Background Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common chronic urinary disease in middle-aged and older men, yet the impact of long-term exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) on its pathogenesis remains unclear. Objective To investigate the association between PM exposure and the risk of incident BPH in middle-aged and older men. Methods Based on four waves of follow-up data (2011–2018) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), 4766 participants were enrolled. Robust Poisson regression models were employed to assess the association between exposure to PM (PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀) and the risk of incident BPH. Relative risks (RR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. Dose-response relationships were fitted using restricted cubic splines (RCS). Subgroup analyses were performed to explore potential effect modifications, and multiple imputation was used to handle missing data. Results Over a mean follow-up of 6 years, 914 incident BPH cases were identified among the4766 participants (cumulative incidence: 19.18%). After adjusting for confounders, each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ concentrations was associated with a 13.1% (RR=1.131, 95%CI: 1.063, 1.203), 8.5% (RR=1.085, 95%CI: 1.050, 1.122), and 5.1% (RR=1.051, 95%CI: 1.034, 1.069) increased risk of BPH, respectively. RCS analysis showed that no nonlinear relationship was found between PM₁ and PM_2.5 and the risk of BPH (P>0.05); however, a nonlinear association was observed for PM₁₀ (P=0.03), with the risk increment slowing beyond 100 μg·m⁻³. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Conclusion Long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter may be associated with an increased risk of incident BPH in middle-aged and older men.

Background Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common chronic urinary disease in middle-aged and older men, yet the impact of long-term exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) on its pathogenesis remains unclear. Objective To investigate the association between PM exposure and the risk of incident BPH in middle-aged and older men. Methods Based on four waves of follow-up data (2011–2018) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), 4766 participants were enrolled. Robust Poisson regression models were employed to assess the association between exposure to PM (PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀) and the risk of incident BPH. Relative risks (RR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. Dose-response relationships were fitted using restricted cubic splines (RCS). Subgroup analyses were performed to explore potential effect modifications, and multiple imputation was used to handle missing data. Results Over a mean follow-up of 6 years, 914 incident BPH cases were identified among the4766 participants (cumulative incidence: 19.18%). After adjusting for confounders, each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ concentrations was associated with a 13.1% (RR=1.131, 95%CI: 1.063, 1.203), 8.5% (RR=1.085, 95%CI: 1.050, 1.122), and 5.1% (RR=1.051, 95%CI: 1.034, 1.069) increased risk of BPH, respectively. RCS analysis showed that no nonlinear relationship was found between PM₁ and PM_2.5 and the risk of BPH (P>0.05); however, a nonlinear association was observed for PM₁₀ (P=0.03), with the risk increment slowing beyond 100 μg·m⁻³. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Conclusion Long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter may be associated with an increased risk of incident BPH in middle-aged and older men.

Objective:To evaluate the training efficacy of the autonomic nervous system stability assessing and enhancing capsule (hereinafter referred to as the EC), and to study the difference in physiological indicators for autonomic nervous system stability training between the EC and a non-capsule environment.Methods:A total of 1 478 male military pilots under autonomic nervous system stability training between February 2022 and February 2024 were selected before they completed training sessions in both the EC and a non-capsule environment. The pre-training time-domain and frequency-domain indices of heart rate variability (HRV) and the 0.1 Hz index were compared with the post-training ones, and across difficulty levels (low, moderate, and high). The difference that the EC made in relaxation training was analyzed.Results:①Time-domain indices of HRV were of statistical significance in the main effects of training difficulty, those of training environments, and their interactions ( F=4.40-160.80, all P<0.05 or 0.01). Simple effect analysis revealed that in the same phase of training the standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDNN) at the low level of difficulty in the EC was lower than in the non-capsule environment. However, all time-domain indices after training were higher in the EC than in the non-capsule environment. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05 or 0.01).②For frequency-domain HRV indices, significant differences were observed in both the main effect of training difficulty and the interactions ( F=4.40-1 524.33, all P<0.01). Very low frequency power (VLF), high frequency (HF), the ratio of low frequency to high frequency (LF/HF), normalized low frequency (LFnorm), and normalized high frequency (HFnorm) were significantly different in the main effect of training environments ( F=4.24, 12.00, 6.91, 23.39, 23.39, P=0.040, <0.001, =0.009, <0.001, <0.001). Simple effect analysis revealed that at the same level of training difficulty, the EC delivered significantly lower values of LF and LFnorm but higher values of HF and HFnorm than the non-capsule environment before training (all P<0.05). VLF across levels of training difficulty and LF/HF at the high level of difficulty level were significantly lower in the EC than in the non-capsule environment. After training, total power, VLF, LF, HF, and HFnorm were significantly higher in the EC than in the non-capsule environment, but LF/HF and LFnorm were significantly lower (all P<0.05). ③For the 0.1 Hz index, significant differences were observed in both the main effect of training difficulty and the interactions ( F=2 147.75, 6.63, both P<0.001). Subsequent simple effect analysis revealed that at the same level of training difficulty, 0.1 Hz indices of pilots in the EC were lower than in the non-capsule environment before and after training (all P<0.01). Conclusions:During the autonomic nervous system stability training, the EC can effectively and quickly regulate and alleviate pilots′ fatigue and stress. Furthermore, it provides sustained autonomic nervous system training, thereby stabilizing pilots′ autonomic nervous system.

Objective:To verify the applicability of the flight potential evaluation system in the psychological selection of pilots by testing the reliability and validity of the system.Methods:Between September and October 2021, 82 subjects, including 32 pilots and 50 volunteers, were recruited from the Aviation Force and the Air Force Medical Center to complete the flight potential evaluation system test. The pilots and volunteers were divided into the high score group (the top 27% in terms of scores) and low score group (the 27% from the bottom) according to the total score of the evaluation. In order to ensure the consistency of evaluation conditions, some subjects were selected to complete a second evaluation test one week later for reliability analysis. Six flight experts completed the Content Evaluation Form of the Flight Potential Evaluation System while the officer completed the Flight Performance Evaluation Questionnaire as the performance data of the pilots. The pass rates of the pilots and volunteers and discriminability of the flight potential evaluation system were analyzed to test the stability and effectiveness of the system.Results:①The flight potential evaluation system demonstrated a pass rate of 0.75 and a discriminability of 0.30 in pilots, compared with 0.30 and 0.51 in volunteers. The total scores of pilots and volunteers were (7.00±1.16) points and (3.38±2.15) points, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( t=9.87, P<0.001). Significant differences were found in test scores between high-score group and low-score group for both pilots ( t=10.01, P<0.001) and volunteers ( Z=-4.65, P<0.001). ②Thirty-seven subjects (including 32 pilots and 5 volunteers, all from the Aviation Force) were tested twice, and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient for the paired results of 2 identical tests was r=0.750 ( P<0.001). ③As for the content of the evaluation system test, the experts′ degree of agreement and unanimity rate were 1. The evaluation score by the officer was positively correlated with the test score ( r=0.389, P=0.041). Conclusions:The flight potential evaluation system has a strong ability to distinguish flight-related abilities, suggesting that the system can be applied to the psychological selection of pilots and provide data for subsequent tests during the recruitment of candidates.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression levels of serum integrin αMβ2(ITG αMβ2)and gasdermin D(GSDMD)in patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and the severity of the disease and its value in predicting prognosis.Methods A total of 147 patients with SAP complicated with ARDS(ARDS group)admitted to the Department of Intensive Care Medicine of the Southwest Jiaotong University Affiliated Hospital(Chengdu Third People's Hospital)from August 2021 to October 2023 were selected.According to the oxygenation index(OI),they were divided into mild group(n=35),moderate group(n=46)and severe group(n=66).According to the 28-day prognosis,they were divided into death group(n=77)and survival group(n=70).Another 147 SAP patients without ARDS at the same time period were selected(non-ARDS group).The expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Spearman method was used to analyze the correlation between serum ITG αMβ2,GSDMD expression levels and OI in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors of death in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value of serum ITG αMβ2,GSDMD expression levels in evaluating the death of patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.Results Compared with the non-ARDS group,the expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2(31.95±8.17 ng/L vs 53.33±12.22 ng/L)and GSDMD(2.25±0.55 ng/ml vs 4.39±1.18 ng/ml)in the ARDS group were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=17.637,19.899,all P<0.05).The expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD in mild group,moderate group and severe group increased in turn,and the differences were statistically significant(F=163.069,194.028,all P<0.05).The expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD were negatively correlated with OI in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS(r=-0.787,-0.778,all P<0.05).The 28-day mortality rate of 147 SAP patients with ARDS was 52.38%(77/147).Compared with the survival group,the expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2(46.96±10.28 ng/L vs 59.11±10.94 ng/L)and GSDMD(3.74±0.98 ng/ml vs 4.98±1.04 ng/ml)in the death group were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=6.920,7.415,all P<0.05).The number of extrapulmonary organ failure≥2,prolonged mechanical ventilation time,increased acute physiological and chronic health assessment II score,and increased ITG αMβ2.and GSDMD were independent risk factors for death in SAP patients complicated with ARDS(Wald χ2=4.297～13.536,all P<0.05),and increased OI was an independent protective factor(Wald χ2=8.346,P<0.05).The combined evaluation AUC of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels results in a larger area under the curve(AUC)for mortality in SAP patients with ARDS compared to the individual evaluation of SAP complicated with ARDS,which was greater than serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels alone,and the differenes were statistically significant(Z=3.517,3.430,all P<0.05).Conclusion The increase of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels is related to the progression and poor prognosis of patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.The combined monitoring of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels has a high evaluation value for the risk of death in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.

Objective To explore the value of 18F-flortaucipir tau PET combined with APOE ε4 genotype status for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods A total of 213 MCI patients(MCI group)and 402 healthy controls(HC group)were selected from Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative(ADNI)database.The neuropsychological information,APOE ε4 gene carrier status,tau PET and high-resolution structural MRI data were recorded.The random forest algorithm was used to screen the most informative brain regions of tau PET for diagnosing MCI,and the efficacy of tau PET for distinguishing MCI with or without APOE ε4 gene and HC were compared.Results Amygdala,parahippocampal gyrus,entorhinal cortex,posterior cingulate gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus in turn were the important brain regions of tau PET for diagnosing MCI.The accuracy and the area under the curve(AUC)of tau PET standardized uptake value ratio(SUVR)model for identifying MCI with APOE ε4 gene and HC was 86.68％and 0.784,respectively,both higher than those for identifying MCI and HC,as well as MCI without APOE e4 gene and HC(with accuracy of 70.57％and 75.05％,and AUC of 0.711 and 0.609).Conclusion 18F-flortaucipir tau PET SUVR model established based on amygdala,parahippocampal gyrus,entorhinal cortex,posterior cingulate gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus could be used to diagnosing MCI.Combining with APOE ε4 gene could further improve its efficacy.

Objective To explore the value of 18F-flortaucipir tau PET combined with APOE ε4 genotype status for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods A total of 213 MCI patients(MCI group)and 402 healthy controls(HC group)were selected from Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative(ADNI)database.The neuropsychological information,APOE ε4 gene carrier status,tau PET and high-resolution structural MRI data were recorded.The random forest algorithm was used to screen the most informative brain regions of tau PET for diagnosing MCI,and the efficacy of tau PET for distinguishing MCI with or without APOE ε4 gene and HC were compared.Results Amygdala,parahippocampal gyrus,entorhinal cortex,posterior cingulate gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus in turn were the important brain regions of tau PET for diagnosing MCI.The accuracy and the area under the curve(AUC)of tau PET standardized uptake value ratio(SUVR)model for identifying MCI with APOE ε4 gene and HC was 86.68％and 0.784,respectively,both higher than those for identifying MCI and HC,as well as MCI without APOE e4 gene and HC(with accuracy of 70.57％and 75.05％,and AUC of 0.711 and 0.609).Conclusion 18F-flortaucipir tau PET SUVR model established based on amygdala,parahippocampal gyrus,entorhinal cortex,posterior cingulate gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus could be used to diagnosing MCI.Combining with APOE ε4 gene could further improve its efficacy.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression levels of serum integrin αMβ2(ITG αMβ2)and gasdermin D(GSDMD)in patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and the severity of the disease and its value in predicting prognosis.Methods A total of 147 patients with SAP complicated with ARDS(ARDS group)admitted to the Department of Intensive Care Medicine of the Southwest Jiaotong University Affiliated Hospital(Chengdu Third People's Hospital)from August 2021 to October 2023 were selected.According to the oxygenation index(OI),they were divided into mild group(n=35),moderate group(n=46)and severe group(n=66).According to the 28-day prognosis,they were divided into death group(n=77)and survival group(n=70).Another 147 SAP patients without ARDS at the same time period were selected(non-ARDS group).The expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Spearman method was used to analyze the correlation between serum ITG αMβ2,GSDMD expression levels and OI in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors of death in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value of serum ITG αMβ2,GSDMD expression levels in evaluating the death of patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.Results Compared with the non-ARDS group,the expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2(31.95±8.17 ng/L vs 53.33±12.22 ng/L)and GSDMD(2.25±0.55 ng/ml vs 4.39±1.18 ng/ml)in the ARDS group were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=17.637,19.899,all P<0.05).The expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD in mild group,moderate group and severe group increased in turn,and the differences were statistically significant(F=163.069,194.028,all P<0.05).The expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD were negatively correlated with OI in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS(r=-0.787,-0.778,all P<0.05).The 28-day mortality rate of 147 SAP patients with ARDS was 52.38%(77/147).Compared with the survival group,the expression levels of serum ITG αMβ2(46.96±10.28 ng/L vs 59.11±10.94 ng/L)and GSDMD(3.74±0.98 ng/ml vs 4.98±1.04 ng/ml)in the death group were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=6.920,7.415,all P<0.05).The number of extrapulmonary organ failure≥2,prolonged mechanical ventilation time,increased acute physiological and chronic health assessment II score,and increased ITG αMβ2.and GSDMD were independent risk factors for death in SAP patients complicated with ARDS(Wald χ2=4.297～13.536,all P<0.05),and increased OI was an independent protective factor(Wald χ2=8.346,P<0.05).The combined evaluation AUC of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels results in a larger area under the curve(AUC)for mortality in SAP patients with ARDS compared to the individual evaluation of SAP complicated with ARDS,which was greater than serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels alone,and the differenes were statistically significant(Z=3.517,3.430,all P<0.05).Conclusion The increase of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels is related to the progression and poor prognosis of patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.The combined monitoring of serum ITG αMβ2 and GSDMD expression levels has a high evaluation value for the risk of death in patients with SAP complicated with ARDS.

Objective:To evaluate the training efficacy of the autonomic nervous system stability assessing and enhancing capsule (hereinafter referred to as the EC), and to study the difference in physiological indicators for autonomic nervous system stability training between the EC and a non-capsule environment.Methods:A total of 1 478 male military pilots under autonomic nervous system stability training between February 2022 and February 2024 were selected before they completed training sessions in both the EC and a non-capsule environment. The pre-training time-domain and frequency-domain indices of heart rate variability (HRV) and the 0.1 Hz index were compared with the post-training ones, and across difficulty levels (low, moderate, and high). The difference that the EC made in relaxation training was analyzed.Results:①Time-domain indices of HRV were of statistical significance in the main effects of training difficulty, those of training environments, and their interactions ( F=4.40-160.80, all P<0.05 or 0.01). Simple effect analysis revealed that in the same phase of training the standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDNN) at the low level of difficulty in the EC was lower than in the non-capsule environment. However, all time-domain indices after training were higher in the EC than in the non-capsule environment. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05 or 0.01).②For frequency-domain HRV indices, significant differences were observed in both the main effect of training difficulty and the interactions ( F=4.40-1 524.33, all P<0.01). Very low frequency power (VLF), high frequency (HF), the ratio of low frequency to high frequency (LF/HF), normalized low frequency (LFnorm), and normalized high frequency (HFnorm) were significantly different in the main effect of training environments ( F=4.24, 12.00, 6.91, 23.39, 23.39, P=0.040, <0.001, =0.009, <0.001, <0.001). Simple effect analysis revealed that at the same level of training difficulty, the EC delivered significantly lower values of LF and LFnorm but higher values of HF and HFnorm than the non-capsule environment before training (all P<0.05). VLF across levels of training difficulty and LF/HF at the high level of difficulty level were significantly lower in the EC than in the non-capsule environment. After training, total power, VLF, LF, HF, and HFnorm were significantly higher in the EC than in the non-capsule environment, but LF/HF and LFnorm were significantly lower (all P<0.05). ③For the 0.1 Hz index, significant differences were observed in both the main effect of training difficulty and the interactions ( F=2 147.75, 6.63, both P<0.001). Subsequent simple effect analysis revealed that at the same level of training difficulty, 0.1 Hz indices of pilots in the EC were lower than in the non-capsule environment before and after training (all P<0.01). Conclusions:During the autonomic nervous system stability training, the EC can effectively and quickly regulate and alleviate pilots′ fatigue and stress. Furthermore, it provides sustained autonomic nervous system training, thereby stabilizing pilots′ autonomic nervous system.

Objective:To verify the applicability of the flight potential evaluation system in the psychological selection of pilots by testing the reliability and validity of the system.Methods:Between September and October 2021, 82 subjects, including 32 pilots and 50 volunteers, were recruited from the Aviation Force and the Air Force Medical Center to complete the flight potential evaluation system test. The pilots and volunteers were divided into the high score group (the top 27% in terms of scores) and low score group (the 27% from the bottom) according to the total score of the evaluation. In order to ensure the consistency of evaluation conditions, some subjects were selected to complete a second evaluation test one week later for reliability analysis. Six flight experts completed the Content Evaluation Form of the Flight Potential Evaluation System while the officer completed the Flight Performance Evaluation Questionnaire as the performance data of the pilots. The pass rates of the pilots and volunteers and discriminability of the flight potential evaluation system were analyzed to test the stability and effectiveness of the system.Results:①The flight potential evaluation system demonstrated a pass rate of 0.75 and a discriminability of 0.30 in pilots, compared with 0.30 and 0.51 in volunteers. The total scores of pilots and volunteers were (7.00±1.16) points and (3.38±2.15) points, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( t=9.87, P<0.001). Significant differences were found in test scores between high-score group and low-score group for both pilots ( t=10.01, P<0.001) and volunteers ( Z=-4.65, P<0.001). ②Thirty-seven subjects (including 32 pilots and 5 volunteers, all from the Aviation Force) were tested twice, and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient for the paired results of 2 identical tests was r=0.750 ( P<0.001). ③As for the content of the evaluation system test, the experts′ degree of agreement and unanimity rate were 1. The evaluation score by the officer was positively correlated with the test score ( r=0.389, P=0.041). Conclusions:The flight potential evaluation system has a strong ability to distinguish flight-related abilities, suggesting that the system can be applied to the psychological selection of pilots and provide data for subsequent tests during the recruitment of candidates.