Ephedra can improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pseudoephedrine (PSE) is a main active ingredients of ephedra. It has anti-inflammatory pharmacological properties. Its effect on COPD and its possible mechanism have not been elucidated. The COPD rat model was constructed by systemic cigarette smoke exposure combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) tracheal instillation. BEAS-2B cells were treated using cigarette smoke extract; PSE was administered for treatment. The senescence level of rat lung tissue and bronchial epithelial cells was evaluated through staining, immunofluorescence and western blot.The mitochondrial damage of rats and BEAS-2B cells was detected by transmission electron microscopy, JC-1 probe, MitoSOX Red probe and kits. In addition, the lung function indexes of rats were detected by animal lung function analysis system. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining analyzed the pathological damage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), kit and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate inflammation and oxidative stress. Western blot detected phosphoinositide 3-kinase/ protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) axis protein. PSE significantly reduced senescent cells, apoptosis rate and P21 level in rat lung tissue and BEAS-2B cells, significantly increased the levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), restored mitochondrial structure, and visible mitochondrial cristae. It also inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and mitochondrial excessive fission. PSE also significantly improved lung function in rats, increased mean alveolar number (MAN), reduced pro-inflammatory factors, and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. PSE markedly suppressed p-p85, p-AKT and p-mTOR protein expressions. In addition, the PI3K/AKT agonist 740Y-P weakened the effect of PSE on improving COPD. PSE inhibited PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis, improved lung tissue senescence, mitochondrial dysfunction and pathological damage, and reduced airway inflammation and oxidative stress damage, thereby alleviating COPD.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of serum vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP)and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)levels on the outcome of spinal cord electrical stimulation(SCS)in patients with postherpetic neuralgia(PHN).Methods A total of 96 PHN patients who received SCS treatment in Ziy-ang Central Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected.According to the disease outcomes of all PHN patients after 6 months of treatment,a good group(n=71)and a poor group(n=25)were set up.The clinical data of the two groups were collected and the serum VIP and 5-HT levels were detected in all pa-tients before treatment.The predictive value of serum VIP and 5-HT on disease outcome after SCS treatment in PHN patients was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the influencing factors of disease outcome after SCS treatment in PHN patients was explored by multivariate Logistic steppe gression a-nalysis.Results The levels of serum VIP and 5-HT in poor group were higher than those in good group(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum VIP and 5-HT for predicting the disease outcome of PHN patients after SCS treatment were 0.829(95％CI:0.779-0.874)and 0.743(95％CI:0.693-0.793),respec-tively,and the AUC of combined prediction was 0.941(0.891-0.986).There were no significant differences in age,gender,body moss index,education,location of onset,hypertension and drinking history between the two groups(P＞0.05).The time of initial hospital admission in the poor group was longer than that in the good group,skin rash area in the poor group was larger than that in the good group,and diabetes mellitus and smoking history in the poor group were higher than those in the good group(P＜0.05).The time of admis-sion for initial treatment＞3 d(OR=2.188,95％CI:1.383-3.461),skin rash area＞10 cm2(OR=2.018,95％CI:1.283-3.173),diabetes mellitus(OR=2.264,95％CI:1.379-3.717),serum VIP level ≥41.78 ng/L(OR=3.022,95％CI:1.685-5.420),serum 5-HT level ≥99.27 ng/mL(OR=3.579,95％CI:1.885-6.793)were the influencing factors of disease outcome after SCS treatment in PHN patients(P＜0.05).Con-clusion The elevated levels of serum VIP and 5-HT before treatment are associated with poor outcomes after SCS in patients with PHN,and could be used as potential markers to predict the outcomes of SCS in patients with PHN.

Objective:To explore the association between different feeding methods during the first six months after birth and the physical growth of children aged 3 to 5 years.Methods:Data were from the "Taicang and Wuqiang mother-child cohort study"(TAWS) in China. Children were enrolled at birth between November 2016 and September 2020 and followed up at 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months, as well as at ages 3 to 5 years. Based on feeding methods within six months of age, children were categorized into an "exclusive breastfeeding group" and a "formula-feeding group". Birth-related information and feeding practices between 8 and 24 months were collected, alongside dietary habits, physical activity, and illness during preschool years. Height and weight of preschool children were measured to calculate height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), body mass index-for-age Z-score (BAZ), and the rates of stunting, underweight, wasting, overweight, and obesity. After adjusting for demographic factors, birth-related information, feeding practices between 8 to 24 months, preschool dietary habits, physical activity, and health status, multiple linear regression and logistic regression were adopted to analyze the influence of feeding methods within six months of age on the physical growth of children aged 3 to 5 years.Results:A total of 1 233 children were included, comprising 629 boys and 604 girls. The number of children aged 3, 4, and 5 years was 436, 406, and 391, respectively. About 754 children were categorized into the exclusive breastfeeding group and 479 into the formula-feeding group. Children who were introduced to formula milk within six months of age had higher HAZ (0.09±0.99), WAZ (0.24±1.07) and BAZ (0.26±1.11) scores at ages 3 to 5 compared to the exclusive breastfeeding group [HAZ, WAZ, and BAZ were (-0.04±0.92), (0.06±1.02) and (0.11±1.08), respectively]. After adjusting for confounding factors, multiple linear regression analysis showed that the β (95% CI) values for HAZ, WAZ and BAZ in the formula-feeding group were 0.16 (0.06-0.25), 0.17 (0.06-0.29) and 0.15 (0.02-0.27), respectively, compared to the exclusive breastfeeding group. After adjusting for confounding factors, the results of the multivariate logistic regression model indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in the risks of stunting, underweight, wasting, overweight, and obesity during the preschool years between the exclusive breastfeeding group and the formula-feeding group, with OR (95% CI) values of 1.04 (0.41-2.62), 0.99 (0.27-3.57), 1.63 (0.53-4.95), 1.08 (0.66-1.74), and 1.58 (0.70-3.60), respectively. Conclusion:Exclusive breastfeeding within six months of age does not increase the risk of undernutrition (including stunting, underweight or wasting) during preschool years. However, the introduction of formula feeding within six months of age significantly increases the physical growth level of the preschool stage.

Objective:To analyze the epidemic characteristics and changing trends of human brucellosis in Tangshan City, providing a basis for brucellosis prevention and control.Methods:Brucellosis surveillance data and historical surveillance data of Tangshan City reported from 2007 to 2022 in China Disease Prevention and Control Information System were collected. A descriptive analysis using retrospective methods was conducted to summarize the epidemic situation, distribution of three (population, time, region) and pathogenic monitoring results of brucellosis. Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the trend of brucellosis incidence.Results:From 2007 to 2022, a total of 3 949 cases of brucellosis were reported in Tangshan City, with the annual incidence ranging from 0.24 per 100 000 to 7.17 per 100 000, showing an upward trend (AAPC = 18.42%, 95% CI: 10.16% - 24.67%, P < 0.001). The affected population was mainly composed of those aged 40 - 69 years old (3 582 cases, accounting for 90.71%), male (2 957 cases, accounting for 74.88%), and farmers (3 432 cases, accounting for 86.91%). The onset time was mainly concentrated from March to August. The average annual incidence rates of brucellosis in the eastern region, western region and the central urban area were 5.31 per 100 000, 1.84 per 100 000, and 1.42 per 100 000, respectively. There were statistically significant differences among different regions (χ 2 = 1 049.17, P < 0.001). Pathogenic monitoring results revealed that 12 Brucella strains were isolated, all identified as sheep type 3. Conclusions:The incidence of brucellosis in Tangshan City is on the rise from 2007 to 2022. The incidence is mainly among middle-aged and elderly male famers, and it shows s distinct seasonal pattern. It is suggested to strengthen the prevention and control of brucellosis in the whole city.

Objective To examine the expression levels of inflammatory factors,including IL-6,IL-10,MMP-9,IL-17A,and LDH,in the cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemor-rhage(sICH),and to investigate their associations with disease severity and clinical outcomes.Methods A total of 168 patients with sICH admitted to Tangshan GongRen Hospital between January 2023 and January 2025 were prospectively enrolled as the study group,while 30 non-sICH patients who underwent lumbar puncture during the same period served as the control group.Levels of inflammatory factors in CSF were compared between the two groups.Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed to assess the association between inflammatory factor levels and clinical severity in sICH patients.Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors of sICH prognosis.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was employed to evaluate the prognostic value of these inflammatory factors in sICH.Results The levels of IL-6,IL-10,MMP-9,IL-17A,and LDH in the CSF of patients with sICH were significantly higher than those in non-sICH patients(all P<0.05).Furthermore,among sICH patients,these biomarker levels exhibited a graded increase according to disease severity:severe>moderate>mild(all P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between CSF levels of IL-6,IL-10,MMP-9,IL-17A,and LDH and the NIHSS scores,with correlation coefficients(r)of 0.686,0.553,0.685,0.593,and 0.695,respectively(all P<0.05).When comparing the prognoses of sICH patients,hematoma size,NIHSS score,and CSF levels of IL-6,IL-10,MMP-9,IL-17A,and LDH were significantly higher in the deceased group than in the survival group(P<0.05),whereas ApoA1 levels were lower in the deceased group(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis revealed that hematoma size,NIHSS score,and elevated CSF levels of IL-6,IL-10,MMP-9,IL-17A,and LDH were independent risk factors for mortality in sICH patients(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC values for CSF IL-6,IL-10,MMP-9,IL-17A,and LDH in predicting sICH prognosis were 0.794,0.754,0.670,0.717,and 0.683,respectively.Notably,the combination of CSF inflammatory markers with hematoma size and NIHSS score yielded an AUC of 0.993,demonstrating significantly greater predictive accuracy than CSF inflammatory markers alone(P<0.05).Conclusions The levels of inflammatory factors in the CSF,including IL-6,IL-10,MMP-9,IL-17A,and LDH,were elevated in patients with sICH and positively correlated with disease severity.Combining CSF inflammatory markers with the NIHSS score and hematoma size improved the predictive accuracy for sICH prognosis.

Objective This study aims to investigate the expression, phenotypic changes, and mechanisms of action of guanylate-binding protein 2 (GBP2) in the process of silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Methods The expression and localization of GBP2 in silicotic lung tissue were detected by immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence. An in vitro cell model was constructed, and methods such as Western blot and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerasechain reaction were utilized to investigate the function of GBP2 in different cell lines following silica stimulation. The mechanism of action of GBP2 in various cell lines was elucidated using Western blot analysis. Results GBP2 was highly expressed in the lung tissue of patients with silicosis. Immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence have revealed that GBP2 was localized in macrophages and epithelial cells. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that silicon dioxide stimulated THP-1 cells to activate the c-Jun pathway through GBP2, promoting the secretion of inflammatory factors and facilitating the occurrence of M2 macrophage polarization. In epithelial cells, GBP2 promoted the occurrence of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) by upregulating Krueppel-like factor 8 (KLF8). Conclusion GBP2 not only activates c-Jun in macrophages to promote the production of inflammatory factors and the occurrence of M2 macrophage polarization, but also activates the transcription factor KLF8 in epithelial cells to induce EMT, collectively promoting the progression of silicosis.
Humans ; Silicosis/genetics* ; Macrophages/cytology* ; Epithelial Cells/pathology* ; GTP-Binding Proteins/physiology* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Disease Progression ; Cell Line ; Male

In modern society, sugary foods have become an integral part of many people′s lives. However, excessive sugar consumption has adverse effects on both overall health and oral health, serving as a contributing factor to the global increasing incidence in oral diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, obesity, and diabetes. In response to the health risks related to high-sugar diets, the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Dental Federation (FDI) have proposed initiatives and recommendations, with various governments implementing different policies and strategies to reduce sugar intake. Chinese government has also taken proactive measures. The "Healthy China Action (2019-2030)" initiative introduced by the State Council in 2019 established a crucial benchmark in limiting the average daily intake of added sugar to 25 g per person forward to 2030. Experts from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the field of oral health have meticulously examined the impacts of sugar reduction on oral health, as well as strategies, methods, and practical considerations related to reducing sugar intake through several meeting and wrote the "Expert consensus: reducing free-sugar for caries prevention", which was subsequently reviewed and revised based on the feedback from multiple stakeholders. They have conducted thorough analyses of global trends in sugar reduction and best practices to provide valuable insights to China for crafting effective policies and strategies on sugar reduction. This consensus mainly includes the classification of free sugars, the latest scientific evidence on dental caries, recommendations from WHO on sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, nutrition labeling, advertising, food reform, adjusting supply systems, education, and promotion strategies, as well as sugar reduction actions taken by various governments around the world. Combining the actual situation in China, policy recommendations and authoritative popular science knowledge on sugar reduction for caries prevention to public are proposed to advocate for experts in multiple fields to focus on sugar reduction for caries prevention, promote the work process, and provide the scientific basis for oral health educators.

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) assisted bilateral decompression in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation with imaging herniation on one side and clinical symptoms on the contralateral side.Methods:A total of 20 patients with lumbar disc herniation with imaging herniation on one side and clinical symptoms on the contralateral side treated with UBE from January 2022 to January 2024 in the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. There were 9 males and 11 females, aged 50.4±14.0 years (range, 23-72 years). The intervertebral disc herniation level included L 3-4 in 1 case, L 4-5 in 15 cases, and L 5S 1 in 4 cases. There were 10 cases on the left side and 10 cases on the right side. The duration of symptoms was 24.1±33.7 months (range, 1-120 months). Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were used to evaluate postoperative pain relief and functional recovery. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by modified MacNab criteria at 6 months after operation. Results:All patients successfully completed the operation. The operation time was 90.3±24.6 min (range, 55-134 mins). The VAS scores of patients at 3 days, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation were 3.6±0.9, 2.2±0.7, 1.2±0.5 and 1.0±0.6, respectively, which were lower than those before operation (6.4±0.8), and the differences were statistically significant ( F=668.728, P<0.001). The ODI at 3 days, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation were 34.2%±4.7%, 28.7%±2.8%, 24.3%±2.1% and 20.5%±2.0%, respectively, which were lower than 69.4%±5.2% before operation, and the differences were statistically significant ( F=515.578, P<0.001). The clinical efficacy was evaluated by modified MacNab criteria at 6 months after operation. Among 20 patients, 18 cases were excellent, 1 case was good, and 1 case was fair. All patients were followed up for 9.1±2.1 months (range, 6-14 months). One patient had a dural tear during the operation, but the range was small and there was no defect, and no further treatment was performed. Numbness of the lower limbs occurred 1 day after operation, and the symptoms disappeared after symptomatic treatment. There was no recurrence of lower limb symptoms, lumbar instability, intervertebral space infection or other complications at the last follow-up. Conclusion:Bilateral decompression with UBE is effective in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation with imaging herniation on one side and clinical symptoms on the contralateral side, which can improve the lumbar pain and function of patients.

Objective:To explore the association between different feeding methods during the first six months after birth and the physical growth of children aged 3 to 5 years.Methods:Data were from the "Taicang and Wuqiang mother-child cohort study"(TAWS) in China. Children were enrolled at birth between November 2016 and September 2020 and followed up at 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months, as well as at ages 3 to 5 years. Based on feeding methods within six months of age, children were categorized into an "exclusive breastfeeding group" and a "formula-feeding group". Birth-related information and feeding practices between 8 and 24 months were collected, alongside dietary habits, physical activity, and illness during preschool years. Height and weight of preschool children were measured to calculate height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), body mass index-for-age Z-score (BAZ), and the rates of stunting, underweight, wasting, overweight, and obesity. After adjusting for demographic factors, birth-related information, feeding practices between 8 to 24 months, preschool dietary habits, physical activity, and health status, multiple linear regression and logistic regression were adopted to analyze the influence of feeding methods within six months of age on the physical growth of children aged 3 to 5 years.Results:A total of 1 233 children were included, comprising 629 boys and 604 girls. The number of children aged 3, 4, and 5 years was 436, 406, and 391, respectively. About 754 children were categorized into the exclusive breastfeeding group and 479 into the formula-feeding group. Children who were introduced to formula milk within six months of age had higher HAZ (0.09±0.99), WAZ (0.24±1.07) and BAZ (0.26±1.11) scores at ages 3 to 5 compared to the exclusive breastfeeding group [HAZ, WAZ, and BAZ were (-0.04±0.92), (0.06±1.02) and (0.11±1.08), respectively]. After adjusting for confounding factors, multiple linear regression analysis showed that the β (95% CI) values for HAZ, WAZ and BAZ in the formula-feeding group were 0.16 (0.06-0.25), 0.17 (0.06-0.29) and 0.15 (0.02-0.27), respectively, compared to the exclusive breastfeeding group. After adjusting for confounding factors, the results of the multivariate logistic regression model indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in the risks of stunting, underweight, wasting, overweight, and obesity during the preschool years between the exclusive breastfeeding group and the formula-feeding group, with OR (95% CI) values of 1.04 (0.41-2.62), 0.99 (0.27-3.57), 1.63 (0.53-4.95), 1.08 (0.66-1.74), and 1.58 (0.70-3.60), respectively. Conclusion:Exclusive breastfeeding within six months of age does not increase the risk of undernutrition (including stunting, underweight or wasting) during preschool years. However, the introduction of formula feeding within six months of age significantly increases the physical growth level of the preschool stage.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection by using the method of two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Methods:Genetic variation data for NHL came from the Finnish database (FinnGen) Consortium 2021 public genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset including 1 088 patients with NHL and 299 952 control subjects. The GWAS dataset for chronic HBV infection was derived from GWAS analysis published in 2021, including 145 NHL patients and 351 740 control subjects. NHL was used as an exposure factor, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) significantly associated with NHL was used as an instrumental variable (IV), chronic HBV infection was used as an outcome variable. The two-sample MR analysis was performed by using inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. Chronic HBV infection was taken as an exposure factor, SNP significantly associated with chronic HBV infection was taken as IV, and NHL was taken as outcome variable, and then reverse two-sample MR analysis was performed. The IVW method used the inverse variance of each IV as the weight to fit, and the ratio method was used to measure SNP one by one and make weighted regression analysis, so as to obtain the overall estimate. MR-Egger regression and the weighted median (WME) method were also used to supplement the IVW method. In sensitivity analysis, leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the impact of a single SNP. Cochran Q test was used to analyze the heterogeneity of the selected IV. MR-Egger regression was used to measure the average horizontal pleiotropy of IV, and the P-value of directivity was calculated. The MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) Global Test was used to exclude possible horizontal pleiotropic outliers and reduce bias. Results:In the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis, SNP with significant effects on causal associations was excluded. In forward MR analysis, IVs were 10 SNPs associated with NHL; the IVW method indicated that there was no causal association between NHL and chronic HBV infection ( OR = 0.979, 95% CI: 0.925-1.036, P = 0.465). MR-Egger regression ( OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.926-1.062, P = 0.825) and WME method ( OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.934-1.055, P = 0.805) were used as supplementary methods to obtain the consistent results. In sensitivity analysis, Cochran Q test showed no heterogeneity among IVs (IVW method: P = 0.271, MR-Egger regression: P = 0.239). Horizontal pleiotropy was not found in the MR-Egger regression (intercept was -0.01, P = 0.778) and the MR-PRESSO Global Test ( P > 0.05), suggesting robust results. In the reverse MR analysis, IVs were 8 SNPs associated with NHL; the IVW method ( OR = 1.117, 95% CI: 0.942-1.324, P = 0.202) also found no significant causal relationship between chronic HBV infection and NHL; MR-Egger regression ( OR = 0.777, 95% CI: 0.450-1.343, P = 0.401) and WME method ( OR = 1.120, 95% CI: 0.887-1.415, P = 0.351) also showed similar risk estimates. Sensitivity analysis also suggested the consistency and reliability of the results. Cochran Q test showed no heterogeneity among IVs (IVW method: P = 0.775, MR-Egger regression: P = 0.903). Horizontal pleiotropy was not found by MR-Egger regression (intercept was 0.102, P = 0.548) and MR-PRESSO Global Test ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:MR analysis suggests no causal relationship between NHL and chronic HBV infection.