ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between acne vulgaris and gut microbiota. MethodsA total of 29 clinical cases diagnosed with moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris and 26 healthy individuals as control subjects were recruited. Fecal specimens were collected from all participants， and further analysis of gut microbial communities was performed by leveraging high-throughput sequencing techniques that target the hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA genes. ResultsAssociations between acne vulgaris and alterations in gut microbiota were identified. At the phylum level， the relative abundance of Bacteroidota exhibited a statistically significant elevation in the acne vulgaris cohort when compared with the healthy control group （P<0.01）， while Cyanobacteria was significantly lower in the acne group （P<0.01）. At the genus level， the top five different bacterial taxa in both groups were Bacteroides， Escherichia⁃Shigella， Klebsiella， Roseburia， and Parabacteroides. Among them， Bacteroides， Roseburia， and Parabacteroides were more abundant in acne patients. Linear discriminant analysis identified five biomarkers all belonging to the Bacteroidota phylum in the acne and control groups. These biomarkers belong to the phylum Bacteroidetes. ConclusionThere are significant differences in the composition of intestinal microbiota between acne patients and healthy people. Changes in the richness of specific bacterial genera may become new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of acne.

Objective: To analyze the change trends in the body shape indicators and proportions of students in Harbin from 2010 to 2024, and to investigate ergonomic compatibility of functional dimensions of school desks and chairs with current student shape indicators, so as to provide a reference for revising furniture standards of desks and chairs. Methods: Between September and November of both 2010 and 2024, a combination of convenience sampling and stratified cluster random sampling was conducted across three districts in Harbin, yielding samples of 6 590 and 6 252 students, respectively. Anthropometric shape indicators cluding height, sitting height, crus length, and thigh length-and their proportional changes were compared over the 15-year period. The 2024 data were compared with current standard functional dimensions of school furniture. The statistical analysis incorporated t-test and Mann-Whitney U- test. Results: From 2010 to 2024, average height increased by 1.8 cm for boys and 1.5 cm for girls; sitting height increased by 1.5 cm for both genders; crus length increased by 0.3 cm for boys and 0.4 cm for girls; and thigh length increased by 0.5 cm for both genders. The ratios of sitting height to height, and sitting height to leg length increased by less than 0.1 . The difference between desk chair height and 1/3 sitting height ranged from 0.4-0.8 cm. Among students matched with size 0 desks and chairs, 22.0% had a desk to chair height difference less than 0, indicating that the desk to chair height difference might be insufficient for taller students. The differences between seat height and fibular height ranged from -1.4 to 1.1 cm; and the differences between seat depth and buttock popliteal length ranged from -9.8 to 3.4 cm. Among obese students, the differences between seat width and 1/2 hip circumference ranged from -20.5 to -8.7 cm, while it ranged from -12.2 to -3.8 cm among non obese students. Conclusion Current furniture standards basically satisfy hygienic requirements; however, in the case of exceptionally tall and obese students, ergonomic accommodations such as adaptive seating allocation or personalized adjustments are recommended to meet hygienic requirements.

Objective To evaluate the efficiency of intra-tumor and peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics models based on machine learning algorithms for predicting benign and malignant Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4 breast lesions, and provide insights into early diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted based on the medical records of 450 female patients who underwent breast ultrasound examination in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June 2020 to April 2022. The patients were divided into the benign (n = 199) and malignant (n = 195) groups according to pathological examination, and randomized into the training (n = 275) and validation (n = 119) sets at a ratio of 7∶3. Radiomics features were extracted and screened. Intra-tumor, peri-tumor, and intra-tumor + peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics models were constructed based on three machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and multi-layer perceptron (MLP). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curves were plotted to evaluate the efficacy of the radiomics models for prediction of benign and malignant breast lesions. Results A total of 17 intra-tumor, 16 peri-tumor, and 17 intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics features were selected for model construction. Based on LR, MLP, and SVM algorithms, the intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics models showed higher predictive efficacy than intra-tumor and peri-tumor radiomics models. The predictive efficacy of intra-tumor, peri-tumor, and intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics models were higher based on the SVM algorithm than based on LR and MLP algorithms. For the intra-tumor radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm, the area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and a specificity were 0.909, 0.851, 0.860, and 0.842, respectively, in the training set and 0.866, 0.832, 0.847, and 0.817, respectively, in the validation set. For the peri-tumor radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm, these values were 0.899, 0.855, 0.882, and 0.827, respectively, in the training set and 0.844, 0.815, 0.847, and 0.783, respectively, in the validation set. For the intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm, these values were 0.943, 0.876, 0.860, and 0.892, respectively, in the training set and 0.881, 0.849, 0.915, and 0.783, respectively, in the validation set. Conclusion The intra-tumor and peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics models based on machine learning algorithms are highly valuable for prediction of benign and malignant BI-RADS 4 breast lesions. The intra-tumor + peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm has the optimal efficacy for prediction of benign and malignant BI-RADS 4 breast lesions.

BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster infection and affects patients' quality of life. Acupuncture therapy is regarded as a competitive method of treatment for analgesia. OBJECTIVE: To summarize evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different acupuncture therapies for treating PHN. METHODS: Eight electronic databases were searched from their inception to August 5, 2022, including 4 international electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) and 4 Chinese databases (Chinese Biomedical Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database and Wanfang Database). Methodological quality was assessed by A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2). The Risk of Bias in Systematic Review (ROBIS) tool was used to assess the risk of bias in SRs. Evidence level was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: Totally, 7 SRs were included, including 128 studies and 9,792 patients. In AMSTAR 2, most of the SRs were of low or critically low levels since they had more than 1 critical deficiency. In ROBIS, 1 SR (14.29%) was rated as high risk, and the other 6 (85.71%) were rated as low risk. In the GRADE system, 9 outcomes (28.13%) were valued as high level, 5 (15.63%) as moderate level, 1 (3.13%) as low, and 17 (53.13%) as very low. In the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy, the group "moxibustion vs. original medical treatment" [mean difference (MD)=-1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.80 to -1.08, I²=99%, P<0.00001] was of the highest heterogeneity and the group "bloodletting vs. original medical treatment" (MD=-2.80, 95% CI: -3.14 to -2.46, I²=0, P<0.00001) was of the lowest heterogeneity. Six SRs have reported the safety of their studies and no serious events were shown in the treatment and control groups. CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture therapy seems to be effective in treating PHN. Despite the evidence that suggested the advantages of acupuncture therapy in relieving pain and promoting efficacy and safety, the methodological quality was quite low. Further studies should pay more attention to the quality of original studies and evidence for SRs to confirm these findings. (PROSPERO registration No. CRD42022344790).
Humans ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Systematic Reviews as Topic

The angiogenic response is essential for the repair of ischemic brain tissue. Integrin α6 (Itga6) expression has been shown to increase under hypoxic conditions and is expressed exclusively in vascular structures; however, its role in post-ischemic angiogenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that mice with endothelial cell-specific knockout of Itga6 exhibit reduced neovascularization, reduced pericyte coverage on microvessels, and accelerated breakdown of microvascular integrity in the peri-infarct area. In vitro, endothelial cells with ITGA6 knockdown display reduced proliferation, migration, and tube-formation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that ITGA6 regulates post-stroke angiogenesis through the PI3K/Akt-eNOS-VEGFA axis. Importantly, the specific overexpression of Itga6 in endothelial cells significantly enhanced neovascularization and enhanced the integrity of microvessels, leading to improved functional recovery. Our results suggest that endothelial cell Itga6 plays a crucial role in key steps of post-stroke angiogenesis, and may represent a promising therapeutic target for promoting recovery after stroke.
Animals ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism* ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Integrin alpha6/genetics* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Stroke/pathology* ; Vascular Remodeling/physiology* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Mice, Knockout ; Signal Transduction/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/physiology*

As a common clinical treatment technique, nasogastric tube insertion plays an important role in assisting in disease diagnosis and treatment, and promoting patient recovery. Nasogastric tubes currently used in clinical practice are packaged individually without accompanying sterile materials, hence additional materials need to be prepared before operation, which is complicated and prone to omission, consumes clinical manpower, and increases the proportion of departmental consumption. The operator needs to hold the nasogastric tube with one hand and place it with the other hand during operation, the lack of auxiliary tool for uniformly controlling the placement of gastric tubes may easily lead to tube failure due to patient intolerance, agitation, or uneven force exerted by the operator, and improper force may even result in violent tube placement, leading to adverse outcomes such as mucosal bleeding and aspiration into the airway. Medical staff of intensive care unit of department of infectious diseases of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology have designed a nasogastric tube auxiliary pushing device and an intubation kit to overcome the above problems, and obtaining National Utility Model Patent of China (patent number: ZL 2024 2 0300856.X). The device consists of two parts: a nasogastric tube auxiliary pushing device and a nasogastric tube insertion kit. Nasogastric tube auxiliary pushing device mainly consists of a nasogastric tube with guide wire, a circular wire harness, and a booster base with a pushing element. The tube insertion kit includes sterile treatment trays, main placement slots, and other operational accessory slots. The new nasogastric tube auxiliary pushing device and tube insertion kit integrates packaging and portable design, providing stable and uniform assistance for safe insertion of nasogastric tubes by a single person, which is able to reduce the occurrence of complications, ensure patient safety, improve patient comfort, and reduce occupational exposure risks, making it suitable for clinical promotion.
Intubation, Gastrointestinal/methods* ; Equipment Design ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between eight serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and regional fat depots, we analyzed the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 cycles. METHODS: Multiple linear regression models were developed to explore the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and six fat compositions along with a fat distribution score created by summing the concentrations of the six fat compositions. The associations between structurally grouped PFASs and fat distribution were assessed, and a prediction model was developed to estimate the ability of PFAS exposure to predict obesity risk. RESULTS: Among females aged 39-59 years, trunk fat mass was positively associated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Higher concentrations of PFOS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and n-perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA) were linked to greater visceral adipose tissue in this group. In men, exposure to total perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs) and long-chain PFSAs was associated with reductions in abdominal fat, while higher abdominal fat in women aged 39-59 years was associated with short-chain PFSAs. The prediction model demonstrated high accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9925 for predicting obesity risk. CONCLUSION PFAS exposure is associated with regional fat distribution, with varying effects based on age, sex, and PFAS structure. The findings highlight the potential role of PFAS exposure in influencing fat depots and obesity risk, with significant implications for public health. The prediction model provides a highly accurate tool for assessing obesity risk related to PFAS exposure.
Humans ; Fluorocarbons/blood* ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Environmental Pollutants/blood* ; Abdominal Fat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Alkanesulfonic Acids/blood* ; Obesity ; Environmental Exposure

OBJECTIVE: To identify prognostic genes associated with lysosome-dependent cell death (LDCD) in patients with gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using The Cancer Genome Atlas - Stomach Adenocarcinoma. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify the key module genes associated with LDCD score. Candidate genes were identified by DEGs and key module genes. Univariate Cox regression analysis, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed for the selection of prognostic genes, and risk module was established. Subsequently, key cells were identified in the single-cell dataset (GSE183904), and prognostic gene expression was analyzed. Cell proliferation and migration were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and the wound healing assay. RESULTS: A total of 4,465 DEGs, 95 candidate genes, and 4 prognostic genes, including C19orf59, BATF2, TNFAIP2, and TNFSF18, were identified in the analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated the excellent predictive power of the risk model. Three key cell types (B cells, chief cells, and endothelial/pericyte cells) were identified in the GSE183904 dataset. C19orf59 and TNFAIP2 exhibited predominant expression in macrophage species, whereas TNFAIP2 evolved over time in endothelial/pericyte cells and chief cells. Functional experiments confirmed that interfering with C19orf59 inhibited proliferation and migration in GC cells. CONCLUSION C19orf59, BATF2, TNFAIP2, and TNFSF18 are prognostic genes associated with LDCD in GC. Furthermore, the risk model established in this study showed robust predictive power.
Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Lysosomes/physiology* ; RNA-Seq ; Cell Death ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Cell Proliferation ; Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the effects and potential mechanisms by which synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) influences the distribution of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the trans-Golgi network (TGN), endolysosomal system, and cell membranes and to reveal the effects of SV2A on APP amyloid degradation. METHODS: Colocalization analysis of APP with specific tagged proteins in the TGN, ensolysosomal system, and cell membrane was performed to explore the effects of SV2A on the intracellular transport of APP. APP, β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) expressions, and APP cleavage products levels were investigated to observe the effects of SV2A on APP amyloidogenic processing. RESULTS: APP localization was reduced in the TGN, early endosomes, late endosomes, and lysosomes, whereas it was increased in the recycling endosomes and cell membrane of SV2A-overexpressed neurons. Moreover, Arl5b (ADP-ribosylation factor 5b), a protein responsible for transporting APP from the TGN to early endosomes, was upregulated by SV2A. SV2A overexpression also decreased APP transport from the cell membrane to early endosomes by downregulating APP endocytosis. In addition, products of APP amyloid degradation, including sAPPβ, Aβ _1-42, and Aβ _1-40, were decreased in SV2A-overexpressed cells. CONCLUSION These results demonstrated that SV2A promotes APP transport from the TGN to early endosomes by upregulating Arl5b and promoting APP transport from early endosomes to recycling endosomes-cell membrane pathway, which slows APP amyloid degradation.
Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/genetics* ; Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics* ; Animals ; Protein Transport ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Humans ; Mice ; Endosomes/metabolism* ; trans-Golgi Network/metabolism*

ObjectiveTo monitor the real-time changes in ammonia concentration in the laboratory animal facility environment before, during, and after the air conditioning system stops supplying air, so as to provide a basis and reference for developing emergency plans for the shutdown of the air conditioning system. MethodsThe laboratory animal facilities of the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products were used as the research object. Ammonia concentration detectors were used to monitor ammonia concentration continuously in the environment of conventional rabbit production facility, SPF hamster production facility, and SPF guinea pig experimental facility before and after the passive shutdown due to repairs and active maintenance shutdown of the air conditioning system, as well as the time for the ammonia concentration to return to daily levels after resuming air supply. ResultsUnder both shutdown modes of the air conditioning system, the trend of ammonia concentration changes in different laboratory animal facilities was consistent, showing a rapid increase after shutdown and a rapid decrease after resuming air supply. Under active maintenance shutdown, the maximum ammonia concentrations in the conventional rabbit production facilities, SPF hamster production facilities, and SPF guinea pig experimental facilities were 9.81 mg/m³, 14.27 mg/m³, and 6.98 mg/m³, respectively. Within 12 minutes after resuming air supply, ammonia concentration could return to normal daily levels. Under passive long-term shutdown, ammonia concentration value was positively correlated with the duration of air supply suspension. As the shutdown duration increased, ammonia concentration continued to increase. The maximum ammonia concentration values in the three facilities occurred at 88 minutes (38.06 mg/m³), 40 minutes (18.43 mg/m³), and 34 minutes (15.61 mg/m³) after air supply suspension, respectively.Within 11 minutes after resuming air supply, ammonia concentration could return to normal daily levels. ConclusionShutdown of the air conditioning system causes a rapid increase in ammonia concentration in laboratory animal facilities, and the rise in ammonia concentration is positively correlated with the duration of air supply suspension. Therefore, when an emergency shutdown of the air-conditioning system is required due to maintenance or other reasons, backup fans should be provided in accordance with the requirements of GB 50447-2008 "Architectural and Technical Code for Laboratory Animal Facilities". Older facilities should make adequate preparations and develop a scientifically sound emergency plan.