Objective To explore the effectiveness of the cumulative sum (CUSUM) and the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) for early warning of influenza epidemic using two datasets of reported influenza cases and influenza-like illness (ILI) cases. Methods Using the reported cases of influenza and ILI in Daxing District, Beijing, from week 23 of 2018 to week 22 of 2024 as data sets, the CUSUM and EWMA models were established, respectively. The positive rate of influenza etiology was used as the ^“gold standard^”, and the Youden index was used as the evaluation index to compare the early warning effect of the two models under different data sets and different parameters. Results In CUSUM, the optimal Youden indices of the reported influenza cases set and the ILI cases set were 0.751 and 0.635, respectively. In EWMA, the optimal Youden indices of the reported influenza cases set and the ILI cases set were 0.544 and 0.464, respectively. The optimal EWMA and CUSUM models could both issue early warning signals in advance of the ^“gold standard^”. Conclusion In the influenza epidemic early warning in Daxing District, Beijing, the CUSUM model established with the reported cases of influenza can achieve good early warning effects, but the model parameters need to be dynamically adjusted according to the local epidemic characteristics.

Background Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been observed in both living and working environments. Volatile organic compounds metabolites (VOCMs) in urine can be used to assess the exposure to VOCs and potentially cause adverse effects on human body. Objective To quantitatively evaluate urinary VOCMs and their associations with renal function damage, and further trace the characteristics of potential environmental exposure to provide scientific evidence for effective prevention measures. Methods The study included a total of 6028 samples from four cross-sectional studies in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2018, with exposure and health outcomes matched. Generalized linear models were employed to assess the associations of urinary VOCMs (urinary creatinine adjusted) with urinary protein levels and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), with coviriables including gender, age, body mass index, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise frequency, diabetes, and hypertension. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) approach was utilized to analyze the effects of mixed exposure and to rank the contribution of individual VOCMs. The associations between VOCMs and associated living environments and occupational exposure characteristics were further investigated. Results Among the enrolled study participants (n=6028), a total of 11 urinary VOCMs were measured, with 10 metabolites having a positive rate of over 80% (84.59%-99.99%). There were 604 individuals (10.0%) having urinary protein abnormalities and 2831 individuals (47.0%) with eGFR reduced. Through a single and a multiple generalized linear model, 5 VOCMs exhibited statistically significant associations with urinary protein abnormalities and/or reduced eGFR levels (P<0.05): N-acetyl-S-(N-methylaminocarbonyl)-L-cysteine (AMC), N-acetyl-S-(2-carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine (CEM), N-acetyl-S-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-L-cysteine (DHB), 2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetic acid (MAD), and N-acetyl-S-(4-hydroxy-2-butenyl)-L-cysteine (MB3). The WQS index indicated a significantly positive association between VOCMs and urinary protein abnormalities, and DHB contributed the most. The analysis on the potential sources of VOCs exposure showed that those who worked as a private entrepreneur or an employee (vs. government employees), rent houses (vs. owned real estate), had less number of rooms in the residence, fueled cars at self-service gas stations, and inhaled paint fumes in the past 48 h associated with higher VOCMs (P < 0.05) and DHB contributed the most. Conclusion Multiple VOCMs in urine are associated with significantly kidney function injuries. The mixture exposure to VOCMs is significantly associated with higher risks of urinary protein abnormalities. Occupational category, housing ownership, ways to fuel a car, and inhalation of paint odors are closely related with VOCMs levels.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of active screening in improving the detection rate of carbape-nem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)in the intensive care units(ICUs).Methods From July 2023 to June 2024,active screening of rectal swab CRE was conducted on ICU patients in 10 hospitals.ICU patients who underwent ac-tive screening from July 2023 to June 2024 were selected as the study group,while those who did not undergo active screening from July 2022 to June 2023 were selected as the control group.Difference in CRE detection rates between the two groups of patients was compared.Results A total of 7 803 ICU patients were included in the study group,744 CRE strains were detected,with a detection rate of 9.53％,out of which 304 CRE strains were detected through routine detection(detection rate 3.90％),3 707 patients underwent active screen,440 CRE strains were detected(detection rate 11.87％).7 561 ICU patients were included in the control group,out of which 250 CRE strains were detected through routine detection,with a detection rate of 3.31％.There was a statistically significant difference in the overall detection rate of CRE between two groups of patients(x2=246.18,P＜0.001).In the study group,CRE detection rate of active screening(11.87％)was higher than that of routine detection(3.90％),with statistically significant difference(x2=264.26,P＜0.001).A total of 17 CRE strains were detected from the study group.The proportions of Klebsiella pneumoniae(80.92％vs 73.41％)and Serratia marcescens(2.30％vs0.23％)in the routine detection group were both higher than in the active screening group,while the proportion of Escherichia coli in the routine detection group was lower(8.22％vs 19.55％),all with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The prevalence of CRE in ICUs is relatively high,with a wide range of bac-terial species.Active screening can improve the detection rate of CRE.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of child injuries（CI）and provide a scientific basis for developing CI prevention and treatment strategies.Methods:Clinical data of CI cases admitted to Kunshan Woman and Children’s Healthcare Hospital from January 1st，2020 to December 31st，2022 were collected. The cases were classified into three age groups：infants and toddlers（0-3 years），preschoolers（4-6 years），and school-age children（7-14 years）. Post hoc testing was used for pairwise comparisons between groups，and differences were determined based on adjusted standardized residuals（AR）. The epidemiological characteristics that were analyzed included the type，location，and nature of injuries across these age groups.Results:A total of 12 449 CI cases were collected with a male-to-female ratio of 1.72∶1. School-age boys were more prone to injuries（72.2%， AR=16.3）compared to the other two age groups. The major CI types were falls（50.4%），blunt injuries（15.9%），and strains（9.9%）. The infant and toddler group showed higher rates of strains（21.9%， AR=34.9）and poisonings（7.9%， AR=19.6）compared to the other two groups，while preschoolers group had higher rates of falls（55.6%， AR=6.5）and motor vehicle accidents（4.8%， AR=3.6）compared to other age groups. The most frequently injured body regions were upper limbs（43.9%），head/face/neck（27.0%），and lower limbs（16.7%）. The infant and toddler group had higher rates of head/face/neck（34.8%， AR=15.4），upper limb（46%， AR=3.6），and whole body（8.9%， AR=18.7）injuries. The nature of CI mainly includes contusion/bruise/crush injury（34.3%），fractures（20.0%）and sharp/open wounds（19.5%）. School-age children exhibited higher rates of fractures（30.1%， AR=22.1），strains/sprains（10.1%， AR=13.0），contusion/bruise/crush injury（36.6%， AR=4.2），and multi-site injuries（0.7%， AR=4.4）compared to the other two groups. Injuries were mostly mild（90.8%），with infants and toddlers showing higher mild injury rates（95.0%， AR=12.7），whereas school-aged children had more moderate injuries（11.7%， AR=11.0）. Conclusion:The epidemiological characteristics of CI in infants and toddlers，preschoolers and school-age children are different，and different intervention strategies are needed for different age groups.

Objective:To explore the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR)-guided core stability-assisted training in improving the balance of ischemic stroke survivors.Methods:Sixty-six hemiplegic ischemic stroke survivors were randomly divided into a conventional rehabilitation training group (CON) of 32 and an immersive VR-guided core stability-assisted training group (VR-TOT) of 34. In addition to basic internal medical treatment, the CON group underwent conventional rehabilitation therapy, while the VR-TOT group received VR-guided core stability-assisted training. Before and after 4 weeks of the treatments, the subjects′ balance was evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer balance scale. A three-dimensional force platform was used to collect the sway amplitude, sway speed, peripheral area and total trajectory length of the center of pressure COP of the bilateral plantar in the left-right and anterior-posterior directions while the subjects stood with the eyes open and closed.Results:After the treatments, the average Fugl-Meyer balance scores of both groups had improved significantly. In the eyes-open condition, after the treatment, there was a significant decrease in the average COP sway amplitude in the anteroposterior direction on the hemiplegic side among the CON group, as well as in both the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions on both sides in the VR-TOT group. The sway velocity in the anteroposterior direction on the hemiplegic side had decreased significantly in both groups, and the sway velocity in both the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions on the non-hemiplegic side had also decreased significantly. In the CON group the peripheral area on the non-hemiplegic side had decreased and the total trajectory length had shortened significantly. In the VR-TOT group there were significant decreases in the peripheral area on both sides and in the total trajectory length on both sides. Comparing the two groups after treatment, the peripheral area on the hemiplegic side in the VR-TOT group was significantly smaller. In the eyes-closed condition, the sway amplitude of the COP on the hemiplegic side in the anteroposterior direction and on the non-hemiplegic side in both the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions had decreased significantly in the VR-TOT group after the treatment. The average sway velocity had decreased significantly in the anteroposterior direction on the non-hemiplegic side in the CON group. In the VR-TOT group this was observed in the anteroposterior direction on the hemiplegic side and in both the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions on the healthy side. In the CON group the average peripheral area of the COP on the hemiplegic side had decreased, and the total trajectory length had shortened, both significantly. In the VR-TOT group, the peripheral area on the non-hemiplegic side had decreased significantly as well.Conclusions:Core stability-assisted training based on immersive virtual reality can effectively improve the balance of ischemic stroke survivors. It shows promise for clinical application.

Objective:To explore the correlation between serum uric acid/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) and the risk of hypertension in elderly physical examination populations.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 1 028 patients aged≥60 years who underwent physical examinations at the Health Management Center of Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital from September 2023 to February 2024 were included in this study. The general demographic data, past medical history, physical examination and laboratory examination indicators of the physical examiners were collected, and according to whether they had hypertension or not, they were divided into hypertension group (390 cases) and non-hypertension group (638 cases), and all UHR values were arranged from small to large, and the UHR was divided into three groups by tertiles of UHR, and the general data and blood biochemical indexes between the groups were compared. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between UHR level and body mass index, total cholesterol, triglyceride and other indexes in the elderly population. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between UHR level and hypertension in the elderly population, and the stratification analysis of the physical examination population was carried out according to diabetes, coronary heart disease and dyslipidemia, and the interaction test between groups was carried out.Results:Among the 1 028 geriatric physical examination cases, 580 (56.4%) were males and 448 (43.6%) were females, aged (66.7±5.8) years. UHR levels were higher in the hypertensive group compared to the non-hypertensive group [248.88 (191.19, 322.25) vs 213.52 (165.94, 275.29); Z=-5.445, P<0.05]. With the increase of UHR level, the detection rate of hypertension in the elderly population increased (accounted for 27.8%, 38.2% and 47.8%, respectively; χ2=29.211, P<0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that UHR was positively correlated with body mass index, triglycerides, serum uric acid, serum creatinine and fasting blood glucose ( r=0.318, 0.334, 0.774, 0.474, 0.080; all P<0.05), and negatively correlated with total cholesterol, glomerular filtration rate and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( r=-0.239, -0.303, -0.154; all P<0.05). When the confounding factors were not adjusted (model 1), the risk of hypertension in high UHR group was 2.382 times higher than that in low UHR group and 1.607 times higher than that in medium UHR group; after adjusting for all confounding factors such as age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, junior high school education or below, smoking, alcohol consumption, glomerular filtration rate, etc., the risk of hypertension in the high-level UHR group was 1.732 times higher than that in the low-level UHR group (95% CI: 1.139-2.635) ( P<0.05). The elderly physical examination population was further stratified according to whether there was diabetes, dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease, and it was found that there was no interaction between UHR and diabetes, dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease on the prevalence of hypertension (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Hypertension detection rate increases with higher UHR levels. UHR is closely related to the incidence of hypertension in the elderly population.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a deadly condition of the aorta, carrying a significant risk of death upon rupture. Currently, there is a dearth of efficacious pharmaceutical interventions to impede the advancement of AAA and avert it from rupturing. Here, we investigated dihydromyricetin (DHM), one of the predominant bioactive flavonoids in Ampelopsis grossedentata (A. grossedentata), as a potential agent for inhibiting AAA. DHM effectively blocked the formation of AAA in angiotensin II-infused apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^-/-) mice. A combination of network pharmacology and whole transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that DHM's anti-AAA action is linked to heme oxygenase (HO)-1 (Hmox-1 for the rodent gene) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Remarkably, DHM caused a robust rise (∼10-fold) of HO-1 protein expression in VSMCs, thereby suppressing VSMC inflammation and oxidative stress and preserving the VSMC contractile phenotype. Intriguingly, the therapeutic effect of DHM on AAA was largely abrogated by VSMC-specific Hmox1 knockdown in mice. Mechanistically, on one hand, DHM increased the transcription of Hmox-1 by triggering the nuclear translocation and activation of HIF-1α, but not nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2). On the other hand, molecular docking, combined with cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and site mutant experiments revealed that DHM bonded to HO-1 at Lys243 and prevented its degradation, thereby resulting in considerable HO-1 buildup. In summary, our findings suggest that naturally derived DHM has the capacity to markedly enhance HO-1 expression in VSMCs, which may hold promise as a therapeutic strategy for AAA.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the leading cause of respiratory failure with high morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary surfactant (PS)-based complementary therapies have exhibited potential for ARDS healing and applied as an adjunctive therapy strategy. Coacervate (Coac) has the characteristics of softness, deformability and excellent molecular enrichment properties, and has attracted extensive attention in the biomedical field. Here PS and coacervate were combined for the potential ARDS treatment. The Coac, fabricated from polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by simple mixing, exhibited soft droplet property and high enrichment for dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP). To avoid the fusion effect of membraneless coacervate and endow it with biological functions of PS, liposomes with PS-biomimetic lipid components (PS-lipo) were further introduced to construct PS-biomimetic membranized coacervate (DSP@PS-Coac). The DSP@PS-Coac demonstrated high lung targeting effect and significant penetration efficiency after intravenous injection. Furthermore, PS-lipo replenished the endogenous PS pool and facilitated the distribution of DSP in inflammatory cells in the lung. In the ARDS mouse model, PS-Coac and DSP exerted synergetic anti-inflammatory functions, via reducing the recruitment of inflammatory neutrophils and modulating macrophages into anti-inflammatory phenotype. The overall results confirmed that DSP@PS-Coac may provide a promising delivery option for the treatment of ARDS.

Demyelination and remyelination play key roles in spinal cord injury (SCI), affecting the recovery of motor and sensory functions. Research in rodent models is extensive, but the study of these processes in non-human primates is limited. Therefore, our goal was to thoroughly study the histological features of demyelination and remyelination after contusion injury of the cervical spinal cord in Macaca fascicularis. In a previous study, we created an SCI model in M. fascicularis by controlling the contusion displacement. We used Eriochrome Cyanine staining, immunohistochemical analysis, and toluidine blue staining to evaluate demyelination and remyelination. The results showed demyelination ipsilateral to the injury epicenter both rostrally and caudally, the former mainly impacting sensory pathways, while the latter primarily affected motor pathways. Toluidine blue staining showed myelin loss and axonal distension at the injury site. Schwann cell-derived myelin sheaths were only found at the center, while thinner myelin sheaths from oligodendrocytes were seen at the center and surrounding areas. Our study showed that long-lasting demyelination occurs in the spinal cord of M. fascicularis after SCI, with oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells playing a significant role in myelin sheath formation at the injury site.
Animals ; Spinal Cord Injuries/physiopathology* ; Demyelinating Diseases/etiology* ; Remyelination/physiology* ; Macaca fascicularis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Myelin Sheath/pathology* ; Oligodendroglia/pathology* ; Schwann Cells/pathology* ; Female ; Spinal Cord/pathology* ; Axons/pathology*

Background Hypertension is one of the chronic diseases with the highest prevalence in China, and a history of hypertension may potentially exacerbate hearing loss. Investigating the association between long-term blood pressure trends and hearing thresholds could contribute to hearing protection efforts for occupationally noise-exposed populations. Objective By investigating hearing thresholds and blood pressure levels among occupationally noise-exposed workers in an urban rail transit enterprise, and conducting a comprehensive analysis of the association between long-term blood pressure changes and hearing thresholds, to provide data references for health management strategies targeting occupationally noise-exposed workers. Methods Workers exposed to occupational noise at a rail transit enterprise were enrolled as study subjects and underwent pure-tone audiometry. Group-based trajectory modeling was employed to identify blood pressure trajectories. Categorical data were compared using chi-square tests, while normally distributed continuous variables were analyzed via t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were subsequently applied toexamine associations between these trajectory groups and high-frequency hearing thresholds. Results Among 2 002 occupationally noise-exposed workers, the median (P₂₅, P₇₅) age was 32 (28, 35) years, with a median (P₂₅, P₇₅) working tenure of 7 (3, 10) years. In 2019, the positive hypertension rate was 9.04%, with a mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) of (122.97±11.60) mmHg and a mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of (76.37±9.02) mmHg. The hearing loss prevalence was 10.1%, showing bilateral high-frequency average hearing thresholds of (17.18±8.71) dB and speech-frequency average thresholds of (13.79±3.46) dB. Three distinct trajectory groups were identified for both SBP and DBP. Compared with other trajectory groups, the high-stable DBP group exhibited significantly higher hearing loss prevalence (χ²=6.34, P=0.042) and elevated high-frequency hearing thresholds (all Ps<0.05). Specifically, within the 30-39 age subgroup, the moderate-stable DBP group demonstrated 1.96 dB lower high-frequency thresholds than the high-stable group [β(95%CI): −1.96 (−3.61, −0.32), P=0.020]. Conclusion Among occupationally noise-exposed workers in a municipal rail transit enterprise, DBP trajectories demonstrated a positive association with high-frequency hearing thresholds. Notably, in young and middle-aged occupationally noise-exposed populations, DBP may exert a more critical influence than SBP on the progression of hearing loss.