Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality, characterized by poor prognosis due to its high proliferative and invasive potential. Tumor metabolic reprogramming, particularly involving glucose metabolism, is essential for tumor survival. This study investigates the role of the Hippo pathway effector transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in regulating gluconeogenesis and promoting tumorigenesis in HCC. Methods: TAZ expression in HCC was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas data and validated in clinical samples and cell lines. TAZ was overexpressed or silenced in HCC cell lines to evaluate its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. The expression and prognostic relevance of the gluconeogenesis-related genes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC) were examined, along with their correlation with TAZ expression. Tumor growth was assessed in nude mice. Interactions between TAZ and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) were investigated using co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Results: TAZ was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. TAZ overexpression enhanced proliferation, reduced apoptosis, and promoted migration and invasion. In contrast, PCK1 and G6PC were downregulated in HCC and showed a negative correlation with TAZ expression. Conclusion TAZ modulates gluconeogenesis and accelerates tumor growth, whereas its knockdown attenuates tumor progression. TAZ interacts with GR, suppressing its transcriptional activity on gluconeogenic gene promoters.

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are nanoscale extracellular vesicles secreted by plant cells, characterized by a lipid bilayer structure. These vesicles carry a variety of bioactive molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, and play essential roles in intercellular communication and physiological regulation in plants. Compared to animal-derived extracellular vesicles, PDEVs offer several advantages, such as a broad range of sources, high biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and low production costs. Furthermore, PDEVs have demonstrated remarkable potential as natural nanocarriers for drug delivery, due to their ability to efficiently traverse biological barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, making them promising candidates for drug delivery systems. This review systematically elaborates on the complex composition of PDEVs, which consists of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, the typical structural characteristics of their lipid bilayers ranging from 30 to 150 nm, and their versatile loading capabilities as drug carriers, efficiently encapsulating various types of therapeutic agents such as hydrophilic small molecules, hydrophobic drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins. We systematically summarize the recent advancements in strategies for enhancing the loading efficiency of PDEVs, which include methods such as co-incubation, ultrasound-assisted loading, electroporation, freeze-thaw cycles, and microfluidic technology. These techniques are evaluated based on their underlying principles, suitable drug types, and their respective advantages. In addition to loading strategies, we focus on the engineered approaches to achieve targeted delivery using PDEVs, such as genetic engineering modifications, chemical ligand conjugation, membrane fusion technology, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification. We discuss the mechanisms of these strategies in enhancing targeting efficiency, prolonging in vivo circulation time, and improving therapeutic efficacy. Further, this review highlights the application of PDEVs in various disease models, including tumor, skin inflammation, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, showcasing their therapeutic potential as multifunctional delivery platforms. The ability of PDEVs to encapsulate diverse therapeutic agents and target specific tissues or cells opens up new avenues for the treatment of complex diseases, offering advantages over conventional drug delivery systems. However, despite the promising applications of PDEVs, several challenges remain in their development and clinical translation. These challenges include variability in source materials, standardization of preparation processes, quality control, scalability of production, and the need for clinical validation. To overcome these obstacles, the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence-assisted design and multi-omics analysis is proposed as a way to facilitate the precise development of PDEVs. These emerging technologies hold the potential to further enhance the precision and effectiveness of plant-based drug delivery systems, ultimately advancing the field of precision medicine. In conclusion, the use of PDEVs as a platform for drug delivery represents a promising area of research with the potential to revolutionize therapeutic strategies. Their ability to encapsulate and deliver a wide variety of bioactive molecules, along with their inherent advantages in biocompatibility and versatility, makes them a valuable tool in the development of more efficient and targeted therapeutic interventions. Continued research and innovation in this field will pave the way for the clinical implementation of PDEVs in the treatment of various diseases, offering new hope for more effective and sustainable therapeutic options.

Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.

Background Long working hours, as a common risk factor for occupational stress, is closely related to the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Understanding how long working hours affect occupational stress and depressive symptoms will inform occupational health interventions. Objective To quantify the impact of long working hours exposure on occupational stress and depressive symptoms among Internet industry employees, translate black-box outputs into actionable insights, and demonstrate the value of interpretable machine learning for early-warning occupational-health surveillance. Methods A dataset was derived from a cross-sectional survey involving 2866 internet industry employees in China. This survey was part of the project Risk Assessment Of Long Working Hour Exposure And Its Adverse Health Effects, conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Poisoning Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2021 to 2023. Working hours, occupational stress and depressive symptoms were quantified with a set of structured questionnaires including the Core Occupational Stress Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire. Pairwise associations were screened by Mantel tests and variance-inflation factors. Key predictors identified through feature selection were fed into six machine-learning risk-prediction models. Visual interpretation was provided by feature importance, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME), while directed causal effects and intervention impacts of prolonged working hours exposure on occupational stress and depressive symptoms were dissected with causal explanation of features techniques. Results The positive rates of occupational stress and depressive symptoms among internet employees were 12.9% and 77.8% respectively. Twelve core features for occupational stress and nine for depressive symptoms were retained after selection. After these features were supplied to six predictive algorithms and evaluated on five metrics, the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM) achieved the highest accuracy—0.89 for occupational stress and 0.79 for depressive symptoms on the hold-out test set. The feature-importance rankings converged on fatigue accumulation and life satisfaction as dominant drivers for both outcomes, whereas weekly working hours and daily overtime emerged as the principal exposure-related predictors. The SHAP summary plots revealed that longer weekly hours and daily overtime systematically elevated the probability of occupational stress. The causal feature explanation further quantified that ascending one category in weekly working hours increased the probability of occupational stress by 7.04%. Conclusion Exposure to long working hours is associated with both occupational stress and depressive symptoms among internet industry employees. Interpretable machine-learning frameworks translate these associations into transparent, defensible drivers, enabling precise identification of the pivotal factors and their interplay. This evidence base equips occupational-health practitioners with actionable insights for designing targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

Objective: To investigate the longitudinal association between biological rhythm trajectories and the risk of anxiety, depression, and comorbid symptoms among college students, so as to provide a cumulative empirical basis for early psychiatric tracking and mental health warning systems. Methods: Using random cluster sampling method, a baseline survey was conducted from April to May 2019. One comprehensive university and one medical university were selected in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, and Hefei City, Anhui Province, respectively. A total of 1 029 first year college students were recruited as study participants, and four waves of longitudinal follow up were carried out over a period of two years. The Self rating of Biological Rhythm Disorder for Adolescents was used to assess college students biological rhythms, and using the dynamic data from the first two follow ups to construct the trajectory of biological rhythm changes. Mental health outcomes (anxiety and depressive symptoms) at the end of the follow up period were assessed using Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Multivariable Logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the independent predictive value of distinct lifestyle rhythm trajectories on the detection risk of long term anxiety, depression, and their comorbid symptoms. Results: The prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and comorbid symptoms among participants were 23.5%, 22.6%, and 16.7%, respectively. Multivariable Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for confounding factors such as sex, major, smoking, and alcohol consumption, compared with the persistent low risk reference group of overall biological rhythm, the persistent high risk trajectory group of overall assessment had an increased risk of anxiety symptoms( OR=3.87, 95%CI =2.45-6.11), depressive symptoms( OR=3.18, 95%CI =1.98-5.10), and comorbid symptoms( OR=2.43, 95%CI =1.46-4.04)(all P ＜0.05).Among college students in the elevated overall assessment risk group, the risks of anxiety symptoms ( OR=1.97, 95%CI =1.22-3.17), depressive symptoms ( OR=2.13, 95%CI =1.33-3.42), and comorbid symptoms ( OR=1.81, 95%CI =1.07-3.06) were also increased (all P < 0. 05), and the various risks in the group with increased risks were also higher than those in the group with consistently low risks. Conclusions The dynamic deterioration and persistent disruption of college students lifestyle and behavioral rhythms serve as strong early warning indicators for long term anxiety and depressive symptoms. Mental health screening in colleges and universities should incorporate multi timepoint dynamic tracking of behavioral rhythms, and circadian rhythm regulation should be regarded as a core target for group level mental health interventions.

Objective To explore the effects of oleanolic acid on NF-κB/caspase-9 signaling pathway in kidneys of rat with diabetic nephropathy.Methods The diabetic nephropathy model rats were established,and the model rats were randomly divided intooleanolic acid low,medium and high dose groups,metformin group,and model group,with another 12 healthy SD rats as control group.The levels of blood glucose were measured at weeks 1,2 and 3 post-drug administration,and blood lipid and 24h urine urinary microalbumin(UMA)were measured after entire drug administration.Furthermore,we also detected the renal histopathology of rats,apoptosis of renal tubular,glomerular cells,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)and protein expression of NF-κB/caspase-9 signaling pathway.Results Compared with the control group,the model group demonstrated higher levels of blood glucose at weeks 1,2 and 3,blood lipid,UMA,TNF-α and IL-6,higher proportion of apoptotic renal tubular and glomerular,and higher expressions of caspase-9 protein and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the pathological damage of renal tissue in the metformin group and oleanolic acid low,middle and high dose groups were alleviated,the levels of blood glucose at weeks 1,2 and 3,blood lipid,UMA,TNF-α and IL-6,the proportion of apoptotic renal tubular and glomerular,and the expressions of caspase-9 proteins and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 were decreased,and these indexes in oleanolic acid groups showed a dose-dependent manner(P＜0.05).Conclusion Oleanolic acid can improve the metabolism of glucose and lipid,reduce the pathological damage of renal tissue,inhibit the apoptosis of renal tubular and glomerular,and inhibit the NF-κB/caspase-9 pathway in diabetic nephropathy rats.

Objective To investigate the effects of joint function screening and correction on intervention efficacy of prevention and assessment score of training injuries in new recruits.Methods A randomized controlled study was conducted on 265 new recruits subjected from two organizational units of an army unit with cluster sampling.Based on entire organizational unit,the participants were randomly divided into a control group(n=132)and an experimental group(n=133).The experimental group received joint function screening and corrective movement training,which was subsequently applied in the new recruit training,while the control group underwent training according to conventional methods.Joint function were collected before and after training.The demographic data,assessment score of training,and incidence of training injuries were collected through the participant's own organizational unit.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to evaluate the efficacy of joint function screening in predicting training injuries,and binary logistic regression and general linear regression analyses were applied to verify the correlation of joint function screening score with training injuries and assessment score of training.Results After new training,the score of joint function screening was significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group(16.62±1.87 vs 14.92±2.58,P<0.001).And the score was obviously increased in the experimental group(16.62±1.87 vs 12.82±1.98,P<0.001)and the control group(14.92±2.58 vs 12.95±1.81,P<0.001)when compared with the corresponding score before training.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)of joint function screening in predicting training injuries was 0.762(95%CI:0.694～0.830),indicating good predictive efficacy.During the new training process,the incidence of training injuries in the experimental group(13.53%)was significantly lower than that in the control group(24.24%,Chi-square=4.963,P=0.026).Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the pre-training assessment score of joint function screening was an important influencing factor for training injuries in new recruits(OR=0.552,95%CI:0.413～0.660,P<0.001).The experimental group obtained notably higher mean assessment score than the control group[733.00(716.00,752.75)vs 728.79(710.46,744.28),P=0.027].Linear regression analysis revealed a correlation between post-training score of joint function screening and the assessment score of newly trained personnel(P<0.001).Conclusion Joint function screening and correction for newly trained personnel can effectively prevent training-related injuries during the new training period,and correcting joint function through training can effectively improve the assessment score of newly trained personnel.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of active screening in improving the detection rate of carbape-nem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)in the intensive care units(ICUs).Methods From July 2023 to June 2024,active screening of rectal swab CRE was conducted on ICU patients in 10 hospitals.ICU patients who underwent ac-tive screening from July 2023 to June 2024 were selected as the study group,while those who did not undergo active screening from July 2022 to June 2023 were selected as the control group.Difference in CRE detection rates between the two groups of patients was compared.Results A total of 7 803 ICU patients were included in the study group,744 CRE strains were detected,with a detection rate of 9.53％,out of which 304 CRE strains were detected through routine detection(detection rate 3.90％),3 707 patients underwent active screen,440 CRE strains were detected(detection rate 11.87％).7 561 ICU patients were included in the control group,out of which 250 CRE strains were detected through routine detection,with a detection rate of 3.31％.There was a statistically significant difference in the overall detection rate of CRE between two groups of patients(x2=246.18,P＜0.001).In the study group,CRE detection rate of active screening(11.87％)was higher than that of routine detection(3.90％),with statistically significant difference(x2=264.26,P＜0.001).A total of 17 CRE strains were detected from the study group.The proportions of Klebsiella pneumoniae(80.92％vs 73.41％)and Serratia marcescens(2.30％vs0.23％)in the routine detection group were both higher than in the active screening group,while the proportion of Escherichia coli in the routine detection group was lower(8.22％vs 19.55％),all with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The prevalence of CRE in ICUs is relatively high,with a wide range of bac-terial species.Active screening can improve the detection rate of CRE.

This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics and strain genotypic distribution of varicella in Fengtai District, Beijing, utilizing population-based surveillance data from March 2024 to February 2025 combined with laboratory nucleic acid detection and genotyping.We reported 522 varicella cases with male predominance (282 cases, 54.41%) and a majority aged >15 years (358 cases, 68.58%).A bimodal incidence pattern peaked in May and November, while 161 breakthrough infections (30.8%) occurred predominantly among students aged 6-20 years.The multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that, compared to the 0-5 years age group, individuals aged 6-14 years ( OR: 2.729, 95% CI: 1.083-6.88), 15-20 years ( OR: 2.495, 95% CI: 1.158-5.378), and>20 years ( OR: 5.382, 95% CI: 2.478-11.689) exhibited progressively higher odds of oderate-to-severe rash; females demonstrated a lower risk compared to males ( OR: 0.485, 95% CI: 0.286-0.822); regarding vaccination status, recipients of one vaccine dose ( OR: 0.301, 95% CI: 0.161-0.564) and two doses ( OR: 0.203, 95% CI: 0.086-0.48) showed significantly reduced risks relative to unvaccinated individuals. Genotyping of 174 specimens identified 161 VZV-positive samples, with successful ORF22/38/62 sequencing in 142 samples confirming Clade 2 predominance (141 strains, 99.3%) and one Clade 5 strain; local isolates exhibited high vaccine-strain homology (ORF22 nucleotide:99.5%-100%, amino acid:99.3%-100%) with mutation sites partially overlapping other Chinese regions.

OBJECTIVE The emergence of evolving variants of Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has fostered the need for change of newer and adaptive treatments for these infections.During the COVID-19 pandemic and persists,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)herbs exhibit significant bioactivity and therapeutic effect.This study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of four TCM preparations on 28-day mortality risk of patients and changes of the laboratory indicators.METHODS The retrospective cohort study included patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from December 15,2022 to January 15,2023,and those died within 48 hours of admission or cannot be tracked for outcomes were excluded.The pri-mary outcome was survival status in 28 days(death or survival)starting from the day of admission.The second outcomes were labora-tory indicators,including absolute lymphocyte count,lactate dehydrogenase,creatinine,and blood urea nitrogen.Binary logistic re-gressions were used to estimate the effect of TCM preparations on the primary and secondary outcomes in main analysis.Meanwhile,heterogeneity and robustness of results from main analysis were assessed by subgroup analyses and multiple sensitivity analyses.RESULTS 1 816 eligible patients were included in analysis dataset,including 573 patients received standard care(control group)and 1 243 patients received TCM preparations(hospital preparation group).The 28-day mortality rate of hospital preparation group was lower than that of control group(4.75%vs.14.83%),and the difference was statistically significant(χ2=54.666,P<0.001).The risk of 28-day mortality was 0.535 times lower in the hospital preparation group as compared with the control group(OR=0.46,95%CI:0.305-0.708,P<0.001)showed by multivariable binary logistic regressions.Subgroup analyses showed that taking TCM preparations reduced the 28-day mortality risk.Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the results of the main analysis for primary outcomes were robust.For secondary outcomes,the risk of abnormal absolute lymphocyte counts at discharge in the hospital prepara-tion group decreased by 0.284 times(OR=0.703,95%CI:0.515-0.961,P=0.027).CONCLUSION Compared with standard of care,taking four hospital preparations including Kanggan Heji,Feining Heji,Qishen Gubiao Keli,and Qianghuo Qushi Qingwen Heji decreased risk of 28-day mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.TCM therapy achieves adequate therapeutic effects in COVID-19.