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 explore the safety and short-term efficacy of single-port robotic transanal total mesorectal excision (SPr-taTME).Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of six patients who underwent SPr-taTME at Daping Hospital of Army Medical University from October to November 2024 were collected. There were 3 males and 3 females, aged (65±5)years. Observation indicators: (1) intraoperative situations; (2) postoperative situations; (3) follow-up. Measurement data with normal distribution were represen-ted as Mean± SD, measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Intraoperative situations. All patients successfully underwent SPr-taTME without conversion to laparotomy or blood transfusion. There was no intraoperative complication such as accidental hemorrhage or adjacent organ injury. No intra-operative adverse events or mortality occurred. The operation time of the 6 patients was 286(range, 240?400)minutes. The time of transanal platform setup and robotic docking was (21±10)minutes, transanal dissection time was (97±45)minutes, and transabdominal dissection time was (90±35)minutes. The volume of intraoperative blood loss was (47±14)mL. Among the six patients, 1 case underwent synchronous transanal and transabdominal surgery, while 5 cases underwent non-synchronous procedures. Specimens were extracted transanally in 5 cases and via an auxiliary abdominal incision in 1 case. The single-port robotic platform was utilized for the abdominal surgery in 3 cases, while laparoscopy was used in 3 cases. Splenic flexure mobilization was performed in 3 cases and omitted in the other 3 cases. Three patients underwent hand-sewn sigmoid colon-anal anastomosis, 1 case underwent modified Bacon pull-through anastomosis, 1 case received stapled sigmoidorectal anastomosis, 1 case underwent sigmoid colostomy without anastomosis due to significant bowel edema. Two cases didn′t undergo intestinal stoma, 2 cases underwent virtual ileostomy, 1 case underwent ileostomy, and 1 case underwent sigmoid colostomy. (2) Postoperative situations. All patients started water drinking and out‐of‐bed activities on postoperative day 1 and liquid diet intake on postoperative day 2. The time to postoperative first flatus was 1(range, 1?3)days, and duration of postoperative hospital stay was (8±2)days.The total number of lymph nodes dissected was 13±2, with the number of positive lymph nodes as 0(range, 0?3) and the distance of distal resection margin as (23±8)mm. Pathological examination of 6 patients showed 1 case in stage T1N0, 2 cases in stage ypT0N0, 1 case in ypT1N0, 1 case in ypT3N1, and 1 case in ypT0N1. The degree of mesorectal integrity was complete in 5 patients and nearly complete in 1 patient. The surgical specimens of 6 patients showed negative in distal, proximal and circumferential margin. (3) Follow-up. All 6 patients completed the 30-day postoperative follow-up. None of the patients experienced postoperative complication such as bleeding, intestinal obstruction or anastomotic leakage. There was no readmission within 30 days after surgery. Digital rectal examination or colonoscopy on postoperative 30 day confirmed no anastomosis-related complications, including stenosis, dehiscence or anastomotic leakage. All 6 patients survived.Conclusion:The SPr-taTME is safe and feasible, with satisfactory short-term efficacy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),which is essentially primary liver cancer,is closely related to CD8+T cell immune infiltration and immune suppression.We constructed a CD8+T cells related risk score model to pre-dict the prognosis of HCC patients and provided therapeutic guidance based on the risk score.Using integrated bulk RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)and single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)datasets,we identified stable CD8+T cell signatures.Based on these signatures,a 3-gene risk score model,comprised of KLRB1,RGS2,and TN-FRSF1B was constructed.The risk score model was well validated through an independent external validation co-hort.We divided patients into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the risk score and compared the differ-ences in immune microenvironment between these two groups.Compared with low-risk patients,high-risk patients have higher M2-type macrophage content(P＜0.0001)and lower CD8+T cells infiltration(P＜0.0001).High-risk patients predict worse response to immunotherapy treatment than low-risk patients(P＜0.01).Drug sensitivity a-nalysis shows that PI3K-β inhibitor AZD6482 and TGFβRII inhibitor SB505124 may be suitable therapies for high-risk patients,while the IGF-1R inhibitor BMS-754807 or the novel pyrimidine-based anti-tumor metabolic drug Gemcitabine could be potential therapeutic choices for low-risk patients.Moreover,expression of these 3-gene mod-el was verified by immunohistochemistry.In summary,the establishment and validation of a CD8+T cell-derived risk model can more accurately predict the prognosis of HCC patients and guide the construction of personalized treatment plans.

AIM:This study aims to investigate whether a specific synbiotic,consisting of Bifidobacterium longum subspecies BB536 and fructooligosaccharides,can inhibit colon tumorigenesis by modulating gut flora composi-tion.METHODS:Six-week-old male ApcMin/+mice were randomly divided into control group and synbiotic-treated group,with 8 mice in each group.The mice in synbiotic-treated group received daily gavage of 1×109 CFU/kg of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 and 2 g/kg of fructooligosaccharides,while those in control group were gavaged with sterile water for 10 weeks.The number and size of colon tumors were assessed and compared between the 2 groups.Colon tissue sections were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining,Alcian blue staining,and immunohistochemistry assays.The bacterial compo-sition in the colon was analyzed via 16S rDNA sequencing,and differentially expressed genes were examined through tran-scriptome sequencing and RT-qPCR.RESULTS:The synbiotic treatment significantly enhanced bacterial diversity and increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium in the colon(P<0.01).Additionally,the number and size of colon tu-mors were both significantly reduced in the synbiotic-treated mice(P<0.01),along with decreased expression of Ki-67(P<0.01).Concurrently,the number of goblet cells and the expression of epithelial tight junction proteins(ZO-1 and occlu-din)were up-regulated(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Supplementation with this synbiotic effectively modulated gut flora composition and suppressed colon tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+mice.

Objective To summarize the changing prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales based on the data of CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021 for improving antimicrobial treatment in clinical practice.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a commercial automated susceptibility testing system according to the unified CHINET protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 31st ed in 2021.Results Over the seven-year period(2015-2021),the overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)was 9.43％(62 342/661 235).The prevalence of CRE strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae,Citrobacter freundii,and Enterobacter cloacae was 22.38％,9.73％,and 8.47％,respectively.The prevalence of CRE strains in Escherichia coli was 1.99％.A few CRE strains were also identified in Salmonella and Shigella.The CRE strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.23±2.80)％,followed by blood(20.88±3.40)％and urine(18.40±3.45)％.Intensive care units(ICUs)were the major source of the CRE strains(27.43±5.20)％.CRE strains were resistant to all the β-lactam antibiotics tested and most non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents.The CRE strains were relatively susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxins with low resistance rates.Conclusions The prevalence of CRE strains was increasing from 2015 to 2021.CRE strains were highly resistant to most of the antibacterial drugs used in clinical practice.Clinicians should prescribe antimicrobial agents rationally.Hospitals should strengthen antibiotic stewardship in key clinical settings such as ICUs,and take effective infection control measures to curb CRE outbreak and epidemic in hospitals.

AIM To establish a UPLC method for the simultaneous content determination of liquiritin,ammonium glycyrrhizate,naringin,neohesperidin,hesperidin,rosmarinic acid,baicalin,wogonoside,baicalein,wogonin and praeruptorin A in Tongxuan Lifei Pills,and to make chemometric investigation.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 30 ℃ thermostatic SVEA C18 column(2.1 mm×150 mm,2.5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.1％phosphoric acid flowing at 0.5 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelength was set at 250 nm.Subsequently,cluster analysis,principal component analysis and partial least square discriminant analysis were performed.RESULTS Eleven constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(R2＞0.990 0),whose average recoveries were 90.00％-98.32％with the RSDs of 0.35％-1.89％.Forty batches of samples were clustered into 3 types.Baicalein,baicalin,liquiritin,wogonin,wogonoside and neohesperidin were taken as quality differential markers.CONCLUSION This simple and reproducible method can provide the basis for quality control and evaluation of Tongxuan Lifei Pills.

Objective:To investigate the effect of triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) structure and ceramic volume fraction on the mechanical properties of polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) composite and reveal its strengthening and toughening mechanism.Methods:In this study, TPMS structures with gyroid (G), primitive (P), diamond (D), and ceramic volume fraction (40%, 55%, 70%, 85%) were designed. Porous zirconia scaffolds were prepared using stereolithography technology, and resin was infiltrated into the scaffolds through a vacuum. Then, the PICN composites were obtained after curing. The bending strength, elastic modulus and fracture toughness of PICN were tested using an electronic universal testing machine, with commercial PICN as the control group. The micromorphology of PICN was observed through stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope. The cytocompatibility of PICN was verified by using cell counting kit, live/dead cell staining and phalloidin staining.Results:The bending strength values of PICN with different ceramic volume fractions ranged from 82.0 MPa to 376.0 MPa, and they gradually increased as the ceramic volume fraction rised. The elastic modulus values of PICN with different ceramic volume fractions ranged from 12.1 GPa to 56.1 GPa. The fracture toughness values of PICN with different ceramic volume fractions ranged from 1.7 MPa·m 1/2 to 6.5 MPa·m 1/2. The bending strength of 85G PICN reached 306.0 MPa, and it had the highest fracture toughness (6.5 MPa·m 1/2) and an appropriate elastic modulus between that of the control group and that of enamel. Under scanning electron microscopy, it could be observed that the cracks branch and deflect at the interface and eventually terminate within the resin phase. After co-culture with PICN, the survival rate of mouse fibroblasts exceeded 80%, indicating that PICN had no cytotoxicity. Conclusions:The PICN composite with TPMS structure can satisfy the mechanical properties and cytocompatibility of dental prosthesis.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)with half-dose recombinant staphylokinase(r-SAK)in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)who are expected to undergo PCI within 120 minutes.Methods From October 2021 to August 2022,a total of 200 STEMI patients in eight centers were included and randomly assigned in a 1﹕1 ratio to either r-SAK group or control group.Patients received loading doses of aspirin and ticagrelor and intravenous heparin and were randomized to receive an intravenous bolus of either 5 mg r-SAK or normal saline prior to PCI.The outcomes were set as ST-segment resolution(STR)at 60-90 minutes after PCI,the proportion and transition of pathological Q waves on the 5th day after PCI,and the proportion of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T(hs-cTnT)peaking within 12 hours of onset.The safety outcome was major bleeding events defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium(BARC)≥type 3 bleeding during hospitalization.Results Compared with the control group,the r-SAK group had a higher proportion of STR≥70%within 60-90 minutes after PCI(58.3%vs.40.3%,P=0.009);a lower proportion of pathological Q waves(59.1%vs.74.1%,P=0.040);a lower rate of Q wave progression(14.8%vs.43.2%,P＜0.001);a higher rate of Q wave disappearance(12.5%vs.3.7%,P=0.027);and a higher proportion of hs-cTnT peaking within 12 hours of symptom onset[31/40(77.5%)vs.17/33(51.5%),P=0.027].Regarding the safety outcome,no significant difference in BARC≥type 3 bleeding was found between the two groups during hospitalization(P＞0.05).Conclusions For STEMI patients who were expected to undergo primary PCI within 120 minutes of symptom onset,the facilitated PCI with half-dose r-SAK significantly increased the proportion of STR≥70%at 60-90 minutes after PCI,reduced the formation of pathological Q waves,and shortened the time to peak hs-cTnT,without increasing the risk of bleeding,which should be an alternative reperfusion strategy worthy of further study.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of ginkgo acid(GA)on hepatic fibrosis in rats.Methods:CCl4 and TAA were used to construct rat liver fibrosis model,and GA or combined ferroptosis inhibitor(Fer-1)was given to intervene.The liver tissue and serum of rats were obtained and histopathologically evaluated by HE,Masson and Sirius red staining,respecively.The expression of HA,LN,Ⅳ-C and PC-Ⅲ in serum were detected by Elisa and the expression of GPX4 and FTH1 were detected by Western blot.Results:HE staining showed that,com-pared with TAA and CCl4 groups,the fibrosis level of GA group was significantly decreased.The results of Masoon and Sirius red staining showed that compared with TAA and CCl4 groups,the rate of collagen fibers in liver of GA group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Elisa results showed that compared with TAA and CCl4 groups,the levels of HA,LN,Ⅳ-C and PC-Ⅲ in serum of rats in GA group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).After the intervention of GA com-bined with Fer-1,Western blot results showed that compared with TAA and CCl4 groups,the expression of GPX4 and FTH1 in liver of rats in GA group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Compared with GA group,GPX4 and FTH1 levels in Fer group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05);The histopathological results showed that compared with GA group,the rate of liver collagen fibers in Fer group was significantly increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:GA has anti-hepatic fi-brosis effect,which is associated with inducing ferroptosis.

AIM To establish a UPLC method for the simultaneous content determination of liquiritin,ammonium glycyrrhizate,naringin,neohesperidin,hesperidin,rosmarinic acid,baicalin,wogonoside,baicalein,wogonin and praeruptorin A in Tongxuan Lifei Pills,and to make chemometric investigation.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 30 ℃ thermostatic SVEA C18 column(2.1 mm×150 mm,2.5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.1％phosphoric acid flowing at 0.5 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelength was set at 250 nm.Subsequently,cluster analysis,principal component analysis and partial least square discriminant analysis were performed.RESULTS Eleven constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(R2＞0.990 0),whose average recoveries were 90.00％-98.32％with the RSDs of 0.35％-1.89％.Forty batches of samples were clustered into 3 types.Baicalein,baicalin,liquiritin,wogonin,wogonoside and neohesperidin were taken as quality differential markers.CONCLUSION This simple and reproducible method can provide the basis for quality control and evaluation of Tongxuan Lifei Pills.