Background Metals and metalloids in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) may cause damage to the respiratory and circulatory systems of the human body, and long-term exposure is prone to causing chronic poisoning, cancer, and other adverse effects. Objective To assess the distribution characteristics of metals and metalloids in outdoor PM_2.5 in a southern city of China, conduct source apportionment, and evaluate the associated health risks, thereby providing theoretical support for further pollution control measures. Methods PM_2.5 samples were collected in districts A, B, and C of a southern China city, and the concentrations of 17 metals and metalloids were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Pollution sources were assessed through enrichment factor and principal components analysis, and the main pollution sources were quantified using absolute principal component scores-multivariate linear regression (APCS-MLR). Health risks were evaluated based on the Technical guide for environmental health risk assessment of chemical exposure (WS/T777—2021). Results The ambient air PM_2.5 concentrations in the city were higher in winter and spring, and lower in summer and autumn. The annual average concentrations of ambient PM_2.5 in districts A, B, and C were 36.7, 31.9, and 24.4 μg·m⁻³, respectively. The ambient PM_2.5 levels in districts B and C were below the second-grade limit set by the Ambient air quality standards (GB 3095—2012). The enrichment factors of cadmium (Cd), aluminum (Al), and antimony (Sb) were greater than 10, those of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), and molybdenum (Mo) fell between 1 and 10, and those of manganese (Mn), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), and uranium (U) were below or equal to 1. The comprehensive evaluation of source analysis showed that the main pollution sources in districts A and C and the whole city were coal-burning. In district B, the main pollution source was also coal combustion, followed by industrial process sources and dust sources. The carcinogenic risks of As and Cr were between 1×10⁻⁶ and 1×10⁻⁴. However, the hazard quotients for 15 metals and metalloids in terms of non-carcinogenic risk were below 1. Conclusion Cr and As in the atmospheric PM_2.5 of the city present a certain risk of cancer and should be paid attention to. In addition, preventive control measures should be taken against relevant pollution sources such as industrial emission, dust, and coal burning.

Objective:To improve the understanding of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with pulmonary cryptococcosis.Methods:The clinical data of 1 DLBCL patient with pulmonary cryptococcosis in the Central Hospital of Fengxian District of Shanghai in May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literatures were reviewed.Results:This 75-year-old female patient was asymptomatic after 2 cycles of R-CHOP chemotherapy. The high-resolution CT of lung showed that lung nodules were progressively enlarged. Antibacterial treatment was ineffective. Pulmonary cryptococcosis was confirmed by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) targeted high-throughput sequencing (tNGS) and cryptococcus capsular antigen (CrAg) detection. The central nervous system was not involved. And the long-term adequate-dose fluconazole was prescribed for 6 months, and the treatment against lymphoma was given synchronously. The lung nodule lesions reduced after antifungal therapy for 1 month. The lung nodules disappeared after the follow-up of 6 months after completion of final chemotherapy. The evaluation of lymphoma indicated complete remission.Conclusions:Pulmonary cryptococcosis occurs insidiously and shows no specific symptoms; its imaging manifestations are variable and routine anti-infection is ineffective. Immunochemotherapy for lymphoma patients is a high-risk factor for cryptococcal infection. tNGS and CrAg testing for BALF are effective methods of the confirmed diagnosis. The early and long-term adequate-dose antifungal treatment is the key to preventing the recurrence or progression.

Objective To investigate the value of peripheral blood soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R),CD4+lymphocyte percentage/CD8+lymphocyte percentage ratio(hereinafter referred to as CD4+/CD8+)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in evaluating the efficacy of chemotherapy in elderly patients with newly treated active pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods A total of 102 elderly patients with newly treated active tu-berculosis admitted to the hospital from December 2019 to December 2022 were enrolled in the study as the observation group,and 102 healthy people aged 60 and older who underwent physical examination in the hos-pital during the same period were enrolled as the control group.The levels of sIL-2R,TNF-α and CD4+/CD8+in peripheral blood were compared between the two groups,and the correlations between sIL-2R,TNF-α and CD4+/CD8+were analyzed.The observation group was treated with 2HRZE/4HR anti-tuberculosis treatment regimen.The levels of sIL-2R,TNF-α and CD4+/CD8+in peripheral blood of patients with different efficacy before treatment,1 month and 6 months after treatment in the observation group were compared.The correla-tion between sIL-2R,CD4+/CD8+,TNF-α levels and therapeutic effect was analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the efficacy of indicators in evaluating the efficacy of chemo-therapy in elderly patients.Results The levels of sIL-2R and TNF-α in the observation group were higher than those in the control group,while CD4+/CD8+was lower than that in the control group,and the differ-ences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).In the observation group,sIL-2R and TNF-α were negatively correlated with CD4+/CD8+(P＜0.05),sIL-2R was positively correlated with TNF-α(P＜0.05).After 1 month and 6 months of treatment,the levels of sIL-2R and TNF-α in patients with apparent efficacy were low-er than those in patients with efficacy,and the latter were lower than those in patients with no effect,while the CD4+/CD8+in patients with apparent efficacy was higher than that in patients with efficacy,and the latter was higher than that in patients with no efficacy,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The levels of sIL-2R and TNF-α were negatively correlated with the efficacy(P＜0.05),and CD4+/CD8+was positively correlated with the efficacy(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of sIL-2R,CD4+/CD8+,and TNF-α used in combination to assess efficacy was significantly greater than the AUCs of the single indicators used in the assessment at each time point of treatment(P＜0.05),and the AUC of the combination of the indicators was greater after 6 months of treatment than after 1 month of treatment(P＜0.05).Conclusion The levels of sIL-2R,CD4+/CD8+and TNF-α are closely related to the ef-ficacy of chemotherapy in elderly patients with newly treated active pulmonary tuberculosis,and the combina-tion of the above indicators has certain reference value in evaluating the efficacy of chemotherapy in patients.

Based on the original data of cervical spine,the models of cervical C6 and C7 segments were reconstructed through medical image processing and reverse modeling operations,then the models were assembled to obtain the basic data of interbody fusion cage.According to the basic data,the structures of rectangular porous,gradient porous and octahedral porous interbody fusion cages were established respectively.Maximum force on the adult male neck was applied to the fusion device,and the stress,strain and maximum deformation of the fusion device were solved by finite element analysis.The elastic modulus decrease of the design,and the rectangular porosity structures with different porosity were analyzed and optimized.The results showed that the elastic modulus of the fusion cage with three structures decreased in varying degrees,and the porosity of the interbody fusion cage with rectangular structure was about 60％,which was the most decreased elastic modulus.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features and genetic characteristics of a patient with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) due to compound heterozygous variants of SBDS gene.Methods:A female child with SDS who was admitted to the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University in February 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected. Peripheral blood samples of the child and her elder sister and parents were collected and subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing.Results:The child, a 1-year-and-1-month-old girl, had mainly manifested with diarrhea, hematochezia, growth retardation and malnutrition, along with increased transaminases and decreased neutrophils and hemoglobin. The anteroposterior X-ray of her left wrist indicated significantly delayed bone age. Colonoscopy revealed that her colorectal mucosa was erosive with oily food residues attached to the intestinal lumen. Genetic testing revealed that she has harbored c. 258+ 2T>C and c. 100A>G compound heterozygous variants of the SBDS gene. The c. 258+ 2T>C variant has derived from her father and known to be pathogenic, whilst the other has derived from her mother. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the c. 100A>G variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PM1+ PM2_Supporting+ PM3+ PM5+ PP3). Conclusion:The compound heterozygous variants of c. 258+ 2T>C and c. 100A>G probably underlay the SDS in this child. For children with refractory diarrhea, liver damage and growth retardation, SDS should be suspected, and genetic testing can facilitate the diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the effect of etomidate combined with lumbar plexus sciatic nerve block in the surgery of upper femoral fractures in elderly patients.Methods:A total of 64 elderly patients who underwent surgery for upper femoral fractures at the Huaibei Miner General Hospital from April 2021 to April 2023 were selected as the study subjects. They were randomly divided into group A and group B using a random number table method, with 32 patients in each group. Group A received propofol induced anesthesia and continuous inhalation of sevoflurane to maintain anesthesia, while group B received etomidate induced anesthesia and continuous infusion to maintain anesthesia. Both groups underwent lumbar plexus sciatic nerve block before general anesthesia induction. Two groups were compared in terms of surgical time, postoperative recovery time, intraoperative use of epinephrine, perioperative hemodynamic indicators (heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure), sensory nerve block, motor nerve block, postoperative cognitive function and pain level, adverse reactions, and complications.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in surgical time between the two groups of patients ( P>0.05); The postoperative recovery time of group A patients was shorter than that of group B, and the proportion of epinephrine use was higher than that of group B (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure between the two groups of patients before anesthesia ( P>0.05); There was no statistically significant difference in heart rate between the two groups of patients at 15 minutes after anesthesia (T 2) and 60 minutes after surgery (T 3) (all P>0.05); The diastolic and systolic blood pressure of both groups of patients at T 2 and T 3 were lower than before anesthesia (T 1), and group A was lower than group B (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the onset and maintenance time of sensory nerve block and motor nerve block between the two groups of patients (all P>0.05). The postoperative Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores of both groups of patients were lower than those before surgery ( P<0.05); And the postoperative MMSE score in group A was lower than that in group B ( P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative adverse reactions and complications in group A was higher than that in group B ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The implementation of etomidate combined with lumbar plexus sciatic nerve block anesthesia in the surgery of upper femoral fractures in elderly patients can effectively stabilize the perioperative hemodynamics of patients, reduce postoperative damage to cognitive function, and achieve good intraoperative anesthesia effect and safety.

Objective:To explore the average age at onset of endometrial cancer (EC) and the differences between domestic and international factors.Methods:Pubmed, Wanfang Database, VIP Information Resource System, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were selected to extract clinical research data related to EC. Through data mining methods such as frequency analysis and cluster analysis, we compared the differences in the average age of onset of EC between domestic and foreign countries.Results:A total of 280 articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected, and frequency analysis found that the average age of onset of EC in the Chinese population was mostly concentrated under 57 years old, while in European and American countries, it was mainly concentrated above 57 years old. Through cluster analysis, it was found that the average age of onset in China was clustered in one category with most Asian countries, while European and American countries and Australian countries were clustered in another category. Through analysis of domestic and foreign articles, it was found that the average age of onset of EC did not show a significant upward or downward trend with years.Conclusions:There are differences in the average onset age of EC among different countries and regions. The onset age of EC in Asian populations is significantly earlier than that in European and American populations. The average onset age of EC in Chinese populations is 54 years old, and there is no trend towards a younger onset of EC.

Objective:To disclose the epidemiological characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Ningbo city from 2013 to 2021.Methods:Epidemic data and laboratory-confirmed results of SFTS patients in Ningbo city were analyzed in the past 10 years. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by using genomic sequences of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) strains isolated from the patients.Results:During 2013-2021, a total of 65 confirmed SFTS cases were reported with the mortality of 12.31%, including 8 dead cases. The average age was 53.65 years with higher incidence in 60-70 years old cases. Cases were reported in 6 districts (counties) from Ningbo city, of which Ninghai county (33 cases, 50.77%) and Xiangshan county (20 cases, 30.77%) reported the highest number of cases. The cases mainly occurred from April to August, accounting for 81.54% (53/65); 76.92% (50/65) of the patients were farmers; 92.31% (60/65) of patients lived in mountainous or hilly terrain. Of the 65 SFTS cases, 8 patients had a clear history of tick bites, and 20 patients had contact with domestic animals (pets) or rats in their residence. The evolution analysis on gene sequencing results showed that SFTSV epidemic strains in Ningbo city included genotype J2 and C4.Conclusion:Most of the SFTS patients were elderly people. The top two high-risk areas were Ninghai county and Xiangshan county. July was the peak month of the disease. Genotype J2 and C4 were epidemic strains in Ningbo city.

Objective:To evaluate the value of endogenous digitalis-like factor (EDLF) dynamic changes in predicting myocardial injury and prognosis in patients with sepsis.Methods:A total of 160 sepsis patients admitted to the emergency department of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from July 2017 to January 2019 were selected and divided into the myocardial injury(MI) group ( n=75) and the non-myocardial injury (NMI) group ( n=85) according to whether there was myocardial injury. The plasma EDLF concentration was tested on the 1 st, 3 rd and 7 th day after admission. The predictive factors of MI and 90-days outcome were evaluated by logistics regression analysis. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the prognostic value of EDLF concentration on the 90 days after admission for sepsis. Results:Septic patients with MI had increased levels of myocardial enzymes, decreased left ventricular fractional shortening index (FS) and interventricular septum (IVS) amplitude and abnormal wall motion, when compared to NMI patients (all P<0.05). EDLF concentration on the 7 th day in the MI group was significantly lower than in the NMI group ( P=0.019). Logistic regression showed that EDLF 7 th was an independent protective factor for MI and 90-day mortality in sepsis respectively ( OR=0.964, 95% CI: 0.934-0.994, P=0.021; OR=0.931, 95% CI: 0.871-0.995, P=0.036). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis suggested that EDLF 7 th concentration <26.7 pmol/L was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality in patients with sepsis ( HR=4.601, 95% CI: 1.030-20.563, P=0.046). Conclusions:EDLF 7 th may serve as a protective factor for sepsis-induced MI and adverse outcome. The exogenous supplement of cardiotonic drugs at one week after MI may be a potential treatment to improve the survival rate of septic patients.

Objective:To investigate the effects of early-life (intrauterine and breastfeeding period) exposure to angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT 1-AA) on lipid metabolism in offspring rats. Methods:Thirty-two AT 1-AA negative healthy nonpregnant specific pathogen free female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 150-170 g were randomly divided into two groups. Those in the immune group ( n=16) were subcutaneously injected with the mixture of an equal volume of Freund's adjuvant and the second extracellular loop of human-derived angiotensin Ⅱ receptor type 1 (AT1R-ECⅡ) repeatedly to establish the AT 1-AA-positive rat model by active immunization and those in the control group ( n=16) with normal saline solution. Before each immunization, blood samples were collected from the tail of rats to detect serum AT 1-AA levels of those rats in both groups, and the AT 1-AA-positive rat model was successfully established when the serum AT 1-AA was positive and its level reached a plateau. After eight weeks of immunization, the female rats in the two groups were mated with healthy AT 1-AA-negative male rats to conceive. Serum samples were collected from the maternal and offspring rats at the gestation of 18 days (G18), postnatal 21 days (P21), and from the normally fed offspring rats from the time of weaning to 12 weeks old (W12). Active immunization was not performed on the offspring throughout the experiment. The serum AT 1-AA levels of maternal and offspring rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum AT1-AA was positive when the ratio of AT1-AA level of the immune group over the control group ≥2.1. The blood lipid levels of maternal and offspring rats were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Serum AT 1-AA levels, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol [instead of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)], low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and free fatty acid levels of the offspring and maternal rats were determined for correlation analysis. Two independent sample t-test, linear regression analysis, and analysis of variance were adopted for statistical analysis. Results:(1) The serum levels of AT 1-AA in maternal rats at G18 and P21 in the immune group were significantly higher than those in the control group (G18: 1.170±0.190 vs 0.114±0.016, t=14.64; P21: 0.988±0.283 vs 0.084±0.006, t=9.57; both P<0.001). (2) The serum levels of AT 1-AA in the offspring at G18 and P21 in the immune group were significantly higher than those in the control group (offspring at G18: 0.948±0.220 vs 0.105±0.010, t=10.10; male offspring at P21: 0.758±0.273 vs 0.080±0.002, t=7.46; female offspring at P21: 0.774±0.274 vs 0.084±0.005, t=7.55; all P<0.001), which showed a positive correlation with those in maternal rats at the same period (offspring at G18: R=0.78; male offspring at P21: R=0.82; female offspring at P21: R=0.82; all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the serum AT 1-AA level in offspring at W12 between the immune and control group ( P>0.05). (3) The serum levels of TC at G18 and P21, and HDL at P21 in maternal rats in the immune group were all higher than those in the control group [TC at G18: (2.36±0.32) vs (1.95±0.24) mmol/L, t=2.70; P21: (2.82±0.50) vs (2.18±0.26) mmol/L, t=3.41; HDL at P21: (1.94±0.33) vs (1.57±0.23) mmol/L, t=2.80; all P<0.05]. (4) Compared with the offspring in the control group, there was no significant change in lipid metabolism at G18 and W12 in the offspring in the immune group (both P>0.05). The serum levels of TC and HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group were higher than their counterparts in the control[TC in male offspring: (2.38±0.52) vs (1.83±0.30) mmol/L, t=2.73; HDL in male offspring: (1.44±0.32) vs (1.07±0.18) mmol/L, t=2.98; TC in female offspring: (2.50±0.72) vs (1.70±0.26) mmol/L, t=3.16; HDL in female offspring: (1.41±0.33) vs (1.00±0.14) mmol/L, t=3.41; all P<0.05]. (5) The serum levels of TC and HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group showed no correlation with those in maternal rats at P21 (all R<0.5, all P>0.05). The serum levels of HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group had a positive correlation with their own serum TC levels (male offspring: R=0.98; female offspring: R=0.97; both P<0.001) and also with their own serum AT 1-AA levels (male offspring: R=0.74, P=0.023; female offspring: R=0.91, P=0.001). The serum levels of TC in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group had a positive correlation with their serum AT 1-AA levels (male offspring: R=0.72, P=0.030; female offspring: R=0.90, P=0.001). Conclusion:The early-life exposure to AT 1-AA may cause abnormal expression of TC and HDL in offspring rats.