Background Arsenic, cobalt, barium, and other individual metal exposure have been confirmed to be associated with the incidence of kidney stones. However, there are few studies on the association between mixed metal exposure and kidney stones, especially in occupational groups. Objective To investigate the association between mixed metal exposure and kidney stones in an occupational population from a metal smelting plant. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, and lifestyle information of 1158 mixed metal-exposed workers in a metal smelting plant in Guangdong Province from July 2021 to January 2022. Midstream morning urine samples were collected from the workers, the concentrations of 18 metals including lithium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, strontium, molybdenum, cadmium, cesium, barium, tungsten, titanium, and lead were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the urinary mercury levels were measured by cold atomic absorption spectroscopy. Based on predetermined inclusion criteria, a total of 919 mixed metal-exposed workers were included in the study, including 117 workers in the kidney stone group and 802 workers in the non-kidney stone group. With a detection rate of urinary metals greater than 80% as entry criterion, 16 eligible metals were finally included for further analysis. Parametric or non-parametric methods were used to compare the differences between continuous or categorical variables of the non-kidney stone group and the kidney stone group. Logistic regression models were constructed to explore the association between individual metal exposures and kidney stones. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were used to evaluate the association between mixed metal exposure and kidney stones, as well as the weights of each metal on kidney stones. Then Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were used to explore the overall effect of mixed metal exposure on renal calculi and the potential interactions between metals. Results We found that there were significant differences in sex, age, length of service, and body mass Index (BMI) between the non-kidney stone group and the kidney stone group (P<0.05). The urinary concentrations of molybdenum and barium in the kidney stone group were higher than those in the non-kidney stone group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The logistic regression models demonstrated that urinary cobalt, arsenic, molybdenum, and barium were positively correlated with the risk of kidney stones (P_trend<0.05). The WQS regression models showed that the mixed exposure to vanadium, cobalt, arsenic, molybdenum, and barium was positively associated with the risk of kidney stones (P<0.05). Among them, molybdenum, arsenic, and barium accounted for 0.391, 0.337, and 0.154, respectively. The BKMR results revealed a positive association between metal mixture exposure and the risk of kidney stones (P<0.05). When other metals were fixed at the 25th, 50th, or 75th percentile, arsenic, molybdenum, cobalt, and barium exhibited significant positive effects on the risk of kidney stones (P<0.05), while vanadium showed a significant negative effect (P<0.05). The interaction analysis demonstrated interactions between barium and cobalt, as well as between vanadium and cobalt (P<0.05). Conclusion In the occupational population of this smelter, occupational mixed metal exposure could increase the risk of kidney stones, and the main metals are molybdenum, arsenic, barium, and cobalt.

A domestically produced self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve controllable bending delivery system(VitaFlow? Ⅲcontrollable bending retrievable delivery system)was first used to perform transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)in a symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis patient with severe heart failure and high risk of surgery in China on September 22,2023.The patient successfully completed TAVR under general anesthesia,with good valve position and function after the operation.Before discharge and at one month of follow-up,the patient's symptoms and degree of heart failure were significantly improved.The follow-up results of this case showed that the VitaFlow? Ⅲ controllable bending retrievable delivery system for TAVR is safe and feasible,and future prospective,multicenter clinical trials are expected to evaluate its efficacy.

[Objective]To introduce the clinical experience of Director ZHANG Guoliang,a famous and highly-experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioner,in treating cough in convalescent period of Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19)with exterior and interior differentiation therapy.[Methods]Based on the relevant discussions on epidemic diseases and coughs by doctors of all ages and the experience of more than 300 COVID-19 patients treated by Director ZHANG himself,the understanding of Director ZHANG on the etiology and pathogenesis of cough in convalescent period of COVID-19 was expounded,and his experience in treating cough in convalescent period of COVID-19 with exterior and interior differentiation therapy was summarized,and a typical case was interpreted.[Results]Director ZHANG believes that treatment of cough in convalescent period of COVID-19 should start from the disease location.The disease is located in the nose and pharynx,and the exterior treatment method is adopted,focusing on ventilating the lung and dissolving phlegm,dispelling wind and relieving cough.In clinical practice,a combination of Banxia Houpu Decoction and Zhisou Powder is commonly used,added or subtracted according to the symptoms.The disease is located in the trachea and lungs,and the interior treatment method is adopted,and the phlegm turbidity(phlegm heat)accumulation in lung syndrome focuses on clearing the lungs and dissolving phlegm,relieving cough and asthma,added or subtracted Maxing Shigan Decoction,Qianjin Weijing Decoction combined with Tingli Dazao Xiefei Decoction are often used.Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome should clear the lungs and dissolve phlegm,invigorate Qi and nourish Yin,generally use added or subtracted Zhuye Shigao Decoction combined with Shengmai Drink.The medical case attached belonged to the phlegm and pharyngeal syndrome,Director ZHANG first treated with ventilating the lung and resolving phlegm,dispelling wind and relieving cough,then strengthening the spleen and invigorating Qi,drying dampness and resolving phlegm,and finally achieved good results.[Conclusion]Director ZHANG's unique opinion and clinical experience in the treatment of cough in convalescent period of COVID-19 with exterior and interior differentiation therapy are worth learning and promoting.

BACKGROUND:With the further development of minimally invasive concepts,unicompartmental knee arthroplasty has become an important treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee;however,early postoperative pain adversely affects the recovery process,so effective analgesic measures are necessary.Femoral nerve block and cocktail therapy are common analgesic methods for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,but there is a lack of studies confirming the analgesic effect and safety of their combined application. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the analgesic effect of cocktail therapy combined with femoral nerve block in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. METHODS:One hundred patients who received unicompartmental knee arthroplasty from October 2021 to January 2023 were selected as the study subjects.They were divided into a control group(n=50)and a study group(n=50)using a random number table method.The femoral nerve block was used in the control group,while cocktail therapy combined with femoral nerve block was used in the study group during unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.Postoperative analgesia effect,analgesic frequency of dezocine injection within 2 days after surgery,motion range of affected knee joint,KSS function scores,and the occurrence of postoperative adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Visual analog scale scores in the study group were lower than those in the control group at 12,24,and 48 hours after surgery(P<0.05).(2)The analgesic frequency of dezocine in the study group was less than that in the control group within 2 days after surgery(P<0.05).(3)The motion range in the study group was higher than that in the control group 1 and 3 days after surgery(P<0.05).On day 14 after surgery,there was no significant difference in motion range between the two groups(P>0.05).(4)The knee KSS score in the study group was higher than that in the control group at 2 weeks after surgery(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in knee KSS scores between the two groups from 6 weeks to 6 months after surgery(P>0.05).(5)The difference in the occurrence of adverse reactions within 14 days after surgery was not significant between the two groups(P>0.05).(6)These results show that the use of cocktail therapy combined with femoral nerve block in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty can effectively reduce postoperative pain,improve the analgesic effect,reduce the frequency of analgesic drugs,and improve motion range of the early affected knee joint of patients.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases are common clinical conditions. The number of patients with TMJ diseases is large, and the etiology, epidemiology, disease spectrum, and treatment of the disease remain controversial and unknown. To understand and master the current situation of the occurrence, development and prevention of TMJ diseases, as well as to identify the patterns in etiology, incidence, drug sensitivity, and prognosis is crucial for alleviating patients′suffering.This will facilitate in-depth medical research, effective disease prevention measures, and the formulation of corresponding health policies. Cohort construction and research has an irreplaceable role in precise disease prevention and significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment levels. Large-scale cohort studies are needed to explore the relationship between potential risk factors and outcomes of TMJ diseases, and to observe disease prognoses through long-term follw-ups. The consensus aims to establish a standard conceptual frame work for a cohort study on patients with TMJ disease while providing ideas for cohort data standards to this condition. TMJ disease cohort data consists of both common data standards applicable to all specific disease cohorts as well as disease-specific data standards. Common data were available for each specific disease cohort. By integrating different cohort research resources, standard problems or study variables can be unified. Long-term follow-up can be performed using consistent definitions and criteria across different projects for better core data collection. It is hoped that this consensus will be facilitate the development cohort studies of TMJ diseases.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is the main surgical therapeutic procedure for vertebral fractures and osteolytic metastases.Although the technique has been widely used clinically,recent studies have reported an increasing number of complications.Heart rupture and pulmonary embolism caused by bone cement leakage are the extremely rare and serious complications.We herein present a case of cardiac rupture and pulmonary embolism caused by bone cement after percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Objective To investigate the effects of long-term exposure to three new types of light emitting diode (LED) sources on the behavior, learning, and memory of rats. Methods A total of 160 specific pathogen-free SD rats were divided into eight groups as followed, trichromatic fluorescent lamps color temperature control group, violet-chip full-spectrum white LED group, blue-chip white LED group, and blue-chip full-spectrum white LED group based on the light sources types, with color temperature of 4 000 K and 6 500 K groups in each group using the 4×2 factorial design. There were 20 rats in each group, with half of the rats were males and half females. Rats were exposed to artificial lighting, and the illumination was set at 750 lx. The rats in each group were exposed to different lighting environments for 12 hours per day for 24 weeks. The open-field and step-down tests were conducted in rats after 24 weeks exposure, followed by sacrifice of rats and measurement of organ coefficients. Differences in body weight, organ coefficients, and neurobehavioral indexes of rats in different groups were compared. Results The spleen coefficient of female rats decreased in blue-chip white LED of 6 500 K color temperature group, and the liver coefficient of male rats decreased in the violet-chip full-spectrum white LED of 4 000 K color temperature, blue-chip full-spectrum white LED of 4 000 K color temperature, and blue-chip full-spectrum white LED of 6 500 K color temperature groups, compared with the same-sex rats in trichromatic fluorescent lamps with same-color temperature control group (all P<0.05). The result of different types of light sources compared in the open-field test showed that the index of total distance and movement speed of female rats in the blue-chip full-spectrum white LED group were lower than those in the other three groups, and the time cost to the central area was longer than that in the blue-chip white LED group and the violet-chip full-spectrum white LED group (all P<0.05). The total distance and movement speed of male rats in the blue-chip full-spectrum white LED group were longer or higher than those in the violet-chip full-spectrum white LED group (all P<0.05). Based on the comparison of color temperature, the time and total distance of male rats in 6 500 K color temperature group were lower than that in the 4 000 K color temperature group (both P<0.05). In the step-down test, both male and female rats in the blue-chip full-spectrum white LED group made more errors compared with other three groups with the same gender (all P<0.05). Conclusion Based on the experimental conditions of this study, the blue-chip full-spectrum white light LED affects behavior, learning and memory of the rats, and trichromatic fluorescent lamp has the lowest effect on neurobehavior. The color temperature also affects behavior of the rats, and high color temperature has higher risk.

{L-End}Objective To investigate the effect of motorcycle exhaust (ME) on the level of oxidative stress in different parts of respiratory tract epithelial cells. {L-End}Methods BEAS-2B and A549 cells in logarithmic growth phase were randomly divided into control group, low- and high-dose groups. The two kinds of cells growing on the membrane of Transwell inserts were treated with air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure technique for 60 minutes. The cells in the low- and high- dose groups were treated with diluted gas with the volume ratio of ME to clean air of 1∶20 and 1∶10, respectively, while the cells in the control group were treated with clean air. Cells were collected to detect their relative survival rate using CCK-8 method after exposure. And the levels of malondialdehyde, glutathione and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) of the cells were detected using colorimetry. {L-End}Results The ME exposure dose affected the relative survival rate of cells (P<0.01), which showed a downward trend with the increasing ME exposure doses (all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the main effect of cell types and the interaction effect of ME exposure dose and cell type (all P>0.05). There was a significant interaction between ME exposure dose and cell type in the level of glutathione and the activity of SOD (all P<0.01), and the level of malondialdehyde was a significant main effect of cell type (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the glutathione level and SOD activity between the low-dose group and the control group (all P>0.05), while the glutathione level and SOD activity in high-dose group were higher than those in the control group and low-dose group in BEAS-2B cells (all P<0.05). The glutathione level decreased with increasing ME exposure dose in A549 cells (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the low-dose group had a significantly higher activity of SOD (P<0.05) in A549 cells. The SOD activity of A549 cells in high-dose group was lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The level of malondialdehyde in A549 cells was higher than those in BEAS-2B cells(P<0.05). {L-End}Conclusion ME exposure can lead to changes in the production of oxidative stress biomarkers in respiratory tract epithelial cells. The oxidative stress response induced by ME exposure varies among respiratory tract epithelial cells from different regions.

Objective:To investigate the construction and application value of a nomogram predictive model for the prognosis of rectal cancer liver metastases based on Surveillance, Epidemio-logy, and End Results (SEER) database.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 6 192 patients with rectal cancer liver metastases in the SEER database ( http://seer.cancer.gov/) and 312 patients who were admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University January 2010 to December 2016 were collected. Of 6 192 patients, there were 3 592 males and 2 600 cases. There were 1 076 cases with age lower than 50 years, 2 862 cases with age as 50-69 years, 2 254 cases with age equal to or more than 70 years, respectively. Of 312 pati-ents, there were 177 males and 135 cases. There were 51 cases with age lower than 50 years, 155 cases with age as 50-69 years, 109 cases with age equal to or more than 70 years, respectively. Patients of the SEER database were set as the training set, and patients in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University were set as the validation set. Univariate and multivariate COX proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze risk factors associated with prognosis, and construct and verify the accuracy of nomogram predictive model for the prognosis of rectal cancer liver metas-tasis. The training set were used to construct the nomogram prediction model, and the validation set were used to verify its performance. Observation indicators: (1) prognostic factors analysis in patients with rectal cancer liver metastases; (2) construction and verificative of the predictive model for the prognosis of rectal cancer liver metastasis. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the t test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the rank sum test. The COX regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates, and Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:(1) Prognostic factors analysis in patients with rectal cancer liver metastases. Results of multivariate analysis showed that age >50 years, TNM Ⅱ-Ⅳ stage, stage T3-T4, stage N1-N2, the number of lymph nodes dissected <12, tumor diameter >5.1 cm, positive carcinoembryonic antigen, peripheral nerve infiltration, radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy, poorly differentiated or undifferented tumor were independent prognostic factors of patients ( P<0.05). (2) Construction and verification of the predictive model for the prognosis of rectal cancer liver metastasis. A nomogram predictive model for the prognosis of rectal cancer liver metastasis was constructed based in the multivariate analysis. The C-index of the nomogram predictive model was 0.91, with area under the curve as 0.726, indicating a good discriminant ability. Results of the calibration curve in validation dataset showed that the colorectal cancer survival rate predicted by the nomogram predictive model was consistent with the actual survival rate. Conclusion:The nomogram predictive model can accurately predict the survival probability of patients with rectal cancer liver metastases.

Colorectal tumors often create an immunosuppressive microenvironment that prevents them from responding to immunotherapy.Cannabidiol(CBD)is a non-psychoactive natural active ingredient from the cannabis plant that has various pharmacological effects,including neuroprotective,antiemetic,anti-inflammatory,and antineoplastic activities.This study aimed to elucidate the specific anticancer mechanism of CBD by single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)and single-cell ATAC sequencing(scATAC-seq)technologies.Here,we report that CBD inhibits colorectal cancer progression by modulating the suppressive tumor microenvironment(TME).Our single-cell transcriptome and ATAC sequencing results showed that CBD suppressed M2-like macrophages and promoted M1-like macrophages in tumors both in strength and quantity.Furthermore,CBD significantly enhanced the interaction between M1-like macrophages and tumor cells and restored the intrinsic anti-tumor properties of macrophages,thereby preventing tumor progression.Mechanistically,CBD altered the metabolic pattern of macro-phages and related anti-tumor signaling pathways.We found that CBD inhibited the alternative acti-vation of macrophages and shifted the metabolic process from oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation to glycolysis by inhibiting the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway and related downstream target genes.Furthermore,CBD-mediated macrophage plasticity enhanced the response to anti-programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)immunotherapy in xenografted mice.Taken together,we provide new insights into the anti-tumor effects of CBD.