Objective:Hearing loss can seriously affect mental health status, and this study aims to investigate the influence of hearing health status on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older individuals in the community.Methods:From June to December 2023, a stratified random sampling method was employed to select 1 238 community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 years and above from four cities (Hangzhou, Shanghai, Baoding, and Zhengzhou) as research subjects. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the subjects′ basic information, hearing health status [assessed by the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults-Screening Version (HHIA-S)], and depressive symptoms [assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15)]. T-tests, rank-sum tests and chi-square tests were used for univariate analysis, while, multiple linear regression and binary Logistic regression were applied to analyze the relationship between hearing health status and depressive symptoms.Results:A total of 1 183 community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 years and above were included in the final analysis (464 males and 719 females, aged from 45 to 96 years). The detection rate of hearing loss was 35.3%(418/1 183), while, the detection rate of depressive symptoms was 9.89%(117/1 183). Age, level of interaction with children, self-rated health, perceived loneliness, and hearing health significantly influenced depressive symptoms among older adults residing in the community ( P<0.05). Individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss ( β=2.04, 95% CI: 1.47, 2.62) exhibited higher GDS-15 scores compared to those without hearing impairment. Furthermore, after correcting for sex, age, marital status, monthly per capita family income, education, residence, smoking status, alcohol use, use of psychotropic medication (anxiolytic or depressant), number of illness, self-health assessment, and autonomy, middle-aged and older adults with mild to moderate hearing loss ( OR=2.89, 95% CI: 1.76, 4.88) and severe hearing loss ( OR=5.79, 95% CI: 3.05, 11.01) demonstrated an increased likelihood of experiencing depression. Conclusions:The degree of hearing loss in community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly individuals is closely associated with the risk of depressive symptoms. Therefore, it is imperative to enhance hearing health screening and to provide mental health support to individuals with hearing loss, in order to mitigate the onset and progression of depressive symptoms.

Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas(ADP)is an extremely rare congenital pancreatic malformation characterized by the absence or hypoplasia of the pancreatic body and tail.Its pathogenesis is closely related to abnormal embryonic development of the ventral and dorsal pancreatic buds,governed by a complex network of transcription factors,including HLXB9,HNF1B,PDX1,PTF1A,GATA4,and GATA6.The clinical spectrum of ADP is highly variable,ranging from asymptomatic cases to manifestations such as abdominal pain,diabetes mellitus,or pancreatitis.Imaging modalities-including ultrasonography,CT,magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography,and endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography-serve as the main diagnostic tools,with characteristic findings of absent pancreatic body and tail accompanied by compensatory enlargement of the pancreatic head.ADP is frequently associated with congenital anomalies of the kidney,biliary tract,cardiovascular system,or genital organs.Management is primarily symptomatic,with insulin replacement for diabetes and pancreatic enzyme supplementation for exocrine insufficiency.Advances in genetic sequencing and stem cell research have deepened understanding of the pathogenesis,genetic background,and potential therapeutic strategies of ADP.This review summarizes current progress in embryology,genetics,clinical features,diagnosis,and treatment of ADP,aiming to improve clinical recognition and guide future investigations.

Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas(ADP)is an extremely rare congenital pancreatic malformation characterized by the absence or hypoplasia of the pancreatic body and tail.Its pathogenesis is closely related to abnormal embryonic development of the ventral and dorsal pancreatic buds,governed by a complex network of transcription factors,including HLXB9,HNF1B,PDX1,PTF1A,GATA4,and GATA6.The clinical spectrum of ADP is highly variable,ranging from asymptomatic cases to manifestations such as abdominal pain,diabetes mellitus,or pancreatitis.Imaging modalities-including ultrasonography,CT,magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography,and endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography-serve as the main diagnostic tools,with characteristic findings of absent pancreatic body and tail accompanied by compensatory enlargement of the pancreatic head.ADP is frequently associated with congenital anomalies of the kidney,biliary tract,cardiovascular system,or genital organs.Management is primarily symptomatic,with insulin replacement for diabetes and pancreatic enzyme supplementation for exocrine insufficiency.Advances in genetic sequencing and stem cell research have deepened understanding of the pathogenesis,genetic background,and potential therapeutic strategies of ADP.This review summarizes current progress in embryology,genetics,clinical features,diagnosis,and treatment of ADP,aiming to improve clinical recognition and guide future investigations.

Objective:Hearing loss can seriously affect mental health status, and this study aims to investigate the influence of hearing health status on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older individuals in the community.Methods:From June to December 2023, a stratified random sampling method was employed to select 1 238 community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 years and above from four cities (Hangzhou, Shanghai, Baoding, and Zhengzhou) as research subjects. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the subjects′ basic information, hearing health status [assessed by the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults-Screening Version (HHIA-S)], and depressive symptoms [assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15)]. T-tests, rank-sum tests and chi-square tests were used for univariate analysis, while, multiple linear regression and binary Logistic regression were applied to analyze the relationship between hearing health status and depressive symptoms.Results:A total of 1 183 community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 years and above were included in the final analysis (464 males and 719 females, aged from 45 to 96 years). The detection rate of hearing loss was 35.3%(418/1 183), while, the detection rate of depressive symptoms was 9.89%(117/1 183). Age, level of interaction with children, self-rated health, perceived loneliness, and hearing health significantly influenced depressive symptoms among older adults residing in the community ( P<0.05). Individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss ( β=2.04, 95% CI: 1.47, 2.62) exhibited higher GDS-15 scores compared to those without hearing impairment. Furthermore, after correcting for sex, age, marital status, monthly per capita family income, education, residence, smoking status, alcohol use, use of psychotropic medication (anxiolytic or depressant), number of illness, self-health assessment, and autonomy, middle-aged and older adults with mild to moderate hearing loss ( OR=2.89, 95% CI: 1.76, 4.88) and severe hearing loss ( OR=5.79, 95% CI: 3.05, 11.01) demonstrated an increased likelihood of experiencing depression. Conclusions:The degree of hearing loss in community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly individuals is closely associated with the risk of depressive symptoms. Therefore, it is imperative to enhance hearing health screening and to provide mental health support to individuals with hearing loss, in order to mitigate the onset and progression of depressive symptoms.

Objective To explore the changes in serum creatine kinase(CK)and myoglobin(Mb)levels in benign acute childhood myositis(BACM)and their clinical significance.Methods The clinical data of 78 children with BACM treated in our hospital from January 2011 to December 2023 were collected,and the dynamic changes and clinical performance of serum CK and Mb levels were re-trospectively analyzed.Results The CK levels of the 78 patients ranged from 432 U/L to 18 440 U/L,with the mean level being 2 178.8 U/L.The levels exceeded the upper reference limit(310 U/L)in all the patients.They were 2 and 10 times the upper reference limit in 72(92.31％)and 15(19.23％)patients,respectively,and were greater than 5 000 U/L in 5(6.41％)patients and greater than 10 000 U/L in 1 patient.The CK level usually peaked in the first 3 days of BACM onset before decreasing gradually.By the 7th day,CK levels in 73％of the cases decreased to the normal reference range,which was consistent with the change in clinical symptoms.Serum Mb samples were col-lected from 66 patients,and the levels ranged from 13.3 ng/mL to 2 603.8 ng/mL,with the mean level being 260.17 ng/mL.In 34 patients(51.52％),the Mb levels were higher than the upper reference limit(116.3 ng/mL).Among these patients,20(30.30％),7(10.61％),and 3(4.55％)patients had Mb levels 2,5,and 10 times higher than the upper reference limit,respectively.Serum Mb levels peaked in the first 3 days of BACM onset and then decreased quickly.Furthermore,in 84.38％of the total cases,serum Mb levels decreased to the normal reference range by the 5th day of onset.Conclusion Serum CK levels in children with BACM are significantly increased,consistent with the changes in clinical symptoms,and therefore,could be regarded as an important basis for BACM diagnosis.Furthermore,serum Mb levels increase to varying extents,indicating a great reference value in BACM diagnosis,and should be tested simultaneously with serum CK.Testing for serum CK and Mb is of great significance for understanding the clinical conditions and guiding the treatment of BACM.

A 3-year-old male patient was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1(NF1) for two years. The patient has multiple neurofibromas in retroperitoneum, lumbococcygeal paravertebral, lumbosacral spinal canal, and foramina. Due to retroperitoneal mass compression, the child suffered from urological complications such as hydronephrosis, ureterdilation, neurogenic bladder, etc., which seriously affected the urination function and resulted in multiple surgical treatments. Currently, the patient has been treated with mitogen activates extracelluar signal-regulated kinases(MEK) inhibitor selumetinib targeted therapy, and has voluntarily urinated, and his general state is better than before medication. The diagnosis and treatment of this case reflects the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered regulatory mode of cell death, which is caused by glutathione peroxidase 4 deficiency, abnormal iron metabolism and lipid peroxidation.At present, it is considered that iron metabolism and active oxygen metabolism are the central link of ferroptosis.Ferroptosis involves a variety of physiological and pathological processes, including cancer cell death, neurotoxicity, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and T-cell immunity.Studies have shown that ferroptosis characteristics such as iron overload and lipid peroxidation may occur in different degrees during the development of a variety of nephropathy.Ferroptosis can affect the progression of renal disease by regulating the level of intracellular iron ions and lipid peroxidation.Therefore, effective regulation of ferroptosis is expected to be an important strategy in the treatment of renal diseases.In this paper, the regulation mechanism of ferroptosis and its research progress in kidney disease are reviewed to provide new theories and ideas for the treatment of renal disease.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with different types of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods:A total of 272 eligible COVID-19 patients who were admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People′s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University from January 22 to February 15, 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. General characteristics, the first laboratory examination and imaging data of these patients were collected. According to the clinical classification, there were 236 cases in non-severe group (mild+ common type) and 36 cases in severe group (severe+ critical type). Comparisons between groups were performed by t test, chi-square test or rank-sum test when appropriate. Results:There were 23 males and 13 females in the severe group, 103 males and 133 females in the non-severe group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=5.149, P=0.023). The age of severe group was (60.5±11.2) years, which was higher than that of non-severe group (46.8±15.7) years. The difference was statistically significant ( t=6.43, P<0.01). The lymphocyte (LYM) count, platelet (PLT) count and arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2) in the severe group were 0.90(0.55, 1.10)×10 9/L, 170.00(143.50, 198.00)×10 9/L and 73.50(69.70, 83.00) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively, which were all lower than those in the non-severe group (1.42(1.09, 1.95)×10 9/L, 187.00(148.00, 230.00)×10 9/L and 96.00(83.20, 108.00) mmHg, respectively). The differences were all statistically significant ( Z=5.59, 2.00 and 5.00, respectively, all P<0.05). The levels of creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C reaction protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in the severe group were 123.00(79.00, 212.00) U/L, 32.10(27.00, 47.40) U/L, 305.50(216.00, 396.00) U/L, 37.02(23.92, 63.66) mg/L and 0.09(0.05, 0.19) μg/L, respectively, which were all higher than those in the non-severe group (68.00(48.00, 103.00) U/L, 20.10(16.70, 26.20) U/L, 179.00(150.00, 222.00) U/L, 26.55(18.11, 36.96) mg/L and 0.04(0.03, 0.06) μg/L respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant ( Z=3.89, 5.60, 5.12, 2.85 and 5.43, respectively, all P<0.01). No significant differences were observed in white blood cell count, creatine kinase isoenzyme and blood lactate between the two groups ( Z=1.53, 0.41 and 1.00, respectively, all P>0.05). Conclusion:Gender, age, LYM count, PLT count, PaO 2, CK, AST, LDH, CRP and PCT could be used to provide reference for clinical classification of COVID-19 patients.

Objective: To investigate the effect of silencing troponin I3 (Tnni3) gene expression on biological property of rat embryonic H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Methods: The rat embryonic H9C2 cardiomyocytes were cultured and divided into 2 groups: control group transfected with negative control small interfering RNA (NC-siRNA group) and experimental group transfected with Tnni3 small interfering RNA (Tnni3-siRNA group). At 48 h, 72 h after transfection, the cells were collected, and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)was used to detect the mRNA expressions of Tnni3 and Caspase-3, and Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of Tnni3, Cyclin A1 and Cyclin B1.Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC) apoptosis detection kit was used to analyze cell apoptosis.Cell proliferation was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) solution and cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Results: At 48 h post-transfection with Tnni3-siRNA, H9C2 cells exhibited a significant decrease in Tnni3 mRNA (0.27±0.05 vs. 1.00±0.00) and protein (0.18±0.03 vs. 1.00±0.00) compared with those transfected with NC-siRNA, and the differences were statistically significant (t=25.26, 47.40, all P<0.01). Apoptotic cells were observed in the NC-siRNA group and the Tnni3-siRNA group.At 72 h post-transfection, the percentage of apoptotic cells significantly increased in H9C2 cells transfected with Tnni3-siRNA [(11.30±1.85)% vs. (0.33±0.15)%] compared with those transfected with NC-siRNA, an increased expression of Caspase-3 mRNA was also observed in Tnni3-siRNA-transfected H9C2 cells (1.39±0.13 vs. 1.00±0.00), and the differences were statistically significant (t=10.24, 5.19, all P<0.01). Compared with NC-siRNA-transfected H9C2 cells, a time-dependent reduction in cell proliferation was observed in Tnni3-siRNA-transfected H9C2 cells (48 h: 0.32±0.06 vs. 0.46±0.03; 72 h: 0.31±0.01 vs. 0.63±0.04; 96 h: 0.36±0.01 vs 0.75±0.04), and the differences were statistically significant (t=3.62, 13.45, 16.39, all P<0.01). At 72 h post-transfection with Tnni3-siRNA, the percentage of G1 phase, S phase and G2 phase cells was (71.25±3.82)%, (18.28±2.78)% and (9.94±1.09)%, respectively.There was a significant increase in the proportion of G2 phase cells [(9.94±1.09)% vs. (4.54±0.99)%] in H9C2 cells transfected with Tnni3-siRNA compared with those transfected with NC-siRNA, an increased expression of Cyclin A1 protein (1.89±0.09 vs.1.00±0.00) and a decreased expression of Cyclin B1 protein (0.47±0.06 vs.1.00±0.00) were observed in Tnni3-siRNA-transfected H9C2 cells, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (t=6.35, 17.12, 15.32, all P<0.01). Conclusions Silencing Tnni3 gene expression in rat embryonic H9C2 cardiomyocytes can induce cell apoptosis, suppress cell proliferation, and led to G2 cell cycle arrest.

Objective To explore the effect of reduced alpha - cardiac actin 1(ACTC1)gene expression on the rat embryonic cardiomyocytes H9C2 cell apoptosis and its mechanism. Methods The rat embryonic cardiomyocytes H9C2 cell was cultivated;the rat embryonic cardiomyocytes H9C2 cell was transfected with ACTC1 - small interfering RNA(siRNA),and at 24 h,48 h,72 h after transfection,the cells were collected for extraction and purification of RNA, the real - time quantitative PCR(qPCR)method was used to detect the expression level of ACTC1 gene;and the termi-nal deoxynucleotidyl transferase - mediated dUTP - biotin nick end labeling assay(TUNEL)method was used to ex-plore the effect of reduced ACTC1 gene expression on the rat embryonic cardiomyocytes H9C2 cell apoptosis. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Cyto C,cysteine - containing aspartate - specific proteases(Caspase)- 3, Caspase - 8,Caspase - 9,Bcl - 2 and Bax. Results The expression of ACTC1 mRNA detected by qPCR decreased compared with that of the scramble siRNA group in 24 h,48 h,72 h(0. 80 vs. 1. 00,0. 20 vs. 1. 00,0. 25 vs. 1. 00),and in the ACTC1 - siRNA group decreased significantly at 48 h,72 h,and the difference was statistically significant(t =4. 245,P < 0. 05);TUNEL positive cells rate significantly increased in the ACTC1 - siRNA group(80％)compared with that in the scramble siRNA group(20％),and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0. 05);Western blot also confirmed that the expression of Caspase - 3,Caspase - 9,Cyto C and Bax/ Bcl - 2 were accordingly increased (0. 91 ± 0. 12 vs. 0. 59 ± 0. 01,0. 48 ± 0. 09 vs. 0. 24 ± 0. 03,0. 92 ± 0. 03 vs. 0. 45 ± 0. 01,2. 25 ± 0. 26 vs. 1. 16 ± 0. 12),and the differences were statistically significant(t = 2. 821,7. 336,2. 420,0. 798,all P < 0. 05);but the expre-ssion of Caspase - 8 had no obvious change,and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0. 05 ). Conclusions Reduced ACTC1 gene expression can induce the rat embryonic cardiomyocytes H9C2 cell apoptosis perhaps mainly through endogenous mitochondrial signal transduction pathways.