Objective To investigate the lifestyle and cardiovascular disease in the elderly and analyze their association. Methods A simple random sampling method was used to select the elderly aged 60 years and above in a community of Xining from September 2022 to September 2023 as the study subjects. General demographic characteristics, prevalence of cardiovascular disease, living habits and activity status were collected by questionnaire. Demographic characteristics and life behavior habits were compared between the diseased and non-diseased groups, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of cardiovascular disease in the elderly. Results A total of 784 subjects, 259 (33.04%) suffered from cardiovascular disease, with coronary heart disease and hypertension being the most common. In terms of disease risk, males were 1.378 times higher than females, non-income groups were 1.394 times higher than income groups, receiving health education/popular science < 1 time/month groups were 1.533 times higher than ≥ 2 times/month groups, combined diabetes or obesity groups were 1.490 times and 1.470 times higher than non-diabetes or obesity groups, salty fresh taste groups were 1.690 times higher than light taste groups, fresh fruit intake frequency ≤ 3 times/week groups were 1.492 times higher than ＞7 times/week groups, smoking ≥ 30 cigarettes/month groups were 2.257 times higher than non-smoking groups, drinking ≥ 2 liquors or 500 ml beer/day groups were 1.569 times higher than non-drinking groups, irregular physical examination habits groups were 1.619 times higher than regular physical examination habits groups, aerobic exercise did not reach the standard groups were 1.454 times higher than the standard groups. Conclusion Lifestyle is associated with cardiovascular disease in the elderly. It is important to carry out targeted health education and advocate healthy behavior lifestyle to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Huoxue Rongluo prescription （HXRLP） in repairing the blood-brain barrier （BBB） after ischemic stroke （IS）. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham operation （Sham） group， cerebral infarction model （MCAO） group， environmental circadian disruption with cerebral infarction model （ECD-MCAO） group， low-， medium-， and high-dose HXRLP （HXRLP-L， M， and H） groups （8.5， 17， 34 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， and positive drug butylphthalide （NBP） group （0.23 mL·d^-1）. In the Sham group， only the exposed blood vessels were isolated without suture insertion. In the other groups， the middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） model of mice was prepared. In the ECD-MCAO group， HXRLP groups， and NBP group， the environmental circadian disruption （ECD） model was prepared. The mice in the Sham group， MCAO group， and ECD-MCAO group were given the same volume of soybean oil by gavage， while those in the other groups were given the corresponding drugs by gavage. Samples were collected after 7 consecutive days of administration. The mNSS score was used to evaluate the repair effect of HXRLP on neurological deficits after IS. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to assess the impact of HXRLP on the pathological damage of brain tissue after IS. 2，3，5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining and cerebral blood perfusion status were used to evaluate the repair effect of HXRLP on brain tissue damage after IS. Evans blue staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate the improvement effect of HXRLP on the permeability injury of BBB after IS. Immunofluorescence （IF） staining was used to observe the expression of von Willebrand Factor （vWF）， brain and muscle Arnt-like 1 （Bmal1）， and Occludin in brain tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of Bmal1， Occludin， tight junction protein （Claudin-5）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， and angiopoietins（Ang）， and related analysis was conducted. ResultsCompared with the Sham group， the MCAO group exhibited significantly aggravated neurological deficits， cerebral infarction volume， brain pathological damage， and BBB leakage （P0.01） and significantly reduced cerebral blood perfusion （P0.01）. The expression of Bmal1， vWF， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， and Ang in brain tissue was significantly enhanced （P0.01）， while the expression of Occludin and Claudin-5 was significantly weakened （P0.01）. Compared with the MCAO group， the ECD-MCAO group showed significantly aggravated neurological deficits， cerebral infarction volume， and BBB leakage （P0.01）， obviously worsened brain pathological damage （P0.05）， significantly reduced cerebral blood perfusion （P0.01）， and significantly decreased expression of Bmal1， vWF， VEGFA， Ang， Occludin， and Claudin-5 in brain tissue （P0.01）. Compared with the ECD-MCAO group， the HXRLP groups of all doses presented significantly improved neurological deficits， cerebral infarction volume， brain pathological damage， and BBB leakage （P0.01）， significantly increased cerebral blood perfusion （P0.01）， and enhanced expression levels of Bmal1， vWF， VEGFA， Ang， Occludin， and Claudin-5 in brain tissue （P0.01）. ConclusionHXRLP can regulate the clock protein Bmal1 and promote the expression of VEGFA， Ang， Occludin， and Claudin-5， thereby improving BBB damage after IS.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects and its mechanism of Bazheng powder on chronic urinary tract infection （CUTI） induced by Escherichia coli in rats. METHODS The rats were divided into normal control group， model group， levofloxacin group （45 mg/kg） and Bazheng powder group （4.95 g/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal control group， other groups were administered an intravesical injection of Escherichia coli suspension （1×10⁸ cfu/mL） via the urethra to establish CUTI model； at the same time， rats in each group were administered the corresponding medicinal solution or water by gavage once a day for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last medication， blood routine tests （white blood cell count and lymphocyte percentage）， the levels of serum inflammatory factors [interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， IL-8， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）]， and immune indicators [CD4， CD8， secretory immunoglobulin A （SIgA）]， renal function indicators [cystatin C （Cys-C）， α1- microglobulin （α1-MG）， urea and creatinine] were all determined； the pathological changes in renal and bladder tissues in rats were observed. The protein expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， and nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3） in rat bladder tissues were detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group， the levels of IL-1β， IL-6， IL-8， TNF-α， CD8， Cys-C， α1-MG， urea and creatinine in serum， as well as the protein expressions of TLR4， NF-κB and NLRP3 in bladder tissues， were significantly elevated in the model group （P＜0.05）. Conversely， the levels of CD4 and SIgA were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Pathological changes， such as extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells， were observed in both renal and bladder tissues. Compared with the model group， the above quantitative indicators in the Bazheng powder group were significantly improved （P＜0.05）， with no obvious inflammatory lesions observed in either renal or bladder tissues. CONCLUSIONS Bazheng powder can alleviate inflammatory reaction and improve the immune function of CUTI rats， and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB/ NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate smoking attitudes and behaviors among middle school students in Shijingshan District, Beijing Municipality, so as to provide the evidence for implementing tobacco control interventions for students. Methods: In 2019 and 2023, students from three junior high schools, two senior high schools and one vocational high school in Shijingshan District were selected using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method. Data of basic information, smoking attitudes, cigarette use, e-cigarette use and secondhand smoke exposure were collected using questionnaire surveys. The changes in smoking attitudes and behaviors among middle school students between the two surveys were analyzed. Results: A total of 671 students were surveyed in 2019, including 343 males (51.12%) and 328 females (48.88%). A total of 759 students were surveyed in 2023, including 352 males (46.38%) and 407 females (53.62%). The proportion of students who thought that smoking made young people more attractive in 2023 was 3.29%, lower than 6.56% in 2019 (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the proportions of those who believed that secondhand smoke was definitely harmful, those who thought that quitting smoking was definitely difficult, and those who felt that smoking in social situations made them more comfortable between 2019 and 2023 (all P>0.05). In 2023, the proportions of current smoking rate and the attempted smoking rate were 0.66% and 5.53%, respectively, which were lower than 2.24% and 8.94% in 2019 (both P<0.05). The awareness rate of electronic cigarettes was 96.18% in 2023, higher than 88.97% in 2019 (P<0.05). The usage rate of electronic cigarettes was 5.01% in 2023, lower than 10.28% in 2019 (P<0.05). The proportion of exposure to secondhand smoke in family and public places was 73.25% in 2023, higher than 66.77% in 2019 (P<0.05). The proportion of those who saw someone smoking on campus within the past 30 days was 15.81% in 2023, lower than 29.96% in 2019 (P<0.05). Conclusions Compared with 2019, the smoking behaviors of middle school students in Shijingshan District decreased in 2023, and the awareness rate of electronic cigarettes and the proportion of secondhand smoke exposure in family and public places increased. Health education should be strengthened.

Objective:To comprehensively understand the disease burden of liver cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases caused by alcohol use in China from 1990 to 2019, as well as to predict the trends in disease burden from 2020 to 2030.Methods:The analysis utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease study in 2019 (GBD2019). Key indicators such as incidence rate, mortality rate, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), years of life lost due to premature mortality, and years lived with disability were selected to describe the disease burden of alcohol-related liver cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases in China from 1990 to 2019. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was used to depict the temporal trends in disease burden. Furthermore, a Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was constructed using R software to predict the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of alcohol-related liver cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases in China from 2020 to 2030.Results:From 1990 to 2019, the incidence of alcohol-related liver cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases in China showed an upward trend, with an EAPC of 0.31% (95% CI: 0.10%-0.52%). However, the DALY declined, with an EAPC of -2.81% (95% CI: -2.92% - -2.70%). The ASMR showed a downward trend, with an EAPC of -2.55% (95% CI: -2.66% - -2.45%). The highest incidence of cirrhosis of liver caused by alcohol and other chronic liver diseases was reported in the age group of 35-49 years, while the ASMR increased gradually with age, with a significant rise after the age of 30. The age-standardized DALY rate peaked between the ages of 55 and 64. The disease burden indicators for males were consistently higher than those for females during the same period. According to the predictions of the BAPC model, from 2020 to 2030, the ASIR for cirrhosis of liver caused by alcohol and other chronic liver diseases in the entire population of China was projected to increase from 3.45/100 000 in 2020 to 3.78/100 000 in 2030, a growth of 9.57%. Conversely, the ASMR was expected to decrease from 1.45/100 000 in 2020 to 1.24/100 000 in 2030, a reduction of 14.48%. Conclusions:The disease burden of cirrhosis of liver caused by alcohol and other chronic liver diseases remained serious in China, especially in men and the middle-aged to elderly population. There is a pressing need to prioritize attention and resources towards these groups. Despite the projected decrease in ASMR, the ASIR continued to rise and is expected to persist in its upward trend until 2030.

OBJECTIVE To provide the basis for commodity grade classification and quality evaluation of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao by studying the correlation between the microscopic quantification of transsection tissue of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao and the content of quality markers. METHODS The microscopical quantitative parameters of 7 tissues in the cross section of 13 batches of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao were measured, and the chemical components of 7 quality markers were measured by HPLC. For 7 tissues microquantitative parameters and 7 quality markers of 13 batches of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao and 8 results of addition and division calculation(hereinafter referred to as “calculation results”), SPSS 26.0 software was used for Spearman correlation analysis and cluster analysis, Graphpad Prism 8.0 was used for multiple linear regression of significant correlation variables, and SIMCA 14.1 was used for principal component analysis. RESULTS There were many pairs of significant correlation between wood ray number, xylem width, cork layer width, phloem width/xylem width and the quality markers and their calculation results. The tissue morphology of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao transverse section could describe the content of quality markers. Two principal components were extracted by principal component analysis, and the six variables that contributed significantly to the principal components were calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, phloem width/xyloside width, astragaloside IV, Astragaloside I and Astragaloside II. Thirteen batches of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao were divided into two categories, and the results were consistent with cluster analysis. CONCLUSION Based on the correlation between the microscopic quantification of cross-section tissue and the content of quality markers, this study indirectly represents the content of quality markers with the microscopic quantitative parameters of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge. var. mongholicus(Bge.) Hsiao cross-section tissue, which provides a new scientific basis for the comprehensive basis of commodity grade classification of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao medicinal materials, and has reference value for the formation of modern evaluation model of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao medicinal materials quality.

Objective:To investigate the prognosis and the factors that influence it in patients with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who are at low risk of recurrence.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Clinicopathologic and prognostic data from patients with non-gastric GISTs and at low risk of recurrence (i.e., very low-risk or low-risk according to the 2008 version of the Modified NIH Risk Classification), who attended 18 medical centers in China between January 2000 and June 2023, were collected. We excluded patients with a history of prior malignancy, concurrent primary malignancy, multiple GISTs, and those who had received preoperative imatinib. The study cohort comprised 1,571 patients with GISTs, 370 (23.6%) of whom were at very low-risk and 1,201 (76.4%) at low-risk of recurrence. The cohort included 799 (50.9%) men and 772 (49.1%) women of median age 57 (16–93) years. Patients were followed up to July 2024. The prognosis and its influencing factors were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curves for tumor diameter and Ki67 were established, and the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and optimal cut-off value with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Propensity score matching was implemented using the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a matching tolerance of 0.02.Results:With a median follow-up of 63 (12–267) months, the 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates of the 1,571 patients were 99.5% and 98.0%, respectively, and the 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 96.3% and 94.4%, respectively. During postoperative follow-up, 3.8% (60/1,571) patients had disease recurrence or metastasis, comprising 0.8% (3/370) in the very low-risk group and 4.7% (57/1,201) in the low-risk group. In the low-risk group, recurrence or metastasis occurred in 5.5% (25/457) of patients with duodenal GISTs, 3.9% (25/645) of those with small intestinal GISTs, 9.2% (6/65) of those with rectal GISTs, and 10.0% (1/10) of those with colonic GISTs. Among the 60 patients with metastases, 56.7% (34/60) of the metastases were located in the abdominal cavity, 53.3% (32/60) in the liver, and 3.3% (2/60) in bone. During the follow-up period, 13 patients (0.8%) died of disease. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted for tumor diameter and Ki67 and assessed using the Jordon index. This showed that the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for tumor diameter was 3.5 cm (AUC 0.731, 95% CI: 0.670–0.793, sensitivity 77.7%, specificity 64.1%). Furthermore, the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for Ki67 was 5% (AUC 0.693, 95% CI: 0.624–0.762, sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 65.3%). Multifactorial analysis revealed that tumor diameter ≥3.5 cm, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were independent risk factors for DFS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). Furthermore, age >57 years, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were also independent risk factors for OS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). We also grouped the patients according to whether they had received postoperative adjuvant treatment with imatinib for 1 or 3 years. This yielded 137 patients in the less than 1-year group, 139 in the 1-year plus group; and 44 in both the less than 3 years and 3-years plus group. After propensity score matching for age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and resection status, the differences in survival between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The 10-year DFS and OS were 87.5% and 95.5%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 1 year and 88.5% and 97.8%, respectively, in the group treated for more than 1 year. The 10-year DFS and OS were 89.6% and 92.6%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 3 years and 88.0% and 100.0%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for more than 3 years. Conclusion:The overall prognosis of primary, non-gastric, low recurrence risk GISTs is relatively favorable; however, recurrences and metastases do occur. Age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and R1 resection may affect the prognosis. For some patients with low risk GISTs, administration of adjuvant therapy with imatinib for an appropriate duration may help prevent recurrence and improve survival.

Objective:To explore the role of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of pathogens in primary infectious diseases of the spine (IDS) and to reveal its pathogen spectrum.Methods:This is a retrospective multi-center case series study. Clinical data of 380 patients with primary IDS who were treated at four medical centers in China from December 2019 to April 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 82 cases were from the Department of Spine Surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 129 cases were from the Orthopedics Section Ⅱ (Bone Infection), Public Health Clinical Center Affiliated to Shandong University, 112 cases were from the Department of Spine Surgery, Fuzhou Second General Hospital, and 57 cases were from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. There were 238 males and 242 females, with an age of (61.4±13.1) years (range: 10 to 91 years). Specimens from the site of spinal infection were obtained for pathogen culture, pathological examination, and mNGS detection preoperatively or intraoperatively in all patients. The number, types, and positive rates of pathogens detected by the two methods were analyzed and compared using the Chi-square test.Results:Among the 380 patients, 320 had confirmed pathogenic bacteria, with the highest proportion being pyogenic bacterial infections, accounting for 76.9% (246/320). The most common pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus, accounting for 22.8% (73/320). Brucella accounted for 13.8% (44/320); Mycobacterium tuberculosis accounted for 6.3% (20/320). Fungal infections accounted for 3.4% (11/320), mainly Aspergillus and Candida. In addition, Mycoplasma was detected in 3 cases (0.9%) and Benacox body in 4 cases (1.2%). The pathogen spectrum constructed by mNGS covered 46 types of pathogens, higher than the 22 types detected by traditional methods. The positive rate of mNGS was 80.8% (308/381), significantly higher than the 27.9% (106/381) of traditional methods ( χ2=182.53, P<0.01). Conclusions:mNGS improves the positive rate of pathogen diagnosis in IDS, detecting a broader spectrum of pathogens, and serves as a valuable complement to traditional diagnostic methods. Combining both methods in the diagnosis of IDS can maximize detection rates, providing robust evidence for precise anti-infective treatment.

Objective:To explore the role of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of pathogens in primary infectious diseases of the spine (IDS) and to reveal its pathogen spectrum.Methods:This is a retrospective multi-center case series study. Clinical data of 380 patients with primary IDS who were treated at four medical centers in China from December 2019 to April 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 82 cases were from the Department of Spine Surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 129 cases were from the Orthopedics Section Ⅱ (Bone Infection), Public Health Clinical Center Affiliated to Shandong University, 112 cases were from the Department of Spine Surgery, Fuzhou Second General Hospital, and 57 cases were from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. There were 238 males and 242 females, with an age of (61.4±13.1) years (range: 10 to 91 years). Specimens from the site of spinal infection were obtained for pathogen culture, pathological examination, and mNGS detection preoperatively or intraoperatively in all patients. The number, types, and positive rates of pathogens detected by the two methods were analyzed and compared using the Chi-square test.Results:Among the 380 patients, 320 had confirmed pathogenic bacteria, with the highest proportion being pyogenic bacterial infections, accounting for 76.9% (246/320). The most common pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus, accounting for 22.8% (73/320). Brucella accounted for 13.8% (44/320); Mycobacterium tuberculosis accounted for 6.3% (20/320). Fungal infections accounted for 3.4% (11/320), mainly Aspergillus and Candida. In addition, Mycoplasma was detected in 3 cases (0.9%) and Benacox body in 4 cases (1.2%). The pathogen spectrum constructed by mNGS covered 46 types of pathogens, higher than the 22 types detected by traditional methods. The positive rate of mNGS was 80.8% (308/381), significantly higher than the 27.9% (106/381) of traditional methods ( χ2=182.53, P<0.01). Conclusions:mNGS improves the positive rate of pathogen diagnosis in IDS, detecting a broader spectrum of pathogens, and serves as a valuable complement to traditional diagnostic methods. Combining both methods in the diagnosis of IDS can maximize detection rates, providing robust evidence for precise anti-infective treatment.