Cinnabar(HgS) was widely used in ancient times for medicinal purposes, religious rituals, and pigments. A group of bright red powdery clumps was excavated from Mawangdui Tomb No.3 of the Han Dynasty. Early studies considered the clumps as evidence of cinnabar's medicinal use during the Qin-Han period. This study employed a range of archaeometric techniques, including extended-depth-of-field stereo imaging, micro-CT, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry FTIR, to systematically analyze the material composition and structural characteristics of these remains. The results revealed that the cinnabar particles were granular, finely ground, and tightly bound to silk matrix, with no detectable excipients typically associated with medicinal formulations. Micro-CT imaging indicated a well-preserved textile structure, with clear signs of sedimentary accumulation and mechanical damage. Based on historical and archaeological studies, this study suggested that these remains were more likely degraded accumulations of cinnabar-colored silk textiles rather than medicinal cinnabar. By clarifying the diversity of ancient cinnabar applications and preservation states, this study provides new insights for the archaeological identification of mineral medicinal materials and contributes to the standardized study of Chinese medicinal materials and understanding of the historical use of cinnabar.
History, Ancient ; China ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Archaeology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Spectrum Analysis, Raman ; Mercury Compounds

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hypertension (HT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are highly prevalent cardiovascular conditions that frequently coexist. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major global cause of mortality. The co-occurrence of HT, AF, and CAD presents significant management challenges. This study aims to explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with CAD in patients with HT and persistent AF (HT-AF). METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, data were collected from 384 hospitalized HT-AF patients at the People's Liberation Army General Hospital between January 2010 and December 2019. CAD diagnosis was confirmed by coronary angiography or computed tomography angiography. Clinical characteristics and comorbidities were compared between patients with and without CAD. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors associated with CAD development. RESULTS: The prevalence of CAD among HT-AF patients was 66.41% (255/384). Cardiovascular complications, particularly heart failure (44.7% vs 25.6%, P < 0.05), were significantly more prevalent in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group. Only age was identified as an independent risk factor for CAD (adjusted OR: 1.047; 95% CI: 1.022-1.073; P = 0.000). Of all HT-AF patients, 54.7% had a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score of ≥4, indicating high stroke risk. There was a slightly higher anticoagulant usage rate in the CAD group than those without CAD (8.6% vs 4.7%, P = 0.157), and the overall anticoagulant usage remained low. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of CAD among hospitalized HT-AF patients, among whom age is the sole independent risk factor for CAD. Despite a high stroke risk, the utilization of oral anticoagulants is alarmingly low.
Humans ; Atrial Fibrillation/epidemiology* ; Coronary Artery Disease/etiology* ; Hypertension/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Aged ; Prevalence

Objective： To analyze the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of upper urinary tract calculi patients combined with mild and moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) after ureteral stent implantation. Methods： One hundred and six BPH patients who were hospitalized for upper urinary tract calculi and had ureteral stents retained from January 2019 to December 2022 were selected and divided into 2 weeks group and 4 weeks group according to the time of removal of ureteral stents after surgery. Their general clinical data were analyzed and compared. International Prostatic Symptom Scale (IPSS), postoperative ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ), and incidence of adverse events after ureteral stent removal were recorded before and after removal. Results： The scores of IPSS were significantly increased in all patients, and symptoms in urinary tract had improved significantly after discharge (P<0.05). Compared with the 2 weeks group, the USSQ score of the 4 weeks group was significantly increased (P<0.05). And no significant adverse event was observed in the 2 weeks group after the removal of ureteral sten. Conclusion： IPSS score and USSQ score increased significantly during stent implantation in BPH patients with lithiasis. And complications increased significantly over time. Following thorough clinical assessment, early ureteral stent removal demonstrates both safety and efficacy, representing an optimal therapeutic approach in selected cases.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/surgery* ; Stents ; Ureter/surgery* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Urinary Calculi/surgery* ; Ureteral Calculi/surgery*

The accurate and timely detection of biochemical coagulation indicators is pivotal in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Despite their reliability, traditional laboratories often lag in terms of rapid diagnosis. Point-of-care testing (POCT) has emerged as a promising alternative, which is awaiting rigorous validation. We assessed 226 samples from patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University using a Beckman Coulter AU5821 and a PUSHKANG POCT Biochemistry Analyzer MS100. Furthermore, 350 samples were evaluated with a Stago coagulation analyzer STAR MAX and a PUSHKANG POCT Coagulation Analyzer MC100. Metrics included thirteen biochemical indexes, such as albumin, and five coagulation indices, such as prothrombin time. Comparisons were drawn against the PUSHKANG POCT analyzer. Bland-Altman plots (MS100: 0.8206‒0.9995; MC100: 0.8318‒0.9911) evinced significant consistency between methodologies. Spearman correlation pinpointed a potent linear association between conventional devices and the PUSHKANG POCT analyzer, further underscored by a robust correlation coefficient (MS100: 0.713‒0.949; MC100: 0.593‒0.950). The PUSHKANG POCT was validated as a dependable tool for serum and whole blood biochemical and coagulation diagnostics. This emphasizes its prospective clinical efficacy, offering clinicians a swift diagnostic tool and heralding a new era of enhanced patient care outcomes.
Humans ; Point-of-Care Testing ; Critical Care ; Blood Coagulation Tests/methods* ; Male ; Blood Coagulation ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Reproducibility of Results ; Prothrombin Time ; Aged ; Adult ; Point-of-Care Systems

As global greenhouse gases continue rising, the urgency of more ambitious action is clearer than ever before. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and one of the countries affected most by climate change. The evidence about the impacts of climate change on the environment and human health may encourage China to take more decisive action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. This article aimed to review the evidence of environmental damages and health risks posed by climate change and to provide a new science-based perspective for the delivery of sustainable development goals. Over recent decades, China has experienced a strong warming pattern with a growing frequency of extreme weather events, and the impacts of climate change on China's environment and human health have been consistently observed, with increasing O ₃ air pollution, decreases in water resources and availability, land degradation, and increased risks for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, China's climate policy should target the key factors driving climate change and scale up strategic measures to curb carbon emissions and adapt to inevitable increasing climate impacts. It provides new insights for not only China but also other countries, particularly developing and emerging economies, to ensure climate and environmental sustainability whilst pursuing economic growth.
Climate Change ; China ; Humans ; Greenhouse Gases ; Air Pollution ; Sustainable Development ; Environment

Objective:To evaluate the characteristics, clinical management and clinical outcomes of type 2 intestinal failure (IF).Methods:A descriptive case-control study was carried out. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) the diagnosis of IF was performed according to the European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) consensus statement. (2) using a requirement for parenteral nutrition (PN) of 28 days or more as surrogate marker. (3) a multidisciplinary team (MDT) included surgeons, nutritionist, pharmacist, stoma therapists, and critical care physicians. (4) complete laboratory data. Patients with type 1 and type 3 IF and those who do not cooperate with follow-up. All the data of 67 type II IF were collected from the database in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital from Jan 2016 to Dec 2023. The pathophysiology, clinical management, and outcomes of type II IF were analyzed.Results:A total of 67 type II IF were included. The median age was 54 (15-83) with 43 males and 24 females. The body mass index was (17.5±3.8) kg/m 2, the incidence of malnutrition was 67.2% (45/67), the incidence of sarcopenia was 74.6% (50/67), the median number of previous surgeries was 2.0 (1-13), and the median duration time of PN was 2.1 (1-12) months. The underlying disease of type 2 IF included 36 Crohn`s disease, 2 ulcerative colitis, 3 radiation enteritis, 2 intestinal Behcet's disease, 4 mesenteric infarction, 1 aggressive fibromatosis, 5 abdominal cocoon syndrome, 5 gastrointestinal perforation, 1 hernia, 4 intestinal dysmotility, and 4 other reasons (gastrointestinal tumor, trauma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). According to the pathophysiology of IF, there were 33 intestinal fistula, 12 intestinal dysmotility, 6 mechanical obstruction, 13 short bowel syndrome, and 3 extensive small bowel mucosal disease. After treatment with MDT, 67 patients with type 2 IF received nutritional support therapy for intestinal rehabilitation treatment, of which 36 patients recovered with oral diet or enteral nutrition, 31 patients underwent reconstructive surgery after intestinal rehabilitation treatment failure. The median duration time of reconstructive surgery was 2.7 (1-9) months. 24 patients recovered intestinal autonomy after surgery, with 7 deaths, including 6 deaths due to abdominal infections and 1 case of intestinal dysmotility with abiotrophy and liver failure. Conclusion:Standardized multidisciplinary treatment plays an important role in type II intestinal failure, and it promotes patients with intestinal failure regain enteral autonomy.

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a common neurodegenerative disease.Neuroinflammation is one of the important pathological mechanisms of AD.The generation of AD neuroinflammation is closely associated with Aβ deposition,Tau phosphorylation,glial polarization and activation of inflammasome.Acupuncture and moxibustion have such effect on the improvement of AD neuroinflammation,which can relieve neuroinflammation by regulating the polarization of microglia and astrocytes,reducing the release of inflammatory mediators,so as to delay the pathological process of AD.This article reviews the neuroinflammatory mechanism of AD and the research progress of acupuncture and moxibustion regulating AD neuroinflammation,in order to provide a theoretical basis and idea reference for the clinical and basic research of acupuncture and moxibustion in the prevention and treatment of AD.

The advantages of fluorescence detection of uric acid were introduced compared to the traditional detection methods.The preparation process,detection principle and performance of organic,inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid fluorescent probes were reviewed.The advantages and disadvantages of kinds of fluorescent probes were analyzed when used for uric acid detection,and the futural directions were pointed out for related research.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(6):93-104]

Chronic pain is a subjective experience that is difficult to accurately and objectively assess.Electroencephalography(EEG)can record physiological electrical signals generated during brain activity,and time signals reflect brain activity during task processing.The frequency signals reflect quiet brain activity.This paper reviews changes of event-related potential in EEG time signal,changes of different frequency bands in frequency signal and changes of event-related synchronization or desynchronization between the two signals in patients with chronic pain.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of testicular relapse in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).Methods:Clinical data including the age, time from initial diagnosis to recurrence, relapse site, and therapeutic effect of 37 pediatric ALL with testicular relapse and treated in Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between November 2011 and December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were grouped according to different clinical data. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) rate and event free survival (EFS) rate for univariate analysis, and Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to evaluate the influencing factors of OS rate and EFS rate for multivariate analysis.Results:The age at initial diagnosis of 37 pediatric testicular relapse patients was (5±3) years and the time from initial diagnosis to testicular recurrence was (37±15) months. The follow-up time was 43 (22, 56) months. Twenty-three patients (62%) were isolated testis relapse. The 5-year OS rate and EFS rate of the 37 relapsed children were (60±9) % and (50±9) % respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the 2-year EFS rate in the group of patients with time from initial diagnosis to testicular recurrence >28 months was significantly higher than those ≤28 months ((69±10)% vs. (11±11)%, P<0.05), 2-year EFS rate of the isolated testicular relapse group was significantly higher than combined relapse group ((66±11)% vs. (20±13) %, P<0.05), 2-year EFS rate of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell treatment after relapse group was significantly higher than without CAR-T cell treatment after relapse group ((78±10)% vs. (15±10)%, P<0.05). ETV6-RUNX1 was the most common genetic aberration in testicular relapsed ALL (38%, 14/37). The 4-year OS and EFS rate of patients with ETV6-RUNX1 positive were (80±13) % and (64±15) %, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified relapse occurred≤28 months after first diagnosis ( HR=3.09, 95% CI 1.10-8.72), combined relapse ( HR=4.26, 95% CI 1.34-13.52) and CAR-T cell therapy after relapse ( HR=0.15,95% CI 0.05-0.51) were independent prognostic factors for 2-year EFS rate (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The outcome of testicular relapse in pediatric ALL was poor. They mainly occurred 3 years after initial diagnosis. ETV6-RUNX1 is the most common abnormal gene.Patients with ETV6-RUNX1 positive often have a favorable outcome. Early relapse and combined relapse indicate unfavorable prognosis, while CAR-T cell therapy could significantly improve the survival rate of children with testicular recurrence.