Objective: To analyze the school tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks and preventive treatment in Hefei from 2022 to 2024, so as to provide reference for TB prevention and control in schools. Methods: Data were collected on all school based TB outbreaks occurring during 2022-2024 in Hefei, defined as ≥2 epidemiologically linked TB cases within the same school during a single semester. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi square test. Results: Close contacts exhibited significantly higher TB incidence (2.88%) and latent mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI) rates (13.80%) in the school TB outbreaks, compared to non close contacts (0.12% and 2.63%, respectively). Among close contacts, secondary school students showed lower TB incidence (0.48%) and LTBI prevalence (3.42%) than both primary school or younger children (0.68%, 6.95%) and college students ( 0.78% , 6.50%), with statistically significant differences ( χ 2=360.91, 6.37; 791.71, 102.03, all P <0.05). The proportion of LTBI individuals recommended for preventive therapy was higher in primary school or younger groups (98.59%) than in secondary (95.25%) or college students (86.34%) ( χ 2=25.86, P <0.01). However, among those recommended, close contacts had higher uptake (85.82%) and completion rates (87.25%) of preventive therapy than non close contacts (69.63% and 70.57%); similarly, secondary school students demonstrated higher uptake (91.21%) and completion rates (86.45%) compared to primary school or younger (88.57%, 83.87%) and college students (57.28%, 64.08%) ( χ 2=30.52, 26.72; 125.17, 38.84, all P <0.01). Subsequent TB incidence among LTBI close contacts (13.30%) and among those who did not complete preventive therapy (22.73%) were significantly higher than among non close contacts (2.80%, 2.41%), respectively ( χ 2=32.19, 13.87, both P <0.05). Conclusions In school TB outbreaks, close contacts face higher LTBI prevalence and subsequent TB risk than non close contacts. College students show notably low adherence to preventive therapy. It is necessary to take targeted measures to improve the compliance of preventive measures among students.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Bupi Qingfei prescription （BPQF） in treating stable bronchiectasis in the patients with syndromes of lung-spleen Qi deficiency and phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Patients were randomized into BPQF and placebo control （PC） groups. On the basis of conventional Western medicine treatment， the BPQF granules and placebo were respectively administered at 10 g each time， twice a day， for a course of 24 weeks. The TCM symptom scores， Quality of Life Questionnaire for Bronchiectasis （QOL-B） scores， lung function indicators， T lymphocyte subsets， level of inflammatory factors in the sputum， level of neutrophil elastase （NE） in the sputum， and occurrence of adverse reactions were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. ResultsA total of 64 patients completed the study， encompassing 32 in the BPQF group and 32 in the PC group. After treatment， the BPQF group showed decreased TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）， increased QOL-B scores （P<0.01）， and declined levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α and NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The PC group showed decreased TCM symptom （except spleen deficiency） scores （P<0.01）， increased the QOL-B health cognition and respiratory symptom domain scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and a declined TNF-α level （P<0.01）. Moreover， the BPQF group had lower TCM symptom （except chest tightness） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher QOL-B （except treatment burden） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lower levels of interleukin-6 and TNF-α （P<0.05） than the PC group. Neither group showed serious adverse reactions during the treatment process. ConclusionBPQF can ameliorate the clinical symptoms of stable bronchiectasis patients who have lung-spleen Qi deficiency or phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs by regulating the immune balance and inhibiting airway inflammatory responses.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical effectiveness of triptorelin combined with Biejiajian pill in the treatment of adenomyosis （AM）. METHODS Totally 186 patients with AM admitted to Nanyang First People’s Hospital from January 2022 to October 2024 were selected as subjects and randomized into control group （n＝93） and observation group （n＝93） using the random number table method. Patients in the control group received subcutaneous injections of triptorelin acetate around the umbilicus. In addition to the treatment of control group， patients in the observation group orally administered Biejiajian pill. Both groups underwent treatment for 12 weeks and were followed up for 6 months post-treatment. The clinical efficacy， recurrence and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions were compared between the two groups. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptoms， endometrial receptivity indicators （endometrial thickness， uterine volume， endometrial resistance index and vascular index）， laboratory indexes （serum luteinizing hormone， follicle stimulating hormone， estradiol， carbohydrate antigen 125， insulin-like growth factor-1， and matrix metalloproteinase 9） were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS A total of 164 patients completed the treatment and follow-up， among whom 80 cases were in control group and 84 cases in the observation group. The overall effective rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group， while the incidence of low estrogen levels and recurrence rate were significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of nausea or abnormal liver and kidney function between the two groups （P＞0.05）. After treatment， the pain Visual Analogue Scale scores， Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart， TCM symptoms scores， endometrial thickness， uterine volume， endometrial resistance index， and laboratory indicators in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment within the same group （P＜0.05）. Moreover， these values were significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group （except for follicle stimulating hormone） （P＜0.05）. The endometrial vascular index of the two groups was significantly higher than that in the same group before treatment， and the observation group was significantly higher than the control group （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Triptorelin combined with Biejiajian pill has a definite therapeutic effect on AM， which can effectively improve the degree of dysmenorrhea and menstrual flow， improve endometrial receptivity， lower the recurrence rate in patients， and demonstrate good safety.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of the histone deacetylase Sirtuin-1 （SIRT1）/p53 signaling pathway in promoting apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cells （NSCLC） induced by the co-stimulatory molecule B7 homolog 3 （B7-H3）. MethodsThe GEPIA 2 platform was used for survival analysis of NSCLC patients based on B7⁃H3 gene expression levels. The Gene Enrichment Analysis （GSEA） method was used to analyze the enrichment characteristics of B7⁃H3 molecules in the gene set of cell apoptosis. In the non-small cell lung cancer A549 cell line， B7⁃H3 was knocked down， and the protein expression levels of SIRT1 and p53 were detected by Western blot. B7⁃H3 was overexpressed in A549 cells and the apoptosis rate was analyzed by flow cytometry after Annexin V/PI double staining. Overexpression of B7⁃H3 and knockdown of SIRT1 were performed in A549 cell line. The expression levels of p53 and apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 （Bcl-2） and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） were detected respectively by Western blot. Cell apoptosis rate was analyzed by flow cytometry after Annexin V/PI double staining. ResultsThe overall survival of the B7-H3 high-expression group was significantly lower than that of the low-expression group （P<0.01）. B7-H3 was significantly enriched in the cell apoptosis signaling pathway and the p53 signaling pathway （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the expression of SIRT1 was significantly downregulated， and p53 was significantly upregulated in the B7⁃H3 knockdown group （both P<0.001）. Overexpression of B7-H3 significantly up-regulated SIRT1 protein expression （P<0.05）， down-regulated p53 expression （P<0.01）， and markedly increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio of apoptosis-related proteins （P<0.001）. The results of Annexin V/PI double staining showed that the apoptosis rate of A549 cells with overexpressed B7⁃H3 decreased （the apoptosis rate of the control group was 26.72%±4.13%， while that of the B7⁃H3 overexpression group was 13.87%±0.82%； P<0.01）. In B7-H3-overexpressing cell lines， SIRT1 knockdown significantly reversed apoptosis （P<0.05）， up-regulated p53 protein expression （P<0.001）， and markedly reduced the Bcl-2/Bax ratio （P<0.001）. ConclusionB7-H3 molecule inhibits the apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cells via the SIRT1/p53 signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the global burden of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONHL) from 1990 to 2021 and to predict its trends for 2025 to 2035. Methods Data on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardized DALYs rates, and summary exposure values for ONHL were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease database. An age-period-cohort model was used to assess age, period, and cohort effects. Joinpoint regression was applied to calculate the annual percentage change in ASDRs. An autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was employed to forecast DALY trends from 2025 to 2035. Results Global DALYs attributable to ONHL increased from 3.838 1 million person-years in 1990 to 7.847 4 million person-years in 2021, representing a 104.46% increase. DALYs attributable to ONHL increased by 64.93%, 94.30%, 111.51%, 114.64%, and 129.08% in high-, high-middle-, middle-, low-middle-, and low-Socio-demographic Index (SDI) regions, respectively. DALYs counts were consistently higher in males than in females. DALYs counts peaked in the older age group (60-64 years), whereas the DALYs rate of peaked in the older age group (70-74 years). Age-period-cohort model analysis revealed significant overall age effects in all five SDI regions (all P<0.01). There were a significant overall period and cohort effects in the high-middle SDI region (all P<0.01), but not in the other regions (all P>0.05). The ARIMA model projected that global DALYs due to ONHL would reach 9.650 0 million person-years by 2035, an increase of 22.97% compared with 2021, with the largest increase expected among individuals aged 55-59 years. Conclusion The global burden of ONHL has continuously increased from 1990 to 2021, particularly among male workers in low-SDI regions. This burden is expected to continue rising over the next decade.

ObjectiveIn order to provide a reference for the optimization of preparation process of stir-fried Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma（sf-GRR）， the quality changes during the processing was studied. MethodsGlycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma was processed by stir-frying for 17 min， and samples were collected every 1 min during the processing. The appearance color of the samples was determined by visual analysis technology， the moisture and extract of the process samples were detected by the drying method and the hot extraction method of alcohol-soluble extract in the general rules of the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia（part Ⅳ）， and the contents of liquiritin apioside， liquiritin， isoliquiritin apioside， isoliquiritin， licoricesaponin G₂ and glycyrrhizic acid in the process samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）. Then principal component analysis（PCA）， partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and Spearman correlation analysis were used for clustering， discrimination and correlation analysis of the appearance color， moisture， extract and the contents of six internal components. Based on artificial neural network and random forest algorithm， the prediction model of processing degree of sf-GRR was established. On this basis， based on the five principles of quality marker（Q-Maker）， explore the monitoring Q-Maker of sf-GRR. ResultsThe color of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma deepened after stir-frying， and the appearance color of the sample changed from light yellow to dark yellow during processing. During the stir-frying process， the moisture content showed a decreasing trend with the extension of processing time， while the extract content showed an increasing trend with the extension of processing time. After stir-frying， the contents of liquiritin apioside， liquiritin and licoricesaponin G₂ showed an overall decreasing trend， while the contents of isoliquiritin apioside and isoliquiritin increased， and the content of glycyrrhizic acid increased slightly. The correlation analysis showed that moisture was positively correlated with brightness（L^*） and red/green value（a^*）， and negatively correlated with yellow/blue value（b^*） and total color difference（E^*ab）. Isoliquiritin apioside and isoliquiritin had negative correlation with L^* and a^*， and positive correlation with b^* and E^*ab. The processing process of sf-GRR could be divided into two stages of the early stage（0-14 min） and the late stage（15-17 min）， and could be divided into three stages of the early stage（0-6 min）， the middle stage（7-14 min） and the late stage（15-17 min） by combining the moisture， extract， the contents of 6 components and color values. Based on artificial neural network analysis and random forest algorithm， isoliquiritin apioside， isoliquiritin， liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid were selected as monitoring markers for sf-GRR. ConclusionBased on the analysis of the exterior-interior indicators of process samples of sf-GRR， this paper ultimately identifies four processing monitoring markers， which can provide a basis for optimizing the processing technology of sf-GRR.

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy， safety and recurrence of Kuntai capsules combined with Estradiol tablets/Estradiol dydrogesterone tablets in the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve （DOR） as well as their effects on ovarian reserve function， sex hormones， and lymphocyte subsets. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 165 DOR patients in Nanyang First People’s Hospital. Among them， 80 patients who received Estradiol tablets/Estradiol dydrogesterone tablets （take one tablet per day according to the medication sequence on the instruction） were included in the control group， while 85 patients who additionally took Kuntai capsules （2.0 g per dose， three times daily） were included in the observation group. The treatment duration for both groups was three months. Clinical efficacy， the incidence of adverse drug reaction （ADR）， recurrence rate， and changes in Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， ovarian reserve function indicators [anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）， inhibin B （INHB）， antral follicle count （AFC）， endometrial thickness， and ovarian volume]， sex hormones [follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and estradiol （E2）]， and T lymphocyte subsets （CD3 +， CD4 +， CD8 +， and CD4 +/CD8 +） were compared before and after treatment. RESULTS The cure and significant improvement rate in the observation group was significantly higher than in the control group （82.35% vs. 65.00%， P＜0.05）. Compared to baseline levels， both groups showed significant reductions in TCM syndrome scores， FSH， LH， CD3+ and CD8+ levels after treatment， while AMH， INHB， E2， CD4 +， CD4 +/CD8 +， AFC， endometrial thickness， and ovarian volume significantly increased （P＜0.05）. The degree of improvement in these indicators was significantly greater in the observation group than in the control group （P＜0.05）. There was no significant difference in the total incidence of ADR between the two groups（P＞ 0.05）. However， the recurrence rate within six months post-treatment was significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group （5.88% vs. 21.25%， P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Kuntai capsules combined with Estradiol tablets/ Estradiol dydrogesterone tablets have a significant therapeutic effect on DOR， which can improve ovarian reserve function of the patient， regulate sex hormone levels and T lymphocyte subsets， and reduce recurrence rates， with a high safety profile.

ObjectiveTo investigate the liver histopathological features of HBeAg-negative patients in the indeterminate phase of low-viral-load chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection. MethodsA total of 271 patients with low-viral-load HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection who underwent liver biopsy in Department of Infectious Diseases， Affiliated Hospital of Yan’an University， from September 2013 to June 2021 were enrolled as subjects， and the degree of liver injury was compared between patients based on age， sex， presence or absence of the family history of hepatitis B， HBsAg， and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） level. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsAmong the 271 patients with HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection， 86 patients （31.73%） grade≥A2 liver inflammatory activity， 72 （26.57%） had a liver fibrosis stage of ive， and 112 （41.33%） had moderate or severe liver histological injury. The proportion of patients with grade≥A2 liver inflammatory activity in the patients with ALT>20 U/L was significantly higher than that in the patients with ALT≤20 U/L （χ²=3.938， P=0.047）. There were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with grade≥A2 liver inflammatory activity between the patients with different ages， sexes， family history of hepatitis B， HBsAg levels （all P>0.05），there were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with a liver fibrosis stage of ≥F2 between the patients with different ages， sexes， family history of hepatitis B， HBsAg， and ALT levels （all P>0.05）， and the stratified analysis of patients aged≤30 years and patients without the family history of hepatitis B showed no statistical significance between groups （all P>0.05）. There was no significant difference in the degree of liver histological injury between the patients with different ages， sexes， family history of hepatitis B， HBsAg， and ALT levels （all P>0.05）. ConclusionSignificant liver injury is observed in more than 40% of the patients with low-viral-load HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection， and there is no significant difference in the degree of liver histological injury between the patients with different ages， sexes， family history of hepatitis B， HBsAg， and ALT levels. Even for the patients aged≤30 years who deny the family history of hepatitis B， there is still a considerable proportion of patients with liver injury， which should be taken seriously by clinicians.

Objective: To investigate the effect of neurite outgrowth inhibitor extracellular peptide residues 1-40 (NEP1-40) combined with poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and gelatin electrospun fiber membrane on facial nerve repair in rats. Methods: According to the principle of random grouping, 108 male SD rats were divided into four groups (n = 27 in each group, approved by the ethics committee), namely, the sham group, control group, PLGA group, and NEP1-40 + PLGA group. A facial nerve fracture model was established for all of the groups except for the sham group. The control group received no further treatment, the PLGA group and the NEP1-40+PLGA group were supported by PLGA membrane, and the NEP1-40+PLGA group received one immediate local injection of NEP1-40 (5 μg/μL) at a dose of 10 μL. Facial nerve function analysis, electrophysiological examination, transmission electron microscope observation, HE staining, and immunohistochemical staining of myelin marker S100β and axonal marker β3-tubulin were used to evaluate the recovery of injured facial nerves of rats at 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Results : At 8 weeks, the facial nerve function score of the NEP1-40+PLGA group was better than that of the control group and PLGA group (P < 0.001), and facial nerve function was significantly restored. Electrophysiological examination of nerve action potentials at the injured facial nerve showed that the amplitude in the NEP1-40+PLGA group was higher than that of the control group and PLGA group (P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in latency and conduction velocity results between the groups (P > 0.05). At 2, 4, and 8 weeks, transmission electron microscopy showed that the number of myelinated nerve fibers and myelin sheath thickness in the cross-section of the injured facial nerve in the NEP1-40+PLGA group were greater than those in the other groups (P < 0.05). At 8 weeks, HE staining showed that the facial nerves in the control group had partially recovered, but the overall cell distribution was uneven and the boundary with surrounding tissues was slightly blurred. In contrast, the NEP1-40+PLGA group had a relatively uniform cell distribution and a clearer boundary with surrounding tissues. At 2, 4, and 8 weeks, the immunohistochemical results showed that in the cross-section of the injuried facial nerve, NEP1-40 increased the expression of neural markers S100 β and β3-tubulin, especially β3-tubulin, which was close to normal levels (P > 0.05) Conclusion NEP1-40 is beneficial for the generation of new myelin sheaths and axons at the site of injury, and it can promote the repair and regeneration of injured facial nerves to a certain extent, thus accelerating the recovery of injured nerve function.