Objective: To investigate the knowledge and behaviors related to hepatitis B prevention and control among carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), so as to provide the basis for conducting health education and interventions for HBsAg carriers. Methods: Based on the seroepidemiological survey of hepatitis B among individuals aged 1 to 69 years in Shaanxi Province, HBsAg carriers were selected as the study subjects. Basic information, knowledge and behaviors about hepatitis B prevention and control were collected through questionnaire surveys. The awareness of hepatitis B prevention and control knowledge and related behaviors among HBsAg carriers were analyzed. Results: A total of 107 HBsAg carriers were enrolled, including 52 males (48.60%) and 55 females (51.40%), and had a median age of 47.04 (interquartile range, 19.78) years. The awareness of hepatitis B prevention and control knowledge ranged from 56.07% to 87.85% among HBsAg carriers, with the highest awareness for "hepatitis B vaccination can effectively prevent hepatitis B "(87.85%), and the lowest awareness for "sharing meals with HBsAg carriers or hepatitis B patients will not lead to infection" (56.07%) and "hepatitis B can be treated with antiviral drugs" (61.68%). The proportions of those who did not seek medical consultation, undergo regular check-ups, or receive treatment were relatively high, at 65.42%, 72.90% and 77.57%, respectively. Conclusions The awareness of hepatitis B transmission routes and treatment-related knowledge among HBsAg carriers is relatively low, and their medical-seeking behaviors are relatively passive. There is a need to enhance the dissemination of hepatitis B prevention and control knowledge, improve medical-seeking behaviors, and reduce the risk of hepatitis B virus transmission.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large family of membrane protein receptors, and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) is a member of this family. As a membrane receptor, TGR5 is widely distributed in different parts of the human body and plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, including the processes of energy consumption, weight loss and blood glucose homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that TGR5 plays an important role in glucose and lipid metabolism disorders such as fatty liver, obesity and diabetes. With the global obesity situation becoming more and more serious, a comprehensive explanation of the mechanism of TGR5 and filling the gaps in knowledge concerning clinical ligand drugs are urgently needed. In this review, we mainly explain the anti-obesity mechanism of TGR5 to promote the further study of this target, and show the electron microscope structure of TGR5 and review recent studies on TGR5 ligands to illustrate the specific binding between TGR5 receptor binding sites and ligands, which can effectively provide new ideas for ligand research and promote drug research.

Objective:To verify the predictive value of the Second Revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS) in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent first-line autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in a new drug era in China.Methods:This multicenter retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with newly diagnosed MM from three centers in China (Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University) from June 2008 to June 2018. A total of 401 newly diagnosed patients with MM who were candidates for ASCT were enrolled in this cohort, all received proteasome inhibitor and/or immunomodulator-based induction chemotherapy followed by ASCT. Baseline and follow-up data were collected. The patients were regrouped using R2-ISS. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival curve and two survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between risk factors and survival.Results:The median age of the patients was 53 years (range 25-69 years) and 59.5% (240 cases) were men. Newly diagnosed patients with renal impairment accounted for 11.5% (46 cases). According to Revised-International Staging System (R-ISS), 74 patients (18.5 %) were diagnosed with stage Ⅰ, 259 patients (64.6%) with stage Ⅱ, and 68 patients (17.0%) with stage Ⅲ. According to the R2-ISS, the distribution of patients in each group was as follows: 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅰ, 95 patients (23.7%) in stage Ⅱ, 206 patients (51.4%) in stage Ⅲ, and 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅳ. The median follow-up time was 35.9 months (range, 6-119 months). According to the R2-ISS stage, the median PFS in each group was: 75.3 months for stage Ⅰ; 62.0 months for stage Ⅱ, 39.2 months for stage Ⅲ, and 30.3 months for stage Ⅳ; and the median OS was not reached, 86.6 months, 71.6 months, and 38.5 months, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in PFS and OS between different groups (both P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ of the R2-ISS were independent prognostic factors for PFS ( HR=2.37, 95% CI 1.30-4.30; HR=4.50, 95% CI 2.35-9.01) and OS ( HR=4.20, 95% CI 1.50-11.80; HR=9.53, 95% CI 3.21-28.29). Conclusions:The R2-ISS has significant predictive value for PFS and OS for transplant-eligible patients with MM in the new drug era. However, the universality of the R2-ISS still needs to be further verified in different populations.

Objective To investigate the related factor underlying the differential vulnerability of inner hair cell(IHC)ribbon synapses to noise exposure.Methods Twenty-eight C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the noise exposure group(NED1)and the control group(CTR)with 14 mice in each group.The noise exposure group was exposed to bandpass noise of 2～20 kHz at 103 dB SPL for two hours while the control group was bred in a quiet environment.Before and after noise exposure,auditory brainstem response was conducted to detect the audi-tory function,whole-mount immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the number of inner hair cell ribbon synapses in different turns.The calcium influx of inner hair cells in the apical and middle turn using whole-cell patch clamp recording was analyzed.Furthermore,the immunofluorescence intensity of calpain in inner hair cells from dif-ferent mouse cochlear turns using whole-mount immunofluorescence staining was compared.Western blotting was used to verify that CtBP2 was degraded by calpain.Results After noise exposure,the ABR threshold of 11.3,16.0,22.6,32.0 kHz increased significantly and the number of ribbon synapses of inner hair cells at the middle turn and basal turn of the cochlea decreased significantly.However,whole-cell patch clamp recordings showed that calcium ion channels were fewer but single-channel current was higher at the apical turn of the cochlea.The open probability of calcium ion channels in IHCs showed no significant difference between the apical turn and the middle turn of the cochlea.But the expression level of calpain of the inner hair cells at the middle and basal turn of the basi-lar membrane was significantly higher than that at the apical turn after noise exposure.The western blotting results also showed that CtBP2 was cleaved in a Ca2+-dependent manner by calpain.Conclusion Calpain may be the main related factor that accounts for the vulnerability of ribbon synapses in inner hair cells in the high frequency region of basal membrane.

Objective·To investigate the pathological and physiological changes underlying noise-induced cochlear nucleus damage and the regulating function of astrocytes on the damage,using a combination of morphological analysis,and molecular biology techniques.Methods·Forty-eight male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups and exposed to 110 dB SPL(sound pressure level)broadband noise for 2 hours.Auditory brainstem response(ABR)tests were performed on the mice on days 1,7,14,30,and 90 after the noise exposure.Immunofluorescence staining of cochlear nuclear tissue was conducted to observe cochlear nuclear neurons and auditory synapses,as well as astrocyte activation levels.In addition,the damage to the cochlear nuclear neurons and synapses caused by noise was verified through Western blotting.Results·A significant decrease in cochlear nuclear Bushy cells after noise exposure was observed.The Western blotting results showed that there was severe loss of nerve fibers in cochlear nuclear neurons,indicating that noise caused significant damage to cochlear nucleus neurons.Moreover,a significant loss of auditory synapses labeled with vesicular glutamate transporter 1(Vglutl)was observed,which was the severest on day 14 after noise exposure and slowly recovered on day 90.Interestingly,astrocytes in the cochlear nucleus displayed obvious clustering and activation after noise exposure.By staining with glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),most astrocytes were distributed around the cochlear nucleus,granule cell area,and auditory nerve root before noise exposure,and they had a small size.However,on day 14 after noise exposure,a large number of activated astrocytes aggregated in the ventral cochlear nucleus,and they all showed a pattern of growth around the synapses.Conclusion·Noise exposure leads to significant damage in the cochlear nucleus,and it is possible that astrocytes are involved in its damage and repair processes.These findings will provide a crucial foundation for further understanding the mechanisms of sound signal analysis,integration,and neural plasticity in the cochlear nucleus.

Objective:To investigate the value of three-dimensional (3D) T 1WI structural images using different acceleration methods including parallel acquisition technique, joint compressed sensing (uCS) technique, and artificial intelligence-assisted compressed sensing (ACS) technique for brain region segmentation. Methods:In this cross-sectional study, fifty patients (female: n=25, age range: 13 to 87 years old) at Corning Hospital of Ningbo University from July to September 2023 were prospectively and consecutively collected. All the subjects underwent brain MRI. Six groups of 3D T 1WI structural images were obtained using different acceleration technique and parameters, including 3D T 1WI without acceleration factor (3D-T 1WI group), 3D T 1WI with parallel acquisition technique with acceleration factor 3 (3D-T 1WI-PI-3 group), 3D T 1WI with uCS technique with acceleration factor 4.5 and 6.9 (3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-6.9 group), 3D T 1WI by ACS technique with acceleration factors of 3 and 5 (3D-T 1WI-ACS-3 group, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-5 group). T 2WI fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images were also acquired. Subjective scores (cerebral grey matter and white matter clarity scores, clarity scores of cerebral white matter degeneration lesions in relation to the surrounding white matter, and Gibbs artifact scores) and objective metrics [signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), cerebrospinal fluid signal homogeneity, peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), and natural image quality evaluator (NIQE)] were used to evaluate image quality in different groups. Totally 109 brain regions were segmented and volumes were measured using the uAI Research Portal image analysis tool. Kappa or intraclass correlation coefficient ( ICC) was used to evaluate the agreement of subjective and objective evaluation indexes between the 3D-T 1WI-PI-3 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-6.9 group, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3 group, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-5 group, and 3D-T 1WI group. Kappa or ICC value>0.70 was considered as good agreement. Results:The acquisition time for the 3D-T 1WI group, 3D-T 1WI-PI-3 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-6.9 group, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3 group, and 3D-T 1WI-ACS-5 group were 527, 204, 169, 95, 133, 90 s, respectively. Subjective evaluation showed that the 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3, and 3D-T 1WI-ACS-5 groups had excellent agreement with the 3D-T 1WI group in terms of the distribution of cases of cerebral grey matter and white matter clarity scores, respectively (all Kappa value=1.000); The distribution of cases of clarity score of cerebral white matter lesions and surrounding white matter in the 3D-T 1WI-PI-3 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5 group, and 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3 group were in good agreement with that of the 3D-T 1WI group ( Kappa values of 0.775, 0.701, and 0.777, respectively); the distribution of the number of cases of the Gibbs artifact score of the 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3, and 3D-T 1WI-ACS-5 groups was in good agreement with the 3D-T 1WI group (all Kappa value=1.000). Objective evaluation showed the CNR of the images in the 3D-T 1WI-PI-3, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5, and 3D-T 1WI-uCS-6.9 groups were in good agreement with those of the 3D-T 1WI group ( ICC of 0.720, 0.759, and 0.752, respectively); PSNR and SSIM were in good agreement among the 3D-T 1WI-PI-3 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-6.9 group, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3 group, and 3D-T 1WI-ACS-5 group (PSNR: ICC=0.854; SSIM: ICC=0.851). NIQE of 3D-T 1WI-PI-3 group, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5 group, and 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3 group images were in good agreement with the 3D-T 1WI group ( ICC value of 0.866, 0.727, 0.753, respectively). The ICC values of the volume of each segmented brain region among the 3D-T 1WI-PI-3, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-4.5, 3D-T 1WI-uCS-6.9, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-3, 3D-T 1WI-ACS-5 group and the 3D-T 1WI group images showed decreased in order (all ICC≥0.62). Conclusions:The uCS and ACS techniques used in 3D-T 1WI show high agreement with 3D-T 1WI in terms of brain segmentation. The application of these accelerating techniques can significantly shorten the acquisition time with obtaining images with good image quality, displaying great value.

Objective:To document any effect of a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on the regulation of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue, NP cell apoptosis and matrix degradation using rats with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD).Methods:Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, an IDD model group (the model group), and a PEMF group. IDD was induced in both the model and PEMF groups. Right after the modeling, the PEMF group received 14 days of PEMF treatment, while the control group and model group were given no special treatment. Meanwhile, the primary rat nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were cultured using Dulbecco′s Modified Eagle Medium at 37℃ and 5% CO 2. When the fusion rate reached 90% after passage, the NPCs were divided into a control group, a TNF-α model group (referred to as model group) and TNF-α + PEMF group (referred to as PEMF group) and treated accordingly. Eight weeks after the modeling, safranin-o/fast green staining was used to assess any pathological morphology changes. The expression of NPY, neuropeptide Y receptor Y2 (NPY2R), bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), collagen type II (Col-II) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) in the intervertebral disc and the cultivated nucleus pulposus cells of the 3 groups were determined. Results:The intervertebral disc cells in the model group were ruptured and folded, with significantly increased polysaccharide and protein components, and significantly increased bone fibers. In the PEMF group the cell boundaries were clearer, with less fibrin fracture and increased cartilage tissue. NPY was expressed in the fibrous annulus and the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc in the model group. The average expression levels of NPY and NPY2R were significantly higher than in the control group and the model group. Compared with the control group, there was a significant increase in the level of Bax and a significant decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 in the model group, and there was a significant decrease in the level of Bax in the PEMF group. Compared with the control group, there was a significant decrease in the Col-II level but a significant increase in the MMP3 protein expression in the model group. The average Col-II mRNA expression was significantly higher in the PEMF group compared with the model group, but the average MMP3 protein expression was significantly less. Those results are consistent with observations in vivo.Conclusion:PEMF may reverse the imbalance of ECM metabolism and delay IDD degeneration by up-regulating the expression of NPY and Bcl-2, as well as blocking the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway to inhibit apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells.

Objective:To investigate the current status of pertussis laboratory diagnosis and confirmed pertussis cases reporting in Shaanxi Province, and evaluate the quality of case reports.Methods:The information of confirmed pertussis cases reported in Shaanxi Province from January to July 2022 was collected through the China Disease Control and Prevention Information System. The laboratory diagnostic methods and pertussis vaccine immunization history of confirmed cases were investigated, and the descriptive epidemiological method was used for statistical description.Results:Of the 164 confirmed cases of pertussis reported from January to July 2022, two were not tested in the laboratory and 162 were tested in the laboratory. The proportions of different detection methods were 1.85% (3/162) of isolation and culture, 31.48% (51/162) of serum antibody IgG, 14.20% (23/162) of serum antibody IgM, 49.38% (80/162) of serum antibody PCR and 3.09% (5/162) of serum antibody IgM+ PCR. Among the 79 serological positive cases, 12 cases (15.19%)had no history of pertussis immunization, and 15 cases (18.99%), 11 cases (13.92%) and 41 cases (51.90%) had the time interval from vaccination to detection of <1 year, 1-3 years and >3 years, respectively. Based on the analysis of laboratory testing methods and vaccination history, 38 cases were misdiagnosed/misreported among 164 cases, with a misdiagnosis or misreported rate of 23.17%. There were 17, 12 and 9 cases of misdiagnosis/misreport in 0-2 years old group, 3-6 years old group and≥7 years old group, and the misdiagnosis or misreported rates were 27.42%(17/62), 26.67%(12/45) and 15.79%(9/57), respectively.Conclusions:The selection of pertussis laboratory testing methods in some medical institutions in Shaanxi Province is incorrect, which leads to a certain proportion of misdiagnosis or misreport, and it is necessary to further strengthen the training and standardization.

Modern Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)physicians believed that"reproduction depends on the kidney"theory is the key in treating fetal leakage,fetal restlessness,slippery fetus and other diseases.However,before the Ming and Qing Dynasties,ancient physicians paid special attention to the theory of"Qi and blood in the spleen and stomach".The"the stem of fetal ties the spleen"came from the summary of Zhao Xianke's"Handan manuscripts"based on analogy of nature in Ming dynasty.However,at present,the relevant research reports on"spleen"and tocolysis are fragmented,and the theoretical traceability,clinical effects and experimental research are not systematically discussed.Based on the"fetal stem ties the spleen"theory,through integrated research,taking the differentiation of ancient and modern theories of traditional Chinese medicine gynecology as the"longitude",and the progress of modern biological research on"syndromes,prescriptions and components"as the"latitude".This study is an initial attempt to reveal the key inflection points deductively in the empty space(territorial schools)during(history and history of)tocolysis,and to systematically explore the"spleen main Qi","spleen main transportation","spleen main rising Qing"and"spleen main muscle",which are associated with the progress of the objectification and the bottleneck of research on the treatment of tocolysis.Furthermore,it is proposed that TCM prescription syndrome metabolism and spatiotemporal omics are the important trends to solve the disputes and difficulties in the study of tocolysis in the future,and provide a new reference idea for the inheritance,innovation,breakthrough and accurate research of modern TCM reproductive theory.

Objectives:To explore the clinical efficacy of applying the accurate foraminoplasty technique with visualized chisel under full-visualized spinal endoscopy(FVSE)in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation(LDH).Methods:The clinical data of 143 patients with single-segment LDH undergone operative treatment under FVSE in our hospital between July 2020 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.63 cases were treated with the accurate framinoplasty technique with visualized chisel(Chisel group),consisting of 37 males and 26 females,aged 45.3±15.1 years(range,19-68 years),and body mass index(BMI)was 22.3± 1.8kg/m2(range,19.2-25.6kg/m2);Operative segment:L2/3 in 8 cases,L3/4 in 15 cases,L4/5 in 25 cases,L5/S1 in 15 cases;LDH anatomical classification:20 cases of bulging type,22 cases of protruding type,12 cases of prolapsing type,and 9 cases of free type;LDH location classification:10 cases of central type,21 cases of paracentral type,24 cases of foraminal type,and 8 cases of extreme lateral type.The other 80 cases were treated with trepan technique(Trephine group),consisting of 46 males and 34 females,aged 43.8±14.1 years(range,19-68 years),BMI was 21.5±1.6kg/m2(range,19.2-24.1kg/m2);Operative segment:L2/3 in 9 cases,L3/4 in 17 cases,L4/5 in 30 cases,and L5/S1 in 24 cases;LDH anatomical classification:23 cases of bulging type,31 cases of protruding type,19 cases of prolapsing type,7 cases of free type;LDH location classification:13 cases of central type,27 cases of paracentral type,29 cases of foraminal type,and 11 cases of extreme lateral type.The operative time,total intraoperative bleeding,number of fluoroscopies,and hospitalization time were recorded and compared between the two groups.The intervertebral foraminal area before operation,at 3d after operation and final follow-up,visual analogue scale(VAS)score,Oswestry disability index(ODI),and Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)score before operation,at postoperative 3d,1 month,6 months,and final follow-up were recorded and compared between the two groups.The clinical efficacy was assessed by MacNab criteria at the final follow-up.Results:The operative time,total intraoperative bleeding and number of fluoroscopies were 84.6±14.3min,23.1±8.3mL and 2.9±1.6 times in the chisel group and 86.6±15.1min,32.2±6.4mL and 5.6±1.0 times in the trephine group,and the intraoperative bleeding and number of fluoroscopies in the chisel group were less than those in the trephine group(P＜0.05),while no significant difference was there in the operative time between the two groups(P＞0.05).143 patients were followed up for 9-20 months.The VAS scores,JOA scores and ODI at 3d,1 month,6 months and the final follow-up of both groups showed significant improvements compared with the preoperative data,respectively(P＜0.05),and there was no statistical difference between the two groups at the same time points(P＞0.05).The intervertebral foramina area at 3d postoperatively and at the final follow-up in both groups increased than that before surgery(P＜0.05),and the rate of change in the intervertebral foramina area at 3d postoperatively and at the final follow-up in the trephine group was greater than that in the chisel group(P＜0.05).At the final follow-up,according to the MacNab standard,chisel group was excellent in 43 cases,good in 18 cases,moderate in 2 cases,and poor in 0 case,with an excellence and good rate of 96.8％,while the trephine group was excellent in 57 cases,good in 20 cases,moderate in 3 cases,and poor in 0 case,with an excellence and good rate of 96.3％.There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of excellent and good rate according to MacNab criteria(P＞0.05).Conclusions:The clinical efficacy of accurate foraminoplasty technique with visualized chisel is similar to foraminalplasty with trephine under FVSE,but foraminoplasty technique with visualized chisel reduces the number of fluoroscopies and bleeding volume.