Background The high work intensity and possible subsequently increased susceptibility to occupational hazards of calcium carbide plants may lead to hypertension in workers, but there are few studies on the relationship between occupational hazard exposure and hypertension in workers involving the production process of calcium carbide. Objective To explore the influence of occupational hazards on the incidence of hypertension in calcium carbide plants. Methods Using historical cohort design, the employees of a calcium carbide factory in the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were selected as research subjects. According to the pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study population comprised an exposure group of 377 employees (including furnace workers, inspection workers, and maintenance workers) exposed to dust, noise & carbon monoxide, and a control group of 388 employees (including central control workers, electricians, and administrative personnel) without above-mentioned exposure. The total sample size was 765 participants. The follow-up period was from April 2011 to October 2022, and the study endpoint was defined as the conclusion of the follow-up period or diagnosed hypertension in annual occupational health examination. Information on general demographic characteristics, living habits, and work status was collected from all study subjects. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the association between occupational hazard exposure and the risk of hypertension among the calcium carbide plant employees. Results The average age, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, proportion of males, smoking rate, and alcohol consumption rate in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared to baseline, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels increased in the exposure group and the control group at the end of the follow-up (P<0.05). At the end of the follow-up, the average differences between systolic/ diastolic blood pressure and baseline values in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). During the follow-up period, a total of 223 cases of hypertension occurred, with a total follow-up of 2785 person-years, resulting in an incidence density of 8007.18 per 100000 person-years, an average age of onset of (35.90±8.22) years, and an average working age of onset of (2.69±1.97) years. The incidence density in the exposure group was 128.71% higher than that in the control group, and the risk of hypertension in the exposure group was 2.115 times that of the control group. The risk of hypertension was 2.199 times higher for men than for women, 1.344 times higher for those aged 30 and above than for those under 30, 1.546 times higher for smokers than for non-smokers, and 1.750 times higher for drinking workers than for non-drinking ones. The results of Cox proportional hazards regression modeling indicated that the hazard ratio (95%CI) of hypertension among the employees exposed to dust, noise, and carbon monoxide was 2.254 (1.703, 2.982), 1.594 (1.107, 2.295), and 1.567 (1.079, 2.274), respectively, when different covariates (gender, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption) were included. The results of Log-rank test showed that there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of disease-free survival between the exposure group and the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposures to dust, noise, and carbon monoxide may increase the risk of hypertension among calcium carbide plant workers.

Bacterial infection is a major threat to global public health, and can cause serious diseases such as bacterial skin infection and foodborne diseases. It is essential to develop a new method to rapidly diagnose clinical multiple bacterial infections and monitor food microbial contamination in production sites in real-time. In this work, we developed a 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid gold nanoparticles (4-MPBA-AuNPs)-functionalized hydrogel microneedle (MPBA-H-MN) for bacteria detection in skin interstitial fluid. MPBA-H-MN could conveniently capture and enrich a variety of bacteria within 5 min. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection was then performed and combined with machine learning technology to distinguish and identify a variety of bacteria. Overall, the capture efficiency of this method exceeded 50%. In the concentration range of 1 × 10⁷ to 1 × 10¹⁰ colony-forming units/mL (CFU/mL), the corresponding SERS intensity showed a certain linear relationship with the bacterial concentration. Using random forest (RF)-based machine learning, bacteria were effectively distinguished with an accuracy of 97.87%. In addition, the harmless disposal of used MNs by photothermal ablation was convenient, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive. This technique provided a potential method for rapid and real-time diagnosis of multiple clinical bacterial infections and for monitoring microbial contamination of food in production sites.

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a common degenerative disease of the central nervous system in which neuropathological changes precede cognitive dysfunction and behavioral impairment. Currently, early diagnosis of AD is based on invasive and expensive testing techniques that are difficult to use widely in the clinical setting. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new markers to detect AD at an early stage. The eye, as an extension of the brain, has been found to show earlier onset of ocular pathologic changes in patients with AD compared to brain pathologic changes, such as retinal structural abnormalities, visual dysfunction, retinal abnormal protein accumulation, choroidal thickness changes, decreased corneal nerve fiber density, deposition of abnormal Aβ proteins in the lens, and pupillary light decreased sensitivity of response, etc. This article reviews the ocular pathologic changes in AD patients in recent years to provide new ideas for the early clinical diagnosis of AD.

BACKGROUND:A large number of studies have confirmed that tissue engineering scaffolds can almost completely repair osteochondral defects.However,when osteochondral defects are complicated with infection,even after thorough debridement in the early stage,the repair effect of simple osteochondral tissue engineering scaffolds is often unsatisfactory. OBJECTIVE:To prepare fibroin/chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite scaffold loaded with vancomycin hydrochloride sustained release microspheres,and to investigate the repair effect on infected osteochondral defect in distal femur of rabbit. METHODS:(1)Vancomycin hydrochloride sustained release microspheres were prepared by emulsified solvent evaporation method.The sustained-release microspheres of different weights(7.5,10,and 12.5 mg)were mixed with fibroin protein-chitosan nanohydroxyapatite solution,and the scaffolds of fibroin protein/chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite were prepared by chemical crosslinking method.The porosity,water absorption and expansion rate,hot water loss rate of the scaffolds,and drug sustained-release in vitro were characterized.(2)Forty-five New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into blank group,control group,and experimental group,with 15 rabbits in each group.The osteochondral defect and infection model of the distal femur of the right hind limb was established in both groups.The blank group was not treated,and the control group was implanted with fibroin protein-chitosan-nano-hydroxyapatite scaffold.Vancomycin hydrochloride sustained-release microspheres(10 mg)of fibroin/chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite scaffold were implanted in the defect of the experimental group.The levels of C-reactive protein and leukocytes in blood samples were detected 1 week after operation.At 4,8 and 12 weeks after operation,the tissue of the operative area was taken for gross observation and pathological observation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)With the increase of sustained-release microspheres content,the porosity of scaffolds decreased,and there was significant difference among groups(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the pore size,water absorption expansion rate and hot water loss rate among the three groups(P＞0.05).Vancomycin hydrochloride was released sustainably in vitro for more than 30 days in all three groups of scaffolds.(2)The levels of C-reactive protein and leukocytes in blood samples of the experimental group were lower than those of the blank group and control group(P＜0.05).The repair of gross cartilage in the experimental group was significantly better than that in the blank group and the control group.Hematoxylin-eosin,Masson,Alcian blue and type Ⅱ collagen immunohistochemical stainings showed that the osteochondral repair effect of the experimental group was significantly better than that of the blank group and the control group at each time point.(3)The results showed that fibroin/chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite scaffolds loaded with vancomycin hydrochloride sustained-release microspheres could effectively promote the repair of open osteochondral defects.

The construction of experimental animal models plays an important supporting role in research into the mechanisms of action of Chinese medicines.There have been increasing reports of the construction and evaluation of animal models of spleen deficiency;however,the construction method have involved different standards and there has been insufficient objectification of the evaluation indexes.In this review,we summarize the construction and evaluation method of animal models of spleen deficiency from the aspects of animal selection,model establishment,macroscopic characterization,behavioral experiments,and objective indexes of spleen deficiency,with a view to providing theoretical guidance for the construction of experimental animal models of spleen deficiency and references for the selection of animal model platforms for spleen deficiency.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of anlotinib(AL)and bevacizumab(BEVA)in the treatment of advanced lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)with acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors(EGFR-TKI).Methods The clinical data of patients with EGFR-TKI-resistant LUAD who were treated in the Department of Oncology of Yibin Third People's Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the treatment plan,patients were divided into BEVA group and AL group.Both groups were treated with BEVA injection or AL capsule in combination with standard chemotherapy for a total of 4 cycles.The main outcome measures included changes in tumor marker levels[carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),neuron-specific enolase(NSE),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)],recent clinical efficacy[overall response rate(ORR)and disease control rate(DCR)],progression-free survival(PFS),1-year survival rate,and drug-related adverse reactions.Results A total of 60 patients with EGFR-TKI-resistant LUAD were included in the study,including 32 patients in the BEVA group and 28 patients in the AL group.After four cycles of treatment,the levels of serum CEA,NSE,and VEGF in both groups significantly decreased,and AL group was lower than BEVA group(P<0.05).There were no significant statistical differences in the complete remission rate,partial remission rate,disease stability rate,and ORR between the two groups(P>0.05).Compared with the BEVA group,the AL group had a lower rate of disease progression(P<0.05)and a higher DCR(P<0.05).In addition,the median PFS in the BEVA group was significantly longer than that in the AL group(8.4 vs.7.2 months,P<0.05),while there was no significant difference in survival rate between the two groups(P>0.05).In terms of adverse reactions,patients in the AL group had a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting,but a higher incidence of bone marrow suppression,resulting in a lower overall adverse reaction grade.Conclusion Compared with the BEVA combination chemotherapy regimen,AL combination chemotherapy showed better efficacy and good safety in the treatment of EGFR-TKI-resistant advanced LUAD.

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition characterized by a decrease in muscle mass and a de-cline in muscle strength.Sarcopenia increases the risk of falls,severely affecting the quality of life of patients,and it may be associated with various age-related chronic diseases.Advanced glycation end products(AGEs)are a class of stable glycation products produced by condensation,rearrangement,cleavage,and oxidative modifica-tion between the free amino groups of proteins,lipids or nucleic acids and the free carbonyl groups of reducing sugars.Studies have revealed associations of AGEs with muscle mass,muscle strength,and sarcopenia.AGEs can lead to hardening of the extracellular matrix of skeletal muscle through glycation cross-linking.The binding of AGEs to receptors induces inflammation and oxidative stress,consequently resulting in decreases in muscle mass and muscle strength.Therefore,AGEs may play a role in the occurrence and development of sarcopenia.This re-view summarizes the role of AGEs in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia,offering theoretical support for probing into the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia.

Insufficient myocardial perfusion is a common pathological feature in the early stage of various heart diseases,and quantitative evaluation of myocardial perfusion is of great significance for diagnosing and treating diseases and evaluating prognosis.Cardiac MR(CMR)perfusion imaging is non radiative,having high spatial resolution and being sensitive to local myocardial ischemia.Numerical simulation technology combined with computational biomechanics could simulate the process of myocardial blood flow perfusion.The research progresses of CMR and numerical simulation for quantitative evaluation of myocardial perfusion were reviewed in this article.

Objective:To explore therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of puerarin(PUE)in treating of ulcerative colitis(UC).Methods:Network pharmacology and molecular docking technique were used to screen and analyze targets of PUE in regulating UC.C57BL/6 mice were given free access to 2.5%DSS aqueous solution for 7 days,and influence of PUE on changes in body weight and disease activity index(DAI)score were subsequently observed.Histopathological alterations of colon tissue were observed by HE staining,changes of goblet cell population in colon tissue were evaluated through Alcian blue staining;expressions of inflammatory factors in colon tissue were detected by qRT-PCR and ELISA.Effect of PUE on MODE-K cell viability and apoptosis were assessed by CCK-8 and flow cytometry.Results:A total of 38 common targets of PUE in modulating UC,such as AKT1,TNF,STAT3,CASP3,HIF1A and etc,mainly involving TNF,IL-17 and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.In vivo experiments confirmed that PUE ameliorated degree of colon shortening,body weight and DAI scores and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in mice.Besides,expressions of inflammatory factors in colon,such as TNF-α and IL-1β,were inhibited by PUE.Furthermore,in vitro experiments validated that PUE relieved DSS-induced apoptosis of epithelial cells.Conclusion:PUE alleviates occurrence and development of DSS-induced UC in mice.