Objective This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity, differentiation, and population structure of Aedes albopictus across different geographical regions in Shandong Province, and to explore the relationship between genetic diversity and geographical distribution. Methods Between July and August 2024, ten Ae. albopictus populations were sampled from seven cities in Shandong Province. Genomic DNA was extracted from individual mosquitoes, and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I(COⅠ)gene was amplified using PCR and sequenced. The obtained sequences were verified using BLAST and analyzed with MAFFT, MEGA 11, DnaSP v6.12, Arlequin 3.5, PopART 1.7, STRUCTURE 2.3.4 and the R packages adegenet and vegan to assess genetic diversity and population structure. Results A total of 229 COⅠ sequences(662 bp) was obtained, revealing ten variable sites with no insertions or deletions. The overall base composition showed an AT bias of 67.7%. Haplotype analysis identified 11 haplotypes, with Hap2 being the dominant and most widely distributed haplotype across all populations. Neutrality tests showed significant population expansion only in the Rizhao population. Mantel testing result revealed that geographical distance does not significantly impede gene flow. Overall, genetic differentiation among populations was low, indicating frequent gene flow. When combined with additional samples from Shanghai, Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Hainan and Guangxi, STRUCTURE, UPGMA and DAPC analyses revealed two primary genetic clusters of Ae. albopictus. Conclusions Ae. albopictus populations in Shandong Province exhibit frequent gene flow, low genetic differentiation, and relatively low overall genetic diversity. However, the Rizhao population showed signs of recent expansion, highlighting the need for enhanced surveillance and targeted control measures in this area.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

The chemical constituents in dried roots of Atractylodes macrocephala were investigated in this study. Through utilizing normal-phase silica gel and ODS column chromatography, TLC, and semi-preparative HPLC, 4 new sesquiterpenoids were purified from the ethyl acetate extract of A. macrocephala. By various spectroscopic techniques, such as 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, IR, UV, and CD, their structures were identified as atractylmacron A (1), 9β-hydroxyasterolide (2), atractylenolide H (3), atractylenolide J (4). Compound 1 possesses a rare 6/7 bicyclic skeleton.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Background Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is a serious occupational disease in China. Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can serve as the "breath fingerprint" of internal pathological processes, which provides a theoretical basis for exhaled VOCs to be used as potential non-invasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Objective To screen out the characteristic VOCs and important characteristic VOCs of exhaled air in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis, and to explore the potential of these VOCs as biomarkers for early non-invasive diagnosis of the disease. Methods In this study, 27 VOCs in the exhaled breath of 22 patients with stage I coal workers' pneumoconiosis, 77 workers exposed to dust, and 92 healthy controls were quantitatively detected by thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Substances with P<0.05 in univariate analysis and variable importance projection (VIP) >1 in supervised orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model were selected as the characteristic VOCs for early diagnosis of coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Age was included in the LASSO regression model as a covariate to screen out important characteristic VOCs, and the diagnostic performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Spearman correlation was further used to explore the correlation between important characteristic VOCs and clinical lung function indicators. Results Through univariate analysis and OPLS-DA modeling, 8 VOCs were selected, including 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, methylcyclopentane, n-heptane, methylcyclohexane, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, and 2-hexanone, in exhaled breath of patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis. The concentrations of 4 VOCs, including 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, and 2-hexanone, showed a decreasing trend with the increase of dust exposure years. By LASSO regression, the important characteristic VOCs of the coal workers' pneumoconiosis group and the dust exposure group were n-hexane, methylcyclohexane and 4-methyl-2-pentanone, and the important characteristic VOCs of the coal workers' pneumoconiosis group and the healthy group were 2-methyl-pentane and 4-methyl-2-pentanone. The ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of n-hexane, methylcyclohexane, and 4-methyl-2-pentanone were 0.969, 0.909, and 0.956, respectively, and the AUC of combined diagnosis was 0.988 and its Youden index was 0.961, suggesting that these results can serve as a valuable reference for further research on early diagnosis. The Correlation analysis found that there was a positive correlation between n-hexane and lung function indicators in the important characteristic VOCs, indicating that it could indirectly reflect the obstruction of lung function ventilation, further proving that important characteristic VOCs have the potential to monitor lung function decline. Conclusion Three important characteristic VOCs selected in this study have the potential to be used as non-invasive biomarkers for early diagnosis and disease monitoring of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, and are worthy of further study and verification.

BACKGROUND:Epidemiologic investigations and some experiments have shown that there is a close relationship between peripheral blood cells and osteoporosis,but the causal relationship between the two at the genetic level is still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the causal relationship between peripheral blood cells and osteoporosis using Mendelian randomization methods. METHODS:Genome-wide association study data sets on peripheral blood cells,overall bone density at different ages,and calcaneal bone density were obtained from databases such as Blood Cell Consortium and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit. Blood cells were used as exposure data,with bone density at different ages and calcaneal bone density serving as outcome data. Mendelian randomization analyses were performed using methods such as inverse variance weighting,MR-Egger,weighted median method,and simple median. The results were assessed for heterogeneity,pleiotropy,and sensitivity using Cochran's Q,MR-Egger regression,and Leave-one-out method. The causal relationship between exposure and outcomes was evaluated using β values. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Due to the heterogeneity revealed by Cochran's Q test in the Mendelian randomization results,the results of the study were based on the inverse variance weighting method. The inverse variance weighting results showed that when age-specific bone density was used as an outcome,there was a negative causal relationship between white blood cell count and whole-body bone mineral density at the age of 45-60 years[β=-0.07,95％ confidence interval (CI):-0.13,-0.01,P=0.02],a positive causal relationship between monocyte count and whole-body bone mineral density at the age of 45-60 years (β=0.05,95％ CI:0.00,0.10,P=0.037),a negative causal relationship between white blood cell and basophil counts and whole-body bone mineral density over 60 years old (β=-0.04,95％ CI:-0.07,-0.01,P=0.005;β=-0.04,95％ CI:-0.07,-0.00,P=0.038),a positive causal relationship between hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit and whole-body bone mineral density over 60 years old (β=0.04,95％ CI:0.01,0.08,P=0.012;β=0.04,95％ CI:0.00,0.07,P=0.039),and a negative causal relationship between white cell count and whole-body bone mineral density at an undistinguished age (β=-0.10,95％ CI:-0.16,-0.03,P=0.002). When heel bone mineral density was used as an outcome,there was a negative causal relationship between white cell count and heel bone mineral density (β=-0.04,95％ CI:-0.07,-0.01,P=0.016),and a positive causal relationship between hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit and heel bone mineral density (β=0.05,95％ CI:0.01,0.08,P=0.007;β=0.05,95％ CI:0.01,0.08,P=0.004). To ensure the robustness of the results,meta-analyses of Mendelian randomization results of peripheral blood cells and whole-body bone mineral density as well as heel bone mineral density in different age groups were conducted. The results suggested that for every standard deviation decrease in log-transformed white blood cell count,there was a 5％ reduction in the risk of decreased bone mineral density (OR=0.95,95％ CI:0.94,0.97,P<0.001);whereas for every standard deviation increase in hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit,there was a 4％ reduction in the risk of decreased bone density (OR=1.04,95％ CI:1.03,1.06,P<0.001). In conclusion,increased white blood cell count in peripheral blood is a risk factor for bone mineral density;whereas increased hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration are protective factors for bone mineral density.

Thoracic anesthesia with spontaneous respiration represents a form of precision anesthesia meticulously customized to individual patients.Considering the more stringent requirements this anesthesia approach imposes on the regulation of respiratory function,the writing group of the"Consensus of Experts on the Management of Thoracic Anesthesia with Spontaneous Respiration"has formulated elaborate guidelines regarding indications and contraindications,preoperative evaluation,anesthesia implementation,common complications,and treatment strategies.This was accomplished by referencing relevant domestic and international literature and integrating it with actual clinical requirements.The objective is to standardize the rational application of this anesthesia method.

Hypercholesterolemia is pathologically characterized by abnormal accumulation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,which is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and increased cardiovascular risks.Hepatocytes maintain cholesterol homeostasis through LDL receptor-mediated uptake and esterification storage mechanisms.However,chronic cholesterol overload induces mitochondrial dysfunction,reactive oxygen species accumulation,and endoplasmic reticulum stress,leading to hepatocyte injury.Moreover,systemic hypercholesterolemia disrupts gut microbiota balance and impairs short-chain fatty acid and ketone metabolism,exacerbating metabolic disturbances and aggravating hepatic injury through enhanced metabolic stress.In this article,we review the advance of studies on hypercholesterolemia in recent years and summary its association with hepatic injury,which can provide theoretical support for further research.

Objective:To explore the current research status, hotspots, and trends of self-advocacy among patients with chronic diseases, and to provide a reference for conducting research on self-advocacy in chronic diseases.Methods:A computer-based search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, VIP, China Biology Medicine disc, and the Web of Science Core Collection for literature related to self-advocacy among patients with chronic diseases, with the time frame from database inception to October 1, 2024. The CiteSpace 6.3.R1 software was used to perform visual analysis on publication volume, countries, institutions, authors, keywords, and citation status.Results:A total of 721 articles were included in the study. The country with the largest number of publications related to self-advocacy among patients with chronic diseases was the United States. Authors and journals were mainly from the fields of psychology and sociology. Research hotspots mainly included women, cancer, breast cancer, quality of life (health-related quality of life), cancer screening, and individual experiences. Future research trends are expected to focus on influencing factors and theoretical research, impacts on medical decision-making, psychological and social support, as well as the development of scales and assessment tools of self-advocacy.Conclusions:Research on self-advocacy in China started relatively late. It is suggested that in the future, domestic scholars conduct multi-center and large-sample studies on self-advocacy among populations in different regions and with various types of chronic diseases.

To understand the pathogenicity and drug resistance of swine-derived E.coli and its bio-logical characteristics in some areas in Hebei,E.coli was isolated and identified from diarrheal fe-ces of piglets collected from swine farms,and the isolated strains were subjected to drug sensitivity test,detection of the ability to form biofilm,pathogenicity test,virulence gene test,drug resistance gene test,and identification of phylogenetic subgroups.The results showed that a total of 35 patho-genic E.coli strains were isolated from the feces of diarrheic piglets,and most of the isolates were multidrug-resistant,and were resistant to at least three antibiotics,including amoxicillin(88.57％),ampicillin(88.57％),doxycycline(88.75％),sulfisoxazole(77.17％),lincomycin(100％),and chloramphenicol(100％);the isolates were severely resistant.The isolates all carried virulence genes,with a total of five virulence genes detected,namely,EAST1(77.14％),eaeA(17.14％),stx2e(5.71％),LT(2.86％),and STb(2.86％),and the isolates also carried multi-re-sistance genes,with a total of five virulence genes detected,namely,bla TEM-1(65.71％),bla CTX-M(20.00％),tetA(82.86％),tetB(14.29％),aadA2(17.14％),aac(6')-Ib(14.29％),qnrS(17.14％),sul 1(40.00％),sul2(34.29％),and floR(60.00％);the phylogenetic grouping showed that the isolates had a high proportion of group B1 and group A;and all 35 isolates showed differ-ent pathogenicity after infection of mice.This study provides a reference for the selection of effec-tive therapeutic drugs and the development of prevention and control programs for swine-origin pathogenic E.coli in Hebei Province.