OBJECTIVE To investigate the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of eleutheroside B （ELB） on Parkinson’s disease （PD） model mice by regulating the IκB kinase β （IKKβ）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. METHODS Fifty mice were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， positive control group （selegiline hydrochloride， 10 mg/kg）， and ELB low-dose and high-dose groups （80， 160 mg/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Each group was given relevant medicine or normal saline intragastrically for 14 consecutive days. Starting from the 10th day of administration， the model group and all administration groups were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1，2，3，6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP） 30 mg/kg， for five consecutive days to establish the chronic PD model. After the last administration for 24 h， six mice were randomly selected from each group to test their behavioral abilities； detect the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in brain tissue and their mRNA expressions were measured， and positive expression of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH）， protein expressions of TH， α -synuclein （ α -syn）， ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 （Iba-1）， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in the brain tissue were detected. The ultrastructure of neurons in substantia nigra was observed. RESULTS Compared with the model group， rotarod endurance time and climbing score of each administration group （except for the ELB low-dose group） were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）， while the levels and mRNA expressions of IL-1β， TNF-α， α -syn， and Iba-1， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in brain tissue were decreased significantly （except for TNF-α in the ELB low-dose group）. Conversely， the level and mRNA expression of IL-10 （except for the ELB low-dose group）， TH positive expression and protein expressions were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. Typical neurodegenerative pathological changes， such as neuronal karyopyknosis， mitochondrial swelling and vacuolization， and endoplasmic reticulum dilation， all showed varying degrees of improvement. CONCLUSIONS ELB may exert neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the activation of the IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway， alleviating inflammatory responses， reducing abnormal α -syn aggregation and neuronal loss， and further improving motor dysfunction in PD mice.

OBJECTIVE To establish a method for simultaneously determining three anti-tuberculosis drugs in the plasma of patients with spinal tuberculosis and apply it in clinical practice. METHODS LC-MS/MS method was established for the quantitative determination of the concentrations of isoniazid， rifampicin and pyrazinamide in the plasma of patients with spinal tuberculosis， using diphenhydramine as the internal standard. The determination was carried out using Chemalink CM-C18T column， with mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid-methanol solution （gradient elution）， at the flow rate of 0.4 mL/min and an injection volume of 2 μL. Multiple reaction monitoring was conducted using an electrospray ionization source in positive ion mode. The ion pairs used for quantitative analysis were m/z 138.0→121.0（ for isoniazid）， m/z 823.3→791.3（ for rifampicin）， m/z 124.1→ 79.0 （for pyrazinamide）， and m/z 256.0→167.0 （for diphenhydramine）. Fifty-three patients diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis in Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2023 to June 2025 were selected， and the plasma concentrations of isoniazid， rifampicin and pyrazinamide in these patients were measured using the above method. RESULTS The linear ranges for isoniazid， rifampicin and pyrazinamide were 0.5-16， 2-64， and 2.5-80 μg/mL， respectively （r≥0.998 7）. The accuracy ranged from 90.20% to 108.64% （n＝5）. RSDs for intra-day precision were all less than 6.63% （n＝5）， while those for inter-day precision were all less than 8.42% （n＝3）. The matrix effects ranged from 88.60% to 115.41% （n＝5）. The relative deviations in the stability tests were all within the ±15% range， and the carry-over effect did not interfere with the determination. The results of clinical application showed that the mean plasma drug concentrations of isoniazid， rifampicin and pyrazinamide in patients with spinal tuberculosis were （3.62±2.80）， （8.55±4.57）， and （20.12±6.56） μg/mL， respectively. The incidences of plasma drug concentrations falling below the effective peak concentrations were 49.06%， 58.49% and 60.38%， respectively. CONCLUSIONS The method established in this study is rapid， accurate， and demonstrates good stability， making it suitable for clinical monitoring of the plasma concentrations of isoniazid， rifampicin and pyrazinamide in patients with spinal tuberculosis.

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing intraoperative blood transfusion in patients with hip fractures and to develop a machine learning (ML) model for predicting this risk. Methods: A total of 424 patients with hip fractures who underwent surgical treatment between November 2022 and March 2025 in our hospital were selected. Key feature variables of intraoperative blood transfusion risk were identified using the Boruta algorithm. Four different ML algorithms—support vector machine (SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), mixed discriminant analysis (MDA), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)—were used to develop predictive models for intraoperative blood transfusion risk. The predictive performance of the four ML models were evaluated using accuracy, precision, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, precision-recall curves (PRC), precision-recall gain curves (PRGC), and F1 scores. Shapley additive interpretation (SHAP) was used to interpret the final model. Results: Among the 424 patients, 77(18.2%) received intraoperative blood transfusion. The Boruta algorithm identified albumin (ALB), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), types of anesthesia, types of fracture, and hemoglobin (Hb) as key feature variables for predicting intraoperative blood transfusion risk. In model evaluation, the SVM model outperforms the other three models across multiple metrics, including the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), recall, recall gain, accuracy, precision, F1 score, and the area under the precision-recall curve (PRC-AUC). The SVM model, interpreted and visualized based on SHAP values, effectively predicted intraoperative blood transfusion risk in patients with hip fracture. A visual online application was developed based on the SVM model (https://pbo-nomogram.shinyapps.io/blood/). Conclusion: Preoperative low ALB and Hb levels, prolonged APTT, general anesthesia, and intertrochanteric fractures are risk factors for intraoperative blood transfusion in hip fracture patients. The risk prediction model for intraoperative blood transfusion constructed based on the SVM algorithm has optimal performance, which provides new ideas and methods for the clinical early identification of hip fracture patients with high transfusion risk and the implementation of targeted interventions.

AIM:To clarify the expression characteristics and regulatory role of the long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1(MALAT1)in oxidative stress and apoptosis of H2O2-induced human lens epithelial cell line HLE-B3.METHODS: HLE-B3 cells were divided into Control group and H2O2 group(cultured with 200 μmol/L H2O2 for 24 h). Levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and cell apoptosis rates were detected by flow cytometry. Activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)were measured using kits, MALAT1 expression was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR, and its cellular localization was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. After selecting the Si-MALAT1 sequence with the highest silencing efficiency, the groups were established as Control, H2O2, H2O2+Si-NC, and H2O2+Si-MALAT1. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to detect the apoptosis marker TUNEL and Nrf2 nuclear translocation. RESULTS:Compared with the Control group, the H2O2group exhibited significantly elevated ROS levels, markedly decreased SOD and CAT activities(both P<0.001), and a significantly increased apoptosis rate(P<0.01). MALAT1 expression was upregulated(P<0.01)and localized in the nucleus. After silencing MALAT1, H2O2-induced cell apoptosis was significantly inhibited(P<0.01).CONCLUSION: H2O2-induced oxidative stress can increase the expression of MALAT1, and silencing MALAT1 reduces oxidative stress damage and apoptosis, providing a potential target for preventing and treating cataracts.

Objective:To describe the body mass index (BMI) level and long-term trends of Chinese older adults aged 65 and above.Methods:Older adults aged 65 and above from six waves (2002-2018) of the China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey were selected as the study population. Multiple cross-sectional design with six survey waves conducted in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018 was adopted, enrolling 15 647, 15 358, 15 622, 9 166, 6 302, and 12 417 participants, respectively. Additionally, a total of 13, 755 participants were included in the cohort study design. Relevant information was collected through questionnaires and physical examinations. The χ2 trend test was used to compare the changes in the rates of underweight and overweight/obesity over the years, and the linear mixed-e?ects model (LMM) was used to fit trajectory curves of BMI changes with advancing age in older adults. Results:The baseline ages of the participants included in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018 were (85.16±11.26), (84.23±11.83), (84.99±12.16), (81.10±11.86), (78.89±11.30), and (83.08±12.42) years, respectively, with a relatively high proportion of females and rural residents. In the cohort study, the 13 755 participants had a median ( Q1, Q3) follow-up time of 6.5 (5.2, 10.0) years, with a cumulative follow-up duration of 109 041 person-years. In each wave, males had higher BMI than females, urban residents had higher BMI than rural residents, and BMI gradually decreased with increasing age (all P<0.001). The mean BMI of older adults in China increased from (19.37±3.80) kg/m2 in 2002 to (22.04±4.01) kg/m2 in 2018 ( P<0.001). Across all survey years, the prevalence of underweight was consistently higher in women than in men and in rural areas than in urban areas, with an upward trend as age increased (all P<0.001). In 2018, the underweight rates in the 65-79, 80-89, 90-99, and ≥100-year-old age groups were 8.0%, 16.7%, 26.2%, and 35.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, the prevalence of overweight/obesity was higher in men than in women and in urban areas than in rural areas, showing a declining trend with advancing age (all P<0.001). The prevalence of underweight among the older adults decreased significantly from 45.2% in 2002 to 18.9% in 2018 ( P<0.001), while the prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 11.0% in 1998 to 29.6% in 2018 ( P<0.001). The trajectory curves fitted by the LMM model showed that individuals born in later decades had higher BMI levels at the same age compared to earlier cohorts. Conclusion:From 2002 to 2018, the BMI level among Chinese older adults showed an increasing trend. The prevalence of underweight showed a declining trend, while the rates of obesity and overweight increased. However, the underweight rate remained notably high among the oldest old.

Objective:To determine the optimal cut-off value of serum cotinine for distinguishing smoking status among Chinese adults based on a large-scale national sample.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8 987 Chinese adults aged 20-79 years from 152 administrative counties across 31 provinces during 2017-2018. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, smoking status, and health status were collected via questionnaires and physical examinations. Blood samples were analyzed for serum cotinine levels using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and for blood creatinine levels using the picric acid method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed with serum cotinine concentration as the test variable and self-reported smoking status as the state variable. The optimal cut-off value was determined based on the maximum Youden′s index, and the bootstrap method was used for repeated sampling (2 000 times) to evaluate the confidence interval of the cut-off value. The net reclassification index (NRI) was used to evaluate the discrimination ability of the cut-off value of this study, the cut-off value of the American population 1 (total population: 3.3 μg/L, men: 4.1 μg/L, women: 3.0 μg/L) and the cut-off value of the American population 2 (the recommended value of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the total population: 10.0 μg/L) against the smoking status of the Chinese population. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 27 and Python 3.11, with a significance level of α=0.05.Results:The age of the research subjects was (49.2±15.2) years. Among them, males accounted for 49.8% (4 477); smokers accounted for 28.8% (2 586); the detection rate of serum cotinine was 94.6% (8 501), and the M ( Q1, Q3) concentration of serum cotinine was 0.9 (0.3, 85.4) μg/L. The ROC curve analysis results showed that the cut-off value (95% CI) of serum cotinine in the total population was 8.8 (6.7-11.7) μg/L, with the specificity (95% CI) about 93.6%(92.7%-94.3%), the sensitivity (95% CI) about 91.0%(89.7%-92.3%) and the area under the curve (AUC) (95% CI) about 0.93 (0.92-0.94). The cut-off value (95% CI) of cotinine for males was 17.1 (8.8-21.8) μg/L, with the specificity (95% CI) about 90.7%(87.9%-92.0%), the sensitivity (95% CI) about 89.4%(88.4%-92.2%) and the AUC (95% CI) about 0.92 (0.91-0.93). The cut-off value (95% CI) of cotinine for females was 7.4 (3.3-15.0) μg/L, with the specificity (95% CI) about 95.6%(92.7%-96.8%), the sensitivity (95% CI) about 87.6%(81.6%-92.8%) and the AUC (95% CI) about 0.92 (0.87-0.95). The NRI analysis results showed that compared with the cut-off value of the American population 2, the NRI of this study′s cut-off values in the total population, males and females were 0.020 ( P=0.015), 0.033 ( P=0.015) and 0.011 ( P=0.380), respectively, indicating that this study′s cutoff value could have better classification performance in the total population and males. Compared with the cut-off value of the American population 2, the NRI of the total population in this study was 0.001 ( P=0.285). Conclusion:The serum cotinine cut-off value based on the analysis of large sample data in China is more suitable for distinguishing the smoking status of Chinese adults.

Objective:To investigate the association between blood selenium levels and sex hormones in Chinese men aged 18-79 years.Methods:Data were derived from the China National Human Biomonitoring survey conducted in 2017-2018, with a final sample size of 5 414 men. General demographic characteristics, behavioral habits, and dietary frequency were collected through questionnaires and physical examinations. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure blood lead, serum testosterone, and estradiol levels. Complex sampling linear regression models were used to analyze the associations between blood selenium levels and testosterone, estradiol, and the testosterone/estradiol ratio, adjusting for confounding factors including age, education level, marital status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, seafood intake, soy product intake, protein supplement intake, BMI, and diabetes status.Results:The mean age of the 5 414 participants was (46.85±27.91) years; 4 774 (91.65%) were of Han ethnicity and 4 505 (86.68%) were married. The median ( Q1, Q3) blood selenium concentration in men was 97.80 (80.64, 116.99) μg/L. After adjusting for confounding factors, the complex sampling linear regression model revealed negative associations between blood selenium levels and both testosterone levels and the testosterone/estradiol ratio, with a significant linear trend ( Ptrend<0.05). Compared with the Q1 group, the β (95% CI) values for testosterone in the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups were -0.02 (-0.06 to 0.02), -0.03 (-0.08 to 0.01), and -0.06 (-0.09 to -0.02), respectively. Similarly, the β (95% CI) values for the testosterone/estradiol ratio in the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups were -0.01 (-0.03 to 0.02), -0.01 (-0.04 to 0.04), and -0.03 (-0.06 to -0.01), respectively. Subgroup analysis indicated stronger associations between blood selenium levels and testosterone/estradiol levels in non-smoking and obese men (BMI≥28 kg/m2). Conclusion:Blood selenium levels are negatively associated with testosterone levels and the testosterone/estradiol ratio in Chinese adult males.

Objective:To explore the association of blood and urinary cadmium levels with lipid profile levels and dyslipidemia in Chinese adults aged 18 to 79 years.Methods:Based on the China National Human Biomonitoring (CNHBM) program, a cross-sectional survey was conducted from 2017 to 2018 using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method, including a total of 10 713 adults aged 18 to 79 years. Data was obtained through questionnaires, physical examinations, biological sample collection, and laboratory testing. Multiple linear mixed effect model (MLMM) and generalized linear mixed effect model (GLMM) were used to analyze the association of blood and creatinine-corrected urinary cadmium levels with lipid profile levels as well as dyslipidemia among adults.Results:The age of 10 713 participants was (47.23±0.24) years, with 5 372 males accounting for 61.3% of the national population. The weighted mean±standard error (SE) of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was (5.21±0.03), (1.86±0.03), (2.96±0.03), and (1.43±0.01) mmol/L, respectively. The prevalence rate of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, mixed hyperlipidemia, low HDL-C, and high LDL-C was 16.0%, 21.6%, 6.6%, 13.5%, and 10.0%, respectively. MLMM showed that, after adjusting for relevant confounders, log-transformed blood cadmium levels were positively associated with increased levels of TC, TG and LDL-C ( P<0.05). When blood cadmium levels were categorized into quartiles, compared to the lowest exposure group ( Q1), participants in the highest blood cadmium exposure group ( Q4) had increases of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.32) mmol/L in TC and 0.25 (95% CI: 0.08, 0.43) mmol/L in TG. GLMM indicated that, after adjusting for confounders, higher blood cadmium exposure levels were associated with increased risks of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, mixed hyperlipidemia, and high LDL-C ( P<0.05). Further analysis by quartiles showed that, compared to the blood cadmium Q1 exposure group, the OR value (95% CI) for the Q4 group was 1.53 (1.12, 2.08) for hypercholesterolemia, 1.54 (1.09, 2.17) for hypertriglyceridemia, 2.24 (1.47, 3.40) for mixed hyperlipidemia, and 1.49 (1.07, 2.09) for high LDL-C. Conclusion:The cadmium internal exposure levels are associated with blood lipid profile levels as well as the incidence of dyslipidemia in Chinese adults aged 18 to 79.

OBJECTIVE To observe the current status and influencing factors for the water contamination of humid-ification tanks of ventilators of the patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation.METHODS Totally 139 hu-midified water samples were collected from the patients who received invasive mechanical ventilation in The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from Jul.2024 to Nov.2024.The humidified water samples were collected,cultured and identified on Day 1,3,5 and 7 after humidification tanks replacement.RESULTS Among the 139 samples,25 were tested positive for pathogens,with the positive test rate 17.99％;the positive test rate was highest(33.33％,8/24)in respiratory intensive care unit.The positive test rate was 12.90％on Day 1,18.42％on Day 3,15.00％on Day 5 and 26.67％on Day 7,showing an upward trend.The result of bacterial culture showed that the percentage of isolated Burkholderia cepacia was highest(36.00％).The result of analysis of the related factors for positive test of humidified water samples showed that the sample adding pattern was as-sociated with the isolation rate(P＜0.05).Only 1 case was diagnosed with ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP)after the humidified water was detected with pathogens and varied in the pathogens.CONCLUSIONS There is an association between the status of water contamination of the ventilator humidification tanks and usage duration of humidification tank.It is necessary to attach great importance to the contamination of humidification tanks,carry out standard management,and implement the prevention and control measures in an all-round way.

OBJECTIVE To investigate a suspected hospital-acquired infection cluster of Enterococcus faecium(Efm)in a neonatal intensive care unit(NICU)of the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,identify the source of infection and transmission routes,and provide a reference for precise prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections.METHODS Epidemiological investigations and environmental microbiological sam-pling were conducted for two neonates with Efm bloodstream infections in the NICU in Jul.2024 to detect Efm in the ward environment.Whole-genome average nucleotide identity(ANI)and multilocus sequence typing(MLST)were used to analyze the homology,drug resistance,and virulence factors of Efm isolates from patients and envi-ronments.Targeted intervention measures were proposed.RESULTS Two cases of Efm bloodstream infection were detected.A total of 37 environmental specimens were collected,and 2 were cultured Efm(the wipe dispenser o-pening and incubator handle of the patients).The drug susceptibility testing results of 2 environmental specimens were consistent with those of the two patient specimens.Genomic analysis confirmed high homology(ANI＞99.99％)among the four Efm isolates.After implementing a series of measures including centralized isolation,strict hand hygiene,thorough environmental cleaning and disinfection,strict disinfection and management of inva-sive devices,enhanced grouping of medical staff for diagnosis and treatment,the incident was effectively con-trolled.CONCLUSIONS This incident can be determined as cluster of hospital-acquired infection with Enterococcus faecium in the neonatal intensive care unit.The wet wipes are the source or transmission medium of contamina-tion.Inadequate disinfection of items and the environment,and insufficient hand hygiene of medical staff are the main reasons for this infection outbreak.Early identification of abnormal cluster of infection,investigation of the source of infection and transmission routes and timely implementation of targeted measures are the keys for preventing infection outbreaks.