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.

Guided by the theories of yin-yang and collateral disease， this paper identifies the dysregulation of yang qi ascent and descent as the core pathomechanism of hypertension. Based on clinical experience， a treatment approach centered on the method of raising yang and promoting descent was proposed. Clinically， three major syndrome types were identified. Firstly， deficiency of zong qi （ancestral qi） with blood stasis， obstruction of phlegm-turbidity and blood stasis， and hyperactivity of liver yang. Corresponding empirical formulation， Yizong Huoxue Decoction （益宗活血汤） was applied to tonify zong qi， invigorate blood， and raise yang. Secondly， Lizong Huoxue Decoction （理宗活血汤） was used to resolve phlegm， promote yang qi circulation， and regulate qi and blood. Thirdly， Qinggan Tongluo Decoction （清肝通络饮） was used to clear the liver， dredge collaterals， and subdue hyperactive yang. For special types such as non-dipper hypertension， time-specific syndrome differentiation and treatment can be applied based on a thorough understanding of the underlying pathomechanism， aiming to provide new insights into clinical diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

Chronic heart failure （CHF） is a complex clinical syndrome that the cardiac output is not enough to meet the metabolic needs of the body， or depends on the increase of filling pressure to compensate. Its high morbidity and mortality pose a serious threat to human health， necessitating attention and active intervention. At present， western medicine treatment of CHF is mainly based on diuretics， intravenous vasodilators， intravenous positive inotropic drugs， etc.， which， however， have problems such as long medication cycles， serious side effects， and limited applicable population. Recent studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine can act in a multi-pathway， multi-component， and multi-target manner， showing unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of CHF. Buyang Huanwutang has the effects of tonifying Qi， activating blood， and dredging collaterals. Clinical and mechanism studies have confirmed that this prescription is effective in treating CHF and its syndromes. The clinical studies can be classified into two categories. Studies of the first category use simple modern medical diagnostic criteria as the inclusion criteria for CHF patients， which can improve the scientificity and objectivity. Studies of the second category uses modern medicine combined with traditional Chinese medicine disease diagnostic criteria for the screening of CHF patients， which helps to improve the accuracy of efficacy evaluation. However， there are problems such as the lack of unified research standards and the insufficiency of mechanism research. In addition， the available studies remain to be classified or summarized. This study systematically sorted out the clinical and mechanism studies of Buyang Huanwutang in the treatment of CHF in recent years to review the research status. In clinical treatment， Buyang Huanwutang can be used alone， or modified， or combined with other prescriptions or Western medicine. The mechanism studies predict that Buyang Huanwutang can ameliorate CHF by regulating the calcium balance， protecting the mitochondrial structure and function， and regulating intestinal flora. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the clinical application and optimization and subsequent in-depth study of Buyang Huanwutang in the treatment of CHF.

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 identify long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) associated with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) and investigate their mechanisms. Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected from RA-ILD patients (n＝3), RA patients without lung involvement (n＝3), and healthy controls (n＝3). Next-generation sequencing was performed to screen differentially expressed lncRNA. A human fibrotic lung cell model was established by inducing the MRC-5 cell line with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Following siRNA-mediated knockdown of target genes, changes in inflammatory and oxidative stress-related genes were analyzed via real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) assays were used to validate protein expression, ubiquitination levels, and nuclear translocation of oxidative stress regulators, and antioxidant response element (ARE) transcriptional activity. Rescue experiments were conducted to confirm the role of target lncRNA in oxidative stress and inflammation in fibrotic lung cells. Results High-throughput sequencing revealed significant downregulation of LINC00638 in RA-ILD patients. Knockdown of LINC00638 markedly reduced transcriptional levels of interleukin (IL)-4, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), while increasing IL-6, IL-1β, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Furthermore, LINC00638 knockdown decreased Nrf2 protein expression, increased its ubiquitination, reduced nuclear translocation, and suppressed ARE transcriptional activity. In MRC-5 cells, LINC00638 knockdown combined with N-acetylcysteine treatment restored Nrf2 and HO-1 levels while reducing IL-6 expression. Conclusions LINC00638 suppresses inflammatory responses in RA-ILD by activating the Nrf2/ARE antioxidant signaling pathway, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for diagnosis and treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in blood levels of calcium and bone metabolism biochemical markers in patients with primary osteoporosis receiving treatment with denosumab. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with primary osteoporosis treated in our Department between December, 2021 and December 2023 were enrolled. All the patients were treated with calcium supplements, vitamin D and calcitriol in addition to regular denosumab treatment every 6 months. Blood calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin (OC), type I procollagen amino-terminal propeptide (PINP), and type I collagen carboxy-terminal telopeptide β special sequence (β‑CTX) data before and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the first treatment were collected from each patient. RESULTS: Three months after the first denosumab treatment, the bone turnover markers (BTMs) OC, PINP, and β-CTX were significantly decreased compared to their baseline levels by 39.5% (P<0.001), 56.2% (P<0.001), and 81.8% (P<0.001), respectively. At 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment, OC, PINP, and β-CTX remained significantly lower than their baseline levels (P<0.001). Blood calcium level was decreased (P<0.05) and PTH level increased (P<0.05) significantly in these patients at months of denosumab treatment, but their levels were comparable to the baseline levels at 6, 9, and 12 months of the treatment (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Denosumab can suppress BTMs and has a good therapeutic effect in patients with primary osteoporosis, but reduction of blood calcium and elevation of PTH levels can occur during the first 3 months in spite of calcium supplementation. Blood calcium and PTH levels can recover the baseline levels as the treatment extended, suggesting the importance of monitoring blood calcium and PTH levels during denosumab treatment.
Humans ; Denosumab/therapeutic use* ; Calcium/blood* ; Parathyroid Hormone/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Osteoporosis/blood* ; Osteocalcin/blood* ; Procollagen/blood* ; Female ; Collagen Type I/blood* ; Peptide Fragments/blood* ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use* ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vitamin D ; Peptides/blood* ; Aged

Despite primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) being a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, specific and sensitive biomarkers for the early detection and monitoring of this condition are lacking. We evaluated the value of the combined detection of serum cystatin C (CYSC), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), and urine transferrin (TRF) for diagnosing early-stage PGN. From May 2021 to May 2023, we enrolled 105 patients in our hospital as the observation group and 50 healthy volunteers as the control group. Their serum expression levels of CYSC, β2-MG, and TRF were evaluated. We plotted separate ROC curves and calculated the area under the curve (AUC) values of CYSC, β2-MG, and TRF to assess their diagnostic performance in PGN. The levels of CYSC, β2-MG, and TRF were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the observation group than in the healthy control group. CYSC, β2-MG, and TRF were expressed at significantly higher levels in G2, G3a, and G3b of PGN than in G1. The combined use of CYSC, β2-MG, and TRF as biomarkers could significantly improve the early diagnosis and monitoring of PGN and may lead to better patient outcomes by facilitating earlier intervention and treatment strategies.

Background In recent years, radiation diagnosis and treatment technology has been increasingly applied and popularized in the medical field, and the status of radiation health protection has attracted widespread attention. Objective To understand the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of radiological health protection in radiation workers in Jiading District of Shanghai. Methods Convenience sampling method was used to select 441 radiation workers from 33 medical institutions in Jiading District, Shanghai to conduct a questionnaire survey from May to August 2023. Basic information and radiation protection associated knowledge, attitude, and behavior were collected from the study participants, and the scores of knowledge, attitude, and behavior were calculated. Factors affecting the behavior were evaluated by multiple linear regression. Results A total of 441 subjects were included in this study, with an age range of 22-71 years, 53.06% male and 46.94% female. In terms of knowledge, the correct response rate of the study subjects to the seven questions on the basics of radiation protection ranged from 44.22%-96.60%, with the lowest rate of 44.22% for the question on "radiation stochastic effect diseases". The subjects acquired knowledge about radiation hygiene mainly through vocational training (98.41%), and wanted to acquire knowledge mainly about the basics of nuclear and radiation (76.42%). In terms of attitude, the recognition level (strongly agree/agree) of the study subjects on the six attitude questions ranged from 73.47% to 96.37%, in which only 56.92% of the radiological staff at tertiary hospitals believed that the radiation dose they were exposed to at work would be hazardous to their health, and 73.85% believed that it was necessary to participate in training on knowledge of radiological protection, both lower than those in other levels of hospitals. In terms of behavior, the implementation rate (always/often) of the five behavioral questions by the study participants ranged from 75.28% to 91.84%, and there was a statistically significant difference in the total behavioral scores of the study participants by levels of hospitals (P=0.015). The results of multiple linear regression showed that gender, age, and radiation work permit associated with the behavioral scores of the study subjects. Conclusion In Jiading District, Shanghai, the coginitive rate of radiation workers' basic knowledge of theoretical protection still needs to be improved, and occupational training should be carried out in a targeted manner; the attitude of radiation workers varies by levels of hospitals, and the publicity and education of workers at tertiary hospitals in particular should be strengthened; and the supervision and management of male, senior, and non-certified radiation workers in hospitals of different levels should be enhanced.

Objective:To assess the association between short-term ambient air pollution exposure and arterial stiffness and whether obesity modifies these associations.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted based on Fangshan family cohort in Beijing. The 24 hours average air pollutant levels on the day cohort participants took baseline survey were calculated as short-term air pollution. A generalized additive model (GAM) with Gaussian links was used to estimate changes in typical carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (BAPWV), pulse pressure (PP) and ankle-branchial index (ABI) after short-term exposure to each air pollution (PM 2.5, PM 10, SO 2, NO 2, CO). The cross-product terms of each air pollution, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio were included in the GAM model to test the interaction. Further, they conducted a stratified analysis to test their effects on the relationship between short-term exposure to each air pollution and the arterial stiffness indicators. Results:A total of 4 211 individuals were included in the analysis. Individuals' age was (58.9±8.7) years, of which 2 268 (53.9%) were female. Several covariates, including sociodemographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, and history of drugs, were included in the analysis. The results of the GAM analysis showed that an increase in PM 2.5 ( β=2.912×10 -4, 95% CI: 1.424×10 -4-4.400×10 -4, P<0.001), CO ( β=0.027, 95% CI: 0.011-0.043, P<0.001), SO 2 ( β=2.070×10 -3, 95% CI: 7.060×10 -4-3.430×10 -3, P=0.003), and NO 2 ( β=3.650×10 -4, 95% CI: 2.340×10 -5-7.060×10 -4, P=0.036) were associated with an increase in CIMT, while an increase in PM 10 ( β=0.018, 95% CI: 0.002-0.033, P=0.028) was associated with an increase in PP in the study population. Besides, the waist-to-hip ratio had an effect-modification on the correlation of short-term exposure of PM 2.5 (interaction P=0.015), NO 2 (interaction P=0.008), and CO (interaction P=0.044) with CIMT, and the correlation between short-term exposure of PM 2.5 (interaction P=0.002), NO 2 (interaction P=0.010), CO (interaction P=0.029), PM 10 (interaction P<0.001) with PP. The significant association between CIMT, PP, and air pollution concentrations was more visible in people with lower waist-to-hip ratios. Conclusions:Short-term ambient air pollution exposure was associated with arterial stiffness indicators, and there was an effect modification of waist-to-hip ratio on these associations, and lower waist-to-hip ratios may enhance the association between air pollution exposure and indicators.

Objective:To evaluate the value of 18F-FDG PET/CT for preoperative localization of epileptogenic foci in refractory epilepsy patients with negative MRI. Methods:Clinical data (550 lobes) of 55 epilepsy patients (38 males, 17 females, age (20.0±8.1) years) with negative MRI who underwent preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT-MRI between January 2014 and June 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University were retrospectively analyzed. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 18F-FDG PET/CT, video electroencephalogram (VEEG), PET/CT+ VEEG and PET/CT-VEEG for localizing epileptogenic foci were calculated using stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) and the outcomes of at least 1 year of postoperative follow-up as reference standards. χ2 test was used to compare the efficiencies of different examination modalities for unilobar, multilobar and all patients. Results:The correct lateralization rate of epileptogenic foci was 92.6%(25/27) using PET/CT. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV of PET/CT for localization of epileptogenic foci were 65.1%(54/83), 77.9%(364/467), 76.0%(418/550), 34.4%(54/157) and 92.6%(364/393), respectively. The sensitivities of PET/CT-VEEG for localization of epileptogenic foci in all patients and patients with multilobar epilepsy were higher than those of VEEG alone (75.9%(63/83) vs 45.8%(38/83), 68.6%(35/51) vs 31.4%(16/51); χ2 values: 15.80, 14.16, both P<0.001). The specificities of PET/CT+ VEEG for localization of epileptogenic foci in all patients and patients with unilobar epilepsy were higher than those of VEEG alone (97.6%(456/467) vs 94.6%(442/467), 97.9%(282/288) vs 94.1%(271/288); χ2 values: 5.66, 5.48; P values: 0.017, 0.019). The sensitivity of PET/CT-VEEG (PET/CT and VEEG concordance) for localization of epileptogenic foci was higher than that of PET/CT+ VEEG (PET/CT and VEEG discordance) (8/9 vs 28.4%(21/74); χ2=10.40, P=0.001), and its specificity and accuracy were higher than those of PET/CT-VEEG (PET/CT and VEEG discordance) (93.4%(57/61) vs 71.7%(291/406), 92.9%(65/70) vs 72.1%(346/480); χ2 values: 13.23, 13.96; both P<0.001). Conclusions:18F-FDG PET/CT can localize and lateralize epileptogenic foci in patients with negative MRI. The combination of 18F-FDG PET/CT and VEEG improves the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for epileptogenic foci detection. 18F-FDG PET/CT is more accurate in detecting epileptogenic foci when it is concordant with VEEG.