ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Sanren Runchang formula in treating constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-C） by regulating the brain-gut axis and the effects of the formula on serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， and substance P （SP）. MethodsA randomized controlled design was adopted， and 72 IBS-C patients meeting Rome Ⅳ criteria were randomized into observation and control groups （36 cases）.The observation group received Sanren Runchang formula granules twice daily， and the control group received lactulose oral solution daily for 4 weeks. IBS Symptom Severity Scale （IBS-SSS）， IBS Quality of Life Scale （IBS-QOL）， and Bristol Stool Form Scale （BSFS） were used to assess clinical symptoms， and bowel movement frequency was recorded. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale （SAS） and Self-Rating Depression Scale （SDS） were employed to evaluate psychological status. ELISA was employed to measure the serum levels of 5-HT， VIP， and SP. ResultsThe total response rate in the observation group was 91.67% （33/36）， which was higher than that （77.78%， 28/36） in the control group （χ²=4.50， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed increased defecation frequency and BSFS scores， decreased IBS-SSS total score， abdominal pain and bloating scores， IBS-QOL health anxiety， anxiety， food avoidance， and behavioral disorders scores， SAS and SDS scores， serum 5-HT and VIP levels， and increased SP levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group showed more significant changes in the indicators above than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The SP level showed no significant difference between the two groups. During the 4-week follow-up， the recurrence rate was 5.88% in the observation group and 31.25% in the control group. No adverse events occurred in observation group， and 2 cases of mild diarrhea occurred in the control group. ConclusionSanren Runchang formula demonstrated definitive efficacy in alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms and improving the psychological status and quality of life in IBS-C patients， with a low recurrence rate. The formula can regulate serum levels of neurotransmitters such as 5-HT and VIP， suggesting its potential regulatory effect on the brain-gut axis through modulating neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. However， its complete mechanism of action requires further investigation through detection of additional brain-gut axis-related biomarkers.

ObjectiveTo construct a risk prediction model for frequent acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） under disease-syndrome combination， thus providing decision support for precise clinical intervention. MethodsA total of 2 029 patients with acute exacerbations of COPD admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to August 2024 were retrospectively included. These patients were classified into groups of frequent acute exacerbations （≥2 times/year） and infrequent acute exacerbations （<2 times/year） according to the hospitalization times per year. Risk factors were screened by LASSO regression combined with logistic regression， and a nomogram model was constructed. The model performance was assessed based on the area under the curve （AUC）， calibration curves， and decision curve analysis （DCA）. ResultsThe differences in baseline characteristics between the frequent acute exacerbations group （1 196 cases） and infrequent acute exacerbations group （833 cases） were not statistically significant. LASSO regression combined with multivariate logistic regression screened the following independent risk factors： body mass index （BMI）， hospitalization days， number of smoking years， place of residence， use of noninvasive ventilators， oxygen-demanding therapy， liver cirrhosis， use of systemic glucocorticosteroids， and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome （phlegm and stasis obstructing the lung）. The nomogram model showed good discrimination and calibration in both the training set （AUC=0.748） and validation set （AUC=0.774）. ConclusionThe risk prediction model for frequent acute exacerbations of COPD， integrating traditional Chinese medicine syndrome， constructed in this study has high accuracy. It can provide a scientific basis for early clinical identification of high-risk patients and individualized intervention.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the detection specificity for clinical samples and the detection capability for standard substances of five commercially available multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nucleic acid detection kits (hereinafter referred to as the kits) for respiratory pathogens, and to provide a reference for selecting appropriate detection kits for multi-pathogen nucleic acid testing of respiratory infections. MethodsA total of 60 respiratory pathogen-positive clinical samples with known redults were selected and tested using the five kits (labeled as A, B, C, D, and E). The detection rates and Kappa coefficients were calculated to evaluate the consistency between the results from these kits and those from single-pathogen PCR kits. According to the limit of detection (LOD) provided by the kits, standard substances of respiratory pathogens (including 12 types such as influenza virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Bordetella pertussis) were diluted to four concentrations (250, 500, 1 000, and 2 000 copies·mL⁻¹). All five kits were used for detection to evaluate their respective detection capabilities. ResultsCompared with the results from single-pathogen PCR kits, the five tested kits demonstrated good consistency (all Kappa >0.80). Among them, Kit A had the highest detection rate (100.00%), followed by Kits C and E (98.33%), and then Kits B and D (95.00%). All five kits showed a relatively low false negative rate (FNR) for samples with a cycle threshold (Ct) value ≤35 (≤2.38%). However, for samples with Ct values>35, the FNR increased accordingly(average FNR=6.67%, P=0.029). Kit C exhibited the highest detection sensitivity for the tested standard substances (average LOD: 458.33 copies·mL⁻¹), followed by Kit D, then Kits A/E, and finally Kit B. ConclusionThe five multiplex PCR kits showed good consistency with single-pathogen detection results, but each had its own performance emphasis. Kit A, with the highest detection rate and high throughput, is suitable for targeted viral screening. Kit B, covering the broadest pathogen spectrum (including fungi/bacteria), is suitable for comprehensive respiratory pathogen screening. Kits C, D and E, are applicable for rapid detection. It is important to note that the detection efficacy of all kits decreases for low viral load samples with Ct values >35. In practical application, selection should be based on specific screening objectives, throughput requirements, and sample types.

Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a major occupational health concern, particularly among workers exposed to adverse ergonomic conditions. Manganese production involves heavy physical demands, yet research on WMSDs among manganese workers remains limited. Objective To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of WMSDs among manganese workers in a manganese enterprise in Guangxi. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June 2024 on workers at a manganese factory in Guangxi. The Chinese Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, distribution of musculoskeletal symptoms, and work-related exposures. χ² test was applied to compare differences in positive WMSDs rates across groups, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify associated factors. Results A total of 1476 workers were enrolled in the study after pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of WMSDs was 34.15%. The most commonly affected body regions were the lower back (17.28%), neck (16.67%), and shoulders (13.82%). The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that female, older age, and education level of college or above were associated with a higher risk of WMSDs (P<0.05). Awkward working postures were significantly associated with WMSDs in corresponding body regions; in particular, awkward postures of the neck, upper limbs, trunk, and lower limbs were related to an increased risk of WMSDs in multiple body sites (P<0.05). In addition, poor lighting conditions, high workplace temperature, frequent or sustained arm support during work, and high job demands were associated with an increased risk of overall or site-specific WMSDs (P<0.05). Conclusion The high prevalence of WMSDs among manganese workers is closely associated with demographic characteristics, working postures, and work environment and organizational factors. Targeted ergonomic interventions focusing on high-risk body regions and key ergonomic exposures are warranted to reduce the risk of WMSDs among manganese workers.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the pathological accumulation ofα‑synuclein. Although extensive progress has been made in elucidating its pathogenesis, current therapeutic approaches remain largely symptomatic, and effective disease-modifying treatments are still unavailable. Increasing evidence indicates that PD is driven by the interaction of multiple pathological processes, including neuroinflammation, iron homeostasis dysregulation and ferroptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and impaired protein homeostasis, which together contribute to neuronal vulnerability and degeneration. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) comprise a family of 22 ligands that play important roles in neural development, stress responses, metabolic regulation, and the maintenance of nervous system homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that several FGF family members, such as FGF1, FGF2, FGF9, and FGF21, exert neuroprotective effects in cellular and animal models of PD. These effects include the regulation of inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, iron homeostasis, cellular stress adaptation, and neuronal survival. Compared with therapeutic strategies targeting a single pathogenic pathway, FGFs appear to influence multiple disease-related processes, suggesting their potential relevance to the complex pathophysiology of PD. Experimental evidence indicates that altered FGF signaling may contribute to dopaminergic neuron dysfunction through the coordinated regulation of several interconnected mechanisms. FGFs have been reported to modulate neuroinflammation by affecting the activation of microglia and astrocytes, thereby influencing the inflammatory environment in the central nervous system. In addition, FGFs are involved in the regulation of iron homeostasis and ferroptosis, partly through antioxidant signaling pathways associated with NRF2, SLC7A11, and GPX4. Moreover, FGFs can alleviate ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by activating intracellular signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, AMPK-PGC-1α, as well as SIRT1-dependent programs, which support cellular energy metabolism and redox balance. Recent advances in single-cell and spatial transcriptomic studies further suggest that FGF signaling is not limited to neuron-intrinsic mechanisms but also involves interactions among different glial cell types. Altered FGF ligand-receptor communication between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes has been observed in PD models and is associated with increased susceptibility of dopaminergic neurons to oxidative stress and ferroptosis. These findings indicate that the biological effects of FGFs are influenced by cell type and disease stage and may vary under different pathological conditions. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding the roles of FGF family members in PD, with a focus on their involvement in iron homeostasis dysregulation and ferroptosis, neuroinflammation, cellular stress responses, and neuronal protection and regeneration. By integrating current evidence, this review aims to provide a clearer understanding of how FGFs participate in PD pathogenesis and to offer a theoretical basis for future studies exploring their potential value in disease-modifying therapeutic strategies.

Purpose: Our previous study showed that circulating tumor cell (CTC) count combined with gene mutation detection might help differentiate benign and malignant pulmonary nodules (PNs). Herein, we aimed to expand the study cohort and conduct further sequencing analysis. Materials and Methods: Patients with PNs were included, and CTCs were identified before operation. Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (LC-WGS) and lung cancer-related targeted gene sequencing were performed on CTCs. The diagnostic efficacy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The differences in CTC counts among subgroups classified by demographic–clinical characteristics were analyzed. LC-WGS–based copy number variation (CNV) analysis and targeted gene mutation analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 172 patients were included. CTC count of 2.5 was identified by the ROC curves as the optimal diagnostic cutoff. The sensitivity and specificity of CTC count for differentiating benign and malignant PNs were 54.2% and 78.6%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of combined CTC count, radiological nodule type, and any malignant imaging features were 84.7% and 71.4%, respectively. The CTC counts were significantly greater in patients with aggressive tumors, later stage, and spread through air spaces. CTCs from malignant cases had more CNVs than those from benign cases. Conclusion CTC count can be used in identifying malignant PNs. The diagnostic efficacy can be improved if combined with computed tomography imaging characteristics. Further CNV analysis might help differential diagnosis. Greater CTC count might suggest more aggressive tumors. CTC detection can provide important information and guidance for subsequent management of PNs.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of children with hematological malignancies complicated by secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis(HLH).Methods:A total of 67 children with HLH admitted to Jinan Second Maternal and Child Health Hospital between June 2020 and June 2024 were selected.Children without hematological malignancies were divided into the non-combined group,and those with hematological malignancies were divided into the combined group.The clinical characteristics and prognosis of the two groups were analyzed.Results:There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics such as WBC,Hb,PLT between the two groups(P＞0.05).During the follow-up,the 1-and 2-year overall survival(OS)rates for all children were(88.6±4.1)％and(73.1±7.7)％,respectively.In the non-combined group,43 children survived and 6 died,with 1-and 2-year OS rates of(95.2±3.3)％and(77.4±9.3)％,respectively.In the combined group,12 children survived and 6 died,with 1-and 2-year OS rates of(71.8±10.7)％and(62.8±12.6)％,respectively.The OS rate of the combined group was significantly lower than that of the non-combined group(x2=4.787,P=0.029).The 1-and 2-year event free survival(EFS)rates of the combined group were(61.1±11.5)％and(50.9±13.3)％,respectively.Conclusion:Children with hematological malignancies complicated by secondary HLH exhibit complex and diverse clinical characteristics.Although favorable short-term therapeutic effects can be achieved,their long-term prognosis tends to be less optimistic.

Objective:To explore the correlation between ASXL1 gene mutation characteristics and clinical manifestations and prognosis in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS).Methods:The clinical date of 264 patients with MDS in Xuzhou Central Hospital,Southeast University from August 2010 to April 2024 was retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into ASXL1wt group and ASXL1mut group according to the presence of ASXL1 gene mutation,and the correlation between gene mutation characteristics and clinical manifestations and prognosis was analyzed.Results:Compared with ASXL1wt group,the ASXL1mut group had a higher age of onset(P＜0.05),a higher proportion of males(P＜0.05),while the incidence of del(5q)was lower(P＜0.01).The mutation frequency of ASXL1 in MDS patients was 21.97％,and most of them were frameshift mutations.The p.Gly646fs was the most common amino acid variant,with a mutation frequency of 20.69％.The median overall survival(OS)and leukemia-free survival of patients with this sequence variant was 18.1 and 23.8 months,respectively,while in those without this sequence variant was 30 months and not reached,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The results of multivariate analysis showed that the mutation of NRAS,WT1,KIT gene and the p.Gly646fs sequence mutation of ASXL1 gene were independent prognostic factors for OS in ASXL1mut patients.The median OS of ASXL1wt and ASXL1mut patients was 27.9(21.3-40.4)and 23.7(18.6-NA)months,respectively(P＞0.05).Among 58 ASXL1mut patients,5 cases(8.6％)transformed to acute leukemia,including 3 cases with RUNX1 mutation and 3 cases with TET2 mutation.Among 206 ASXL1wt patients,28 cases(13.6％)transformed to acute leukemia.The difference in leukemia transformation rate between the two groups was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The efficacy of different treatment regimens was similar in the ASXL1mut group,while in the ASXL1wt group,patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation had a significantly better prognosis than those receiving other treatment regimens(P＜0.001).The overall response rate to demethylation therapy was 68.7％and 67.6％in ASXL1mut and ASXL1wt group,respectively,and the difference between the two groups was not significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion:The overall survival of MDS patients with ASXL1mut is poor.The patients with p.Gly646fs sequence mutation have a higher proportion of bone marrow blasts and a worse prognosis.There are no statistical differences in efficacy of different treatment strategies in ASXL1mut group.ASXL1 mutation shows no significant effect on the response of MDS to hypomethylating agent therapy.

Objective The aim of this study was to reveal the association characteristics between cancer and depression u-sing the data from community-based multi-morbidity study in rural China(COMMON),and provide a scientific basis for early pre-vention and intervention of depression in cancer patients.Methods We collected questionnaire responses,physical examination re-cords,health insurance data,and electronic medical records from both cancer and non-cancer participants.Using propensity score matching at a 1∶4 ratio,we balanced baseline characteristics between the cancer and control groups.We then compared the preva-lence of depression between these groups,as well as across subgroups stratified by age,sex,income,and other factors.The association between cancer and depression risk was assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.Finally,we conducted sensitivity analyses by restricting the regression models to participants with mild-to-severe depression.Results After matching the baseline characteristics,a total of 206 cancer patients and 824 controls were included in the study,and all baseline characteristics between the two groups.Among all individuals,women,participants under 60 years old and those from low-income families(10,000-34,999 Yuan per year),the cancer group had a higher prevalence of depression than the non-cancer group(P<0.05),no difference was found in other subgroup(P>0.05).The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cancer was an independent risk factor for depression,and the risk of depression in cancer patients was 2.38 times that of participants without cancer(95%CI:1.44-3.89,P<0.001).The analysis results of different gender,age,and family income subgroups showed that the effect of cancer on the risk of de-pression was different among subgroups(P<0.05).Conclusions Cancer is an independent risk factor for depression.Therefore,the assessment and intervention of mental health should be paid attention during the treatment of cancer patients.It is of great significance to screen for depression in cancer patients and intervene in them to improve the life quality of patients.In addition,paying attention to high-risk groups can help to implement targeted prevention and intervention and improve their mental health.

Objective:To investigate the change trend in the burden of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system (esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer) in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021.Methods:The descriptive epidemio-logic method was conducted. The number of new cases, crude incidence rate, age-standardized incidence rate, the number of deaths, crude mortality rate and age-standardized mortality rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021 of the Global Burden of Disease were collected. The age-standardized rate was calculated based on the standardized demographics of the whole world in the Global Burden of Disease for the year 2021. Observation indicators: (1) The incidence of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021; (2) the mortality of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021; (3) the change trend of age-standardized incidence rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021; (4) the change trend of age-standardized mortality rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The Joinpoint regression model was constructed for trend analysis, specifically to calculate the annual percentage change, average annual percentage change (AAPC), and their 95% confidence interval ( CI) for age-standardized incidence and mortality rates for each cancer type at different time periods. Results:(1) The incidence of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The number of new cases of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer in the Chinese population changed from 207 495, 407 471, 158 389, 37 818 and 96 434 in 1990 to 320 805, 611 799, 658 321, 118 665 and 196 637 in 2021. The crude incidence rates of the above cancer types changed from 17.64/100 000, 34.64/100 000, 13.46/100 000, 3.21/100 000, 8.20/100 000 in 1990 to 22.55/100 000, 43.00/100 000, 46.27/100 000, 8.34/100 000, 13.82/100 000 in 2021. The new cases of esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer all showed an increasing trend, with absolute changes of 54.61%, 50.15%, 315.64%, 213.78%, and 103.91%, respectively. (2) The mortality of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The number of deaths of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer in the Chinese population changed from 210 821, 374 066, 119 303, 38 883 and 94 937 in 1990 to 296 443, 445 013, 275 129, 119 602 and 172 068 in 2021. The crude death rates of the above cancer types changed from 17.92/100 000, 31.80/100 000, 10.14/100 000, 3.31/100 000, 8.07/100 000 in 1990 to 20.84/100 000, 31.28/100 000, 19.34/100 000, 8.41/100 000, 12.09/100 000 in 2021. Death cases of esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer all showed an increa-sing trend, with absolute changes of 40.61%, 18.97%, 130.61%,207.59%, and 81.24%, respectively. (3) The change trend of age-standardized incidence rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The change trends of age-standardized incidence rates of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer in the Chinese population were divided into 5, 5, 4, 5, and 5 periods, respectively, and the AAPCs of age-standardized incidence rates of the above cancer types were -1.60% (95% CI as -1.78% to -1.42%), -1.60% (95% CI as -1.78% to -1.43%), 1.66% (95% CI as 1.39% to 1.94%), 0.72% (95% CI as 0.36% to 1.08%), and -0.31% (95% CI as -0.39% to -0.23%). (4) The change trend of age-standardized mortality rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The change trend of age-standardized mortality rates of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer in the Chinese population were divided into 5, 5, 4, 5, and 4 periods, respectively, and the AAPC of age-standardized mortality rates for each of the above mentioned cancer types were -1.96% (95% CI as -2.03% to -1.90%), -2.44% (95% CI as -2.50% to -2.38%), -0.49% (95% CI as -0.58% to -0.41%), 0.56% (95% CI as 0.48% to 0.63%), and -0.68% (95% CI as -0.89% to -0.52%). Conclusions:From 1990 to 2021, the disease burden of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and liver cancer in the Chinese population show a downward trend. The standardized incidence of colorectal cancer shows an upward trend, and the standardized mortality rate shows a downward trend. The disease burden of pancreatic cancer shows an upward trend.