Objective To explore the wearing status and actual noise reduction effect of hearing protectors among noise workers in a typical automobile manufacturing enterprise. Methods In April 2024, an occupational hazard factor testing was carried out in an automobile manufacturing industry, and at the same time, the hearing protection fit test was conducted for noise workers. Intervention and guidance were provided to those who did not pass the minimum standard of baseline PAR. The difference in PAR between baseline and post-intervention was compared, and the effectiveness of hearing protector wearing method training was evaluated. Results The exceeding rate of the company's noise operation post was 50.77% (66/130). The baseline PAR of the subjects with working experience of less than 15 years and wearing hearing protectors throughout noisy work was higher, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with those with 80dB≤L_{EX, 8h}<85dB, more research subjects with L_{EX, 8h}≥85dB failed baseline PAR (39.13%). After intervention, the PAR of the subjects who did not pass the minimum standard of baseline PRA increased from 2.0 (0.0, 5.3) to 17.0 (14.8, 20.0), and the protection level was significantly improved, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusion The individual fit test of hearing protector is an important means to evaluate the actual noise reduction level of hearing protector and guide the selection of hearing protection models. Corporate training can help improve the PAR of hearing protectors.

Hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection is the primary cause of viral hepatitis and represents a substantial disease burden in China. However， effective and safe agents capable of completely eliminating HBV DNA are still lacking. In modern medicine， anti-HBV strategies mainly target covalently closed circular DNA （cccDNA）， among other mechanisms， and multiple novel drugs are currently under clinical investigation. Traditional medicine has been shown to exert anti-HBV effects through direct pathways， such as blocking viral entry， as well as indirect pathways， including the regulation of programmed cell death. Studies have confirmed that the integration of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and Western medicine in treating HBV infection and its related complications offers complementary advantages， particularly in enhancing HBV clearance rates， improving liver function， preventing various complications， and delaying the progression from hepatic fibrosis to hepatocellular carcinoma. This review focuses on advances in anti-HBV research involving TCM， Western medicine， and their integrated application， aiming to provide a basis for integrated HBV therapy and new drug development.

BackgroundMonitoring the blood concentrations of antipsychotic drugs and their metabolites can guide the adjustment of clinical treatment plans， improving therapeutic efficacy while reducing adverse effects. However， there is currently a lack of a method that can accurately and efficiently quantitatively detect multiple antipsychotic drugs and their metabolites. ObjectiveTo establish a ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS/MS） method for the simultaneous identification and quantitation of 12 antipsychotic drugs and their main metabolites in human serum. MethodsUsing UPLC-MS/MS technology， protein precipitation method was employed for sample pretreatment. An Agela Technologies Durashell C₈ chromatographic column （50 mm×3.0 mm， 5 μm） was selected for chromatographic separation with gradient elution. The flow rate was 0.4 mL/min， and the total analysis time was 5 minutes. The column temperature was 40℃. The mass spectrometry detection was carried out in the multiple reaction monitoring （MRM） mode， and the isotope internal standard method was used for quantification. ResultsThe relative standard deviation （RSD） of the internal standard normalization matrix effect factor for 12 antipsychotic drugs and their main metabolites at low and high quality concentrations was all less than 15%. The extraction recovery rate was 85% to 115%. They showed good linear relationships within their respective standard curve ranges （r>0.995）. At low， medium， and high quality concentrations， the accuracy was 85.24% to 114.71%， and the RSD of intra-batch and inter-batch precision was all ≤14.15%， with good stability. ConclusionAll the analytical performance indicators of this method meet the verification requirements， providing an analytical means for the quantitative detection of antipsychotic drugs and their main metabolites in human serum. ［Funded by The Third Batch of Science and Technology Projects in Chaozhou City in 2023 （number， 202303GY02）］

Objective: To explore the importance of selecting appropriate human antiserum for absorption and elution tests by analyzing two cases in which weak A antigens were detected using this method. Methods: The microcolumn agglutination and tube methods were used to perform ABO blood group typing of the patients. Absorption and elution tests were conducted to detect weak A antigens on red blood cells. Molecular biological methods were employed for genotyping. Results: Serological tests showed that the forward typing results of the two patients were O and B, respectively, and weak anti-A1 antibodies were present in their sera. When O-type human high-titer (anti-A≥256) serum was used for absorption and elution tests, patient 1 eluted anti-A, confirming the presence of weak A antigens on their red blood cells; patient 2 eluted anti-A and anti-AB simultaneously. When B-type human antiserum was used for absorption and elution, patient 2 eluted anti-A, confirming the presence of weak A antigens on their red blood cells as well. Gene sequencing results showed that the genotypes of the two patients were ABO Aw. 04/ABO O. 01. 02 and ABO AEL (c. 410C>T)/ABO B.01, respectively. Conclusion: When absorption and elution tests are needed for weak A/B antigens alone on red blood cells, O-type human high-titer serum can be prioritized. However, when both A and B antigens are present, the human antiserum selected for absorption and elution tests should only react with the weak antigen and not with the normally expressed antigen.

Background/Aims: Natural killer (NK) cell function is generally considered dampened in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; however, the NK cell pool exhibits phenotypic and functional heterogeneity, and the antibody--mediated effect of NK cells remains less characterized. This study evaluated the dynamic changes in antibody-mediated NK cell responses and the involvement of distinct NK subsets across disease stages and during antiviral treatment. Methods: A T-cell receptor-like antibody specific for the HBV core 18–27 peptide (cTCRL-Ab) was used to determine the antibody-mediated effect of NK cells, and an array of NK cell surface markers were analyzed in cross-sectional and longitudinal cohorts of patients with chronic HBV infection. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed to identify the heterogeneity of NK subsets. Results: The cTCRL-Ab enabled the detection of NK cell cytolytic activity and IFNγ production. Notably, cTCRL-Ab-mediated NK cell responses were compromised in chronically HBV-infected patients, particularly in those receiving pegylated interferon-α (Peg-IFNα), which was associated with the downregulation of CD16 expression. Correspondingly, Peg-IFNα inhibited cTCRL-Ab-mediated NK cell function by reducing CD16 expression in vitro. scRNA-seq revealed that CD16 downregulation occurred mainly within a dysfunctional CD16hi NK subset exhibiting exhaustion properties. In contrast, an activated CD16hiNK subpopulation (CX3CR1⁺KLRC2–CD16hi) with high cytotoxicity was enriched in patients who experienced favorable treatment responses. Furthermore, the intrahepatic CX3CR1+KLRC2–CD16hi subset tended to exhibit functional restoration in HBsAg-loss individuals. Conclusions Our data contribute to the understanding of antibody-mediated responses of NK cells in chronic HBV infection, and highlight a previously unappreciated functional CX3CR1+KLRC2–CD16hiNK subset as a potential therapeutic target.

Objective To analyze the increase in hearing thresholds in different frequency bands of workers exposed to different characteristic noises and the influencing factors of binaural high-frequency hearing loss, and to provide theoretical support for occupational health monitoring in enterprises. Methods In 2021, noise-exposed workers were selected from typical noise-exposing enterprises as research subjects, and their occupational health examination data were tracked for three consecutive years. According to the on-site detection from 2021 to 2023, the cumulative noise exposure (CNE) was calculated. The chi-square test was used to compare the increase of the hearing threshold of workers exposed to different characteristic noises in different frequency bands. A generalized estimation equation was constructed to explore the influencing factors of high-frequency hearing loss in the research subjects. Results The age of the study subjects was 23-54 years old, with 1.6-20.1 years of working experience, mainly distributed in manufacturing workshops, technical workshops and public works workshops. The median LAeq,8h was 85.90 (84.5, 86.1) dB(A), and the average CNE was 94.3±2.6 dB(A). The number of people with increased hearing thresholds in each frequency band was 0.5kHz>6kHz>4kHz>3kHz>1kHz>2kHz. There were statistically significant differences in the increase of hearing thresholds in each frequency band, binaural speech frequency impairment, and high-frequency hearing loss among subjects with different characteristics (P<0.05). The detection rate of binaural speech frequency hearing loss was the highest in subjects aged>45 years, with a length of service of>15 years, and with a CNE>96dB(A). The detection rate of binaural high-frequency hearing loss was the highest in subjects aged 35-40 years, with a length of service of 5-10 years, and with a CNE>96dB(A).In addition, the detection rate of binaural speech frequency and high-frequency hearing loss increased with the increase of CNE(P<0.05). The GEE model showed that age>40 years and CNE>96dB(A) were risk factors for high-frequency hearing loss in both ears. Conclusion With increasing age and CNE, hearing thresholds rise across all frequency bands, elevating the risk of binaural speech-frequency and high-frequency hearing loss, thereby increasing the likelihood of occupational noise-induced deafness.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of rutaecarpine (RUT) on monosodium urate crystal (MSU)-induced murine peritonitis in mice and further explored the underlying mechanism of RUT in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/MSU-induced gout model in vitro. METHODS: In MSU-induced mice, 36 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 mice each group, including the control group, model group, RUT low-, medium-, and high-doses groups, and prednisone acetate group. The mice in each group were orally administered the corresponding drugs or vehicle once a day for 7 consecutive days. The gout inflammation model was established by intraperitoneal injection of MSU to evaluate the anti-gout inflammatory effects of RUT. Then the proinflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the proportions of infiltrating neutrophils cytokines were detected by flow cytometry. In LPS/MSU-treated or untreated THP-1 macrophages, cell viability was observed by cell counting kit 8 and proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. The percentage of pyroptotic cells were detected by flow cytometry. Respectively, the mRNA and protein levels were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 was observed by laser confocal imaging. Additionally, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and molecular docking were applied to validate the binding ability of RUT components to tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) targets. RESULTS: RUT reduced the levels of infiltrating neutrophils and monocytes and decreased the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6, all P<0.01). In vitro, RUT reduced the production of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, RT-PCR revealed the inhibitory effects of RUT on the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, cyclooxygenase-2 and TNF-α (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Mechanistically, RUT markedly reduced protein expressions of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR), phospho-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-MAPK), phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, phospho-NF-κB, phospho-kinase α/β, NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRPS), cleaved-cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 and cleaved-gasdermin D in macrophages (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Molecularly, SPR revealed that RUT bound to TNF-α with a calculated equilibrium dissociation constant of 31.7 µmol/L. Molecular docking further confirmed that RUT could interact directly with the TNF-α protein via hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions, and carbon-hydrogen bonding. CONCLUSION RUT alleviated MSU-induced peritonitis and inhibited the TNFR1-MAPK/NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway to attenuate gouty inflammation induced by LPS/MSU in THP-1 macrophages, suggesting that RUT could be a potential therapeutic candidate for gout.
Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Male ; Indole Alkaloids/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Inflammation/complications* ; Uric Acid ; Quinazolines/therapeutic use* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Humans ; Gout/chemically induced* ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; THP-1 Cells ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Quinazolinones

Objective To investigate the role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)in predicting the in-hospital mortality risk of patients with acute aortic dissection(AAD)in multicenter hospitals.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted.Clinical data were collected from 2642 AAD patients who were hospitalized in five teaching hospitals:Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Henan Provincial People's Hospital,Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital,the Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University,and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between August 2010 and December 2021.According to the quartiles of serum NLRlevels,the patients were divided into four groups:first quartile(Q1,n=660),second quartile(Q2,n=661),third quartile(Q3,n=661),and fourth quartile(Q4,n=660).The clinical characteristics and biochemical indicators of each group were compared.Partial correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between NLR and cardiovascular parameters.Restricted cubic splines,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis,and Cox regression models were employed to evaluate the association between NLR levels and in-hospital mortality risk in AAD patients.Results The median age of all patients was 54[interquartile range(IQR):46-63]years,including 2096 males and 546 females.Compared with Q1-Q3 groups,patients inQ4group had a lower incidence of smoking history and diabetes history,and were more likely to have DeBakey type Ⅰ AAD(P＜0.05).Additionally,the levels of aspartate aminotransferase,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,creatinine,and D-dimer in Q4 group were higher,while the levels of triglycerides and C-reactive protein(CRP)were lower(P＜0.01).The results of partial correlation analysis showed that the plasma NLR level was positively correlated with D-dimer(r=0.43,P＜0.01)and creatinine(r=0.16,P＜0.01).The restricted cubic spline function in the Cox model revealed a significant non-linear relationship between the plasma NLR level and clinical outcomes in AAD patients(P＜0.01).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients in Q4 group had the highest in-hospital mortality rate compared with Q1-Q3 groups(P＜0.0001).Furthermore,multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that compared with Q1 group,the hazard ratio(HR)of NLR in Q4 group was 1.77(95％CI 1.33-2.37,P＜0.001),which was an independent risk factor for the primary endpoint events.Conclusion A higher plasma NLR level is significantly associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events in AAD patients,and this association remains significant even after adjusting for potential confounding factors such as the multicenter visiting hospitals.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of platelet autophagy related factors and peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer.Methods The data of 360 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery in Hunan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2021 to May 2023 were reviewed.Patients were divided into non-peritoneal metastasis group(n=322)and peritoneal metastasis group(n=38)according to whether peritoneal metastasis occurred or not.The following information was collected:patient's personal information(i.e.age,sex,body mass index)and tumor characteristics(i.e.location,size,pathological type,histopathological differentiation,lymphatic infiltration).Platelets were collected from all subjects,and the levels of autophagy-associated protein 7(ATG7),benzalkonium chloride 1(BECN1),microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and sequestosome 1(p62)were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results Among the 360 patients included,peritoneal metastasis was detected in 38 cases.Compared with the non-peritoneal metastasis group,the peritoneal metastasis group exhibited decreased BMI(P<0.05),while the tumor size,non-ulcerative tumor,number of lymph node metastasis,infiltration depth,number of cases of lymphatic invasion,platelet count,platelet LC3-Ⅱ level,platelet ATG7 level and CEA level were increased(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI(OR=1.094),lymphatic invasion(OR=2.658),and LC3-Ⅱ(OR=3.793)and ATG7(OR=2.010)were independent influencing factors for peritoneal metastasis in patients with gastric cancer(P<0.05).LC3-Ⅱ>2.59ng/ml had the highest ability to predict peritoneal metastasis in patients with gastric cancer(AUC=0.932),followed by ATG7(AUC=0.916).Conclusions Elevated levels of platelet LC3-Ⅱ and ATG7 are independently related to peritoneal metastasis in patients with gastric cancer,and can be used to predict the occurrence of peritoneal metastasis,which is helpful to guide individualized treatment.

Objective To investigate the effects of polyphyllin Ⅲ on proliferation,cycle and apoptosis of colon cancer cells HCT116;To explore its mechanism in treating colon cancer.Methods Colon cancer cells HCT116 were cultured in vitro,the cells were dived into control group and polyphyllin Ⅲ low-,medium-and high-dosage group,drug-free media and low-,medium-and high-concentration of polyphyllin Ⅲ were applied to the cells.Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method,and cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry,the expressions of cyclinD1,CDK4,CDK6,RB,p-RB,Bax,Bcl-2,Bcl-xl mRNAs and proteins were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot.Results Compared with the control group,the HCT116 cell viability decreased in the polyphyllin Ⅲ groups with different dosages(P<0.01),the proportion of G0-G1 phase cells increased(P<0.01),the proportion of S,G2-M phase cells decreased(P<0.01),the cell apoptosis rate increased(P<0.01),and the expressions of cyclinD1,CDK4,CDK6,Bcl-2,Bcl-xl mRNA and cyclinD1,CDK4,CDK6,p-RB,Bcl-2,Bcl-xl proteins decreased,while the expression of Bax mRNA and protein increased,with a dosage-dependent manner(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Polyphyllin Ⅲ can inhibit the proliferation of colon cancer cells cultured in vitro and promote cell apoptosis,blocking cells in the G0-G1 phase.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of cell cycle related proteins and apoptosis related protein expression.