We analyzed the epidemiological features and spatial distribution characteristics of human brucellosis in Jining city from 2014 to 2023,to provide a reference for further development of targeted prevention and control strategies and measures.Descrip-tive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of brucellosis cases in Jining from 2014 to 2023.The spatial regional correlation of brucellosis incidence in Jining and the clustering patterns of local areas were studied through spatial autocorrelation analysis with townships as the basic unit.A total of 3 520 cases of brucellosis were reported in Jining from 2014 to 2023,and the average annual incidence rate was 4.23/100 000,thus indicating a fluctuating trend overall.Reported cases peaked from March to August,and a sex ratio of 2.71 males to 1 female was observed.The 40-59 year age group had the most reported cases(50.39％).The incidence of brucellosis in Jining showed an imbalanced spatial distribution.Brucellosis incidence showed a spatially clustered distribution(Moran's I>0,P<0.05).Hotspots were distributed primarily in Sishui,Qufu,and Zoucheng.A total of one class Ⅰ clustering area and one class Ⅱ clustering area were detected in the spatial and temporal scans,and were located in Sishui,Qufu,and Liangshan county.After pathogenic AMOS-PCR typing analysis,64 Brucella isolates collected from Jinan City from 2022 to 2024 were all of the sheep strain,and sheep biovar 3 was predominant(70.31％).In 2014-2023,although Jining City experienced a high incidence of brucellosis,a downward trend was observed.Brucellosis showed a spatial clustering pattern concentrated in the northeastern region.Therefore,awareness and education must be strengthened among brucellosis practitioners in cluster areas,to en-hance case surveillance,improve the level of protection,and achieve early detection and treatment.

We analyzed the epidemiological features and spatial distribution characteristics of human brucellosis in Jining city from 2014 to 2023,to provide a reference for further development of targeted prevention and control strategies and measures.Descrip-tive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of brucellosis cases in Jining from 2014 to 2023.The spatial regional correlation of brucellosis incidence in Jining and the clustering patterns of local areas were studied through spatial autocorrelation analysis with townships as the basic unit.A total of 3 520 cases of brucellosis were reported in Jining from 2014 to 2023,and the average annual incidence rate was 4.23/100 000,thus indicating a fluctuating trend overall.Reported cases peaked from March to August,and a sex ratio of 2.71 males to 1 female was observed.The 40-59 year age group had the most reported cases(50.39％).The incidence of brucellosis in Jining showed an imbalanced spatial distribution.Brucellosis incidence showed a spatially clustered distribution(Moran's I>0,P<0.05).Hotspots were distributed primarily in Sishui,Qufu,and Zoucheng.A total of one class Ⅰ clustering area and one class Ⅱ clustering area were detected in the spatial and temporal scans,and were located in Sishui,Qufu,and Liangshan county.After pathogenic AMOS-PCR typing analysis,64 Brucella isolates collected from Jinan City from 2022 to 2024 were all of the sheep strain,and sheep biovar 3 was predominant(70.31％).In 2014-2023,although Jining City experienced a high incidence of brucellosis,a downward trend was observed.Brucellosis showed a spatial clustering pattern concentrated in the northeastern region.Therefore,awareness and education must be strengthened among brucellosis practitioners in cluster areas,to en-hance case surveillance,improve the level of protection,and achieve early detection and treatment.

Objective:To measure and analyse maxillofacial skeletal morphology based on the 3D model by Mimics and Matlab soft-ware.Methods:140 male volunteers aged 18-37 years,99 of Han,32 of Uygur and 9 of other natinalities were included.The values of maxillofacial skeletal morphology were measured by Mimics software combined with Matlab software after CT scanning.The data of skeletal morphologic features among skeletal classⅠ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ and among the ethnic groups were analysed with SPSS 26.0 software.Results:The distribution of skeletal class showed that there were 83 cases(59.3％)of class Ⅰ,41(29.3％)of class Ⅱ and 16(11％)of class Ⅲ.There were no significant differences on the age,height,nasal bone length,nasal bone depth,maxillary width,maxillary height,mandibular symphysis height,condylion distance and gonion distance among the 3 skeletal groups(P＞0.05).Skeletal class Ⅱshowed a significant shorter mandibular ramus,mandibular body and entire mandibular length compared with class Ⅰ and class Ⅲ,while class Ⅱ had a significant longer palatal length and larger Me angle compared with class Ⅲ(P＜0.05).Skeletal class Ⅲ showed no significance differences of all dimensions compared with class Ⅰ(P＞0.05).The nasal bone depth of Han subjects was smaller than that of Uygur,while the length of the mandibular symphysis and the entire mandible of Han group were greater than that of Uygur group(P＜0.05).No correlation was observed between age and all facial skeletal dimensions respectively(P＞0.05).The ANB an-gle is negatively correlated with the mandibular body(r=-0.327)and mandibular length(r=-0.322)respectively.Conclusion:There was no significant difference in nasal bone,facial bone width and facial bone height among the 3 skeletal patterns.Class Ⅱhas a significant shorter mandibular ramus,mandibular body and entire mandibular length.Uygur young males have significantly greater nasal bone depth than Han.

Objective:To compare minimally invasive surgery with traditional open surgery, analyze the current application status of health economic evaluations in the treatment of digestive tract cancers, such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer by minimally invasive surgery and provide evidence for the rational selection of clinical treatment, alleviation of disease-related economic burdens, and rational allocation of healthcare resources.Methods:By using five databases, i.e. China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, and Embase, a database was established to retrieve all the papers about health economic studies of minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer published until December 31, 2023. Literature was analyzed by using software NoteExpress 3.8, and data were processed using Excel 2021. The quality of included papers was evaluated using the CHEERS 2022 checklist, and Meta-analysis was conducted by using software Stata 17.0.Results:A total of 10 919 relevant papers were retrieved, and 59 studies were included. Only 14 studies (23.7%) used standard health economic evaluation methods. Meta-analysis results revealed no significant differences in direct medical expenditure and total expenditure between minimally invasive surgery and open surgery. However, the expenditure for minimally invasive surgery exhibited a significant increase [mean difference ( MD)=5 973.12 yuan, P<0.001], while hospital stay and indirect expenditure significantly decreased ( MD: -4.85 days and -733.79 yuan, P<0.001). In China, for gastric cancer, the direct medical expenditure of endoscopic surgery was lower than that of open surgery ( MD=-33 000.00 yuan) with no significant difference ( P<0.001). In colorectal cancer cases, the direct medical and surgical expenditures for laparoscopic surgery were higher than those for open surgery ( MD: 4 277.94 yuan and 4 267.80 yuan, P<0.001), while the indirect and total medical expenditures decreased ( MD: -768.34 yuan and -159.10 yuan). Hospital stays in patients who had minimally invasive surgery for all three types of cancer were shorter than those who had open surgery ( P<0.001). Conclusions:In the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer, compared with open surgery, minimally invasive surgery shows higher expenditure, but has advantages, such as shorter hospital stay and lower indirect expenditure, and there were no significant differences in direct medical and total expenditures between the two approaches. When conducting health economic evaluation, factors such as postoperative complications, hospital stay, and patient's economic status should be considered for their impact on total medical expenditure. It is necessary to pay attention to the application of health economic evaluations in healthcare decision-making.

Objective:To measure and analyse maxillofacial skeletal morphology based on the 3D model by Mimics and Matlab soft-ware.Methods:140 male volunteers aged 18-37 years,99 of Han,32 of Uygur and 9 of other natinalities were included.The values of maxillofacial skeletal morphology were measured by Mimics software combined with Matlab software after CT scanning.The data of skeletal morphologic features among skeletal classⅠ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ and among the ethnic groups were analysed with SPSS 26.0 software.Results:The distribution of skeletal class showed that there were 83 cases(59.3％)of class Ⅰ,41(29.3％)of class Ⅱ and 16(11％)of class Ⅲ.There were no significant differences on the age,height,nasal bone length,nasal bone depth,maxillary width,maxillary height,mandibular symphysis height,condylion distance and gonion distance among the 3 skeletal groups(P＞0.05).Skeletal class Ⅱshowed a significant shorter mandibular ramus,mandibular body and entire mandibular length compared with class Ⅰ and class Ⅲ,while class Ⅱ had a significant longer palatal length and larger Me angle compared with class Ⅲ(P＜0.05).Skeletal class Ⅲ showed no significance differences of all dimensions compared with class Ⅰ(P＞0.05).The nasal bone depth of Han subjects was smaller than that of Uygur,while the length of the mandibular symphysis and the entire mandible of Han group were greater than that of Uygur group(P＜0.05).No correlation was observed between age and all facial skeletal dimensions respectively(P＞0.05).The ANB an-gle is negatively correlated with the mandibular body(r=-0.327)and mandibular length(r=-0.322)respectively.Conclusion:There was no significant difference in nasal bone,facial bone width and facial bone height among the 3 skeletal patterns.Class Ⅱhas a significant shorter mandibular ramus,mandibular body and entire mandibular length.Uygur young males have significantly greater nasal bone depth than Han.

BACKGROUND:Circadian rhythms are closely related to the life activities of most mammals and insects.Timless gene plays a crucial role in the generation of circadian rhythms as key components encoding the Timeless/Period gene complex.However,its specific mechanism in circadian rhythms is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To study the relationship between Timless protein gene,Period gene,circadian rhythm,environment and cryptochrome gene,so as to have a more comprehensive understanding of the nucleation and accumulation mechanism of circadian cycle and the influence of environment on circadian rhythm.METHODS:Literature retrieval was conducted in the Web of science Core Collection database,PubMed and CNKI,and the relevant literature was searched,consulted and screened after the keyword was set as"Timless,Period,circadian rhythm,environment"in English and Chinese.Non-relevant literature was progressively excluded through full-text reading,and 126 papers were finally included for the review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the circadian clock,the circadian spontaneous output of the cyclins kaput and CYCLE activate the Timeless/Period gene,Timeless gene regulates the nucleation mechanism and stability of Period gene,and Period gene can also be nucleated individually by a number of mechanisms.Casein kinase 2,Shaggy protein kinase and double time genes can regulate circadian rhythms and participate in transcription by phosphorylating Timeless gene/Period gene.Cryptochrome gene-mediated degradation of Timeless gene has a very important role in transcriptional integrity.External factors such as environmental factors and dietary patterns can influence circadian rhythms through the Timeless gene/Period gene.Interestingly,time-restricted eating can be used as an effective way to improve circadian rhythm disturbances.

AIM:To investigate the protective effects of Klotho protein against hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)-in-duced damage in rat cardiomyocytes,and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms.METHODS:Rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells were divided into 4 groups:control,H/R,low-concentration(1 μmol/L)Klotho+H/R,and high-concentration(10 μmol/L)Klotho+H/R groups.Cells were pretreated with Klotho at specified concentrations before induction of H/R injury.Flow cytometry was used to determine cardiomyocyte apoptosis rates,while reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were measured using the DCFH-DA probe.Additionally,superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity and malondialdehyde(MDA)content were assessed using biochemical assay kits.Mitochondrial membrane potential was evaluated using the JC-1 as-say,and activity of caspase-3 and caspase-9 was quantified.Western blot analysis was conducted to measure the protein expression of cytochrome C(Cyt-C),B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),and Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax)in cardio-myocytes from each group.RESULTS:Compared with the control group,the H/R group exhibited significantly increased apoptosis rates(P<0.05),elevated ROS levels and MDA content,decreased SOD activity(P<0.05),reduced mitochon-drial membrane potential(P<0.05),increased caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity(P<0.05),decreased mitochondrial Cyt-C and Bcl-2 protein expression(P<0.05),and increased cytoplasmic Cyt-C and Bax protein expression(P<0.05).In comparison with the H/R group,both low-and high-concentration Klotho treatments significantly reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis(P<0.05),lowered ROS levels and MDA content(P<0.05),increased SOD activity(P<0.05),restored mito-chondrial membrane potential(P<0.05),decreased caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity(P<0.05),increased mitochondrial Cyt-C and Bcl-2 expression(P<0.05),and decreased cytoplasmic Cyt-C and Bax expression(P<0.05).Notably,the high-concentration Klotho group demonstrated more pronounced protective effects(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Klotho protein exerts protective effects against H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury,possibly by inhibiting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

BACKGROUND:Circadian rhythms are closely related to the life activities of most mammals and insects.Timless gene plays a crucial role in the generation of circadian rhythms as key components encoding the Timeless/Period gene complex.However,its specific mechanism in circadian rhythms is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To study the relationship between Timless protein gene,Period gene,circadian rhythm,environment and cryptochrome gene,so as to have a more comprehensive understanding of the nucleation and accumulation mechanism of circadian cycle and the influence of environment on circadian rhythm.METHODS:Literature retrieval was conducted in the Web of science Core Collection database,PubMed and CNKI,and the relevant literature was searched,consulted and screened after the keyword was set as"Timless,Period,circadian rhythm,environment"in English and Chinese.Non-relevant literature was progressively excluded through full-text reading,and 126 papers were finally included for the review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the circadian clock,the circadian spontaneous output of the cyclins kaput and CYCLE activate the Timeless/Period gene,Timeless gene regulates the nucleation mechanism and stability of Period gene,and Period gene can also be nucleated individually by a number of mechanisms.Casein kinase 2,Shaggy protein kinase and double time genes can regulate circadian rhythms and participate in transcription by phosphorylating Timeless gene/Period gene.Cryptochrome gene-mediated degradation of Timeless gene has a very important role in transcriptional integrity.External factors such as environmental factors and dietary patterns can influence circadian rhythms through the Timeless gene/Period gene.Interestingly,time-restricted eating can be used as an effective way to improve circadian rhythm disturbances.

CT is a commonly examination method in pediatric clinical practice.Formulating and popularizing low-dose pediatric CT scanning protocols and constructing a standard image quality evaluation system are the key directions of low-dose pediatric CT imaging.In recent years,domestic CT equipment achieved technological breakthroughs in hardware performance and image reconstruction algorithms,which could provide new paths for pediatric low-dose CT imaging in children combining with artificial intelligence technology.The current status of scanning protocols,the establishment of imaging quality evaluation system and the clinical promotion,as well as challenges of domestic CT in pediatric low-dose CT imaging were reviewed in this article.

Objective To observe the value of artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction(AIIR)for low-dose chest CT images of infants with congenital heart disease.Methods Totally 262 infants with congenital heart disease who would undergo chest CT scanning were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into low-dose group(n=142)and conventional dose group(n=120).Chest CT scanning with tube voltage of 80 kVp and tube current of 10 mAs was performed in low-dose group,and hybrid iterative reconstruction(HIR,group A)and AIIR(group B)were used to reconstruct images,respectively.In conventional dose group,chest CT scanning with tube voltage of 80 kVp and tube current of 100 mAs was performed,and HIR was used to reconstruct images(group C).Then subjective and objective evaluation on image quality were performed,the results were compared among 3 groups,and the value of AIIR was analyzed.Results Significant differences of image quality and clarity of displaying structures were found among 3 groups(all P＜0.001).Among them,except for the clarity of interlobar fissure,no significant difference of subjective scores was found between low-dose AIIR images and conventional dose HIR images(all corrected P＞0.05),while subjective scores of low-dose HIR images were all lower than those of low-dose AIIR images and conventional dose HIR images(all corrected P＜0.05).Significant differences of standard deviation(SD),signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)were found among 3 groups(all P＜0.001)and between each 2 groups(all corrected P＜0.05).The effective dose of low-dose group and conventional dose group was 0.09(0.08,0.10)and 0.85(0.75,1.03)mSv,respectively,and the former was lower than the latter(Z=-13.942,P＜0.001).Conclusion Using AIIR could obtain low-dose chest CT images of infants with quality comparable to conventional chest CT images.