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: To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among middle-aged and elderly people in Xihu District, Hangzhou City, so as to provide insights into prevention and intervention of MCI among middle-aged and elderly people. Methods: People aged 55 years and above were sampled from Xihu District using the multi-stage random sampling method, and demographic information, lifestyle behaviors, and chronic disease were collected through questionnaire surveys. The prevalence of MCI was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and influencing factors for MCI were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 440 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 97.78%. There were 190 males (43.18%) and 250 females (56.82%). There were 179 respondents at ages of 55 to <65 years, accounting for 40.68%. The prevalence of MCI was 18.64%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of MCI was higher among the middle-aged and elderly people who were aged 65 to 95 years (55 to <65 years as the reference, 65 to <75 years, OR=4.156, 95%CI: 1.284-13.201; 75 to 95 years, OR=5.013, 95%CI: 1.752-14.126), were smokers (OR=4.768, 95%CI: 1.560-14.580), had higher daily cooking oil intake (OR=2.128, 95%CI: 1.062-4.199), had diabetes (OR=4.137, 95%CI: 1.144-4.958) and had hypertension (OR=8.093, 95%CI: 1.697-38.593); while the risk of MCI was lower among the middle-aged and elderly people who were engaged in mental labor (OR=0.074, 95%CI: 0.007-0.756) and had a monthly household income per capita of 4 000 yuan and above (4 000 to <8 000 yuan, OR=0.071, 95%CI: 0.014-0.358; 8 000 yuan and above, OR=0.009, 95%CI: 0.001-0.136). Conclusion MCI among middle-aged and elderly people in Xihu District is affected by age, occupation, monthly household income per capita, smoking, daily cooking oil intake, diabetes and hypertension.

Medical cross-modal retrieval aims to achieve semantic similarity search between different modalities of medical cases, such as quickly locating relevant ultrasound images through ultrasound reports, or using ultrasound images to retrieve matching reports. However, existing medical cross-modal hash retrieval methods face significant challenges, including semantic and visual differences between modalities and the scalability issues of hash algorithms in handling large-scale data. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a Medical image Semantic Alignment Cross-modal Hashing based on Transformer (MSACH). The algorithm employed a segmented training strategy, combining modality feature extraction and hash function learning, effectively extracting low-dimensional features containing important semantic information. A Transformer encoder was used for cross-modal semantic learning. By introducing manifold similarity constraints, balance constraints, and a linear classification network constraint, the algorithm enhanced the discriminability of the hash codes. Experimental results demonstrated that the MSACH algorithm improved the mean average precision (MAP) by 11.8% and 12.8% on two datasets compared to traditional methods. The algorithm exhibits outstanding performance in enhancing retrieval accuracy and handling large-scale medical data, showing promising potential for practical applications.
Algorithms ; Semantics ; Humans ; Ultrasonography ; Information Storage and Retrieval/methods* ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*

Online hashing methods are receiving increasing attention in cross modal medical image retrieval research. However, existing online methods often lack the learning ability to maintain semantic correlation between new and existing data. To this end, we proposed online semantic similarity cross-modal hashing (OSCMH) learning framework to incrementally learn compact binary hash codes of medical stream data. Within it, a sparse representation of existing data based on online anchor datasets was designed to avoid semantic forgetting of the data and adaptively update hash codes, which effectively maintained semantic correlation between existing and arriving data and reduced information loss as well as improved training efficiency. Besides, an online discrete optimization method was proposed to solve the binary optimization problem of hash code by incrementally updating hash function and optimizing hash code on medical stream data. Compared with existing online or offline hashing methods, the proposed algorithm achieved average retrieval accuracy improvements of 12.5% and 14.3% on two datasets, respectively, effectively enhancing the retrieval efficiency in the field of medical images.
Semantics ; Humans ; Algorithms ; Information Storage and Retrieval/methods* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the biological properties of double-negative T (DNT) cells isolated from leukoreduction filter residues. METHODS: Leukoreduction filters containing residues from 400 mL whole blood units (n=6) were collected from a blood center. Filters were back-flushed with normal saline, and the eluate was concentrated to obtain leukoreduction filter residues. Leukocytes in the residues were counted by dual-fluorescence staining. DNT cells were then isolated from the residues using antibody-mediated adsorption and density gradient centrifugation. Both cryopreserved and fresh unstimulated DNT cells derived from the residues were subjected to in vitro culture. Following culture, cells were assessed for expansion fold, viability, immunophenotype, differentiation status, and cytotoxicity against target cells using dual-fluorescence staining and flow cytometry, with comparisons made to DNT cells derived from whole blood. RESULTS: The leukocyte recovery rate achieved through reverse flushing of the leukocyte reduction filter was (41.9±14.7)%. Compared to whole blood, the DNT cell starting material obtained from filter residues showed no significant difference in total T-cell content (P>0.05). However, the viability and purity of the resulting DNT cell starting materials were significantly lower (both P<0.05). After 17 days of culture, DNT cells from filter residues and whole blood showed no significant differences in expansion fold, immunophenotype, differentiation status, or cytotoxicity toward target cells (all P>0.05). However, the viability of DNT cells from residues was significantly lower than that of whole blood-derived DNT cells [(86.0±4.2)% vs. (92.2±1.2)%, P<0.05]. After thawing (post 3 or 15 days of cryopreservation) and 17 days of culture, DNT cell starting materials from residues showed comparable immunophenotype, expansion fold, and differentiation status to their non-cryopreserved counterparts from the same source (all P>0.05). However, the viability of DNT cells cryopreserved for 3 days [92.4% (91.8%, 92.8%)] and the cytotoxicity against target cells of those cryopreserved for 15 days [91.3% (89.4%, 95.1%)] were significantly higher than those of non-cryopreserved DNT cells [87.8% (82.0%, 89.0%) and 70.9% (67.3%, 80.2%), respectively] (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS DNT cells derived from leukoreduction filter residues exhibited highly comparable characteristics to those from whole blood in terms of expansion, purity, differentiation, and biological potency. Furthermore, their biological activity post-cryopreservation and revival remained largely similar to non-cryopreserved cells. These findings suggest that leukoreduction filter residues represent a promising alternative source of starting material for manufacturing off-the-shelf, allogeneic DNT cell therapeutics.

Doxorubicin (Dox) is an anthracycline drug widely applied in various malignancies. However, the fatal cardiotoxicity induced by Dox limits its clinical application. Post-transcriptional protein modification via ubiquitination/deubiquitination in cardiomyocytes mediates the pathophysiological process in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). In this study, we aimed to clarify the regulatory role and mechanism of a deubiquitinating enzyme, ubiquitin-specific peptidase 13 (USP13), in DIC. RNA-seq analysis and experimental examinations identified that cardiomyocyte-derived USP13 positively correlated with DIC. Mice with cardiac-specific deletion of USP13 were subjected to Dox modeling. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) carrying cTNT promoter was constructed to overexpress USP13 in mouse heart tissues. Cardiomyocyte-specific knockout of USP13 exacerbated DIC, while its overexpression mitigated DIC in mice. Mechanistically, USP13 deubiquitinates the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and promotes the autolysosome-related degradation of STING, subsequently alleviating cardiomyocyte inflammation and death. Our study suggests that USP13 serves a cardioprotective role in DIC and indicates USP13 as a potential therapeutic target for DIC treatment.

Honey, a natural substance, has long been valued for its dual role in both food and medicine in diverse cultural traditions, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is rich in sugars, amino acids, enzymes, polyphenols, and flavonoids that contribute to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. Additionally, honey is effective in managing some conditions, such as antibiotic-resistant infections, inflammation, and oxidative stress-related diseases. This review explores the extensive health benefits of honey, emphasizing the homology between food and medicine, as proposed by TCM philosophy. Further, this review explores the traditional applications of honey in respiratory health, wound healing, and gastrointestinal support, along with modern scientific validation of these uses. Moreover, the role of honey as a dietary supplement, functional food, and preservative in culinary practices is examined. Overall, this review highlights the synergy between ancient wisdom and contemporary science, advocating for the continued exploration of the role of honey in health, nutrition, and medicine.

Objective To build a comprehensive evaluation system for the operating benefit of clinical departments in cancer hospitals,so as to provide data support for the fine operation management of hospitals.Methods Literature review and semi-structured interview were used to form the index pool.Two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were used to determine the index of the evaluation system,and the analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the index weight.Finally,the weighted TOPSIS was used for empirical case analysis.Results The positive coefficient in the two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were 82.6％and 100％,the authority coefficient was 0.808,and the coordination coefficient was between 0 and 1.All indexes at all levels passed the consistency test.Finally,a comprehensive evaluation system consisting of 4 dimensions,19 indexes in surgery,16 indicators in radiotherapy and 16 indicators in internal medicine was constructed.Indicators at all levels were tested for consistency,resulting in the construction of a comprehensive evaluation system consisting of 4 dimensions,19 indicators for surgery and 16 indicators each for radiotherapy and internal medicine departments.Conclusion The comprehensive evaluation system of operating benefit of clinical departments in cancer hospitals can help hospitals and departments to find out the shortcomings of operation,build the path of operating benefit improvement,and realize the connotation improvement and high-quality development of hospitals.

Objective Based on the technology acceptance model,to explore the influence mechanism of technical support,perceived interactivity,perceived usefulness,perceived ease of use and perceived risk on medical staff's report intention on adverse events,and to provide path suggestions for improving medical staff's report intention adverse events.Methods The multi-stage sampling method was used to select 637 medical staffs of tertiary public hospitals in Hangzhou who used the information-based platform to report adverse events as the research respondents,and the self-developed scale of report intention on adverse events was used as the research tool,monofactor analysis were conducted by Wilcoxon rank-sum test,and the structural equation model was used to analyze the influence path of their report intention on adverse events.Results Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have positive effects on medical staff's report intention on adverse events(β=0.264,0.658;P＜0.001);Perceived risk negatively affected the medical staff's report intention on adverse events(β=-0.143,P＜0.001).The indirect effects of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on medical staff's report intention on adverse events are 0.538 and 0.205,respectively.Conclusion Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use plays a mediating role in perceived interactivity and medical staff's report intention on adverse events.

Objective To build a comprehensive evaluation system for the operating benefit of clinical departments in cancer hospitals,so as to provide data support for the fine operation management of hospitals.Methods Literature review and semi-structured interview were used to form the index pool.Two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were used to determine the index of the evaluation system,and the analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the index weight.Finally,the weighted TOPSIS was used for empirical case analysis.Results The positive coefficient in the two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were 82.6％and 100％,the authority coefficient was 0.808,and the coordination coefficient was between 0 and 1.All indexes at all levels passed the consistency test.Finally,a comprehensive evaluation system consisting of 4 dimensions,19 indexes in surgery,16 indicators in radiotherapy and 16 indicators in internal medicine was constructed.Indicators at all levels were tested for consistency,resulting in the construction of a comprehensive evaluation system consisting of 4 dimensions,19 indicators for surgery and 16 indicators each for radiotherapy and internal medicine departments.Conclusion The comprehensive evaluation system of operating benefit of clinical departments in cancer hospitals can help hospitals and departments to find out the shortcomings of operation,build the path of operating benefit improvement,and realize the connotation improvement and high-quality development of hospitals.