Objective To analyze the prevalence status of cardiometabolic risk factor (CMRF) and its aggregation among workers engaged in new forms of employment. Methods A total of 5 429 new employment workers (including couriers, online food delivery workers, and ride hailing drivers) who underwent health medical examinations at a tertiary hospital in Beijing City were selected as the research subjects using the judgment sampling method. Data on waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipid levels were collected to analyze their CMRF [central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, elevated triglycerides, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)] and their aggregation (with ≥ 2 of the above 5 risk factors) status. Results The detection rates of central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, elevated triglycerides, and reduced HDL-C were 61.2%, 38.2%, 29.5%, 40.9% and 22.6%, respectively. The detection rates of CMRF aggregation was 57.8%. The result of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that male, age ≥45 years, smoking, overweight, and obesity were risk factors for CMRF aggregation (all P<0.05). Conclusion The detection rate of CMRF and its aggregation among workers with new forms of employment in Beijing City is relatively high. Targeted prevention and control efforts should be strengthened for high-risk populations, especially males, workers aged ≥45 years, smokers, and those who are overweight or obese.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the chemical constituents of the active parts of Piper wallichii. METHODS The petroleum ether-extract fraction was prepared from the methanol extract of P. wallichii. Separation and purification were performed using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the compounds were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS Nineteen compounds were isolated from the petroleum ether-extract fraction from the methanol extract of P. wallichii， identified as 3-acetoxybenzyl benzoate （1）， 2-acetoxybenzyl benzoate （2）， 2-methoxybenzyl benzoate （3）， 3-methoxybenzyl benzoate （4）， 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl benzoate （5）， 3-hydroxybenzyl benzoate（6）， benzyl benzoate （7）， ganschisandrine （8）， lancifolin A （9）， （7R，8R，3′R）-7-acetoxy-3′，4′-dimethoxy-3，4-methylenedioxy-6′-oxo- Δ1′，4′，8′-8.3′-lignan （10）， （7S，8R，3′S）-Δ8′-3′，6′-dihydro-3′-methoxy-3，4-methylenedioxy-6′-oxo-8.3′，7.O.4′-lignan （11）， （7R， 8R，3′S）-Δ8′-3′，6′-dihydro-3′-methoxy-3，4-methylenedioxy-6′-oxo-8.3′，7.O.4′-lignan （12）， isodihydrofutoquinol A （13）， licarin A （14）， licarin B （15）， 2-（2′，5′-dimethoxyphenyl）-3，4- dimethyl-5-（3″，4″-dimethoxyphenyl）- tetrahydrofuran （16）， galgravin （17）， velutin （18）， and piyunin A （19）. CONCLUSIONS Compound 1 is a new benzyl benzoate compound. Compounds 3-5， 8 and 9 are isolated from the Piper genus for the first time， while compounds 2， 6， 10-13 and 15-19 are isolated from P. wallichii for the first time.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum levels of plasminogen activator inhibi-tor-1(PAI-1)and annexin A2(ANXA2)and the carotid atherosclerosis stability(CAS)plaque in patients with transient ischemic attack(TIA).Methods A total of 131 patients with TIA admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected as the TIA group,and 46 healthy people in the same period were selected as the control group.According to the CAS plaque stability of TIA patients,they were divided into unstable plaque group(64 cases)and stable plaque/no plaque group(67 cases).The serum levels of PAI-1 and ANXA2 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence immunoassay,respectively.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors of CAS plaque stability in TIA patients.Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the predictive value of serum PAI-1 and ANXA2 levels for CAS instability in TIA patients.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of PAI-1 and ANXA2 in TIA group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with the stable plaque/no plaque group,the unstable plaque group was significant increaseed in the serum levels of PAI-1 and ANXA2(P<0.05).Smoking,high risk of TIA,elevated PAI-1 and ANXA2 were independent risk factors for CAS plaque stability in patients with TIA(P<0.05).The area under the curve predicted by serum PAI-1 and ANXA2 levels combined was 0.879,which was larger than 0.788 and 0.783 predicted by serum PAI-1 and ANXA2 levels alone(P<0.05).Conclusion The increased levels of serum PAI-1 and ANXA2 are closely re-lated to CAS plaque instability in patients with TIA.The combination of serum PAI-1 and ANXA2 levels has a higher value in predicting CAS plaque instability in patients with TIA.

Objective To explore the biological functions of pyroptosis-related genes in pneumonic plague using bioinformatics methods,and to evaluate their potential applicability as diagnostic markers.Methods The pneumonic plague-related dataset GSE220123 was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database and screened for differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes(DE-PRGs).The functions of DE-PRGs were studied via Gene Ontology(GO),Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses,and immune infiltration analysis.The hub genes were identified via protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis,and further screened for key genes with sustained high expression characteristics based on differential expression analysis.The relative expression levels of the key genes were verified using the reverse transcription real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR)method.Results A total of 17 DE-PRGs were screened,and PPI network analysis revealed 7 Hub genes.Among them,Casp4 continued to be up-regulated during the course of pneumonic plague.The results of reverse transcription qPCR were consistent with the those of bioinformatic analyses.Conclusion DE-PRGs play a crucial role in the immune response of pneumonic plague,especially Casp4,which has significant applications as a diagnostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for pneumonic plague.

Objective : To identify autophagy-related genes involved in pulmonary infection caused by the highly drug-resistant and virulent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300 ( USA300) ，and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms ， thereby providing potential targets for immunotherapy． Methods: The GSE220943 dataset of a USA300-induced pulmonary infection mouse model was obtained from the GEO database． Differentially expressed genes ( DEGs ) were identified using the DESeq2 package． Autophagy-related genes ( ARGs) were retrieved from the MSigDB and Autophagy databases．Weighted gene co-expression network analysis ( WGCNA) was performed to construct gene co-expression modules．Genes overlapping among DEGs，ARGs，and WGCNA modules were identified as autophagy-related DEGs．Gene Ontology ( GO) enrichment analysis was con- ducted using the clusterProfiler R package，while Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes ( KEGG) pathway en- richment analysis was performed via the Metascape platform．Immune cell infiltration was analyzed using the Immu- CellAI-mouse website．A protein - protein interaction ( PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database， and hub genes were identified through topological analysis in Cytoscape． Receiver operating characteristic curve ( ROC) curves were plotted via the website https: / /www．bioinformatics．com．cn． Finally，key gene expression was validated in mouse lung tissues by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR ( RT-qPCR) ． Results: A total of 6 135，4 075，3 680，and 2 342 differentially expressed genes ( DEGs) were identified at 12，24，48，and 96 hours post-infection，respectively．By integrating DEGs，autophagy-related genes ( ARGs) ，and WGCNA mod- ules，19 autophagy-related DEGs were identified． GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that these genes were mainly involved in CD4 + T cell activation and regulation，innate immune responses，and autophagosome mem- brane formation．Immune infiltration analysis revealed that innate immune cells such as neutrophils and dendritic cells predominated during the early phase of infection，while γδ T cells and M2 macrophages became more promi- nent in the later stages．PPI network analysis identified 12 hub autophagy-related genes，among which three upreg- ulated key genes ( Eif2ak2，Ikbke，and Nfkbiz) were further confirmed．The area under the ROC curve for all three genes was 1. 000．RT-qPCR validation demonstrated significantly elevated expression of these three genes in lung tissues at 24 hours post-infection ( all P＜0. 05) ． Conclusion Eif2ak2，Ikbke，and Nfkbiz may be involved in the pulmonary infection caused by USA300 by promoting autophagy and hold promise as potential targets for immuno- therapy．

Objective:To discuss the association between occupational acid fog exposure and accelerated biological aging of the workers,and to clarify its related risk factors.Methods:A total of 341 male workers exposed to occupational acid fog and 201 male workers without occupational exposure were selected as the study subjects,and they were divided into exposure group and control group,respectively.The general informations of the subjects in two groups were collected through questionnaires and physical examinations.The levels of red blood cell count(RBC),platelet count(PLT),albumin(ALB),urea(Urea),creatinine(CR),triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),glycated hemoglobin(HBA1c),and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(Hs-CRP)in serum of the subjects in two groups were detected.The Klemera-Doubal method(KDM)was used to construct the composite aging measure,KDM-biological age(BA)(KDM-BA).The model parameters were trained using samples from the 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey(CHNS)Database to calculate the BA acceleration of the subjects in two groups;stratified analysis based on the population characteristics was conducted to analyze the BA of the subjects in two groups with different population characteristics;generalized linear model was used to analyze the factors influencing BA acceleration due to acid fog exposure.Results:The model parameters were trained using samples from the 2009 CHNS Database,including 8 133 cases aged 20-79 years,of which 3 788 were male.The levels of Urea,CR,HBA1c,ALB,and TC,as well as systolic blood pressure(SBP),total working years,sleep duration,and body mass index(BMI)of the subjects between two groups had significant differences(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the BA acceleration of the subjects in exposure group was significantly increased(P<0.05).In entire population and exposure group,the BA acceleration in the smokers was significantly higher than that in the non-smokers(P<0.05).In entire population,control group,and exposure group,the BA accelerations of the subjects in different BMI groups were significantly decreased with the increase of BMI(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the BA acceleration of the subjects in exposure group was significantly increased(P<0.05),including those under 40 years old,with total working years of 4-7 years,Han nationality,unmarried,smokers,and sleep duration 6-7 h,and with overweight.Acid fog exposure,smoking,and BMI were associated with the BA acceleration(β=0.72,95%CI:0.24-1.21;β=0.59,95%CI:0.11-1.06;β=-0.29,95%CI:-0.35—-0.22).Conclusion:Occupational acid fog exposure may accelerate the biological aging in the workers,and acid fog is a risk factor to accelerate the biological aging of the body.

Objective:Methamphetamine(METH)is an illicit psychoactive substance that can damage various organs,with the urinary system being one of its significant targets.This study aims to explore the role of microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4(MARK4)in METH-induced acute kidney injury(AKI). Methods:A total of 10 healthy adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a METH group,5 mice in each group.The METH group was administered METH(20 mg/kg,intraperitoneally,once daily for 3 consecutive days),while the control group received an equal volume of physiological saline.The mice were executed 24 hours after the final injection,and the success of the AKI model was detected by blood serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,and renal HE staining.Proteins differentially expressed between kidney tissues with METH-induced AKI and normal kidney tissues were screened by proteomics techniques and subjected to gene ontology(GO),Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)and bioinformatics analysis.The accuracy of proteomic data was validated using Western blotting,and the expression levels of MARK4 and cleaved caspase-3 in mouse kidneys were measured.We further explored the role of MARK4 in METH-induced AKI.Firstly,a METH toxicity model was established in BUMPT cells to screen the appropriate concentration and time of METH treatment;the viability of BUMPT cells after METH treatment and the expression of cleaved caspase-3 were detected by interfering with MARK4 expression through inhibitors. Results:The proteomic analysis of kidney tissues from METH and control groups screened for a total of 17 differentially expressed proteins,of which 11 were up-regulated and 6 were down-regulated(all P＜0.05).The expression levels of MARK4 and cleaved caspase-3 were elevated in the kidneys of METH-treated mice(both P＜0.05).The activity of BUMPT cells gradually decreased with increasing METH treatment concentration(all P＜0.05),where the viability of BUMPT cells decreased to about 60％after METH treatment at 4 mmol/L.Compared with the control group,expression levels of MARK4 and cleaved caspase-3 were increased with higher METH concentrations and longer exposure times in a concentration-and time-dependent manner(all P＜0.05).Inhibition of MARK4 expression improved METH-induced decrease in BUMPT cell activity,down-regulated the expression of cleaved caspase-3,and decreased the apoptosis of BUMPT cells induced by METH. Conclusion:MARK4 is highly expressed in a mouse model of METH-induced AKI,and MARK4 mediates METH-induced AKI by regulating cell apoptosis.

Objective To establish an inhalation infection pneumonia model of C57BL/6J mice with highly virulent and multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)strain F291007,and to study the microbiological,pathological and immunological characteristics of this model.Methods The strain F291007 was isolated and identified before the bacterial suspension was administered to the mice via aerosolized intratracheal inoculation to establish the pneumonia infection model.In the course of infection,the conditions and survival of the mice were observed,and the bacterial loads,the histopathological states and the cytokine expression levels in the major organs were detected.Finally,three key cytokines were blocked to observe the survival of mice.Results The strain F291007 was isolated and identified.After lethal dose infection,all the mice died within 24 h.After sub-lethal dose infection,a large number of immune cells in the body were capable of phagocytosis and killing of invading pathogens,which was manifested as rapid clearance of bacteria in lungs and the exponential decrease of bacterial load with the passage of time.The pathological changes in lungs were most severe at 1 to 3 days but gradually recovered.After infection,interleukin-6(IL-6),IL-17A and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in alveolar lavage fluid and serum were significantly increased at 1 to 3 days.After blocking of these three cytokines with specific antibodies,the survival rates of infected mice decreased significantly.Conclusion A mouse model of gradually-recovered pneumonia infection caused by PA inhalation has been established,suggesting that the first one to three days are critical to immune response after infection through multiple indicators.This mouse model can be used for research on the pathogenesis,immunoregulation and treatment evaluation of highly virulent and multi-drug resistant PA inhalation pneumonia infection.

Objective To construct a non-trace deletion mutant of exlA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain NY8755(NY8755ΔexlA)and investigate the basic characteristics of pore-forming toxin ExlA.Methods The NY8755ΔexlA was constructed using the secondary homologous recombination method.C57BL/6J female mice ages 6 to 8 weeks were infected with NY8755 and NY8755 ΔexlA via aerosolized intratraheal inoculation respectively.Within 7 days of infection,the survival and weight changes of the mice were observed and recorded before the proinflammatory cytokines in the bronchoal-veolar lavage fluid(BALF)of the infected mice in the two groups were detected.Results The sequencing results showed that NY8755 ΔexlA was constructed.After 1×107 CFU NY8755 and NY8755 ΔexlA were infected,all the mice in the wild-type strain group died within 48 hours,while those in the mutant strain group began to die after 48 hours,and 40%of them remained alive 7 days later.The weight of surviving mice in the mutant strain group decreased but recovered gradually.After 12 hours of infection,there were more bloody exudates(redder in color)in the BALF of the wild-type strain group than in the mutant strain group,and the contents of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and interleukin-17A (IL-17A)were significantly different. Conclusion Pseudomonas aeruginosa pore-forming toxin ExlA is the key pathogenic virulence factor of the exlA-positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa,which can significantly affect the survival status of mice and cause obvious inflammation in mice. Very little information is available on the action mechanisms of ExlA. In this study, The NY8755ΔexlA and the C57BL/6J mouse models infected with NY8755 and NY8755ΔexlA have been constructed that may be used for the investigation of pathogenesis of exlA-positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and the risk of developing hypertension among rural Chinese adults.Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted from 2007 to 2008, involving 20 194 adults selected through random cluster sampling from a rural community in Luoyang City, Henan Province. Follow-ups were carried out in 2013-2014 and 2018-2020. After excluding participants with hypertension at baseline, those with missing TyG index data, individuals who passed away during follow-up, and those with incomplete hypertension status at the second visit, 9 802 participants were included in the analysis. Baseline and follow-up assessments included questionnaire interviews, physical measurements (including blood pressure), and blood sample collection for fasting lipid and glucose levels. Participants were divided into four groups according to TyG index quartiles, and a modified Poisson regression model was utilized to assess the association between TyG index quartiles and hypertension risk.Results:The study cohort comprised 9 802 participants with a median age of 48 (39, 57) years, including 3 803 males (38.80%). Participants were distributed across TyG index quartiles as follows: TyG<8.2 group (2 224 individuals), TyG 8.2-8.5 group (2 653 individuals), TyG 8.6-8.9 (2 441 individuals), and TyG≥9.0 (2 484 individuals). Over a follow-up period of (11.1±1.3) years, 3 378 subjects developed hypertension, resulting in a cumulative incidence of 34.46% (3 378/9 802). The risk of hypertension increased with higher TyG index quartiles ( Ptrend<0.05). Compared to the TyG<8.2, the TyG 8.2-8.5 ( RR=1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.22, P=0.023), TyG 8.6-8.9 ( RR=1.16, 95%CI 1.06-1.27, P=0.023), and TyG≥9.0 ( RR=1.20, 95%CI 1.10-1.31, P=0.023) exhibited increased hypertension risk after adjusting for age, gender, educational level, and other potential confounders. Subgroup analyses based on gender and age at baseline yielded results consistent with the main analysis. Conclusions:The TyG index is positively correlated with the risk of developing hypertension in the rural adult population.