Objective: To explore the relationship between snack consumption and depressive symptoms in first year junior high school students with different left behind experiences in Yunnan Province, so as to provide a basis for improving depressive symptoms among first year junior high school students with different left behind experiences. Methods: From October to December 2022,a cluster random sampling method was used to select 8 500 first year junior high school students from 11 ethnic minority areas (Fugong County, Longling County, Longyang District, Luchun County, Mojiang County, Nanjian County, Qiaojia County, Shuangjiang County, Tengchong City, Yuanmou County, Zhenyuan County) in Yunnan Province for a questionnaire survey. The Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 was applied to assess depressive symptoms in first year junior high school students, and snack consumption was collected by employing food frequency questionnaire. The generalized linear model was used to analyze the association between first year junior high school students snack consumption and depressive symptoms, and the analysis was stratified according to left behind experience. Results: The detection rates of depressive symptoms among firstyear junior high school students with and without left behind experience were 36.25% and 26.91%, respectively. After controlling for confounding variables, the generalized linear model analysis showed that sweet snacks ( β=0.16, 95%CI =0.07-0.25), fast food ( β=0.14, 95%CI =0.04-0.23) and carbonated drinks ( β=0.09, 95%CI =0.01-0.17) of first year junior high school students with left behind experience (all P <0.05). Compared with those without such behavior, the risk of depressive symptoms was higher in consumption of fast food ( β=0.13, 95%CI =0.07-0.18) and carbonated drinks ( β=0.10, 95%CI =0.06-0.15)among first year junior high school students without left behind experience (both P <0.05). Conclusion Snack consumption among first year junior high school students in Yunnan may increase the risk of developing depressive symptoms, while first year junior high school students with left behind experience may have a greater risk of developing depressive symptoms.

Chronic, unresolved inflammation correlates with persistent hepatic injury and fibrosis, ultimately progressing to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) demonstrates therapeutic potential against HCC, yet its mechanism in preventing hepatic "inflammation-carcinoma transformation" remains incompletely understood. In the current research, clinical HCC specimens underwent analysis using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to evaluate the expression of fibrosis markers, M2 macrophage markers, and CXCL12. In vitro, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced LX-2 cells and a co-culture system of LX-2, THP-1, and HCC cells were established. Cell functions underwent assessment through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, and Transwell assays. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blotting and immunofluorescence evaluated the differential expression of molecules. The interaction between β-catenin/TCF4 and CXCL12 was examined using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), dual luciferase, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. A DEN-induced rat model was developed to investigate BDMC's role in liver fibrosis-associated HCC (LFAHCC) development in vivo. Our results showed that clinical HCC tissues exhibited elevated fibrosis and enriched M2 macrophages. BDMC delayed liver fibrosis progression to HCC in vivo. BDMC inhibited the inflammatory microenvironment induced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Furthermore, BDMC suppressed M2 macrophage-induced fibrosis and HCC cell proliferation and metastasis. Mechanistically, BDMC repressed TCF4/β-catenin complex formation, thereby reducing CXCL12 transcription in LX-2 cells. Moreover, CXCL12 overexpression reversed BDMC's inhibitory effect on macrophage M2 polarization and its mediation of fibrosis, as well as HCC proliferation and metastasis. BDMC significantly suppressed LFAHCC development through CXCL12 in rats. In conclusion, BDMC inhibited LFAHCC progression by reducing M2 macrophage polarization through suppressing β-catenin/TCF4-mediated CXCL12 transcription.
Animals ; Liver Neoplasms/etiology* ; Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology* ; Liver Cirrhosis/complications* ; Macrophages/drug effects* ; Male ; Rats ; Chemokine CXCL12/genetics* ; Diarylheptanoids/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; beta Catenin/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: Poxviruses are zoonotic pathogens that infect humans, mammals, vertebrates, and arthropods. However, the specific role of ticks in transmission and evolution of these viruses remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic raw data from 329 sampling pools of seven tick species across five continents were mined to assess the diversity and abundance of poxviruses. Chordopoxviral sequences were assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to trace the origins of the unblasted fragments within these sequences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight poxvirus species, representing two subfamilies and 20 genera, were identified, with 212 poxviral sequences assembled. A substantial proportion of AT-rich fragments were detected in the assembled poxviral genomes. These genomic sequences contained fragments originating from rodents, archaea, and arthropods. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that ticks play a significant role in the transmission and evolution of poxviruses. These viruses demonstrate the capacity to modulate virulence and adaptability through horizontal gene transfer, gene recombination, and gene mutations, thereby promoting co-existence and co-evolution with their hosts. This study advances understanding of the ecological dynamics of poxvirus transmission and evolution and highlights the potential role of ticks as vectors and vessels in these processes.
Animals ; Poxviridae/physiology* ; Ticks/virology* ; Phylogeny ; Transcriptome ; Evolution, Molecular ; Poxviridae Infections/virology* ; Genome, Viral

OBJECTIVE: Pneumoconiosis, a lung disease caused by irreversible fibrosis, represents a significant public health burden. This study investigates the causal relationships between gut microbiota, gene methylation, gene expression, protein levels, and pneumoconiosis using a multi-omics approach and Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: We analyzed gut microbiota data from MiBioGen and Esteban et al. to assess their potential causal effects on pneumoconiosis subtypes (asbestosis, silicosis, and inorganic pneumoconiosis) using conventional and summary-data-based MR (SMR). Gene methylation and expression data from Genotype-Tissue Expression and eQTLGen, along with protein level data from deCODE and UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, were examined in relation to pneumoconiosis data from FinnGen. To validate our findings, we assessed self-measured gut flora from a pneumoconiosis cohort and performed fine mapping, drug prediction, molecular docking, and Phenome-Wide Association Studies to explore relevant phenotypes of key genes. RESULTS: Three core gut microorganisms were identified: Romboutsia ( OR = 0.249) as a protective factor against silicosis, Pasteurellaceae ( OR = 3.207) and Haemophilus parainfluenzae ( OR = 2.343) as risk factors for inorganic pneumoconiosis. Additionally, mapping and quantitative trait loci analyses revealed that the genes VIM, STX8, and MIF were significantly associated with pneumoconiosis risk. CONCLUSIONS This multi-omics study highlights the associations between gut microbiota and key genes ( VIM, STX8, MIF) with pneumoconiosis, offering insights into potential therapeutic targets and personalized treatment strategies.
Humans ; Male ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Europe ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Lung ; Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors/metabolism* ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Multiomics ; Pneumoconiosis/microbiology* ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases

BACKGROUND:Kinesio taping has been widely used as a means of sports protection,but its role as a means to correct abnormal biomechanical changes of the lower limbs during side-step cutting remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To analyze and compare the changes in lower limb kinematics and dynamics when the subjects complete the side-step cutting of the knee joint under the conditions of kinesio taping,placebo taping and blank control. METHODS:Thirty-nine male college students majoring in basketball were recruited as subjects.Each subject was tested with kinesio taping,placebo taping or no taping.The mechanical correction method was used to patch the dominant knee joint of each subject.The run-up speed of 4.5-5.5 m/s was selected to complete the 45° side-step cutting motion,and the kinematics and kinetics data were collected synchronously by the three-dimensional dynamic capture system and the force measuring platform.The kinematics and kinetics parameters at the moment of initial touchdown and peak ground reaction force were selected for data analysis.SPSS 27.0 software was used for statistical analysis of the test data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Kinematic indexes:compared with no taping and placebo taping,the hip abduction and knee valgus angles at the initial touchdown moment were significantly decreased when kinesio taping was used(P<0.05);at the moment of peak lateral ground reaction force,the angles of hip abduction,knee valgus and ankle plantar flexion decreased significantly(P<0.05),and the knee flexion angle was significantly increased(P<0.05).Kinetic indexes:Compared with no taping,both kinesio taping and placebo taping significantly reduced hip abduction and external rotation torque,knee valgus and external rotation torque at the moment of initial touchdown(P<0.05),and significantly reduced peak vertical ground reaction force and peak horizontal backward ground reaction force(P<0.05);in addition,kinesio taping significantly reduced peak lateral ground reaction force compared with no taping and placebo taping(P<0.05).These results indicate that kinesio taping of the knee joint may improve some kinematic and kinetic indexes associated with lower limb injury risk factors during the completion of the side-step cutting in basketball specialized college students to some extent,and may have a positive effect on the prevention of injury during the side-step cutting.In addition,the trends in the effects of placebo taping and kinesio taping on the knee joint are more consistent in terms of changes in some indexes,suggesting that there may be a placebo effect on the mechanism of action of kinesio taping.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between health literacy and sports injuries among high school students with athletic specialization, so as to provide theoretical basis for the intervention of sports injury occurrence of sports special students. Methods: A total of 443 high school students with athletic specialization aged 16-18 years old from 21 urban and rural areas in Shangrao City, Ganzhou City and Nanchang City of Jiangxi Province were selected by convenient sampling method from March to April 2023, and the health literacy and sports injury incidence were investigated. The assessment of sports injury was based on the Monitoring Method of Child and Adolescent Injury, and the assessment of health literacy level was conducted using the Interactive Health Literacy Questionnaire of Chinese Adolescents. χ 2 test was used to compare the reported rate of sports injuries among the demographic and sports training groups and the correlation between health literacy and sports injuries. Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to infer the correlation between the health literacy level of high school students with athletic specialization and the occurrence of sports injuries. Results: The prevalence of sports injury was 49.4% in high school students with athletic specialization. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of sports injury of high school students with athletic specialization with medium and low level of health literacy was significantly increased compared with high level (medium level: OR = 1.98,95% CI =1.12-3.51; low level: OR =2.08, 95% CI =1.18-3.68), high school students with athletic specialization in low level of health awareness of sports injury risk was higher than other dimensions of health literacy level (middle level: OR =2.77, 95% CI =1.48-5.19; low level: OR =2.01, 95% CI =1.04-3.88)( P <0.05). The results of stratified analysis showed that among male students with athletic specialization and students with track and field, students with moderate/low overall health literacy had a higher risk of sports injuries compared to high level students (male students: low level, OR =2.46, 95% CI =1.15-5.28; track and field: intermediate level, OR =2.17, 95% CI =1.06-4.43, low level, OR =2.09, 95% CI =1.02-4.30; P <0.05). Conclusions There is a correlation between the health literacy level of high school students with athletic specialization and the occurrence of sports injuries. Students health awareness should be improved to reduce the risk of sports injuries.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and practicality of the Jaundice color card (JCard) as a screening tool for neonatal jaundice.Methods:Following the standards for reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) statement, a multicenter prospective study was conducted in 9 hospitals in China from October 2019 to September 2021. A total of 845 newborns who were admitted to the hospital or outpatient department for liver function testing due to their own diseases. The inclusion criteria were a gestational age of ≥35 weeks, a birth weight of ≥2 000 g, and an age of ≤28 days. The neonate′s parents used the JCard to measure jaundice at the neonate′s cheek. Within 2 hours of the JCard measurement, transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) was measured with a JH20-1B device and total serum bilirubin (TSB) was detected. The Pearson′s correlation analysis, Bland-Altman plots and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for statistic analysis.Results:Out of the 854 newborns, 445 were male and 409 were female; 46 were born at 35-36 weeks of gestational age and 808 were born at ≥37 weeks of gestational age. Additionally, 432 cases were aged 0-3 days, 236 cases were aged 4-7 days, and 186 cases were aged 8-28 days. The TSB level was (227.4±89.6) μmol/L, with a range of 23.7-717.0 μmol/L. The JCard level was (221.4±77.0) μmol/L and the TcB level was (252.5±76.0) μmol/L. Both the JCard and TcB values showed good correlation ( r=0.77 and 0.80, respectively) and agreements (96.0% (820/854) and 95.2% (813/854) of samples fell within the 95% limits of agreement, respectively) with TSB. The JCard value of 12 had a sensitivity of 0.93 and specificity of 0.75 for identifying a TSB ≥205.2?μmol/L, and a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.35 for identifying a TSB ≥342.0?μmol/L. The TcB value of 205.2?μmol/L had a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.60 for identifying TSB levels of 205.2 μmol/L, and a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.26 for identifying TSB levels of 342.0 μmol/L. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of JCard for identifying TSB levels of 153.9, 205.2, 256.5, and 342.0 μmol/L were 0.96, 0.92, 0.83, and 0.83, respectively. The AUC of TcB were 0.94, 0.91, 0.86, and 0.87, respectively. There were both no significant differences between the AUC of JCard and TcB in identifying TSB levels of 153.9 and 205.2 μmol/L (both P>0.05). However, the AUC of JCard were both lower than those of TcB in identifying TSB levels of 256.5 and 342.0 μmol/L (both P<0.05). Conclusions:JCard can be used to classify different levels of bilirubin, but its diagnostic efficacy decreases with increasing bilirubin levels. When TSB level are ≤205.2 μmol/L, its diagnostic efficacy is equivalent to that of the JH20-1B. To prevent the misdiagnosis of severe jaundice, it is recommended that parents use a low JCard score, such as 12, to identify severe hyperbilirubinemia (TSB ≥342.0 μmol/L).

Objective:To observe the effect of combining robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) with task-oriented training (TOT) on the walking ability of children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy (DCP).Methods:Sixty DCP children were randomly divided into a conventional intervention group, an RAGT group, and a combined intervention group, each of 20. All of the children received conventional rehabilitation therapy, while the RAGT and combined intervention groups were additionally provided with RAGT, and RAGT combined with TOT, respectively. Before the experiment and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment, the subjects′ walking ability was evaluated using the 10-metre walk test (10MWT), and the D energy zone (standing position) and the E energy zone (walking, running and jumping) of the Gross Motor Function Measurement-88 (GMFM-88) instrument.Results:After 12 and 24 weeks of treatment, the average 10MWT speed and D and E energy zone scores of all three groups had improved significantly. After 24 weeks the combined group′s averages on all three measures were significantly better than those of the other two groups.Conclusion:RAGT combined with TOT and conventional rehabilitation training significantly improves the walking ability of DCP children.

Objective:To systematically assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for spastic hemiplegia after ischemic stroke. Methods:Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of acupuncture treatment for spastic hemiplegia after ischemic stroke meeting the inclusion criteria in Cochrane Library,Medline,Excerpta Medica Database(EMBASE),PubMed,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),SinoMed,Chongqing VIP Database(VIP),and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform(Wanfang)published from each database's inception to February 2023 were retrieved by computer.Two reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated the risk of bias using Cochrane's risk of bias tool.Review Manager 5.4 was used for data analysis.Continuous data were evaluated using mean difference(MD)with a 95%confidence interval(CI),and dichotomous data were analyzed using risk ratio(RR). Results:A total of 24 trials,including 1 970 participants,were included in the study.The meta-analysis of 7 trials showed that compared to the rehabilitation therapy,acupuncture therapy was more effective in improving the simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment score after 1-month treatments[MD=10.52,95%CI(7.81,13.23),P<0.001].The meta-analysis of 2 articles showed the same tendency after 6-month treatments[MD=19.18,95%CI(11.34,27.02),P<0.001],and the 6-month treatment course resulted in better outcomes than the 1-month course.The meta-analysis of 8 trials showed that acupuncture had a better improvement on the Barthel index score than rehabilitation therapy after 1-month treatments[MD=10.78,95%CI(8.91,12.64),P<0.001].The meta-analysis of 2 articles showed the same tendency after 6-month treatments[MD=19.94,95%CI(19.02,20.87),P<0.001],and the 6-month course was better than the 1-month course.The meta-analysis of 2 trials showed that the effective rate of the modified Ashworth scale score improvement was more notable in the acupuncture group after 1-month treatments[RR=1.20,95%CI(1.02,1.40),P=0.020].One trial reported no adverse event,and 1 trial reported 3 adverse events without severe influence. Conclusion:Acupuncture might be an effective and safe therapy for spastic hemiplegia after ischemic stroke,but more high-quality,large-sample objectively-evaluated RCTs are needed to validate the conclusion.

Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles resulting from abnormal hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein constitute one of the principal pathological markers of Alzheimer′s disease. Existing studies have indicated that BSc3094 is an efficacious inhibitor of Tau protein aggregation, capable of binding to Tau protein, inhibiting Tau protein phosphorylation, and enhancing cell viability concurrently, holding significant potential in treating Alzheimer′s disease. Nevertheless, due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier, it is challenging for drugs to penetrate the brain and exert their effects, and whether BSc3094 can treat Alzheimer′s disease by inhibiting Tau protein aggregation has not been profoundly investigated. Hence, in this study, small-sized (PLGA) nanoparticles were fabricated through the stirring method. BSc3094 was loaded into the nanoparticles (PLGA@BSc). To further enhance the brain entry efficiency of PLGA nanoparticles, a pathological BBB-targeting peptide was modified on the surface to obtain PLGA@BSc@K. In this study, the stability, cytotoxicity, and pathological targeting of the nanosystem were characterized. The particle size of the nanosystem was about 90 nm, which was negatively charged. The results demonstrated that the particle size of the nanoparticles did not fluctuate conspicuously within 168 h, and the stability was favorable. PLGA and BSc3094 had no notable impact on cell viability and displayed low cytotoxicity. At 1 and 4 h, it was observed that the uptake of targeted modified nanoparticles by cells in pathological states augmented, suggesting that PLGA@BSc@K had an excellent pathological blood-brain barrier targeting effect. This study provides a novel concept for the targeting of BSc3094 nanoparticles in the brain and the treatment of Alzheimer′s disease.