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.

Based on a letrozole-induced rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), serum metabolomics was employed to characterize metabolic abnormalities, identify potential biomarkers, and investigate their roles in the pathogenesis and progression of PCOS. Metabolomic analyses revealed significantly decreased levels of cholesterol, pregnenolone, leucine, and citrate in the serum of model rats, accompanied by elevated levels of androsterone glucuronide (ADTG) and linoleic acid, indicating dysregulation of key pathways including steroid biosynthesis, branched-chain amino acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and lipid metabolism. To elucidate the tissue origins and molecular mechanisms underlying these metabolic alterations, ovarian proteomics and qRT-PCR analyses were further integrated. The results confirmed the upregulation of key enzymes involved in the related metabolic pathways, such as 17α-hydroxylase (CYP17A1), 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD11B1), branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase (BCAT2), fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2), and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH). These findings suggest that both “cholesterol precursor depletion-androgen accumulation” and “energy/lipid metabolic reprogramming” constitute core features of metabolic disturbances in PCOS. Through multi-omic cross-validation, six serum metabolites with high stability and clinical translational potential were identified as promising combinational biomarkers for the auxiliary diagnosis of PCOS. This study employed a metabolomics-guided strategy, supported by proteomic and transcriptomic validation, which has not only deepened our understanding of PCOS metabolic mechanisms but also provided us with a theoretical foundation for its auxiliary diagnosis.

It is believed that "deficiency qi retention and stagnation" is the fundamental pathogenesis of coronary microvascular dysfunction （CMD） after percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. Patients often have severe coronary vessel congestion before PCI， leading to emptiness in the heart's collaterals， which results in deficiency of healthy qi， poor movement of blood and body fluids， so the heart collaterals are susceptible to stagnation and stasis，then phlegm and stasis generate； after PCI， it is easy to damage the healthy qi then lead to qi deficiency， causing qi， blood， and body fluids fail to transport， thereby leading to blood stasis and phlegm turbidity retention， generating heat and wind to damage the heart and body. It is proposed that the prevention before PCI should replenish qi and collaterals， expel blood stasis and resolve phlegm， to support "deficient qi" in heart collaterals and prevent "stagnation" after PCI. Postoperative management should focus on replenishing qi and protecting the collaterals， eliminating pathogen and controlling development， so as to avoid exacerbating deficiency and stagnation by damaging healthy qi， and eliminate pathogen and unblock the collaterals to interrupt the pathogenesis， which prevent "retention and stagnation" from changes.

Objective To Analyze the projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)in the field of gout and hyperuricemia from 2014 to 2023,explore the hotspots and current status of basic research in the past decade in order to provide references for future research in this field.Methods Data were retrieved from databases such as The NSFC official website and so on,with the search keywords being"gout" and "hyperuricemia",covering the time span from 2014 to 2023.Establish a project database and clean the included keywords for statistical analysis and visualization.Results In the past decade,a total of 203 projects have been ap-proved,with a total funding amount of 84.588million yuan.The funded projects include 5 types,involve 4 faculties,include 27 first-level disciplines,and the first-level discipline with the largest number of projects is Traditional Chinese Pharmacy.Shanghai has the lar-gest number of projects,and Qingdao University has the largest number of projects and funding amounts.There are a total of 178 research-ers,and 21 of them have received two or more grants,among which Li Changgui from Qingdao University has the largest number of ap-proved projects.The researches focus on the pathophysiological links primarily centered on"inflammation",signal pathways and key tar-gets,pathogenic genes and the discovery of new genes,multi-system damage,studies on traditional Chinese medicine,new technologies and new methods.Conclusion It is hoped that in the future,the NSFC can increase the funding support for projects in the field of gout and hyperuricemia.Researchers should employ more cutting-edge technologies and innovative methods,carry out interdisciplinary re-search,integrate the essence of Chinese and Western medicine,further explain the disease mechanism,and provide new ideas for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of gout and hyperuricemia.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of Scutellaria baicalensis combined with 5-Fu on Lewis tumor bearing mouse lung cancer based on the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.Methods To detect the changes in body mass,food intake and tumor volume of Lewis tumor-bearing mice after intervention of Scutellaria baicalensis(20 mg/kg)combined with 5-Fu.Pathological changes in tumor tissue were observed by HE staining,expression levels of proliferation related protein Ki67 were observed by immunohistochemical staining,changes in cell apoptosis levels in tumor tissue were observed by TUNEL staining,and changes in expression levels of JAK2,p-JAK2,STAT3,and p-STAT3 proteins in tumor tissue were observed by immunohistochemical staining.Results Compared with the model group,the tumor volume of mice after combined intervention significantly decreased(P＜0.01)and body mass increased(P＜0.05),but there was no significant change food intake.The expression of proliferation related protein Ki67 in tumor tissue was significantly reduced,and the number of apoptotic cells labeled with TUNEL was significantly increased;The expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 proteins is elevated.Conclusions Scutellaria baicalensis decoction can inhibit the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and increase the inhibitory effect of 5-Fu on mouse lung cancer.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of Scutellaria baicalensis combined with 5-Fu on Lewis tumor bearing mouse lung cancer based on the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.Methods To detect the changes in body mass,food intake and tumor volume of Lewis tumor-bearing mice after intervention of Scutellaria baicalensis(20 mg/kg)combined with 5-Fu.Pathological changes in tumor tissue were observed by HE staining,expression levels of proliferation related protein Ki67 were observed by immunohistochemical staining,changes in cell apoptosis levels in tumor tissue were observed by TUNEL staining,and changes in expression levels of JAK2,p-JAK2,STAT3,and p-STAT3 proteins in tumor tissue were observed by immunohistochemical staining.Results Compared with the model group,the tumor volume of mice after combined intervention significantly decreased(P＜0.01)and body mass increased(P＜0.05),but there was no significant change food intake.The expression of proliferation related protein Ki67 in tumor tissue was significantly reduced,and the number of apoptotic cells labeled with TUNEL was significantly increased;The expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 proteins is elevated.Conclusions Scutellaria baicalensis decoction can inhibit the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and increase the inhibitory effect of 5-Fu on mouse lung cancer.

Objective To Analyze the projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)in the field of gout and hyperuricemia from 2014 to 2023,explore the hotspots and current status of basic research in the past decade in order to provide references for future research in this field.Methods Data were retrieved from databases such as The NSFC official website and so on,with the search keywords being"gout" and "hyperuricemia",covering the time span from 2014 to 2023.Establish a project database and clean the included keywords for statistical analysis and visualization.Results In the past decade,a total of 203 projects have been ap-proved,with a total funding amount of 84.588million yuan.The funded projects include 5 types,involve 4 faculties,include 27 first-level disciplines,and the first-level discipline with the largest number of projects is Traditional Chinese Pharmacy.Shanghai has the lar-gest number of projects,and Qingdao University has the largest number of projects and funding amounts.There are a total of 178 research-ers,and 21 of them have received two or more grants,among which Li Changgui from Qingdao University has the largest number of ap-proved projects.The researches focus on the pathophysiological links primarily centered on"inflammation",signal pathways and key tar-gets,pathogenic genes and the discovery of new genes,multi-system damage,studies on traditional Chinese medicine,new technologies and new methods.Conclusion It is hoped that in the future,the NSFC can increase the funding support for projects in the field of gout and hyperuricemia.Researchers should employ more cutting-edge technologies and innovative methods,carry out interdisciplinary re-search,integrate the essence of Chinese and Western medicine,further explain the disease mechanism,and provide new ideas for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of gout and hyperuricemia.

Objective:To explore the overall efficacy of pediatric liver transplantation (LT) and the risk factors affecting the long-term outcomes.Methods:From October 2006 to December 2022, clinical profiles, intraoperative findings, perioperative managements and long-term follow-ups were retrospectively reviewed for 3004 cases (including 40 cases of retransplantation) of children with end-stage liver disease undergoing LT. Overall patient and graft survival rates after transplantation were explored by Kaplan-Meier survival curve. The survival rates of recipients receiving living donor liver transplantation and deceased donor liver transplantation, recipients with body weight ≤5 kg and >5 kg at the time of transplantation, recipients with age ≤5 months and >5 months, graft recipient weight ratio (GRWR) ≤5% and >5 %, and recipients with compatible and incompatible blood types were compared, as well as the survival rates of recipients from 2006 to 2011, 2012 to 2017, and 2018 to 2022. The occurrence of complications was analyzed. Cox regression was used to analyze the risk factors of long-term mortality, and those with <0.05 were included in the LASSO regression model to identify the independent risk factors.Results:As of December 2022, overall survivals at 1/5/10-year were 95.1 %(2 819/2 964), 93.1 % (2 759/2 964) and 91.8% (2 721/2 964) and 1/5/10-year graft survival rate 94.5 % (2 839/3 004), 92.0 % (2 764/3 004) and 86.2 % (2 589/3 004 ). The 5-year survival rate improved : Five-year survival rate at pediatric LT centers were 71.6 % (63/88, from 2006 to 2011), 91.6 % (1 009/1 101 ,from 2012 to 2017) and 95.5 % (1 695/1 775, from 2018 to 2022 ). Survival rates were lower in recipients with body weight ≤5 kg [83.7 % (41 /49) vs 94.4 % (2 746/2 915), P=0.001) ] and GRWR >5 % [90.0 % (378/420) vs 94.6 % (2 046/2 544), P=0.007 ] compared to those >5 kg and ≤5 %. Difference in surgical age and blood type compatibility were not statistically ( P=0.26 and 0.4 ). Infection [35.3 % (70/198) ]and surgical complications [24.2 % (48/198) ]were the main causes of mortality after transplantation. While infection [35.7% (25/70) ] ,portal vein complications [18.6%(13/70) ]and lung injury [15.7 % (11/70) ]were the main reasons of death within 1 month after transplantation. The incidence of postoperative infection and acute rejection decreased from 86.5 %(76/88) and 38.2% (34/88) in 2006-2011 to 75.5% (1 340/1 775) and 22.2% (394/1 775). Post-transplantation surgery-related complications included portal veinous complications (3.1 %, 92/3 004), hemorrhage (2.3 %, 68/3 004) ,hepatic arterial complications (1.7 %, 50/3 004) and hepatic venous complications (1.1 %, 33/3 004). Univariate analysis revealed that risk factors related to postoperative mortality included preoperative anemia ( P=0.012), high preoperative leucocyte count ( P=0.026), preoperative renal insufficiency ( P=0.008), hypoproteinemia ( P=0.001), coagulation dysfunction ( P= 0.005), low body weight ( P=0.007), GRWR>5% ( P=0.001), intraoperative volume of blood loss and transfusion ( P<0.001) ,postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) time ( P<0.001), hospital length post-LT ( P=0.045) ,postoperative lung infection ( P<0.001), abdominal infection ( P=0.029), postoperative hemorrhage ( P<0.001), intestinal perforation ( P<0.001), acute rejection ( P<0.001) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection ( P<0.001) and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) ( P=0.018). Multivariable analysis revealed that preoperative creatinine ( HR=1.015, 95% CI: 1.002-1.028, P=0.024), GRWR ( HR=2.082, 95% CI: 0.473-9.157, P=0.031) ,pulmonary infection ( HR=4.389, 95% CI: 2.248-8.569, P<0.001) ,postoperative abdominal hemorrhage ( HR= 6.922, 95% CI:1.871-25.610, P=0.004), intestinal perforation ( HR=9.154, 95% CI: 2.307-36.323, P=0.002) and acute rejection ( HR=0.452, 95% CI: 0.210-0.971, P=0.042) were important influencing factors of long-term survival post-LT. Conclusions:LT is currently the most effective treatment for end-stage liver disease in children. Improving preoperative organ function, optimizing surgical techniques, minimizing intraoperative hemorrhage and preventing postoperative complications can effectively enhance the long-term outcomes of LT recipients.

Objective:To compare improved microbial assay (IMA) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) for measuring serum folate, and to investigate the linear or non-linear correlation between the results of the two methods.Methods:This comparative study was conducted in National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health from October 2020 to February 2021, in which the folate concentration of 251 serum samples were measured by IMA and ECL. According to the serum folate concentration, the folate status was divided into sufficient (≥13.5 nmol/L), marginal deficiency (6.8≤serum folate<13.5 nmol/L), and deficiency (<6.8 nmol/L). Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate fractional polynomial (MFP) model were used to evaluate the correlation between the results measured by the two methods. The sensitivity of ECL for detecting folate status were calculated based on the IMA results as the golden standard.Results:The average folate concentrations in serum samples measured by ECL and IMA were (19.8±8.2) nmol/L and (23.0±9.7) nmol/L, respectively ( P<0.001). The Pearson correlation coefficient ( r) of the two methods was 0.894 ( P<0.001), yet the MFP model demonstrated non-linear correlation between the two methods. When the IMA results were≤9.1 nmol/L, the r was 0.070 ( P>0.05); when the IMA results were>9.1 nmol/L, the r was 0.867 ( P<0.001); for non-hemolytic serum samples ( n=221), the r was 0.902 ( P<0.001). Additionally, the sensitivity of ECL detecting folate deficiency was 27.78%, and the sensitivity of ECL detecting folate insufficiency (deficiency and marginal deficiency) was 93.33%. Conclusion:When folate concentrations was>9.1 nmol/L), the results of ECL and IMA were highly correlated; yet the correlation between the two methods was weak at lower folate concentrations, indicating that ECL was not applicable for serum folate measurement among folate insufficiency population.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Dahuang Fuzi decoction(DHFZT)on the killing effect of natural killer(NK)cells and the growth of lung cancer xenografts in mice.Lewis lung cancer xenograft model was constructed,and the mice were randomly divided to the normal saline group,low and high concentrations of DHFZT groups.The growth of lung cancer xenografts in mice in the control group,low and high concentration of DHFZT treatment groups was detected.The levels of IFN-y,IL-2 and IL-10 were detected by ELISA.The killing effect of NK cells was detected by calcein release assay.The release of CD107α was detected by flow cytometry.The expression of activated receptors and the tumor cell surface ligands were detected in the con-trol group and DHFZT treatment groups.The results showed that the xenografts of Lewis mice in the DHFZT treatment groups were grown slower than that in the control group in a dose depend-ent manner(P＜0.05).Compared with the control groups,the levels of IL-2 and IFN-y in tumor tissues were increased in DHFZT treatment groups(P＜0.05),but no significant changes in IL-10.Calcein release assay showed that the killing efficiency of NK cells in the DHFZT treatment groups was increased(P＜0.05).The secretion level of IFN-y in the culture supernatant was increased by DHFZT treatment(P＜0.05).DHFZT treatment increased the expression level of CD107α of NK cells.The expression of MIC A/B on the surface of A549 and H1299 cells was up-regulated by DHFZT treatment,but not the expression of inhibitory ligand HLA-ABC.The results showed that DHFZT enhanced the killing effect of NK cells on mouse lung cancer cells by up-reg-ulating the expression of MIC A/B,increasing the secretion of IFN-y and CD107α.Hence,these re-sults indicated that DHFZT suppresses the lung cancer growth potential through regulating the killing effect of NK cells.