Climate change is a significant environmental concern in the 21^st century. It can directly and indirectly affect public health, making it a major public health problem. This review focused on the relationship between meteorological factors and health-related behaviors such as physical activity, sleep, dietary behavior, and social contact behavior. The results indicated that meteorological factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, and rainfall are associated with the four health behaviors. Physical activity levels are negatively associated with temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall. Sleep quality tends to decrease under extreme temperatures and extreme weather events. Dietary behavior is influenced by high and low temperatures, low pressure, and daylight duration, which in turn affects appetite and food intake. Social contact frequency decreases in response to extreme temperatures, increased rainfall, and extreme weather events. However, there are differences in the strength and direction of the associations between meteorological factors and health-related behaviors in various studies. Research on the combined effects of multiple meteorological factors exposure on health-related behaviors is rare, and the mechanisms underlying the associations are unclear. Therefore, there is a need for more multi-center, large-scale studies to explore the biological and behavioral mechanisms behind these associations, which will help clarify the complex effects of meteorological factors on human health behaviors and provide scientific evidence for policy-making, thereby mitigating the negative impact of climate change on public health.

In the context of rapid global aging, the number of vulnerable elderly individuals who are sensitive to climate change and air pollution is increasing rapidly, potentially augmenting the burden of related diseases. The intrinsic capacity (IC) of the elderly refers to the comprehensive ability of individuals in physical, cognitive, and mental health aspects, typically encompassing 5 dimensions: cognitive status, motor ability, mental health, sensory function, and vitality. This article reviewed the advancements in epidemiological research on the effects of air pollution and climate change (including meteorological factors) on the overall intrinsic capacity of the elderly and its various dimensions. The results indicated that pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃) are most significantly associated with the decline in the cognitive function and vitality dimensions, and extreme meteorological events like high temperatures are also related to the functional deterioration of each dimension of IC. Nevertheless, the current studies mostly focus on the impact of atmospheric environmental factors on a specific dimension of IC rather than on overall IC, and research on the combined exposure to multiple atmospheric factors is even rarer, and the exploration of associated mechanisms is insufficient. Future research should enhance the investigation of the influence and mechanism of the combined exposure to air pollution and climate change on the dynamic changes of IC, and promote multi-center research and transnational cooperation. This review is conducive to clarifying the potential impact of atmospheric environmental factors on the IC of the elderly, providing a scientific basis for formulating health intervention policies to address climate change and air pollution.

In protein engineering, while computational models are increasingly used to predict mutation effects, their evaluations primarily rely on high-throughput deep mutational scanning (DMS) experiments that use surrogate readouts, which may not adequately capture the complex biochemical properties of interest. Many proteins and their functions cannot be assessed through high-throughput methods due to technical limitations or the nature of the desired properties, and this is particularly true for the real industrial application scenario. Therefore, the desired testing datasets, will be small-size (∼10-100) experimental data for each protein, and involve as many proteins as possible and as many properties as possible, which is, however, lacking. Here, we present VenusMutHub, a comprehensive benchmark study using 905 small-scale experimental datasets curated from published literature and public databases, spanning 527 proteins across diverse functional properties including stability, activity, binding affinity, and selectivity. These datasets feature direct biochemical measurements rather than surrogate readouts, providing a more rigorous assessment of model performance in predicting mutations that affect specific molecular functions. We evaluate 23 computational models across various methodological paradigms, such as sequence-based, structure-informed and evolutionary approaches. This benchmark provides practical guidance for selecting appropriate prediction methods in protein engineering applications where accurate prediction of specific functional properties is crucial.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Objective Analyze and compare the therapeutic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and enhanced spiral CT in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 108 PHC patients (122 lesions) treated at Beijing Shijitan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University from July 2021 to June 2023. All patients were treated with TACE. After treatment, CEUS and contrast-enhanced spiral CT examinations were performed to evaluate the inactivation status of tumor lesions, with pathological results as the gold standard. The receiver operating characteristic curve and decision tree model were used to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic value of CEUS, contrast-enhanced spiral CT, and their combination in PHC. Results The pathological results showed that 79 lesions remained active (positive) and 43 lesions were completely inactivated (negative). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for evaluating PHC treatment efficacy by CEUS, contrast-enhanced spiral CT, and their combination were 0.975, 0.918, and 0.994, respectively. The sensitivity, positive predictive value, and actual application accuracy of CEUS and the combined method were higher than those of contrast-enhanced spiral CT (P < 0.05). A decision tree diagnostic model for PHC treatment efficacy was constructed using CEUS, contrast-enhanced spiral CT, and their combination as independent variables and PHC treatment efficacy as the dependent variable. The misjudgment rates were 3.3%, 10.7%, and 0.8%, respectively, and the prediction accuracy was 96.7%, 89.3%, and 99.2%, respectively. Conclusions CEUS and the combination of CEUS and contrast-enhanced spiral CT have high evaluation value for PHC treatment efficiency.

Objective Analyze and compare the therapeutic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and enhanced spiral CT in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 108 PHC patients (122 lesions) treated at Beijing Shijitan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University from July 2021 to June 2023. All patients were treated with TACE. After treatment, CEUS and contrast-enhanced spiral CT examinations were performed to evaluate the inactivation status of tumor lesions, with pathological results as the gold standard. The receiver operating characteristic curve and decision tree model were used to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic value of CEUS, contrast-enhanced spiral CT, and their combination in PHC. Results The pathological results showed that 79 lesions remained active (positive) and 43 lesions were completely inactivated (negative). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for evaluating PHC treatment efficacy by CEUS, contrast-enhanced spiral CT, and their combination were 0.975, 0.918, and 0.994, respectively. The sensitivity, positive predictive value, and actual application accuracy of CEUS and the combined method were higher than those of contrast-enhanced spiral CT (P < 0.05). A decision tree diagnostic model for PHC treatment efficacy was constructed using CEUS, contrast-enhanced spiral CT, and their combination as independent variables and PHC treatment efficacy as the dependent variable. The misjudgment rates were 3.3%, 10.7%, and 0.8%, respectively, and the prediction accuracy was 96.7%, 89.3%, and 99.2%, respectively. Conclusions CEUS and the combination of CEUS and contrast-enhanced spiral CT have high evaluation value for PHC treatment efficiency.

Objective:To explore the experience and inner feeling of self-nutrition management in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy based on health action process approach (HAPA) model as the theoretical foundation.Methods:This study was a qualitative sutdy. Using the purposive sampling method, the semi-structured interview was conducted on 15 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in Department of Tumor Center Area 2 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of University of South China. Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was used to analyze the original data.Results:According to the two stages of HAPA model, three themes were extracted, namely, positive cognition of self-nutrition management, difficulty in self-nutrition management and lack of self-nutrition management ability.Conclusions:Medical staff should analyze individual differences among patients, understand their subjective feelings, confusion and needs for self nutrition management, provide personalized nutrition education and support, improve their self nutrition management experience and enhance their self nutrition management abilities.

Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/epidemiology* ; Pregnancy Complications/epidemiology* ; Menstruation Disturbances

Phytoremediation plays an important role in the treatment of heavy metal pollution in soil. In order to elucidate the mechanism of salicylic acid (SA) on copper absorption, seedlings from Xuzhou (with strong Cu-tolerance) and Weifang Helianthus tuberosus cultivars (with weak Cu-tolerance) were selected for pot culture experiments. 1 mmol/L SA was sprayed upon 300 mg/kg soil copper stress, and the photosynthesis, leaf antioxidant system, several essential mineral nutrients and the changes of root upon copper stress were analyzed to explore the mechanism of copper resistance. The results showed that Pn, Tr, Gs and Ci upon copper stress decreased significantly compared to the control group. Meanwhile, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid decreased with significant increase in initial fluorescence (F₀), maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSⅡ (Fv/Fm), electron transfer rate (ETR) and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) content all decreased. The ascorbic acid (AsA) content was decreased, the glutathione (GSH) value was increased, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in the leaves were decreased, and the peroxidase (POD) activity was significantly increased. SA increased the Cu content in the ground and root system, and weakened the nutrient uptake capacity of K, Ca, Mg, and Zn in the root stem and leaves. Spray of exogenous SA can maintain the opening of leaf stomata, improve the adverse effect of copper on photosynthetic pigment and PSⅡ reaction center. Mediating the SOD and APX activity started the AsA-GSH cycle process, effectively regulated the antioxidant enzyme system in chrysanthemum taro, significantly reduced the copper content of all parts of the plant, and improved the ion exchange capacity in the body. External SA increased the content of the negative electric group on the root by changing the proportion of components in the root, promoted the absorption of mineral nutrient elements and the accumulation of osmoregulatory substances, strengthened the fixation effect of the root on metal copper, and avoided its massive accumulation in the H. tuberosus body, so as to alleviate the inhibitory effect of copper on plant growth. The study revealed the physiological regulation of SA upon copper stress, and provided a theoretical basis for planting H. tuberosus to repair soil copper pollution.
Antioxidants ; Copper ; Helianthus/metabolism* ; Salicylic Acid/pharmacology* ; Chlorophyll A/pharmacology* ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Chlorophyll/pharmacology* ; Ascorbic Acid ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism* ; Photosynthesis ; Glutathione ; Plant Leaves ; Stress, Physiological ; Seedlings

【Objective】 To analyze the demographic characteristics of whole blood donors who responded to blood donation initiatives launched by our blood center, so as to formulate an efficient recruitment strategy and provide scientific reference for solving seasonal, structural and acute blood supply tensions in this region. 【Methods】 Such characteristics as age, gender, household registration, occupation, blood type, education level, number of blood donations, blood donation location and recruitment method of 21 934 whole blood donors who responded to donation appointments issued by our blood center during January 2019 to June 2020 were analyzed, and the corresponding recruitment strategy in this region was established. 【Results】 39.79% of respondents were 36~45 years old, 69.61% were males, 70.49% were non-local permanent residents, and 62.96% were with education background from junior high school to high school. Workers accounted for 36.57%, 400 mL-donation accounted for 56.87%, the percentage of blood type O reached 42.18%, and blood donors with 2~5 donations accounted for 70.27%. The proportion of blood donors from Songshan Lake area(23.46%) ranked the highest, and that from Shuixiang area the lowest (3.26%). 76.42% of donation recruitment were issued via SMS. 【Conclusion】 Blood donors 36~45 years old, with 2~5 donations, donated 400 mL blood, non-local registered male, ordinary employees with the education level of junior high school, technical secondary school or high school should firstly be considered. The targeted areas are the Songshan Lake area, the main urban area coastal areas and southeastern Dongguan near Shenzhen.The corresponding recruitment strategies should be adjusted based on needs and emergency level.