Background Carbendazim (CBZ), a widely used benzimidazole fungicide, has raised increasing concerns regarding the health risks associated with its residues. However, the toxic effects and associated mechanisms of CBZ on the skeletal system have not been reported. Objective To elucidate the effects of carbendazim on osteogenic differentiation and its underlying mechanisms. Methods MC3T3-E1 mouse pre-osteoblastic cells were treated with 1, 10, and 100 μmol·L⁻¹ CBZ for 24 h to examine cell viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, bone nodule formation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Transcriptomics was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in osteoblasts exposed to CBZ. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were employed to analyze the potential biological pathways of DEGs. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to validate changes in gene and protein expression. Results Exposure to 10 and 100 μmol·L⁻¹ CBZ significantly reduced osteoblast viability, ALP activity, bone nodule formation, and NOS activity, while increasing intracellular ROS levels. CBZ at 100 μmol·L⁻¹ concentration significantly elevated MDA level (P < 0.05). The transcriptomic analysis revealed that 1 μmol·L⁻¹ CBZ treatment resulted in 385 significantly DEGs. The KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that CBZ significantly affects hormone regulation pathways (including parathyroid hormone, growth hormone, dopamine, and oxytocin), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase G (cGMP-PKG) signaling pathways, focal adhesion and adherens junction, as well as the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and the mRNA surveillance (NMD) pathway. The results of GSEA showed that CBZ significantly inhibited the bile acid metabolism and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in osteoblasts. The validation results demonstrated that CBZ significantly suppressed the mRNA expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin, as well as the protein expression of Runx2 and Osterix in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Conclusion CBZ exposure exhibits potential skeletal toxicity, and its mechanism is through promoting oxidative stress, interfering with the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in osteogenic differentiation, thereby inhibiting the bone formation function of osteoblasts.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of metformin on the immune functions of immature dendritic cells （imDCs） and the underlying mechanisms. MethodsMouse bone marrow-derived imDCs were treated with different concentrations of metformin. The working concentration and treatment time of metformin in this study were determined based on the results of cell apoptosis and cell viability assays. The effects of metformin on the phagocytic capacity of imDCs was evaluated using an antigen endocytosis assay. The expression of cluster of differentiation 205 （CD205）， the polymerization of filamentous actin （F-actin）， and the underlying regulatory mechanisms were investigated through flow cytometry， laser confocal fluorescence microscopy， and Western blot. ResultsThe working concentrations of metformin were 1， 2， 4 mmol/L for 24 h determined by the apoptosis and cell viability assays.Metformin significantly suppressed the phagocytic capacity of imDCs， down-regulated the expression of the mannose receptor CD205 on the cell surface， which was closely associated with phagocytic function； metformin inhibited the RhoA-ROCK1-LIMK1-Cofilin signaling pathway， which inhibited the polymerization of F-actin and disturbed its dynamic remodeling of imDCs. ConclusionMetformin can inhibit the expression of CD205 and disrupt the remodeling of F-actin， thereby suppressing the antigen-capturing capacity of imDCs.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical efficacy of Wuhuang Shengji decoction irrigation combined with inci-sion and hanging suture in patients with perianal abscess.METHODS A total of 121 patients with perianal abscess admitted to the Anorectal Department of Ningbo Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from Jan.2022 to Jan.2024 were selected as the study subjects.According to the treatment methods,they were divided into a control group(n=37),a positive control group(n=41)anda research group(n=43).The control group was treated with incision and hanging suture,the positive control group was treated with recombinant human epidermal growth factor combined with incision and hanging suture,and the research group was treated with Wuhuang Shengji Decoction irrigation combined with incision and hanging suture.The clinical efficacy,the time of necrotic tissue shedding,new skin appearing,wound itch disappearing and wound healing and the recurrence rate were ob-served.The visual analogue scale(VAS),wound secretion score and expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor(PD-ECGF)in wound secretions were compared before and 14 days after treatment in the three groups.RESULTS The clinical efficacy of the study group(90.70%)was higher than that of the positive control group(87.80%)and control group(70.27%);the recur-rence rate of the study group(2.33%)was lower than that of the positive control group(9.76%)and the control group(18.92%),and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The time required for necrotic tissue shedding,new skin appearing,wound itch disappearing and wound healing followed the trend of study group

Objective:To analyze the relationship between blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/albumin (ALB) ratio (B/A) and prognosis of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guided by ultrasound before operation.Methods:A total of 116 patients who underwent PCI under the guidance of intra-coronary ultrasound in Xianyang Central Hospital from February 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively selected as the observation group, and 120 healthy people in the same period were selected as the control group. All patients were followed up for 1 year after surgery, and 116 patients were divided into poor prognosis group ( n=33) and good prognosis group ( n=83), taking major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) as the end point during follow-up. The levels of BUN and ALB in peripheral blood of all subjects were detected after admission, and B/A was calculated. The basic data, biochemical indexes and B/A of each group were analyzed and compared. The predictive value of preoperative BUN, ALB and B/A on postoperative MACE in patients with PCI guided by intra-coronary ultrasound was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the related influencing factors of postoperative MACE in patients with PCI guided by intra-coronary ultrasound. Results:The left ventricular end-diastolic inner diameter (LVEDD), N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), BUN and B/A in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and ALB were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). NT-proBNP, CK-MB, BUN and B/A in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group, and LVEF and ALB were lower than those in the good prognosis group (all P<0.05). ROC curve results showed that the AUC of peripheral blood BUN, ALB and B/A predicting postoperative MACE in patients with PCI guided by intra-coronary ultrasound were 0.833(95% CI: 0.783-0.883), 0.859(95% CI: 0.809-0.909) and 0.922(95% CI: 0.872-0.972). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that LVEF [ OR(95% CI)=1.952(1.317-2.895)], NT-proBNP [ OR(95% CI)=2.625(1.643-4.193)], BUN [ OR(95% CI)=3.353(1.922-5.851)], ALB [ OR(95% CI)=3.792(2.049-7.018)] and B/A [ OR(95% CI)=3.277(2.000-5.370)] were all the influencing factors of postoperative MACE in patients undergoing PCI guided by intra-coronary ultrasound ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The level of B/A in patients with PCI guided by intra-coronary ultrasound increased before surgery, and the high level of B/A is a risk factor for postoperative MACE, which can be used as a biological index to evaluate the postoperative MACE in patients with PCI guided by intra-coronary ultrasound.

Objective To analyze the research literature on fire needling therapy published on China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform(Wanfang),and China Science and Technology Journal Database(VIP)in the last 20 years,and to explore the current status and the hotspots of the research,thus to summarize and analyze the spectrum of the dominant diseases and technological transformations of fire needling therapy.Methods CiteSpace and VOSviewer were applied to analyze the keywords,authors and institutions,to draw the scientific knowledge map,and to summarize the disease spectrum.Results A total of 4 226 literature were included,from 2000 to 2023,the number of publications on fire needling therapy research showed an increasing trend,with each of the four periods showing its own characteristics of the times.The"filiform fire needling"and"pricking of fire needling"were widely used as acupuncture tools and acupuncture techniques in the studies,the emergence of high-frequency disease keywords such as"shingles""vitiligo"and"acne"indicates that research on the treatment of skin diseases with fire needling has attracted much attention.The disease spectrum of fire needling therapy was enlarged,involving a total of 356 diseases distributed in 20 disease systems.Conclusion Skin diseases and arthralgia became the dominant diseases of fire needling therapy,the rise of research hot words such as"acne vulgaris""vitiligo""stroke""chronic eczema""filiform fire needling"and"Lingnan fire needling"indicates that fire needling therapy is developing towards research standardization,theoretical diversification and disease diversification.

Objective To investigate the mechanisms by which Porphyromonas gingivalis(P.gingivalis)promotes the malignant progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)through the recruitment of chemokine receptor 6-positive(CCR6+)regulatory T cells(Treg)in the tumor microenvironment(TME).Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was used to analyze the correlation between chemokine ligand 20(CCL20),CCR6,and Treg.The Treg enrichment index and the expression levels of interleukin(IL)-10 and tumor necrosis factor β1(TGF-β1)were assessed in the high CCR6 expression group of OSCC patients.C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group(n=6 in each group).The control group received a single injection of 100 μL SCC7,a mice head and neck squamous carcinoma cell line,while the experimental group received a single injection of 100 μL mixture of SCC7 cells and P.gingivalis in the cheek.After two weeks,the mice were sacrificed,and immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expression levels of CCR6 and forkhead box protein 3(FOXP3)in OSCC.Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the effects of P.gingivalis on OSCC malignant biological behavior,CCR6+Treg cells,and the immune microenvironment.Results Bioinformatics analysis revealed a correlation between CCL20,CCR6,and Treg(r=0.373,P＜0.0001).OSCC patients with high CCR6 expression showed higher Treg enrichment scores and increased IL-10 expression.Animal experiments showed that P.gingivalis promoted the increase in the tumor volume(mm3)(0.294±0.105 in the control group and 0.526±0.101 in the experimental group,P＜0.01)and mass(mg)(206.200±53.950 in the control group and 376.000±119.200 in the experimental group,P＜0.01)in mice with OSCC.Immunohistochemistry confirmed a correlation between CCR6 and FOXP3(r=0.659,P＜0.05),and P.gingivalis promoted the expression of CCR6 and FOXP3.Flow cytometry analysis showed that P.gingivalis increased the proportion of CCR6+Treg(％)(13.780±1.506 in the control group and 18.260±2.257 in the experimental group,P＜0.01)and decreased the proportion of CD8+T cells(％)(27.120±1.647 in the control group and 21.060±3.148 in the experimental group,P＜0.01)in OSCC,thereby promoting the formation of a immunosuppressive microenvironment.Conclusion P.gingivalis promotes the malignant progression of OSCC by recruiting CCR6+Treg cells to form an immunosuppressive TME.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of flurochloridone (FLC) on osteogenic differentiation and the potential mechanism of inhibiting bone formation, and to provide new insights into bone health risks associated with FLC pesticide exposure. MethodsNeonatal rat skull differentiation primary osteoblast model was used to investigate the effects of 1, 10 and 100 μmol·L^-1 FLC exposure on cell viability, osteogenic differentiation alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and bone mineralization nodule formation, respectively. The potential mechanism underlying the inhibition of FLC on osteoblast differentiation was analyzed using osteogenic differentiation gene chip technique, and the expression of key genes and proteins in the pathway was validated using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and protein immunoblotting (Western blot) methods. ResultsExposure to FLC at a concentration of 100 μmol·L⁻¹ reduced cell proliferation, ALP activity, and the formation of mineralized nodules in primary osteoblasts. Gene chip analyses revealed that exposure to 10 μmol·L⁻¹ FLC induced 15 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Among these, MMP9 and Tnf were up-regulated, while Nkx3⁃2, Tuft1, Bmp2, Col12a1, Pparg, Enam, Igf1, Bmp5, Bmp3, Calcr, Egf, Igfbp3, and Col14a1 were down-regulated. Results of protein-protein interaction analyses and gene ontology enrichment analyses indicated that FLC inhibited the BMP/SMAD pathway involved in osteogenic differentiation. FLC suppressed the protein expression of BMP2 and Osterix, as well as the expression of key genes critical for osteogenic differentiation and ossification, such as BMP2, Runx2, SMAD1, and SMAD5 in the BMP/SMAD pathway. ConclusionFLC affects osteogenic differentiation and bone formation potential by regulating the BMP/SMAD axis and the expression of osteogenic genes, suggesting its potential risk in bone metabolism.

This study aims to describe the population and regional distribution characteristics of smoking behavior among adult twins in the China Twin Registry (CNTR), as well as the concordance rates for smoking behavior in monozygotic and dizygotic twins, and estimate the heritability. The study population included adult twins in CNTR who had smoking questionnaire data. A random-effects regression model was used to describe the distribution of smoking behavior among different subgroups based on various characteristics. The concordance of smoking behavior between different zygosity groups was calculated, and heritability was estimated. A total of 28 444 twin pairs were included in this study, with an average age of (36.6±12.0) years. Among male twins, 41.2% were current smokers, while only 1.2% of females smoked. Higher smoking rates were observed among male smokers in the 50-59 age group ( z=23.0, P<0.001), northern regions ( z=2.9, P<0.01), rural areas ( z=-5.2, P<0.001), those who were divorced/widowed ( z=3.8, P<0.001), and first-born twins ( z=-4.3, P<0.001), while lower smoking rates were found in those with higher education ( z=-16.1, P<0.001) and unmarried individuals ( z=-16.0, P<0.001). The smoking concordance rate for male monozygotic twins was 69.6%, significantly higher than the 57.3% concordance rate for dizygotic twins ( χ 2=105.0, P<0.05). The heritability of smoking behavior in male twins was estimated at 28.9% (95% CI: 24.3%-33.4%). Stratified analyses showed differences in heritability across regions and age groups: the heritability in northern regions was 32.6% (95% CI: 27.3%-38.0%), higher than the 21.0% (95% CI: 12.4%-29.5%) observed in southern regions; the highest heritability of 35.1% (95% CI: 26.3%-43.9%) was found in the 18-29 age group, with heritability decreasing with age. In conclusion, the smoking rate and influencing factors in the twin population are similar to those in the general population, with unique characteristics, such as higher smoking rates in first-born twins. Genetic factors have a significant impact on smoking behavior.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current status of monitoring indicators related to the"Perioperative In-fection Control"in medical institutions above the secondary level in Guizhou Province,and to delve into the imple-mentation of key measures for infection prevention and control during the perioperative period for patients under-going surgical operations.METHODS Based on the"Implementation Plan for the'Perioperative Infection Control'Initiative in Guizhou Province",a"Case Investigation Form on Key Measures for Infection Prevention and Control During the Perioperative Period for Patients Undergoing Surgical Operation"was developed.A total of 138 medi-cal institutions participated in the case investigation,and a total of 2 128 cases were investigated.RESULTS The overall monitoring indicators for the"Perioperative Infection Control"initiative in the 138 medical institutions a-bove the secondary level in Guizhou Province were at a relatively low level.The skin cleansing compliance rate was 80.32％,the hair removal compliance rate was 16.43％,the prophylactic antibacterial drug administration rate within 0.5-1 hour before surgery was 55.94％and the antibacterial drug discontinuation rate within 24 hours after prophylactic medication for type Ⅰ incision surgeries was 56.48％.The hair removal compliance rate was higher in tertiary medical institutions(19.21％)than in secondary medical institutions(14.34％)(P=0.039).The distri-bution of the four monitoring indicators varied in clinical departments and surgery types,with statistically signifi-cant differences(P＜0.05).The preferred method for surgical site skin cleansing in medical institutions across the province was local wiping,primarily with clean water(57.21％).The primary method for hair removal was razors(68.82％),and hair removal on the day of surgery was most common(61.75％).CONCLUSIONS Conduc-ting a survey on the current status of"Perioperative Infection Control"initiative monitoring indicators in medi-cal institutions in Guizhou Province helps to understand the implementation of key measures for perioperative in-fection prevention and control and set intervention targets,thus providing references for establishing a dynam-ic monitoring indicator change mechanism.

Objective:To summarize the current status of living space for elderly patients with chronic diseases.Methods:Literature on living space for elderly patients with chronic diseases was electronically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, and WanFang Data. The search period was from database establishment to April 13, 2024.Results:A total of 33 papers were included. Elderly patients with chronic diseases generally had limited living space, and the assessment tool was mainly the Life Space Assessment. The main influences on living space included demographic, disease-related, psychological, and other factors.Conclusions:Elderly patients with chronic diseases generally have limited living space and have a single assessment tool with complex and diverse influencing factors. Healthcare professionals should develop specific living space assessment tools and individualized interventions based on influencing factors to help patients with chronic diseases improve their living space limitations.