ObjectiveTo investigate the expression characteristics of serum HBV RNA in patients with low-level viremia （LLV） and its value in the diagnosis of LLV. MethodsA total of 402 chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients who attended Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from December 2023 to May 2025 were enrolled， and according to their viral load， they were divided into complete virologic response （CVR） group （190 patients with HBV DNA <20 IU/mL） and LLV group （212 patients with an HBV DNA level of ≥20 IU/mL and <2 000 IU/mL）. The two groups were analyzed in terms of age， sex， disease type， serum HBV RNA， HBeAg， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and total bilirubin （TBil）， and according to HBeAg status， the patients in the LLV group were further divided into HBeAg-negative group with 140 patients and HBeAg-positive group with 72 patients. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for LLV in CHB patients， and a Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of HBV RNA with HBV DNA， ALT， AST， and TBil in the LLV group. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was plotted to evaluate the efficacy of HBV RNA in the diagnosis of LLV. ResultsCompared with the CVR group， the LLV group had a significantly higher serum level of HBV RNA ［3 （1　—　5） log₁₀ copies/mL vs 2 （1　—　3） log₁₀ copies/mL， Z=-2.346， P=0.019］ and a significantly higher proportion of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis （31.13% vs 22.11%， χ²=4.155， P=0.042） or hepatocellular carcinoma （9.91% vs 4.74%， χ²=3.876， P=0.049）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that HBV RNA （odds ratio=1.163， 95% confidence interval： 1.058　—　1.278， P=0.002） was an independent risk factor for the onset of LLV in CHB patients. Among the patients with LLV， HBeAg-positive patients had a significantly higher level of HBV RNA than HBeAg-negative patients ［6 （4　—　7） log₁₀ copies/mL vs 2 （1　—　3） log₁₀ copies/mL， Z=-9.962， P<0.001］. The correlation analysis showed that HBV RNA level had no significant correlation with HBV DNA， ALT， AST， or TBil in the patients with LLV （all P>0.05）. The ROC curve analysis showed that HBV RNA had an AUC of 0.567 for the diagnosis of LLV （P=0.021）， with an optimal cut-off value of 4.5 log₁₀ copies/mL， a sensitivity of 30.7%， and a specificity of 85.8%. ConclusionSerum HBV RNA level is an independent risk factor for the development of LLV in CHB patients， and there is a significant increase in the expression of HBV RNA in HBeAg-positive patients. Therefore， it may serve as a potential biomarker for clinical risk assessment.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of poisonous mushroom-related foodborne disease incidents in Chongqing from 2010 to 2024, and to provide a scientific basis for effective prevention and control of mushroom-related foodborne diseases. Methods Data of poisonous mushroom related foodborne disease incidents reported by the CDCs of 39 districts and counties in Chongqing from 2010 to 2024 were collected, and their epidemic characteristics were analyzed. Results A total of 264 poisonous mushroom poisoning outbreaks were reported in Chongqing from 2010 to 2024, resulting in 1 046 cases of illness, 543 hospitalizations, and 15 deaths, with a mortality rate of 1.43%. The peak of poisoning incidents was from June to October, accounting for 89.02% of the total number of incidents. The top three high-incidence areas were Pengshui Miao Tujia Autonomous County, Dianjiang County, and Nanchuan District. Poisonous mushroom poisoning incidents occurring in household settings, accidental picking and ingestion, and cases involving unidentified mushroom species accounted for 89.02%, 83.33%, and 90.15% of all foodborne disease outbreak incidents, respectively. Conclusion Foodborne disease incidents related to poisonous mushrooms in Chongqing City show an upward trend, and the effectiveness of prevention and control needs to be improved. Based on their seasonal, regional and household clustering characteristics, efforts should be made before the peak season of mushroom poisoning in high-risk areas, targeting key populations with health education, monitoring and early warning, food safety supervision, and medical treatment.

Background Pulmonary heart disease (PHD) is a critical cardiopulmonary disease in high-altitude areas, with pulmonary hypertension (PH) as its central pathological basis. Cold and hypoxia are vital environmental characteristics of high-altitude regions; however, their joint effect on the hospitalization risk for PHD and the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. Objective To evaluate the associations of cold, hypoxia, and their joint exposure with PHD hospitalization risk, and to investigate PH-related pathological changes induced by combined cold and hypoxic exposure and the intervention effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rats. Methods Based on hospitalization data for 92986 PHD cases from 333 hospitals in Gansu Province (2018–2022), a generalized additive model (GAM) with a quasi-Poisson distribution was used to assess the associations between daily mean temperature, atmospheric oxygen content (AOC) and the daily number of PHD hospitalizations. Four joint exposure categories were constructed using the fifth percentile of temperature (P₅, −7.90℃) and AOC grades (high or low) to assess the associations between different exposure combinations and daily PHD hospital admissions. To further investigate PH-related pathological changes and the intervention effects of GABA, 24 specific-pathogen-free male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups (n=6): normal temperature and normoxia control group (NC), combined cold and hypoxia exposure group (CH), combined exposure plus low-dose GABA intervention group (CHL), and combined exposure plus high-dose GABA intervention group (CHH). After 5 weeks, pulmonary hemodynamics and vascular remodeling were evaluated. Gut microbiota and inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue were assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Results Each 1 g·m⁻³ decrease in AOC and each 1 ℃ decrease in daily mean temperature were associated with 2.6% (RR=1.026, 95%CI: 1.024, 1.027) and 1.8% (RR=1.018, 95%CI: 1.015, 1.020) increases in PHD hospitalization risk, respectively. Compared with the non-low-temperature and high-AOC group, the low-temperature and low-AOC group had the highest risk estimate (RR=1.673, 95%CI: 1.567, 1.785). Animal experiments demonstrated that, compared with the NC group, rats in the CH group showed shortened pulmonary artery acceleration time (PAT) and increased mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI), pulmonary arterial wall thickness, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression (P<0.05). The Observed Species and Chao1 indices of the gut microbiota were significantly lower in the CH group than in the NC group (P<0.05), while levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) in lung tissue were elevated (P<0.05). GABA intervention improved selected hemodynamic, vascular remodeling, and inflammatory indices. Conclusion Decreases in daily mean temperature and AOC are associated with an increased risk of PHD hospitalization, with the highest risk estimate observed in the low-temperature and low-AOC group. Animal experiments suggest that combined cold and hypoxic exposure induce PH-related pathological changes accompanied by alterations in the gut microbiota and pulmonary inflammation. GABA may partially ameliorate these changes.

Objective To investigate the correlation of corneal α angle and κ angle with lens tilt in normal human eyes using a new swept-source optical biometer.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted,involving 303 healthy eyes(148 right eyes and 155 left eyes)of patients who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from June to August 2024.ZW-30 swept-source optical biometer was used to collect the lens tilt angle,κ angle(distance from the corneal light reflex to the pupil center),and α angle(distance from corneal light reflex to the corneal geometric center,which is the midpoint of the horizontal white to white(WTW)diameter).The degrees(°)and directions of κ angle and α angle were calculated by the ratio of the above measurements to the anterior chamber depth(ACD)respectively.Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were employed to evaluate the correlations between the magnitude and direction of corneal α angle,κ angle and lens tilt angle.Results The magnitude and direction of corneal α angle,κ angle,and lens tilt angle in the right eye were as follows respectively:(0.54±0.19)mm(7.81°±3.88°),194.43°±39.75°;(0.27±0.23)mm(4.72°±3.90°),181.07°±79.59°;5.52°±1.67°,188.21°±25.73°.For the left eye,the corresponding values were:(0.47±0.27)mm(8.12°±5.26°),336.04°±46.64°;(0.26±0.27)mm(4.45°±4.80°),322.86°±107.79°;5.50°±1.61°,340.65°±32.84°.Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between corneal α angle and lens tilt angle in the right eye were 0.609(distance correlation)and 0.625(angle correlation),while those for κ angle were 0.559(distance correlation)and 0.578(angle correlation).In the left eye,the correlation coefficients between corneal α angle and lens tilt angle were 0.545(distance correlation)and 0.552(angle correlation),and those for κ angle were 0.377(distance correlation)and 0.395(angle correlation).In addition,the correlation coefficient between the direction of corneal α angle and the direction of lens tilt angle in the right eye was 0.343,and that for κ angle direction was 0.284;in the left eye,the correlation coefficients were 0.216(α angle direction)and 0.198(κ angle direction),all with statistical significance(P<0.05).Univariate linear regression analysis showed that lens tilt was positively correlated with both corneal α angle and Kappa angle(P<0.05).Conclusions Corneal α angle and κ angle are highly correlated with lens tilt angle in both eyes,and the correlation of corneal α angle is stronger than that of κ angle in both left and right eyes.The correlation expressed by degree(°)is better than that by distance(mm).It is recommended to refer to the corneal α angle and κ angle expressed in degrees during preoperative evaluation.

Aim To investigate the neuroprotective effect of dioscin(DIO)on hippocampal neurons(HT22)after oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygen-ation(OGD/R)and its possible mechanism.Methods HT22 cells were treated with 0,2.5,5,10,20,40,80,160,and 320 mg·L-1DIO for 24 h,and the cell proliferation rate was detected by CCK-8 method.The concentration that was non-toxic to HT 2 2 cells was se-lected for subsequent experiments.After OGD for 2 h,HT22 cells were randomly divided into the OGD/R group,1.25,2.5,and 5 mg·L-1DIO group,and posi-tive control group.HT22 cells were taken as the con-trol group.After drug intervention for 24 h,the cell proliferation rate was detected by CCK-8 method;the LDH release was detected by colorimetry;the cell ap-optosis rate was detected by TUNEL method;the ex-pression of proteins related to PARP-1/AIF pathway and caspase pathway was detected by Western blot.Results DIO intervention significantly upregulated the expression of AIF protein in mitochondria and PAR protein in nucleus of HT22 cells after OGD/R,and sig-nificantly downregulated the release of LDH,neuronal apoptosis rate,total protein expression of AIF and PAR,PARP-1,AIF in nucleus and protein expression of PAR protein in mitochondria,while the expression of Bax and caspase-3 proteins was not significantly differ-ent from that in the OGD/R group.Conclusion DIO can alleviate the apoptosis of HT22 cells induced by OGD/R by regulating the expression and translocation of proteins related to the PARP-1/AIF pathway,thus playing a neuroprotective role.

Objective To explore the impact of peptidylarginine deiminase 2(Padi2)-knockout on depressive-like behaviors in socially isolated mice.Methods Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology,a Padi2-knockout(Padi2-/-)mouse model with a C57BL/6J background was established,and the effect of Padi2 knockout was identified by genotyping and RT-qPCR detection.Six-week-old male Padi2-/- mice and wild-type C57BL/6J mice were selected and divided into normal rearing and social isolation groups,with 15 mice per group.The normal rearing group mice were housed with 5 mice per cage,and the social isolation group was housed with 1 mouse per cage,and weighed once a week.After 4 weeks,forced swimming and open field tests were conducted.After the behavioral experiments,brain tissues were taken from mice in each group,and changes in microglia in the brains were detected by immunofluorescence.Results We successfully established Padi2-/- mice.There was no difference in behavior between Padi2-/- mice and C57BL/6J mice in the normal rearing group.After social isolation,compared with C57BL/6J mice,Padi2-/- mice showed a significant increase in depressive symptoms,obvious weight gain,and a significant increase in the number of microglia in brain tissue.Conclusions Padi2 knockout exacerbated depressive-like behaviors and obesity in socially isolated mice,indicating that Padi2 is involved in the progression of depression and may be an effective target for the prevention and treatment of depression.

A method was developed for determination of dilauryl thiodipropionate(DLTDP)in fried foods by coupling solid-phase extraction(SPE)pretreatment with reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(RPLC-MS/MS)detection.Samples were extracted with n-hexane as the solvent,purified using a neutral alumina SPE cartridge,and finally analyzed by RPLC-MS/MS.Quantitative analysis was performed using matrix-matched calibration curves combined with an external standard method under optimal experimental conditions.The results showed that DLTDP exhibited good linearity in the range of 2.0-50.0 μg/L,with a correlation coefficient(R2)≥0.999.The limit of detection(LOD)and the limit of quantification(LOQ)of the method were 0.15 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg,respectively.The mean recoveries at three fortification levels(0.5,1.0,and 200 mg/kg)in different samples ranged from 84.8%to 96.8%,with the relative standard deviations(RSDs)all less than 8.0%.The developed method was highly sensitive,accurate and reliable,and easy to operate,making it well suited for the routine quantitative analysis of DLTDP in fried foods.

OBJECTIVE: Humans are exposed to complex mixtures of environmental chemicals and other factors that can affect their health. Analysis of these mixture exposures presents several key challenges for environmental epidemiology and risk assessment, including high dimensionality, correlated exposure, and subtle individual effects. METHODS: We proposed a novel statistical approach, the generalized functional linear model (GFLM), to analyze the health effects of exposure mixtures. GFLM treats the effect of mixture exposures as a smooth function by reordering exposures based on specific mechanisms and capturing internal correlations to provide a meaningful estimation and interpretation. The robustness and efficiency was evaluated under various scenarios through extensive simulation studies. RESULTS: We applied the GFLM to two datasets from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In the first application, we examined the effects of 37 nutrients on BMI (2011-2016 cycles). The GFLM identified a significant mixture effect, with fiber and fat emerging as the nutrients with the greatest negative and positive effects on BMI, respectively. For the second application, we investigated the association between four pre- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and gout risk (2007-2018 cycles). Unlike traditional methods, the GFLM indicated no significant association, demonstrating its robustness to multicollinearity. CONCLUSION GFLM framework is a powerful tool for mixture exposure analysis, offering improved handling of correlated exposures and interpretable results. It demonstrates robust performance across various scenarios and real-world applications, advancing our understanding of complex environmental exposures and their health impacts on environmental epidemiology and toxicology.
Humans ; Environmental Exposure/analysis* ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Environmental Pollutants ; Body Mass Index

Objective To observe the effects of Yixintai on lipid metabolism and the protein expressions of CPT-1 and CD36 in rats with heart failure;To explore the mechanism of its treatment of heart failure.Methods 106 out of 120 SD rats were selected to establish the heart failure model induced by myocardial infarction by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery,and 14 rats were selected as the sham-operation group.The successful model rats were randomly divided into model group,trimetazidine group and Yixintai low-,medium-and high-dosage groups,with 14 rats in each group.The administration group was given corresponding drugs by gavage once a day for 4 weeks.LVEF,LVFS,LVIDd and LVIDs were measured by color doppler ultrasonography,the contents of ANP,BNP,LA and FFA in serum were detected by ELISA,the contents of TG,TC,LDL and HDL were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer,HE and Masson staining were used to observe the morphology of myocardial tissue,the expressions of CPT-1 and CD36 protein in myocardial tissue were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the sham-operation group,LVEF and LVFS in the model group decreased(P<0.05),the LVIDs and LVIDd increased(P<0.05);the contents of serum ANP,BNP,LA,FFA,TG,TC and LDL increased(P<0.05),while the content of HDL decreased(P<0.05),with myocardial edema,irregular arrangement of myocardial fibers,increased inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition;the protein expressions of CPT-1 and CD36 in myocardial tissue decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the LVEF and LVFS in Yixintai each dosage groups and trimetazidine group increased(P<0.05),LVIDs and LVIDd decreased(P<0.05);the contents of ANP,BNP,LA,FFA,TG,TC and LDL in serum of Yixintai medium-and high-dosage groups and trimetazidine group decreased(P<0.05),the content of HDL increased(P<0.05);myocardial edema was improved,inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced,collagen fiber deposition was reduced,and the protein expressions of CPT-1 and CD36 in myocardial tissue increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Yixintai may improve myocardial energy metabolism and treat heart failure by increasing the expression of CPT-1 and CD36 protein in myocardial tissue and promoting fatty acid β oxidation.

The integration of science and education is not only an important strategy for promoting social progress and technological development,but also a modern form of higher education aiming at cultivating innovative talents.Conducting scientific research training for undergraduate medical students is one of the important ways to cultivate their innovative abilities and comprehensive qualities.Our team proposed a"teaching,science,and ideology trinity"teaching model to comprehensively cultivate students' scientific research comprehensive abilities under the value orientation of ideological and political education by or-ganically integrating molecular biology experimental teaching with the scientific research training of under-graduate medical students.In this teaching activity,taking the experiment of gene polymorphism as an example,our team selected students with research potential from the whole grade and divided them into 4 project groups that were instructed by 4 teachers.The students were trained in the whole process of scien-tific research,including topic selection,project writing,experimental designing,application for research ethics,and project summary.Our team has always adhered to student-contentedness of educational con-cepts to stimulate students' intrinsic motivation throughout the teaching process.Students are the design-ers and implementers of the project,and teachers are only guides and promoters of learning.After this training,students not only became familiar with the writing and implementation of scientific research pro-jects,but also improved their literature reading,experimental designing,experimental skills,and prob-lem-solving abilities.More importantly,this teaching activity also cultivated students' awareness of re-search ethics and academic moral standards.