Objective To establish a highly efficient and sensitive technical system for the identification and analysis of platycodin-type saponins, systematically compare the differences in platycodin-type saponins among Platycodon grandiflorum from different producing areas, and provide scientific references for the screening of high-quality Platycodon grandiflorum resources, authenticity evaluation, and construction of standardized quality control systems. Methods A total of 45 batches of P. grandiflorum medicinal materials from 3 producing areas （Anhui, Henan, and Jilin, with 15 batches per area） were selected as research objects. Qualitative identification and semi-quantitative analysis of saponin components were performed based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry （UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS） technology. Meanwhile, two multivariate statistical methods, principal component analysis （PCA） and partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA）, were combined to analyze the differences in platycodin-type saponins of Platycodon grandiflorus from different producing areas. Results A total of 28 saponin components were identified from Platycodon grandiflorus of the three producing areas. PCA results showed that there were minor differences in platycodin-type saponins between Henan Platycodon grandiflorus and Jilin Platycodon grandiflorus, while Anhui P. grandiflorum exhibited significant differences from both. PLS-DA further screened 15 major differential compounds. Among them, the contents of 6 components including 3''-O-acetylpolygalacin D2 and platycodin H in Anhui Platycodon grandiflorus were higher than those in Henan and Jilin Platycodon grandiflorus; platycodigenic acid A had the highest content in Jilin Platycodon grandiflorus; the contents of platycodin D3, polygalacin J, and polygalacin D were relatively higher in Henan Platycodon grandiflorus. Conclusion This study clarified the characteristic differences in core components of Platycodon grandiflorus from the three major producing areas, which provided an important theoretical basis for the screening of high-quality Platycodon grandiflorus resources, elucidation of the mechanism underlying its authenticity, and construction of a standardized quality control system.

Objective To investigate disparities in health levels among populations across different regions of China and analyze the relationship between these disparities and regional, social, and economic factors, and to provide recommendations to promote health equity. Methods Based on the data from the Seventh National Population Census, this study employed spatial autocorrelation analysis and the spatial Durbin model to conduct spatial and temporal analyses of the health status of the national population from 2012 to 2021, focusing on the regional distribution of health levels and related influencing factors. Results 1. Regional disparities: The mortality rate in Gansu Province rose from 6.05‰ in 2012 to 8.26‰ in 2021, whereas the mortality rate in eastern provinces such as Hainan Province was relatively low in 2021 (5.39‰). 2. Spatial clustering: The spatial correlation of mortality rates was weak (Moran's I: 0.134-0.245), and the high mortality clusters showed a shift from southwest to northeast region. 3. Influencing factors: Economic conditions, education quality, urbanization levels, and healthcare resources significantly impacted population mortality rates. Conclusion The present study identifies pronounced regional disparities in population health, providing a scientific basis for formulating targeted healthcare policies. Additionally, this study highlights the critical importance of spatial analysis in understanding and addressing public health issues to advance health equity.

Objective To explore the mediating role of activities of daily living (ADL) in pain and depressive symptoms in the elderly in China. Methods Utilizing the data from 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 4403 Chinese elderly individuals aged ≥ 60 years old were selected as the research subjects. Depression Scale (CES-D 10) of the Center for Epidemiological Survey and ADL scale were used in the study. The PROCESS4.1 macro was used to test the mediating effect of daily living activities between pain and depressive symptoms, and the Bootstrap method was applied for verification of the mediating variables. Results A total of 2368 cases of depressive symptoms were detected in the elderly in China, with a detection rate of 53.78%. Pain was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r=0.27, P<0.01), and activities of daily living were negatively correlated with pain and depressive symptoms (r=-0.27, -0.337, P<0.01). The results showed that the total effect value of pain on depressive symptoms was 0.33, the direct effect value was 0.24, and the mediating effect value of daily living activities was 0.09, accounting for 27.27%. Conclusion Pain and activities of daily living are important factors influencing depressive symptoms in the elderly, and activities of daily living play a partial mediating role in the relationship between pain and depressive symptoms in the elderly.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Ureaplasma spp.lipid-associated membrane proteins(LAMPs)on macro-phage M1 polarization,and clarify how LAMPs resist to ferroptosis by regulating macrophage M1 polarization.The overall goal is to contribute to a better understanding of pathogenesis of non-gonococcal urethritis caused by Ureaplasma spp.Methods:ELISA,qPCR and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of LAMPs on M1 polarization of macrophages;Western blot to detect how LAMPs stimulates NF-κB pathway during M1 polarization of macrophages;gene interference technology was used to elucidate how LAMPs affects macrophage M1 polarization through regulating NF-κB pathway;CCK8 and Western blot were used to find out how LAMPs affects macrophage ferroptosis by regulating NF-κB pathway.Results:ELISA,qPCR and flow cytometry results showed that LAMPs promoted macrophage polarization to M1;Western blot results showed that LAMPs increased levels of p-p65 in macrophages;interfering with p65 expression could inhibit M1 polarization process of macrophages that mediated by LAMPs,and inhibition of macrophage ferroptosis that mediated by LAMPs could be significantly reversed.Conclusion:LAMPs inhibits ferroptosis by accelerating macrophage M1 po-larization,which is one of the important pathogenic factors of non-gonococcal urethritis caused by Ureaplasma spp.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between screen time and content, and the mental health status of adolescents. The findings will inform the formulation of targeted intervention policies to enhance adolescent mental health.Methods:Between September and November 2023, 5 197 students from 64 junior high, senior high, and vocational schools across 13 districts in Wuhan were recruited, using the stratified whole-cluster random sampling to investigate their screen behavior and mental health status. Mental health status was measured using the Mental Health Inventory for Chinese Middle School Students (MMHI-60). A generalized additive model was used to explore the nonlinear association between screen time and mental health status. Additionally, a mixed-effects model was utilized to explore the dose-response associations between average daily total screen time, screen time for different content types, and adolescents' mental health status and the impact of the proportion of different screen contents on mental health outcomes.Results:The age of the participants was (14.40±1.48) years, with 56.07% being boys. The MMHI-60 score averaged 1.73±0.70. The M( Q1,Q3) for daily total screen time was 50.00 (0.00,128.57) minutes. The M( Q1,Q3) for screen time dedicated to gaming, studying, socializing, and watching videos were 0.00 (0.00, 20.00), 8.57 (1.64, 44.50), 4.28 (0.00, 30.00), and 0.00 (0.00, 25.71) minutes, respectively. A non-linear association was observed between average daily screen time and adolescent mental health problem score, 0-1 hour of daily screen time was beneficial for adolescent mental, compared to no screen time. However, screen time exceeding 1 hour was detrimental, with the negative impact increasing alongside screen time duration. When total daily screen time was held constant, the proportion of time spent on gaming ( β=0.14, 95% CI: 0.05-0.23, P=0.003) and video ( β=0.21, 95% CI: 0.09-0.28, P<0.001) was positively correlated with mental health problems, whereas the proportion of time spent on studying was negatively correlated with mental health problems ( β=-0.17, 95% CI: -0.24 - -0.11, P<0.001). Conclusions:Moderate screen time is advantageous for adolescent mental health. However, it is crucial to minimize the proportion of screen time dedicated to video and gaming activities to mitigate potential adverse effects.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between screen time and content, and the mental health status of adolescents. The findings will inform the formulation of targeted intervention policies to enhance adolescent mental health.Methods:Between September and November 2023, 5 197 students from 64 junior high, senior high, and vocational schools across 13 districts in Wuhan were recruited, using the stratified whole-cluster random sampling to investigate their screen behavior and mental health status. Mental health status was measured using the Mental Health Inventory for Chinese Middle School Students (MMHI-60). A generalized additive model was used to explore the nonlinear association between screen time and mental health status. Additionally, a mixed-effects model was utilized to explore the dose-response associations between average daily total screen time, screen time for different content types, and adolescents' mental health status and the impact of the proportion of different screen contents on mental health outcomes.Results:The age of the participants was (14.40±1.48) years, with 56.07% being boys. The MMHI-60 score averaged 1.73±0.70. The M( Q1,Q3) for daily total screen time was 50.00 (0.00,128.57) minutes. The M( Q1,Q3) for screen time dedicated to gaming, studying, socializing, and watching videos were 0.00 (0.00, 20.00), 8.57 (1.64, 44.50), 4.28 (0.00, 30.00), and 0.00 (0.00, 25.71) minutes, respectively. A non-linear association was observed between average daily screen time and adolescent mental health problem score, 0-1 hour of daily screen time was beneficial for adolescent mental, compared to no screen time. However, screen time exceeding 1 hour was detrimental, with the negative impact increasing alongside screen time duration. When total daily screen time was held constant, the proportion of time spent on gaming ( β=0.14, 95% CI: 0.05-0.23, P=0.003) and video ( β=0.21, 95% CI: 0.09-0.28, P<0.001) was positively correlated with mental health problems, whereas the proportion of time spent on studying was negatively correlated with mental health problems ( β=-0.17, 95% CI: -0.24 - -0.11, P<0.001). Conclusions:Moderate screen time is advantageous for adolescent mental health. However, it is crucial to minimize the proportion of screen time dedicated to video and gaming activities to mitigate potential adverse effects.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Ureaplasma spp.lipid-associated membrane proteins(LAMPs)on macro-phage M1 polarization,and clarify how LAMPs resist to ferroptosis by regulating macrophage M1 polarization.The overall goal is to contribute to a better understanding of pathogenesis of non-gonococcal urethritis caused by Ureaplasma spp.Methods:ELISA,qPCR and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of LAMPs on M1 polarization of macrophages;Western blot to detect how LAMPs stimulates NF-κB pathway during M1 polarization of macrophages;gene interference technology was used to elucidate how LAMPs affects macrophage M1 polarization through regulating NF-κB pathway;CCK8 and Western blot were used to find out how LAMPs affects macrophage ferroptosis by regulating NF-κB pathway.Results:ELISA,qPCR and flow cytometry results showed that LAMPs promoted macrophage polarization to M1;Western blot results showed that LAMPs increased levels of p-p65 in macrophages;interfering with p65 expression could inhibit M1 polarization process of macrophages that mediated by LAMPs,and inhibition of macrophage ferroptosis that mediated by LAMPs could be significantly reversed.Conclusion:LAMPs inhibits ferroptosis by accelerating macrophage M1 po-larization,which is one of the important pathogenic factors of non-gonococcal urethritis caused by Ureaplasma spp.

Objective: To investigate the association between self-rated health status and mortality risk, and to evaluate the predictive value of self-rated health status for mortality risk among the elderly. Methods: Based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database, data of sociodemographic information, self-rated health status and mortality of the elderly aged 60 years and older were collected from 2011 to 2018. The association between self-rated health status and mortality risk among the elderly was analyzed using a multivariable Cox proportional risk regression model. Results: Totally 4 850 individuals were included, with an median age of 65 (interquartile range, 8) years. There were 2 485 males (51.24%) and 2 365 females (48.76%). There were 877 individuals (18.08%) rated their health as good, 2 078 individuals (42.85%) as general, 1 895 individuals (39.07%) as poor. A total of 28 955 person-years were followed up, with an average follow-up of 5.97 years per person. There were 855 deaths by the end of follow-up in 2018, and the median survival time was 7 (interquartile range, 3) years. Multivariable Cox proportional risk regression analysis showed that there were interactive effects of age, sex and self-rated health status on mortality, respectively (both P<0.05). The results of gender-stratified analysis showed that there was no significant association between self-rated health status and mortality risk in old women (P>0.05). The mortality risk was higher in old men with poor self-rated health than with good self-rated health (<70 years, HR=5.382, 95%CI: 3.263-8.876; 70 to 79 years, HR=3.536, 95%CI: 1.070-11.686; ≥80 years, HR=3.043, 95%CI: 1.827-5.066). Conclusion There is an association between self-rated health status and mortality risk among the elderly, the old men with poor self-rated health had a higher mortality risk.

Objective To analyze the expression of SPAG5 in gastric cancer tissues and its regulatory roles in gastric cancer cell growth.Methods TCGA analysis,immunohistochemistry,and immunofluorescence staining were used to analyze the expression patterns of SPAG5 and MKi67 in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues.In gastric cancer AGS and MGC803 cells,the effects of lentivirus-mediated SPAG5 knockdown on cell growth and apoptosis were evaluated using Celigo,MTT,clone formation assays and flow cytometry.Results Proteinatlas and TCGA database analysis suggested that SPAG5 was highly expressed in gastric cancer,and Kaplan-Meier analysis and GEPIA analysis showed high expressions of SPAG 5 in lung adenocarcinoma,breast cancer,hepatocellular carcinoma,pancreatic carcinoma,cervical cancer and bladder carcinoma.Immunohistochemistry revealed that SPAG5 was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues(P<0.001),and immunofluorescence colocalization analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between SPAG5 and MKI67(R=0.393,P<0.001).RT-qPCR and Western blotting showed that SPAG5 was highly expressed in MKN74,BGC823,MGC803,SGC7901 and AGS cells.In AGS and MGC803 cells,SPAG5 knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis.Conclusions The expressions of SPAG5 and MKi67 are correlated in gastric cancer tissues,and SPAG5 knockdown inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer cells.SPAG5 is associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer patients and may serve as a promising biomarker for gastric cancer.

Objective : To examine the association between intrinsic capacity and falls in older adults, so as to provide insights into the risk assessment of falls. Methods: Older adults aged 60 years and above were selected from two districts and one county in Bengbu City, Anhui Province from September 2022 to June 2023 using convenience sampling method. Demographic information, health-related behaviors and incidence of falls among participants were collected through questionnaire surveys. The intrinsic capacity included five dimensions: sensory, motor, vitality, cognition and psychology, which were investigated by the sensory dimension screening scale recommended by the World Health Organization, the Simple Physical Functioning Battery (SPPB), the Micro Nutritional Assessment Scale (MNAS-SF), the Brief Intelligent Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE), and the Center for Evaluation of Streamlined Depression Levels 10-entry scale (CESD-10), respectively. A total score of 1 or more indicated a decrease in intrinsic capacity. The association between intrinsic capacity and falls in older adults was analyzed by a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 1 950 questionnaires were allocated, and 1 917 were valid, with an effective rate of 98.30%. There were 934 men (48.72%) and 983 women (51.28%), with a mean age of (68.15±3.42) years. There were 1 352 rural residents (70.53%) and 1 431 illiterate and primary school-educated residents (74.65%). In the past year, 347 residents fell, accounting for 18.10%. The median comprehensive score for intrinsic capacity was 1.00 (interquartile range, 2.00) points, and 1 320 had a decrease in intrinsic capacity, accounting for 68.86%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that decline in intrinsic ability was associated with the risk of falls after adjustment for age, gender, educational level, marital status, alcohol consumption and self-rated health status (OR=1.531, 95%CI: 1.408-1.721). Conclusion Decreased intrinsic capacity in older adults may contribute to an increased risk of falls.