Objective To investigate and analyze the resources and application frequency of radiological diagnosis and treatment in Jinan City in 2023 and provide a basis for the rational application of radiological diagnosis and treatment resources and strengthening radiological health protection management. Methods The health administrative department issued a work plan. A general survey was conducted on radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions (excluding dental clinics) in Jinan City using a questionnaire. The survey covered the basic information of the radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions, the distribution of the radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment, the number of radiological workers, and the frequency of radiological diagnosis and treatment. Results There were 301 radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions in Jinan City, with 1603 sets of radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment and 5789 radiological workers. These institutions included 41 (13.62%) tertiary hospitals, 57 (18.94%) secondary hospitals, 110 (36.54%) primary hospitals, and 93 (30.90%) ungraded hospitals. Tertiary hospitals had the highest proportions of radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment and workers, accounting for 49.53% and 69.10% of the total, respectively. The frequencies of radiological diagnosis and treatment were 868.86 X-ray diagnostic imaging examinations per 1000 population, 5.07 radiotherapies per 1000 population, 14.19 interventional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures per 1000 population, 7.36 nuclear medical diagnostic procedures per 1000 population, and 0.56 nuclear medical therapeutic procedures per 1000 population. The frequency of CT diagnosis was the highest, reaching 407.76 procedures per 1000 population. Conclusion The radiological diagnosis and treatment resources and activities in Jinan City were mainly concentrated in tertiary hospitals, with unbalanced distribution among hospitals of different grades. It is necessary to apply various medical radiations correctly and reasonably and strengthen radiation protection to reduce the frequency of radiation and the collective effective dose.

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Dendritic cells (DCs) serve as the primary antigen-presenting cells in autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and exhibit distinct signaling profiles due to antigenic diversity. Type II collagen (CII) has been recognized as an RA-specific antigen; however, little is known about CII-stimulated DCs, limiting the development of RA-specific therapeutic interventions. In this study, we show that CII-stimulated DCs display a preferential gene expression profile associated with migration, offering a new perspective for targeting DC migration in RA treatment. Then, saikosaponin D (SSD) was identified as a compound capable of blocking CII-induced DC migration and effectively ameliorating arthritis. Optineurin (OPTN) is further revealed as a potential SSD target, with Optn deletion impairing CII-pulsed DC migration without affecting maturation. Function analyses uncover that OPTN prevents the proteasomal transport and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), a pivotal chemokine receptor in DC migration. Optn-deficient DCs exhibit reduced CCR7 expression, leading to slower migration in CII-surrounded environment, thus alleviating arthritis progression. Our findings underscore the significance of antigen-specific DC activation in RA and suggest OPTN is a crucial regulator of CII-specific DC migration. OPTN emerges as a promising drug target for RA, potentially offering significant value for the therapeutic management of RA.

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has recently been proposed as a key player in the representation of itch stimuli. However, to date, little is known about the contribution of specific ACC interneuron populations to itch processing. Using c-Fos immunolabeling and in vivo Ca²⁺ imaging, we reported that both histamine and chloroquine stimuli-induced acute itch caused a marked enhancement of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing interneuron activity in the ACC. Behavioral data indicated that optogenetic and chemogenetic activation of these neurons reduced scratching responses related to histaminergic and non-histaminergic acute itch. Similar neural activity and modulatory role of these neurons were seen in mice with chronic itch induced by contact dermatitis. Together, this study highlights the importance of ACC VIP⁺ neurons in modulating itch-related affect and behavior, which may help us to develop novel mechanism-based strategies to treat refractory chronic itch in the clinic.
Animals ; Pruritus/physiopathology* ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide/metabolism* ; Interneurons/metabolism* ; Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Histamine ; Chloroquine ; Optogenetics ; Mice, Transgenic

Bacillus coagulans can utilize the hydrolyzed carbon source of agricultural waste to produce lactic acid via a homofermentative pathway. However, a significant carbon source metabolic repression effect was observed when the strain metabolized mixed sugars (glucose and xylose), reducing the productivity of lactic acid. In this study, we obtained the fermentation conditions for the simultaneous utilization of the mixed sugars by B. coagulans by changing the ratio of glucose to xylose in the medium. Through transcriptome sequencing, several key genes responsible for xylose utilization were identified. The critical role of xylose isomerase (XylA, EC 5.3.1.5) in the synchronous utilization of glucose/xylose in B. coagulans was investigated via qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction). Subsequently, the heterologous expression and characterization of the XylA-encoding gene (XylA) were conducted. It was determined that the gene encoded a protein composed of 440 amino acid residues. The secondary structure of the encoded protein was predominantly composed of α-helixes and random coils, while the higher structure of the protein was identified as a homotetramer. Then, XylA was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), and the recombinant protein Bc-XlyA was obtained with a molecular weight of approximately 50 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature of Bc-XylA were 8.0 and 60 ℃, respectively, and Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Co²⁺ had positive effects on the activity of Bc-XlyA. The present study provides scientific data on the molecular modification of B. coagulans, offering theoretical support for the efficient utilization of xylose in the strain.
Xylose/metabolism* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Bacillus coagulans/enzymology* ; Aldose-Ketose Isomerases/metabolism* ; Fermentation ; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism* ; Glucose/metabolism*

Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics and outcomes of corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)in patients with adrenal insufficiency(AI),and analyze the risk factors of outcomes.Methods The clinical data of COVID-19 patients with AI in Peking Union Medical College Hospital in December 2022 were ana-lyzed retrospectively and the patients were followed up to collect outcomes of their diseases.Results Among 28 COVID-19 patients with AI,20 cases(71.4%)received basal corticosteroid replacement.Among the 18 patients with community-acquired COVID-19,11 cases(61.1%)increased the corticosteroid dosage proactively at home.The most common symptoms of COVID-19 were fever(96.4%),gastrointestinal symptoms(82.1%)and con-sciousness disturbance(78.6%).Occurrence of severe consciousness disturbance was associated with older age and lower basal corticosteroid replacement dose(P＜0.05). Adrenal crisis(AC)occurred in 20 patients(71.4%),which was associated with lower basal corticosteroid replacement dose,hypochloremia,lower eosinophil,lower platelet,and longer activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT)(P＜0.05). 2 patients died during hospitalization.26.3%(5/19)of surviving patient's recovered consciousness longer than 48 hours.Delayed recovery of conscious-ness was associated with lower systolic pressure,higher blood creatinine,and higher fibrinogen(P＜0.05).Long COVID-19 symptoms such as fatigue and poor appetite occurred in 48.0%(12/25)of patients.Among patients with increased corticosteroid dosage,50.0%(12/24)had their dose reduced to baseline within 3 weeks.Conclusions COVID-19 patients with AI have a high frequency of consciousness disturbance and AC.AI patients are lack of awareness of adjusting corticosteroid dosage proactively in case of infection stress,thus education of"sick day rules"for AI patients should be strengthened in clinical practice.

Objective·To investigate the potential causal relationship between type l diabetes and colorectal cancer by using Mendelian randomization(MR).Methods·Two-sample bidirectional MR was used to investigate the causal relationship between type 1 diabetes and colorectal cancer.All research data were collected from the IEU Open GWAS Project database.The dataset of type l diabetes included 9 266 cases and 15 574 controls,with correlation analysis in 12 783 129 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs);the dataset of colorectal cancer included 5 657 cases and 372 016 controls,with correlation analysis in 29 999 696 SNPs.The instrumental variables SNPs were screened.The results derived from the inverse-variance weighted(IVW)method were used as the main indicator of effect.The results derived from other four methods,namely MR-Egger regression,weighted median,simple mode,and weighted mode,were used as reference.Sensitivity was analyzed with the leave-one-out method.Heterogeneity was analyzed with Cochran's Q test by using both IVW and MR-Egger methods.Pleiotropy was analyzed with MR-pleiotropy function,and Steiger test was used for directional research.The colocation analysis was used to find out whether the causal relationship between type 1 diabetes and colorectal cancer was caused by the same SNP.The genetic correlation between 2 diseases was analyzed by using the linkage disequilibrium score regression(LDSC).All tests were analyzed by using R language software(version 4.3.1).Results·After being screened,a total of 33 instrumental variables(SNPs)were used.The heterogeneity test results showed that there was heterogeneity among the SNPs(IVW and MR-Egger:P＜0.05),so the effect evaluation was based on the results of the random effect model.MR analysis showed that type 1 diabetes had a significant causal effect on colorectal cancer(P＜0.05)by using IVW,MR-Egger,weighted median and weighted mode.Sensitivity analysis showed that the results were stable.Pleiotropy was not detected in pleiotropy test(P＞0.05).Steiger test showed that the effect of type l diabetes on colorectal cancer was not interfered with by the reverse effect.Reverse MR analysis showed no causal effect of colorectal cancer on type l diabetes(P＞0.05).The results of colocalization analysis showed that the probability of H4 hypothesis was 45.7％,and the causal relationship between the 2 diseases was not caused by the same SNP in the gene sequences.LDSC analysis demonstrated that there was no genetic correlation between the two diseases.Conclusion·Type 1 diabetes may promote colorectal cancer,but colorectal cancer has no effect on type 1 diabetes.

Objective:To detect itching,anxiety,depression behaviors in chronic itch models of mice and observe the activation of γ-aminobutiric acid(GABA)neurons in the ventral sector of the zona incerta(ZIv),and provide mor-phological evidence for their involvement in the modulation of itch information.Methods:Diphenylcyclopropenone(DCP)was used in glutamic acid decarboxylase 67-green fluorescent protein(GAD67-GFP)knock-in mice to establish chronic itch model.Itch behaviors were detected by video tracking system to verify whether the models were successfully established.The anxiety,depression behaviors of chronic itch model mice were detected by using elevated plus maze test(EPM)and tail suspention test(TST).By using GAD67-GFP mice,the distribution of GABAergic neurons in va-rious sectors of the zona incerta(ZI)was observed.And combined with immunofluorescence staining method,double labeling of GABAergic neurons with FOS in ZIv were observed respectively in control and DCP group mice.Results:In brain slices of GAD67-GFP mice,GABAergic neurons can be observed within all sectors of ZI and are more concentrat-ed in ZIv.Compared with control group mice,DCP group mice showed a significant increase in the bouts of scratching(P＜0.001).The time of immobility in TST was significantly higher in DCP group mice than in control group mice,which displayed depression-like behavior.The EPM test showed that the numbers of entries and proportion of time in the cross region in DCP group mice were less than in control group mice.EPM test revealed that DCP group mice exhibited anxiety-like behavior.The results of immunofluorescence staining showed that the number of FOS-positive cells in ZIv was significantly higher in DCP group mice than in control group mice,and abundant co-labeled neurons of FOS and GABAergic neurons were observed in ZIv.Conclusion:GABAergic neurons were predominantly distributed in ZI,and were more concentrated in ZIv.The activation of GABAergic neurons in ZIv of DCP group mice provides morphological evidence on the involvement of GABAergic neurons in chronic itch and associated negative emotions.

Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)infection is a potential susceptibility factor for recurrent wheezing,which can affect the occurrence and development of asthma through immune damage,airway epithelial barrier damage,airway inflammatory infiltration,airway hyperresponsiveness,and high expression of induced susceptibility genes.Traditional Chinese medicine believes that asthma caused by RSV infection is mostly caused by the imbalance of the body's qi after infection and the retention of evil qi.By combing the mechanism of RSV infection in the occurrence and development of asthma and the research on traditional Chinese medicine intervention in recent years,it is hoped to provide ideas for the future application of combined Chinese and Western medicine to prevent and treat asthma.

Cardiometabolic disease is a clinical syndrome with a causal relationship between metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular damage. With its global incidence and related mortality rates continually rising， it has become a major health concern worldwide. The role of the gut microbiome and its metabolic products in cardiovascular metabolic health has received widespread attention， with gut microbiota dysbiosis considered a key factor in promoting the development of cardiometabolic disease. Dysbiosis disrupts the balance of the "heart-spleen-intestine" axis， leading to dysfunction of the spleen and intestines， which triggers metabolic disorders and accelerates the progression of cardiometabolic disease. Cardiac dysfunction can also negatively affect spleen and intestinal function， leading to imbalances in the heart and spleen， disharmony in Qi and blood， and exacerbating metabolic anomalies and further dysbiosis， thus forming a vicious cycle. From a modern biological perspective， the gut microbiome and its metabolic products can influence disease progression by modulating inflammatory responses and immune imbalances， leading to endothelial dysfunction and metabolic disorders， thereby increasing the risk of cardiometabolic disease. Additionally， the article proposes strategies for managing cardiometabolic disease by regulating the gut microbiome through a combination of Chinese and western medicine approaches. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） treatment starts from the gut microbiome， using the "heart-spleen-intestine" axis as a mediator to regulate cardiovascular metabolic health， highlighting the unique advantages of TCM in targeting the gut microbiome to treat cardiometabolic disease. This article takes the TCM theory of the "heart-spleen-intestine" axis as a starting point， discusses the pivotal role played by this axis in the connection between gut microbiome dysbiosis and the development of cardiometabolic disease， aiming to provide a new perspective for the integrated traditional Chinese and western medical research on cardiometabolic disease， offering scientific evidence and practical guidance to improve the prognosis and quality of life for patients.