Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely known atmospheric pollutants, which can cause serious harm to human body and ecological environment. Objective To analyze the concentrations and sources of PAHs in atmospheric PM_2.5 in Zhifu District and Longkou City during the heating period in Yantai. Methods Two monitoring sites in Zhifu District and Longkou City of Yantai were selected, and PM_2.5 sample collection was carried out from April 2023 to March 2024. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to analyze the concentrations of PAHs in atmospheric PM_2.5 during the heating period (from November 2023 to March 2024) and the non-heating period (from April to October 2023). The concentrations of PAHs in the two periods were compared and the sources of PAHs during the heating period were analyzed by characteristic ratio method. Results During the heating period, the total concentration ranges of PAHs in atmospheric PM_2.5 at the monitoring sites in Zhifu District and Longkou City of Yantai were (1.59-23.70) ng·m⁻³ and (2.08-149.72) ng·m⁻³ respectively, and the medians (M) and the 25th and 75th percentiles (P₂₅, P₇₅) were 4.99 (2.61, 8.09) ng·m⁻³ and 15.46 (8.15, 29.05) ng·m⁻³ respectively. The PAHs concentrations in Longkou City were significantly higher than those in Zhifu District in all months (P<0.05). The highest median total concentrations of PAHs in both sites were reported in January (8.14 ng·m⁻³ and 81.56 ng·m⁻³ respectively). In the non-heating period, the M (P₂₅, P₇₅) of the total PAHs concentrations at the two sites were 1.59 (1.59, 2.78) ng·m⁻³ and 4.11 (2.94, 7.97) ng·m⁻³ respectively, much lower than those in the heating period (P<0.01). The order of composition of PAHs by ring number in PM_2.5 at both sites was 4-ring> 5-ring> 6-ring, with the 4-ring contributing the largest proportion (65.33% and 46.39% respectively). Fluoranthene had the highest concentration among PAHs at both sites, with concentrations M (P₂₅, P₇₅) of 1.29 (0.51, 1.78) ng·m⁻³ and 2.32 (1.30, 3.82) ng·m⁻³ respectively. The characteristic ratios of fluoranthene/(fluoranthene + pyrene), fluoranthene/pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene/(benzo[a]anthracene + chrysene), pyrene/benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene/(benzo[a]pyrene + chrysene), benzo[a]pyrene/benzo[g,h,i]pyrene, and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene/(indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene + benzo[g,h,i]pyrene) in Zhifu District were 0.62, 1.65, 0.41, 4.48, 0.50, 0.93 and 0.47 respectively, and those in Longkou were 0.57, 1.35, 0.40, 2.89, 0.29, 0.79 and 0.47 respectively. The results showed that PAHs pollutants were generated by combination of coal combustion, vehicle exhaust emissions and gasoline combustion. Conclusion During the heating period in Yantai area, the total concentration of PAHs in atmospheric PM_2.5 is significantly higher than that in the non-heating period. Among them, during the heating period, the pollution level in Longkou City is significantly higher than that in Zhifu District. The local PAHs may be sourced from mixed pollution, and the main sources include gasoline, and coal combustion and vehicle exhaust emissions.

Objective To investigate the changes in eosinophil counts and the activation of microglial cells in the brain tissues of mice at different stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, and to examine the role of microglia in regulating the progression of angiostrongyliasis and unravel the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-day and 25-d infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. All mice in infection groups were infected with 30 stage III A. cantonensis larvae by gavage, and animals in the control group was given an equal amount of physiological saline. Five mice were collected from each of infection groups on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. The general and focal functional impairment was scored using the Clark scoring method to assess the degree of mouse neurological impairment. Five mice from each of infection groups were sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice from the control group were sacrificed on the day of oral gavage. Mouse brain tissues were sampled, and the pathological changes of brain tissues were dynamically observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunofluorescence staining with eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) was used to assess the degree of eosinophil infiltration and the counts of microglial cells in mouse brain tissues in each group, and the morphological parameters of microglial cells (skeleton analysis and fractal analysis) were quantified by using Image J software to determine the morphological changes of microglial cells. In addition, the expression of M1 microglia markers Fcγ receptor III (Fcgr3), Fcγ receptor IIb (Fcgr2b) and CD86 antigen (Cd86), M2 microglia markers Arginase 1 (Arg1), macrophage mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1), chitinase-like 3 (Chil3), and phagocytosis genes myeloid cell triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2), CD68 antigen (Cd68), and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay in the mouse cerebral cortex of mice post-infection. Results A large number of A. cantonensis larvae were seen on the mouse meninges surface post-infection, and many neuronal nuclei were crumpled and deeply stained, with a large number of bleeding points in the meninges. The median Clark scores of mouse general functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 0 (interquartile range, 0.5), 6 (interquartile range, 1.0), 14 (interquartile range, 8.5) points and 20 (interquartile range, 9.0) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.45, P < 0.01), and the median Clark scores of mouse focal functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 2 (interquartile range, 2.5), 7 (interquartile range, 3.0), 18 (interquartile range, 5.0) points and 25 (interquartile range, 6.5) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.72, P < 0.01). The mean scores of mice general and focal functional impairment were all higher in the infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant difference in the eosinophil counts in mouse brain tissues among the five groups (F = 40.05, P < 0.000 1), and the eosinophil counts were significantly higher in mouse brain tissues in the 14-d (3.08 ± 0.78) and 21-d infection groups (5.97 ± 1.37) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.28) (both P values < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of microglia immunofluorescence showed a significant difference in the counts of microglial cells among the five groups (F = 17.66, P < 0.000 1), and higher Iba1 levels were detected in mouse brain tissues in 14-d (5.75 ± 1.28), 21-d (6.23 ± 1.89) and 25-d infection groups (3.70 ± 1.30) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.30) (all P values < 0.05). Skeleton and fractal analyses showed that the branch length [(162.04 ± 34.10) μm vs. (395.37 ± 64.11) μm; t = 5.566, P < 0.05] and fractal dimension of microglial cells (1.30 ± 0.01 vs. 1.41 ± 0.03; t = 5.266, P < 0.05) were reduced in mouse brain tissues in the 21-d infection group relative to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences among the 5 groups in terms of M1 and M2 microglia markers Fcgr3 (F = 48.34, P < 0.05), Fcgr2b (F = 55.46, P < 0.05), Cd86 (F = 24.44, P < 0.05), Arg1 (F = 31.18, P < 0.05), Mrc1 (F = 15.42, P < 0.05) and Chil3 (F = 24.41, P < 0.05), as well as phagocytosis markers Trem2 (F = 21.19, P < 0.05), Cd68 (F = 43.95, P < 0.05) and Apoe (F = 7.12, P < 0.05) in mice brain tissues. Conclusions A. cantonensis infections may induce severe pathological injuries in mouse brain tissues that are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration and persistent activation of microglia cells, thereby resulting in progressive deterioration of neurological functions.

Objective: To explore the longitudinal associations between dietary macronutrients and lung function in schoolaged children, so as to provide the nutritional research evidence for promoting children s lung health. Methods: In November 2021, two primary schools located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province were selected from the Southwest China Childhood Nutrition and Growth (SCCNG) cohort by a stratified cluster random sampling method, enrolling a total of 1 112 school aged children aged 8 to 13 years. At baseline, the dietary and sociodemographic characteristics of the children were assessed. One year later, the forced vital capacity (FVC) of the children was measured and converted into Z scores (FVC- Z ), while the vital capacity index (VCI) was also calculated. Generalized linear regression analysis was employed to examine the associations between dietary macronutrients and lung function, considering interactions with gender and age, followed by stratified analysis. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, the analysis results of the generalized linear regression model showed that the carbohydrate energy ratio was negatively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =-0.02) and VCI ( β =-0.16), while the fat energy ratio showed a positive correlation with FVC- Z ( β =0.03) and VCI ( β =0.23) ( P <0.05). The protein energy ratio was positively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =0.09) and VCI ( β =0.60) specifically in girls ( P <0.05). Additionally, there was an interaction effect of age on the associations between macronutrients and lung function ( P <0.01); in children aged 8-9 and 10-11, the carbohydrate energy supply ratio was negatively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =-0.04, -0.03) and VCI ( β =-0.29, -0.21), and fat energy supply ratio was positively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =0.07, 0.05) and VCI ( β =0.46, 0.32) ( P <0.05). Conclusions There are age and sex differences in the association of dietary macronutrients with lung function, with a low carbohydrate, high fat diet promoting lung function in children. Additionally, protein intake appears to have a positive influence on the lung function of girls. The early school age period may represent a critical window for dietary interventions aimed at promoting lung health.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause. Its onset and progression are closely linked to abnormal neural oscillations, which are one of the biomarkers used to assess PD. Current research focuses on exploring the relationship between neural oscillations and PD and targeting abnormal neural oscillations in PD patients. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique that influences neural activity in the brain by applying biphasic and sinusoidal currents and has shown potential in modulating abnormal neural oscillations in PD. This paper reviews the neural oscillations commonly found in PD, the mechanisms by which tACS regulates PD-related neural oscillations, and the current progress in tACS application for PD. It also discusses the challenges and future trends in the field, with the aim of providing new insights for the treatment and clinical research of PD.

Objective:To investigate the role of GABAergic neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in isoflurane-induced general anesthesia-emergence in mice.Methods:Twenty-three healthy male Vgat-Cre transgenic mice, aged 8-10 weeks, weighing 22 g, were used in the study. In the immunofluorescence staining experiment, 8 mice were selected and divided into 2 groups ( n=4 each) using a random number table method: oxygen group and isoflurane group. Oxygen group inhaled oxygen at a rate of 1.0 L/min for 2 h, while isoflurane group inhaled 1.4% isoflurane + 1.0 L/min oxygen for 2 h. The animals were then sacrificed, and brain tissues were removed and subjected to immunofluorescence staining for determination of the expression of c-Fos and the rate of co-labeling with GABA neurons. For the optogenetic experiment, 15 mice were divided into 3 groups ( n=5 each) using a random number table method: control group (CON group), optogenetic excitation group (CHR2 group) and optogenetic inhibition group (eNpHR group). The rAAV-Ef1a-DIO-mCherry, rAAV-Ef1a-DIO-CHR2-mCherry, and rAAV-Ef1a-DIO-eNpHR3.0-mCherry viruses were injected to the BNST brain region. After 3 weeks of virus expression, the mice were exposed to 1.0% isoflurane + 1.0 L/min oxygen, and their cortical EEG was simultaneously monitored. When the mice reached a stable anesthetic state, optogenetic methods were utilized to modulate the viability of GABAergic neurons in the BNST brain region, and the burst suppression ratio (BSR) of the cortical EEG was recorded at 2 min before light stimulation and 2 min of light stimulation. Results:Compared with oxygen group, the rate of c-Fos co-labeling with GABA neurons in the BNST brain region was significantly reduced ( P<0.05), and the c-Fos-positive neurons were reduced in isoflurane group. Compared with CON group or with the prestimulation level, BSR was significantly decreased in CHR2 group ( P<0.001), and no significant change was found in BSR during light stimulation in eNpHR group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Decreased viability of GABAergic neurons in the BNST brain region may be involved in the process of loss of consciousness in isoflurane-anesthetized mice, while increased viability of GABAergic neurons in the BNST brain region promotes the transition from anesthesia to emergence.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and hepatic fibrosis and skeletal muscle mass in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods:A total of 685 T2DM patients diagnosed at the Endocrinology department of Lanzhou University First Hospital, from April 2022 to May 2023, were divided into NAFLD and Non-NAFLD groups, and the NAFLD group was further categorized into fibrosis and non-fibrosis based on aspartate aminotransferase(AST) /alanine aminotransferase(ALT) level. The differences in appendicular skeletal muscle mass(ASM), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index(ASMI), and the prevalence of muscle mass loss were compared across groups. The correlations between ASMI and NAFLD, as well as liver fibrosis were analyzed by binary logistic regression.Results:Among male T2DM patients, those with NAFLD had lower ASMI levels and a higher prevalence of muscle mass reduction compared to non-NAFLD group. Among female T2DM patients, those with NAFLD had lower levels of ASM and ASMI, and a higher prevalence of muscle mass reduction compared to non-NAFLD group. ASMI levels in both male and female T2DM patients were independently negatively correlated with NAFLD risk( OR=-0.696, 95% CI 0.579-0.837; OR=-0.757, 95% CI 0.629-0.911). In NAFLD patients, ASM and ASMI levels were lower in those with liver fibrosis compared to those without fibrosis; however, the prevalence of muscle mass reduction did not differ significantly. Among male NAFLD patients, ASMI levels were independently negatively correlated with the risk of liver fibrosis( OR=-0.726, 95% CI 0.537-0.983), while no correlation was found in female patients. Conclusion:Reduced muscle mass is independently associated with the risk of NAFLD in both male and female T2DM patients. In males, reduced muscle mass is also independently related to the risk of liver fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the habits of eye rubbing and sleeping posture of patients with keratoconus(KC)and analyze the correlation of the onset and severity of KC with eye rubbing and sleeping posture.Methods In this retrospective case-control study,KC patients who received diagnosis and treatment in the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from January 2018 to June 2022 were collected as the KC group,and myopia patients with matching ages and sexes who visited our hospital from February to June 2022 were recruited as the control group.All patients were inves-tigated by questionnaire and the details of eye rubbing,sleeping posture and related habits were recorded.According to the severity of the disease(corneal curvature),KC patients were divided into different stages,and the eye rubbing and sleep-ing posture of KC patients in different stages were compared.Results In this study,406 KC patients and 394 myopia pa-tients were included.It was found that 67.98％of KC patients and 24.87％of myopia patients rubbed their eyes,with a sig-nificant difference(P＜0.001);45.32％of KC patients and 24.87％of myopia patients were accustomed to sleeping on their side or stomach,with a significant difference(P＜0.001).The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis indica-ted that the following variables showed significant differences:patients with eyes at the later stages(steeper eyes)were more likely to rub eyes[odds ratio(OR)=3.547,95％CI:2.02-6.24,P＜0.001],sleep on side or stomach(OR=10.725,95％CI:5.77-19.94,P＜0.001),and turn head to the steeper eye when sleeping(OR=12.171,95％CI:7.23-20.49,P＜0.001).The statistical analysis demonstrated that the proportion of KC patients at the IV stage who were habitu-ated to rub their steeper eyes and turn their heads to the steeper eyes when sleeping was significantly higher than that of pa-tients at stages Ⅰ to Ⅲ(all P＜0.001).Conclusion Eye rubbing and sleeping on the side or stomach are risk factors for the onset of KC and are related to the severity of the disease.

Objective:To study the correlation between zinc finger protein A20 (A20) and basic fibroblast growth factor (BFGF) and liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to select 120 patients with chronic hepatitis B diagnosed and treated in the Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang City from January 2019 to December 2020, all of whom underwent liver tissue biopsy, and 25 cases of liver pathological specimens who underwent liver hemangioma resection were selected. The correlation between the expression of A20 and BFGF in liver tissue and the stage of hepatic fibrosis and inflammation were analyzed.Results:The expression of A20 in the S1 - S4 phase was higher than that in the S0 phase: (6.12 ± 1.22)%, (10.18 ± 2.43)%, (16.94 ± 5.06)%, (25.99 ± 7.57)% vs. (0.81 ± 0.29)%; the expression of BFGF in the S1 - S4 phase was higher than that in the S0 phase: (6.12 ± 1.22)%, (10.18 ± 2.43)%, (16.94 ± 5.06)%, (25.99 ± 7.57)% vs. (0.81 ± 0.29)%, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The expression of A20 in the G1 - G4 phase was higher than that in the G0 phase: (6.56 ± 1.87)%, (10.01 ± 3.29)%, (15.54 ± 5.01)%, (25.86 ± 8.02)% vs. (0.85 ± 0.71)%; the expression of BFGF in the G1 - G4 phase was higher than that in the G0 phase: (5.91 ± 1.52)%, (9.65 ± 2.48)%, (15.03 ± 4.86)%, (24.62 ± 7.22)% vs. (0.79 ± 0.41)%, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The results of Pearson test showed that there was a positive correlation between liver A20 and BFGF ( r = 0.824, P<0.05). Conclusions:The expressions of A20 and BFGF in liver tissue increase with the aggravation of liver pathological fibrosis and inflammation, which can be used as important indicators to evaluate the severity of liver fibrosis.

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition characterized by a decrease in muscle mass and a de-cline in muscle strength.Sarcopenia increases the risk of falls,severely affecting the quality of life of patients,and it may be associated with various age-related chronic diseases.Advanced glycation end products(AGEs)are a class of stable glycation products produced by condensation,rearrangement,cleavage,and oxidative modifica-tion between the free amino groups of proteins,lipids or nucleic acids and the free carbonyl groups of reducing sugars.Studies have revealed associations of AGEs with muscle mass,muscle strength,and sarcopenia.AGEs can lead to hardening of the extracellular matrix of skeletal muscle through glycation cross-linking.The binding of AGEs to receptors induces inflammation and oxidative stress,consequently resulting in decreases in muscle mass and muscle strength.Therefore,AGEs may play a role in the occurrence and development of sarcopenia.This re-view summarizes the role of AGEs in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia,offering theoretical support for probing into the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is a major factor affecting the health and quality of life of the patients undergoing hemodialysis.Exercise can effectively ameliorate sarcopenia in these patients.However,the type,intensity,time,and frequency of exercise influence the effect of exercise.This review describes the effects of different exer-cise prescriptions on sarcopenia in the patients undergoing hemodialysis.It aims to assist medical staff in develo-ping personalized exercise prescriptions,guiding patients to engage in exercise,and provide effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia in the patients undergoing hemodialysis.