ObjectiveTo investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis (hereinafter referred to as brucellosis) in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, and to provide scientific evidence for adjusting prevention and control strategies. MethodsBased on the surveillance data of reported brucellosis cases in Baoshan City from 2020 to 2023 and the information collected through individual epidemiological questionnaire surveys, the epidemic status and clinical characteristics of brucellosis in Baoshan City were analyzed using descriptive epidemiological methods. ResultsA total of 85 brucellosis cases were reported in Baoshan City from 2020 to 2023, and detailed individual information was obtained for 83 of them. Brucellosis in Baoshan City showed a clear seasonal pattern, with peak incidence from May to September. The average annual incidence rate was 0.80/100 000, with a male-to-female ratio of 7.5∶1. And 82.35% of the cases aged 30 to 60 years, with farmers being the predominant affected group. The main clinical manifestations of the cases were myalgia and arthralgia. Regarding transmission routes, 87.95% of the cases had a contact history with cattle, with livestock rearing and grazing being the main exposure modes. Most infections occurred at home. ConclusionFrom 2020 to 2023, the incidence of brucellosis in Baoshan City exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with a peak period from May to September. Males and farmers were identified as the primary affected populations. It is recommended to strengthen livestock surveillance and control, and to enhance both awareness and self-protection capacity among high-risk groups.

Objective:To explore the distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine constitution among patients with impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) and identify risk factors for IAH in patients with diabetes mellitus, to develop a risk prediction model. The aim is to validate the models′ predictive accuracy to facilitate early prevention and treatment of IAH.Methods:A case control study employing convenience sampling model was conducted on 1351 hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus in the endocrinology departments of Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, between August 2021 and December 2023. Traditional Chinese medicine constitution types were determined using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Classification and Judgment (ZYYXH/T157-2009). Data were divided into training and test sets at a ratio of 7∶3. Two prediction models were developed: Model 1, a conventional IAH prediction model for patients with diabetes mellitus, and Model 2, an IAH prediction model for patients with diabetes mellitus incorporating traditional Chinese medicine constitution. Nomograms were drawn for both models. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, calibration curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of models 1 and 2. The improvement in prediction performance between Models 1 and 2 was assessed using Delong test, AUC, net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and decision curve analysis (DCA).Results:The study included 1 283 patients with diabetes mellitus, including 578 males and 705 females, aged (59.61 ± 14.09) years. The incidence of IAH among patients with diabetes mellitus was 20.50% (263/1283), with yang deficiency constitution being the most prevalent traditional Chinese medicine constitution type, at 47.53% (125/263). Multivariate analysis revealed that age, body mass index, course of diabetes, neurological hypoglycemia symptoms, hypoglycemia symptoms and severe hypoglycemia history were the influencing factors of Model 1 (all P<0.05); age, body mass index, neurological hypoglycemic symptoms, hypoglycemic symptoms, history of severe hypoglycemia, and traditional Chinese medicine constitution were the influencing factors of Model 2 (all P<0.05). The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed a good fit of Model 2 [training set ( χ2=8.48, P>0.05), test set ( χ2=3.92, P>0.05)]. The Delong test results showed that the AUC for Model 2 was 0.96 for both the training and test sets, significantly higher than the AUCs of the 0.90 and 0.91 for Model 1 ( Z=-7.27, -3.70, both P<0.01). Furthermore, NRI was 0.66 ( 95%CI 0.53-0.79, P<0.01) and IDI was 0.02 (95% CI 0.01-0.03, P<0.05) for Model 2. Comparative analysis of clinical utility demonstrated that the net benefit of Model 2 for predicting IAH in patients with diabetes mellitus surpassed that of Model 1 across threshold probabilities ranging from 5% to 100%. Conclusions:The study constructed a nomogram prediction model included traditional Chinese medicine constitution with good predictive performance for IAH in patients with diabetes mellitus, and is of significant clinical value for identifying high-risk IAH populations.IAH patients mainly have a biased constitution, indicating that medical staff can reduce the incidence of IAH by improving the patients′ constitution.

Protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a pivotal phenomenon intricately linked to cellular processes, is regulated by various other proteins. However, there is still a lack of high-throughput methods for screening protein regulators of LLPS in target proteins. Here, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based screening method to identify protein phase separation regulators by integrating bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using this newly developed method, we screened the RNA-binding proteins that regulate PABPN1 phase separation and identified the tumor suppressor QKI as a promoter of PABPN1 phase separation. Furthermore, QKI exhibits decreased expression levels and diminished nuclear localization in colorectal cancer cells, resulting in reduced PABPN1 phase separation, which, in turn, promotes alternative polyadenylation (APA), cell proliferation, and migration in colorectal cancer.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Poly(A)-Binding Protein I/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Flow Cytometry ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether auraptene (AUR) exerts a protective effect on acute diquat (DQ)-induced liver injury in mice and explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Forty SPF-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal control group (Control group), DQ poisoning model group (DQ group), AUR treatment group (DQ+AUR group), and AUR control group (AUR group), with 10 mice in each group. The DQ poisoning model was established via a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg DQ aqueous solution (0.5 mL); Control group and AUR group received an equal volume of pure water intraperitoneally. Four hours post-modeling, DQ+AUR group and AUR group were administered 0.5 mg/kg AUR aqueous solution (0.2 mL) by gavage once daily for 7 consecutive days, while Control group and DQ group received pure water. Blood and liver tissues were collected after anesthesia on day 7. Liver ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatic glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected using WST-1, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and enzymatic reaction methods, respectively. Protein expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), and activated caspase-9 in liver tissues was analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Transmission electron microscopy revealed that mitochondria in the Control group exhibited mild swelling, uneven distribution of matrix, and a small number of cristae fractures. In the AUR group, mitochondria showed mild swelling, with no obvious disruption of cristae structure. In the DQ group, mitochondria demonstrated marked swelling and increased volume, matrix dissolution, loss and fragmentation of cristae, and extensive vacuolization. In contrast, the DQ+AUR group showed significantly reduced mitochondrial swelling, volume increase, matrix dissolution, cristae loss and fragmentation, and vacuolization compared to the DQ group. Compared with the DQ group, the DQ+AUR group exhibited significantly lower serum AST levels (U/L: 173.45±23.60 vs. 255.33±41.51), ALT levels (U/L: 51.77±21.63 vs. 100.70±32.35), and hepatic MDA levels (μmol/g: 12.40±2.76 vs. 19.74±4.10), along with higher hepatic GSH levels (mmol/g: 37.65±14.95 vs. 20.58±8.52) and SOD levels (kU/g: 124.10±33.77 vs. 82.81±22.00), the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Western blotting showed upregulated Nrf2 expression (Nrf2/β-actin: 0.87±0.37 vs. 0.53±0.22) and HO-1 expression (HO-1/β-actin: 1.06±0.22 vs. 0.49±0.08), and downregulated Keap1 expression (Keap1/β-actin: 0.82±0.12 vs. 1.52±0.76) and activated caspase-9 expression (activated caspase-9/β-actin: 1.16±0.28 vs. 1.71±0.30) in the DQ+AUR group compared to the DQ group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION AUR attenuates DQ-induced acute liver injury in mice by activating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Liver/pathology* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/drug therapy* ; Diquat/poisoning* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Apoptosis ; Coumarins

Objective:To investigate the temporal dynamics of strategy monitoring during prospective memory testin individuals with varying degrees of media multitasking.Methods:Twenty heavy media multitaskers and twen-ty light media multitaskers were identified through the media use questionnaire.Using a dual-task paradigm and e-vent-related potential technique,the two groups' accuracy,response time,and the amplitudes of frontal positive components reflecting strategy monitoring were compared across the early,middle,and late stages of the prospective memory test.Results:Heavy media multitaskers exhibited significantly faster response times compared to light media multitaskers(P＜0.001),with no statistical difference in accuracy(P＞0.05).Moreover,the amplitude of frontal positive components in heavy media multitaskers was greater than that in light media multitaskers(P＜0.05)across all three stages,and the amplitude increased gradually with the passing of time in heavy media multi-taskers(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Heavy media multitaskers tend to allocate more cognitive resources to strategic mo-nitoring over time,while light media multitaskers maintain a relatively consistent level of strategic monitoring.

Objective To explore the effect of diet therapy on alcohol-induced chronic liver injury in rats and its relationship with TLR4 pathway.Methods According to Pueraria:Poria:Amomum villosum:Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae:Codonopsis:Zingiberis Rhizoma=15∶15∶10∶10∶10∶6,the water extract of the therapeutic prescription was prepared.A total of 78 female SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:normal group(n=12),model group(n=18),Hugan tablet group(0.35 g·kg-1,n=12),low-,medium-and high-dose Shiliaofang groups(2,6,18 g·kg-1,n=12).Except for the normal group,the rats in each group were induced alcoholic liver disease(ALD)by gradient alcohol gavage.After 10 weeks of intervention,the changes of body weight and water intake of rats were observed.The whole blood routine,serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC)and liver malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured.The levels of serum alcohol dehydrogenase(ADH),aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH),lipopolysaccharide(LPS),D-lactic acid(D-LA),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)and interleukin-10(IL-10)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver and ileum.Oil red staining was used to observe liver fat deposition.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of ileal tight junction component occludin.Western blot was used to detect the expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 protein in liver.Results Compared with the model group,the levels of WBC,LYC,TC,ALT,AST,LPS,D-LA,TNF-α and IL-6 in each diet group decreased,IL-10 increased,liver inflammatory cell infiltration and red lipid droplets decreased,intestinal villi were intact and densely arranged,the expression of occludin protein in ileum increased,and the expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 protein in liver decreased.Conclusion The self-made dietotherapy prescription has a significant protective effect on chronic liver injury induced by alcohol in rats,which may be related to its down-regulation of TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB p65 protein expression and up-regulation of ileal occludin protein expression,improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier function,reduction of endotoxin entry into the liver,activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway,thereby reducing the second hit to the liver.This diet can be developed as a potential anti-alcoholic liver injury drug.

Objective To analyze the effects of different traction sites and directions on the maxilla and upper dentition when using clear aligners combined with protraction for the treatment of maxillary deficiency.Methods A three-dimensional(3D)finite element model including the zygomaticomaxillary complex,maxillary dentition,and clear aligners was constructed.The models were divided into Group 1(traction hook at the distal of the lateral incisor)and Group 2(traction hook at the distal of the canine).Each group was analyzed under four loading conditions with protraction angles of 0°,10°,20°,and 30° relative to the occlusal plane.A unilateral protraction force of 500 g was applied.The differences in stress distribution and displacement of the maxillary bone and dentition under different loading conditions were analyzed.Results When the protraction angle was 30°,both groups showed forward and downward displacement of the maxilla,while other angles resulted in counterclockwise rotation.Under the same protraction direction,the total displacement of the maxilla and displacements in all directions in Group 2 were greater than those in Group 1.The upper central incisors in Group 1 showed lingual displacement,which increased with the protraction angle.The maxillary dentition in Group 2 showed forward displacement,with the minimum total and sagittal displacements at a protraction angle of 30°.Stress concentration was mainly observed in the zygomaticomaxillary suture and anterior alveolar bone regions in both groups,decreasing as the protraction angle increased.Conclusions Clear aligners combined with protraction can be applied to skeletal Class Ⅲ patients with mild maxillary deficiency.When the protraction site is located at the distal of the canine with a 30° downward and forward angle to the occlusal plane,the maxilla can achieve ideal forward and downward displacement with the minimum labial movement of the upper anterior teeth.

Objective This study aims to establish a hidden curriculum-based medical humanities teaching pathway within surgical internship education and evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing students' humanistic care competence.Methods A single-group pre-test and post-test design was adopted.A total of 76 interns from a tertiary teaching hospital in 2024 were in-cluded.A five-dimensional hidden curriculum framework—material,spiritual,behavioral,faculty,and institutional—was con-structed.Humanistic competence was assessed before and after the intervention using the Humanistic Professional Awareness Scale for Healthcare Students and Providers(HPAS-HSP).Results Post-intervention scores significantly improved compared to pre-intervention across the total scale in the three dimensions:personal integrity and responsibility,sensitivity to others,and pro-fessional competence(P＜0.05),with the greatest improvement observed in sensitivity to others.Conclusion The structured hidden curriculum is effective in enhancing medical students' humanistic qualities,especially in fostering emotional resonance and professional identity.Future work should focus on verifying behavioral transformation and developing multi-source evaluation sys-tems to improve effectiveness and applicability.

Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine on postop-erative sleep quality in patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery following Oblique Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block(OSTAPB).Methods A total of 140 patients who underwent gastric surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between September 2024 and November 2024 were enrolled.According to the random number table method,they were randomly allocated into two groups:the simple subcostal transversus abdominis plane block group(Group A)and the dexmedetomidine combined with subcostal transversus abdominis plane block group(Group B),with 70 patients in each group.The study compared the Asymptomatic Sleep Distur-bance Scale(AIS)scores and Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)scores on the night before surgery,AIS scores on the night after surgery and the following day,the amount of remifentanil used during surgery,and the cumulative num-ber of patient-controlled analgesia(PCA)button presses within 3 days postoperatively.Additionally,the Numeric Rating Scale(NRS)pain scores at 2 h,6 h,12 h,24 h,and 48 h post-surgery,as well as the Quality of Recovery-15(QoR-15)scores on the night of surgery and the second day post-surgery,were evaluated.Results There were no significant differences in anxiety levels or subjective sleep quality scores between the two groups prior to the opera-tion(P>0.05).Additionally,there was no significant difference in the usage of remifentanil between Group A and Group B(P>0.05).The NRS scores for pain differed significantly between the two groups within the first 48 hours post-operation(P<0.05);however,no significant difference was observed in NRS scores between the two groups after 24 hours during rest.Furthermore,the number of patient-controlled analgesia(PCA)activations in Group B was significantly lower than that in Group A at 12 hours post-operation(P<0.05).Lastly,both the QoR-15 and sleep quality were significantly higher in Group B compared to Group A(P<0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine for subcostal transversus abdominis plane block not only provides superior postoperative analgesia compared to ropivacaine alone but also enhances patients' sleep quality and recovery quality on the night following surgery,thereby contributing to improved overall postoperative recovery.