ObjectiveTo investigate the awareness and clinical practice of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B （2022 edition） among clinicians. MethodsFrom July 19 to December 31， 2024， a self-designed electronic questionnaire was distributed via the WeChat mini program to collect related data from 1 588 clinicians nationwide， including their awareness and practice based on 18 questions regarding testing and referral， diagnosis and treatment， and follow-up. ResultsAmong all respondents， only 350 clinicians correctly understood all the updated key points of antiviral indications and treatment for special populations in the 2022 edition of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B， with an overall awareness rate of 22.0%. Only 20% ‍—‍ ‍40% of the patients with positive HBV DNA and an age of >30 years receive antiviral therapy， while 80% ‍—‍ ‍100% of the patients with positive HBV DNA and a family history of hepatitis B cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma receive antiviral therapy. The median follow-up rates at 1 year， 3 years， and 5 years were 67.5% 57.5% and 47.5%，respectively， showing a trend of gradual reduction， which might be associated with the influencing factors such as insufficient time for follow-up management by clinicians， insufficient awareness of the disease among patients， and poor adherence to follow-up. ConclusionThere is a gap between the awareness and practice of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B （2022 edition） among clinicians. It is recommended to further strengthen training and focus on the whole process of “detection， diagnosis， treatment， and management” for patients with chronic hepatitis B in healthcare institutions， in order to promote the implementation of the guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data on chronic diarrhea in the Chinese population are lacking, and the association between obesity and chronic diarrhea in East Asian populations remains inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of chronic diarrhea and its association with obesity in a representative community-dwelling Chinese population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on a multistage, randomized cluster sampling involving 3503 residents aged 20-69 years from representative urban and rural communities in Beijing. Chronic diarrhea was assessed using the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), and obesity was determined based on body mass index (BMI). Logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate the relationship between obesity and chronic diarrhea. RESULTS: The standardized prevalence of chronic diarrhea in the study population was 12.88%. The average BMI was 24.67 kg/m 2 . Of all the participants, 35.17% (1232/3503) of participants were classified as overweight and 16.13% (565/3503) as obese. After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals with obesity had an increased risk of chronic diarrhea as compared to normal weight individuals (odds ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.20-2.06). A nonlinear association between BMI and the risk of chronic diarrhea was observed in community residents of males and the overall participant group ( P  = 0.026 and 0.017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study presents initial findings on the prevalence of chronic diarrhea among residents of Chinese communities while offering substantiated evidence regarding the significant association between obesity and chronic diarrhea. These findings offer a novel perspective on gastrointestinal health management.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Chronic Disease/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diarrhea/epidemiology* ; Obesity/complications* ; Prevalence ; East Asian People/statistics & numerical data*

Liposomes serve as critical carriers for drugs and vaccines, with their biological effects influenced by their size. The microfluidic method, renowned for its precise control, reproducibility, and scalability, has been widely employed for liposome preparation. Although some studies have explored factors affecting liposomal size in microfluidic processes, most focus on small-sized liposomes, predominantly through experimental data analysis. However, the production of larger liposomes, which are equally significant, remains underexplored. In this work, we thoroughly investigate multiple variables influencing liposome size during microfluidic preparation and develop a machine learning (ML) model capable of accurately predicting liposomal size. Experimental validation was conducted using a staggered herringbone micromixer (SHM) chip. Our findings reveal that most investigated variables significantly influence liposomal size, often interrelating in complex ways. We evaluated the predictive performance of several widely-used ML algorithms, including ensemble methods, through cross-validation (CV) for both liposome size and polydispersity index (PDI). A standalone dataset was experimentally validated to assess the accuracy of the ML predictions, with results indicating that ensemble algorithms provided the most reliable predictions. Specifically, gradient boosting was selected for size prediction, while random forest was employed for PDI prediction. We successfully produced uniform large (600 nm) and small (100 nm) liposomes using the optimised experimental conditions derived from the ML models. In conclusion, this study presents a robust methodology that enables precise control over liposome size distribution, offering valuable insights for medicinal research applications.

Flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (3GT) is a key enzyme in the glucosidation of anthocyanins. To investigate the 3GT gene in rhododendron, we cloned an open reading frame (ORF) of 3GT gene (named Rh3GT) from Rhododendron hybridum Hort (Red cultivar) and then characterized this gene and the deduced protein in terms of the biochemical characteristics, expression level, and enzymatic function. The results showed that Rh3GT had a full length of 993 bp and encoded 330 amino acid residues. The deduced protein was hydrophilic, stable, weak acid, belonging to the glycosyltransferase family (GT-B type), with glutamine (Q) at position 44 in the PSPG box. The phylogenetic analysis showed that Rh3GT was most closely related to Vc3GT from Vaccinium corymbosum and Vm3GT from Vaccinium myrtillus. Rh3GT was expressed in the stems, leaves, and flowers and almost not expressed in the roots, with the highest expression level in petals during full blooming stage. Introduction of pCAMBIAL1302-Rh3GT into petals significantly up-regulated the expression level of Rh3GT and increased the total anthocyanin accumulation. Rh3GT was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 in the form of inclusion bodies with a size of about 36 kDa. The results of HPLC showed that the recombinant Rh3GT after denaturation, purification, and dilution could catalyze the synthesis of cyanidin and UDP-glucose to synthesize cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, indicating that the expressed protein had 3GT activity. This study provides basic data for further studying the molecular regulation mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis and theoretical support for molecular breeding of rhododendron.
Rhododendron/classification* ; Glucosyltransferases/metabolism* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis* ; Anthocyanins/biosynthesis* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Amino Acid Sequence

Objective:To compare the accuracy of dynamic navigation system,fully-guided and Pilot-drill guided implant surgery in anterior dental aesthetic area.Methods:45 patients underwent single tooth implantation in anterior dental aesthetic area were random-ly divided into 3 groups(n=15).Dynamic navigation system imlanting(A),3D printing fully-guided template with ASTRA EV assis-ted orthopedic implantation(B)and Pilot-drill guided implantation(C)were respectively used for the patients in group A,B and C.The deviation between the preoperative design and actual results were measured by CBCT and/or 3D reconstruction with navigation de-sign software or 3SHAPE software.SPSS 25.0 software package was used and(x)±s was used for descriptive analysis,results were pair-wise compared among the 3 groups using ANOVA.Results:Data were normally distributed and the variance of the data was homoge-neous.In group A,the distance deviation of implant top center was(0.571±0.196)mm,the horizontal deviation was(0.405±0.222)mm,the distance deviation of implant apical center was(0.449±0.267)mm,the vertical deviation was(0.312±0.223)mm,the de-viation of the connection angle between the two centers was 2.257°±0.989°.In group B,those were(0.520±0.242)mm,(0.219±0.201)mm,(0.643±0.284)mm,(0.464±0.292)mm and 1.272°±0.951° respectively.In group C those were(1.179±0.365)mm,(0.667±0.276)mm,(1.518±0.566)mm,(0.967±0.444)mm and 2.568°±0.632°.The deviation of all the measurments of group A and B was lower than those of group C(P＜0.05).The deviation of the connection angle between the 2 centers of group B was less than that of group A(P＜0.05),but no statistical significance(P＞0.05)was found in other 4 measured items.Conslusion:The accuracy of the dynamic navigation system and the fully-guided implantation is significantly higher than that of the Pilot-drill guided implantation,but is not statistically significant between dynamic navigation and the fully-guided system.

Objective To investigate the role of bufalin(BU)in inhibiting M2-type macrophage-mediated colorec-tal cancer metastasis.Methods Human acute leukemia mononuclear cells(THP-1)were differentiated into M0 macrophages using phorbol ester induction(PMA)for 48 hours.The M0 macrophages were then treated with IL-4 and IL-13 medium.Surface markers and morphological changes were observed through ELISA,morphology,and RT-qPCR experiments.RT-PCR and ELISA experiments were conducted to detect the surface markers TGF-β and IL-10 of M2 macrophages.The secretion level of IL-6 in the supernatant of M2 macrophages and colorectal cancer cells HCT116 was compared using ELISA.Additionally,the effect of conditioned medium on colorectal cancer cell HCT116 was assessed through Transwell,Wound healing,RT-qPCR,and Western blot experiments.Subsequent-ly,bufalin was added to the conditioned medium and the changes in AKT/PI3K protein,migration,and epithelial-mesenchymal transition ability in HCT116 were observed using Western blot,Transwell,Wound healing and RT-qPCR experiments.Results THP-1 were successfully differentiated into M2 macrophages.The activation of AKT/PI3K protein in HCT116 cells was induced by the secretion of IL-6 from M2 macrophages,which in turn promoted the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition ability of the HCT116 cells.The migration and epithelial-mes-enchymal transition mediated by M2 macrophages in HCT116 cells were effectively inhibited by Bufalin.Conclu-sion The release of IL-6 from M2 macrophages activates the AKT/PI3K signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells,thereby promoting their migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition capacity.Moreover,bufalin exhibits inhibitory effects on this effect.

Objective: To explore the effects of whole wheat flour on blood glucose and lipid levels and antioxidant capacity of high-fat fed mice. Methods: Thirty-two male C57BL/6J mice at ages of 3 to 4 weeks were randomly divided into 4 groups with 8 mice in each group. The normal control group was fed with ordinary diet, the high-fat diet group was fed with high-fat diet, the whole wheat flour group was fed with high-fat diet and whole wheat flour, and the refined wheat flour group was fed with high-fat diet and refined wheat flour. Nine weeks later, blood was collected from the tail for measurement of fasting blood glucose (FBG), and blood was also collected from the eyeball to determine the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Adipose tissue was taken and weighed after death. Body weight, total food intake, Lee's index, adipose index, blood glucose, blood lipids, and antioxidant indicators were compared among the four groups of mice. Results: Compared with the normal control group, the mice in the high-fat diet group, whole wheat flour group, and refined wheat flour group exhibited increased body weight, total food intake, Lee's index, and adipose index, as well as decreased GSH-Px levels; the high-fat diet group had elevated levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA (all P<0.05). When compared to the high-fat diet group, the whole wheat flour group showed lower Lee's index and adipose index, but the difference was not statistically significant (both P>0.05). Both the whole wheat flour group and the refined wheat flour group had reduced levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and MDA, as well as increased GSH-Px levels (all P<0.05). Conclusions Whole wheat flour can effectively reduce the body weight of high-fat feeding mice, improve blood lipid levels, and enhance antioxidant capacity. However, there was no significant difference in the effects of whole wheat flour and refined wheat flour on mice during the experimental period.

Objective To investigate the distribution and seasonal fluctuations of visceral leishmaniasis vectors sandflies in Lüliang City, Shanxi Province, so as to provide insights into assessment of the visceral leishmaniasis transmission risk and formulation of visceral leishmaniasis control measures. Methods A total of 12 natural villages were sampled from Shilou County, Lishi District, Lanxian County, Linxian County and Wenshui County in Lüliang City, Shanxi Province from June to September, 2023, and sandflies were captured using light traps from 7 breeding habitats, including farmers’ houses, sheep pens, cattle pens, chicken coops, pig pens, mule and horse pens, and loess-cave dwellings. Following morphological identification of the sandfly species, the distribution of sandflies and the seasonal fluctuations of the sandfly density were analyzed. In addition, the Leishmania was detected in sandflies using a real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assay. Results A total of 2 831 sandflies were captured with 156 light traps in Lüliang City from June to September, 2023, including 2 638 female sandflies (93.18%) and 193 male sandflies (6.82%), and the average density was 16.91 sandflies/(light-night). The seasonal fluctuations of the sandfly density all appeared a unimodal distribution in all survey sites, and the sandfly density peaked in July and then declined rapidly. Among all types of breeding habitats, the greatest sandfly density was found in sheep pens [39.04 sandflies/(light-night)]. In addition, 4.08% (2/49) of the sandfly samples were tested positive for Leishmania nucleic acid as revealed by the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assay. Conclusions Sandflies were widely distributed in Lüliang City, Shanxi Province in 2023, and the peak of the sandfly density was observed in July, which had a visceral leishmaniasis transmission risk. Intensified surveillance of visceral leishmaniasis and sandfly vectors is required and targeted vector control is recommended.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg₁ （G-Rg₁） combined with hirudin in treating myocardial fibrosis in the mouse model of acute myocardial infarction （AMI）. MethodSeventy-five C57BL/6N mice were randomized into sham， model， G-Rg₁ （20 mg·kg^-1）， hirudin （20 mg·kg^-1）， and G-Rg₁ （20 mg·kg^-1） + hirudin （20 mg·kg^-1） groups. The mouse model of AMI was established by ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery and continued gavage for 4 weeks. The success of the modeling was judged by ECG changes of mice before and after ligation. The heart weight index， echocardiography， myocardial fibrosis， type Ⅰ collagen α1（COL1A1）， platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 （PECAM-1/CD31）， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1）， and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 （VCAM-1） were measured before and after treatment. ResultAfter ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery， the R wave and T wave merged into a tall tented wave， and the ST segment presented a "damaged" change， indicating that the model was successfully prepared. Compared with the sham group， the model group showed dull and dry hair， slow movement， increased heart weight index （P<0.01）， decreased left ventricular ejection fraction （EF） and left ventricular shortening fraction （FS） （P<0.01）， increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDd） and left ventricular end-systolic diameter （LVESd） （P<0.01）， disarranged myocardial fibers， collagen fiber hyperplasia （P<0.01）， increased expression of COL1A1 （P<0.01）， upregulated protein levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 （P<0.01）， downregulated CD31 expression， and upregulated α-SMA expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the treatment groups recovered the above indexes in different degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the combined group had better effect （P<0.05）. ConclusionG-Rg₁ combined with hirudin can ameliorate myocardial fibrosis after AMI by inhibiting the expression of adhesion molecular protein in the heart tissue， reducing the adhesion of inflammatory cells， alleviating cardiac inflammation， and inhibiting cardiac endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism by which Ginkgo flavone aglycone （GA） reduces the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin （DOX） based on transcriptomics and proteomics. METHODS Thirty-six mice were randomly assigned to control group （CON group， tail vein injection of equal volume of physiological saline every other day+daily intragastric administration of an equal volume of physiological saline）， DOX group （tail vein injection of 3 mg/kg DOX every other day）， and GDOX group （daily intragastric administration of 100 mg/kg GA+tail vein injection of 3 mg/kg DOX every other day）， with 12 mice in each group. The administration of drugs/physiological saline was continued for 15 days. Mouse heart tissues were collected for RNA-Seq transcriptomic sequencing and 4D-Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis to screen differentially expressed genes and proteins， which were then subjected to Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis. The expression levels of Apelin peptide （Apelin）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， and protein kinase B （Akt） mRNA and protein in mouse heart tissues， as well as the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins， were verified. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were divided into control group （CON group）， DOX group （2 μmol/L）， and GDOX group （2 μg/mL GA+2 μmol/L DOX） to determine cell viability and the levels of key glycolytic substances in the cells. RESULTS Six common pathways were identified from transcriptomics and proteomics， including the Apelin signaling pathway， the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway， and insulin resistance. Among them， the Apelin and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were the most enriched in terms of gene numbers. Target validation experiments showed that compared to the CON group， the relative expression of Apelin， PI3K and Akt mRNA and protein levels， as well as the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins， were significantly decreased in the DOX group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The relative expression of Apelin， PI3K and Akt mRNA and the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins were significantly increased in the GDOX group as compared with the DOX group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Cellular experiments indicated that compared to the CON group， cell viability in the DOX group was significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， the relative uptake of glucose and the relative production of pyruvate and lactate were significantly increased （P＜0.05）， and the relative production of ATP was significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. Compared to the DOX group， cell viability in the GDOX group was significantly increased （P＜ 0.05）， and the relative production of pyruvate and lactate was significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS GA may alleviate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating the mRNA and protein expression of Apelin， PI3K， and Akt in heart tissues， and regulating glycolytic processes.