Objective To evaluate the role of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) testing in evaluating early hearing loss among noise-exposed workers. Methods A total of 174 noise-exposed workers in a metal shipbuilding enterprise were selected as the research subjects by the convenience sampling method. Pure tone audiometry (PTA), DPOAE and the level of noise exposure were conducted on the workers. The rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between DPOAE amplitude and PTA threshold. The multilevel model was used to analyze the effects of gender, age, noise exposure intensity, cumulative noise exposure (CNE), hearing loss classification and PTA threshold on DPOAE results. Results At the frequencies of 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00, 6.00 and 8.00 kHz, the DPOAE amplitude was negatively correlated with the PTA threshold (rank correlation coefficients were -0.12, -0.48, -0.47, -0.18, -0.23, -0.44, -0.19, respectively, all P<0.01). At the most frequencies, DPOAE amplitude was negatively correlated with age and CNE (all P<0.05). The results of multilevel model analysis showed that there were significant differences in DPOAE amplitudes at certain frequencies across gender, age, noise intensity, CNE, and hearing loss classification (all P<0.05). Significant differences in DPOAE responses were found among different CNE and hearing loss groups (all P<0.01). Conclusion DPOAE testing can objectively reflect the hearing status of noise-exposed workers and could be considered for inclusion in routine hearing monitoring to facilitate early detection of noise-induced hearing loss.

Objective: To investigate the objective characteristics of tongue manifestation in different stages of damp-heat syndrome in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 134 patients with DKD G3-5 stages who met the diagnostic criteria for damp-heat syndrome in DKD. The patients were treated at Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from May 2023 to January 2024. The patients were divided into three groups: DKD G3, DKD G4, and DKD G5 stage, with 53, 33, and 48 patients in each group, respectively. Clinical general data (gender, age, and body mass index) and damp-heat syndrome scores were collected from the patients. The YZAI-02 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) AI Tongue Image Acquisition Device was used to capture tongue images from these patients. The accompanying AI Open Platform for TCM Tongue Diagnosis of the device was used to analyze and extract tongue manifestation features, including objective data on tongue color, tongue quality, coating color, and coating texture. Clinical data and objective tongue manifestation characteristics were compared among patients with DKD G3-5 based on their DKD damp-heat syndrome status. Results: No statistically significant difference in gender or body mass index was observed among the three patient groups. The DKD G3 stage group had the highest age (P<0.05). The DKD G3 stage group had a lower score for symptoms of poor appetite and anorexia(P<0.05) than the DKD G5 group. No statistically significant difference was observed in damp-heat syndrome scores among the three groups. Compared with the DKD G5 stage group, the DKD G3 stage group showed a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue (P<0.05). The DKD G4 stage group exhibited an increased proportion of crimson at the root of the tongue, a decreased proportion of thick white tongue coating at the root, a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue, an increased hue value (indicating color tone) of the tongue color in the middle, an increased brightness value (indicating color lightness) of the tongue coating color in the middle, and an increased thickness of the tongue coating (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in other tongue color proportions, color chroma values, body characteristics, coating color proportions, coating color chroma values, and coating texture characteristics among the three groups. Conclusion Tongue features differ in different stages of DKD damp-heat syndrome in multiple dimensions, enabling the inference that during the DKD G5 stage, the degree of qi and blood deficiency in the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, spleen, and stomach is prominent. Dampness is more likely to accumulate in the lower jiao, particularly in the kidneys, whereas heat evil in the spleen and stomach is the most severe. These insights provide novel ideas for the clinical treatment of DKD.

Objective To investigate the optimal digestion method for the preparation of single-cell suspensions from mouse small intestinal lamina propria.Methods Ten mouse small intestines of uniform length were collected and randomly divided into two groups.Each group was used to prepare lamina propria single-cell suspensions by enzymatic digestion with collagenase A or collagenase Ⅷ.We compared the effects of these two enzymatic digestion method on the cell yield,cell activity,and cell surface antigens of the single-cell suspensions.Single-cell suspensions prepared by the superior enzymatic digestion method were then subjected to flow cytometry assay.Results Compared to collagenase-Ⅷ-based enzymatic digestion,collagenase-A-based digestion result ed in a higher cell yield(9.48±1.10)× 109vs(4.18±1.02)×109and higher proportions of live cells(86.36±3.32)％vs(61.62±10.93)％,active CD45+cells(57.19±5.11)％vs(26.01±11.44)％,active CD3+cells(8.73±2.89)％vs(4.52±2.49)％,active CD4+cells(6.19±2.09)％vs(3.22±1.91)％,and active B220+cells(15.06±4.27)％vs(5.07±2.20)％,providing high-quality cells for subsequent flow assays.Conclusions The collagenase A-based enzymatic digestion method is more suitable for the preparation of ingle-cell suspensions from the lamina propria of ouse small intestines.

Objective To evaluate the clinical screening value of the Epworth sleepiness scale(ESS)for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS).Methods A total of 399 hospitalized T2DM patients were selected for portable monitoring(PM)and ESS assessment.Based on the presence or absence of OSAHS,the study was divided into a simple T2DM group(T2DM,n=143)and a group with comorbid OSAHS(OSAHS,n=256).According to the apnea-hypopnea index(AHI),the study participants were categorized into a normal group(AHI<5 times/h,n=143),a mild OSAHS group(AHI 5～15 times/h,n=147),a moderate OSAHS group(AHI>15～30 times/h,n=69),and a severe OSAHS group(AHI>30 times/h,n=40).Differences in ESS scores across various OSAHS severity groups were compared.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the screening value of ESS for OSAHS.Results Body mass index,proportion of obesity,proportion of central obesity,serum creatinine and fasting C-peptide were significantly higher the OSAHS group compared to the non-OSAHS group(P<0.05).Significant statistical differences in ESS scores were observed between the severe and mild OSAHS groups(P=0.006).When an ESS score of≥9 was used as the threshold for screening OSAHS,the concordance rate with PM diagnosis was 40.6%.ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve(AUC)for ESS screening for OSAHS,moderate-to-severe OSAHS,and severe OSAHS,and their respective optimal thresholds(95%CI),were as follows 0.518(95%CI 0.459～0.577,P=0.545),0.571(95%CI 0.507～0.635,P=0.029)and 0.624(95%CI 0.531～0.718,P=0.010),with cutoffs of≥2 points,≥3 points,and≥4 points,respectively.Conclusions An increased ESS score in T2DM patients significantly indicates the likelihood of severe OSAHS.Using an ESS score of≥9 as a threshold to screen for OSAHS is ineffective,whereas an ESS score of≥3 for screening moderate-to-severe OSAHS and≥4 for severe OSAHS has some reference value.

Objective:To revise the 5C Psychological Antecedents of Vaccination Scale(5C Scale),and to examine its validity and reliability.Methods:The Chinese version of the adapted scale was formed using the Chi-nese-English back-translation method,along with expert evaluation and interview results.A questionnaire survey was administered to 1 035 residents.The effective recovery results were randomly divided into 2 groups and tested for exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.After 2 weeks,230 residents were re-tested.The neuroticism sub-scale of the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory Brief Version(CBF-PI-B)was used to test the criterion-related validity.Results:The 5C Scale was revised to add a new dimension of confusion,forming the 6C Psychological An-tecedents of Vaccination Scale(6C Scale)with 18 items,6 factors including confidence,complacency,constraint,calculation,collective responsibility and confusion,which accumulatively explained 67.92％of the total vari-ance.And the six-factor structural model fits well(x2/df=1.72,RMSEA=0.04,CFI=0.97,TLI=0.96,NFI=0.92,IFI=0.97).The total scores of the confusion dimension exhibited a positive association with the total scores of CBF-PI-B neuroticism subscale(ICC=0.54,P＜0.001).The Cronbach α coefficients of the 6 factors ranged from 0.68 to 0.77,and the retest reliabilities(ICC)ranged from 0.51 to 0.82.Conclusion:The 6C Psychological Antecedents of Vaccination Scale(6C Scale)revised in this study exhibits good validity and reliability in assessing residents'psychological antecedents related to vaccination.

Objective To investigate the effects of Yitangkang on browning of white adipose and PINK1/Parkin pathway of mitophagy in adipose tissue of db/db mice.Methods Totally 30 six-week db/db mice were randomly divided into model group,Yitangkang Group(30 g/kg)and liraglutide group(200 μg/kg),and another 10 C57BL/6 mice of the same age were set as normal group.All groups were treated with corresponding drugs or normal saline for 5 weeks.During the period of administration,the body mass and fasting blood glucose(FBG)of mice in each group were detected regularly,the samples of liver,white and brown adipose of mice were weighed,the contents of serum triglyceride cholesterol(TC),triacylglycerol(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were detected by biochemical analyzer,HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of inguinal white adipose tissue(iWAT),immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of browning marker protein uncoupling protein-1(UCP1)in iWAT,Western blot was used to detect the expressions of browning-related proteins UCP1,PRDM16,PGC-1α and mitophagy-related proteins PINK1,Parkin,Beclin-1,p62 in iWAT.Results Compared with the normal group,the body mass,liver,white adipose and brown adipose mass of the model group significantly increased(P<0.01),the FBG and serum TG,TC and LDL-C contents significantly increased(P<0.01),and the content of HDL-C significantly decreased(P<0.01);large vacuoles in iWAT adipocytes,the diameter of adipocytes increased obviously,some adipocytes were extruded and deformed,and the edge of adipocytes was not clear,the expressions of iWAT UCP1,PRDM16,PGC-1α and p62 proteins decreased(P<0.01),while the expressions of PINK1,Parkin and Beclin-1 proteins increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the body mass,liver and white adipose mass significantly decreased in Yitangkang group and the liraglutide group(P<0.01),FBG and serum contents of TC,TG and LDL-C were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while HDL-C content significantly increased(P<0.01);the diameter of iWAT adipocytes decreased,the number increased,and the morphology was regular,the expressions of iWAT UCP1,PRDM16,PGC-1α and p62 proteins increased(P<0.01),while the expressions of PINK1,Parkin and Beclin-1 proteins decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Yitangkang can improve glucose and lipid metabolism and promote browning of white adipose in db/db mice,which may be related to mitophagy mediated by PINK1/Parkin pathway.

Ultrasound has become one of the most important imaging modalities for prenatal screening because of its advan-tages of not requiring irradiation and easy operation,and it is widely used throughout pregnancy.With the rapid development of artificial intelligence,ultrasound image recognition based on deep learning has been researched extensively in the application of prenatal screening and has shown significant advantages in the detection of fetal cranial and cardiac structures and fetal anoma-lies.This technology can improve the efficiency of prenatal ultrasound screening,increase the detection rate of fetal anomalies,optimize the quality of healthcare services,and improve patient professionalism and patient satisfaction.Moreover,it plays a cru-cial role in improving healthcare access in rural and low-income areas,supporting existing clinical practices,and streamlining workflow processes.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and radiologic characteristics of children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) in a single center.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, clinical data of 497 children(507 limbs) with CPT who were treated at Department of Orthopedics, the Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University from January 2011 to December 2020 were collected. Baseline data included gender, age at initial visit, age at onset of symptoms, accompanying symptoms, domicile, whether first treated at our hospital, and treatment-related information such as surgical or conservative treatment, surgical complications, etc., were extracted and analyzed using the health information system. Imaging data of the children, including Crawford classification, bilateral leg lengths, presence of fibular pseudarthrosis, and location of pseudarthrosis along the tibia segment, were analyzed using the Picture Archiving and Communication System. Data were compared using independent sample t test or χ2 tests. Results:Among 497 children with CPT, there were 305 males (61.4%) and 192 females (38.6%). The age at initial visit was (3.6±3.2) years (range: 0.1 to 16.2 years). Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) symptoms were positive in 340 children (68.4%), and negative in 157 children (31.6%). Among NF1-positive children, those with symptoms onset before 1 year of age were significantly more than NF1-negative children (74.1%(252/340) vs. 66.2%(104/157); χ2=9.24, P=0.001), and the proportion of fractures (92.9%,316/340) was significantly higher than that in the NF1-negative group (84.7%,133/157) ( χ2=8.33, P=0.004). According to imaging data, Crawford type Ⅳ was the most common type, with 321 limbs (63.3%), followed by type Ⅱ in 100 limbs (19.7%), type Ⅲ in 54 limbs (10.7%) and type Ⅰ in 32 limbs (6.3%). Pseudarthrosis occurred in the proximal third of the tibia in 14 limbs (2.8%), in the middle third in 185 limbs (36.5%), and in the distal third in 308 limbs (60.8%). Seventy-four children (14.9 %) had associated fibular pseudarthrosis. The lateral proximal tibial angle was 86.91°±5.21°(range: 72.17° to 102.08°), and the lateral distal tibial angle was 87.27°±10.73°(range: 51.07° to 128.17°). A total of 421 children (84.7%) underwent surgical treatment with (3.1±2.4) surgeries performed per child (range:0 to 12 surgeries); 76 children (15.3%) received conservative treatment. Postoperative complications mainly included ankle valgus (77 cases), leg length discrepancy (71 cases),refracture (48 cases), osteomyelitis (11 cases), and hardware failure (10 cases). NF1-positive children underwent more surgeries than NF1-negative children ((5.1±2.2)times vs.(2.1±1.8)times; t=14.93, P<0.01). Conclusions:Crawford type Ⅳ is the most common type of CPT in children in this study. CPT predominantly occurs in the middle or distal third of the tibia. The majority of children with CPT experienced symptoms and were seen at outpatient clinics before the age of 3 years. The main surgical complications currently associated with CPT treatment are ankle valgus and leg length discrepancy. Compared with CPT without NF1, children with NF1-positive CPT tend to have earlier symptom onset and may require more frequent treatments.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and radiologic characteristics of children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) in a single center.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, clinical data of 497 children(507 limbs) with CPT who were treated at Department of Orthopedics, the Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University from January 2011 to December 2020 were collected. Baseline data included gender, age at initial visit, age at onset of symptoms, accompanying symptoms, domicile, whether first treated at our hospital, and treatment-related information such as surgical or conservative treatment, surgical complications, etc., were extracted and analyzed using the health information system. Imaging data of the children, including Crawford classification, bilateral leg lengths, presence of fibular pseudarthrosis, and location of pseudarthrosis along the tibia segment, were analyzed using the Picture Archiving and Communication System. Data were compared using independent sample t test or χ2 tests. Results:Among 497 children with CPT, there were 305 males (61.4%) and 192 females (38.6%). The age at initial visit was (3.6±3.2) years (range: 0.1 to 16.2 years). Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) symptoms were positive in 340 children (68.4%), and negative in 157 children (31.6%). Among NF1-positive children, those with symptoms onset before 1 year of age were significantly more than NF1-negative children (74.1%(252/340) vs. 66.2%(104/157); χ2=9.24, P=0.001), and the proportion of fractures (92.9%,316/340) was significantly higher than that in the NF1-negative group (84.7%,133/157) ( χ2=8.33, P=0.004). According to imaging data, Crawford type Ⅳ was the most common type, with 321 limbs (63.3%), followed by type Ⅱ in 100 limbs (19.7%), type Ⅲ in 54 limbs (10.7%) and type Ⅰ in 32 limbs (6.3%). Pseudarthrosis occurred in the proximal third of the tibia in 14 limbs (2.8%), in the middle third in 185 limbs (36.5%), and in the distal third in 308 limbs (60.8%). Seventy-four children (14.9 %) had associated fibular pseudarthrosis. The lateral proximal tibial angle was 86.91°±5.21°(range: 72.17° to 102.08°), and the lateral distal tibial angle was 87.27°±10.73°(range: 51.07° to 128.17°). A total of 421 children (84.7%) underwent surgical treatment with (3.1±2.4) surgeries performed per child (range:0 to 12 surgeries); 76 children (15.3%) received conservative treatment. Postoperative complications mainly included ankle valgus (77 cases), leg length discrepancy (71 cases),refracture (48 cases), osteomyelitis (11 cases), and hardware failure (10 cases). NF1-positive children underwent more surgeries than NF1-negative children ((5.1±2.2)times vs.(2.1±1.8)times; t=14.93, P<0.01). Conclusions:Crawford type Ⅳ is the most common type of CPT in children in this study. CPT predominantly occurs in the middle or distal third of the tibia. The majority of children with CPT experienced symptoms and were seen at outpatient clinics before the age of 3 years. The main surgical complications currently associated with CPT treatment are ankle valgus and leg length discrepancy. Compared with CPT without NF1, children with NF1-positive CPT tend to have earlier symptom onset and may require more frequent treatments.

Objective:To investigate respiratory virus infection in children with septic shock in pediatric care units (PICU) in China and its influence on clinical outcomes.Methods:The clinical data of children with septic shock in children′s PICU from January 2018 to December 2019 in 10 Chinese hospitals were retrospectively collected. They were divided into the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 groups according to the onset of disease, and the characteristics and composition of respiratory virus in the 2 groups were compared. Matching age, malignant underlying diseases, bacteria, fungi and other viruses, a new database was generated using 1∶1 propensity score matching method. The children were divided into the respiratory virus group and non-respiratory virus group according to the presence or absence of respiratory virus infection; their clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment were compared by t-test, rank sum test and Chi-square test. The correlation between respiratory virus infection and the clinical outcomes was analyzed by logistic regression. Results:A total of 1 247 children with septic shock were included in the study, of them 748 were male; the age was 37 (11, 105) months. In the pre-and post-COVID-19 groups, there were 530 and 717 cases of septic shock, respectively; the positive rate of respiratory virus was 14.9% (79 cases) and 9.8% (70 cases); the seasonal distribution of septic shock was 28.9% (153/530) and 25.9% (185/717) in autumn, and 30.3% (161/530) and 28.3% (203/717) in winter, respectively, and the corresponding positive rates of respiratory viruses were 19.6% (30/153) and 15.7% (29/185) in autumn, and 21.1% (34/161) and 15.3% (31/203) in winter, respectively. The positive rates of influenza virus and adenovirus in the post-COVID-19 group were lower than those in the pre-COVID-19 group (2.1% (15/717) vs. 7.5% (40/530), and 0.7% (5/717) vs. 3.2% (17/530), χ2=21.51 and 11.08, respectively; all P<0.05). Rhinovirus virus were higher than those in the pre-Covid-19 group (1.7% (12/717) vs. 0.2% (1/530), χ2=6.51, P=0.011). After propensity score matching, there were 147 cases in both the respiratory virus group and the non-respiratory virus group. Rate of respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress, rate of disseminated coagulation dysfunction, and immunoglobulin usage of the respiratory virus group were higher than those of non-respiratory virus group (77.6% (114/147) vs. 59.2% (87/147), 17.7% (26/147) vs. 4.1% (6/147), 15.6% (25/147) vs. 4.1% (7/147), and 35.4% (52/147) vs. 21.4% (32/147); χ2=11.07, 14.02, 11.06 and 6.67, all P<0.05); and PICU hospitalization of the former was longer than that of the later (7 (3, 16) vs. 3 (1, 7)d, Z=5.01, P<0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of respiratory viral infection was associated with respiratory failure, disseminated coagulation dysfunction, the use of mechanical ventilation, and the use of immunoglobulin and anti-respiratory viral drugs ( OR=2.42, 0.22, 0.25, 0.56 and 1.12, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The composition of respiratory virus infection in children with septic shock is different between pre and post-COVID-19. Respiratory viral infection is associated with organ dysfunction in children with septic shock. Decreasing respiratory viral infection through respiratory protection may improve the clinical outcome of these children.