The etiology of tumors is complex and influenced by multiple factors, including the host and environmental conditions. Allergy is primarily driven by the immune response of helper T cell 2 (Th2). Research has shown that the Th2 immune response is closely related to tumors, which is specifically manifested through Th2 antibodies, allergy-related effector cells and mediators within the tumors, as well as tumor immune-related functions. This internal interaction mechanism will increase the complexity and challenges associated with the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumors and allergy. The formation of allergic constitution is shaped by both congenital and acquired factors, and its physical state is closely linked to the occurrence and progression of allergic diseases. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the relationship between tumors and allergic reactions from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution theory. Based on the four basic principles of the TCM constitution, including endowment inheritance theory, environment constraint theory, body-spirit composition theory, and life process theory, this exploration will focus on four aspects: genetic factors and internal disease causes, inflammatory environments and functional regulation, psychological disorders and emotional pathogenesis, as well as age structure and disease risk. Furthermore, from the perspective of constitution-disease relation of chronic disease prevention, this paper will discuss the significant importance of adjusting allergic constitution to improve both subjective symptoms and objective indicators of allergic reactions in tumor patients.

Due to the outstanding hydrophobic and oleophobic properties, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in daily life and frequently detected in the environment. PFAS can enter the human body through water, food, and air exposure and accumulate in the human body. Epidemiological and toxicological evidence suggest that PFAS have endocrine-disrupting properties and may cause thyroid dysfunction by altering the hormonal homeostasis of the thyroid. This in turn affects the body's normal physiological functions, such as the physical growth and neurodevelopment in infants. Pregnancy and early life are special physiological stages, and the special dietary and lifestyle habits of this period make mothers and infants more likely to be exposed to PFAS and more susceptible to PFAS. Therefore, the exposure levels of PFAS and their effects on the thyroid function of mothers and infants were summarized in this review. Possible mechanisms of action by which PFAS may affect thyroid function were also summarized, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the development of environmental standards and safety limits for PFAS.

BACKGROUND:Clinical studies have found good analgesic effects of silver needle-thermal conduction therapy in patients with myofascial pain syndrome,but the exact mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of silver needle-thermal conduction therapy on silent information regulator homolog 3(SIRT3)changes and mitochondrial ultrastructure in a rat model of myofascial pain syndrome. METHODS:Twenty rats were randomly selected from 26 Sprague-Dawley rats and were subjected to percussion combined with motor fatigue for replicating the rat model of myofascial pain syndrome.Sixteen rats that were successfully modeled were randomly divided into model group and silver needle-thermal conduction therapy group(treatment group),with eight rats in each group.The remaining rats were used as controls(normal group).The treatment group was treated with silver needle-thermal conduction therapy.Mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats were measured at 1 day before modeling,1 day after modeling and 14 days after treatment.Electromyographic activities of the right medial femoral muscle were measured at 14 days after treatment.The right medial femoral muscle tissue was taken for hematoxylin-eosin staining to observe the local morphology and for transmission electron microscopy to observe the mitochondrial ultrastructure.Western blot assay was performed to detect SIRT3 expression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Pain threshold:The mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of the model and treatment groups were significantly decreased compared with those in the normal group and before modeling(P＜0.01).After treatment,the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with the model group(P＜0.01).Electromyography:The rats in the model group showed spontaneous electrical activity in the right medial femur,while the rats in the treatment group showed reduced spontaneous electrical activity,longer time frame(P＜0.01)and lower wave amplitude(P＜0.05)compared with the model group.Hematoxylin-eosin staining:In the normal group,rat muscle fibers arranged closely and regularly.In the model group,the muscle fibers of rats were atrophied,degenerated,and disordered in arrangement.In the treatment group,rat muscle structure disorder improved.Mitochondrial microstructure:Under the transmission electron microscope,mitochondrial structure in the normal group was normal;mitochondrial swelling with broken or disappeared cristae appeared in the model group;mitochondrial swelling in the treatment group was obviously relieved or tended to be normal.SIRT3 expression:SIRT3 expression was significantly downregulated in the model group compared with the normal group,but was significantly upregulated in the treatment group compared with the model group(P＜0.05).To conclude,abnormalities in local muscle mitochondria and downregulation of SIRT3 expression suggest the presence of impaired energy metabolism in the rat model of myofascial pain syndrome.Mitochondrial changes recover and are close to normal after the silver needle-thermal conduction therapy,and the expression of SIRT3 is also upregulated close to the normal group,indicating the silver needle-thermal conduction therapy may play a therapeutic role by promoting mitochondrial repair and improving energy metabolism disorder.

The occurrence of benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH)was related to disrupted sex steroid hormones,and metformin(Met)had a clinical response to sex steroid hormone-related gynaecological disease.How-ever,whether Met exerts an antiproliferative effect on BPH via sex steroid hormones remains unclear.Here,our clinical study showed that along with prostatic epithelial cell(PEC)proliferation,sex steroid hormones were dysregulated in the serum and prostate of BPH patients.As the major contributor to dysregulated sex steroid hormones,elevated dihydrotestosterone(DHT)had a significant positive rela-tionship with the clinical characteristics of BPH patients.Activation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)by Met restored dysregulated sex steroid hormone homeostasis and exerted antiproliferative effects against DHT-induced proliferation by inhibiting the formation of androgen receptor(AR)-mediated Yes-associated protein(YAP1)-TEA domain transcription factor(TEAD4)heterodimers.Met's anti-proliferative effects were blocked by AMPK inhibitor or YAP1 over-expression in DHT-cultured BPH-1 cells.Our findings indicated that Met would be a promising clinical therapeutic approach for BPH by inhibiting dysregulated steroid hormone-induced PEC proliferation.

Objective:To investigate the value of the virtual monoenergetic image (VMI) obtained by a new dual-layer detector spectral CT combined with metal artifact reduction algorithms(O-MAR) in reduction of different types of artifacts caused by 125I seeds implantation and in improvement of the post-operative CT image quality. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Thirty-five patients who underwent dual-layer detector spectral CT scanning of the chest and abdomen after 125I seeds implantation were retrospectively included at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March to September 2022. The spectral data were collected and reconstructed into conventional CT image (CI), VMI image (50-150 keV, 20 keV/level), CI+O-MAR image, and VMI+O-MAR image (50-150 keV, 20 keV/level). The artifacts′ removal effects and image quality improvement in each group were evaluated. Two slices with the strongest artifacts were selected for analysis for each patient, resulting in a total of 70 slices. Objective indicators including artifact index (AI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of soft tissue regions affected by artifacts were measured and calculated. Subjective indicators including the overcorrected artifacts and new artifacts, the different forms of artifacts, the diagnosis of artifacts, and the image quality were assessed. One-way analysis of variance was used for comparisons among multiple groups. Paired t test was used to compare the quantitative indicators between the combined O-MAR group and the non-O-MAR group. Kappa statistics was used to evaluate the consistency between observers. Results:In high/low-density artifacts (ROI H/L), the AI values in all groups showed decrease with increasing VMI keV. In artifact-affected tissue (ROI T), SNR of the CI/VMI (70-150 keV)+O-MAR group were significantly higher than those of the CI/VMI group ( P<0.05), CNR of the CI/VMI(50-150 keV)+O-MAR group were significantly higher than those of the CI/VMI group ( P<0.05). Both overcorrection and new artifacts mainly presented in VMI 50 keV and VMI 70 keV groups; Compared with VMI (50-70 keV) group, significantly less numbers of overcorrection and new artifacts were found in VMI (50-70 keV)+O-MAR group ( P<0.05); regarding the comparison of artifact types, with the VMI keV increasing, the number of a-type banded artifacts gradually decreased on images with high-density artifacts, reaching a minimum of 3 in the VMI 150 keV+O-MAR group; while the number of e-type artifacts with little or no artifacts increased, with the highest number of 23 in the VMI 150 keV+O-MAR group. The total number of high-density artifacts in each type decreased with increasing VMI keV. As VMI keV increased, the diagnostic and image quality scores of high-density artifacts in each group were significantly higher than those of low-density artifacts in the VMI+O-MAR group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:VMI combined with O-MAR can significantly improve the objective and subjective image quality of follow-up CT imaging after 125I seed implantation, enhancing lesion visibility and diagnostic confidence. Additionally, VMI+O-MAR showed more pronounced correction effect on high-density artifacts.

In recent years, the incidence of cancer in China has been increasing steadily. Advancing primary prevention measures for cancers could be an effective strategy to curb this trend. Diet has been considered a modifiable and shared risk factor for various cancers. Studying dietary patterns, with consideration of the interactions between foods and nutrients, has a practical implication for cancer prevention. This study provided an overview of dietary pattern extraction methods, summarized the research findings on the association between dietary patterns and cancers in the digestive system, respiratory system, and genitourinary system, and elucidated the potential mechanisms underlying these associations, in order to provide scientific references for future research in this field.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to population aging, lifestyle variation and other factors, the morbidity and mortality of cancer continue to rise in China, resulting in a serious public health problem threating people's health. In response to this increasingly serious problem, tremendous efforts have been made in China, including the development of a series of policies and measures for specific needs of cancer prevention and treatment. Currently, China's strategy to reduce the disease burden of cancer mainly focuses on primary and secondary prevention. This paper summarizes the current status of disease burden of cancer and the performance of three-grade cancer prevention in China.

In recent years, the incidence of cancer in China has been increasing steadily. Advancing primary prevention measures for cancers could be an effective strategy to curb this trend. Diet has been considered a modifiable and shared risk factor for various cancers. Studying dietary patterns, with consideration of the interactions between foods and nutrients, has a practical implication for cancer prevention. This study provided an overview of dietary pattern extraction methods, summarized the research findings on the association between dietary patterns and cancers in the digestive system, respiratory system, and genitourinary system, and elucidated the potential mechanisms underlying these associations, in order to provide scientific references for future research in this field.

Objective:To investigate the immunomodulatory effect of mixed konjac glucomannan(MKGM)on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice.Methods:The immunosuppressed mice model was established by cyclophosphamide.After treatment with MKGM for 25 d,organ index,lymphocyte proliferation,macrophage function,NK cell killing,and cytokine secretion of mice were observed.Results:Immunomodulatory effect of MKGM was firstly enhanced and then declined.Compared to model group,there were significant differences in organ index,lymphocyte proliferation,macrophage function,NK cell killing,and hemolysin in the medium-dose MKGM group(P＜0.01).HE staining showed that the low-dose MKGM had the best effect on repairing spleen injury caused by cyclophosphamide.However,medium-and high-dose MKGM had relatively weak immunomodulatory effects.Conclusion:The appropriate dose of MKGM can play an immunomodulatory role in the cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice.

Objective:To construct a core competency indicator system for oncology advanced practice nurses.Methods:This study is a cross-sectional study. A preliminary draft of the core competency indicator system for oncology advanced practice nurses was developed through literature review and expert group coordination from June to November 2022. The core competency indicator system for oncology advanced practice nurses was established using the Delphi method for expert consultation and the analytic hierarchy process.Results:A total of 54 experts from 11 hospitals and four medical schools in 10 provinces and municipalities directly under the central government across the country were included in two rounds of expert consultation. The effective response rates of the questionnaire were all 100%, with an expert authority coefficient of 0.90, Kendall coordination coefficients of 0.089 to 0.179 and 0.101 to 0.176 ( P<0.01). The final established core competency indicator system for oncology advanced practice nurses included seven primary indicators and 69 secondary indicators. Conclusions:The core competency indicator system for oncology advanced practice nurses is comprehensive and has the characteristics of specialized oncology nursing, and the construction process is scientific and reliable, laying the foundation for future training of oncology advanced practice nurses.