Biomedical and environmental sciences : BES最新文献

Objective: This study employs the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model to assess the impact of meteorological elements and imported cases on dengue fever outbreaks, emphasizing the spatial-temporal variability of these factors in border regions.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive analysis of dengue fever's temporal-spatial distribution in Yunnan border areas. Utilizing annual data from 2013 to 2019, with each county in the Yunnan border serving as a spatial unit, we constructed a GTWR model to investigate the determinants of dengue fever and their spatio-temporal heterogeneity in this region.

Results: The GTWR model, proving more effective than Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) analysis, identified significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity in factors influencing dengue fever's spread along the Yunnan border. Notably, the GTWR model revealed a substantial variation in the relationship between indigenous dengue fever incidence, meteorological variables, and imported cases across different counties.

Conclusion: In the Yunnan border areas, local dengue incidence is affected by temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and imported cases, with these factors' influence exhibiting notable spatial and temporal variation.

Objective: Little is known about the association between whole-blood nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD ⁺) levels and nabothian cysts. This study aimed to assess the association between NAD ⁺ levels and nabothian cysts in healthy Chinese women.

Methods: Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between NAD ⁺ levels and nabothian cysts.

Results: The mean age was 43.0 ± 11.5 years, and the mean level of NAD ⁺ was 31.3 ± 5.3 μmol/L. Nabothian cysts occurred in 184 (27.7%) participants, with single and multiple cysts in 100 (15.0%) and 84 (12.6%) participants, respectively. The total nabothian cyst prevalence gradually decreased from 37.4% to 21.6% from Q1 to Q4 of NAD ⁺ and the prevalence of single and multiple nabothian cysts also decreased across the NAD ⁺ quartiles. As compared with the highest NAD ⁺ quartile (≥ 34.4 μmol/L), the adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval of the NAD ⁺ Q1 was 1.89 (1.14-3.14) for total nabothian cysts. The risk of total and single nabothian cysts linearly decreased with increasing NAD ⁺ levels, while the risk of multiple nabothian cysts decreased more rapidly at NAD ⁺ levels of 28.0 to 35.0 μmol/L.

Conclusion: Low NAD ⁺ levels were associated with an increased risk of total and multiple nabothian cysts.

Objective: To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators.

Method: The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests (RUCAM) scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI. Based on Chinese herbal medicine, cardiovascular drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anti-infective drugs, and other drugs, patients were divided into five groups. Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology. Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed.

Results: 73 patients were enrolled. Age among five groups was statistically different ( P = 0.032). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ( P = 0.033) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ( P = 0.007) in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in patients with Chinese herbal medicine (IL-6: P < 0.001; TNF-α: P < 0.001) and cardiovascular medicine (IL-6: P = 0.020; TNF-α: P = 0.001) were lower than those in NSAIDs group. There was a positive correlation between ALT ( r = 0.697, P = 0.025), AST ( r = 0.721, P = 0.019), and IL-6 in NSAIDs group.

Conclusion: Older age may be more prone to DILI. Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI, TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Objective: VATER/VACTERL-like association is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Genetic evidence of this disorder is sporadic. In this study, we aimed to provide genetic insights to improve the diagnosis of VACTERL.

Methods: We have described a Chinese family in which four members were affected by renal defects or agenesis, anal atresia, and anovaginal fistula, which is consistent with the diagnosis of a VACTERL-like association. Pedigree and genetic analyses were conducted using genome and exome sequencing.

Results: Segregation analysis revealed the presence of a recessive X-linked microdeletion in two living affected individuals, harboring a 196-380 kb microdeletion on Xq27.1, which was identified by familial exome sequencing. Genome sequencing was performed on the affected male, confirming a -196 kb microdeletion in Xq27.1, which included a 28% loss of the CDR-1 gene. Four family members were included in the co-segregation analysis, and only VACTERL-like cases with microdeletions were reported in X27.1.

Conclusion: These results suggest that the 196-380 kb microdeletion in Xq27.1 could be a possible cause of the VATER/VACTERL-like association. However, further genetic and functional analyses are required to confirm or rule out genetic background as the definitive cause of the VACTERL association.

Objective: This study aimed to efficiently reduce the release of radon from water bodies to protect the environment.

Methods: Based on the sizes of the experimental setup and modular float, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to assess the impact of the area coverage rate, immersion depth, diffusion coefficient, and radon transfer velocity at the gas-liquid interface on radon migration and exhalation of radon-containing water. Based on the numerical simulation results, an estimation model for the radon retardation rate was constructed. The effectiveness of the CFD simulation was evaluated by comparing the experimental and simulated variation values of the radon retardation rate with the coverage area rates.

Results: The effect of radon transfer velocity on radon retardation in water bodies was minor and insignificant according to the appropriate value; therefore, an estimation model of the radon retardation rate of the coverage of a radon-containing water body was constructed using the synergistic impacts of three factors: area coverage rate, immersion depth, and diffusion coefficient. The deviation between the experimental and simulated results was < 4.3%.

Conclusion: Based on the numerical simulation conditions, an estimation model of the radon retardation rate of covering floats in water bodies under the synergistic effect of multiple factors was obtained, which provides a reference for designing covering floats for radon retardation in radon-containing water.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the intervention effect of salidroside (SAL) on lung injury caused by PM _2.5 in mice and illuminate the function of SIRT1-PGC-1ɑ axis.

Methods: Specific pathogen-free (SPF) grade male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the following groups: control group, SAL group, PM _2.5 group, SAL+PM _2.5 group. On the first day, SAL was given by gavage, and on the second day, PM _2.5 suspension was given by intratracheal instillation. The whole experiment consist of a total of 10 cycles, lasting 20 days. At the end of treatment, blood samples and lung tissues were collected and analyzed. Observation of pathological changes in lung tissue using inverted microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The expression of inflammatory, antioxidants, apoptosis, and SIRT1-PGC-1ɑ proteins were detected by Western blotting.

Results: Exposure to PM _2.5 leads to obvious morphological and pathologica changes in the lung of mice. PM _2.5 caused a decline in levels of antioxidant-related enzymes and protein expressions of HO-1, Nrf2, SOD2, SIRT1 and PGC-1ɑ, and an increase in the protein expressions of IL-6, IL-1β, Bax, caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3. However, SAL reversed the aforementioned changes caused by PM _2.5 by activating the SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway.

Conclusion: SAL can activate SIRT1-PGC-1ɑ to ameliorate PM _2.5-induced lung injury.