1.Geographical Inference Study of Dust Samples From Four Cities in China Based on ITS2 Sequencing
Wen-Jun ZHANG ; Yao-Sen FENG ; Jia-Jin PENG ; Kai FENG ; Ye DENG ; Ke-Lai KANG ; Le WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):970-981
ObjectiveIn the realm of forensic science, dust is a valuable type of trace evidence with immense potential for intricate investigations. With the development of DNA sequencing technologies, there is a heightened interest among researchers in unraveling the complex tapestry of microbial communities found within dust samples. Furthermore, striking disparities in the microbial community composition have been noted among dust samples from diverse geographical regions, heralding new possibilities for geographical inference based on microbial DNA analysis. The pivotal role of microbial community data from dust in geographical inference is significant, underscoring its critical importance within the field of forensic science. This study aims to delve deeply into the nuances of fungal community composition across the urban landscapes of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming, and Urumqi in China. It evaluates the accuracy of biogeographic inference facilitated by the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) fungal sequencing while concurrently laying a robust foundation for the operational integration of environmental DNA into geographical inference mechanisms. MethodsITS2 region of the fungal genomes was amplified using universal primers known as 5.8S-Fun/ITS4-Fun, and the resulting DNA fragments were sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq FGx platform. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) was employed to visually represent the differences between samples, while analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) were utilized to statistically evaluate the dissimilarities in community composition across samples. Furthermore, using Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis to identify and filter out species that exhibit significant differences between various cities. In addition, we leveraged SourceTracker to predict the geographic origins of the dust samples. ResultsAmong the four cities of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming and Urumqi, Beijing has the highest species richness. The results of species annotation showed that there were significant differences in the species composition and relative abundance of fungal communities in the four cities. NMDS analysis revealed distinct clustering patterns of samples based on their biogeographic origins in multidimensional space. Samples from the same city exhibited clear clustering, while samples from different cities showed separation along the first axis. The results from ANOSIM and PERMANOVA confirmed the significant differences in fungal community composition between the four cities, with the most pronounced distinctions observed between Fuzhou and Urumqi. Notably, the biogeographic origins of all known dust samples were successfully predicted. ConclusionSignificant differences are observed in the fungal species composition and relative abundance among the cities of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming, and Urumqi. Employing fungal ITS2 sequencing on dust samples from these urban areas enables accurate inference of biogeographical locations. The high feasibility of utilizing fungal community data in dust for biogeographical inferences holds particular promise in the field of forensic science.
2.The Role and Mechanism of Circadian Rhythm Regulation in Skin Tissue Regeneration
Ya-Qi ZHAO ; Lin-Lin ZHANG ; Xiao-Meng MA ; Zhen-Kai JIN ; Kun LI ; Min WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1165-1178
Circadian rhythm is an endogenous biological clock mechanism that enables organisms to adapt to the earth’s alternation of day and night. It plays a fundamental role in regulating physiological functions and behavioral patterns, such as sleep, feeding, hormone levels and body temperature. By aligning these processes with environmental changes, circadian rhythm plays a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis and promoting optimal health. However, modern lifestyles, characterized by irregular work schedules and pervasive exposure to artificial light, have disrupted these rhythms for many individuals. Such disruptions have been linked to a variety of health problems, including sleep disorders, metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, and immune dysfunction, underscoring the critical role of circadian rhythm in human health. Among the numerous systems influenced by circadian rhythm, the skin—a multifunctional organ and the largest by surface area—is particularly noteworthy. As the body’s first line of defense against environmental insults such as UV radiation, pollutants, and pathogens, the skin is highly affected by changes in circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm regulates multiple skin-related processes, including cyclic changes in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as DNA repair mechanisms and antioxidant defenses. For instance, studies have shown that keratinocyte proliferation peaks during the night, coinciding with reduced environmental stress, while DNA repair mechanisms are most active during the day to counteract UV-induced damage. This temporal coordination highlights the critical role of circadian rhythms in preserving skin integrity and function. Beyond maintaining homeostasis, circadian rhythm is also pivotal in the skin’s repair and regeneration processes following injury. Skin regeneration is a complex, multi-stage process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, all of which are influenced by circadian regulation. Key cellular activities, such as fibroblast migration, keratinocyte activation, and extracellular matrix remodeling, are modulated by the circadian clock, ensuring that repair processes occur with optimal efficiency. Additionally, circadian rhythm regulates the secretion of cytokines and growth factors, which are critical for coordinating cellular communication and orchestrating tissue regeneration. Disruptions to these rhythms can impair the repair process, leading to delayed wound healing, increased scarring, or chronic inflammatory conditions. The aim of this review is to synthesize recent information on the interactions between circadian rhythms and skin physiology, with a particular focus on skin tissue repair and regeneration. Molecular mechanisms of circadian regulation in skin cells, including the role of core clock genes such as Clock, Bmal1, Per and Cry. These genes control the expression of downstream effectors involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, oxidative stress response and inflammatory pathways. By understanding how these mechanisms operate in healthy and diseased states, we can discover new insights into the temporal dynamics of skin regeneration. In addition, by exploring the therapeutic potential of circadian biology in enhancing skin repair and regeneration, strategies such as topical medications that can be applied in a time-limited manner, phototherapy that is synchronized with circadian rhythms, and pharmacological modulation of clock genes are expected to optimize clinical outcomes. Interventions based on the skin’s natural rhythms can provide a personalized and efficient approach to promote skin regeneration and recovery. This review not only introduces the important role of circadian rhythms in skin biology, but also provides a new idea for future innovative therapies and regenerative medicine based on circadian rhythms.
3.Association between anxiety symptoms and social ecological risk factors among medical students
WANG Kai, YONG Zhongtian, CHEN Jin, ZHU Wenhua, WANG Liyan, WANG Li
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(4):488-491
Objective:
To understand anxiety symptoms among medical college students and their relationship with social ecological risk factors, so as to provide reference for mental health promotion among medical students.
Methods:
From September to October 2021, a convenient cluster sampling method was used to include 1 274 freshmen to senior students of a medical school in Taiyuan City, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and adolescent social ecological risk factors assessment questionnaire were used. Multivariate binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between anxiety symptoms and social ecological risk factors among medical students.
Results:
The overall detection rate of anxiety symptoms among medical students was 16.2%. The rate of anxiety varied significantly by grade (freshman: 19.9%, sophomore: 13.0%, junior: 14.0%, senior: 18.9% ) and number of friends (≤2: 22.8%, 3-5: 14.4%, ≥6: 11.8%) ( χ 2=8.70, 16.34, P <0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that individual, family, school, community, policy, culture, time, and total score in socio ecological risk factors were positively associated with anxiety symptom scores at different levels of risk ( r=0.33, 0.25, 0.32, 0.16, 0.15, 0.16, 0.16, 0.35, P <0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that high risk for personal dimension of the socio ecological risk factors was positively associated with rate of anxiety symptoms among medical students ( OR=3.32, 95%CI =1.66-6.61), and remained positively associated ( OR=2.98, 95%CI =1.49-5.94) after adjusting for grade and number of friends ( P <0.01).
Conclusions
Exposure to high personal dimensions of socio ecological risk factors increases the risk of developing anxiety symptoms among medical students. A focus should be placed on the personal factors associated with anxiety to promote medical students mental health.
4.The noise level in metro platforms and halls in a city
Xuebo HOU ; Xia ZHANG ; Yong NING ; Lin ZHANG ; Jianhui GAO ; Kai WANG ; Jin SU
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(3):237-240
ObjectiveTo investigate the noise level and influencing factors in metro platforms and station halls, thereby providing the scientific basis for the establishment of hygienic standards. MethodsDuring the morning peak(7:00‒9:30)and off-peak (9:30‒17:00) on weekdays, the noise levels were measured with noise meters at 39 monitoring points of 13 station platforms and 31 monitoring points of 6 station halls. The monitoring points arrangement and detection methods referred to the Examination methods for public places—Part 1: physical parameters(GB/T 18204.1‒2013). ResultsThe measured noise level in the station ranged from 69.25 to 86.17 dB(A), accounting for 44.74% below 75 dB(A), 89.47% below 80 dB(A) and 97.37% below 85 dB(A).The noise level of the platform [(76.38±4.19) dB(A)] was higher than that of the station hall [(74.24±4.50) dB(A)](P<0.01). The noise level of the elevated platforms [(80.01±2.25) dB(A)] was higher than that of the underground platforms [(75.73±4.13) dB(A)](P<0.01), and the noise level of the platforms without platform screen doors(PSD) [(80.21±5.08) dB(A)] was higher than that of platforms with PSD[(74.73±3.16) dB(A)] (P<0.01). No statistical significant differences were observed among the different areas of the platforms, monitoring periods, platform depth, exit mode and operation years (P>0.05). ConclusionThe noise level in metro stations in the city does not fully meet the requirements of current relevant standards. It is suggested to take noise reduction measures to reduce the noise of metro stations.
5.Analysis of the Treatment Strategy of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Based on ZHANG Boli's Theory of “Damp-turbidity and Phlegm-rheum Type of Diseases”
Guangning QIN ; Xinyao JIN ; Yaoyuan LIU ; Kai WANG ; Feng JIANG ; Ming HUANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(1):35-38
Professor ZHANG Boli believed that the core pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is weak pulse at yang and wiry pulse at yin. By referring to the theory of “damp-turbidity and phlegm-rheum type of diseases”, he proposed that yin pathogens of damp-turbidity and phlegm-rheum may damage yang qi in each stage of HFpEF, thus aggravating the trend of weak pulse at yang and wiry pulse at yin, which played an important role in the deterioration of HFpEF. Therefore, Professor ZHANG Boli advocated that importance should be attached to the elimination of yin pathogen and the protection of yang qi during the various stages of HFpEF in order to delay the aggravation of weak pulse at yang and wiry pulse at yin; he put forward the idea of staged treatment that “yin pathogen should be dispelled and yang qi should be demonstrated”; and he formulated the treatment strategy of treating the disease as early as possible, eliminating pathogens and protecting yang, interrupting the disease trend, using warm-like medicinals, and activating blood circulation, to enrich the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of HFpEF.
6.Decreased FEF 50 as an indicator of comorbid asthma and persistent airflow limitation in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: A cross-sectional study.
Xuechen WANG ; Fangyuan LI ; Chengshuo WANG ; Kai HUANG ; Shen SHEN ; Ming WANG ; Jianmin JIN ; Luo ZHANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(3):353-355
7.Irisin alleviates palmitic acid-induced osteogenic inhibition in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells
Yuanshu ZHANG ; Xu HE ; Yuan XUE ; Yesheng JIN ; Kai WANG ; Qin SHI ; Yongjun RUI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(1):26-31
BACKGROUND:Irisin,a myokine isolated from the transmembrane protein FNDC5 by muscle cells during exercise,has the function of inducing the browning of white adipose tissue,but its effect on lipotoxicity-induced osteogenic differentiation and the mechanism is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of irisin on the osteogenic ability of palmitic acid-induced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and the mechanism of action. METHODS:CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of palmitic acid on the proliferation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and the effect of irisin on the proliferation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the presence of palmitic acid.After pretreatment with irisin and palmitic acid for 24 hours,osteogenic differentiation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was induced by alkaline phosphatase staining as well as qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of osteogenesis-related genes on day 7 of osteogenic induction culture.The expression of proteins related to the AMPK/BMP2/SMAD signaling pathway was detected by western blot assay.Alizarin red staining was conducted on day 21 to detect osteogenic differences. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The CCK-8 assay results suggested that the amplification of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was inversely proportional to the concentration of palmitic acid,but at 0.02 mmol/L concentration,palmitic acid had no significant effect on the amplification of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,and irisin did not affect the proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells when its mass concentration was in the range of 0.1-20 μg/L.(2)Alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining showed that palmitic acid inhibited the osteogenic differentiation ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Irisin improved palmitic acid-induced osteogenic inhibition of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.qRT-PCR results showed that palmitic acid could cause the downregulation of osteogenic-related genes,and irisin could inhibit this trend.(3)Western blot assay results showed that compared with the palmitic acid intervention group,irisin treatment enhanced AMPK/BMP2/SMAD signal transduction in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.It is found that irisin can improve the osteogenic differentiation ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells pretreated with palmitic acid,and proposed that the specific mechanism might be mediated by AMPK/BMP/SMAD signaling pathway.
8.Expressions of cytokines and procalcitonin in infective endocarditis
Ruo-Xin WANG ; Liang FU ; Jin-Long ZHAO ; Zong-Hui CHEN ; Yin-Kai NI ; Feng LI
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2024;33(1):55-58
Objective To investigate the expressions of 12 cytokines(IL-1β,IL-2,IL-4,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8,IL-10,IL-12p70,IL-17,IFN-α,IFN-γ,TNF-α)and procalcitonin in patients with infective endocarditis(IE).Methods Ten IE patients admitted to our hospital from December 2021 to December 2022 were included into the IE group,10 patients with non-infectious and non-rheumatic valvular diseases who were admitted to our hospital at the same period were randomly selected as the control group,and blood sampling of all patients were conducted at admission.The expressions of 12 cytokines and blood routine indexes were detected by flow cytometry,and the level of procalcitonin was detected by ELISA.The correlations among the expression levels of cytokines in IE patients were analyzed by Pearson method and the correlations of IL-8 level and white blood cell count with procalcitonin in IE patients were analyzed by Spearman method.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of cytokines of IL-1β,IL-2,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,IFN-α,IFN-γ and IL-12p70 in the IE group were significantly increased(P<0.05),the white blood cell count,neutrophil percentage and procalcitonin were significantly increased(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the percentage of monocytes between the two groups(P>0.05).IFN-α of IE patients was positively correlated with IL-2,TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-12p70,IL-2 was positively correlated with TNF-α and IL-1β,IL-12p70 was positively correlated with IFN-γ,and procalcitonin was significantly positively correlated with IL-8 and white blood cell count,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion The levels of IL-1β,IL-2,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,IFN-α,IFN-γ,IL-12p70 and procalcitonin in IE patients are significantly higher than those in the normal population,and the detections of these indicators are of guiding significance for the early diagnosis of IE and the evaluation of the severity of the disease.
9.Lanthanide Metal Organic Framework as A New Unlabeled Fluorescence Anisotropy Probe for Detection of Phosphate Ions
Kai MAO ; Xiao-Yan WANG ; Yu-Jie LUO ; Jia-Li XIE ; Tian-Jin XIE ; Yuan-Fang LI ; Cheng-Zhi HUANG ; Shu-Jun ZHEN
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(1):35-44,中插1-中插4
Fluorescence anisotropy(FA)analysis has many advantages such as no requirement of separation,high throughput and real-time detection,and thus has been widely used in many fields,including biochemical analysis,food safety detection,environmental monitoring,etc.However,due to the small volume or mass of the target,its combination with the fluorescence probe cannot produce significant signal change.To solve this issue,researchers often use nanomaterials to enhance the mass or volume of fluorophore to improve the sensitivity.Nevertheless,this FA amplification strategy also has some disadvantages.Firstly,nanomaterials are easy to quench fluorescence.As a result,the FA value is easily influenced by light scattering,which reduces the detection accuracy.Secondly,fluorescent probes in most methods require complex modification steps.Therefore,it is necessary to develop new FA probes that do not require the amplification of volume and mass or modification.As a new kind of nanomaterials,luminescent metal-organic framework(MOF)has a large volume(or mass)and strong fluorescence emission.It does not require additional signal amplification materials.As a consequence,it can be used as a potential FA probe.This study successfully synthesized a lanthanide metal organic framework(Ce-TCPP MOF)using cerium ion(Ce3+)as the central ion and 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-carboxylphenyl)porphyrin(H2TCPP)as the ligand through microwave assisted method,and used it as a novel unmodified FA probe to detect phosphate ions(Pi).In the absence of Pi,Ce-TCPP MOF had a significant FA value(r).After addition of Pi,Pi reacted with Ce3+in MOF and destroyed the structure of MOF into the small pieces,resulting in a decrease in r.The experimental results indicated that with the increase of Pi concentration,the change of the r of Ce-TCPP MOF(Δr)gradually increased.The Δr and Pi concentration showed a good linear relationship within the range of 0.5-3.5 μmol/L(0.016-0.108 mg/L).The limit of detection(LOD,3σ/k)was 0.41 μmol/L.The concentration of Pi in the Jialing River water detected by this method was about 0.078 mg/L,and the Pi value detected by ammonium molybdate spectrophotometry was about 0.080 mg/L.The two detection results were consistent with each other,and the detection results also meet the ClassⅡwater quality standard,proving that this method could be used for the detection of Pi in complex water bodies.
10.Toxicokinetics of MDMA and Its Metabolite MDA in Rats
Wei-Guang YU ; Qiang HE ; Zheng-Di WANG ; Cheng-Jun TIAN ; Jin-Kai WANG ; Qian ZHENG ; Fei REN ; Chao ZHANG ; You-Mei WANG ; Peng XU ; Zhi-Wen WEI ; Ke-Ming YUN
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2024;40(1):37-42
Objective To investigate the toxicokinetic differences of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine(MDMA)and its metabolite 4,5-methylene dioxy amphetamine(MDA)in rats af-ter single and continuous administration of MDMA,providing reference data for the forensic identifica-tion of MDMA.Methods A total of 24 rats in the single administration group were randomly divided into 5,10 and 20 mg/kg experimental groups and the control group,with 6 rats in each group.The ex-perimental group was given intraperitoneal injection of MDMA,and the control group was given intraperi-toneal injection of the same volume of normal saline as the experimental group.The amount of 0.5 mL blood was collected from the medial canthus 5 min,30 min,1 h,1.5 h,2 h,4 h,6 h,8 h,10 h,12 h after administration.In the continuous administration group,24 rats were randomly divided into the experi-mental group(18 rats)and the control group(6 rats).The experimental group was given MDMA 7 d by continuous intraperitoneal injection in increments of 5,7,9,11,13,15,17 mg/kg per day,respectively,while the control group was given the same volume of normal saline as the experimental group by in-traperitoneal injection.On the eighth day,the experimental rats were randomly divided into 5,10 and 20 mg/kg dose groups,with 6 rats in each group.MDMA was injected intraperitoneally,and the con-trol group was injected intraperitoneally with the same volume of normal saline as the experimental group.On the eighth day,0.5 mL of blood was taken from the medial canthus 5 min,30 min,1 h,1.5 h,2 h,4 h,6 h,8 h,10 h,12 h after administration.Liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect MDMA and MDA levels,and statistical software was employed for data analysis.Results In the single-administration group,peak concentrations of MDMA and MDA were reached at 5 min and 1 h after administration,respectively,with the largest detection time limit of 12 h.In the continuous administration group,peak concentrations were reached at 30 min and 1.5 h af-ter administration,respectively,with the largest detection time limit of 10 h.Nonlinear fitting equations for the concentration ratio of MDMA and MDA in plasma and administration time in the single-administration group and continuous administration group were as follows:T=10.362C-1.183,R2=0.974 6;T=7.397 3C-0.694,R2=0.961 5(T:injection time;C:concentration ratio of MDMA to MDA in plasma).Conclusions The toxicokinetic data of MDMA and its metabolite MDA in rats,obtained through single and continuous administration,including peak concentration,peak time,detection time limit,and the relationship between concentration ratio and administration time,provide a theoretical and data foundation for relevant forensic identification.


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