Objective: To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms among junior and senior high school students in Beijing from 2019 to 2023, in order to provide a scientific basis for interventions targeting high risk groups. Methods: From 2019 to 2023, a stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 88 927 junior and senior high school students from 16 districts in Beijing. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D) was conducted to assess depressive symptoms. The Chi square test was used to compare the detection rates of depressive symptoms among different student groups, and the trend Chi square test was employed for trend analysis of detection rates across the years. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the association between the detection of depressive symptoms and related factors among junior and senior high school students. Results: From 2019 to 2023, the prevalence rates of depressive symptoms among junior and senior high school students in Beijing were 20.45%, 18.19%, 16.64%, 17.89% and 18.17%, respectively, with an overall downward trend ( χ 2 trend =27.51, P <0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for gender, monitoring year, educational stage,family structure,boarding status and has taken a medical leave of absence in the past year unhealthy dietary behaviors ( OR=1.80, 95%CI =1.73-1.87), physical inactivity ( OR=1.24, 95%CI =1.19-1.29), try smoking ( OR=1.46, 95%CI =1.35-1.58), try alcohol( OR=1.96, 95%CI =1.88-2.05), Internet addiction ( OR=3.88, 95%CI =3.57-4.22), and adverse ear related behavior ( OR=1.82, 95%CI =1.71-1.93) were all associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms among junior and senior high school students (all P <0.05). Conclusions The prevalence depression symptoms among middle school students in Beijing showed a fluctuating downward trend from 2019 to 2023. Targeted interventions should be adopted to reduce the occurrence of depression symptoms among junior and senior high school students.

Objective: To understand the trends of classroom lighting and illumination of primary and secondary schools in Beijing from 2016 to 2023, so as to provide a scientific basis for targeted improvement measures. Methods: A sampling survey was conducted on the lighting and illumination indicators of 8 390 classrooms in primary and secondary schools in Beijing from 2016 to 2023. The survey included classroom daylight factor, window to floor area ratio, average illuminance and illuminance uniformity on the desks, average illuminance and illuminance uniformity on blackboards, as well as classroom lighting and blackboard illumination sources. Intergroup comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis H test and the Chi square test, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the trend of classroom lighting and illumination changes. Results: Except the window to floor area ratio, the measured values and compliance rates of all lighting and illumination indicators showed an overall upward trend from 2016 to 2023 (daylight factor r = 0.27, χ 2 trend =206.80, average illuminance on the desk surface r =0.30, χ 2 trend =87.97, illuminance uniformity on the desk surface r =0.14, χ 2 trend =73.59, average illuminance on the blackboard r =0.33, χ 2 trend =477.43, illuminance uniformity on the blackboard r = 0.09, χ 2 trend =50.76) (all P ＜0.01). The lighting and illumination indicators of classrooms (included classroom daylight factor, average illuminance and illuminance uniformity on the desks, average illuminance and illuminance uniformity on blackboards) in urban schools, primary schools, and secondary schools from 2016 to 2023 showed an upward trend (urban r =0.23-0.40, χ 2 trend =88.66-392.18; primary school r =0.12-0.36, χ 2 trend =39.50-281.44; secondary schools r =0.06-0.31, χ 2 trend =11.79-213.73) (all P ＜ 0.01 ). The illuminance uniformity on the blackboard in suburban schools showed a downward trend ( r = -0.09, χ 2 trend =31.53, both P ＜0.01). The illuminance uniformity on the desk surface in suburban schools showed no significant change ( r =0.03, χ 2 trend =1.23, both P ＞0.05). The other indicators showed an upward trend (daylight factor r =0.28, χ 2 trend =40.69, average illuminance on the desk surface r =0.24, χ 2 trend =16.35, average illuminance on the blackboard r =0.25, χ 2 trend =118.05, all P ＜0.01). The trends of classroom and blackboard illumination sources were that fluorescent lamps decreased year by year and LED lamps increased by year (classroom illumination sources χ 2 trend =1 059.82, blackboard illumination sources χ 2 trend =1 070.25, both P ＜0.01). Conclusions The classroom lighting and illumination in primary and secondary schools in Beijing has shown an overall improving trend from 2016 to 2023. However, problems remain, such as limited improvement of illuminance uniformity indicators, late start and poor effect of reconstruction in suburban schools. Further improvements are still needed.

As China accelerates its efforts in deep space exploration and long-duration space missions, including the operationalization of the Tiangong Space Station and the development of manned lunar missions, safeguarding astronauts’ physiological and cognitive functions under extreme space conditions becomes a pressing scientific imperative. Among the multifactorial stressors of spaceflight, microgravity emerges as a particularly potent disruptor of neurobehavioral homeostasis. Dopamine (DA) plays a central role in regulating behavior under space microgravity by influencing reward processing, motivation, executive function and sensorimotor integration. Changes in gravity disrupt dopaminergic signaling at multiple levels, leading to impairments in motor coordination, cognitive flexibility, and emotional stability. Microgravity exposure induces a cascade of neurobiological changes that challenge dopaminergic stability at multiple levels: from the transcriptional regulation of DA synthesis enzymes and the excitability of DA neurons, to receptor distribution dynamics and the efficiency of downstream signaling pathways. These changes involve downregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra, reduced phosphorylation of DA receptors, and alterations in vesicular monoamine transporter expression, all of which compromise synaptic DA availability. Experimental findings from space analog studies and simulated microgravity models suggest that gravitational unloading alters striatal and mesocorticolimbic DA circuitry, resulting in diminished motor coordination, impaired vestibular compensation, and decreased cognitive flexibility. These alterations not only compromise astronauts’ operational performance but also elevate the risk of mood disturbances and motivational deficits during prolonged missions. The review systematically synthesizes current findings across multiple domains: molecular neurobiology, behavioral neuroscience, and gravitational physiology. It highlights that maintaining DA homeostasis is pivotal in preserving neuroplasticity, particularly within brain regions critical to adaptation, such as the basal ganglia, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. The paper also discusses the dual-edged nature of DA plasticity: while adaptive remodeling of synapses and receptor sensitivity can serve as compensatory mechanisms under stress, chronic dopaminergic imbalance may lead to maladaptive outcomes, such as cognitive rigidity and motor dysregulation. Furthermore, we propose a conceptual framework that integrates homeostatic neuroregulation with the demands of space environmental adaptation. By drawing from interdisciplinary research, the review underscores the potential of multiple intervention strategies including pharmacological treatment, nutritional support, neural stimulation techniques, and most importantly, structured physical exercise. Recent rodent studies demonstrate that treadmill exercise upregulates DA transporter expression in the dorsal striatum, enhances tyrosine hydroxylase activity, and increases DA release during cognitive tasks, indicating both protective and restorative effects on dopaminergic networks. Thus, exercise is highlighted as a key approach because of its sustained effects on DA production, receptor function, and brain plasticity, making it a strong candidate for developing effective measures to support astronauts in maintaining cognitive and emotional stability during space missions. In conclusion, the paper not only underscores the centrality of DA homeostasis in space neuroscience but also reflects the authors’ broader academic viewpoint: understanding the neurochemical substrates of behavior under microgravity is fundamental to both space health and terrestrial neuroscience. By bridging basic neurobiology with applied space medicine, this work contributes to the emerging field of gravitational neurobiology and provides a foundation for future research into individualized performance optimization in extreme environments.

Objective To investigatethe relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and clinicopathological characteristics, p53 expression, and survival of Chinese patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods A total of 3882 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, 970 matched patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and 970 matched patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma were included to compare the incidence of GERD symptoms. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma were divided into two groups according to the presence and absence of GERD symptoms. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics and p53 expression between the two groups were compared by chi-square test, and the differences in survival between the two groups were compared by landmark analysis. Results The incidence of GERD symptoms increased successively in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. In patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, the proportions of male, less than 65 years old, lower thoracic tumors, tumors without squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiation, early tumors (stage 0-I), and p53-positive tumors in the group with GERD symptoms were higher than those in the group without GERD symptoms; moreover, the long-term survival (≥15 years) was better. Conclusion GERD symptom is an important clinical sign of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It is closely related to specific clinicopathological characteristics, p53 overexpression, and good long-term prognosis.

Objective To observe the effect of comorbidity for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on exercise tolerance and cardiopulmonary function. Methods NSCLC patients who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) before surgery were retrospectively included. According to the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score, patients were divided into two groups: a CCI≥3 group and a CCI＜3 group. The patients were matched with a ratio of 1 : 1 by propensity score matching according to the age, body mass index, sex, smoking history, exercise habits, pathological stage and type of surgery. After matching, CPET indexes were compared between the two groups to explore the differences in exercise tolerance and cardiopulmonary function. Results A total of 276 patients were included before matching. After matching, 56 patients were enrolled with 28 patients in each group, including 38 (67.9%) males and 18 (32.1%) females with an average age of (70.7±6.8) years. Compared with the CCI＜3 group, work rate at peak (WR peak), WR peak/predicted value (WR peak%), kilogram oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold (VO2/kg AT), VO2/kg peak, VO2/kg peak%, peak carbon dioxide output, the minute ventilation to carbon dioxide production slope, O2 pulse peak and O2 pulse peak% of CCI≥3 group were statistically different (P＜0.05). Among them, the rate of postoperative pulmonary complication in the CCI≥3 group was higher than that in the CCI＜3 group (60.7% vs. 32.1%, P=0.032). Conclusion In the NSCLC patients, exercise tolerance and cardiopulmonary function decreased in patients with CCI≥3 compared with those with CCI<3. CPET can provide an objective basis for risk assessment in patients with comorbidity scored by CCI for pulmonary resection.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline, functional impairment, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It represents the most prevalent form of dementia among the elderly population. Accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD. Notably, elevated levels of oxidative stress have been observed in the brains of AD patients, where excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause extensive damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA, ultimately compromising neuronal structure and function. Amyloid β‑protein (Aβ) has been shown to induce mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium overload, thereby promoting the generation of ROS. This, in turn, exacerbates Aβ aggregation and enhances tau phosphorylation, leading to the formation of two pathological features of AD: extracellular Aβ plaque deposition and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). These events ultimately culminate in neuronal death, forming a vicious cycle. The interplay between oxidative stress and these pathological processes constitutes a core link in the pathogenesis of AD. The signaling pathways mediating oxidative stress in AD include Nrf2, RCAN1, PP2A, CREB, Notch1, NF‑κB, ApoE, and ferroptosis. Nrf2 signaling pathway serves as a key regulator of cellular redox homeostasis, exerts important antioxidant capacity and protective effects in AD. RCAN1 signaling pathway, as a calcineurin inhibitor, and modulates AD progression through multiple mechanisms. PP2A signaling pathway is involved in regulating tau phosphorylation and neuroinflammation processes. CREB signaling pathway contributes to neuroplasticity and memory formation; activation of CREB improves cognitive function and reduce oxidative stress. Notch1 signaling pathway regulates neuronal development and memory, participates in modulation of Aβ production, and interacts with Nrf2 toco-regulate antioxidant activity. NF‑κB signaling pathway governs immune and inflammatory responses; sustained activation of this pathway forms “inflammatory memory”, thereby exacerbating AD pathology. ApoE signaling pathway is associated with lipid metabolism; among its isoforms, ApoE-ε4 significantly increases the risk of AD, leading to elevated oxidative stress, abnormal lipid metabolism, and neuroinflammation. The ferroptosis signaling pathway is driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, and the subsequent release of lipid peroxidation products and ROS exacerbate oxidative stress and neuronal damage. These interconnected pathways form a complex regulatory network that regulates the progression of AD through oxidative stress and related pathological cascades. In terms of therapeutic strategies targeting oxidative stress, among the drugs currently used in clinical practice for AD treatment, memantine and donepezil demonstrate significant therapeutic efficacy and can improve the level of oxidative stress in AD patients. Some compounds with antioxidant effects (such asα-lipoic acid and melatonin) have shown certain potential in AD treatment research and can be used as dietary supplements to ameliorate AD symptoms. In addition, non-drug interventions such as calorie restriction and exercise have been proven to exerted neuroprotective effects and have a positive effect on the treatment of AD. By comprehensively utilizing the therapeutic characteristics of different signaling pathways, it is expected that more comprehensive multi-target combination therapy regimens and combined nanomolecular delivery systems will be developed in the future to bypass the blood-brain barrier, providing more effective therapeutic strategies for AD.

OBJECTIVE: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) incorporates traditional diagnostic methods and several major treatment modalities including Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese patent medicine, and non-pharmacological methods such as acupuncture and tuina. Even though TCM is used daily by more than 70,000 healthcare facilities and over 700,000 clinical practitioners in China, there is a poor understanding of the extent to which TCM diagnostic methods are used, how different treatment modalities are deployed in general, and what major factors may affect the integration of TCM and Western medicine. This study aimed to fill this void in the literature. METHODS: In the 2021 National Healthcare Improvement Evaluation Survey, we included three questions gauging the perception and practices of TCM amongst physicians working in TCM-related facilities, investigating the frequency of their deployment of TCM diagnostic methods, and predominant TCM treatment methods. Our empirical analysis included descriptive statistics, intergroup chi-square analysis, and binary logistic regression to examine the association between different types of facilities and individual characteristics and TCM utilization patterns. RESULTS: A total of 7618 clinical physicians comprised our study sample. Among them, 84.27% have integrated TCM and Western medicine in their clinical practice, and 80.77% of TCM practitioners used the 4 diagnostic methods as a tool in their clinical practice. Chinese herbal medicine was the most widely utilized modality by Chinese TCM physicians (used by 88.49% of respondents), compared with the Chinese patent medicine and non-pharmacological TCM methods, which were used by 73.14%, and 69.39%, respectively. Herbal tea as an out-of-pocket health-maintenance intervention is also a notable practice, recommended by 29.43% of physicians. Significant variations exist across certain institutions, departments, and individual practitioners. CONCLUSION Given that most of the surveyed physicians integrated TCM with Western medicine in their clinical practices, the practice of "pure TCM" appears to be obsolete in China's tertiary healthcare institutions. Notably, remarkable variation exists in the use of different TCM modalities across institutions and among individuals, which might be related to and thus limited by the practitioners' experience. Future research focusing on the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions for specific diseases, the development of standardized clinical guidelines, and the enhancement of TCM education and training are called for to optimize TCM-Western medicine integration. Please cite this article as: Guo R, Zeng D, Zhao Q, Zhang XY, Zhang XK, Liu YL. How are different traditional Chinese medicine modalities deployed by clinical practitioners in China? Findings from a national survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 36-45.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; China ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Male ; Physicians/statistics & numerical data* ; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Middle Aged

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a well-accepted therapy for atopic dermatitis (AD). However, there are currently no evidence-based guidelines integrating TCM and Western medicine for the treatment of AD, limiting the clinical application of such combined approaches. Therefore, the China Association of Chinese Medicine initiated the development of the current guideline, focusing on key issues related to the use of TCM in the treatment of AD. This guideline was developed in accordance with the principles of the guideline formulation manual published by the World Health Organization. A comprehensive review of the literature on the combined use of TCM and Western medicine to treat AD was conducted. The findings were extensively discussed by experts in dermatology and pharmacy with expertise in both TCM and Western medicine. This guideline comprises 23 recommendations across seven major areas, including TCM syndrome differentiation and classification of AD, principles and application scenarios of TCM combined with Western medicine for treating AD, outcome indicators for evaluating clinical efficacy of AD treatment, integration of TCM pattern classification and Western medicine across disease stages, daily management of AD, the use of internal TCM therapies and proprietary Chinese medicines, and TCM external treatments. Please cite this article as: Du XR, Wu MY, Tao MC, Lin Y, Gu CY, Wu MF, Cao Y, Chen DC, Li W, Wang HW, Wang Y, Wang Y, Lu HZ, Liu X, Su XF, Li FL. Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis with integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):641-653.
Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Integrative Medicine ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

OBJECTIVE: Humans are exposed to complex mixtures of environmental chemicals and other factors that can affect their health. Analysis of these mixture exposures presents several key challenges for environmental epidemiology and risk assessment, including high dimensionality, correlated exposure, and subtle individual effects. METHODS: We proposed a novel statistical approach, the generalized functional linear model (GFLM), to analyze the health effects of exposure mixtures. GFLM treats the effect of mixture exposures as a smooth function by reordering exposures based on specific mechanisms and capturing internal correlations to provide a meaningful estimation and interpretation. The robustness and efficiency was evaluated under various scenarios through extensive simulation studies. RESULTS: We applied the GFLM to two datasets from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In the first application, we examined the effects of 37 nutrients on BMI (2011-2016 cycles). The GFLM identified a significant mixture effect, with fiber and fat emerging as the nutrients with the greatest negative and positive effects on BMI, respectively. For the second application, we investigated the association between four pre- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and gout risk (2007-2018 cycles). Unlike traditional methods, the GFLM indicated no significant association, demonstrating its robustness to multicollinearity. CONCLUSION GFLM framework is a powerful tool for mixture exposure analysis, offering improved handling of correlated exposures and interpretable results. It demonstrates robust performance across various scenarios and real-world applications, advancing our understanding of complex environmental exposures and their health impacts on environmental epidemiology and toxicology.
Humans ; Environmental Exposure/analysis* ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Environmental Pollutants ; Body Mass Index

Objective To analyze the caregiver presence needs and their influencing factors among hospitalized elderly non-surgical patients and provide a basis for formulating relevant policies.Methods A descriptive qualitative study method was adopted.Through purposive sampling,semi-structured interviews were conducted on elderly non-surgical patients and their families and medical staff in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September to October 2023.MAXQDA 2020 and the 7-step phenomenological analysis method of Colaizzi were used to classify and code the interview contents and identify themes.Results The categories of caregiver presence needs of elderly non-surgical patients included basic living assistance needs,disease monitoring needs,psychological support needs,as well as the needs for family members to provide economic support and participate in treatment decision-making.The influencing factors included advanced age,frailty,the lack of self-care ability in patients with comorbidities,the susceptibility of patients to sudden situations during the disease exacerbation period,the increased risk of unexpected events in patients with psychological distress,and patients' concerns about social support and medical decision-making.Conclusion The caregiver presence needs of elderly non-surgical patients during hospitalization are high and influenced by multiple factors.
Humans ; Caregivers/psychology* ; Aged ; Hospitalization ; Social Support ; Male ; Qualitative Research ; Female