Background The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is a vast area with a wide array of ecological environments, resulting in considerable regional variations in air pollution characteristics. Current research is limited by a scarcity of systematic, region-wide studies and risk assessments. Objective To assess the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to nine heavy metal and metalloid elements in atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) for the population of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Methods From the 10th to the 16th of each month throughout 2023, atmospheric PM_2.5 samples were collected at designated monitoring sites in 12 leagues (cities) across the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to analyze the characteristics and trends in concentration. The health risk assessment model developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was employed to evaluate both the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the heavy metal elements beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), hydrargyrum (Hg), plumbum (Pb), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) and the metalloid elements stibium (Sb) and arsenic (As). Results In 2023, a total of 1206 valid PM_2.5 samples were analyzed from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The annual average PM_2.5 concentrations in Inner Mongolia, as well as in the cities of Ordos, Wuhai, and the Alxa League, all exceeded the national limit of 35 μg·m⁻³. The PM_2.5 concentrations across the leagues (cities) exhibited a clear seasonal variation, peaking in winter, followed by spring, and reaching a minimum in summer and autumn. The median PM_2.5 concentration in Ordos throughout the year was higher than that in the other leagues (cities) of the region. Concerning health risks, the non-carcinogenic risks associated with the 9 elements detected in each league (city) were all below 1, indicating acceptable levels. However, the non-carcinogenic risk values for Mn, Cr, and As were relatively high; specifically, Ordos City displayed the highest non-carcinogenic risk values for Mn (7.74×10⁻¹) and Cr (2.97×10⁻²), while Chifeng City recorded the highest value for As (2.34×10⁻³). The carcinogenic risk values for As, Cd, Cr, and Ni fell within the range of 1×10⁻⁹ to 1×10⁻⁵, representing an acceptable level. The health risks varied with age, and the elderly residents faced the highest non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks. Conclusion While the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from heavy metals and metalloids within atmospheric PM_2.5 in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are generally within acceptable limits, the potential risks that Mn, As, and Cr pose to the health of elderly people warrants particular attention, and Ordos and Chifeng cities exhibit notably higher health risks among other areas. It is recommended that regular, long-term monitoring be conducted, taking into account the specific conditions at monitoring sites across each league (city), and that targeted air quality management strategies be implemented to protect public health.

Objective To systematically evaluate the risk factors for pulmonary infection after cardiac surgery. Methods A computer search was performed to collect researches on risk factors for pulmonary infection in patients after cardiac surgery from the databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EBSCO, CINAHL, Web of Science, EMbase from the inception to August 2023. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quality of the literature was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results A total of 23 studies covering 24348 patients were selected, including 21 case-control studies and 2 cohort studies. The NOS scores were≥6 points. The results of meta-analysis showed that age (OR=2.16, 95%CI 1.80 to 2.59, P<0.001), smoking history (OR=1.91, 95%CI 1.67 to 2.18, P<0.001), pulmonary disease (OR=1.61, 95%CI 1.40 to 1.85, P<0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR=1.62, 95%CI 1.26 to 2.08, P<0.001), operation time (OR=2.54, 95%CI 1.86 to 3.46, P<0.001), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (OR=3.78, 95%CI 2.11 to 6.77, P<0.001), CPB time (OR=2.30, 95%CI 1.94 to 2.71, P<0.001), blood transfusion (OR=2.55, 95%CI 2.04 to 3.20, P<0.001), postoperative mechanical ventilation time (OR=2.78, 95%CI 2.34 to 3.30, P<0.001), tracheal intubation time (OR=3.93, 95%CI 2.45 to 6.31, P<0.001) and repeated tracheal intubation (OR=8.74, 95%CI 4.17 to 18.30, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for pulmonary infection in patients after cardiac surgery. Conclusion Age, smoking history, pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, operation time, CPB, CPB time, blood transfusion, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, tracheal intubation time, and repeated tracheal intubation are risk factors for pulmonary infection in patients after cardiac surgery. It can be used as a reference to strengthen perioperative evaluation and nursing of high-risk patients and reduce the incidence of pulmonary infection.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the prospective association between physical activity (PA),independently or in conjunction with other contributing factors,and osteoporosis (OP) outcomes. Methods The Physical Activity in Osteoporosis Outcomes (PAOPO) study was a community-based cohort investigation. A structured questionnaire was used to gather the participants' sociodemographic characteristics. Bone mineral density (BMD) measurements were performed to assess OP outcomes,and the relationship between BMD and OP was evaluated within this cohort. Results From 2013 to 2014,8,471 participants aged 18 years and older were recruited from Tangshan,China's Jidong community. Based on their PA level,participants were categorized as inactive,moderately active,or very active. Men showed higher physical exercise levels than women across the activity groups. BMD was significantly higher in the very active group than in the moderately active and inactive groups. Individuals aged>50 years are at a higher risk of developing OP and osteopenia. Conclusion The PAOPO study offers promising insights into the relationship between PA and OP outcomes,encouraging the implementation of PA in preventing and managing OP.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an emerging technology applied in the field of cardiovascular medicine, which can obtain hemodynamic data by simulating the blood flow in the patient′s heart for cardiac function assessment and disease diagnosis. Left ventricular function plays a key role in the occurrence and development of cardiomyopathies and coronary disease. CFD can reconstruct the left ventricular anatomic structures of patients to clarify pathophysiologic mechanisms and analyze hemodynamic parameters to evaluate left ventricular function, verify surgical efficacy, and guide surgical strategy, which has a positive effect on achieving early diagnosis and reducing mortality from cardiomyopathies and coronary disease. At present, there are still technical limitations in the large-scale clinical application of CFD, and various solutions are being developed and tested, and further improvement and refinement are needed.

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of a 3D-printed intracranial pressure balancing device in preventing complications after suboccipital craniectomy (DC).Methods:This study is a retrospective cohort analysis. The clinical data of 35 patients who underwent DC at Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, from September 2020 to September 2023 were reviewed. The cohort included 24 males and 11 females, with an age of (48.7±14.9) years (range:17 to 74 years). Nineteen patients (experimental group) received the intracranial pressure balancing device fixed to the bone defect site post-DC. This device was made using medical-grade dicyanamide resin and was three dimensional printed based on postoperative CT scans of the patients. The remaining 16 patients (control group) did not receive the intracranial pressure balancing device, while other treatments and procedures were consistent with the experimental group. Data were compared using the χ2 test or Fisher′s exact probability method. Results:Out of the 35 patients, 30 cases (85.7%) experienced complications following DC. Specific complications included cerebral infarction in 3 cases (8.6%), intracerebral hemorrhage in 1 case (2.9%), subdural effusion in 27 cases (77.1%) with a median onset of (8.8±6.5) days (range: 1 to 23 days), brain tissue protrusion in 15 cases (42.9%) with a median onset of ( M(IQR)) 7.0 (21.0) days (range:2 to 106 days), and hydrocephalus in 6 cases (17.14%) with a median onset of 34.5 (111.0) days (range: 22 to 136 days). There were no significant differences in the occurrence of complications(all P>0.05). However, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of subdural effusion in the experimental group prior to cranioplasty ( P=0.013). No significant differences were noted in mRS scores between the two groups after cranioplasty ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The intracranial pressure balancing device has the effect of prevention and treatment of subdural effusion. However, it did not significantly improve patient prognosis post-DC, warranting further investigation.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an emerging technology applied in the field of cardiovascular medicine, which can obtain hemodynamic data by simulating the blood flow in the patient′s heart for cardiac function assessment and disease diagnosis. Left ventricular function plays a key role in the occurrence and development of cardiomyopathies and coronary disease. CFD can reconstruct the left ventricular anatomic structures of patients to clarify pathophysiologic mechanisms and analyze hemodynamic parameters to evaluate left ventricular function, verify surgical efficacy, and guide surgical strategy, which has a positive effect on achieving early diagnosis and reducing mortality from cardiomyopathies and coronary disease. At present, there are still technical limitations in the large-scale clinical application of CFD, and various solutions are being developed and tested, and further improvement and refinement are needed.

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of a 3D-printed intracranial pressure balancing device in preventing complications after suboccipital craniectomy (DC).Methods:This study is a retrospective cohort analysis. The clinical data of 35 patients who underwent DC at Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, from September 2020 to September 2023 were reviewed. The cohort included 24 males and 11 females, with an age of (48.7±14.9) years (range:17 to 74 years). Nineteen patients (experimental group) received the intracranial pressure balancing device fixed to the bone defect site post-DC. This device was made using medical-grade dicyanamide resin and was three dimensional printed based on postoperative CT scans of the patients. The remaining 16 patients (control group) did not receive the intracranial pressure balancing device, while other treatments and procedures were consistent with the experimental group. Data were compared using the χ2 test or Fisher′s exact probability method. Results:Out of the 35 patients, 30 cases (85.7%) experienced complications following DC. Specific complications included cerebral infarction in 3 cases (8.6%), intracerebral hemorrhage in 1 case (2.9%), subdural effusion in 27 cases (77.1%) with a median onset of (8.8±6.5) days (range: 1 to 23 days), brain tissue protrusion in 15 cases (42.9%) with a median onset of ( M(IQR)) 7.0 (21.0) days (range:2 to 106 days), and hydrocephalus in 6 cases (17.14%) with a median onset of 34.5 (111.0) days (range: 22 to 136 days). There were no significant differences in the occurrence of complications(all P>0.05). However, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of subdural effusion in the experimental group prior to cranioplasty ( P=0.013). No significant differences were noted in mRS scores between the two groups after cranioplasty ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The intracranial pressure balancing device has the effect of prevention and treatment of subdural effusion. However, it did not significantly improve patient prognosis post-DC, warranting further investigation.

Objective To investigate the value of polar residual network(PResNet)model for assisting evaluation on rat myocardial infarction(MI)segment in myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE).Methods Twenty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into MI group(n=15)and sham operation group(n=10).MI models were established in MI group through ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery using atraumatic suture,while no intervention was given to those in sham operation group after thoracotomy.MCE images of both basal and papillary muscle levels on the short axis section of left ventricles were acquired after 1 week,which were assessed independently by 2 junior and 2 senior ultrasound physicians.The evaluating efficacy of MI segment,the mean interpretation time and the consistency were compared whether under the assistance of PResNet model or not.Results No significant difference of efficacy of evaluation on MI segment was found for senior physicians with or without assistance of PResNet model(both P＞0.05).Under the assistance of PResNet model,the efficacy of junior physicians for diagnosing MI segment was significantly improved compared with that without the assistance of PResNet model(both P＜0.01),and was comparable to that of senior physicians.Under the assistance of PResNet model,the mean interpretation time of each physician was significantly shorter than that without assistance(all P＜0.001),and the consistency between junior physicians and among junior and senior physicians were both moderate(Kappa=0.692,0.542),which became better under the assistance(Kappa=0.763,0.749).Conclusion PResNet could improve the efficacy of junior physicians for evaluation on rat MI segment in MCE images,shorten interpretation time with different aptitudes,also improve the consistency to some extent.

Objective:To retrospectively summarize the clinical characteristics and treatment of 49 patients with hyperthyroid cardiopath and to explore the diagnosis and treatment methods of hyperthyroid cardiopathy.Methods:A total of 49 patients with hyperthyroid cardiopath(HC group) who were successfully treated and followed up in the Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, from January 2016 to December 2021 were collected, and 85 cases of Graves′ disease without heart disease were collected as the control group(GD group). The medical history, laboratory tests, and echocardiographic parameters of the two groups were compared. Differences in thyroid and cardiac indicators before and after treatment in the HC group were summarized, along with the dosage of β-receptor blockers used in treating different types of conditions(atrial fibrillation and heart failure.Results:Patients in the HC group were older and had a longer duration of hyperthyroidism than those in the GD group( P<0.001, P=0.002). There were no significant differences in thyroid hormone levels between the two groups except for reverse triiodothyronine(rT 3). Age and rT 3 were independent risk factors of hyperthyroid cardiopathy. rT 3 level was linearly positively correlated with brain natriuretic peptide, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, left artrium diamete (LAD) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVDs; r=0.352, P<0.001; r=0.392, P=0.019; r=0.202, P=0.029; r=0.242, P=0.028). In patients of HC group, free triiodothyronine(FT 3) level returned to normal range after 2.87(1.63, 5.53) months of treatment with radioiodine(41/49) or antithyroid drugs(8/49), while brain natriuretic peptide, LAD, LVDs, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure declined after 5.00(1.25, 8.00) months of treatment. Non-selective β-receptor blockers were used for both hyperthyroid heart failure and atrial fibrillation, and there was no statistically significant difference in dosage[(86.52±47.83)mg vs(88.67±47.19)mg, P>0.05]. Conclusions:rT 3 may be a biomarker of hyperthyroid cardiopath and indicate the severity of hyperthyroidism. β-receptor blockers are crucial in treating patients with hyperthyroidism who develop atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of trigeminal neuralgia treatment in elderly patients with percutaneous balloon compression assisted by a robotic surgical navigation and positioning planning system.Methods:Eleven elderly patients with trigeminal neuralgia admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University between August 2021 and August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography, a three-dimensional fast spin-echo sequence with variable flip angles and thin-slice CT scans were performed before the procedure, and multimodal image fusion was performed by a robot workstation.The volume of Meckel's cave was calculated.Two paths were set up in the surgical planning: an actual puncture path, targeting the anterior inner quadrant of the internal foramen ovale, and a virtual path, used to plan the insertion depth of the balloon.The actual puncture path was completed under the guidance of the robotic arm adapter, and the virtual path for depth measurement was completed under lateral X-ray views of digital subtraction angiography.The balloon was placed at the predetermined depth and was inflated to form a pear shape to complete the procedure.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score was used to evaluate preoperative pain, and the Barrow Neurological Institute(BNI)facial numbness score was used to evaluate postoperative facial numbness.The patients were followed up for 1-12 months and the results were analyzed.Results:In all of the 11 patients, puncturing the foramen ovale and entry into the Meckel's cave were successfully conducted and the balloon was inflated to form a pear shape.Ten patients(90.9%)achieved complete remission immediately after the procedure, and 1 patient had delayed healing at 5 days after the procedure.There were no serious complications related to the procedure.There was no recurrence of pain during the follow-up, and the BNI numbness grading was between 2-3.The ratio between the inflated balloon volume and the preoperative volume of the Meckel's cave was approximately 1.7.Conclusions:Robot-assisted percutaneous balloon compression is safe and effective for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in elderly patients.