1.Comparing mortality rates, risk, and trends of hip fracture and common cancers in Hong Kong, 2010–2020: A population-based study
Xiaowen ZHANG ; Chor-Wing SING ; Philip CM AU ; Kathryn Choon-Beng TAN ; Ian Chi-Kei WONG ; Ching-Lung CHEUNG
Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia 2025;11(1):15-21
		                        		
		                        			 Objectives:
		                        			Hip fracture is a global public concern exhibiting high mortality rates but often underrecognized. We compared the mortality rates, risk, and secular trend of hip fractures with common cancers in females and males, aiming to call attention to hip fractures. 
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			In 2010–2020, 193,767 patients with the first diagnosed hip fractures and the top 5 prevalent cancers in each sex and aged 50 years and above were included. Age-standardized mortality rates were adjusted to the WHO Standard Population and the sex-specific relative risk of mortality was computed using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounders. The trend analyses used joinpoint regression to compute annual percent changes in age-standardized mortality rates. 
		                        		
		                        			Results
		                        			The 1-year and 5-year age-standardized mortality rates and sex-specific mortality risk of hip fracture are greater than those of breast cancer (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 0.97) and thyroid cancer (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.64) in females and prostate cancer (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.53 to 0.58) in males. Moreover, mortality rates in lung cancer, male liver cancer, female breast cancer, and male prostate cancer have decreased in the past decade. For hip fracture, the mortality rates have significantly decreased in females, while in males, we observed only a decreasing trend in 1-year hip fracture mortality, not in 5-year Conclusions: Hip fractures exhibit higher mortality compared to female breast and thyroid cancers and male prostate cancer. More attention is needed to enhance the management and prevention of hip fractures. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.Comparing mortality rates, risk, and trends of hip fracture and common cancers in Hong Kong, 2010–2020: A population-based study
Xiaowen ZHANG ; Chor-Wing SING ; Philip CM AU ; Kathryn Choon-Beng TAN ; Ian Chi-Kei WONG ; Ching-Lung CHEUNG
Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia 2025;11(1):15-21
		                        		
		                        			 Objectives:
		                        			Hip fracture is a global public concern exhibiting high mortality rates but often underrecognized. We compared the mortality rates, risk, and secular trend of hip fractures with common cancers in females and males, aiming to call attention to hip fractures. 
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			In 2010–2020, 193,767 patients with the first diagnosed hip fractures and the top 5 prevalent cancers in each sex and aged 50 years and above were included. Age-standardized mortality rates were adjusted to the WHO Standard Population and the sex-specific relative risk of mortality was computed using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounders. The trend analyses used joinpoint regression to compute annual percent changes in age-standardized mortality rates. 
		                        		
		                        			Results
		                        			The 1-year and 5-year age-standardized mortality rates and sex-specific mortality risk of hip fracture are greater than those of breast cancer (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 0.97) and thyroid cancer (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.64) in females and prostate cancer (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.53 to 0.58) in males. Moreover, mortality rates in lung cancer, male liver cancer, female breast cancer, and male prostate cancer have decreased in the past decade. For hip fracture, the mortality rates have significantly decreased in females, while in males, we observed only a decreasing trend in 1-year hip fracture mortality, not in 5-year Conclusions: Hip fractures exhibit higher mortality compared to female breast and thyroid cancers and male prostate cancer. More attention is needed to enhance the management and prevention of hip fractures. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in improving depression, anxiety, psychological flexibility and return-to-school rate among adolescents with school absenteeism
Yanshan ZHANG ; Zhifang CHEN ; Ke ZHENG ; Guobang WU ; Fushan XU ; Maorong HU
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(3):198-203
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			BackgroundThe issue of school absenteeism due to school refusal in adolescents has become increasingly prominent. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been applied successfully to improve depression, anxiety, and psychological flexibility in adolescents, while few studies have tested the effect of ACT intervention on above-mentioned psychological aspects and return-to-school rate in adolescents with school absenteeism. ObjectiveTo explore the effect of ACT on depression, anxiety, psychological flexibility and return-to-school rate in school absenteeism adolescents, and to provide a broader evidence base for clinical interventions. MethodsFrom May to June 2024, a sample of 50 adolescents with Shenzhen school registration who had been suspended from school for more than a consecutive month for school refusal were recruited based on Wechat official account platform. The adolescents were divided into study group and control group by random number table method. Both groups received psychological education with the theme of 'Causes and Coping Strategies of School Refusal', and study group added a 6-week ACT intervention with weekly 1-hour sessions. At baseline and after treatment, Patients’ Health Questionnaire Depression Scale-9 item (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 item (GAD-7) and Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (CompACT) were used for the clinical evaluation. ResultsA total of 45 (90.00%)adolescents completed the study, including 25 in study group and 20 in control group. Analysis revealed that study group scored higher on PHQ-9 and GAD-7, while lower on total CompACT score, openness dimension and awareness dimension compared with control group, with statistical significance (F=7.786, 10.334, 12.922, 14.374, 3.075, P<0.05 or 0.01). After intervention, the rate of return-to-school was higher in study group than in control group (40.00% vs 10.00%, χ²=5.114, P<0.05). ConclusionACT intervention for adolescents with school absenteeism may alleviate depression and anxiety, improve their psychological flexibility and increase return-to-school rate.[Funded by the "14th Five Year Plan" for Social Sciences Project in Jiangxi Province (number, 24JY41D); Science and Technology Planning Project of Shenzhen Municipality (number, 20210617155253001)] 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.The mechanism and practical path of red doctor spirit in nurturing medical students’ professional identity
Yanqiu CHEN ; Aogang KONG ; Xinxin ZHANG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(7):885-889
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			The red doctor spirit is a precious spiritual wealth formed in the great practice of the Chinese Communist Party leading the Chinese revolution and creating and developing people’s health undertakings. It is also an important cultural resource for nurturing medical students’ professional identity. The red doctor spirit provides cognitive resources and spiritual guidance for the formation of medical students’ professional identity, prompting medical students to form emotional identity, value identity, and behavioral identity with the profession of doctor, there by enabling medical students to more clearly understand their own missions and development goals, enhance their confidence in engaging in medical and health work, and strengthen their beliefs in working hard for the construction of a healthy China. In practice, to further enhance the leading power of the red doctor spirit in the formation of medical students’ professional identity, it is essential to deepen classroom teaching of the red doctor spirit to provide theoretical guidance; to strengthen the clinical practice of the red doctor spirit to provide practical guidance; and to foster a campus cultural atmosphere infused with the red doctor spirit , enabling medical students to naturally develop a sense of identification with the medical profession through immersive cultural influence. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.Associations of volatile organic compounds/semi-volatile organic compounds exposure on asthma: A review of epidemiological studies and diagnostic applications
Tiantian GU ; Jin ZHANG ; Teng YANG ; Jiawei WANG ; Qinsheng KONG ; Guoxing LI ; Jing HUANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(6):756-761
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are common organic compounds in indoor and outdoor air, and enter the human body primarily through the respiratory tract and directly damage the respiratory system. Previous studies have suggested that exposure to VOCs/SVOCs may associate with the prevalence, incidence, and progression of asthma, but the extent of the associations is still vague. Furthermore, biomarkers for efficient and simple asthma diagnosis, typing, and attack prediction remain unclear at this stage. From the perspective of the collection and detection methods of VOCs/SVOCs, this paper summarized the epidemiological associations and underlying biological mechanisms between VOCs/SVOCs exposure and the prevalence, incidence, and progression of asthma in children/adults. It also demonstrated the application of VOCs/SVOCs in recent years in assisting asthma diagnosis, such as distinguishing asthma patients from the healthy population, differentiating different asthma phenotypes, and predicting asthma acute exacerbations, aiming to provide a scientific basis for improving current asthma management.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6.Establishment and validation of a risk prediction model for 90-day mortality in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure based on sarcopenia
Huina CHEN ; Ming KONG ; Siqi ZHANG ; Manman XU ; Yu CHEN ; Zhongping DUAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(6):1135-1142
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo establish and validate a new prediction model for the risk of death in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) based on sarcopenia and other clinical indicators, and to improve the accuracy of prognostic assessment for ACLF patients. MethodsA total of 380 patients with ACLF who were admitted to Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2019 to January 2022 were enrolled, and they were divided into training group with 228 patients and testing group with 152 patients in a ratio of 6∶4 using the stratified random sampling method. For the training group, CT images were used to measure the cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle at the third lumbar vertebra (L3), and L3 skeletal muscle index (L3-SMI) was calculated. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the previously established L3-SMI reference values for healthy adults in northern China. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to establish a sarcopenia-ACLF model which integrated sarcopenia and clinical risk factors, and a nomogram was developed for presentation. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to assess the predictive performance of the model, the calibration curve was used to assess the degree of calibration, and a decision curve analysis was used to investigate the clinical application value of the model. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, and the Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. The DeLong test was used for comparison of AUC between different models. ResultsThe multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR]=1.962, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.185 — 3.250, P=0.009), total bilirubin (HR=1.003, 95%CI: 1.002 — 1.005, P<0.001), international normalized ratio (HR=1.997, 95%CI: 1.674 — 2.382, P<0.001), and lactic acid (HR=1.382, 95%CI: 1.170 — 1.632, P<0.001) were included in the sarcopenia-ACLF model. In the training cohort, the sarcopenia-ACLF model had a larger AUC than MELD-Na score in predicting 90-day mortality in patients with ACLF (0.80 vs 0.73, Z=1.97, P=0.049). In the test cohort, the sarcopenia-ACLF model had a significantly larger AUC than MELD score (0.79 vs 0.69, Z=2.70, P=0.007) and MELD-Na score (0.79 vs 0.68, Z=2.92, P=0.004). The calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ability, with a relatively good consistency between the predicted risk of mortality and the observed results. The DCA results showed that within a reasonable range of threshold probabilities, the sarcopenia-ACLF model showed a greater net benefit than MELD and MELD-Na scores in both the training cohort and the test cohort. ConclusionThe sarcopenia-ACLF model developed in this study provides a more accurate tool for predicting the risk of 90-day mortality in ACLF patients, which provides support for clinical decision-making and helps to optimize treatment strategies. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.Experience in Treating Acne Based on the Staged Approach of "Eruption in Warm Diseases"
Yisheng ZHANG ; Ningxin ZHANG ; Fengyan TIAN ; Yuanyao SHE ; Jing LANG ; Weili KONG ; Qingyun LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(16):1723-1726
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This paper summarizes clinical experience in treating acne based on the staged therapeutic principles of "eruption in warm diseases". It is considered that acne results from wind-heat retained in the lungs, invading the ying level and obstructing the blood collaterals, and is primarily a disorder involving both the wei and ying systems. In clinical practice, the treatment emphasizes the use of acrid-cool and sweet-cold methods. The core prescription is namely Yinqiaosan Qu Douchi Jia Xishengdi Danpi Daqingye Bei Xuanshen Fang (from Epidemic Warm Diseases [《温病条辨》]), and is adjusted according to the stage of disease. In the non-inflammatory stage, when the pathogen initially attacks the wei level, treatment focuses on acrid-cool herbs to release the exterior, with supplementary bitter-sweet ingredients such as Yejuhua (Chrysanthemum Indicum). In the inflammatory stage, with pronounced heat toxin in the qi level affecting the ying and blood, and local stagnation of qi and blood, the approach is to clear heat and resolve toxin, using blood-cooling and stasis-resolving herbs early to prevent progression. Herbs such as Pugongying (Taraxacum Mongolicum), Zihuadiding (Viola Yedoensis), Tiankuizi (Semiaquilegia Adoxoides), Chonglou (Paris Polyphylla), Machixian (Portulaca Oleracea), Zaojiaoci (Gleditsia Sinensis), Chuanshanjia (Manis Pentadactyla) may be added. In the post-inflammatory erythema stage, when yin of the ying level is depleted and internal deficiency-heat arises, sweet-cold herbs are recommended to nourish the stomach and generate fluids, with the possible addition of Yiwei Decoction (益胃汤). 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Junctophilin-2 MORN-Helix Domain: Structural Basis for Membrane Binding and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-associated Mutations
Jing-Xin WANG ; Zhi-Wei LI ; Wei LIU ; Wen-Qing ZHANG ; Jian-Chao LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2103-2116
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveJunctophilin-2 (JPH2) is an essential structural protein that maintains junctional membrane complexes (JMCs) in cardiomyocytes by tethering the plasma membrane to the sarcoplasmic reticulum, thereby facilitating excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling. Mutations in JPH2 have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the molecular mechanisms governing its membrane-binding properties and the functional relevance of its membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN) repeat motifs remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate the structural basis of JPH2 membrane association and its implications for HCM pathogenesis. MethodsA recombinant N-terminal fragment of mouse JPH2 (residues1-440), encompassing the MORN repeats and an adjacent helical region, was purified under near-physiological buffer conditions.X-ray crystallography was employed to determine the structure of the JPH2 MORN-Helix domain. Sequence conservation analysis across species and junctophilin isoforms was performed to assess the evolutionary conservation of key structural features. Functional membrane-binding assays were conducted using liposome co-sedimentation and cell-based localization studies in COS7 and HeLa cells. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis targeting positively charged residues and known HCM-associated mutations, including R347C, was used to evaluate their effects on membrane interaction and subcellular localization. ResultsThe crystal structure of the mouse JPH2 MORN-Helix domain was resolved at 2.6 Å, revealing a compact, elongated architecture consisting of multiple tandem MORN motifs arranged in a curved configuration, forming a continuous hydrophobic core stabilized by alternating aromatic residues. A C-terminal α-helix further reinforced structural integrity. Conservation analysis identified the inner groove of the MORN array as a highly conserved surface, suggesting its role as a protein-binding interface. A flexible linker segment enriched in positively charged residues, located adjacent to the MORN motifs, was found to mediate direct electrostatic interactions with negatively charged phospholipid membranes. Functional assays demonstrated that mutation of these basic residues impaired membrane association, while the HCM-linked R347C mutation completely abolished membrane localization in cellular assays, despite preserving the overall MORN-Helix fold in structural modeling. ConclusionThis study provides structural insight into the membrane-binding mechanism of the cardiomyocyte-specific protein JPH2, highlighting the dual roles of its MORN-Helix domain in membrane anchoring and protein interactions. The findings clarify the structural basis for membrane targeting via a positively charged linker and demonstrate that disruption of this interaction—such as that caused by the R347C mutation—likely contributes to HCM pathogenesis. These results not only enhance current understanding of JPH2 function in cardiac E-C coupling but also offer a structural framework for future investigations into the assembly and regulation of JMCs in both physiological and disease contexts. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
9.Association between urinary metal mixtures and mild cognitive impairment among elderly residents in Guangdong compounds
Chuijia KONG ; Ying ZHANG ; Zhenkun TAN ; Junjiao PING ; Haibo ZHANG ; Jiali LUO ; Xinxia LIU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(8):893-899
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Background Environmental metal exposure is closely associated with the onset and progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the elderly. Effectively identifying hazardous metal exposure and assessing their interaction effects have significant public health implications. Objective To explore the relationship between urinary single metal and metal mixture exposure and MCI in elderly compound residents. Methods This study included 391 elderly individuals aged 60 and above from residential compounds in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province. Concentrations of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), antimony (Sb), thallium (Tl), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) in urine were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cognitive function in the elderly was assessed using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between single metal exposure level and MCI. LASSO regression and multi-metal logistic regression models were used to identify key metal ions associated with MCI. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was employed to analyze the relationship between key metal ion mixtures and MCI, as well as the interactions between metals. Age, gender, education level, occupation, and body mass index were adjusted as covariates. Results A total of 78 among the 391 elderly individuals surveyed (19.94%) were diagnosed with MCI (MCI group), and the other 313 individuals were controls. The levels of Se, Cd, Mn, and As in the urine of the MCI group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In the single-metal model, after adjusting for covariates and using the first quartile (Q1) of each metal concentration as the reference, the OR for MCI in the elderly in the Q4 group of Se was 2.190 (95%CI: 1.017, 4.716); for Cd, the OR was 2.345 (95%CI: 1.041, 5.283) in the Q3 group and 2.371 (95%CI: 1.043, 5.393) in the Q4 group; for Mn, the OR was 2.355 (95%CI: 1.038, 5.344) in the Q2 group; for As, the OR was 3.377 (95%CI: 1.442, 7.908) in the Q3 group and 2.886 (95%CI: 1.227, 6.788) in the Q4 group; for Sb, the OR was 2.779 (95%CI: 1.234, 6.257) in the Q2 group. When urinary metal concentrations were ln-transformed and included as continuous variables in the single-metal model, Cd concentration was positively correlated with MCI (OR=1.377; 95%CI: 1.008, 1.882; P=0.044). Cd, Se, Mg, Ca, Mn, As, Cr, Co, Tl, and Sb were selected by the LASSO regression model and included in the multi-metal model. In the multi-metal model, compared with Q1, the OR for MCI in the elderly was 0.395 (95%CI: 0.164, 0.953) in the Q2 group of Co and 0.390(95%CI: 0.167,0.911) in the Q3 group of Co; for Mn, the OR in the Q2 group was 2.636 (95%CI: 1.053, 6.596); for Sb, the OR in the Q2 group was 2.640 (95%CI: 1.047, 6.658). As continuous variables, Mg (OR=0.472; 95%CI: 0.248, 0.899; P=0.022) and Co (OR=0.857; 95%CI: 0.737, 0.996; P=0.044) concentrations were negatively correlated with MCI. The BKMR mixture analysis suggested that Mg and Co exhibited a synergistic negative correlation with MCI, while Mn and Sb exhibited a synergistic positive correlation with MCI. Mg and Co attenuated the positive correlation of Mn and Sb with MCI, whereas Mn weakened the protective effects of Mg and Co. Conclusion Elevated levels of Se, Cd, As, Mn, and Sb in urine may increase the risk of MCI in the elderly, while Mg and Co have protective effects. Potential synergistic or antagonistic interactions may be found among Mn, Sb, Mg, and Co, which should not be overlooked in terms of their impact on the cognitive function of the elderly.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
10.Clinical efficacy of single branch stent-graft treatment for retrograde type A intramural hematoma: A retrospective cohort study
Bailang CHEN ; Zanxin WANG ; Xianmian ZHUANG ; Haibing LIU ; Yao CHEN ; Rui ZHANG ; Minxin WEI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1166-1172
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To explore the efficacy of using a single branch stent-graft to treat primary intramural hematoma located at the distal arch or descending aorta in Stanford A type aortic intramural hematoma. Methods From July 2020 to November 2022, 10 patients with primary intramural hematoma of Stanford A type aortic intramural hematoma were treated with endovascular repair using a single branch stent-graft in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital. There were 9 males and 1 female, aged from 32 to 66 years, with a mean age of (47.0±10.4) years. All patients had intramural hematoma involving the ascending aorta and aortic arch, diagnosed as type A intramural hematoma, with the tear located in the descending aorta. Among them, 6 patients were complicated by ulceration of the descending aorta with intramural hematoma, and 4 patients had changes of the descending aortic dissection. All patients underwent endovascular stent repair, with 8 patients undergoing emergency surgery (≤14 days) and 2 patients undergoing subacute surgery (15 days to 3 months). Results  There were no neurological complications, paraplegia, stent fracture or displacement, or limb or visceral ischemia during the perioperative period in all patients. One patient had continuous chest pain after surgery, and the stent had a new tear at the proximal end, requiring ascending aorta and partial arch replacement. As of the latest follow-up, all patients had obvious absorption or complete absorption of the intramural hematoma in the ascending aorta and aortic arch compared with before the operation. Conclusion Single branch stent-graft treatment of retrograde ascending aortic intramural hematoma is safe and effective, with good short-term results.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            
Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail