ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of the combination of components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma on rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes （RA-FLSs） and the underlying mechanism. MethodsRA-FLSs were grouped as follows： blank control， positive control （methotrexate）， Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma components， Chuanxiong Rhizoma components， and components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma+Chuanxiong Rhizoma. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was employed to the cell proliferation， invasion， and apoptosis. The levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-6， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， and malondiadehyde （MDA） in cells were measured. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）， nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） p65， phosphorylated inhibitory subunit of NF-κBα （p-IκBα）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-3 （Caspase-3）， and B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）. Real-time PCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of Nrf2， HO-1， and NF-κB p65. ResultsThe cells in the groups of positive control， Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma components， Chuanxiong Rhizoma components， and components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma+Chuanxiong Rhizoma were treated with 2.50 mg·L^-1 methotrexate， 0.20 mg·L^-1 triptolide + 0.20 mg·L^-1 celastrol， 5.00 mg·L^-1 ferulic acid + 20.00 mg·L^-1 ligustrazine， 0.20 mg·L^-1 triptolide + 0.20 mg·L^-1 celastrol + 5.00 mg·L^-1 ferulic acid + 20.00 mg·L^-1 ligustrazine， respectively. Compared with the blank control group， drug administration reduced the proliferation and invasion and increased the apoptosis of cells （P<0.01）， lowered the levels of TNF-α， IL-6， ROS， and MDA （P<0.01）， up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of Caspase-3， Nrf2， and HO-1 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of Bcl-2， NF-κB p65， and p-IκBα （P<0.01）. Compared with the Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma components group， the combination of components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma+Chuanxiong Rhizoma inhibited the proliferation and invasion （P<0.05） and promoted the apoptosis of RA-FLSs， up-regulated the mRNA levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and protein levels of Nrf2 and Caspase-3 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated the protein levels of NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe combination of components from Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma can inhibit the proliferation and invasion and promote the apoptosis of RA-FLSs and alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway， activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway， and regulating the expression of Bcl-2/Caspase-3.

Objective To explore the protective effect and mechanism of Jinyinqingre oral liquid on acute lung injury in-duced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)in mice.Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups according to the random number table method:blank control group,model control group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid low-dose group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid medium-dose group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid high-dose group,and dexamethasone group.Except for the blank control group,the other groups were injected with lipopolysac charide(LPS)(5 mg·kg-1)into the trachea to establish the acute lung injury model of mice,and the Jinyinqingre oral liquid low,medium,and high groups were continuously administered the drug by gavage for three days.After 24 h,lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were collected from the six groups for follow-up detection.The pathological injury of lung tissue in each group was observed by HE staining.The total number of cells in BALF was detected.The to-tal protein content of BALF was detected by the BCA method.The contents of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and IgM in BALF were detected by ELISA.The expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 proteins in lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Results Compared with model control group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid alleviated the pathological injury of lung tissue(P＜0.05),decreased the total cell count,total protein content and IgM expression in BALF(P＜0.01),and the expres-sion of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in BALF was dreased(P＜0.05),the protein expressions of NF-κB and NL-RP3 in lung tissues was dreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Jinyinqingre oral liquid attenuated the pathological injury,inflammatory exudation,and expression of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-induced lung injury in mice,and its mechanism may be through the reg-ulation of NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway,providing a theoretical basis for its clinical application.

Objective:To evaluate the association between preoperative serum β 2-microglobulin (β 2MG) concentrations and postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients. Methods:The study selected patients who underwent knee or hip arthroplasty under spinal-epidural anesthesia on an elective basis at Qingdao Municipal Hospital from May 2021 to November 2022. The patients were divided into a POD group and a non-POD group based on the occurrence of POD. The study was conducted as part of the Perioperative Neurocognitive Impairment and Biomarkers Lifestyle Cohort, which was a nested case-control study. The study collected baseline data from two groups of patients and analyzed the differences between them. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for POD. The stability of the regression model was tested using sensitivity analysis. The mediation model was used to examine whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers mediated the relationship between β 2MG and POD. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn and the area under the curve was calculated to evaluate the accuracy of preoperative β 2MG concentrations and CSF biomarker concentration in predicting POD. Results:There were 57 cases in POD group and 449 cases in non-POD group. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the increased β 2MG and CSF total tau protein (t-tau) concentrations were risk factors for POD, and the increased CSF β-amyloid 42 concentration was a protective factor for POD after adjustment for multiple confounders such as age, gender, education, Mini-Mental State Examination, history of hypertension and infusion volume ( P<0.05). The results of mediation analysis showed that the serum β 2MG′s effect on POD was partly mediated by t-tau (18.1%). The results of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve of the β 2MG concentration combined with the CSF biomarker concentration was 0.742. Conclusions:Elevated preoperative serum β 2MG concentration is a risk factor for POD in elderly patients, and the relationship may be partly mediated by CSF t-tau.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between preoperative serum bilirubin concentrations and postoperative delirium (POD) in the patients undergoing knee or hip replacement.Methods:Medical records from 413 patients undergoing knee or hip arthroplasty were selected from August 2020 to October 2023 at Qingdao Municipal Hospital using a nested case-control design based on the PNDABLE study cohort. The patients were divided into POD group ( n=77) and non-POD group ( n=336) according to whether POD occurred. Univariate analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for POD. The significance of mediation effect was tested. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to evaluate the accuracy of risk factors in predicting POD. Results:There were significant differences in age, education time, ratio of diabetes history, Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale score, total bilirubin concentration, direct bilirubin concentration, indirect bilirubin concentration, Aβ 42 concentration, p-tau concentration, t-tau concentration, Aβ 42/p-tau ratio and Aβ 42/t-tau ratio between POD group and non-POD group ( P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative serum total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin were risk factors for POD ( P<0.05). The results of mediation effects showed that the concentration of total tau protein in CSF partly mediated the relationship between high serum total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin concentrations and POD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin combined with CSF biomarker concentrations in predicting POD was 0.83 ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Preoperative elevated concentrations of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin are risk factors for POD in the patients undergoing knee or hip replacement. CSF t-tau concentration has a partly mediating role in the association between serum total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin concentrations and the development of POD.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanisms of Shoutai Wan （寿胎丸） in treating recurrent miscarriage （RSA） from the perspective of immune tolerance under the acidic microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface. MethodsFemale CBA/J mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， progesterone group， and Shoutai Wan group， with 15 mice in each group. The mice in the normal group and model group were given 0.2 ml distilled water by gavage each day， the Shoutai Wan group given Shoutai Wan decoction 0.15 g/（10 g·d） by gavage， the progesterone group given progesterone tablets 0.44 mg/（10 g·d） by gavage. After gavage for 14 days， the mice were cohabited. Female CBA/J mice in the normal group were mated with male BALB/c mice at a ratio of 2∶1， and female CBA/J mice in the other groups were mated with male DBA/2 mice at a ratio of 2∶1 to establish the RSA mouse model. Vaginal smears were taken from the female mice the next morning， and the appearance of a large number of spermatozoa and the presence of a vaginal plug were considered as the first day of pregnancy. After the appearance of the plug， the mice were continued to be administered according to the previous method until the 10th day of pregnancy. On the 10th day of pregnancy， maternal-fetal interface tissues were collected from each group of mice， and lactate dehydrogenase colorimetric method was used to detect lactate （LA） content； qPCR method and Western blot method were used to detect the expression of immune-related factors interleukin-4 （IL-4）， interferon-gamma （IFN-γ）， transforming growth factor beta 1 （TGF-β1）， and forkhead box protein 3 （Foxp3） mRNA and protein； flow cytometry was used to detect the numbers of helper T lymphocyte 1 （Th1）， helper T lymphocyte 2 （Th2）， regulatory T cell （Treg）， classical macrophage （M1）， and alternative macrophage （M2）. The bivariate Pearson test was used to analyze the correlation between LA content and the numbers of Th1， Th2， Treg， M1， and M2 cells， as well as the correlation between LA content and the expression of IL-4， IFN-γ， TGF-β1， Foxp3 protein， and mRNA. ResultsOn the 10th day of pregnancy， compared with the normal group， the LA content decreased in the model group， and the expression of IL-4， TGF-β1， Foxp3 protein and mRNA in the maternal-fetal interface tissues decreased， while the expression of IFN-γ protein and mRNA increased. The numbers of Th1 and M1 cells increased， while the numbers of Th2， Treg， and M2 cells decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the LA content increased in the Shoutai Wan group and progesterone group. The expression of IL-4， TGF-β1， Foxp3 protein and mRNA in the maternal-fetal interface tissues increased， while the expression of IFN-γ protein and mRNA decreased. The numbers of Th1 and M1 cells decreased， while the numbers of Th2， Treg， and M2 cells increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The LA content was positively correlated with the numbers of Th2， Treg， and M2 cells， and the expression of IL-4， TGF-β1， Foxp3 protein， and mRNA （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the LA content was negatively correlated with the numbers of Th1， M1 cells， and the expression of IFN-γ protein and mRNA （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionShoutai Wan may improve immune tolerance by regulating the expression of immune-related factors in the acidic microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface of RSA model mice， thereby exerting its role in preventing miscarriage.

Objective:To investigate the value of implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) in the diagnosis and treatment of patients over 60 years old with unexplained syncope.Methods:This was a multi-center, prospective cohort study. Between June 2018 and April 2021, patients over the age of 60 with unexplained syncope at Beijing Hospital, Fuwai Hospital, Beijing Anzhen Hospital and Puren Hospital were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on their decision to receive ICM implantation (implantation group and conventional follow-up group). The endpoint was the recurrence of syncope and cardiogenic syncope as determined by positive cardiac arrhythmia events recorded at the ICM or diagnosed during routine follow-up. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis was used to compare the differences of cumulative diagnostic rate between the 2 groups. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of diagnosis of cardiogenic syncope in patients with unexplained syncope.Results:A total of 198 patients with unexplained syncope, aged (72.9±8.25) years, were followed for 558.0 (296.0,877.0) d, including 98 males (49.5%). There were 100 (50.5%) patients in the implantation group and 98 (49.5%) in the conventional follow-up group. Compared with conventional follow-up group, patients in the implantation group were older, more likely to have comorbidities, had a higher proportion of first degree atrioventricular block indicated by baseline electrocardiogram, and had a lower body mass index (all P<0.05). During the follow-up period, positive cardiac arrhythmia events were recorded in 58 (58.0%) patients in the ICM group. The diagnosis rate (42.0% (42/100) vs. 4.1% (4/98), P<0.001) and the intervention rate (37.0% (37/100) vs. 2.0% (2/98), P<0.001) of cardiogenic syncope in the implantation group were higher than those in the conventional follow-up group (all P<0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative diagnostic rate of cardiogenic syncope was significantly higher in the implantation group than in the traditional follow-up group ( HR=11.66, 95% CI 6.49-20.98, log-rank P<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that ICM implantation, previous atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus or first degree atrioventricular block in baseline electrocardiogram were independent predictors for cardiogenic syncope (all P<0.05). Conclusions:ICM implantation improves the diagnosis and intervention rates in patients with unexplained syncope, and increases diagnostic efficiency in patients with unexplained syncope.

Objective:To analyze the status quo of intelligent health management services in health examination institutions in Shanxi Province.Methods:This study is a cross-sectional study. In October 2023, 292 health examination institutions in 11 cities of Shanxi Province were surveyed by convenient sampling with the help of “Questionnaire star” to investigate the health examination (management) institutions to carry out smart health management services from January to December 2022. It was mainly divided into three aspects: pre-inspection, in-inspection and post-inspection, including 6 dimensions, with a total of 21 items. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed in this survey, and 292 were effectively collected, with an effective recovery rate of 97.33%. The 292 questionnaires were divided and compared according to four regions: the north of Shanxi Province, the middle of Shanxi Province, the south of Shanxi Province and the southeast of Shanxi Province.Results:The health examination (management) institutions were distributed in 11 prefectures and cities in Shanxi Province, and there were 56 (19.2%) tertiary health examination (management) institutions. There were 178 government organizations (61.0%) and 114 social organizations (39.0%). There were 256 (87.7%) that carried out smart health management services; among them, 229 (78.4%) had smart management service systems, and 58 (19.9%) had physical examination centers with smart health management clinics. A total of 108 institutions (36.99%) carried out follow-up visits after intelligent screening. The prevalence of intelligent referrals were 63.3%, 59.6%, 78.0% and 85.2% in the north of Shanxi Province, the middle of Shanxi Province, the south of Shanxi Province and the southeast of Shanxi Province, respectively ( χ2=14.02, P<0.05). The prevalence of self-service in the north of Shanxi Province, the middle of Shanxi Province, the south of Shanxi Province and the southeast of Shanxi Province were 39.2%, 52.3%, 62.0% and 37.0%, respectively ( χ2=9.75, P<0.05). Conclusions:The development of intelligent health management in health examination (management) institutions in Shanxi Province is good, and the service scale continues to grow, but the problem of uneven development among regions is severe. In addition, the proportion of institutions providing services through information technology is not high, and the rate of intelligent management outpatient service, intelligent post-examination follow-up and intelligent physical examination service satisfaction is low.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between physical activity (PA) and postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing knee or hip arthroplasty.Methods:The study was conducted as part of the Perioperative Neurocognitive Impairment and Biomarkers Lifestyle Cohort, which was a nested case-control study. Medical records from elderly patients undergoing elective knee or hip arthroplasty under spinal-epidural anesthesia at Qingdao Municipal Hospital from August 2022 to August 2023 were collected. The patients were divided into a POD group ( n=89) and a non-POD group ( n=221) based on the occurrence of POD. Peripheral blood samples were collected before surgery, and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 2 ml was extracted after successful puncture under spinal-epidural anesthesia for determination of the concentrations of amyloid-β 42 (Aβ 42), total tau protein (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of POD, and the mediation analysis was conducted to examine the mediating role of CSF biomarker in the relationship between PA and POD. Results:Logistic regression analysis showed that the increased concentration of CSF biomarkers Aβ 42 ( OR=0.997, P=0.006), elevated ratio of Aβ 42/t-tau ( OR=0.642, P=0.003), elevated ratio of Aβ 42/p-tau ratio ( OR=0.872, P=0.001) and PA ( OR=0.374, P=0.001) were protective factors for POD, while the elevated concentrations of t-tau ( OR=1.006, P=0.001) and p-tau ( OR=1.030, P=0.011) were risk factors for POD after adjusting for multi-confounders such as hypertension, diabetes, history of drinking, years of education and Mini-Mental State Examination score. The results of the mediation analysis showed that Aβ 42 (20%), t-tau (16%), Aβ 42/t-tau (23%) and Aβ 42/p-tau (28%) played mediating roles in the relationship between PA and POD. Conclusions:PA is a protective factor for POD in elderly patients undergoing knee or hip arthroplasty and CSF biomarkers may play a mediating role in the relationship between PA and POD.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between the preoperative sleep quality and postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients.Methods:Three hundred and eighty-nine patients of either sex, aged 65-90 yr, with American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, who underwent elective knee/hip arthroplasty under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia in Qingdao Municipal Hospital from May 2022 to October 2023, were selected. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale was applied at 1 day before surgery to assess the sleep quality within 1 month before surgery. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens 2 ml were withdrawn from the subarachnoid space before anesthesia for determination of the concentrations of biomarkers (β-amyloid), total tau protein [t-tau], and phosphorylated tau protein [p-tau]) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients were divided into POD group and non-POD group based on whether delirium occurred within 7 days after surgery. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for POD, and the sensitivity analysis was used to test the stability of the regression models. The mediation model was used to examine whether CSF biomarkers mediated the link between sleep quality and POD. The accuracy of preoperative sleep quality and CSF biomarker concentrations in predicting the occurrence of POD was evaluated by plotting the receiver operating characteristic curve and calculating the area under the curve.Results:Two hundred and seventy-nine patients were finally included, with 33 patients in POD group and 246 patients in non-POD group. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that shorter sleep duration, use of hypnotics, daytime dysfunction within 1 month before surgery, elevated t-tau concentrations in CSF, and elevated p-tau concentrations in CSF were risk factors for POD after adjusting for multiple confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, years of education, Mini-Mental State Examination score, and VAS score. The results of mediating effect showed that the effect of use of hypnotics and daytime dysfunction within 1 month before surgery on POD was partially mediated by p-tau concentrations in CSF (>10%). The area under the curve of combination of daytime dysfunction, sleep duration, use of hypnotics within 1 month before surgery, and CSF biomarker concentrations in predicting POD was 0.979.Conclusions:Shortened sleep duration, use of hypnotic, and daytime dysfunction with 1 month before surgery are risk factors for POD in elderly patients, and the association between use of hypnotics and daytime dysfunction and POD is partially mediated by p-tau in CSF.

To achieve the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality (double carbon), China has been updating and developing low-carbon coal-fired power generation technology. While reducing carbon dioxide emissions, it has achieved a significant reduction in emissions of pollutants such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. However, at the same time, with the relative increase in emissions of certain pollutants such as sulfur trioxide, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds, the types and proportions of pollutant emissions have changed. This study summarized the technological improvements in coal-fired power generation both domestically and internationally, as well as the types and proportions of pollutants emitted by different coal-fired power generation modes. It also reviewed the epidemiological research progress on the impact of pollutants emitted from coal-fired power generation on the cardiopulmonary health of the population, expounded environmental impact of different coal-fired power models, and analyzed the changes in population exposure load and cardiopulmonary health benefits of low-carbon coal-fired power generation emissions, aiming to provide references for achieving carbon reduction and emission reduction goals and protecting the health of the population.