Background Personal protection is crucial for reducing the risk of zoonotic pathogen infection among livestock workers. Investigating the current status of its implementation and associated influencing factors can provide empirical evidence for developing more effective intervention measures. Objective To investigate the current status of personal protection implementation among livestock workers in Xinjiang, China and its influencing factors, providing a reference for formulating targeted intervention measures. Methods This study was conducted in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Kashgar region, and the First and Eighth Divisions of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. We selected large-scale cattle and sheep farms, cooperatives, individual livestock households, livestock trading markets, slaughterhouses, and retail markets. Using cluster sampling, we recruited all livestock workers (1074 participants) at sampled sites. During the period from April to July 2024, we conducted face-to-face surveys with a self-designed questionnaire among livestock workers, collecting general demographic information, occupational exposure history, and information related to the use of personal protective equipment, resulting in 939 valid questionnaires. EpiData 3.1 was used for data entry and SPSS 26.0 for statistical analysis. We employed logistic regression to compare the implementation of personal protection among workers by selected categories. Results Among the study subjects, there were 300 workers from large-scale farms (31.95%) and 583 self-employed livestock farmers (62.09%). The sample included 600 males (63.90%) and 339 females (36.10%). The majority of the study subjects was farmers, breeders, or aged 18-60 years (87.75%), auxiliary workers (87.97%) and had an education level of junior high school or below (81.36%). The proportion of workers who consistently and correctly implemented all five personal protective measures (washing hands after work, wearing gloves, wearing masks, wearing dedicated work clothes, and using rubber boots) was 35.14% (330/939). The implementation rates for these five protective measures were 93.61% (879/939), 58.68% (551/939), 57.93% (544/939), 46.01% (432/939), and 42.81% (402/939), respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the implementation rates of differen personal protective measures among the workers by occupation and education level (P<0.05). Among them, workers with lower education levels had lower implementation rates for various protective measures. The results of logistic regression indicated that, compared to male workers, female workers (OR=2.26, 95%CI: 1.68, 3.04) showed a higher rate of non-standard implementation of personal protection. Using the age group of 18 to less than 36 years as a reference, those aged 36 to less than 60 years (OR=1.82, 95%CI: 1.33, 2.50) and 60 years or older (OR=4.45, 95%CI: 2.56, 7.73) reported higher rates of non-standard implementation of personal protection. Compared to those with an education level of primary school or below, those with a junior high school education (OR=0.64, 95%CI: 0.47, 0.88) and a high school education or above (OR=0.13, 95%CI: 0.19, 0.29) showed lower rates of non-standard implementation of personal protection. Compared to farmers, veterinarians (OR=0.03, 95%CI: 0.02, 0.07) reported the lowest rate of non-standard implementation of personal protection, followed by auxiliary workers (OR=0.08, 95%CI: 0.05, 0.12), breeders (OR=0.10, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.15), and other occupational groups (OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.15, 0.52). Using large-scale farms as a reference, self-employed farmers (OR=13.5, 95%CI: 9.65, 18.88) reported a higher rate of non-standard implementation of personal protection, followed by workers from other workplaces (OR=3.63, 95%CI: 2.01, 6.54). Conclusion The implementation of personal protective measures among livestock workers in Xinjiang is generally satisfactory. However, significant disparities in the execution of these measures exist among different types of workers, indicating the need to enhance occupational health promotion to reduce the risk of zoonotic pathogen infection among the workers.

Background Animal farming may affect the structure and diversity of gut microbiota of farm workers, but it needs more studies to provide solid evidence. Objective To analyze the diversity characteristics of gut microbiota in dairy farm workers, dairy cows, and the control population (non-animal contact occupational group), and to assess the impact of dairy farming on the gut microbiota of workers. Methods The 16S rRNA full-length amplicon sequencing technology was used to sequence 60 fecal samples from dairy farm workers, 89 from dairy cows, and 50 from the general population. The gut microbiota structure characteristics, including operational taxonomic units (OTUs), alpha diversity, beta diversity, and the composition of species at the phylum, family, and genus levels were analyzed. The differences in gut microbiota among the three groups of samples were compared to explore the impact of occupational exposure on the gut microbiota structure of dairy farm workers. Results A total of 50478 OTUs were identified in the gut microbiota of farm workers, dairy cows, and the general population, with 23613, 42723, and 16592 OTUs, respectively. The number of shared OTUs between the dairy cows and the general population was 12674 (27.17%), between the general population and the farm workers was 10099 (33.54%), and between the dairy cows and the farm workers was 17690 (36.36%). Compared with the general population, the farm workers and dairy cows showed more shared gut microbiota (P<0.01). The abundance of Firmicutes in the gut of the farm workers was higher than that of the general population (P<0.01), while Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria were the opposite (P<0.01). The alpha diversity of gut microbiota in the farm workers was different from that of the general population. The ACE index of the farm workers was slightly lower than that of the general population and much lower than that of dairy cows (P<0.05), while their Shannon index was higher than that of the general population but lower than that of dairy cows (P<0.01). The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LefSe) showed that the abundances of Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae in the gut microbiota of the farm workers were significantly higher than those of the general population, while Streptococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Erysipelatoclostridiaceae were lower than those of the general population. Conclusion The dairy farm workers shares a certain proportion of common bacterial communities with dairy cows. Dairy farming operations can affect the structure and diversity of the gut microbiota of workers by increasing the abundances of Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, while decreasing the abundances of Streptococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Erysipelatoclostridiaceae. The study results provide reference data for further exploring the cross-host transmission of pathogens related to occupational exposure in dairy farming.

Objective To systematically analyze the medical radiation exposure levels in a district of Ningbo City and to provide a scientific basis for the reasonable and effective control of medical radiation exposure. Methods Based on the radiological diagnosis frequency and dose information system, basic medical radiation exposure data were collected, such as radiation doses received by patients in various X-ray diagnostic examinations, from all 13 public medical institutions in a district of Ningbo City from January 1 to December 31, 2020. The data were analyzed for the percentage and collective effective dose of various diagnostic examinations, the distribution of examinations by sex and age, and the number of patients undergoing two or more examinations and their cumulative doses within multiple time intervals. Results Among medical X-ray diagnostic examinations in the district, the percentages of CT examination and routine photography examination were 50.88% and 47.93%, respectively, and the collective effective dose of CT examination accounted for 97.75%. By age and sex, the frequency of examination was the highest in the age group of 45-54 years, and the frequency of examination in the male was higher than that in the female before age 55. The annual effective dose for two patients exceeded 100 mSv. Conclusion In this study, CT examination accounted for up to 50.88% of all medical X-ray diagnostic examinations, and contributed 97.75% of the collective effective dose, highlighting the need for particular attention to the justification of medical radiation exposure from CT.

Objective:To distinguish Hedyotis diffusa Willd. and its common countrerfeit, Hedyotis corymbosa. and Hedyotis tenelliflora. by analyzing and comparing their macroscopical identification, microscopic character and HPLC fingerprints. Methods:The features of macroscopical identification, microscopic character including cross-sections of stem, leaf, fruit and seed, and herbal powders were observed in the three samples by traditional methods. The difference of chromatographic peaks among the three samples were also analyzed by HPLC methods.Results:The stems of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. were cylindrical, and the capsules were solitary or double born in the leaf axils, oblate, 2-3 mm in diameter, with a long petiole; the Hedyotis corymbosa. and Hedyotis tenelliflora. were tetragonal, and the Hedyotis corymbosa. was 2-5 capsules born in leaf axils in corymbose inflorescences, globular, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, with a slender petiole; the Hedyotis tenelliflora. were 1-3 capsules clustered in the leaf axils, ovoid with longitudinal ribs around the margin, about 1.5 mm in diameter, without the long petiole, about 1.5 mm in diameter, sessile, the edge of the leaf drying revolute long needle-like. Under the identification, the cross section of the Hedyotis diffusa Willd. stem was almost round, the middle vein of the leaves was protrusion below, the inner pericarp fiber layer consisted of two layers of fiber cells, the surface of the seed coat cells was polygon, and the wall was densely covered with small reddish brown or yellow-brown warty spots. The cross section of the Hedyotis corymbosa. stem was quadrilateral, the surface of the seed coat cell was polygon, the wall was wavy and curved, and there was no warty point on the wall. The middle veins of the Hedyotis tenelliflora. were slightly sunken in the upper part, but not protruding in the lower part; the endocarp fiber layer consisted of 8 to 13 layers of fiber cells. Moreover, the HPLC fingerprint analysis demonstrated substantial dissimilarities in the characteristic peaks of these herbs. Conclusion:The traditional and modern analysis technology show that there are some differences in the characteristics, microscopical cross section, the powder characteristics, which can effectively distinguish the Hedyotis diffusa Willd. and its two local varieties.

The basement membrane is a specialized extracellular matrix between the epithelium and the mesenchyme.In stratified epithelium,only the basal cells in contact with the basement membrane exhibit the apical-basal polarity,whereas the epithelial cells do being not in contact with the basement membrane do not exhibit the apical-basal polarity.The basement membrane plays an important role in epithelial cell polarization.It is an important extracellular matrix(ECM)structure in the multicellular organisms,is situated between the epithelium and the mesenchyme,and is produced jointly by the epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells.Its components mainly include Laminin,type Ⅳ collagen(Col-Ⅳ),nidogen(NDG),and heparan sulfate proteoglycans(HSPG),and each component plays the different role in influencing the epithelial cell polarity.The network scaffold formed by Col-Ⅳ and Laminin is the main structure of the basement membrane,and the integrity of the structure affects the epithelial cell polarization.This review summarizes the composition and structure of the basement membrane,focuses on its role in epithelial cell polarization and its mechanism,and compiles the current status of biomimetic basement membrane materials that promotes the epithelial cell polarization,and provides the theoretical foundation for further exploration of the establishment and maintenance of epithelial cell polarity.

Objective:To explore the application and clinical significance of Automatic Functional Imaging (AFI) technology in evaluating left ventricular and left atrial damage in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy.Methods:A total of 120 patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy who visited the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from April 2021 to March 2023 were selected, including 40 patients with mild, moderate, and severe alcohol consumption each. At the same time, 40 healthy volunteers who did not drink alcohol were selected as controls. All subjects underwent ultrasound examination, and the differences in two-dimensional ultrasound and AFI parameters among the groups were analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between AFI parameters and two-dimensional ultrasound parameters. The diagnostic value of global long axis peak systolic strain (GLPS) of the left ventricle in alcoholic cardiomyopathy was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results:The left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVDd), left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVDS), end diastolic interventricular septal thickness (IVSTd), end diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness (PWTd), left atrial minimum volume (LAVmin), left atrial maximum volume (LAVmax), and left atrial active pre systolic volume (LAVp) in the severe group were significantly larger than those in the control group, mild group, and moderate group (all P<0.05), while the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the ratio of E peak velocity to A peak velocity (E/A) were significantly smaller than those in the control group, mild group, and moderate group (all P<0.05); The left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), LAVmin, LAVmax, and LAVp in the moderate and severe groups were significantly higher than those in the control and mild groups (all P<0.05); There was no statistically significant difference in LVDd, LVDS, IVSTd, PWTd, and LVEF among the control group, mild group, and moderate group (all P>0.05). The GLPS levels in the mild, moderate, and severe groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05), with the severe group having significantly higher GLPS levels than the mild and moderate groups ( P<0.05); There was no statistically significant difference in peak strain dispersion (PSD) among the control group, mild group, moderate group, and severe group (all P>0.05). GLPS was negatively correlated with LVEF ( r=-0.441, P<0.05), while GLPS was positively correlated with LVMI ( r=0.504, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for diagnosing alcoholic cardiomyopathy with GLPS was 0.912 (95% CI: 0.869-0.955, P<0.05), with a cutoff value of -20.16, sensitivity and specificity of 76.70% and 95.00%, respectively. Conclusions:The mechanical properties of the left ventricle and left atrium in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy are significantly altered, and AFI parameters have certain application value in the diagnosis of alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

Objective:To identify and characterize one Yokenella regensburgei strain(designated as CXLZQ123) isolated from a case of perionychial abscess. Methods:Strain CXLZQ123 was isolated from a patient with periungual abscess at the Dermatology Department of San County Central Hospital in June 2, 2023. The strain was initially identified through morphological and biochemical tests, followed by mass spectrometry identification, 16S rRNA sequencing and whole-genome sequencing. MEGA 11.0 was used to compare and analyze the strain′s genetic relationship with relevant species in GenBank, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on genetic distance to analyze its genetic evolution. Meanwhile, the average nucleotide identity between its genome and similar strains were compared.Results:The strain was identified as a Gram-negative rod. MicroScan WalkAway biochemical tests indicated that the strain was either Yokenella regensburgei (91.47%) or Hafnia alvei (8.53%). MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry confirmed it as Yokenella regensburgei. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain showed the highest similarity(99.37%) to CIP 105435 (sequence number NR_104934.1). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolated strain Yokenella regensburgei was submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) with the GenBank sequence number of OR230248.1. The whole-genome of CXLZQ123 were sequenced and uploaded (NCBI, SRA sequence number: SRR26510420). The average nucleotide identity between CXLZQ123 and Yokenella regensburgei strains W13 and UU2206353 were 98.82% and 99.04%, respectively. Conclusions:Through morphological observation, biochemical identification, mass spectrometry identification, 16S rRNA and whole-genome sequencing, this pathogenic strain is identified as Yokenella regensburgei. This rare bacterium is sensitive to most detected antibiotics. This study provides diagnostic and treatment experience for Yokenella regensburgei-related infections.

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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Fat accumulation "sensitizes" the liver to insult and leads to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) is involved in metabolic stresses, but its role in NAFLD is unknown. We report that hepatocyte GPR35 mitigates NASH by regulating hepatic cholesterol homeostasis. Specifically, we found that GPR35 overexpression in hepatocytes protected against high-fat/cholesterol/fructose (HFCF) diet-induced steatohepatitis, whereas loss of GPR35 had the opposite effect. Administration of the GPR35 agonist kynurenic acid (Kyna) suppressed HFCF diet-induced steatohepatitis in mice. Kyna/GPR35 induced expression of StAR-related lipid transfer protein 4 (STARD4) through the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, ultimately resulting in hepatic cholesterol esterification and bile acid synthesis (BAS). The overexpression of STARD4 increased the expression of the BAS rate-limiting enzymes cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1) and CYP8B1, promoting the conversion of cholesterol to bile acid. The protective effect induced by GPR35 overexpression in hepatocytes disappeared in hepatocyte STARD4-knockdown mice. STARD4 overexpression in hepatocytes reversed the aggravation of HFCF diet-induced steatohepatitis caused by the loss of GPR35 expression in hepatocytes in mice. Our findings indicate that the GPR35-STARD4 axis is a promising therapeutic target for NAFLD.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of superior cervical ganglion block (SCGB) on cardiac function and nucleotide like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway in a rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R).Methods:Sixty healthy SPF male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250-300 g, aged 2-3 months, were divided into 4 groups ( n=15 each) using a random number table method: sham operation group (sham group), myocardial I/R group (IR group), myocardial I/R + normal saline group (IR+ NS group), and myocardial I/R + SCGB group (IR+ SCGB group). Myocardial I/R model was developed by ligation of the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery for 45 min followed by restoration of blood flow in anesthetized aninals. IR+ SCGB group received SCGB (0.25% ropivacaine 0.1 ml) at 10 min before reperfusion once a day for 2 consecutive weeks, while 0.9% sodium chloride was given instead of ropivacaine in IR+ NS group. Blood samples were collected at 24 h and 14 days of reperfusion for determination of serum concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), troponin T (TnT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and IL-1β by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Echocardiography was performed before ischemia and at 14 days of reperfusion, and left ventricular short axis shortening rate (FS), ejection fraction (EF), and cardiac output (CO) were measured. The rats were sacrificed at 14 days of reperfusion and the hearts were taken for determination of the contents of norepinephrine (NE) in myocardial tissues in the infarction area (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), percentage of myocardial fibrosis area (by Masson staining), M1 macrophage marker CD68 + cell count in the infarction area (by immunohistochemical method), and expression of NLRP3 and gasdermin D (GSDMD) in myocardial tissues (by Western blot). Results:Compared with Sham group, the serum concentrations of TnT, TNF-α, IL-18 and IL-1β, percentage of myocardial fibrosis area, and NE levels in serum and myocardial tissues were significantly increased, the expression of NLRP3 and GSDMD in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, CD68 + cell count was increased, and EF, CO and FS were decreased in IR group ( P<0.05). Compared with IR group, the serum concentrations of TnT, TNF-α, IL-18 and IL-1β, percentage of myocardial fibrosis area, and NE levels in serum and myocardial tissues were significantly decreased, the expression of NLRP3 and GSDMD in myocardial tissues was down-regulated, CD68 + cell count was decreased, and EF, CO and FS were increased in IR+ SCGB group ( P<0.05), and no statistically significant changes were found in the parameters mentioned above in IR+ NS group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:SCGB can improve the cardiac function in a rat model of myocardial I/R, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3 signaling pathway.