Compared with SHR group,administration of R568 led to a significant decrease in the protein ex-pression of M1 polarization markers(P<0.05)and a concomitant increase in the protein expression of M2 polarization markers(P<0.05)in peritoneal macrophages.Additionally,there was a notable reduction in the protein levels of NLRP3 inflammasome components(P<0.05).Furthermore,the fluorescence intensity of intracellular Ca2+was significantly en-hanced following R568 treatment(P<0.05).After administration of MCC950,an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor,the re-sults were consistent with those observed following R568 treatment,demonstrating statistical significance(P<0.05).This effect was reversed by the combined intervention of U73122,a phospholipase C(PLC)inhibitor(P<0.05).Compared with the control(0 h),the 24-h peritoneal macrophage supernatant exhibited the strongest capacity to enhance the viabili-ty of VSMCs after 24 h of culture(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:In hypertensive rats,the CaSR inhibits NLRP3 inflamma-some activation via the PLC-Ca2+signaling pathway,thereby mediating an increase in macrophage polarization towards the M2 phenotype and a decrease towards the M1 phenotype.

Objective To investigate the association between intraoperative dexamethasone administration and long-term survival outcomes.Methods A total of 1 629 NSCLC patients who underwent lung tumor resection between January 2008 and December 2014 were included in this study.A propensity score-matched cohort was generated at a ratio of 1∶2 to compare patients who received dexamethasone with those who did not.This matching process resulted in a cohort of 532 patients in the non-DEX group and 283 patients in the DEX group.Within this propensity score-matched cohort,disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)were compared between the non-DEX and DEX groups using the Kaplan-Meier method.Additionally,Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between intraoperative administration of dexamethasone and high-risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV),as well as their impact on DFS and OS.Results After propensity score matching,intraoperative dexamethasone was significantly associated with worse OS(P=0.005),while no significant correlation was observed between intraoperative dexamethasone and DFS.Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that intraoperative dexamethasone was associated with poorer overall survival(HR=1.233,95%CI:1.002～1.516,P=0.048).In subgroup analyses,intraoperative dexamethasone was significantly associated with shorter OS in the female,video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS),prolonged anesthetic time,and inhalation anesthesia subgroups.Conclusions There was a significant correlation between intraopera-tive dexamethasone administration and overall survival in NSCLC patients following curative surgery.In high-risk subgroups for PONV,including females,those undergoing VATS,patients with prolonged anesthetic duration,and those under inhalation anesthesia,the administration of intraoperative dexamethasone was associated with a potentially poorer prognosis compared to patients who did not receive intraoperative dexamethasone.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)is associated with the pathophysiology of various lung diseases.Multiple experiments have confirmed that inhibiting ERS can alleviate inflammatory responses,improve lung function,and possess certain anti-infective effects.ERS inhibitors can positively impact the treatment of respiratory system diseases by targeting the unfolded protein response(UPR)in the ERS pathway and regulating the balance of calcium ions within the endoplasmic reticulum.Most current research on ERS inhibitors is still in the preclinical stage.This article thoroughly reviews the relevant reviews and various experimental research results on ERS in respiratory diseases,systematically examining the potential roles of the main branches of UPR,including inositol requiring enzyme 1 alpha(IRE 1α),protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK),and activated transcription factor 6(ATF6),as well as other ERS inhibitors in respiratory diseases.The aim is to promote clinical trial exploration of ERS inhibitors,with the hope of providing effective drug selection strategies for the treatment and symptom relief of respiratory diseases.