Objective: To analyze the association of participation in non-sports extracurricular tutoring classes with the prevalence of screening myopia, axial length (AL) and axial length to corneal radius ratio (AL/CR) among primary school students, so as to provide evidences for formulating myopia prevention and control policies. Methods: In December 2024, combination of convenience and cluster sampling method was used to select 2 273 students from two primary schools in Hefei City, Anhui Province. Ophthalmic examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted to obtain information on myopia, AL, AL/CR and participation in various types of extracurricular tutoring. A binary Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between non-sports tutoring and screening myopia, and multiple linear regression models were used to examine the associations between non-sports tutoring and AL and AL/CR. Results: Among the surveyed students, the participation rate in non-sports extracurricular tutoring classes was 64.9% , and the overall prevalence of screening myopia was 39.1%. The average AL and AL/CR were (23.60± 1.01 ) mm and (3.00±0.12), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that students who attended non-sports, music, or academic tutoring classes for ≥2 h per week had higher risks of screening myopia and greater AL/CR values than non-participants (screening myopia: OR =1.38, 1.82, 1.55; AL/CR: β =0.01, 0.03, 0.03; all P <0.05). After adjusting for sex, grade, and participation in sports tutoring, multivariate analysis indicated that participation in non-sports and musical instrument tutoring classes for ≥2 h per week remained significantly associated with higher risks of screening myopia ( OR =1.26, 1.49, both P <0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that participation in musical instrument tutoring for ≥2 h per week was positively correlated with AL ( β=0.14, P < 0.05). Conclusions Participation in non-sports extracurricular tutoring is common among primary school students. Attending non-sports tutoring classes for ≥2 h per week increases the risk of screening myopia.

Bone is a highly calcified and vascularized tissue. The vascular system plays a vital role in supporting bone growth and repair, such as the provision of nutrients, growth factors, and metabolic waste transfer. Moreover, the additional functions of the bone vasculature, such as the secretion of various factors and the regulation of bone-related signaling pathways, are essential for maintaining bone health. In the bone microenvironment, bone tissue cells play a critical role in regulating angiogenesis, including osteoblasts, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and osteoclasts. Osteogenesis and bone angiogenesis are closely linked. The decrease in osteogenesis and bone angiogenesis caused by aging leads to osteoporosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various physiological processes, including osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Recent studies have shown that lncRNAs could mediate the crosstalk between angiogenesis and osteogenesis. However, the mechanism by which lncRNAs regulate angiogenesis‒osteogenesis crosstalk remains unclear. In this review, we describe in detail the ways in which lncRNAs regulate the crosstalk between osteogenesis and angiogenesis to promote bone health, aiming to provide new directions for the study of the mechanism by which lncRNAs regulate bone metabolism.
RNA, Long Noncoding/physiology* ; Osteogenesis/physiology* ; Humans ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/genetics* ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Animals ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; Signal Transduction ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Angiogenesis

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is characterized by alveolar bone resorption, aggravated by osteoblast dysfunction, and associated with intracellular oxidative stress linked to the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) level. We evaluated the molecular mechanism of periodontitis onset and development and the role of NRF2 in osteogenic differentiation. METHODS: Primary murine mandibular osteoblasts were extracted and exposed to Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) or other stimuli. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) staining were used to detect intracellular oxidative stress. Alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red S staining were used to detect the osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were used to determine the changes in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and related molecule activities. Immunofluorescence colocalization and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to examine the nuclear translocation of NRF2 and its interaction with dual-specific phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) in cells. RESULTS: Ligated tissue samples showed higher alveolar bone resorption rate and lower NRF2 level than healthy periodontal tissue samples. Pg-LPS increased intracellular oxidative stress levels and inhibited osteogenic differentiation, whereas changes in NRF2 expression were correlated with changes in the oxidative stress and osteogenesis rate. NRF2 promoted the dephosphorylation of the MAPK pathway by nuclear translocation and the upregulation of DUSP1 expression, thus enhancing the osteogenic differentiation capacity of mandibular osteoblasts. The interaction between NRF2 and DUSP1 was observed. CONCLUSIONS: NRF2 and its nuclear translocation can regulate the osteogenic differentiation of mandibular osteoblasts under Pg-LPS conditions by interacting with DUSP1 in a process linked to the MAPK pathway. These findings form the basis of periodontitis treatment.
Animals ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/physiology* ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Osteoblasts/drug effects* ; Mice ; Porphyromonas gingivalis/chemistry* ; Cell Differentiation ; Osteogenesis ; Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1/metabolism* ; Mandible/cytology* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Periodontitis/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Male ; Cell Nucleus/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: Exploring the formation and aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) (amylin) fibers is significant for promoting the prevention and treatment of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Flavones in pomelo peel have visible biological activity in the anti-diabetes aspect. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of five flavones [naringin (NRG), narirutin (NRR), nobiletin (NOB), sinensetin (SIN), and neohesperidin (NHP)] in pomelo peel on peptide aggregation and explore its possible mechanisms. The cell viability of flavones against peptide aggregation was also evaluated. METHODS: The thioflavin T (ThT) assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for evaluating the inhibition and disaggregation of flavones on peptide aggregation. The interaction mechanism was analyzed by endogenous fluorescence, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments. The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and immune assays were performed to characterize the cell viability of flavones against peptide aggregation. RESULTS: The five flavones showed a decrease in fluorescence intensity, fiber number and size under incubation with different molar ratios of hIAPP. The compounds can bind to the aromatic tyrosine (Tyr) residueTyr 37, resulting in the intrinsic fluorescence quenching of the peptides. Five flavones can form hydrogen bonds with hIAPP, which is likely to be based on their phenolic hydroxyl structure. They showed strong binding affinity with peptides. The reaction system of NRG and NRR observed an exothermic reaction, and the others were endothermic reactions. The absorption peaks of the compounds with hIAPP changed and showed hypochromic effects, indicating that there may be π-π stacking interaction. Flavones noticeably increased the cell viability in the presence of amyloid peptides and reduced the absorption intensity induced by peptide oligomers. CONCLUSION A total of five flavones in pomelo peel have inhibitory and depolymerization effects on amyloid fibrils, and can significantly protect cells from the toxic effect of hIAPP and reduce the production of toxic oligomers.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most important histological type of lung cancer. This disease affects a large number of patients, and the prognosis of advanced patients is poor. Although great progress has been achieved for existing treatment methods, challenges still exist. Cancer is a genetic disease, and its occurrence is accompanied by substantial genomic-sequence instability. (GT/CA)_n repeat sequence is a common microsatellite sequence serving as transcriptional function-related regions, DNA-methylation modification sites, and other functional sites. Its polymorphism is closely related to the expression of EGFR, HO-1, and HIF-1α in NSCLC patients. (GT/CA)_n repeat sequence is the breakthrough point to explore the molecular mechanism of NSCLC occurrence and development, develop molecular markers for diagnosis and prognosis and epigenetics research. This paper summarizes the studies on (GT/CA)_n repeat polymorphisms in NSCLC with the aim of providing references for relevant NSCLC research.

Objective: To understand the prevalence of school bullying and the comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms among middle school students and their association, so as to provide a basis for developing related intervention strategies. Methods: From September to December 2023, a multistage random cluster sampling was employed to select 107 851 middle school students across 104 counties in Anhui Province. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) Scale were used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the correlations between experiences of school bullying and the comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results: The findings revealed that 2.80% of middle school students had experienced school bullying in the past 30 days. Additionally, 27.03% exhibited potential symptoms of depression, 8.94% showed signs of anxiety symptom, and the comorbidity rate of anxiety and depressive symptoms was 8.04%. Logistic regression analysis showed that statistically significant correlations were identified between experiences of school bullying and increased risks of depressive symptoms (OR=6.42, 95%CI=5.93-6.94, P<0.01), anxiety symptoms (OR=5.94, 95%CI=5.47-6.44, P<0.01), and their comorbidity (OR=6.38, 95%CI=5.88-6.93, P<0.01). Compared with those who did not suffer from school bullying, junior high school students, ordinary senior high school students, vocational senior high school students, boys and girls who suffered from school bullying all had increased risks of comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms (OR=7.25, 5.55, 4.80, 6.42, 6.27, P＜0.01). Conclusions The study underscores the significant impact of school bullying on increasing the risk of comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms among middle school students. It is important to pay attention to the psychological health of bullied students and implement timely psychological intervention measures.

The occurrence of benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH)was related to disrupted sex steroid hormones,and metformin(Met)had a clinical response to sex steroid hormone-related gynaecological disease.How-ever,whether Met exerts an antiproliferative effect on BPH via sex steroid hormones remains unclear.Here,our clinical study showed that along with prostatic epithelial cell(PEC)proliferation,sex steroid hormones were dysregulated in the serum and prostate of BPH patients.As the major contributor to dysregulated sex steroid hormones,elevated dihydrotestosterone(DHT)had a significant positive rela-tionship with the clinical characteristics of BPH patients.Activation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)by Met restored dysregulated sex steroid hormone homeostasis and exerted antiproliferative effects against DHT-induced proliferation by inhibiting the formation of androgen receptor(AR)-mediated Yes-associated protein(YAP1)-TEA domain transcription factor(TEAD4)heterodimers.Met's anti-proliferative effects were blocked by AMPK inhibitor or YAP1 over-expression in DHT-cultured BPH-1 cells.Our findings indicated that Met would be a promising clinical therapeutic approach for BPH by inhibiting dysregulated steroid hormone-induced PEC proliferation.

Objective:To compare clinical efficacy and safety of peripheral to central pruning of apocrine sweat glands versus along small incision of apocrine sweat glands in the treatment of axillary bromhidrosis.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study method was used to recruit patients with armpit odor admitted to the Department of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from June to October 2022. The patients were divided into the experimental group (underwent peripheral to central pruning of apocrine sweat glands with small incision of axillary fold under direct view) and the control group (apocrine sweat glands were cut off along the direction of small incisions) by randomization. The occurrence of postoperative complications such as hematoma, infection, skin necrosis, delayed incision healing, scar and skin contracture were observed in both groups, and the incidence rate was calculated. The surgical effect was evaluated 6 months after the operation, and the number of cured, markedly effective, and ineffective sides was counted, and the cure rate and effective rate were calculated; the satisfaction was investigated and divided into two options: satisfactory and dissatisfied, and the satisfaction rate was calculated. Count data were analyzed using the chi-square test. P<0.05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant. Results:A total of 52 patients were recruited. Experimental group, 26 patients (52 side), 6 male, 20 women, aged 18-31 years, mean of 22 years; control group, 26 patients (52 side), 6 male, 20 women, aged 18-47 years, mean of 21 years. The incidence of postoperative complications in the experimental group was 3.85% (2 / 52), which was lower than 19.23% (10/52) of the control group, with statistically significant difference ( χ2=3.98, P=0.046), in which the flap necrosis, local contracture, scarring and delayed incision healing were better than the control group. The postoperative response rate in both groups was 100%(52/52), but the cure rate in the experimental group was higher than the control group [96.15% (50/52) vs. 80.77% (42/52)], with a significant difference ( χ2=6.03, P=0.014). The satisfaction rate of the experimental group was 96.15% (50/52), higher than the 82.69% (43/52) of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.92, P=0.026). Conclusion:Compared with the traditional small incision of peripheral to central pruning method and the traditional small incision of apocrine sweat glands method, the cure rate of the former is higher, which can effectively protect the skin flap dermis and subdermal vascular network around the incision, reduce postoperative skin necrosis and scar, and improve patient satisfaction.

Objective To explore the role of MAPK4 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma(CSCC)for the identification of candidate prognostic prediction biomarkers and molecular therapeutic targets.Methods The TCGA cohort was subjected to Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.Immunohistochemistry experiments were conducted on clinical samples to explore the correlation between MAPK4 and patient prognosis.A nomogram was constructed based on MAPK4 mRNA levels.Western blot,CCK-8,colony formation,and Transwell cell function experiments were performed to clarify the abnormal expression and role of MAPK4 in CSCC.DIA proteome sequencing was used to identify effector molecules regulated by MAPK4.Combined with the above cell function experiments,the knockdown of MAPK4 and the overexpression of effector molecules revealed that MAPK4 regulated effector molecules to mediate tumor progression.Results CSCC patients with elevated MAPK4 mRNA levels and high protein expression have a worse prognosis.The constructed nomogram based on MAPK4 can accurately predict the 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rates of patients.Compared with that in normal cervical tissues,MAPK4 protein expre-ssion was up-regulated in tumors.MAP-K4 knockdown substantially inhibited the proliferation,colony formation,mig-ration,and invasion of CSCC ME180 and SiHa cells.SLC3A2 is a downs-tream effector molecule of MAPK4.Overexpression SLC3A2 can weaken the inhibitory effect of MAPK4 knockdown on cell proliferation,colony formation,migration,and invasion.Conclusion MAPK4 is a candidate prognostic biomarker for patients with CSCC.MAPK4 positively regulates SLC3A2 protein expression and accelerates tumor progression,making it a potential molecular therapeutic target for patients with CSCC.

Objective To explore the relationship between amyloid A(SAA)/C-reactive protein(CRP)and airway inflammation and disease severity in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma.Methods A total of 82 children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma admitted to Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital from July 2020 to July 2023 were selected as the study objects,and were divided into mild group(23 cases)and moderate and severe group(59 cases)according to the disease severity at admission.SAA/CRP and airway inflammation indicators[interleukin-6(IL-6),procalcitonin(PCT)]in the two groups were compared.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of SAA/CRP for the disease severity of children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma,and multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors for the disease severity of children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma.Results The serum levels of IL-6 and PCT in the mild group were lower than those in the moderate and severe group(P＜0.05),and the serum SAA,CRP and SAA/CRP in the mild group were lower than those in the moderate and severe group(P＜0.05).SAA/CRP was positively correlated with IL-6 and PCT levels in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma(r=0.317,0.324,P=0.010,0.001).The area under the curve of SAA,CRP and SAA/CRP for diagnosing the disease severity of children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma were 0.854,0.753 and 0.916,re-spectively.Family history of asthma(OR=3.622,95％CI:1.556～8.430),asthma control test score(OR=4.175,95％CI:1.652-10.550),SAA/CRP(OR=5.254,95％CI:2.108-13.097)were the risk factors for children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma(P＜0.05).Conclusion The SAA/CRP in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma is related to airway inflammation,and has a certain value in evaluating the disease severity of children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma.