Background In 2021, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) emerged as the forth leading cause of death in the world. However, the impact of air pollutants on COPD is still inconsistent across current studies. Objective To analyze the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide (SO₂) exposure and hospital admissions for COPD in Lanzhou, and to examine the modified effects of SO₂ across different genders, age groups, and seasons. Methods A total of 20718 hospital admission records for COPD were collected from Lanzhou between 2016 and 2020, alongside synchronized data on SO₂ concentration and meteorological variables. A generalized additive model integrated with a distributed lag nonlinear model was used to assess the relationship and the lag effects between SO₂ exposure and COPD admissions. Potential confounders, including meteorological factors, day-of-the-week effect, and holidays, were controlled for, with a maximum lag period set at 7 d. Two-pollutant models and sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure robustness. Results are expressed as relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results During the study period, the average daily number of COPD admissions was 11.34±7.03. The average mass concentration of SO₂ was (23.72±12.35) μg·m⁻³. SO₂ exposure was positively correlated with COPD admissions; specifically, each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in SO₂ concentration was associated with an RR of 1.440 (95%CI: 1.317, 1.573). Stratified analyses found that at a cumulative lag of 7 d, the RRs were higher among females, individuals aged ≥65 years, and during the cold season. Conversely, no significant increase in COPD admission risk related to SO₂ was observed during the warm season. For every 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in SO₂ concentration, the RR was 1.483 (95%CI: 1.311, 1.678) for females, 1.441 (95%CI: 1.311, 1.583) for those aged > 65 years， and 1.595 (95%CI: 1.313, 1.937) during the cold season. Conclusion Short-term exposure to ambient SO₂ exposure in Lanzhou is associated with an increased risk of COPD admission. The association is more pronounced among females, the elderly (aged> 65 years) and during the cold season.

Background and Aims:Elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer often experience decreased sleep quality,which may hinder postoperative recovery.Although pharmacological interventions are commonly used in clinical practice to improve postoperative sleep,conventional medications may lead to adverse effects such as delirium and dependence.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a non-pharmacological intervention—buccal acupuncture combined with ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block(SGB)—on postoperative sleep quality in elderly patients.Methods:A total of 60 elderly patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer at the Forth Hospital of Changsha from February to August 2024 were enrolled.Using a random number table,the patients were divided into two groups:30 in the control group(SGB alone)and 30 in the study group(SGB combined with buccal acupuncture).Perioperative mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scores,and the incidence of adverse events were recorded and analyzed.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups(all P>0.05).The study group showed significantly lower intraoperative and postoperative HR and MAP compared to the control group(all P<0.05).VAS scores at 6,24,and 48 h postoperatively,as well as PSQI scores on postoperative days 1,3,and 5,were significantly lower in the study group(all P<0.05).Additionally,the incidence of drowsiness was significantly reduced(P<0.05).No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of nausea,vomiting,or agitation(all P>0.05).Conclusion:The combination of buccal acupuncture and SGB during the perioperative period can effectively improve postoperative sleep quality,alleviate pain,and reduce adverse reactions in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer.This safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention holds promising clinical application value.

Objective:To investigate the analgesic effect of Opisthoplatia orientalis Burm. polypeptides (OOBP) on postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) induced by resiniferatoxin (RTX) in rat models, and its effect on the phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) -induced kinase 1/Parkin (PINK1/Parkin) signaling pathway. Methods:Thirty-two special pathogen-free rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: a blank control group ( n = 8) receiving intraperitoneal injections of physiological saline (0.20 mg/kg) , and a model group ( n = 24) receiving intraperitoneal injections of RTX (0.20 mg/kg) to establish the PHN rat model. The rats' paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) was measured on days 1, 4, 7, and 10 after RTX injections. After 10 days of RTX treatment, rat models were randomly assigned to 3 subgroups: PHN group, OOBP group, and gabapentin group, with 8 rats in each group. The OOBP group and gabapentin group were gavaged with OOBP (equivalent to 0.9 g raw drug per kg) and gabapentin (27 mg/kg) respectively, while the PHN group and control group were gavaged with physiological saline. All treatments lasted for 3 weeks, during which PWMT was continuously monitored. One hour after the final dose, rats were sacrificed, and spinal cord tissues and serum samples were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe spinal pathological changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) , tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) , β-endorphin (β-EP) , and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) , and Western blot analysis to determine the expression of PINK1, Parkin, and ubiquitin-binding protein P62 in rat spinal cord tissues. The entropy weight method was applied to comprehensively evaluate the effect of OOBP on the above cytokines, proteins and other pharmacodynamic indicators in rat models of PHN. Results:From day 1 to day 10 after modeling, PWMT values in the model group were significantly lower than those in the blank control group (all P < 0.05) , and also significantly lower than baseline values prior to modeling (all P < 0.05) . Histopathological analysis of rat spinal cord tissues showed less pathological changes (such as Nissl body swelling and neuronal necrosis) but more normal Nissl bodies in both the gabapentin group and OOBP group compared with the PHN group. ELISA revealed significantly decreased serum levels of TNF-α and CGRP but significantly increased serum levels of β-EP and IL-10 in the OOBP group compared with the PHN group (all P < 0.05) . Western blot analysis showed that expression levels of PINK1 and Parkin were significantly lower in the gabapentin group (0.441 ± 0.061, 0.597 ± 0.180, respectively) and the OOBP group (0.666 ± 0.117, 0.481 ± 0.073, respectively) than in the PHN group (1.033 ± 0.085, 1.088 ± 0.040, respectively, all P < 0.05) ; in contrast, the P62 expression significantly increased in the gabapentin group (0.810 ± 0.086) and OOBP group (0.902 ± 0.153) compared with the PHN group (0.543 ± 0.082, both P < 0.05) . The entropy weight analysis showed that the comprehensive scores were 0.222 and 0.229 in the OOBP group and the gabapentin group respectively, suggesting a greater overall therapeutic effect of OOBP. Conclusion:OOBP may exert analgesic effects in rat models of PHN by downregulating the expression of inflammatory factors and pain-related factors and modulating the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting mitochondrial autophagy in spinal neurons and reducing inflammatory responses.

Objective:To observe any effect of supplementing rehabilitation training with low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the abnormal spine posture of Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients.Methods:A total 40 PD patients with Pisa syndrome (PS) were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, each of 20. Both groups received conventional drug therapy and rehabilitation training (including myodynamia training and balance function training), while the observation group was additionally provided with low-frequency rTMS of the primary motor cortical area (M1) on the convex side of the scoliosis. Before the treatment and after 2 and 3 weeks, the scoliosis angle was measured, and motor functioning and balance were evaluated using the timed up and go test (TUGT) and the Berg balance scale (BBS). The subjects′ mental state was quantified using the exercise self-efficacy (ESE) scale, and the modified Barthel Index (MBI) was used to quantify their ability in the activities of daily life.Results:After the treatment, significant improvement was observed in the average scoliosis angles, TUGT, BBS, ESE and MBI scores of both groups compared to the pre-treatment levels. In the control group, all of the indicators had returned to their pre-treatment levels 3 weeks after treatment, but in the observation group they remained significantly improved.Conclusions:Low-frequency rTMS combined with rehabilitation training can significantly reduce the scoliosis angle of PD patients, improve their motor functioning and balance, increase their exercise confidence and improve their ability in the activities of daily living over the long term. The combination is worth applying and promoting in clinical practice.

Objective:To observe any effect of combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with aerobic exercise on the cognitive functioning of early stage Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients.Methods:A total of 120 PD patients in the early stage were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, each of 60. Both groups received conventional drug treatment and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training, while the observation group was additionally provided with high-frequency rTMS treatment. Before and after 3 months of the treatments, everyone′s cognitive and motor functioning was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) and the third part of the Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-Ⅲ), respectively. Negative emotions were evaluated using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Auditory event-related potentials were also detected, and the latency and amplitude of P300 were analyzed.Results:The average MoCA, UPDRS-Ⅲ, HAMA and HAMD scores, as well as the amplitude and latency of P300 had improved significantly in both groups after the treatment. At that point the observation group′s performance was significantly better than that of the control group in terms of the MoCA′s visuospatial and executive function, attention and delayed recall indicators, and also total score. The observation group′s average HAMA score (10.55±3.11), HAMD score (9.78±4.10), the P300 amplitude [(11.29±2.21)μV] and latency [(384.75±48.26)ms] were also significantly better. The UPDRS-Ⅲ scores were negatively correlated with the visuospatial and executive function scores of the MoCA scale in the observation group before and after treatment, while the average HAMA score was negatively correlated with the attention and delayed recall scores.Conclusions:Supplementing aerobic exercise with rTMS can significantly improve the cognition and motor functioning of early stage PD patients. The combination is more effective than aerobic exercise alone. Such combined therapy is worthy of popularization and clinical application.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of phantom-less quantitative computer tomography (PL-QCT) for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases.Methods:From October 2021 to October 2023, a total of 1 248 patients with lumbar degenerative disease who did not receive anti-osteoporosis treatment in the Department of Spine Surgery, Tianjin Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 520 males and 728 females, aged 62.31±9.37 years (range, 40-87 years), height 1.66±0.08 m (range, 1.43-1.89 m), weight 69.04±8.27 kg (range, 49-93 kg). The mean body mass index was 26.11±3.67 kg/m 2 (range, 14.40-37.11 kg/m 2). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and PL-QCT were used to diagnose osteoporosis, and the detection rates of the two diagnostic methods were compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis was drawn, the area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (CI), sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results:Among 1 248 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases, 626 (50.2%) were diagnosed as osteoporosis by PL-QCT, 423(33.9%) were diagnosed by spine DXA, 488(39.1%) were diagnosed by hip DXA and 539 patients(43.2%) were diagnosed by dual-site DXA. The detection rate of osteoporosis of PL-QCT was higher than that of spine DXA (χ 2=193.557, P<0.001), hip DXA (χ 2=322.201, P<0.001) and dual-site DXA (χ 2=94.683, P<0.001), and the difference was statistically significant. Taking the diagnostic results of spinal DXA for osteoporosis as a reference, the ROC curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis showed a sensitivity of 79%, a specificity of 81%, and an AUC and 95% CI of 0.82(0.79, 0.85). Taking the diagnostic results of hip DXA for osteoporosis as a reference, the ROC curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis showed a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 55%, and an AUC and 95% CI of 0.75(0.71, 0.78). Taking the diagnostic results of two-site DXA for osteoporosis as a reference, the ROC curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis showed a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 75%, and an AUC and 95% CI of 0.81(0.78, 0.83). Conclusion:Compared with DXA, PL-QCT has a higher detection rate of osteoporosis in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease and good diagnostic efficacy.

Objective:To construct a model of mitochondria-related genes (Mito-RGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and predict the immune, prognostic and therapeutic characteristics of HCC based on the model, so as to provide a new idea for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.Methods:The expression profiles of HCC and corresponding clinical information were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Univariate Cox regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate Cox regression were used to construct a prognostic model of HCC based on Mito-RGs, and the International Cancer Genome Consortium-Liver Cancer-RIKEN-Japan ICGC-LIRI-JP dataset were used for validation. GO and KEGG analyses were performed to investigate the signaling pathways enriched for differentially expressed genes in the high- and low-risk groups. Immune infiltration was assessed using CIBERSORT. Single-cell data were used to study the proportion of immune cells in high- and low-risk groups of HCC samples and the relationship with cell proliferation. Cellminer was used to assess the relationship between risk score models and drug sensitivity.Results:A risk-prognostic model of HCC containing seven Mito-RGs ( DTYMK, ACADS, HMGCS2, CYP27A1, TOMM40L, STOM, and AKR1B10) was constructed. High-risk HCC patients had a worse prognosis. Genes upregulated in the high- and low-risk groups of differentially expressed genes were enriched in cell cycle and metabolism-related pathways. Single-cell data showed higher proportions of CD8 + T cells, macrophages and monocytes, and proliferating cells in the high-risk group. CIBERSORT analysis suggested that Treg cells and M0 macrophages were more abundant in the high-risk group, whereas CD8 + T cells and CD4 + memory T cells were less abundant. Patients in the high-risk group were more sensitive to myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 inhibitor, vincristine, phosphatidylinositol kinase beta subunit inhibitor, and aurora kinase A, while trametinib, selumetinib, extracellular regulated protein kinase, and mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase were more effective in the low-risk group. Conclusion:The constructed Mito-RGs model is capable of providing a more accurate assessment of the prognosis and the degree of immune cell infiltration in HCC patients.

Objective:To investigate the analgesic effect of Opisthoplatia orientalis Burm. polypeptides (OOBP) on postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) induced by resiniferatoxin (RTX) in rat models, and its effect on the phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) -induced kinase 1/Parkin (PINK1/Parkin) signaling pathway. Methods:Thirty-two special pathogen-free rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: a blank control group ( n = 8) receiving intraperitoneal injections of physiological saline (0.20 mg/kg) , and a model group ( n = 24) receiving intraperitoneal injections of RTX (0.20 mg/kg) to establish the PHN rat model. The rats' paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) was measured on days 1, 4, 7, and 10 after RTX injections. After 10 days of RTX treatment, rat models were randomly assigned to 3 subgroups: PHN group, OOBP group, and gabapentin group, with 8 rats in each group. The OOBP group and gabapentin group were gavaged with OOBP (equivalent to 0.9 g raw drug per kg) and gabapentin (27 mg/kg) respectively, while the PHN group and control group were gavaged with physiological saline. All treatments lasted for 3 weeks, during which PWMT was continuously monitored. One hour after the final dose, rats were sacrificed, and spinal cord tissues and serum samples were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe spinal pathological changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) , tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) , β-endorphin (β-EP) , and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) , and Western blot analysis to determine the expression of PINK1, Parkin, and ubiquitin-binding protein P62 in rat spinal cord tissues. The entropy weight method was applied to comprehensively evaluate the effect of OOBP on the above cytokines, proteins and other pharmacodynamic indicators in rat models of PHN. Results:From day 1 to day 10 after modeling, PWMT values in the model group were significantly lower than those in the blank control group (all P < 0.05) , and also significantly lower than baseline values prior to modeling (all P < 0.05) . Histopathological analysis of rat spinal cord tissues showed less pathological changes (such as Nissl body swelling and neuronal necrosis) but more normal Nissl bodies in both the gabapentin group and OOBP group compared with the PHN group. ELISA revealed significantly decreased serum levels of TNF-α and CGRP but significantly increased serum levels of β-EP and IL-10 in the OOBP group compared with the PHN group (all P < 0.05) . Western blot analysis showed that expression levels of PINK1 and Parkin were significantly lower in the gabapentin group (0.441 ± 0.061, 0.597 ± 0.180, respectively) and the OOBP group (0.666 ± 0.117, 0.481 ± 0.073, respectively) than in the PHN group (1.033 ± 0.085, 1.088 ± 0.040, respectively, all P < 0.05) ; in contrast, the P62 expression significantly increased in the gabapentin group (0.810 ± 0.086) and OOBP group (0.902 ± 0.153) compared with the PHN group (0.543 ± 0.082, both P < 0.05) . The entropy weight analysis showed that the comprehensive scores were 0.222 and 0.229 in the OOBP group and the gabapentin group respectively, suggesting a greater overall therapeutic effect of OOBP. Conclusion:OOBP may exert analgesic effects in rat models of PHN by downregulating the expression of inflammatory factors and pain-related factors and modulating the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting mitochondrial autophagy in spinal neurons and reducing inflammatory responses.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of phantom-less quantitative computer tomography (PL-QCT) for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases.Methods:From October 2021 to October 2023, a total of 1 248 patients with lumbar degenerative disease who did not receive anti-osteoporosis treatment in the Department of Spine Surgery, Tianjin Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 520 males and 728 females, aged 62.31±9.37 years (range, 40-87 years), height 1.66±0.08 m (range, 1.43-1.89 m), weight 69.04±8.27 kg (range, 49-93 kg). The mean body mass index was 26.11±3.67 kg/m 2 (range, 14.40-37.11 kg/m 2). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and PL-QCT were used to diagnose osteoporosis, and the detection rates of the two diagnostic methods were compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis was drawn, the area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (CI), sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results:Among 1 248 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases, 626 (50.2%) were diagnosed as osteoporosis by PL-QCT, 423(33.9%) were diagnosed by spine DXA, 488(39.1%) were diagnosed by hip DXA and 539 patients(43.2%) were diagnosed by dual-site DXA. The detection rate of osteoporosis of PL-QCT was higher than that of spine DXA (χ 2=193.557, P<0.001), hip DXA (χ 2=322.201, P<0.001) and dual-site DXA (χ 2=94.683, P<0.001), and the difference was statistically significant. Taking the diagnostic results of spinal DXA for osteoporosis as a reference, the ROC curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis showed a sensitivity of 79%, a specificity of 81%, and an AUC and 95% CI of 0.82(0.79, 0.85). Taking the diagnostic results of hip DXA for osteoporosis as a reference, the ROC curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis showed a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 55%, and an AUC and 95% CI of 0.75(0.71, 0.78). Taking the diagnostic results of two-site DXA for osteoporosis as a reference, the ROC curve of PL-QCT for the diagnosis of osteoporosis showed a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 75%, and an AUC and 95% CI of 0.81(0.78, 0.83). Conclusion:Compared with DXA, PL-QCT has a higher detection rate of osteoporosis in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease and good diagnostic efficacy.

Objective:To investigate the effects of sampling methods on pathological assessment of resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimen with tumor maximum diameter >3 cm after neoadjuvant therapy.Methods:NSCLC patients with a large tumor (diameter >3 cm) that were resected after neoadjuvant therapy from June 2020 to July 2023 were retrospectively collected in the Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China. Sampling methods of the tumor bed were performed in accordance with the international and Chinese experts recommendations for resection specimens following neoadjuvant therapy (recommended sampling method, RSM), and all remaining tumor bed lesions were completely sampled after recommended sampling (complete sampling method, CSM). The difference of pathological response assessment of residual viable tumor (RVT) between RSM and CSM was examined.Results:A total of 90 cases were identified and analyzed, including 39 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 51 cases of adenocarcinoma, treated with neoadjuvant therapy including chemotherapy in 22 cases (24.4%), targeted therapy in 14 cases (15.6%), and chemoimmunotherapy in 54 cases (60.0%). There were 62 males and 28 females with an average age of (62.7±17.9) years. The average tumor maximum diameter was 4.3 cm (range, 3.1-8.0 cm). The average number of sampled blocks was 8 blocks (range, 5 to 16) and 15 blocks (range, 8 to 36) per case by RSM and CSM, respectively. According to the definition of major pathological response (MPR) in which RVT is ≤10%, the numbers of patients with MPR were 34 cases by RSM and 30 cases by CSM, respectively. Four cases showed inconsistent RVT between the two methods, including one case of squamous cell carcinoma and three cases of adenocarcinoma. The RVT of the four inconsistent cases was 7%, 7%, 5% and 9% (MPR by RSM), and 15%, 15%, 15% and 20% (non-MPR by CSM), respectively. The kappa values of MPR consistency evaluated by the two sampling methods were 0.893 for all cases, 0.906 for squamous cell carcinoma cases and 0.751 for adenocarcinoma cases. According to MPR cut-off of 65% for invasive primary adenocarcinoma, 24 cases and 20 cases achieved MPR by RSM and CSM, respectively. Of the four inconsistent cases, the RVT by RSM was 60% in three cases and 65% in one case (MPR), whereas the RVT by CSM was 70% in three cases and 75% in one case (non-MPR). The kappa value of the two sampling methods was 0.741.Conclusions:There is high consistency between RSM and CSM in the pathological assessment of post-treatment responses in resected NSCLC specimens with tumor maximum diameter larger than 3 cm. When the percentage of RVT cells is close to MPR, re-evaluation of the specimen is required and CSM may be necessary to accurately evaluate the degree of pathological remission, assist in clinical postoperative treatment, and predict patient prognosis.