Intestinal fibrosis is a significant clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel diseases, but no effective anti-fibrotic therapy is currently available. Glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) are both peptide hormone receptors involved in energy metabolism of epithelial cells. However, their role in intestinal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein GCGR and GLP1R were found to be reduced in the stenotic ileum of patients with Crohn's disease as well as in the fibrotic colon of mice with chronic colitis. The downregulation of GCGR and GLP1R led to the accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate, resulting in histone H3K9 lactylation and exacerbated intestinal fibrosis through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dual activating GCGR and GLP1R by peptide 1907B reduced the H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells and ameliorated intestinal fibrosis in vivo. We uncovered the role of GCGR/GLP1R in regulating EMT involved in intestinal fibrosis via histone lactylation. Simultaneously activating GCGR/GLP1R with the novel dual agonist peptide 1907B holds promise as a treatment strategy for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.

Congenital musculoskeletal and limb deformities (CMLD) seriously affect the physical and mental health of patients, and pose great challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. We explored the specific situation and changes of incidence, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years rates, and mortality of CMLD in under-5 children from 1990 to 2021 in different groups, including different regions, periods, genders and socio-demographic indices (SDI), through corresponding analytical models. Overall, the global disease burden of CMLD in under-5 children has decreased from 1990 to 2021. The disease burden of CMLD in under-5 children varied significantly among different regions and countries, and there was a strong correlation between the corresponding burden of disease and the level of SDI. In addition, cross-country inequality analysis showed that while absolute inequalities in the disease burden of CMLD in under-5 children have improved, relative inequalities have worsened. It is essential to reduce the global health impact of CMLD by implementing targeted interventions to improve health care in underdeveloped areas.
Humans ; Global Burden of Disease/trends* ; Child, Preschool ; Global Health/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant ; Male ; Prevalence ; Limb Deformities, Congenital/mortality* ; Musculoskeletal Abnormalities/mortality* ; Female ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Cost of Illness ; Socioeconomic Factors

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a common plant hormone with regulatory effects on plant growth and development. The jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins (JAZs), as key regulators in the JA signaling pathway, are involved in multiple biological processes such as anthocyanin accumulation, flowering time modulation, and secondary metabolite synthesis in plants. JAZs are essential components of many regulatory signaling networks. The JAZ genes, members of the plant-specific TIFY family, have been identified in the genomes of a variety of horticultural plants. Here, we summarized the research progress in the roles of JAZs in horticultural plants, aiming to give insights into the further study of the biological functions and regulatory networks of JAZ genes in plants.
Horticulture ; Repressor Proteins/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Cyclopentanes/metabolism* ; Oxylipins/metabolism* ; Plants/metabolism* ; Plant Development

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in the world. High temperature and other stress conditions can affect the growth and development of this plant, even leading to the decreases in yield and quality. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family plays a crucial role in plant stress responses. However, the role of MPK4 in the stress response of cucumber remains to be reported. In this study, we cloned CsMPK4, which encoded 383 amino acid residues. The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression level of CsMPK4 was the highest in leaves and flowers, moderate in roots, and the lowest in stems and tendrils. CsMPK4 was located in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and it had a close relationship with CmMPK4 in muskmelon. The cucumber plants overexpressing CsMPK4 became stronger and shorter, with reduced length and quantity of tendrils. Moreover, the transgenic seedlings were more resistant to high temperatures, with decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increased activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in young leaves. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction between CsMPK4 and CsVQ10, a member of the valine-glutamine family, was confirmed by yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. The results suggested that CsVQ10 cooperated with CsMPK4 in response to the high temperature stress in cucumber. This study laid a foundation for the further study on the stress response mechanism of CsMPK4 and the breeding of stress-resistant cucumber varieties.
Cucumis sativus/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/physiology* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Cloning, Molecular

Flowering and bolting are important agronomic traits in cruciferous crops such as Brassica juncea. Timely flowering can ensure the crop organ yield and quality, as well as seed propagation. The WRKY family plays an important role in regulating plant bolting and flowering, while the function and mechanism of WRKY12 in B. juncea remain unknown. To explore its function and mechanism in bolting and flowering of B. juncea, we cloned and characterized the BjuWRKY12 gene in B. juncea and found that its expression levels were significantly higher in flowers and inflorescences than in leaves. BjuWRKY12 belonged to the Ⅱc subfamily of the WRKY family, and subcellular localization indicated that the protein was located in the nucleus. Ectopic overexpression of BjuWRKY12 in transgenic lines promoted bolting and flowering, leading to significant increases in the expression levels of flowering integrators SOC1 and FUL. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase reporter system assays confirmed that BjuWRKY12 directly bound to the promoters of BjuSOC1 and BjuFUL, undergoing protein-DNA interactions. This discovery gives new insights into the regulation network and molecular mechanisms of BjuWRKY12, laying a theoretical foundation for the breeding of high-yield and high-quality varieties of B. juncea.
Mustard Plant/metabolism* ; Flowers/growth & development* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; MADS Domain Proteins/metabolism*

Objective: To explore the current status of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding tuberculosis(TB)prevention and control among high school students, and to compare differences between male and female students, so as to provide a scientific basis for targeted TB prevention and control measures in high schools. Methods: From April to May 2024, a stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to conduct an electronic questionnaire survey among 1 912 students from 10 high schools using a compiled questionnaire on KAP towards TB prevention and control. The AMOS 26.0 software was utilized to construct structural equation modeling (SEM) and compared the difference among genders. Results: The overall awareness rate of core TB knowledge among high school students in Gongshu District was 76.62%. Additionally, core knowledge about TB (6.28±1.44), prevention attitudes (6.02±1.84), and prevention practices (6.38±2.11) scores of female students were higher than those of male students (5.96±1.74, 5.59±2.21, 6.15±2.23) ( t =4.31, 4.64, 2.25, P <0.05). The SEM showed that knowledge had a strong positive impact on practices and attitudes among boys, with total effect values of 0.963 and 0.819 , respectively; while the positive influence of attitudes on practices was relatively weak, with a total effect value of 0.186. Among girls, attitudes had a positive impact on practices and knowledge, with total effect values of 0.479 and 0.222, respectively. Conclusions The pathways and strengths of influence of KAP in the SEM of TB prevention and control differ between male and female high school students. Therefore, differentiated strategies should be implemented for TB health education targeting male and female high school students.

Objective:To investigate the intelligence status of children aged 10 - 12 in rural areas of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (referred to as Linxia) in Gansu Province.Methods:From September to November 2019, a cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the intelligence status of children aged 10 to 12 in 8 counties (cities) of Linxia. Chinese Raven's Progressive Matrices (rural version) was used for intelligence test and children's intelligence quotient (IQ) was calculated by regular mold to evaluate children's intelligence level.Results:A total of 1 721 children in Linxia were tested for intelligence, with an average IQ of 103.2. Among them, low intelligence (≤69) accounted for 1.0% (18/1 721), borderline (70 - 79) accounted for 3.0% (52/1 721), middle and lower (80 - 89) accounted for 8.4% (144/1 721), moderate (90 - 109) accounted for 56.6% (974/1 721), middle and upper (110 - 119) accounted for 21.9% (377/1 721), excellent (120 - 129) accounted for 7.8% (135/1 721), extremely excellent (≥130) accounted for 1.2% (21/1 721). There were 635, 598 and 488 children aged 10, 11 and 12, respectively, with an average IQ of 106.1, 103.3 and 99.2. There were 919 males and 802 females, with an average IQ of 102.9 and 103.4, respectively.Conclusion:In 2019, the intelligence of children aged 10 to 12 in rural areas of Linxia has reached the moderate level.

The chloroplast genome encodes many key proteins involved in photosynthesis and other metabolic processes, and metabolites synthesized in chloroplasts are essential for normal plant growth and development. Root-UVB (ultraviolet radiation B)-sensitive (RUS) family proteins composed of highly conserved DUF647 domain belong to chloroplast proteins. They play an important role in the regulation of various life activities such as plant morphogenesis, material transport and energy metabolism. This article summarizes the recent advances of the RUS family proteins in the growth and development of plants such as embryonic development, photomorphological construction, VB6 homeostasis, auxin transport and anther development, with the aim to facilitate further study of its molecular regulation mechanism in plant growth and development.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Biological Transport ; Chloroplasts/genetics* ; Embryonic Development ; Plant Development/genetics*

Objective:To explore the distribution characteristics of common clinical manifestations of elbow joint in patients with endemic fluorosis and their correlation with the influencing factors.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted on all permanent adult residents in 13 endemic fluorosis villages in Gaotai and Gaolan counties of Gansu province. The survey included: ① Demographic information, family history, and current medical history. ② Physical examination specifically focued on the orthopedic clinical presentations. ③Taking DR films of the forearm (including elbow joint) and calf (including knee joint), and classify the elbow joint to grade K-L based on X-ray manifestations. ④ Measuring height and weight, and calculating BMI index. ⑤Applying the Mayo elbow joint rating scale to evaluate elbow joint function. Based on the survey results, the distribution characteristics of clinical symptoms and signs of elbow joint in patients with skeletal fluorosis, as well as the distribution characteristics and correlation of factors affecting elbow joint function such as age, gender, disease course, BMI, K-L grade, etc were described. The comparison of counting data and rates were analyzed with χ2 test or Fisher exact probability test. Pearson′s test was used for correlation analysis of continuous data that conforms to normal distribution, and Spearman test was used for non-normal distribution measurement and counting data. The correlation analysis of ordered hierarchical data was conducted using Kendall′s Tau- b test. Results:①Among 501 patients with skeletal fluorosis, a total of 465 cases (92.8%) were diagnosed with elbow joint pain. A total of 185 cases (36.9%) were with elbow joint tenderness, 300 cases (59.9%) were with elbow joint enlargement, 415 cases (82.8%) were with morning stiffness of the elbow joint, 102 cases (20.4%) were with cubital tunnel syndrome, 153 cases (30.5%) were with positive forearm extensor tendon traction test, and 97 cases (19.4%) were with positive forearm flexor tendon traction test. The detection rate of elbow joint rotation limitation was the highest among those with ROM ranging from 30 ° to 70 ° (261/501, 52.1%), and the detection rate of elbow joint extension and flexion limitation was the highest among those with ROM ranging from 50 ° to 90 °(274/501, 54.7%). ②Among 501 patients with skeletal fluorosis, a total of 465 cases were found to have symptoms and positive signs in the elbow joint, with the detection rate in males being lower than that in females, with a significant difference ( χ2=41.19, P<0.001). The majority of patients were between the ages of 50 and 65 (274/501, 58.9%), with a body mass index of <18 (217, 46.67%), K-L arthritis with a radiologic grade of Ⅲ (256/501, 55.0%), and a disease course of >30 years (217/501, 46.67%). ③The correlation between clinical characteristics, the Mayo score, and various influencing factors of skeletal fluorosis found a high correlation between pain and age ( r=0.79, P<0.001) and pain and disease course ( r=0.71, P<0.001). The ROM of extension and flexion was negatively correlated with age ( r=-0.43, P<0.001), K-L grade ( r=-0.67, P<0.001), and disease course ( r=-0.48, P<0.001); Elbow tunnel syndrome was positively correlated with age ( r=0.72, P<0.001). The Mayo functional score was negatively correlated with age ( r=-0.35, P<0.001). Conclusion:Early morning stiffness of the elbow joint (<30 min), limited rotation of the elbow joint, limited extension and flexion of the elbow joint, and cubital tunnel syndrome (degree Ⅰ) have a high detection rate in the population with skeletal fluorosis. Age, course of disease, and degree of joint degeneration have a significant impact on elbow joint function in patients with fluorosis.

Distant cutaneous metastasis of primary lung squamous cell carcinoma is an exceedingly rare event,with scalp metastasis as the initial clinical presentation even rarer.Scalp skin metastases are prone to be misdiagnosed as other scalp disorders,yet their appearance signifies the deterioration and poor prognosis of lung cancer.This case report documents a female patient presenting initially with scalp folliculitis in dermatology,who was subsequently diagnosed with malignant lung tumor through radiological imaging and referred to Department of Thoracic Surgery.Pathological examination of the excised lesion from the scalp revealed distant metastasis of lung cancer.A review of similar cases reported in literature was conducted.This article aims to enhance understanding and awareness of skin metastasis in lung cancer,to emphasize the importance of this condition,and to improve early recognition and precise diagnosis.It is crucial to prevent clinical misdiagnosis and ensure ap-propriate treatment,finally leading to improve the prognosis of the patients.