Despite breakthroughs in immunotherapy for solid tumors, significant variations in treatment efficacy persist. Up to 80% of cancer patients suffer from malnutrition, which leads to: lymphoid atrophy and reduced T-cell reserves; deficiency of substrates required for T-cell activation and expansion; concurrent inflammation hindering T-cell infiltration into tumors; and cachexia accelerating PD-1 antibody clearance. Clinical studies confirm that severe malnutrition significantly impairs immune responses and increases the risk of treatment toxicity. Therefore, implementing standardized nutritional therapy is crucial for optimizing the reserve, activation, expansion, and infiltration capacity of immune cells, thereby providing a sound immune system foundation for immunotherapy. Immunonutrition therapy, by enhancing immunonutrients such as arginine, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and nucleotides, reduces the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators and promotes T-cell activation and proliferation. This enhances anti-tumor immune responses, prolongs survival, and advances cancer treatment towards multimodal combination and precision approaches.

Environmental pollution is a significant public health challenge worldwide, and investigating the causal relationship between environmental exposure and population health outcomes is a key objective of environmental epidemiology research. In recent years, the complexity of environmental exposures has increasingly come to the forefront, making it challenging for observational studies that dominate environmental epidemiology to accurately estimate causal effects. Causal inference methods are particularly advantageous in controlling for confounding factors, thus holding great potential in environmental epidemiology research. Researchers can use appropriate causal inference methods to simulate the process of randomization, providing strong support for revealing the causal relationship between environmental exposure and health outcomes. However, there is a lack of reviews on the application of causal inference methods in environmental epidemiology studies in China. Therefore, this study introduced the basic principles of common causal inference statistical methods in environmental epidemiology, summarized the applicable conditions, advantages and disadvantages of various methods, and provided R software implementation codes for these methods, aiming to offer guidance for optimizing research design and practicing causal inference statistical methods.

Objective: To develop a depression recognition model by integrating the spirit-expression diagnostic framework of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with machine learning algorithms. The proposed model seeks to establish a TCM-informed tool for early depression screening, thereby bridging traditional diagnostic principles with modern computational approaches. Methods: The study included patients with depression who visited the Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center from October 1, 2022 to October 1, 2023, as well as students and teachers from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine during the same period as the healthy control group. Videos of 3 – 10 s were captured using a Xiaomi Pad 5, and the TCM spirit and expressions were determined by TCM experts (at least 3 out of 5 experts agreed to determine the category of TCM spirit and expressions). Basic information, facial images, and interview information were collected through a portable TCM intelligent analysis and diagnosis device, and facial diagnosis features were extracted using the Open CV computer vision library technology. Statistical analysis methods such as parametric and non-parametric tests were used to analyze the baseline data, TCM spirit and expression features, and facial diagnosis feature parameters of the two groups, to compare the differences in TCM spirit and expression and facial features. Five machine learning algorithms, including extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), decision tree (DT), Bernoulli naive Bayes (BernoulliNB), support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) classification, were used to construct a depression recognition model based on the fusion of TCM spirit and expression features. The performance of the model was evaluated using metrics such as accuracy, precision, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The model results were explained using the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results: A total of 93 depression patients and 87 healthy individuals were ultimately included in this study. There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline characteristics between the two groups (P > 0.05). The differences in the characteristics of the spirit and expressions in TCM and facial features between the two groups were shown as follows. (i) Quantispirit facial analysis revealed that depression patients exhibited significantly reduced facial spirit and luminance compared with healthy controls (P < 0.05), with characteristic features such as sad expressions, facial erythema, and changes in the lip color ranging from erythematous to cyanotic. (ii) Depressed patients exhibited significantly lower values in facial complexion L, lip L, and a values, and gloss index, but higher values in facial complexion a and b, lip b, low gloss index, and matte index (all P < 0.05). (iii) The results of multiple models show that the XGBoost-based depression recognition model, integrating the TCM “spirit-expression” diagnostic framework, achieved an accuracy of 98.61% and significantly outperformed four benchmark algorithms—DT, BernoulliNB, SVM, and KNN (P < 0.01). (iv) The SHAP visualization results show that in the recognition model constructed by the XGBoost algorithm, the complexion b value, categories of facial spirit, high gloss index, low gloss index, categories of facial expression and texture features have significant contribution to the model. Conclusion This study demonstrates that integrating TCM spirit-expression diagnostic features with machine learning enables the construction of a high-precision depression detection model, offering a novel paradigm for objective depression diagnosis.

Objective: To explore the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and elevated blood pressure among primary school students, and to analyze the mediating role of body mass index (BMI) in this association, so as to provide a scientific basis for the early prevention of childhood hypertension and dietary guidance. Methods: Research conducted based on the Ma anshan Child Growth Cohort in Anhui Province. From April to June 2024, 4 057 primary school students were selected as study subjects using a multi stage cluster sampling method. Dietary information was collected via Semi quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to calculate the DII score. BMI was obtained by measuring students height and weight. Elevated blood pressure was defined based on the Blood Pressure Reference Standards for Children Aged 3-17 Years. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between DII scores and the risk of elevated blood pressure, and the Bootstrap method was employed to test for mediating effects. Results: The detection rate of elevated blood pressure among primary school students was 10.1% (408 cases). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for covariates such as gender and age, for each standard deviation increase in the DII score ( s =1.94), the risk of elevated blood pressure increased by 15% ( OR =1.15, 95% CI =1.04- 1.28 , P <0.05). Compared with the lowest quartile group of DII scores ( Q 1), students in the highest quartile group ( Q 4) had a 1.31-fold higher risk of elevated blood pressure ( OR =1.31, 95% CI =1.00-1.76, P <0.05). Restricted cubic spline results indicated a linear dose response relationship between DII scores and the risk of elevated blood pressure( P nonlinear =0.13). The mediation analysis revealed that BMI played a partial mediating role in the association between DII scores and elevated blood pressure. The mediation effect value was 0.06 (95% CI =0.04-0.08), accounting for 44.64% of the total effect. Conclusions DII scores are associated with elevated blood pressure among primary school students in Ma anshan City, and BMI plays a partial mediating role in this association. Promoting an anti inflammatory dietary pattern and weight control in early childhood should be emphasized to reduce the incidence of hypertension among primary school students.

Thyroid hormone(TH)is an iodinated derivative of the amino acid tyrosine secreted by the thyroid gland.It promotes glycolipid metabolism and is involved in various physiological and pathological processes by regulating cellular behaviors, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Recent studies have found that aberrant expression of TH in the orbit, retina, and sclera, and other ocular tissues can induce abnormal differentiation of orbital soft tissue adipocytes, alteration of retinal oxidative stress, and degradation of posterior scleral extracellular matrix(ECM), which contributes to the pathogenesis of many ophthalmic diseases, including Graves ophthalmopathy(GO), age-related macular degeneration(ARMD), diabetic retinopathy(DR), and myopia. This article reviews the role and mechanism of TH in various ophthalmic diseases, aiming to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of these ocular disorders.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of α-ketoglutarate （α-KG） on hepatic lipid deposition in offspring caused by arsenic exposure during pregnancy. Methods8-week-old institute of cancer research （ICR） mice were mated in a ratio of 2∶1 between females and males， and the detection of vaginal plugs confirmed pregnant. A total of 32 pregnant mice were randomly divided into four groups： control group， arsenic group， α-KG group， arsenic+α-KG group. On gestational day 0-16 （GD0-GD16）， the arsenic and arsenic+α-KG groups were exposed to sodium arsenite （NaAsO₂ ，15 mg/L） in drinking water everyday， and the α-KG and arsenic+α-KG groups were gavaged with α-KG （2 g/kg） everyday. On GD16， pregnant mice were euthanized to collect fetal liver， and fetal body weight and crown-rump length were measured. Gene expression differences between the control group and the arsenic group were analyzed by transcriptome. The total triglycerides （TGs） and subtypes in fetal liver were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS）. Oil red O staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the liver. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） was used to detect the expression level of genes related to lipid synthesis， transport， and degradation， and phosphatidylinositol 3' -kinase/ protein kinase B （PI3K/AKT） in the liver of fetus. ResultsTranscriptomics analysis showed that 2 144 genes were downregulated and 1 675 genes were upregulated in the arsenic exposed fetal liver； body weight and crown-rump length were reduced （P_TuKey<0.05）； the level of hepatic TGs was elevated in arsenic group （P_TuKey<0.05）； oil-red O staining showed a significant increase in lipid droplets in arsenic group （P_TuKey<0.01）； the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes were significantly upregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression of β-oxidation-related genes and lipid degradation-related genes were downregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression of PI3K， AKT decreased（P_TuKey<0.05）. Compared with the arsenic group， the body weight and crown-rump length of fetus increased in the arsenic+α-KG group （P_TuKey<0.05）； the level of hepatic TGs decreased in the arsenic+α-KG group （P_TuKey<0.05）； oil red O staining showed lipid droplets significantly decreased （P_TuKey<0.01）； the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes were downregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）， the expression of β-oxidation-related genes and lipid degradation-related genes were upregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression levels of PI3K and AKT increased （P_TuKey<0.05）. Conclusionα-KG alleviated hepatic lipid deposition in offspring exposed to arsenic during pregnancy through activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of pharmaceutical services guided by root cause analysis （RCA） in a problem-oriented manner combined with knowledge-attitude-practice （KAP） theory on reducing the incidence of protocol violations of investigational medicinal products in pediatric clinical trials. METHODS A total of 617 participants from 69 drug clinical trial projects conducted in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2020 were selected as the control group， and 868 participants from 72 drug clinical trial projects from January 2022 to December 2025 as the observation group. RCA was performed on the protocol violations of investigational medicinal product in the control group to identify the types and underlying causes. The control group received routine pharmaceutical services for drug clinical trials， while the observation group was provided with precision pharmaceutical services from the three dimensions of knowledge， attitude and practice on the basis of routine pharmaceutical services， according to the root causes identified by RCA. The occurrence of investigational medicinal products protocol violations was compared between the two groups. RESULTS The total incidence of protocol violations of investigational medicinal products， as well as the incidences of minor and major protocol violations， were all significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group （ P ＜0.001）. The main types of protocol violations in both groups included missed/under-/over-dosing of medications， non-adherence to administration time， failure to adjust dosage as required， and combined medication/vaccination in violation of the protocol. Regarding the responsible subjects of protocol violations， the incidences of protocol violations attributed to participants and their guardians as well as investigators and accidental factors were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group （ P ＜0.001， P ＜0.001， P ＝0.025）. However， there were no statistically significant differences in the incidences of protocol violations caused by sponsor-related reasons between the two groups （ P ＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Pharmaceutical services led by pharmacists， based on problem-oriented RCA and combined with KAP theory， can effectively reduce the protocol violations of investigational medicinal products rate in pediatric clinical trials， thereby safeguarding the safety and rights of study participants.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes,as a type of extracellular vesicle,have become a key medium for cell-to-cell communication due to their nanoscale size and enrichment of various bioactive substances.The study of exosome secretion regulation not only has important scientific value,but also has broad application prospects in clinical practice,and is of great significance for promoting medical progress and improving human health.OBJECTIVE:To review the biological characteristics,biological functions,biogenesis process and biochemical regulation mechanism of exosomes,and to explore the application prospects of exosomes in disease diagnosis,treatment and vaccine development,so as to provide theoretical basis and reference for basic research and clinical transformation of exosomes.METHODS:The first author searched PubMed and CNKI databases in October 2024 for relevant literature published from January 2010 to October 2024.Key words were"exosomes,biological functions,biogenesis,secretion or release,regulatory mechanisms,application prospects"in Chinese and English.Finally,92 articles were included for analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The secretion level of exosomes can be regulated through physical or biochemical means.Exosomes show broad application prospects in the fields of disease diagnosis,treatment,and vaccine development,and may play a key role in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as cancer.This review provides valuable information for the clinical translation and application research of exosomes,helping to promote future progress in exosome research and application.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes,as a type of extracellular vesicle,have become a key medium for cell-to-cell communication due to their nanoscale size and enrichment of various bioactive substances.The study of exosome secretion regulation not only has important scientific value,but also has broad application prospects in clinical practice,and is of great significance for promoting medical progress and improving human health.OBJECTIVE:To review the biological characteristics,biological functions,biogenesis process and biochemical regulation mechanism of exosomes,and to explore the application prospects of exosomes in disease diagnosis,treatment and vaccine development,so as to provide theoretical basis and reference for basic research and clinical transformation of exosomes.METHODS:The first author searched PubMed and CNKI databases in October 2024 for relevant literature published from January 2010 to October 2024.Key words were"exosomes,biological functions,biogenesis,secretion or release,regulatory mechanisms,application prospects"in Chinese and English.Finally,92 articles were included for analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The secretion level of exosomes can be regulated through physical or biochemical means.Exosomes show broad application prospects in the fields of disease diagnosis,treatment,and vaccine development,and may play a key role in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as cancer.This review provides valuable information for the clinical translation and application research of exosomes,helping to promote future progress in exosome research and application.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to observe the effects of initial periodontal therapy on the level of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with severe periodontitis and to analyze the factors related to the formation of NETs. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ periodontitis were recruited. Clinical periodontal parameters, including plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical atta-chment loss (CAL), were recorded before and 6-8 weeks after initial periodontal therapy. Levels of NETs in GCF were detected by immunofluorescence staining. Quantities of total bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actionomycetemcomitans) and Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia)in unattached subgingival plaque were determined by real-time quantitative PCR, and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in GCF were explored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the correlations between the level of NETs and the above indicators were analyzed. RESULTS: After initial periodontal therapy, the level of NETs in GCF, PLI, GI, PD, and CAL; quantities of total bacteria, P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans, and P. itermedia; and levels of IL-8 and TNF-α significantly decreased (P<0.05). We observed strong positive correlations between the level of NETs and PLI, GI, PD, CAL, the amount of total bacteria, P. gingivalis, TNF-α, and IL-8 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Initial periodontal therapy might decrease the level of NETs in GCF from patients with severe periodontitis, which might be positively correlated with the quantities of P. gingivalis andthe levels of TNF-α and IL-8 in GCF.
Humans ; Gingival Crevicular Fluid ; Extracellular Traps/metabolism* ; Porphyromonas gingivalis/isolation & purification* ; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans/isolation & purification* ; Periodontitis/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysis* ; Prevotella intermedia/isolation & purification* ; Interleukin-8/analysis* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Periodontal Index ; Adult