Ambient air pollution is increasingly being recognized as a risk factor for heart failure; however, its effects on cardiac biomarkers remain unclear. This scoping review assessed the existing evidence on the association between air pollution and cardiac biomarkers in heart failure, described the key concepts, synthesized data, and identified research gaps. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were searched for studies on air pollution, heart failure, and biomarkers. A total of 765 records were screened, and 81 full texts were assessed for eligibility, resulting in 15 studies. The results showed that the exposure to particulate matter was associated with elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin levels. Several studies have linked particulate matter exposure to a higher cardiovascular risk and heart failure biomarkers. Inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were consistently elevated across studies, supporting the biological relevance of these associations. However, few studies have focused specifically on populations with heart failure or clinically relevant biomarkers, and the evidence for gaseous pollutants remains inconclusive. These findings highlight the need to integrate environmental risk assessment into heart failure care and inform policy efforts to reduce the pollution-related cardiovascular burden. Further research should address these gaps through improved exposure assessments and the integration of mechanistic evidence.
Heart Failure/epidemiology* ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Humans ; Air Pollution/adverse effects* ; Air Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Environmental Exposure ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/blood* ; Oxidative Stress ; Troponin/blood*

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by impaired motility of cilia and flagella. Mutations in cilia- and flagella-associated protein 300 ( CFAP300 ) are associated with human PCD and male infertility; however, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a consanguineous Chinese family, we identified a homozygous CFAP300 loss-of-function variant (c.304delC) in a proband presenting with classical PCD symptoms and severe sperm abnormalities, including dynein arm deficiency and acrosomal malformation, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Histological analysis revealed multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella in CFAP300 -mutant individual, whereas immunofluorescence demonstrated markedly reduced CFAP300 expression in the spermatozoa of the proband. Furthermore, tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics showed that the CFAP300 mutation reduced key spermatogenesis proteins (e.g., sperm flagellar 2 [SPEF2], solute carrier family 25 member 31 [SLC25A31], and A-kinase anchoring protein 3 [AKAP3]) and mitochondrial ATP synthesis factors (e.g., SLC25A31, cation channel sperm-associated 3 [CATSPER3]). It also triggered abnormal increases in autophagy-related proteins and signaling mediator phosphorylation. These molecular alterations are likely to contribute to progressive deterioration of sperm ultrastructure and function. Notably, successful pregnancy was achieved via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using the proband's sperm. Overall, this study expands the known CFAP300 mutational spectrum and offers novel mechanistic insights into its role in spermatogenesis.
Humans ; Male ; Infertility, Male/pathology* ; Acrosome/pathology* ; Sperm Tail/pathology* ; Pedigree ; Spermatozoa ; Adult ; Loss of Function Mutation ; Ciliary Motility Disorders/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of Xuanshen Yishen Decoction (XYD) in the treatment of hypertension. METHODS: Hospital electronic medical records from 2019-2023 were utilized to emulate a randomized pragmatic clinical trial. Hypertensive participants were eligible if they were aged ⩾40 years with baseline systolic blood pressure (BP) ⩾140 mm Hg. Patients treated with XYD plus antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the treatment group, whereas those who followed only antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome assessed was the attainment rate of intensive BP control at discharge, with the secondary outcome focusing on the 6-month all-cause readmission rate. RESULTS: The study included 3,302 patients, comprising 2,943 individuals in the control group and 359 in the treatment group. Compared with the control group, a higher proportion in the treatment group achieved the target BP for intensive BP control [8.09% vs. 17.5%; odds ratio (OR)=2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.68 to 3.13; P<0.001], particularly in individuals with high homocysteine levels (OR=3.13; 95% CI=1.72 to 5.71; P<0.001; P for interaction=0.041). Furthermore, the 6-month all-cause readmission rate in the treatment group was lower than in the control group (hazard ratio=0.58; 95% CI=0.36 to 0.91; P=0.019), and the robustness of the results was confirmed by sensitivity analyse. CONCLUSIONS XYD could be a complementary therapy for intensive BP control. Our study offers real-world evidence and guides the choice of complementary and alternative therapies. (Registration No. ChiCTR2400086589).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology* ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Patient Readmission ; Treatment Outcome

It is believed that wind pathogen lingering in the lungs is the key factor in the pathogenesis of cough variant asthma. Among these， external wind-induced cough is the main trigger， while internal wind hidden in the lung plays an important role in promoting the disease. Weakness of the zang-fu organs is the fundamental cause of recurrent attacks， especially closely related to deficiencies in the lungs， spleen and kidneys. The primary treatment principles proposed are dispelling wind and relieving cough， as well as tonifying deficiency and supporting the upright qi. Clinical practice should integrate differentiation of the root and branch as well as excess and deficiency， applying staged treatment. During the acute attack phase， the focus is on dispelling wind and stopping cough， supplemented by tonification. During the remission phase， tonifying deficiency and supporting the upright qi is emphasized， with coordinated regulation of the lungs， spleen and kidneys alongside clearing residual pathogens， so that the pathogenic are eliminated and the body restored， leading to natural resolution of cough and reversal of adverse qi flow.

Decision making of artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) for hospice care patients has been recognized as a complex and controversial issue that significantly impacted end-stage comfort and quality of life. This article reviewed the significance, status and influencing factors of decision making of ANH for hospice care patients. By analyzing the shortcomings of existing researches and clinical practices, it put forward the prospects for future research, so as to improve the decision-making dilemmas faced by hospice care patients.

ObjectiveIn order to provide a reference for the optimization of preparation process of stir-fried Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma（sf-GRR）， the quality changes during the processing was studied. MethodsGlycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma was processed by stir-frying for 17 min， and samples were collected every 1 min during the processing. The appearance color of the samples was determined by visual analysis technology， the moisture and extract of the process samples were detected by the drying method and the hot extraction method of alcohol-soluble extract in the general rules of the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia（part Ⅳ）， and the contents of liquiritin apioside， liquiritin， isoliquiritin apioside， isoliquiritin， licoricesaponin G₂ and glycyrrhizic acid in the process samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）. Then principal component analysis（PCA）， partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and Spearman correlation analysis were used for clustering， discrimination and correlation analysis of the appearance color， moisture， extract and the contents of six internal components. Based on artificial neural network and random forest algorithm， the prediction model of processing degree of sf-GRR was established. On this basis， based on the five principles of quality marker（Q-Maker）， explore the monitoring Q-Maker of sf-GRR. ResultsThe color of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma deepened after stir-frying， and the appearance color of the sample changed from light yellow to dark yellow during processing. During the stir-frying process， the moisture content showed a decreasing trend with the extension of processing time， while the extract content showed an increasing trend with the extension of processing time. After stir-frying， the contents of liquiritin apioside， liquiritin and licoricesaponin G₂ showed an overall decreasing trend， while the contents of isoliquiritin apioside and isoliquiritin increased， and the content of glycyrrhizic acid increased slightly. The correlation analysis showed that moisture was positively correlated with brightness（L^*） and red/green value（a^*）， and negatively correlated with yellow/blue value（b^*） and total color difference（E^*ab）. Isoliquiritin apioside and isoliquiritin had negative correlation with L^* and a^*， and positive correlation with b^* and E^*ab. The processing process of sf-GRR could be divided into two stages of the early stage（0-14 min） and the late stage（15-17 min）， and could be divided into three stages of the early stage（0-6 min）， the middle stage（7-14 min） and the late stage（15-17 min） by combining the moisture， extract， the contents of 6 components and color values. Based on artificial neural network analysis and random forest algorithm， isoliquiritin apioside， isoliquiritin， liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid were selected as monitoring markers for sf-GRR. ConclusionBased on the analysis of the exterior-interior indicators of process samples of sf-GRR， this paper ultimately identifies four processing monitoring markers， which can provide a basis for optimizing the processing technology of sf-GRR.

Grounded theory, as a flexible and systematic research method, serves as an important tool for gaining an in-depth understanding of clinical phenomena and nursing practice. This paper reviews the origin and development of grounded theory, its concepts and classifications, methodological procedures, and the necessity, significance, and current status of its application in the field of hospice care. The aim is to enhance the scientific application of grounded theory in hospice care research in China.

Grounded theory, as a flexible and systematic research method, serves as an important tool for gaining an in-depth understanding of clinical phenomena and nursing practice. This paper reviews the origin and development of grounded theory, its concepts and classifications, methodological procedures, and the necessity, significance, and current status of its application in the field of hospice care. The aim is to enhance the scientific application of grounded theory in hospice care research in China.

Objective To investigate the changes of 8 lipid biomarkers,4 complement biomarkers and albu-min(ALB)in serum of patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)and their value in CRC screening.Methods A total of 120 newly diagnosed CRC patients in Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from August 2022 to January 2024 were selected as the CRC group,and 110 healthy subjects were selected as the healthy control(HC)group.A total of 8 lipid biomarkers including total cholesterol(TC),tri-glyceride(TG),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),apolipoprotein(Apo)A1,ApoA2,ApoB and ApoE,4 complement biomarkers including complement C3(C3),complement C4(C4),complement C1q(C1q)and complement C1 inhibitor(C1INH),3 intestinal tumor markers including carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),carbohydrate antigen(CA)125,CA19-9,and ALB levels were detected in serum of each group.Independent sample t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for com-parison between groups,and stepwise Fisher discriminant algorithm was used to fit each marker to establish a screening model.Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of each marker and the model.Results The serum levels of ApoA1,ApoA2,HDL-C,TC and ALB in CRC group were lower than those in HC group(P<0.05),while the serum levels of C1INH,C4 and CEA were higher than those in HC group(P<0.05).Among the single biomarkers,ALB had the highest diagnostic efficiency,the area under the curve(AUC)was 0.909,the sensitivity was 77.50%,and the specificity was 94.55%.The AUC of the screening model composed of ApoA2,C1INH and ALB was 0.978,the sensitivity was 91.67%,and the specificity was 98.86%.The diagnostic efficacy was higher than any single biomarker.Conclusion ApoA2,C1INH and ALB are abnormally expressed in the serum of CRC patients.The screening model composed of ApoA2,C1INH and ALB can provide reference for CRC screening and clinical auxiliary diagnosis.

Objective To explore the current situation of caring behavior among hospice nurses,and to analyze its latent profiles and population characteristics,so as to provide ideas for targeted interventions.Methods From August to November 2023,convenience sampling was used to select hospice nurses from 22 secondary and above hospitals in Jiangsu Province,Zhejiang Province,Shanghai City,Shandong Province,Anhui Province,Beijing City,Guangdong Province,and Sichuan Province.The demographic characteristics questionnaire,the Caring Behaviors Inventory,the Empathy Ability Scale for Hospice Nurses,and the Practice Environment Scale were used for investigation.Latent profile analysis was conducted based on 24 items of the Caring Behaviors Inventory as explicit indicators,and the influencing factors of different profiles were analyzed through multivariate logistic regression model.Results A total of 420 questionnaires were collected,of which 393 were valid,with a valid questionnaire response rate of 93.57％.The caring behavior of hospice nurses could be divided into 3 latent profiles,namely high level of care-low respect and connection group(49.62％),high to low caring behavior-overall fluctuation group(30.79％),and medium level of care-high knowledge and skills group(19.59％).The results of multivariate logistic regression showed that age,the dimensions of cognitive and emotional empathy in the Empathy Ability Scale for Hospice Nurses and the dimension of nursing foundations for quality of care in the Practice Environment Scale were the influencing factors of the latent profile of hospice nurses'caring behavior(P＜0.05).Conclusion There is significant heterogeneity in the caring behavior of hospice nurses.Nursing managers should develop individualized interventions for hospice nurses according to the influencing factors of different latent profiles to improve their level of caring behavior.