OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health concern in northwest China; however, the impact of particulate matter (PM) exposure during sand-dust storms (SDS) remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between PM exposure on SDS days and COPD hospitalization risk in arid regions. METHODS: Data on daily COPD hospitalizations were collected from 323 hospitals from 2018 to 2022, along with the corresponding air pollutant and meteorological data for each city in Gansu Province. Employing a space-time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional Poisson regression, we analyzed 265,379 COPD hospitalizations. RESULTS: PM exposure during SDS days significantly increased COPD hospitalization risk [relative risk ( RR) for PM _2.5, lag 3:1.028, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.021-1.034], particularly among men and the elderly, and during the cold season. The burden of PM exposure on COPD hospitalization was substantially high in Northwest China, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed a positive correlation between PM exposure during SDS episodes and elevated hospitalization rates for COPD in arid and semi-arid zones in China. This highlights the urgency of developing region-specific public health strategies to address adverse respiratory outcomes associated with SDS-related air quality deterioration.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/chemically induced* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Adult ; Sand ; Air Pollution

For middle-aged and elderly patients with conditions such as spinal fractures and degenerative spinal diseases, spinal internal fixation is a core surgical procedure for reconstructing spinal stability, heavily relying on the biomechanical stability provided by pedicle screw systems. Whereas, these patients are often complicated by osteoporosis that can significantly compromise the stability of the bone-pedicle screw interface, leading to a marked increase in pedicle screw loosening and surgical failure rates. The bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique, which involves injecting bone cement into the vertebral body or screw trajectory to optimize the mechanical properties of the bone-pedicle screw composite, has been proven to significantly enhance fixation strength and effectively prevent screw-related failures, thereby reducing the incidence of internal fixation failure in high-risk populations undergoing spinal fusion. However, the widespread clinical application of this technique has faced challenges such as inaccurate clinical decision-making (indication and contraindication selection), non-standardized operative practices, and insufficient awareness of complication prevention, resulting in considerable variability in clinical outcomes and even severe complications. To address this, Prof. Luo Fei from First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University initiated the project and the Chinese Association Orthopaedic Surgeons organized relevant experts to develop the Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique ( version 2025), based on current evidence. The guidelines put forward 8 recommendations regarding the clinical value, scope of application, and operational standards of the technique, aiming to provide evidence-based medical support and technical standardization for clinical decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the effects of oridonin on platelet function and related mechanisms.Methods:Washed platelets from healthy adults and mice were incubated with different concentrations of oridonin(2.5,5 and 10μmol/L)in vitro.The surface expression level of P-selectin and the activation of integrin αⅡbβ3 in platelets were detected by flow cytometry,and the aggregation ability of platelets under the stimulation by various agonists was detected by light transmission aggregometry.The expression of P-AKT(Ser473)was detected by protein immunoblotting.Arterial thrombosis model was established in mice with mesenteric injury induced by ferric chloride,and tail hemorrhage model was established by cutting off the tail of mice.The effect of intraperitoneal injection of oridonin(10 mg/kg)on thrombosis and haemostasis was tested.Results:Oridonin inhibited platelet P-selectin expression and integrin αⅡbβ3 activation.In the presence of different stimulants,oridonin inhibited platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner.The phosphorylation level of AKT Ser473 was reduced in the groups treated with different concentrations of oridonin.Oridonin significantly prolonged the time of mesenteric artery thrombosis in mice,but did not affect the tail bleeding time.Conclusion:Oridonin inhibits platelet activation,aggregation,and thrombosis by inhibiting AKT phosphorylation,and may be used as a potential antiplatelet drug.

Objective:To explore the application value of machine learning prediction model for neural invasion in gallbladder cancer based on enhanced computed tomography (CT) and clinical characteristics.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical and imaging data of 502 patients with gallbladder cancer who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from January 2010 to June 2024 were collected. There were 171 males and 331 females, aged 65(range, 35?91)years. All patients underwent preoperative abdominal enhanced CT and radical resection. The 502 patients were randomly divided into a training set of 351 cases and a test set of 151 cases at a 7:3 ratio. The training set was used to construct prediction model, and the test set was used to validate prediction model. Observation indicators: (1)neural invasion in gallbladder cancer and influencing factor analysis; (2) construction and validation of machine learning prediction models for neural invasion in gallbladder cancer. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Logistic regression model was performed for univariate and multivariate analyses. Independent influencing factors were incor-porated to construct machine learning models using the standard library modules based on Python 3.9. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), precision, F1 score, positive predictive value, negative predic-tive value, and Kappa value were calculated to evaluate the predictive performance of the models. The Delong test was used to assess the differences in AUC among different models in the test set. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test and Brier score were used to evaluate the calibration of the models. Results:(1) Neural invasion in gallbladder cancer and influencing factor analysis. Of the 502 patients with gallbladder cancer, 131 cases had neural invasion, and 371 cases had no neural invasion. Results of multivariate analysis showed that total bilirubin, carcinoembryonic antigen, CA199, CA125, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, liver invasion detected by CT, vascular invasion detected by CT, hilar or retroperi-toneal lymph node metastasis detected by CT, and tumor stages T3 and T4 were independent influencing factors for neural invasion in patients with gallbladder cancer [ odds ratios=3.747, 2.395, 3.917, 3.596, 2.805, 2.377, 3.523, 2.774, 5.080, 6.809, 95% confidence interval ( CI) as 1.890?7.430, 1.154?4.971, 2.054?7.472, 1.807?7.155, 1.506?5.225, 1.241?4.553, 1.666?7.449, 1.483?5.189, 2.050?12.589, 2.552?18.168, P<0.05]. (2) Construction and validation of machine learning predic-tion models for neural invasion in gallbladder cancer. Based on the independent influencing factors, seven machine learning models were constructed, including logistic regression, K-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, random forest, decision tree, back-propagation neural network, and gradient boosting machine. The ROC curves of seven machine learning models in the test set were plotted, and the AUC were 0.900(95% CI as 0.851?0.948), 0.741(95% CI as 0.646?0.829), 0.836(95% CI as 0.762?0.895), 0.782(95% CI as 0.701?0.855), 0.839(95% CI as 0.770?0.901), 0.817(95% CI as 0.738?0.887), 0.843(95% CI as 0.770?0.909), respectively. Results of Delong test showed that the logistic regression model had the highest AUC. The sensitivity and specificity of the logistic regression model were 0.868 and 0.805 respectively, indicating the best balance. Results of Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the logistic regression model had a good goodness-of-fit ( χ2=5.320, P>0.05). The Brier score of the logistic regression model was relatively low, as 0.168, which verified its calibration advantage. Conclusion:Total bilirubin, carcinoembryonic antigen, CA199, CA125, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, liver invasion detected by enhanced CT, vascular invasion detected by enhanced CT, hilar or retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis detected by enhanced CT, and tumor stages T3 and T4 are independent influencing factors for nerve invasion in patients with gallbladder cancer. Seven machine learning models are constructed based on enhanced CT and clinical characteristics to predict neural invasion in gallbladder cancer, of which the logistic regression model demonstrates good predictive performance.

Objective To design an intelligent airborne soldier physical training system based on human body composition analysis to solve the problems in diversity of training mode,targeted training plan and high incidence of military training-related injuries.Methods The intelligent airborne military physical training system was designed with B/S architecture and developed with Python language,which was composed of four functional modules for airborne soldier information acquisition,trainee physical fitness state assessment,physical fitness training program recommendation and airborne soldier physical fitness training program evaluation.The airborne soldier information acquisition module collected and analyzed the trainee physiological parameter information with a human body composition analyzer,clarified the parameter characteristics related to physical training with considerations on military physical training requirements and constructed a trainee physical fitness assessment parameter model;the trainee physical fitness state assessment module established an evaluation model based on machine learning to realize stage-by-stage physical fitness evaluation for airborne soldiers;the physical fitness training program recommendation module was constructed based on the physical training feature similarity algorithm and graph embedding theory to provide decision making assistance for program development of airborne military physical training;the airborne soldier physical fitness training program evaluation module compared the physical fitness and evaluation results before and after training by means of list and chart,and updated the training program based on the evaluation results by calling the physical training program recommendation module.Results The intelligent airborne soldier physical training system contributed to forming an individualized physical fitness training recommendation mechanism after trainee body evaluation,modifying training program based on comparison and feedback for stage-by-stage training evaluation,so as to decrease the incidence of military training-related injuries while increasing the training efficiency.Conclusion The system developed improves airborne soldier physical training in rationality and reliability,and provides references for intelligent military training of the PLA.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(2):16-23]

For middle-aged and elderly patients with conditions such as spinal fractures and degenerative spinal diseases, spinal internal fixation is a core surgical procedure for reconstructing spinal stability, heavily relying on the biomechanical stability provided by pedicle screw systems. Whereas, these patients are often complicated by osteoporosis that can significantly compromise the stability of the bone-pedicle screw interface, leading to a marked increase in pedicle screw loosening and surgical failure rates. The bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique, which involves injecting bone cement into the vertebral body or screw trajectory to optimize the mechanical properties of the bone-pedicle screw composite, has been proven to significantly enhance fixation strength and effectively prevent screw-related failures, thereby reducing the incidence of internal fixation failure in high-risk populations undergoing spinal fusion. However, the widespread clinical application of this technique has faced challenges such as inaccurate clinical decision-making (indication and contraindication selection), non-standardized operative practices, and insufficient awareness of complication prevention, resulting in considerable variability in clinical outcomes and even severe complications. To address this, Prof. Luo Fei from First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University initiated the project and the Chinese Association Orthopaedic Surgeons organized relevant experts to develop the Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique ( version 2025), based on current evidence. The guidelines put forward 8 recommendations regarding the clinical value, scope of application, and operational standards of the technique, aiming to provide evidence-based medical support and technical standardization for clinical decision-making.

The scientific interpretation of the theory of medicinal properties of TCM is a research hotspot in the modernization of TCM. It is of great value to clarify the property and degree of cold and heat in Chinese materia medica for guiding clinical precise medication. In recent years, the research on the cold and heat properties of Chinese materia medica has been carried out at the animal, cell and molecular levels. Based on the objective material basis of medicinal properties, from the perspective of biological effects such as thermodynamics and multiomics; with the help of infrared thermal imaging and other technologies for analysis; forming a variety of research models such as "property-structure relationship". Related research has developed from a single material component or index to a new model that tends to integrate multi-source information and multi-dimensional data. However, how to deal with the problems of large sample size, strong redundancy, high heterogeneity, and how to integrate multi-dimensional information are still research difficulties. With its powerful computing and learning ability, machine learning can show good discrimination and prediction ability in the study of cold and hot properties of Chinese materia medica, and play an important role in the study of cold and hot properties of Chinese materia medica. At present, the most widely used algorithms are linear discriminant analysis, Logistic discriminant analysis, support vector machine, decision tree, random forest and so on. The data dimension of the existing research needs to be enriched, the algorithm has room for further optimization, and a more detailed discriminant model of cold and hot properties of Chinese materia medica needs to be established.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of 4-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and to explore its potential mechanisms. MethodsA total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control (C), model (M), control plus HIIT (HC), and model plus HIIT (HM). Rats in groups M and HM underwent 8 weeks of CUMS to establish depression-like behaviors, while groups HC and HM received HIIT intervention beginning from the 5th week for 4 consecutive weeks. The HIIT protocol consisted of repeated intervals of 3 min at high speed (85%-90% maximal training speed, S_max) alternated with one minute at low speed (50%-55% S_max), with 3 to 5 sets per session, conducted 5 d per week. Behavioral assessments and tail-vein blood lactate levels were measured at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks. After the intervention, rat PFC tissues were collected for Golgi staining to analyze synaptic morphology. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were employed to detect brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), lactate, and glutamate levels in the PFC, as well as serotonin (5-HT) levels in serum. Additionally, Western blot analysis was conducted to quantify the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, including c-Fos, activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1). ResultsCompared to the control group (C), the CUMS-exposed rats (group M) exhibited significant reductions in sucrose preference rates, number of grid crossings, frequency of upright postures, and entries into and duration spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating marked depressive-like behaviors. Additionally, the group M showed significantly reduced dendritic spine density in the PFC, along with elevated levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1 protein expression, and increased concentrations of lactate and glutamate. Conversely, BDNF and MCT1 contents in the PFC and 5-HT levels in serum were significantly decreased. Following HIIT intervention, rats in the group HM displayed considerable improvement in behavioral indicators compared with the group M, accompanied by significant elevations in PFC MCT1 and lactate concentrations. Furthermore, HIIT notably normalized the expression levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1, as well as glutamate and BDNF contents in the PFC. Synaptic spine density also exhibited significant recovery. ConclusionFour weeks of HIIT intervention may alleviate depressive-like behaviors in CUMS rats by increasing lactate levels and reducing glutamate concentration in the PFC, thereby downregulating the overexpression of NMDAR, attenuating excitotoxicity, and enhancing synaptic plasticity.

Obesity, as a chronic recurrent disease, has become a major public health challenge in China. To implement the requirements of the Healthy China Initiative (2019—2030), under domestic guidelines or consensus statements on overweight and obesity, and in alignment with the latest scientific advances globally, the Quality control protocol for adult overweight and obesity screening in health management (examination) institutions (2025 edition) was developed. This protocol was drafted by the Health Management Center of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital and formulated through multiple rounds of deliberation by experts in China’s health examination quality control field. The protocol establishes unified standards for screening facilities, personnel qualifications, and measurement or testing procedures. It defines specific screening items, outlines a standardized screening pathway, and sets requirements for the final medical review, ensuring the scientific validity, effectiveness, and safety of the screening process. The implementation of this protocol will enhance the consistency of weight management practices for adults across health examination institutions and strengthen the quality control of overweight and obesity screening programs.