BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Objective By population survey,to explore the epidemiological characteristics of gastric precancerous lesions in Lishui District of Nanjing and provide objective basis for the prevention and treatment of early gastric cancer.Methods From July 2021 to December 2022,21 977 patients who received endoscopy and/or 13C-UBT in Lishui District People's Hospital and 6 medical community units in Nanjing City were retrospectively analyzed for demography characteristics,detection rate of gastric precancerous lesions,and H.Pylori infection rate.Results(1)590 cases of gastric precancerous lesions were detected(detection rate 2.68%);(2)The total detection rate of precancerous lesions and three pathological types in males were all higher than those in females(all P<0.001);(3)The minimum age for the total detection rate of precancerous lesions in males and the mini-mum age for each pathological type were lower than in females(P<0.001,0.009,0.005,0.002);(4)The popu-lation total H.pylori infection rate was 23.10%,the H.pylori infection rate in patients with precancerous lesions was higher than that in non-precancerous lesions(P<0.001),both H.pylori infection rate of male and female in precancerous lesions were all higher than those of non-precancerous lesions of the same sex(all P<0.001),in addition,the H.pylori infection rate of male whether in precancerous or non-precancerous lesions was higher than that of female(all P<0.001);(5)The precancerous lesions detection rate in male,female,and the overall age range of 20～29 to 70～79 years is positively correlated with age growth(P<0.001),and rapidly decreases after the age of 79,the of H.pylori infection rate was also positively correlated with age growth(P<0.001),and the trend of age change(P<0.001)was parallel to the precancerous lesions detection rate.Conclusions The detec-tion rate of gastric precancerous lesions in this region is above the average level in China;the total H.pylori infec-tion rate is at a relatively low level in China;the H.pylori infection rate is parallel to the age trend of the detection rate of gastric precancerous lesions,and increases with age.

Age-related macular degeneration(AMD)is a common irreversible blinding eye disease in the elderly char-acterized by choroidal neovascularization in the macular area.Thyroxine and its receptors are significantly expressed in the retina,and free thyroid hormones are closely related to the occurrence and development of AMD.This article summarizes the basic and clinical research progress of thyroxine in AMD,in order to provide scientific theoretical basis for further ex-ploring the pathogenesis of AMD and better prevention and treatment of the disease.

Objective:Pediatric chronic sinusitis （CRS） is a common disease within the field of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Due to the immaturity of sinus development and immune competence in children, its etiology and pathophysiology are complex, and its clinical features and outcomes differ significantly from those in adult patients. Currently, there are issues in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric CRS, particularly in areas such as antibiotic use and surgical interventions, owing to a lack of sufficient attention. In recognition of this, the Chinese Rhinopathy Research Cooperation Group developed this expert consensus based on a systematic review of the latest literatures from both domestic and international sources, with reference to the latest evidence-based medical evidence worldwide, and in combination with their own clinical experience. The consensus covers various aspects including epidemiology, predisposing factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, as well as treatment strategies such as medical therapy and surgical intervention. It aims to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of pediatric CRS, improve clinical efficacy and patient satisfaction, reduce clinical expenditures, and decrease the occurrence of adverse reactions.
Humans ; Sinusitis/therapy* ; Chronic Disease ; Child ; Consensus ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use*

Deterministic method is a numerical calculation method based on photon-electron coupled transport with high computational accuracy and speed, which has been widely applied in photon radiotherapy dose calculation in recent years. However, this method has been introduced into radiotherapy for only a short period of time, which has been rarely studied in China, and systematic understanding of its characteristics is still lacking. In this article, the principles of deterministic method, current development state and clinical application were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for carrying out relevant research.

Objective : To examine the association between acute exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) NOX and NO2 and outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases. Methods : Data regarding outpatient visits to Department of Respiratory Diseases of Beijing Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2020 were collected, and the concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOX), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other TRAP were collected from the surveillance sites assigned by the Peking University Health Science Center. A time-stratified case-crossover design was employed, and a conditional logistic regression model was created to examine the association between NOX and NO2 acute exposure and outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases. Results : The daily mean outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases were 571 (interquartile range, 554) person-times among children at ages of 0 to 14 years in Beijing Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2020, and the daily mean outpatient visits for upper respiratory tract infections (URI), bronchitis, and pneumonia were 265 (interquartile range, 282), 143 (interquartile range, 178) and 128 (interquartile range, 120) person-times, respectively. The daily mean concentrations of atmospheric NOX and NO2 were 67.8 (interquartile range, 50.7) and 49.3 (interquartile range, 30.7) μg/m3, respectively. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed the largest lagged effect of NOX and NO2 on pediatric respiratory diseases at cumulative lags of 0 to 7 days. An increase in NOX concentrations by an interquartile range resulted in the excess risks of URI, bronchitis and pneumonia by 6.87% (95%CI: 6.37%-7.38%), 7.25% (95%CI: 6.51%-7.99%), and 5.51% (95%CI: 4.69%-6.33%), and an increase in NO2 concentrations by an interquartile range resulted in excess risks of URI, bronchitis and pneumonia by 5.71% (95%CI: 5.12%-6.31%), 5.32% (95%CI: 4.51%-6.14%), and 4.83% (95%CI: 3.91%-5.75%), respectively. NOX and NO2 presented a more remarkable effect on outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases among children at ages of over 5 years. Conclusion NOx and NO2 acute exposure may increase the outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases.

Birth cohort study has played an important role in exploring the effect of exposures in early life on long-term health of offspring. With the rapid increase of problems of reproductive health among couples at childbearing age, the assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been widely introduced into clinical practice. However, the influences of ART on long-term outcomes of mothers and infants have not been fully studied. In 2016, the China National Birth Cohort (CNBC), a multicenter prospective cohort study recruiting families with ART-conceived pregnancies and spontaneous-conceived pregnancies simultaneously was launched officially. By June 30, 2021, a total of 72 000 families covering 39 000 ART- pregnancies and 33 000 spontaneous- pregnancies have been recruited in the study, their information and biological samples were collected at multiple time points, i.e., before assisted reproductive treatment, in embryo transfer period, in first, second and third trimesters, at delivery, and at 42 days after birth, 6 months, 1 year old and 3 years old. The main objectives of this study are to assess the development and health of offspring born after ART treatment, identify risk factors associated with adverse birth outcomes and childhood diseases and provide scientific basis for the strategies to improve the quality of new birth population. This paper will give a brief introduction to the establishment and research progress of CNBC.

Objective:To understand the willingness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use to prevent HIV infection and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Yunnan Province.Methods:Cross-sectional study method and snowball sampling method was used to carry out the survey in 14 cities (autonomous prefectures) in Yunnan from April to June 2021. According to national sentinel surveillance program, the sample size was 400 at national sentinel sites and 100 at provincial sentinel sites. The related factors of PrEP use willingness were analyzed by multiple logistic regressions with software SPSS 22.0.Results:A total of 2 450 questionnaires were completed, the rate of having heard of PrEP was 68.5% (1 677/2 449), the willingness rate of PrEP use was 56.7% (1 343/2 368), the willing rate of PrEP use at their own expense was 30.6% (724/2 368), and the willingness rate of free PrEP use was 56.2% (1 330/2 367). The of multivariate logistic analysis results showed that related factors of low willingness to use PrEP included aged 40-49 years and 50 years or above (a OR=2.49 and a OR=4.48), Han ethnic group (a OR=1.47), residence in other provinces (a OR=1.64), education level of senior high school (a OR=1.96) and college or above (a OR=3.49), sample source of bath house (a OR=3.53), online recruiting (a OR=2.53) and voluntary counseling and testing (a OR=1.42), local living time for 3-6 months and 7-12 months (a OR=0.18 and a OR=0.25) ,class 2 and 3 of survey areas (a OR=3.63 and a OR=1.71), having no anal sex with men in the past week (a OR=2.60), having no commercial homosexual behavior in the past six months (a OR=13.32) and self-perceived higer risk for HIV infection (a OR=0.50). Conclusions:There was more than half of MSM with willingness to use PrEP. The health education to promote PrEP use should be strengthen in MSM who had low willingness to use PrEP from underdeveloped areas, in Han ethnic group, with older age, from other provinces, with shorter local living time and self-perceived low risk for HIV infection.

Objective To study the effect of epithelial cell transformation sequence 2 (ECT2) on the proliferation of cervical cancer cells and its mechanism. Methods We transfected cervical cancer cells HeLa (HeLa-ECT2) with the lentivirus overexpressing ECT2 and the cells SiHa (SiHa-siRNA) and C33a (C33a-siRNA) with the interfering plasmid. MTT assay was performed to detect cell proliferation ability. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect the cell cycle of each group. The IPA database was searched for the interacting proteins of ETC2, and immunofluorescence subcellular localization verified the effect between the two. qPCR and Western blot were carried out to detect the expression of Rac1, Cdc42, CDK1, and Cyclin B1 mRNA and protein in each group of cells. Results ECT2 may interact with CDK1. After ECT2 expression was upregulated, the G₂/M phase of HeLa-ECT2 cells accelerated the transformation to G₁ phase, cell proliferation ability was enhanced, and the expression levels of Rac1, Cdc42, CDK1, and cyclin B1 mRNA and protein all increased (P < 0.001); the knockdown of ECT2 expression would reverse the effect (P < 0.05). Conclusion ECT2 accelerates G₂ phase of cervical cancer cells to G₁ phase and promotes cell proliferation by co-localizing with CDK1 through the downstream Cdc42/Rac1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To establish the biology reference interval (RI) of peripheral blood procalcitonin (PCT) for children between 3 days and 6 years old in China.Methods:Totally 3 353 reference individuals with apparent health or no specific diseases were recruited in 18 hospitals throughout the country during October 2020 to May 2021. Reference individuals were divided into four groups: 3-28 days, 29 days - 1 year, 1-3 years and 4-6 years. Vein blood or capillary blood were collected by percutaneous puncture from every reference individual. The PCT level in serum and the capillary whole blood were assayed by Roche Cobas e601 and Norman NRM411-S7 immunoanalyzer. Outliers were deleted and 95th percentiles of every group were provided as RIs. Man-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis test were used performed to assess the difference among different gender, age or method groups. Results:The difference of PCT distribution between male and female is not statistically significant, but the difference between serum and capillary whole blood is statistically significant. The differences between age groups are significant too. For Roche e601, serum PCT RI of 3-28 days group is <0.23 μg/L, 29 days - 6 years are <0.11 μg/L. For NRM411, Serum PCT RI of 3-28 days group is <0.21 μg/L, 29 days - 1 year: <0.09 μg/L, 1 - 6 years: <0.10 μg/L. For whole blood PCT, RI of 3-28 days group is <0.26 μg/L, 29 days - 6 years is <0.15 μg/L.Conclusions:Serum and capillary whole blood PCT have different RIs, however, capillary whole blood PCT testing is valuable in pediatric application. Children in 3-28 days show higher PCT levels than other age group. To establish the RIs and understand the differences among different groups are essential for the interpretation and clinical application of peripheral blood PCT testing results.