Background Studies have shown that benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) exhibits neurotoxicity and can induce cognitive dysfunction. Olfactory dysfunction is an early marker of mild cognitive impairment; however, the mechanism by which BaP exposure causes this impairment is still unclear. Objective To investigate the effects of BaP exposure on olfactory function in mice. Methods Thirty 5-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to five groups (n=6 per group): blank control, solvent control (olive oil), and low, medium and high doses (0.72, 1.44, and 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively). Following one week of acclimatization, BaP was administered intranasally every other day. Behavioral changes were assessed using the buried food test and Morris water maze (MWM). Olfactory bulb tissues were subsequently harvested for analysis. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate pathological changes, while immunofluorescence and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were employed to examine the expression and distribution of protein and mRNA expressions and distributions of olfactory marker protein (OMP), membrane-spanning 4-pass A1 (MS4A1), trace amine-associated receptor1 (TAAR1). Results The buried food test revealed that BaP exposure significantly prolonged the time taken to find food in a dose-dependent manner (F=56.753, P< 0.01). MWM results showed significant main effects for both time (F=128.5, P<0.01) and dose (F=3.889, P<0.05), with a significant interaction effect between them (F=2.128, P<0.05). HE staining showed that in the 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹ group, although granule remained abundant, mitral cell layer neurons exhibited structural atrophy and deep staining. Immunofluorescence demonstrated a decreased distribution of OMP, MS4A1, and TAAR1 in the olfactory nerve layer and glomerular layers in the 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹ group compared with the blank control group (F=11.590, P<0.01; F=12.807, P<0.01; F=7.436, P<0.01). Furthermore, mRNA expression levels of OMP, MS4A1, and TAAR1 in the 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹ group were also significantly downregulated compared to the control group (F=6.720, P<0.01; F=16.931, P<0.01; F=48.060, P<0.01). Conclusion BaP exposure leads to olfactory dysfunction in mice by inducing pathological damage to mitral cells and reducing the expression of key olfactory receptors and markers in the olfactory bulb.

Background Studies have shown that benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) exhibits neurotoxicity and can induce cognitive dysfunction. Olfactory dysfunction is an early marker of mild cognitive impairment; however, the mechanism by which BaP exposure causes this impairment is still unclear. Objective To investigate the effects of BaP exposure on olfactory function in mice. Methods Thirty 5-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to five groups (n=6 per group): blank control, solvent control (olive oil), and low, medium and high doses (0.72, 1.44, and 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively). Following one week of acclimatization, BaP was administered intranasally every other day. Behavioral changes were assessed using the buried food test and Morris water maze (MWM). Olfactory bulb tissues were subsequently harvested for analysis. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate pathological changes, while immunofluorescence and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were employed to examine the expression and distribution of protein and mRNA expressions and distributions of olfactory marker protein (OMP), membrane-spanning 4-pass A1 (MS4A1), trace amine-associated receptor1 (TAAR1). Results The buried food test revealed that BaP exposure significantly prolonged the time taken to find food in a dose-dependent manner (F=56.753, P< 0.01). MWM results showed significant main effects for both time (F=128.5, P<0.01) and dose (F=3.889, P<0.05), with a significant interaction effect between them (F=2.128, P<0.05). HE staining showed that in the 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹ group, although granule remained abundant, mitral cell layer neurons exhibited structural atrophy and deep staining. Immunofluorescence demonstrated a decreased distribution of OMP, MS4A1, and TAAR1 in the olfactory nerve layer and glomerular layers in the 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹ group compared with the blank control group (F=11.590, P<0.01; F=12.807, P<0.01; F=7.436, P<0.01). Furthermore, mRNA expression levels of OMP, MS4A1, and TAAR1 in the 2.89 mg·kg⁻¹ group were also significantly downregulated compared to the control group (F=6.720, P<0.01; F=16.931, P<0.01; F=48.060, P<0.01). Conclusion BaP exposure leads to olfactory dysfunction in mice by inducing pathological damage to mitral cells and reducing the expression of key olfactory receptors and markers in the olfactory bulb.

Objective:This study aims to explore the characteristics of body temperature(BT)of the elderly population in China and the relationship with health status.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study.The data were derived from the China Health and Nutrition Study(CHNS)in 2015.A total of 4 176 elderly people over 60 years old were enrolled for analysis(1968 males, and 2208 females). The participants were divided into three groups according to their BT values: hypothermia group(BT<36.5℃), moderate BT group(36.5℃≤BT<37.0℃), and hyperthermia group(37.0℃≤BT<37.5℃). The differences in health status among each group were compared based on the disease conditions(four-week prevalence rate)in the past four weeks.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationships between BT and the four-week prevalence rate.Results:Among the elderly population included in the analysis, the average age was 68.4 ± 6.9 years(ranging from 60 to 99 years). The average BT of the elderly was 36.40 ± 0.37℃(males: 36.42 ± 0.37℃; females: 36.38 ± 0.37℃).3 348 study subjects were aged between 60-74 years old, while 828 study subjects were aged between75-99 years old.The older the age, the lower the body temperature.Of the participants, 2 212(53.0%)elderly people belonged to the hypothermia group, 1 656(39.6%)belonged to the moderate BT group, and 308(7.4%)belonged to the hyperthemia group.Among 4 176 elderly people, a total of 1368 had suffered from disease in the past four weeks(31.3%)The four-week prevalence rates of each group were as follows: the hypothermia group(33.1%), the moderate BT group(29.8%); hyperthemia group(26.6%)( χ2=8.403, P=0.015). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that for every 1℃ increases in BT among the elderly, the four-week prevalence rate decreased by 22%( OR=0.78, 95% CI=0.65-0.94, P=0.01). Conclusions:The BT of the elderly is generally lower than the current standard, and the lower the BT, the higher the four-week prevalence rate.Raising the BT of the elderly may help them improve their physical condition.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of circular RNA ASAP1(circASAP1)targeting microRNA-4500(miR-4500)on the proliferation and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells.Methods Human osteosarcoma cells(Saos-2)were selected as the experimental subjects and cul-tured in DMEM medium containing 10％fetal bovine serum while maintaining 5％CO2.The expres-sions of circASAP1 and miR-4500 in osteosarcoma tissues were detected using RT-qPCR.Saos-2 cells were transfected with si-NC(40 nmol/L),si-circASAP1(40 nmol/L),pcDNA(0.4 μg),pcDNA-circASAP1(0.4 μg),miR-NC(40 nmol/L),miR-4500 mimics(40 nmol/L),si-circASAP1+anti-miR-NC(40 nmol/L),and si-circASAP1+anti-miR-4500(40 nmol/L),respectively.Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed using CCK-8,colony formation assays,and flow cytometry.The interaction between circASAP1 and miR-4500 was analyzed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay.Results Compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues,the expression of circASAP1 was significantly upregulated,while that of miR-4500 was significantly downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues(P＜0.001).Compared with the si-NC group,the si-circASAP1 group exhibited significantly decreased circASAP1 expression,optical density(OD)values,and the number of cell colonies(P＜0.001).Compared with the si-NC group,the si-circASAP1 group showed significantly upregulated levels of cleaved-caspase3 protein,cleaved-caspase9 protein,and the apoptosis rate(P＜0.001).StarBase search revealed specific binding sequences between miR-4500 and circASAP1.Co-transfection of miR-4500 mimics and WT-circASAP1 significantly reduced the relative luciferase activity of the cells[(0.34±0.03)versus(0.95±0.06),t=27.280,P＜0.001].The expression of miR-4500 in the pcDNA-circASAP1 group was significantly lower than that in the pcDNA group,whereas the ex-pression of miR-4500 in the si-circASAP1 group was significantly higher than that in the si-NC group(P＜0.001).Compared with the miR-NC group,the miR-4500 group exhibited significantly in-creased miR-4500 expression,cleaved-caspase3 protein levels,cleaved-caspase9 protein levels,and the apoptosis rate,while the OD values and the number of colonies significantly decreased(P＜0.001).Compared with the si-circASAP1+anti-miR-NC group,the si-circASAP1+anti-miR-4500 group showed significantly decreased miR-4500 expression,cleaved-caspase3 protein levels,cleaved-caspase9 protein levels,and the apoptosis rate,while the OD values and the number of col-onies significantly increased(P＜0.001).Conclusion The expression of circASAP1 is increased,while that of miR-4500 is decreased in osteosarcoma tissues.Moreover,circASAP1 promotes the proliferation and inhibits the apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells by targeting miR-4500.

Objective:To investigate the current application of blood purification in the treatment of acute poisoning within Jiangsu Province and to evaluate the impact of extracorporeal blood purification on the clinical outcomes of critically poisoned patients.Methods:This multicenter, cross-sectional real-world observational study followed patients presenting with poisoning to the emergency departments of nine hospitals in Jiangsu Province between June 2015 and May 2019. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, vital signs within the first hour of emergency presentation, treatment modalities, length of hospital stay, and survival outcomes. Clinical data from patients who underwent extracorporeal blood purification were compared with those who did not, using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Chi-square test.Results:A total of 4 178 poisoning cases were included between June 2015 and May 2019. Among them, 21.7% (908/4 178) received blood purification therapy, while 78.3% (3 270/4 178) did not. Hemoperfusion (90.4%) was the most frequently employed method, followed by continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) (4.4%). In combined blood purification modalities, 4.8% underwent hemoperfusion combined with CRRT, 0.1% received hemoperfusion with plasma exchange, and another 0.1% underwent hemoperfusion combined with both CRRT and plasma exchange. Among patients who underwent blood purification, pesticide poisoning was the most prevalent (76.3%), with the most common toxic agents being paraquat (23.7%), dichlorvos (8.7%), methamidophos (5.2%), omethoate (4.0%), and glyphosate (3.7%). Compared to the non-blood purification group, patients in the blood purification group were more likely to present within the first hour with a low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (3-8) (22.6% vs. 9.7%, P <0.05), low mean arterial pressure (8.0% vs. 3.2%, P <0.05), longer hospital stays [5(3,9) days vs. 2(1,4) days, P <0.05] and a higher in-hospital mortality rate (21.1% vs. 5.3%, P <0.05). Follow-up via telephone 28 days after discharge revealed a survival rate of 78.9%, with a mortality rate of 21.1% in the blood purification group. Conclusions:Hemoperfusion is the most commonly utilized blood purification technique for treating poisoning in Jiangsu Province, with pesticides being the primary toxic agents treated. Although the mortality rate is higher in the blood purification group, the intervention may still contribute to improved patient outcomes.

Objective:This study aims to explore the characteristics of body temperature(BT)of the elderly population in China and the relationship with health status.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study.The data were derived from the China Health and Nutrition Study(CHNS)in 2015.A total of 4 176 elderly people over 60 years old were enrolled for analysis(1968 males, and 2208 females). The participants were divided into three groups according to their BT values: hypothermia group(BT<36.5℃), moderate BT group(36.5℃≤BT<37.0℃), and hyperthermia group(37.0℃≤BT<37.5℃). The differences in health status among each group were compared based on the disease conditions(four-week prevalence rate)in the past four weeks.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationships between BT and the four-week prevalence rate.Results:Among the elderly population included in the analysis, the average age was 68.4 ± 6.9 years(ranging from 60 to 99 years). The average BT of the elderly was 36.40 ± 0.37℃(males: 36.42 ± 0.37℃; females: 36.38 ± 0.37℃).3 348 study subjects were aged between 60-74 years old, while 828 study subjects were aged between75-99 years old.The older the age, the lower the body temperature.Of the participants, 2 212(53.0%)elderly people belonged to the hypothermia group, 1 656(39.6%)belonged to the moderate BT group, and 308(7.4%)belonged to the hyperthemia group.Among 4 176 elderly people, a total of 1368 had suffered from disease in the past four weeks(31.3%)The four-week prevalence rates of each group were as follows: the hypothermia group(33.1%), the moderate BT group(29.8%); hyperthemia group(26.6%)( χ2=8.403, P=0.015). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that for every 1℃ increases in BT among the elderly, the four-week prevalence rate decreased by 22%( OR=0.78, 95% CI=0.65-0.94, P=0.01). Conclusions:The BT of the elderly is generally lower than the current standard, and the lower the BT, the higher the four-week prevalence rate.Raising the BT of the elderly may help them improve their physical condition.

Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the long-term change trend of gastric cancer incidence in China from 1990 to 2021,and to provide scientific suggestion for the prevention and control of gastric cancer in China.Methods The incidence burden data of gastric cancer from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)2021 database.The age-period-cohort model was to evaluate its independent effects,and the Nordpred model was used to predict its incidence trend from 2022 to 2031.Results The number and incidence of gastric cancer from 1990 to 2021 in China showed an upward trend,while the age-standardized incidence showed a decreasing trend.The results of age-period-cohort model showed that in the same birth cohort,the incidence of gastric cancer in China increased with age,the incidence of the total population increases from 0.91/100,000 to 233.37/100,000 in total population,the incidence of men increases from 0.91/100,000 to 508.90/100,000,and the incidence of women increases from 1.04/100,000 to 115.86/100,000.During the period from 1992-1996 to 2017-2021,the relative risk(RR)of gastric cancer incidence showed a decreasing trend with the passage of time.The RR of the total population period decreased from 1.10 to 0.72,with males decreasing from 1.06 to 0.75 and females decreasing from 1.19 to 0.65.The later the birth cohort through-out the birth cohort years,the lower the risk of onset;The RR of gastric cancer incidence in the total population decreased from 1.60 to 0.34,from 1.36 to 0.40 for males and from 2.23 to 0.22 for females.The incidence prediction results showed that by 2031,the in-cidence of gastric cancer would increase to 470,429 cases,including 323,399 cases for men and 147,029 cases for women.The stand-ardized incidence of the total population would decrease to 23.80/100,000 cases,35.13/100,000 cases for men and 24.17/100,000 cases for women.Conclusion The prevention and treatment measures of gastric cancer from 1990 to 2021 have achieved certain re-sults in reducing the risk of gastric cancer,but the incidence of gastric cancer is still serious,and it is necessary to focus on strengthe-ning the intervention for men over 50 years old.

Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the long-term change trend of gastric cancer incidence in China from 1990 to 2021,and to provide scientific suggestion for the prevention and control of gastric cancer in China.Methods The incidence burden data of gastric cancer from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)2021 database.The age-period-cohort model was to evaluate its independent effects,and the Nordpred model was used to predict its incidence trend from 2022 to 2031.Results The number and incidence of gastric cancer from 1990 to 2021 in China showed an upward trend,while the age-standardized incidence showed a decreasing trend.The results of age-period-cohort model showed that in the same birth cohort,the incidence of gastric cancer in China increased with age,the incidence of the total population increases from 0.91/100,000 to 233.37/100,000 in total population,the incidence of men increases from 0.91/100,000 to 508.90/100,000,and the incidence of women increases from 1.04/100,000 to 115.86/100,000.During the period from 1992-1996 to 2017-2021,the relative risk(RR)of gastric cancer incidence showed a decreasing trend with the passage of time.The RR of the total population period decreased from 1.10 to 0.72,with males decreasing from 1.06 to 0.75 and females decreasing from 1.19 to 0.65.The later the birth cohort through-out the birth cohort years,the lower the risk of onset;The RR of gastric cancer incidence in the total population decreased from 1.60 to 0.34,from 1.36 to 0.40 for males and from 2.23 to 0.22 for females.The incidence prediction results showed that by 2031,the in-cidence of gastric cancer would increase to 470,429 cases,including 323,399 cases for men and 147,029 cases for women.The stand-ardized incidence of the total population would decrease to 23.80/100,000 cases,35.13/100,000 cases for men and 24.17/100,000 cases for women.Conclusion The prevention and treatment measures of gastric cancer from 1990 to 2021 have achieved certain re-sults in reducing the risk of gastric cancer,but the incidence of gastric cancer is still serious,and it is necessary to focus on strengthe-ning the intervention for men over 50 years old.

OBJECTIVE: We propose a novel region- level self-supervised contrastive learning method USRegCon (ultrastructural region contrast) based on the semantic similarity of ultrastructures to improve the performance of the model for glomerular ultrastructure segmentation on electron microscope images. METHODS: USRegCon used a large amount of unlabeled data for pre- training of the model in 3 steps: (1) The model encoded and decoded the ultrastructural information in the image and adaptively divided the image into multiple regions based on the semantic similarity of the ultrastructures; (2) Based on the divided regions, the first-order grayscale region representations and deep semantic region representations of each region were extracted by region pooling operation; (3) For the first-order grayscale region representations, a grayscale loss function was proposed to minimize the grayscale difference within regions and maximize the difference between regions. For deep semantic region representations, a semantic loss function was introduced to maximize the similarity of positive region pairs and the difference of negative region pairs in the representation space. These two loss functions were jointly used for pre-training of the model. RESULTS: In the segmentation task for 3 ultrastructures of the glomerular filtration barrier based on the private dataset GlomEM, USRegCon achieved promising segmentation results for basement membrane, endothelial cells, and podocytes, with Dice coefficients of (85.69 ± 0.13)%, (74.59 ± 0.13)%, and (78.57 ± 0.16)%, respectively, demonstrating a good performance of the model superior to many existing image-level, pixel-level, and region-level self-supervised contrastive learning methods and close to the fully- supervised pre-training method based on the large- scale labeled dataset ImageNet. CONCLUSION USRegCon facilitates the model to learn beneficial region representations from large amounts of unlabeled data to overcome the scarcity of labeled data and improves the deep model performance for glomerular ultrastructure recognition and boundary segmentation.
Humans ; Electrons ; Endothelial Cells ; Learning ; Podocytes ; Kidney Diseases

Objective To evaluate the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Weifang City, Shandong Province and to explore its influencing factors. Methods A multistage stratified random sampling method was used to investigate patients in endocrine outpatient clinics in four medical institutions in Weifang from July to September 2022. The survey included general information, multi-dimensional evaluation of quality of life with the EQ-5D-5L scale, calculation of health utility values, and analysis of influencing factors using Tobit regression models. Results A total of 397 patients with type 2 diabetes were included in the present investigation, with health utility value of 0.82±0.21 points and visual analogue scale (VAS) score of 79.47±12.81 points. Pain or discomfort, anxiety or depression were more prominent in the study population. Age, diabetic complications, BMI, daily need for care, social support, and daily level of glycemic control were factors influencing health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion In the actual treatment of type 2 diabetes patients, an emphasis should be placed on protecting elderly type 2 diabetic patients, preventing and controlling the occurrence and development of diabetic complications, and improving daily blood glucose control to further improve the health-related quality of life of the population.