ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Yifei Tongluo prescription on the NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）/Caspase-1/gasdermin D （GSDMD） pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in rats with pulmonary fibrosis. MethodsTracheal instillation of bleomycin was conducted to establish a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis. Thirty Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， a prednisone acetate group （1.17 mg·kg^-1）， and low- and high-dose Yifei Tongluo prescription groups （10.62 and 21.24 g·kg^-1， respectively）. Administration started on the 7th day after modeling， once a day for 28 consecutive days. The lung coefficient of each group was calculated. The pathological changes of lung tissues in each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） and vimentin in rat lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome， E-cadherin （E-cad）， and typeⅠ collagen （ColⅠ） in lung tissues was detected by immunofluorescence. The content of hydroxyproline （HYP）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-18， and IL-1β in rat serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mRNA expression levels of NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， IL-1β， and transforming growth factor （TGF）-β₁ in rat lung tissues were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The protein expression levels of NLRP3， GSDMD， ASC， and Caspase-1 in rat lung tissues were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group exhibited a significantly increased lung coefficient （P<0.01） and significantly increased range of pulmonary interstitial inflammation and collagen deposition. In addition， the levels of α-SMA， Vimentin， E-cad， and ColⅠ in lung tissues were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The levels of fibrosis- and inflammation-related factors HYP， TNF-α， IL-18， and IL-1β in serum were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. The levels of factors related to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in lung tissues， including NLRP3， GSDMD， ASC， Caspase-1， IL-1β， and TGF-β₁， were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yifei Tongluo prescription groups showed improved lung coefficients. Additionally， the extent of lung inflammation and collagen deposition was significantly reduced. The expression of α-SMA， Vimentin， E-cad， and ColⅠ in lung tissue was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The levels of HYP， TNF-α， IL-18， and IL-1β in serum were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The expression levels of NLRP3， GSDMD， ASC， Caspase-1， IL-1β， and TGF-β₁ in lung tissue were also significantly decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionYifei Tongluo prescription can regulate the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway， down-regulate release of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines， alleviate NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and EMT， and thereby improve pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

Background The quality of occupational health technical services is directly linked to the protection of workers' health rights and the efficacy of occupational disease prevention and control. However, the industry still faces critical challenges: sporadic instances of institutional non-compliance and persistent irregularities in professional practice continue to undermine overall service performance. Objective To assess the current quality status of occupational health technical services in Zhejiang Province and propose countermeasures for quality improvement, providing a scientific basis for policy optimization and service delivery quality enhancement. Methods A total of 69 occupational health technical service institutions in Zhejiang Province that obtained formal accreditation as of April 30, 2024, were sampled, including 3 public institutions and 66 private institutions (comprising 3 formerly Class-A, 28 formerly Class-B, 11 formerly Class-C, and 24 newly certified institutions). Following the Technical Protocol for Quality Monitoring of Occupational Health Technical Service in Zhejiang Province and the Technical Protocol for Proficiency Testing of Occupational Health Detection in Zhejiang Province, a quality assessment task force comprising national and provincial experts was established. Evaluation was conducted across four dimensions: qualification maintenance and compliance, standardization of technical services, authenticity of technical services, and proficiency testing, utilizing a combination of document review, on-site inspections, and technical skill assessments. Results The occupational health technical service institutions in Zhejiang Province were predominantly private entities (82.5%), with significant disparities in overall service quality. The pass rates for qualification maintenance and compliance, technical service standardization, technical service authenticity, and the excellence rate for laboratory proficiency testing were 81.5%, 80.7%, 97.3%, and 90.4%, respectively. Regarding qualification maintenance, the pass rates for "environmental conditions" (49.8%, 56.7%) and "instrumentation and equipment" (58.2%、65.6%) were significantly lower for formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions compared to other categories. In terms of technical standardization, "standardized on-site inspections" recorded the lowest pass rate (67.4%), with newly certified institutions at only 48.0%. Regarding technical service authenticity, formerly Class-C institutions exhibited issues such as missing raw chromatograms for blank samples (85.7% pass rate). In laboratory proficiency testing, public and formerly Class-A institutions achieved 100% excellence rates, but the performance of formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions was comparatively weak; specifically, the failure rate for organic analysis in formerly Class-C institutions reached 20%; the failure rate for dust testing items in newly certified institutions was 10.3%. Conclusion The overall quality of occupational health technical services in Zhejiang Province still requires significant improvement, particularly in basic institutional conditions, the standardization of on-site inspections, and laboratory proficiency in organic and dust analysis. Formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions should be the primary focus of quality management efforts. Differentiated regulatory strategies are recommended, alongside strengthening interim and ex-post supervision to gradually enhance the quality of occupational health technical services across all institutions.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）. MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design，confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals，such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days，and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale （CARIFS） and the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment，48 hours after medication，72 hours after medication， and （6+1） d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group （90 cases） or the control group （90 cases）. All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was （5.29±1.25） d，and that in the control group was （5.40±1.68） d，without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention，52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative，without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention，there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions， including headache，muscle soreness， and the need for extra care （P<0.05）. On the （6+1） days after the intervention，the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions， including sore throat，bad sleep，uncomfortable feeling，poor spirit and fatigue，crying more than usual，the need for extra care，symptom，function，influence on parents，and total score （P<0.05）. The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom， function， and influence on parents，as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time，scores of both groups decreased significantly，with a statistically significant difference （P<0.01）. Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention，the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up，the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group，with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases， there were no complications，severe cases， and critical cases in the two groups，without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome） are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules， and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）.

Although global brain science research has progressed rapidly in recent decades, several fundamental questions in neuroscience remain unresolved. In particular, the physical mechanism underlying neural signal transmission remains controversial, and the carriers responsible for neural information storage and retrieval have not yet been fully clarified. These unresolved issues motivate us to re-examine the processes of neural information generation, transmission, integration, storage, and retrieval from multiple perspectives. A key observation is that neural electromagnetic activities are closely associated with time. Their duration, temporal structure, and dynamic evolution play crucial roles in neural information processing. In this work, we analyze neural electromagnetic activities from the perspective of temporal scales (referred to here as the “time course”). By reviewing and integrating findings from previous studies, we examine the characteristic time requirements and dynamic features of neural processes occurring at different stages of information processing. These stages include neural signal generation, signal transmission along axons, synaptic integration, synaptic plasticity, and memory formation and retrieval. Based on this temporal analysis, we outline a framework describing neural electromagnetic activities across a wide range of time scales, spanning from microseconds to minutes, hours, or even longer periods associated with long-term memory, which suggests that neural information processing involves multiple physical processes operating at different time levels. Rapid electromagnetic events may occur on microsecond scales, whereas electrophysiological phenomena such as action potentials typically last on the order of milliseconds. Longer time scales are associated with synaptic plasticity and memory-related processes. From this perspective, we propose that the physical carrier of neural information may be transient electromagnetic pulses with durations on the microsecond scale. In this framework, action potentials can be interpreted as the macroscopic electrophysiological manifestation of underlying electromagnetic processes triggered by ionic currents across neuronal membranes. Rather than being the fundamental neural signal itself, the action potential may represent a measurable membrane-level response associated with the successful activation of these electromagnetic events. Moreover, we discuss a possible mechanism for long-term memory storage. Considering the apparent temporal contradiction between the millisecond-scale excitation of neurons and the long-term persistence of memories, we believe that long-term memory information may be stored within neural network topologies formed by electrical synapse coupling. Such structures, referred to as electrically coupled memory networks (ECMNs), may enable neurons within the same network to respond rapidly and synchronously to stimuli, thereby facilitating efficient memory retrieval. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of considering the temporal organization of neural electromagnetic activities when interpreting neural signaling mechanisms. It may provide new insights into the physical nature of neural information carriers and the mechanisms of memory storage and retrieval. Furthermore, highlighting the potential role of electromagnetic interactions in neural activity may contribute to the development of new theoretical frameworks and experimental approaches in neuroscience. Such perspectives may also offer valuable references for future research on neural coding, brain function mechanisms, and neuromodulation technologies.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effects and safety of Shuhe Granules （舒和颗粒） in patients with rheumatoid arthritis （RA） comorbid with insomnia. MethodsA single-arm prospective exploratory design was adopted. Thirty RA patients comorbid with insomnia and diagnosed with the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome of kidney-heart deficiency and qi-blood disharmony were enrolled. On the basis of maintaining their original RA treatment regimens， all patients received oral Shuhe Granules， one dose per day， for 12 consecutive weeks. The outcomes were assessed before treatment and at weeks 4， 8， and 12 after treatment. Sleep and related psychosomatic function were evaluated using the insomnia severity index （ISI）， Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI）， fatigue severity scale （FSS）， patient health questionnaire-9 （PHQ-9）， generalized anxiety disorder-7 （GAD-7）， and Montreal cognitive assessment （MoCA） scores. RA-related assessments included the 28-joint disease activity score based on C-reactive protein （DAS28-CRP）， pain visual analog scale （VAS）， tender joint count （TJC28）， swollen joint count （SJC28）， morning stiffness duration， and health assessment questionnaire （HAQ） score. Laboratory parameters included erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， serum C-reactive protein （CRP）， anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody （anti-CCP）， and rheumatoid factor （RF） levels. A literature-based historical control group was established through literature retrieval and meta-analysis. The ISI， PSQI， DAS28-CRP， and pain VAS scores were compared between the treatment group in the present study and the historical control group. Safety assessments were also performed. ResultsCompared with baseline before treatment， ISI and PSQI scores decreased at weeks 4， 8， and 12， while MoCA scores increased at weeks 4， 8， and 12. FSS scores decreased at weeks 4 and 12. At weeks 8 and 12， GAD-7 scores， DAS28-CRP scores， duration of morning stiffness， TJC28， and SJC28 were reduced. At week 12， PHQ-9， pain VAS， and HAQ scores significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. FSS and DAS28-CRP scores at week 12 were lower than those at week 4， and CRP levels at week 8 were lower than those at week 4 （P＜0.05）. Compared with the historical control group， the treatment group showed superior improvement in ISI and PSQI scores （P＜0.001）； however， no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in DAS28-CRP or pain VAS scores （P＞0.05）. No serious adverse events occurred during the study， and the 4 reported mild adverse events were all considered unrelated to the study medication. ConclusionShuhe Granules significantly improve sleep quality， fatigue， emotional status， cognitive function， RA-related symptoms， and joint function in patients with RA comorbid insomnia， with good safety and tolerability.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of Shenling baizhu san （SLBZS） in ameliorating ulcerative colitis （UC）. METHODS Mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， and low-， medium-， high-dose SLBZS groups （3， 6， 12 g/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Except for the normal group， mice in other groups were given free access to 3% dextran sulfate sodium solution for 7 days to establish UC models. Simultaneously， mice in each group were intragastrically administered corresponding medicinal liquid or double-distilled water once a day for consecutive 7 days. After the last administration， the histopathological morphology of colon tissues was observed； the serum levels of inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and IL-18 were detected； the total bile acid contents in liver， gallbladder and colon tissues were determined； the expression level of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 （NLRP3） in colon tissues was tested. The expression levels of flora metabolism-related proteins [G protein-coupled receptor 41（GPR41），GPR43，farnesoid X receptor （FXR）， G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 （TGR5）， flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 （FMO3）， cytochrome P450 family 27 subfamily A member 1 （CYP27A1）， CYP7A1] in liver or colon tissues， as well as the proteins related to Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）/NLRP3 inflammatory axis [TLR4， NF-κB， phosphorylated NF-κB （p-NF-κB）， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， caspase-1] in colon tissues were measured. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the colon tissue injury and inflammatory cell infiltration were alleviated in medium- and high-dose SLBZS groups. The serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β and IL-18， total bile acid contents in liver and colon tissues， as well as the protein expression levels of FMO3 and CYP7A1 in liver tissues， TLR4， p-NF-κB， NF-κB， MyD88， NLRP3， ASC and caspase-1 in colon tissues were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Meanwhile， the total bile acid content in gallbladder， the protein expression levels of GPR41 and GPR43 in colon tissues， along with CYP27A1， FXR and TGR5 in liver tissues were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS SLBZS may relieve colonic inflammatory injury and ameliorate UC by regulating the expression of flora metabolism-related proteins and inhibiting the abnormal activation of TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammatory axis.

Objective: To evaluate the cost utility of different influenza vaccination strategies for primary and secondary school students in Anshun City, so as to provide healtheconomic evidence for influenza prevention and control in this population. Methods: Based on the demographic data of 380 700 students aged 5-14 in Anshun City in 2024, a decision tree model for different influenza vaccination strategies was constructed. The incremental cost utility ratio (ICUR) and net monetary benefit (NMB) were calculated, and sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the robustness of the model results. Results: For influenza vaccination among primary and secondary school students in Anshun City, compared with the selfpaid strategy (2% coverage), the free strategy (45% coverage) and the target strategy (70% coverage) both yielded an ICUR of -7 874.29 yuan per quality adjusted life year (QALY). When using 1 and 3 times the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the willingness to pay thresholds, the per capita Net Monetary Benefit (NMB) was 1 000, 1 600 and 2 900, 4 500 RMB, respectively. The number of influenza infections or school absenteeism decreased by 25% and 40%, while saving a total cost of (46.779 5 and 73.976 8) million yuan, and increasing QALY by 5 940.79 and 9 394.73, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that within the reasonable fluctuation range of parameters, the ICUR remained consistently lower than the one and three times willingness to pay. Furthermore, 99% of the simulation results for both the free and target strategies fell below those thresholds, indicating high robustness of the model results. Conclusion Implementing free and target influenza vaccination strategies for primary and secondary school students in Anshun City offer distinct cost utility advantages, and the advantage enhances as the vaccination coverage rate increases.

Objective To analyze the urban drinking water quality and its influencing factors in Anhui Province from 2014 to 2022, and to provide a scientific basis for water quality improvement and protection. Methods The data were collected, saved and monitored according to the Standard Test Method for Drinking Water (GB/T5750-2006) and evaluated according to the Hygienic Standard for Drinking Water (GB 5749-2006). Results A total of 20 941 samples were collected, and the overall qualified rate was 84.26%. The qualified rate of urban drinking water increased from 76.9% in 2014 to 93.3% in 2022, and the qualified rate of water quality was on the rise (χ²=544.43, P＜0.01). From 2014 to 2022, the qualified rate of water quality in dry season was higher than that in wet season (χ²=35.98, P<0.001), the qualified rate of surface water was higher than that of ground water (χ²=4440.8, P<0.001), and the qualified rate of peripheral tap water was higher than that of factory water (χ²=145.1, P<0.001). Among all kinds of disinfection methods, chlorination disinfection had the highest qualified rate (χ²=1483.8, P<0.001). The qualified rate of water quality increased with the increase of the scale of water plant. Among the inspected indicators, the main unqualified indicators were chlorine dioxide (7.72%), fluoride (7.41%), free residual chlorine (3.90%), and total bacterial count (2.13%). Conclusion The passing rate of urban drinking water quality in Anhui Province is on an upward trend, and the quality of urban drinking water has improved. However, it is still important to pay attention to the problem of excessive microorganism and fluoride in water, and the quality of drinking water varies from place to place.

Objective: To analyze the change trends in the body shape indicators and proportions of students in Harbin from 2010 to 2024, and to investigate ergonomic compatibility of functional dimensions of school desks and chairs with current student shape indicators, so as to provide a reference for revising furniture standards of desks and chairs. Methods: Between September and November of both 2010 and 2024, a combination of convenience sampling and stratified cluster random sampling was conducted across three districts in Harbin, yielding samples of 6 590 and 6 252 students, respectively. Anthropometric shape indicators cluding height, sitting height, crus length, and thigh length-and their proportional changes were compared over the 15-year period. The 2024 data were compared with current standard functional dimensions of school furniture. The statistical analysis incorporated t-test and Mann-Whitney U- test. Results: From 2010 to 2024, average height increased by 1.8 cm for boys and 1.5 cm for girls; sitting height increased by 1.5 cm for both genders; crus length increased by 0.3 cm for boys and 0.4 cm for girls; and thigh length increased by 0.5 cm for both genders. The ratios of sitting height to height, and sitting height to leg length increased by less than 0.1 . The difference between desk chair height and 1/3 sitting height ranged from 0.4-0.8 cm. Among students matched with size 0 desks and chairs, 22.0% had a desk to chair height difference less than 0, indicating that the desk to chair height difference might be insufficient for taller students. The differences between seat height and fibular height ranged from -1.4 to 1.1 cm; and the differences between seat depth and buttock popliteal length ranged from -9.8 to 3.4 cm. Among obese students, the differences between seat width and 1/2 hip circumference ranged from -20.5 to -8.7 cm, while it ranged from -12.2 to -3.8 cm among non obese students. Conclusion Current furniture standards basically satisfy hygienic requirements; however, in the case of exceptionally tall and obese students, ergonomic accommodations such as adaptive seating allocation or personalized adjustments are recommended to meet hygienic requirements.

Objective: Based on spinopelvic parameters and biomechanical principles, the pedicle-facet joint (PFJ) morphological characteristics of isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis were analyzed, and the mechanism of their onset and progression was discussed. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 194 patients with L5 spondylolysis or L5–S1 low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis (IS group), 172 patients with L4–5 degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS group), and 366 patients with nonlumbar spondylolysis (NL group). The spinopelvic parameters and PFJ morphological parameters of the patients were measured, the differences in these parameters among and within the 3 groups were compared, and the correlations were analyzed. Results: Sacral slope (SS) and lumbar lordosis (LL) were the highest in the IS group, the second highest in the DS group, and the lowest in the NL group. Among the 3 groups, the L4 facet joint angle (FJA) was the largest in the IS group, the second largest in the NL group, and the smallest in the DS group. The L4 pedicle-facet joint angle (PFA) was the largest in the DS group, the second largest in the IS group, and the smallest in the NL group. Pearson correlation analysis showed that within each group, SS and LL were negatively correlated with FJA and positively correlated with PFA. Conclusion This study found a correlation between the PFJ morphological characteristics of patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis and spinopelvic parameters, suggesting that the morphological characteristics of PFJs may be caused by varying stresses under different spinopelvic morphologies.