Objective To investigate the association between lifestyle and risk of heart disease and diabetes in the elderly population in Xi'an City. Methods From January 2021 to January 2024, a staged cluster sampling method was used to investigate the lifestyle and the occurrence of heart disease and diabetes in elderly population aged 60 years and above in the communities of Xi'an. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between lifestyle and the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Results A total of 413 elderly people were investigated, of which 31.96% had heart disease, 27.12% had diabetes, and 10.90% had diabetes with heart disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, BMI, family history, sweet food preference, smoking, and sitting and lying for a long time were risk factors for diabetes in the elderly population (P<0.05). Age, BMI, family history, history of diabetes, preference for salted products, smoking, drinking, and sitting and lying for a long time were risk factors for heart disease in the elderly population (P<0.05). Conclusion The incidence rates of heart disease and diabetes are high in the elderly population in Xi'an City. The risk of diabetes is related to unhealthy lifestyles such as sweet food preference, smoking, and sitting and lying for a long time, while heart disease is related to unhealthy lifestyles such as preference for salted products, smoking, drinking, and sitting and lying for a long time.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of plasma exchange (PE) in thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (MG), thereby to provide theoretical support for its application in the treatment of thymoma-associated MG. Methods: A total of 133 patients with thymoma-associated MG admitted from January 2018 to September 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were matched using propensity score to reduce selection bias, yielding 22 matched pairs for both PE group (n=22) and non-PE group (n=22). Patient characteristics including gender, age of disease onset, course of disease, history of thymoma resection, clinical absolute scores [clinical absolute scores (CAS) and clinical relative scores (CRS)], and synchronized immunotherapy regimen of the two groups were analyzed. The CAS scores before and after treatment were compared between the two groups, and the CRS was used to assess the treatment efficiency. Safety of the two treatment regimens were also compared. Continuous variables were compared using the t-test or ANOVA, while categorical data were compared by the chi-square test. Results: A total of 133 patients were included and divided into two groups according to whether they underwent plasma exchange treatment: the PE group (n=22) and the non-PE group (n=111). To exclude bias caused by large difference in the number of cases between the two groups, we performed propensity score matching. After matching, the number of cases in both groups was 22. There was no significant difference in baseline clinical characteristics between the two groups (P>0.05), including gender, age of onset, duration of disease course, history of thymectomy and baseline CAS score before treatment. Compared to the non-PE group, patients in the PE group showed more significant improvement in CAS score (5.09±1.95 vs 3.59±1.50, P<0.05) and a higher CRS score (75.00% vs 50.00%, P<0.001). Compared to the non-PE group, PE group had significantly longer ICU stay, longer hospital stay and higher hospitalization cost (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in adverse events between the two groups during treatment (P>0.05). During long-term follow-up, both the PE and non-PE groups showed relatively low 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence rate, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: This study indicates that plasma exchange has clear value in the treatment of patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis. It can not only significantly improve patients' muscle strength to alleviate motor dysfunction and enhance quality of life, but also does not significantly increase the incidence of adverse reactions. Therefore, it can be regarded as one of the preferred treatment options that achieve a "balance between efficacy and safety" for such patients, and provides an important basis for optimizing treatment strategies, improving prognosis, and promoting the application of subsequent treatment regimens.

Synthetic biology is a crucial tool for the development of the bio-industry and bio-economy, representing a significant aspect of new quality productive forces. As a core course for graduate students in bioengineering, Synthetic Biology plays a vital role in ensuring the supply of essential talents for the development of the bio-industry in the new era. To better serve regional economic development and provide high-level talents for China's progress in the bio-industry, we analyzed typical issues encountered in the past teaching activities, set up a multi-disciplinary teaching team, optimized the course contents, adjusted the teaching mode, and mobilized students' learning interest. With the application of scientific research project as the starting point, we guided students to think and discuss deeply through the simulation of application writing and project defense, which improved students' critical thinking and innovative thinking. With industrialization as a focus, we explored a new training model combining production, education, and research through the joint practice base of the university and enterprises introduced typical cases of biomanufacturing to encourage students to engage in scientific research. The teaching reform significantly enhances the comprehensive abilities and national sentiments of graduate students. This paper hopes to serve as a reference for colleagues engaged in teaching in this field.
Synthetic Biology/education* ; Teaching ; China ; Humans

ObjectivesTo summarize the clinical and pathological features of patients with congenital liver fibrosis （CHF）， and to investigate the differences in clinical and pathological features between patients in different age groups. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinicopathological data of 26 patients with pathologically confirmed CHF in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from August 2005 to June 2023， and the patients were stratified by age to investigate the clinical and pathological features of patients in different age groups. ResultsAmong the 26 patients， there were 12 male patients and 14 female patients， with an age of onset of 4 — 61 years. There were 19 patients with portal hypertension type （73.08%）， 2 patients with cholangitis type （7.69%）， 4 patients with mixed type （15.38%）， and 1 patient with occult type （3.85%）. Of all 26 patients， 4 had unknown clinical symptoms， and among the 22 patients with clear clinical symptoms， 10 （45.45%） attended the hospital due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by portal hypertension. Pathological manifestations included roughly normal liver parenchyma separated by fibrous septa in the portal area， with the presence of abnormal reactive bile duct hyperplasia. Denser fibrous septa and a lack of portal veins with the corresponding caliber were observed in 4 pediatric patients with disease onset before the age of 10 years， with a significant reduction or even disappearance of compensatory thin-walled blood vessels. ConclusionPortal hypertension-type CHF is the most common type in clinical practice. Patients with an early age of onset have certain histopathological features of the liver， with the presence of serious complications associated with portal hypertension. Therefore， liver biopsy should be performed for patients suspected of CHF in clinical practice， and genetic testing should be performed when necessary. Early identification and diagnosis are of great importance for improving the prognosis of patients.

Due to the difficulty of overcoming the abnormal epidermal barriers and addressing S. aureus infections without disrupting indigenous skin microbiota, effective treatment of bacterial infection atopic dermatitis (AD) remains a significant clinical challenge. Skin microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) shows protentional for skin disease treatment, but the lack of antimicrobial activity and limited skin penetration hamper their application in bacterial infection AD treatment. Here, we developed novel nanoantibiotics by loading Lev into S. epidermidis-derived EVs (Lev@SE-EVs), with supreme antimicrobial activity, regulating epidermal immune responses and enhanced epidermal barrier functionality. The nanoantibiotics were further integrated into hyaluronic acid-based microneedle (MN) for efficient transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents and effectively treating bacterial infection in AD. Upon insertion into the skin, the rapidly released Lev@SE-EVs from MN are uptake by S. aureus in a selective manner, fibroblasts, and surrounding immune cells to exert therapeutic effects in the infected dermal layer, resulting in mitigated skin inflammation, reduced S. aureus burden and increased dermis repair. Notably, Lev@SE-EVs induce IL-17A⁺ CD8⁺ T-cell accumulation in the skin in an unrelated inflammation manner, which may represent heterologous protection. This EVs-integrated MN assisted Lev@SE-EVs to alleviate skin inflammation, repair skin, and provide an effective and safe therapeutic approach for bacterial infection AD treatment.

RNA-based gene therapy has been widely used for various diseases, and extensive studies have proved that suitable delivery routes greatly help the development of RNA therapeutics. Identifying a safe and effective delivery system is key to realizing RNA therapeutics' clinical translation. Inhalation is a non-invasive pulmonary delivery modality that can enhance the retention of therapeutic agents in the lungs with negligible toxicity, thereby improving patient compliance. Inhaled RNA therapeutics are increasingly becoming an area of focus for researchers; however, only several clinical trials have explored inhaled delivery of RNA for pulmonary diseases. This review presents an overview of recent advances in inhaled delivery systems for RNA therapeutics, including viral and nonviral systems, highlighting state of the art regarding inhalation in the messenger RNA (mRNA) field. We also summarize the applications of mRNA inhalants in infectious and other lung diseases. Simultaneously, the research progresses on small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), and different types of RNA are also discussed to provide new strategies for developing RNA inhalation therapy. Finally, we clarify the challenges inhaled RNA-based therapeutics face before their widespread adoption and provide insights to help advance this exciting field to the bedside.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of orexin-A-mediated regulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors for promoting motor function recovery in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Thirty-six newborn SD rats (aged 7-14 days) were randomized into 6 groups (n=6), including a normal control group, a sham-operated group, and 4 SCI groups with daily intrathecal injection of saline, DNQX, orexin-A, or orexin-A+DNQX for 3 consecutive days after PCI. Motor function of the rats were evaluated using blood-brain barrier (BBB) score and inclined plane test 1 day before and at 1, 3, and 7 days after SCI. For patch-clamp experiment, spinal cord slices from newborn rats in the control, sham-operated, SCI, and SCI+orexin groups were prepared, and ventral horn neurons were acutely isolated to determine the reversal potential and dynamic indicators of glutamate receptor-mediated currents under glutamate perfusion. RESULTS: At 3 and 7 days after SCI, the orexin-A-treated rats showed significantly higher BBB scores and grip tilt angles than those with other interventions. Compared with those treated with DNQX alone, the rats receiving the combined treatment with orexin and DNQX had significantly higher BBB scores and grip tilt angles on day 7 after PCI. In the patch-clamp experiment, the ventral horn neurons from SCI rat models exhibited obviously higher reversal potential and greater rise slope of glutamate current with shorter decay time than those from sham-operated and orexin-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS Orexin-A promotes motor function recovery in rats after SCI possibly by improving the function of the ionotropic glutamate receptors.
Animals ; Spinal Cord Injuries/drug therapy* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Ionotropic Glutamate/metabolism* ; Recovery of Function/drug effects* ; Orexins/pharmacology* ; Male ; Female ; Animals, Newborn ; Neuropeptides/pharmacology* ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/pharmacology*

Poloxamer， as a non-ionic surfactant， exhibits a unique triblock [polyethylene oxide-poly （propylene oxide）-polyethylene oxide] structure， which endows it with broad application potential in various fields， including solid dispersion technology， nanotechnology， gel technology， biologics， gene engineering and 3D printing. As a carrier， it enhances the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In the field of nanotechnology， it serves as a stabilizer etc.， enriching preparation methods. In gel technology， its self-assembly behavior and thermosensitive properties facilitate controlled drug release. In biologics， it improves targeting efficiency and reduces side effects. In gene engineering， it enhances delivery efficiency and expression levels. In 3D printing， it provides novel strategies for precise drug release control and the production of high-quality biological products. As a versatile material， poloxamer holds promising prospects in the pharmaceutical field.