Objective: To quantitatively assess the health risk of preservatives from beverages around primary schools in Anshun City, and to provide scientific basis for precise food safety supervision. Methods: From December 2023 to July 2024, 602 beverage samples were randomly collected from within 100 meters of 19 primary schools in Anshun City. The content of benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and dehydroacetic acid was detected according to GB 5009 series standards. Combined with children s physiological parameters (body weight 30 kg, daily intake 0.15 L), the Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) models were used to evaluate health risks. Results: The total detection rate of preservatives from beverages around primary schools was 63.0%, and the total over limit rate was 9.0%. The detection rate of preservatives in flavored beverages was the highest (72.6%), and the highest over limit rate of preservatives in special purpose beverages was the highest (17.2%). The single preservative HQ (benzoic acid up to 0.47 ) and mixed HI (up to 0.55) of all samples were below 1(safety threshold). However, the HQ value of benzoic acid in flavored beverages (0.47) was 2.9 times that of sorbic acid (0.16), contributing significantly to health risk. Sensitivity analysis showed that if the daily consumption increased to 0.3 L, the HI value of flavored beverages would rise to 1.11, exceeding the safety threshold. Enterprise scale analysis showed that the exceedance rate of special purpose beverages in large enterprises reached 30.0%, while micro enterprises, accounting for a dominant market share (52.2%), constituted the main source of children s daily exposure to their products. Conclusions The overall health risk of perservatives in beverages sold near primary schools in Anshun City is controllable, but there is a noticeable risk of gradient. The risk of children’s exposure to preservatives through beverage consumption should not be ignored.

Purpose: The role of the Clinical Treatment Score post-5 years (CTS5) in male breast cancer (MBC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and prognosis of CTS5 between MBC and female breast cancer (FBC). Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative/estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer between 2010 and 2015 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model were used for statistical analysis. Results: This study included 169,869 patients, comprising 168,422 (99.1%) FBC and 1,447 (0.9%) MBC patients. More MBC patients had intermediate risk (IR)/high risk (HR) disease compared to FBC patients (17.7% vs. 8.7%, p < 0.001). MBC patients had an inferior overall survival (OS) but similar breast cancer-specific survival compared to those with FBC. Sensitivity analyses showed that sex was an independent prognostic factor associated with OS but not breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in both the low-risk (LR) and IR/HR cohorts. Those with MBC exhibited significantly worse OS (p < 0.001) than FBC patients in both cohorts. In MBC patients, those with IR/HR disease had significantly worse OS (p < 0.001) and BCSS (p < 0.001) compared to those with LR disease. For FBC patients, the IR/HR group had also significantly worse OS (p < 0.001) and BCSS (p < 0.001) compared to the LR group. Conclusion Our findings highlight critical differences in clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes between MBC and FBC, suggesting the need for sex-tailored approaches in breast cancer management.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are ubiquitous components within cells, fulfilling essential functions in a myriad of biological processes. These proteins interact with RNA molecules to regulate gene expression at various levels, including transcription, splicing, transport, localization, translation, and degradation. Understanding the intricate network of RBP-RNA interactions is crucial for deciphering the complex regulatory mechanisms that govern cellular function and organismal development. Ultravidet (UV) cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) stands out as a powerful approach designed to map the precise locations where RBPs bind to RNA. By using UV light to create covalent bonds between proteins and RNA, followed by immunoprecipitation to isolate the protein-RNA complexes, researchers can identify the direct targets of specific RBPs. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has revolutionized CLIP, enabling the identification of not only the types but also the exact sequences of RNA bound by RBPs on a genome-wide scale. The evolution of CLIP has led to the development of specialized variants, each with unique features that address specific challenges and expand the scope of what can be studied. High-throughput sequencing CLIP (HITS-CLIP) was one of the first advancements, significantly increasing the throughput and resolution of RNA-protein interaction mapping. Photoactivatable-ribonucleoside-enhanced CLIP (PAR-CLIP) introduced the use of photoactivatable ribonucleosides to enhance cross-linking efficiency and specificity, reducing background noise and improving the detection of low-abundance RNA-protein interactions. Individual-nucleotide resolution CLIP (iCLIP) further refined the technique, achieving unprecedented precision by resolving individual nucleotides involved in RBP binding, which is particularly valuable for studying the fine details of RNA structure and function. Despite the remarkable progress, there remains room for improvement in CLIP technology. Researchers continue to seek methods to increase sensitivity, reduce technical variability, and improve the reproducibility of results. Advances in sample preparation, data analysis algorithms, and computational tools are critical for addressing these challenges. Moreover, the application of CLIP to more diverse biological systems, including non-model organisms and clinical samples, requires the development of tailored protocols and the optimization of existing ones. Looking forward, the field of RNA biology is poised to benefit greatly from ongoing innovations in CLIP technology. The exploration of non-canonical RNA-protein interactions, such as those involving long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), promises to reveal new layers of cellular regulation and may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Furthermore, integrating CLIP data with other omics approaches, such as proteomics and metabolomics, will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interplay between RNA and its binding partners within the cell. In conclusion, the continuous refinement and expansion of CLIP techniques have not only deepened our knowledge of RNA biology but have also opened up new avenues for investigating the molecular underpinnings of health and disease. As the technology matures, it is expected to play an increasingly pivotal role in both basic and applied research, contributing to the advancement of medical science and biotechnology.

AIM: To investigate the effect of intense pulsed light(IPL)combined with Yuyin Runmu formula fumigation and meibomian gland massage on the treatment of patients with meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD)-related dry eye.METHODS: Prospectively selected 198 cases(396 eyes)of MGD-related dry eye patients admitted to our hospital from November 2021 to November 2023, and they were randomly divided into 99 cases(198 eyes)in control group treated with fumigation of Yuyin Runmu formula and meibomian gland massage, and 99 cases(198 eyes)in observation group treated with combined IPL on the basis of the control group. The efficacy of the two groups was compared, as well as the changes in the levels of ocular indexes [tear film break-up time(BUT), Schirmer I test(SⅠt)], visual quality [objective scattering index(OSI), Strehl ratio(SR), and modulation transfer function(MTF)], lipid layer thickness(LLT)of the tear film, and changes in tear fluid levels of inflammatory factors [tumour necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and transforming growth factor-beta 1(TGF-β1)].RESULTS: All the patients completely received the treatment and follow-up. The levels of BUT, SⅠt, SR, MTF, and LLT increased and the levels of OSI, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 decreased in the two groups at 2 mo after treatment(all P<0.001), and the observation group was more favourable(all P<0.001).CONCLUSION: IPL combined with Yuyin Runmu formula fumigation and meibomian gland massage is effective in treating MGD-related dry eye, improving patients' ocular parameters, visual quality, and LLT, and decreasing the levels of inflammatory factors in the tear fluid.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of zedoarondiol on neovascularization of atherosclerotic (AS) plaque by exosomes experiment. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet to establish AS model and treated with high- and low-dose (10, 5 mg/kg daily) of zedoarondiol, respectively. After 14 weeks, the expressions of anti-angiogenic protein thrombospondin 1 (THBS-1) and its receptor CD36 in plaques, as well as platelet activation rate and exosome-derived miR-let-7a were detected. Then, zedoarondiol was used to intervene in platelets in vitro, and miR-let-7a was detected in platelet-derived exosomes (Pexo). Finally, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-let-7a mimics and treated with Pexo to observe the effect of miR-let-7a in Pexo on tube formation. RESULTS: Animal experiments showed that after treating with zedoarondiol, the neovascularization density in plaques of AS mice was significantly reduced, THBS-1 and CD36 increased, the platelet activation rate was markedly reduced, and the miR-let-7a level in Pexo was reduced (P<0.01). In vitro experiments, the platelet activation rate and miR-let-7a levels in Pexo were significantly reduced after zedoarondiol's intervention. Cell experiments showed that after Pexo's intervention, the tube length increased, and the transfection of miR-let-7a minics further increased the tube length of cells, while reducing the expressions of THBS-1 and CD36. CONCLUSION Zedoarondiol has the effect of inhibiting neovascularization within plaque in AS mice, and its mechanism may be potentially related to inhibiting platelet activation and reducing the Pexo-derived miRNA-let-7a level.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Exosomes/drug effects* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/genetics* ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics* ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Humans ; Blood Platelets/drug effects* ; Apolipoproteins E/deficiency* ; Thrombospondin 1/metabolism* ; CD36 Antigens/metabolism* ; Platelet Activation/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of biology has witnessed remarkable advancements. Among these, the most notable achievements have emerged in the domain of protein structure prediction and design, with AlphaFold and related innovations earning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These breakthroughs have transformed our ability to understand protein folding and molecular interactions, marking a pivotal milestone in computational biology. Looking ahead, it is foreseeable that the accurate prediction of various physicochemical properties of proteins—beyond static structure—will become the next critical frontier in this rapidly evolving field. One of the most important protein properties is thermodynamic stability, which refers to a protein’s ability to maintain its native conformation under physiological or stress conditions. Accurate prediction of protein stability, especially upon single-point mutations, plays a vital role in numerous scientific and industrial domains. These include understanding the molecular basis of disease, rational drug design, development of therapeutic proteins, design of more robust industrial enzymes, and engineering of biosensors. Consequently, the ability to reliably forecast the stability changes caused by mutations has broad and transformative implications across biomedical and biotechnological applications. Historically, protein stability was assessed via experimental methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD), which, while precise, are time-consuming and resource-intensive. This prompted the development of computational approaches, including empirical energy functions and physics-based simulations. However, these traditional models often fall short in capturing the complex, high-dimensional nature of protein conformational landscapes and mutational effects. Recent advances in machine learning (ML) have significantly improved predictive performance in this area. Early ML models used handcrafted features derived from sequence and structure, whereas modern deep learning models leverage massive datasets and learn representations directly from data. Deep neural networks (DNNs), graph neural networks (GNNs), and attention-based architectures such as transformers have shown particular promise. GNNs, in particular, excel at modeling spatial and topological relationships in molecular structures, making them well-suited for protein modeling tasks. Furthermore, attention mechanisms enable models to dynamically weigh the contribution of specific residues or regions, capturing long-range interactions and allosteric effects. Nevertheless, several key challenges remain. These include the imbalance and scarcity of high-quality experimental datasets, particularly for rare or functionally significant mutations, which can lead to biased or overfitted models. Additionally, the inherently dynamic nature of proteins—their conformational flexibility and context-dependent behavior—is difficult to encode in static structural representations. Current models often rely on a single structure or average conformation, which may overlook important aspects of stability modulation. Efforts are ongoing to incorporate multi-conformational ensembles, molecular dynamics simulations, and physics-informed learning frameworks into predictive models. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the evolution of protein thermodynamic stability prediction techniques, with emphasis on the recent progress enabled by machine learning. It highlights representative datasets, modeling strategies, evaluation benchmarks, and the integration of structural and biochemical features. The aim is to provide researchers with a structured and up-to-date reference, guiding the development of more robust, generalizable, and interpretable models for predicting protein stability changes upon mutation. As the field moves forward, the synergy between data-driven AI methods and domain-specific biological knowledge will be key to unlocking deeper understanding and broader applications of protein engineering.

Objective: Data on syncopal donation-related vasovagal reaction (DRVR) collected from 74 blood centers between 2020 and 2023 was statistically analyzed to provide a reference for developing preventive strategies against syncopal DRVR. Methods: Data on blood donation adverse reactions and basic information of donors from 2020 to 2023 were collected through the information management system at monitoring sentinel sites. Statistical analysis was performed on the following aspects of syncopal DRVR: characteristics of donors who experienced syncope, reported incidence, triggers, duration, presence and occurrence time of syncope-related trauma, clinical management including outpatient and inpatient treatment, and severity grading. Results: From 2020 to 2023, 45 966 donation-related adverse reactions were recorded. Of these, 1 665 (3.72%) cases were syncopal DRVR. The incidence of syncopal DRVR decreased with age, being the highest in the 18-22 age group. Incidence was significantly higher in female donors than male donors, in first-time donors than repeat donors, and in university and individual donors than group donors (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among different blood donation locations (P>0.05). The top three triggers were tension, fatigue, and needle phobia or fear of blood. Among syncopal DRVR cases, 60.36% occurred during blood collection, 87.63% lasted for less than 60 seconds, and 5.05% were accompanied by trauma. Notably, 57.14% of these traumas occurred after donor had left the blood collection site. Syncope severity was graded based on required treatment: grade 1 (fully recovered without treatment, 95.50%); grade 2 (recovered after outpatient treatment, 4.02%); and grade 3 (recovered after inpatient treatment, 0.48%). Conclusion: By analyzing the data of syncopal DRVR cases, it is possible to provide a reference for formulating blood donor safety policies.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of proximal gastrectomy (PG) versus total gastrectomy (TG) for the treatment of Siewert type Ⅱ/Ⅲ adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG). Methods PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases were searched for literature comparing the efficacy and safety of PG and TG for the treatment of Siewert type Ⅱ/Ⅲ AEG. The search period was from database inception to March 2023. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software. Results A total of 23 articles were included, including 16 retrospective cohort studies, 5 prospective cohort studies, and 2 randomized controlled trials. The total sample size was 2 826 patients, with 1 389 patients undergoing PG and 1 437 patients undergoing TG. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with TG, PG had less intraoperative blood loss [MD=−19.85, 95%CI (−37.20, −2.51), P=0.02] and shorter postoperative hospital stay [MD=−1.23, 95%CI (−2.38, −0.08), P=0.04]. TG had a greater number of lymph nodes dissected [MD=−6.20, 95%CI (−7.68, −4.71), P<0.001] and a lower incidence of reflux esophagitis [MD=3.02, 95%CI (1.24, 7.34), P=0.01]. There were no statistically significant differences between the two surgical approaches in terms of operative time, postoperative survival rate (1-year, 3-year, 5-year), and postoperative overall complications (P>0.05). Conclusion PG has advantages in terms of intraoperative blood loss and postoperative hospital stay, while TG has advantages in terms of the number of lymph nodes dissected and the incidence of reflux esophagitis. There is no significant difference in long-term survival between the two surgical approaches.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) features of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS).Methods:This retrospective study included 8 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed CS by endomyocardial biopsy from Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, between January 2012 and September 2024. All patients underwent comprehensive CMR examinations including cine imaging and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. Clinical data, including electrocardiographic findings, were collected. CMR phenotyping was performed based on imaging characteristics, and cardiac structure and function parameters were evaluated. LGE analysis was conducted using the American Heart Association 17-segment model to assess the distribution patterns and involvement sites.Results:The most common clinical symptoms were chest tightness (4 patients), palpitations (4 patients), and shortness of breath (6 patients). Electrocardiographic abnormalities included atrioventricular block in 4 patients, right bundle branch block in 2 patients, left bundle branch block in 2 patients, frequent premature ventricular contractions in 4 patients, and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia in 5 patients. CMR phenotyping revealed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy pattern in 3 patients, with 2 patients maintaining normal biventricular function and 1 patient showing significantly reduced biventricular systolic function. Dilated cardiomyopathy pattern was identified in 4 patients, all demonstrating significantly impaired biventricular systolic function. One patient exhibited another phenotype with preserved biventricular systolic function. LGE analysis demonstrated that the anterior wall and anterior septum (segments 1, 2, 7, 8) were the most frequently involved regions, followed by the lateral and inferior walls (segments 5, 6, 11, 12). Subepicardial involvement was the predominant pattern of myocardial enhancement.Conclusions:Cardiac sarcoidosis exhibits diverse clinical manifestations and heterogeneous imaging characteristics. CMR not only provides a comprehensive assessment of cardiac structure and function but also reveals distinctive myocardial tissue characteristics, particularly the extent and distribution patterns of LGE involvement. These findings have significant reference value for early identification of CS and differential diagnosis from other cardiomyopathies.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of full free-breathing cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in clinical practice.Methods:The study prospectively included patients who underwent full free-breathing CMR and traditional breath-holding cine imaging between June 1 and June 30, 2024. An analysis and comparison were conducted on the image acquisition time, image quality, and left ventricular function parameters under two scanning methods, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular cardiac output (LVCO),left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end systolic volume index (LVESVI), left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV), and left ventricular mass (LVM). In addition, the study conducted both quantitative and qualitative analyses of other sequences in full free-breathing CMR, including T 1 mapping, T 2 mapping, flow imaging, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Group comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test or paired t-test. Consistency assessments included Bland-Altman analysis, intraclass correlation coefficient ( ICC), and linear regression analysis. Results:Totally, 150 patients were recruited into the study. The average acquisition time of full free-breathing CMR was (22.1±3.1) min, with an average short axis cine sequence examination time of (2.7±0.4) min; The average acquisition time of short axis images in a breath-holding state was (4.9±1.4) min, which was significantly longer than the cine scan in the free-breathing state ( P0.001). The cine and LGE images quality scores obtained from full free-breathing CMR were 4 (4, 4) points and 5 (4, 5) points, respectively, while the cine image quality score obtained in a breath-holding state was 5 (4, 5) points. Compared with traditional breath-hold CMR, free-breathing CMR measurements showed slightly higher LVESV, and LVESVI, while LVEDV, LVEDVI, LVSV, LVCO, LVEF, and LVM were slightly lower, except for LVSV and LVCO, which showed no statistically significant difference, the differences in other cardiac function parameters were statistically significant ( P0.05). However, the two methods demonstrated good consistency( ICC0.947) and correlation (0.808 r0.993, P0.001). The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the bias for all cardiac function parameters was within 8.0%. The Native T 1 and T 2 values for free-breathing CMR were (1 277.5±57.0) ms and 40.1 (38.5, 41.4) ms, respectively, and the results of flow imaging and echocardiography were basically consistent. Conclusions:Free-breathing CMR is feasible and effective in clinical practice, showing a high level of consistency with left ventricular functional parameters obtained from traditional breath-hold scanning. It significantly shortens examination time and holds great clinical value for the promotion and widespread use of CMR.