1.Exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide activates sterol regulatory element-binding proteins and affects iron metabolism
Xiaoxia JIANG ; Mei WU ; Zhujun CHEN ; Jianbing WU ; Rong CHEN ; Jiayi SHEN ; Zhijun LI
China Occupational Medicine 2026;53(1):79-83
Objective To investigated the effects of occupational exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) on sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) and iron metabolism among workers. Methods A total of 20 workers occupationally exposed to DMF were selected as the exposure group, and 15 healthy workers without DMF exposure from the same factory were selected as the control group using the purposive sampling method. DMF exposure levels were assessed in individual samples of the workers. The urinary N-methylformamide (NMF) levels were measured by gas chromatography. The mRNA expression of SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c, and SREBP-2 in peripheral blood was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and ferritin levels. Results The DMF exposure levels among the workers in the control group were below the detection limit, and urinary NMF was undetectable. The median DMF exposure level was 13.30 mg/m3, and the mean urinary NMF level was (9.72±1.78) mg/g Cr among the workers in the exposure group. Compared with the control group, the relative mRNA expression of SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c, and SREBP-2 in peripheral blood of workers in the exposure group increased (all P<0.05), while the levels of transferrin and sTfR decreased (both P<0.01). However, there was no statistically significant difference in serum ferritin levels between the two groups (P>0.05). In the exposure group, urinary NMF level of workers was negatively correlated with the relative mRNA expression level of SREBP-1c in blood [correlation coefficient (r)=-0.50, P=0.03], and positively correlated with the levels of serum transferrin, sTfR, and ferritin (r = 0.63, 0.58, and 0.52, respectively; all P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposure to DMF can upregulate the expression of the SREBP family and disrupt iron metabolism, with a potential association between these effects.
2.Application of multimodal neuromodulation guided by multidisciplinary team-based management in dynamic assessment and precision rehabilitation for a case of large-area cerebral infarction
Xiaoli WU ; Xiaoqian XIA ; Changqing YE ; Yunlei WANG ; Xingzhu LI ; LiXu LIU ; Fubiao HUANG ; Jingsong LIU ; Yichuan SONG ; Yue ZHANG ; Xiaoxia DU
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2026;32(10):1165-1176
ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy and potential neural mechanisms of individualized precision rehabilitation combining multimodal neuromodulation technologies under the guidance of multidisciplinary team (MDT)-based whole process dynamic assessment in a patient with large-area cerebral infarction who responded poorly to conventional rehabilitation. MethodsA 38-year-old male patient presented with hemiplegia and complete aphasia following large-area cerebral infarction in the left fronto-temporo-parietal lobe and basal ganglia due to arterial dissection. Under the MDT framework, the patient underwent six months of inpatient rehabilitation and one month of outpatient follow-up. Multimodal assessments were performed at multiple time points using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), three-dimensional gait analysis and 128-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, combined with standardized scales, such as Chinese Rehabilitation Research Center Standard Aphasia Examination (CRRCAE), Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA), simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and modified Barthel Index (MBI). The rehabilitation protocol integrated conventional therapies with multimodal interventions, including multi-target transcranial magnetic stimulation, brain-computer interface (BCI)-driven robotic hand training and task-oriented virtual reality upper limb training. ResultsAfter intervention, the patient showed significant improvements: LOTCA score increased by 16 points, CRRCAE subscale scores improved by 60% to 90%, total FMA score increased from 20 to 54, FMA-Balance reached 12, and MBI improved from 40 to 91. DTI revealed an increase in global fiber tract count, elevated fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum and right corticospinal tract, and significantly increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity in specific brain regions on fMRI. Event-related desynchronization dynamically decreased during BCI training, and three-dimensional gait parameters showed overall improvement. ConclusionFor patients with large-area stroke who respond inadequately to conventional rehabilitation, an individualized precision rehabilitation system based on MDT whole-process dynamic assessment and integrating multimodal neuromodulation with conventional therapy can effectively enhance cognitive, language, motor functions and activities of daily living. Neuroimaging and electrophysiological findings suggest that the mechanism may involve promoting neural fiber remodeling and modulating regional brain activity.
3.The relationship between white matter injury and sleepiness,sleep disorders,and cognitive decline in patients with obstructive sleep apnea
Yaoyao ZHAI ; Xiaoxia LIU ; Chan MENG ; Lei ZHAO ; Zhiming ZHANG ; Dahai WU
Chinese Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2025;32(4):244-250
OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between white matter damage and sleepiness,decreased sleep quality,and cognitive decline in patients with OSA.METHODS There were 55 confirmed cases of OSA diagnosed by polysomnography(PSG)from January 2018 to May 2023 were selected,with 29 non-OSA controls also diagnosed by PSG.DKI scanning and Epworth sleepiness scale(ESS),Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI),and Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scores were performed for all subjects.Differences in kurtosis fractional anisotropy(KFA)of various brain regions were compared between the two groups to identify differential brain regions,and pairwise correlations were analyzed between KFA reduction and apnea-hypopnea index(AHI),lowest oxygen saturation(LSaO2)and various scale scores in OSA patients.RESULTS The KFA values in right external capsule,bilateral corona radiata,bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus,corpus callosum,posterior cingulate gyrus of OSA group were lower than control group(P<0.05).For the OSA group:The correlation between ESS scores and KFA values of right posterior corona radiata,left superior longitudinal fasciculus,body of corpus callosum,splenium of corpus callosum are all negative(r=-0.287,-0.286,-0.276,-0.449,P<0.05).The correlation between PSQI scores and KFA values of right posterior corona radiata,left posterior corona radiata,splenium of corpus callosum are all negative(r=-0.390,-0.274,-0.348,P<0.05).The correlation between MoCA scores and KFA values of right posterior corona radiata,right superior longitudinal fasciculus,left anterior corona radiata,left posterior corona radiata,left superior corona radiata,left superior longitudinal fasciculus,genu of corpus callosum,body of corpus callosum,are all positive(r=0.290,0.389,0.298,0.278,0.340,0.473,0.344,0.344,P<0.05).The correlation between visuospatial and executive function scores and AHI,LSaO2,ESS scores and KFA values of right posterior corona radiata,left superior corona radiata,left superior longitudinal fasciculus and splenium of corpus callosum are all significant(r=-0.350,0.470,-0.343,0.401,0.284,0.387,0.274,P<0.05).CONCLUSION Patients with OSA exhibit damage to the white matter in certain brain regions.The damage to the corpus callosum,posterior corona radiata,and superior longitudinal fasciculus has the greatest impact on patients'sleepiness,reduced sleep quality,and cognitive impairment.In particular,the impairment in visuospatial and executive function is closely associated with white matter damage in the corona radiata and superior longitudinal fasciculus.
4.Expression and prognosis of miR-29b-2-5p and STX16 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Xiaoxia ZHANG ; Xiaobing MIAO ; Yaxun WU ; Qianhui GU ; Jibin LIU
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(6):651-657
Objective To investigate the expression and prognostic value of microRNA-29b-2-5p(miR-29b-2-5p)and syntaxin 16(STX16)in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 88 HCC patients diagnosed in Nantong Tumor Hospital from January 2013 to September 2020 were collected.The expressions of miR-29b-2-5p and STX16 in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues were analyzed by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.The expression of STX16 protein in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation be-tween miR-29b-2-5p and STX16.Non-parametric χ2 test was used to analyze the relationship between the ex-pression of the two proteins and clinicopathological parameters,and Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of the two proteins and prognosis.Results The relative ex-pression level of miR-29b-2-5p was 0.780(0.351,1.708)in cancer tissues and 1.014(0.458,3.124)in adja-cent tissues in 88 HCC patients.The relative expression level of miR-29b-2-5p in cancer tissues was signifi-cantly lower than that in adjacent tissues(P=0.012).The relative expression level of STX16 mRNA was 0.775(0.406,0.946)in cancer tissues and 0.368(0.080,1.301)in adjacent tissues in 88 HCC patients.The relative expression level of STX16 mRNA in cancer tissues was significantly higer than that in adjacent tissues(P<0.01).Immunohistochemical results showed that STX16 was expressed in the cytoplasm,and the expres-sion of STX16 in cancer tissues was higher than that in adjacent tissues(P<0.05).The expression of miR-29b-2-5p in cancer tissues was related to cancer stage(P<0.05),and the expression of STX16 was related to cancer stage and alpha-fetoprotein(P<0.05).Patients with low miR-29b-2-5p expression had a shorter over-all survival(OS)than those with high miR-29b-2-5p expression,and patients with high STX16 expression had a shorter OS than those with low STX16 expression(P<0.05).Conclusion The expression of miR-29b-2-5p is low and STX16 is high in HCC tissues.The combined detection of miR-29b-2-5p and STX16 can effectively evaluate the prognosis of HCC patients.
5.Study on the effects of different tidal volume ventilation on respiratory mechanics and hemodynamics in children with severe pneumonia
Xiaoxia WU ; Jianxin GUO ; Mengting QU ; Hairula NADIR ; Aili ZHAYIDAN ; Yongfeng CHENG
Tianjin Medical Journal 2025;53(7):747-750
Objective To investigate the effect of ventilation with different tidal volumes on respiratory mechanics and haemodynamics in children with severe pneumonia.Methods A total of 104 children with severe pneumonia were divided into the control group and the observation group using a random number table method,with 52 cases in each group.Both groups underwent mechanical ventilation treatment.The control group was treated with conventional tidal volume of 10-12 mL/kg,while the observation group was given a low tidal volume of 6-8 mL/kg.The respiratory mechanics indicators,hemodynamic indicators and inflammatory factor indicators before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.Results After treatment,the airway resistance(AR)and airway closing pressure(AOP)were lower in the observation group than those of the control group(P<0.05),and pulmonary dynamic compliance(Cdyn)was higher in the observation group than that of the control group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in heart rate(HR),mean arterial pressure(MAP)and central venous pressure(CVP)after treatment between the two groups(P<0.05).After treatment,the levels of interleukin(IL)-6,IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were all lower in the observation group than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Small tidal volume mechanical ventilation is effective in improving the respiratory mechanics of children with severe pneumonia without causing large fluctuations in their hemodynamics.At the same time,it can reduce the level of inflammatory factors in the organism.
6.Epidemiological characteristics and trends of preterm births in China from 2017 to 2022
Tianchen WU ; Yixin LI ; Huifeng SHI ; Lian CHEN ; Xiaoxia WANG ; Jie QIAO ; Yangyu ZHAO ; Yuan WEI
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine 2025;28(2):126-133
Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and trends of preterm births in China using medical institution survey data, thereby providing epidemiological data support for perinatal care.Methods:Based on a nationwide sampling survey on healthcare quality data from 2017 to 2022, this study included 3 547, 4 436, 4 513, 4 535, 5 068, and 5 790 medical institutions, with 7 039 107, 8 926 441, 9 006 420, 7 051 984, 7 311 862, and 7 354 062 parturient women, respectively. The overall rates of preterm birth (live births at 28 to 36 +6 weeks of gestation/overall live births) and early preterm birth (live births at 28 to <34 weeks of gestation/overall live births) were calculated at the national level, across diverse provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and for various levels of medical institutions. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the influence of maternal characteristics and medical institution characteristics on the rates of preterm birth and early preterm birth. Results:From 2017 to 2022, both the preterm birth rate and the early preterm birth rate in China showed a continuous increase. The preterm birth rate rose from 5.13% (363 036/7 079 454) in 2017 to 6.56% (487 150/7 424 734) in 2022, and the early preterm birth rate increased from 1.32% (118 021/8 971 870) in 2018 to 1.43% (106 157/7 424 734) in 2022. These rates showed an overall increasing trend in private, secondary public specialty, and general hospitals. In tertiary public specialty hospitals, these rates fluctuated around 8.0% and 2.0% from the year 2018, respectively, while in tertiary public general hospitals, these rates peaked in 2020 at 8.63% (205 570/2 381 523) and 2.19% (52 197/2 381 523), respectively. Compared with 2017, by 2022, the preterm birth rate had increased to varying degrees in all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, except for Henan Province [preterm birth rate in 2017 was 6.22% (27 173/437 187); preterm birth rate in 2022 was 5.83% (37 604/645 104)]. As for the early preterm birth rate, it showed a decline in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Henan, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Zhejiang, but had increased to varying degrees in all other provinces , autonomous regions, municipalities and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps across the country. The grade and location of medical institutions both had a significant impact on the preterm birth rate and early preterm birth rate (both P<0.05). For every 1% increase in the proportions of multiparous women, women of advanced maternal age, or twin pregnancies, the preterm birth rate increased by 0.014%, 0.042%, and 0.763%, and the early preterm birth rate increased by 0.004%, 0.013%, and 0.239%, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusion:From 2017 to 2022, the preterm birth rate and early preterm birth rate in China have continued to rise, reflecting the dual challenges of changing characteristics in the childbearing population and the uneven distribution of medical and health resources faced by maternal and child healthcare in China.
7.Application of immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry for screening of antibody-recognizing molecules against Echinococcus granulosus
Xiaoxia WU ; Jing DING ; Xuemin JIN ; Zhuangzhi ZHANG ; Lixiao ZHANG ; Mingyuan LIU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(3):519-526
We collected the positive serum of Echinococcus granulosus infection in sheep,an inter-mediate host with strong immune response,and used healthy serum as negative control,purified the serum and target protein to capture and enrich the corresponding antigen by immunoprecipita-tion,and obtained target protein-antibody-target protein complex.Mass spectrometry strategies were combined to screen and identify specific antigens associated with Echinococcus granulosus,and the proteins with the highest peptide coverage were analyzed bioinformatically using online prediction software.The results showed that 133 Echinococcus granulosus related proteins were i-dentified by IP-MS.Among them,one protein with peptide coverage≥70%was actin Ⅱ,and three proteins with peptide coverage between 30%to 40%were Ton B box domain containing protein,NADH dehydrogenase(ubiquinone)1 α-subcomplex 2(NADH dehydrogenase[ubiquinone])and lactic dehydrogenase.There were six proteins with 20%to 30%peptide coverage,namely,spli-cing factor 3B subunit 5,tumor protein D52,expressed conserved protein,NADH dehydrogenase(ubiquinone)1 alpha subcomplex 7,inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase,and aldo keto re-ductase family 1 member B4.Bioinformatics analysis revealed that actin protein has no signal pep-tide,it is probably a non-secretory protein and is subcellularly localized to the cytoskeleton,six op-timal potential antigenic epitopes are present,and the secondary and tertiary structures are consist-ently dominated by α-helices and irregular convolutions.The results indicate that immunoprecipita-tion-mass spectrometry is a high-throughput,simple,rapid and effective method for screening and identifying fine-grained Echinococcus granulosus antigens,which can provide a basis for screening specific molecules for serodiagnostic markers in intermediate host sheep and for the development of novel diagnostic techniques for hydatid diseases.
8.Clinical epidemiological study of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy based on Shenzhen birth cohort
Yixuan CHEN ; Linlin WU ; Kan LIU ; Xiaoxia WU ; Jianmin NIU
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2025;53(3):281-286
Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and morbidity trends of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Shenzhen, China.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Data were based on the Shenzhen Birth Cohort. Pregnant women who gave birth from January 1, 2018 to March 31, 2023 were included. Incidence and change trends of HDP and its different pathological types were analyzed. The enrolled pregnant women were divided into the HDP group and the non-HDP group according to whether HDP occurred. General clinical data and pregnancy outcomes were collected from both groups. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women with different pathological types of HDP was analyzed, and subgroup analyses were performed based on age and body mass index (BMI).Results:A total of 90 117 pregnant women were enrolled, aged (31.6±4.4) years. There were 4 117 cases in the HDP group and 86 000 in the non-HDP group. The overall incidence of HDP in the whole study population was 4.57% (4 117/90 117). From 2018—2023, the incidence of HDP in Shenzhen showed an increasing trend year by year, from 2.88% (523/18 155) to 7.04% (271/3 851). Specifically, the incidence of gestational hypertension increased from 0.93% (168/18 155) to 3.09% (119/3 851), the incidence of preeclampsia-eclampsia increased from 1.78% (323/18 155) to 3.17% (122/3 851), the incidence of chronic hypertension increased from 0.01% (1/18 155) to 0.42% (16/3 851), and the incidence of chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia increased from 0.17% (31/18 155) to 0.36% (14/3 851). The age ((32.8±4.8) years vs. (31.5±4.3) years, P<0.05) and BMI in the first trimester ((23.37±3.77) kg/m 2 vs. (21.35±2.91) kg/m 2, P<0.05) of HDP group were higher than those of the non-HDP group. Subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of HDP in pregnant women aged≥50.0 years was the highest in all age subgroups (42.86% (6/14)). The incidence of HDP in pregnant women with BMI≥30.0 kg/m 2 in the first trimester was the highest among all BMI subgroups (20.44% (241/1 179)). The proportions of preterm birth, gestational diabetes, fetal growth restriction, small for gestational age, placental abruption, and late abortion in HDP group were 30.82% (1 269/4 117), 30.46% (1 254/4 117), 6.80% (280/4 117), 4.86% (200/4 117), 3.59% (148/4 117), and 0.80% (33/4 117), respectively. Conclusions:The incidence of HDP among pregnant women has been increased year by year in Shenzhen, China. With the increase in age and BMI during early pregnancy, the incidence of HDP showed an overall upward trend.
9.Establishment and evaluation of a similarity measurement model for orthognathic patients based on the 3D craniofacial features
Ling WU ; Jiakun FANG ; Xiaojing LIU ; Zili LI ; Yang LI ; Xiaoxia WANG
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(1):128-135
Objective:To establish a similarity measurement model for patients with dentofacial deformity based on 3D craniofacial features and to validate the similarity results with quantifying subjec-tive expert scoring.Methods:In the study,52 cases of patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusions who underwent bimaxillary surgery and preoperative orthodontic treatment at Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from January 2020 to December 2022,including 26 males and 26 females,were selected and divided into 2 groups by sex.One patient in each group was randomly selected as a reference sample,and the others were set as test samples.Three senior surgeons rated the similarity scores between the test samples and the reference sample.Similarity scores ranged from 1 to 10,where 1 was completely different,and 10 was exactly the same.Scores larger than 7.5 was considered as clinical-ly similar.Preoperative cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)and 3D facial images of the patients were collected.The three-dimensional hard and soft tissue features,including distances,angles and 3D point cloud features were extracted.The similarity measurement model was then established to fit with the experts'similarity scoring by feature selection algorithm and linear regression model.To verify the relia-bility of the model,14 new patients were selected and input to similarity measurement model for finding similar cases.The similarity scoring of these similar cases were rated by experts,and used to evaluate the reliability of the model.Results:The similarity metric models indicated that the features of the middle and lower craniofacial features were the main features to influence the craniofacial similarity.The main features that were related to the expert's similarity scoring included distance of anterior nasal spine-menton(ANS-Me),distance of right upper canion point-Frankfurt horizontal plane(U3RH),distance of left superior point of the condyle-left gonion(CoL-GoL),distance of left gonion-menton(CoL-Me),dis-tance of pogonion-midsagittal plane(Pog-MSP),distance of right alar base-left alar base(AlR-AlL),angle of pronasale-soft tissue pogonion-labrale inferius(Pn-Pog'-Li),distance of trichion-right tragus(Tri-TraR),distance of left exocanthion-left alar base(ExL-AlL),lower 1/3 of skeletal face,middle and lower 2/3 of skeletal face and upper lip region of soft tissue.Fourteen new patients were chosen to evaluate the model.The similar cases selected by the model had an average experts'similarity scoring of 7.627±0.711,which was not significantly different with 7.5.Conclusion:The similarity measurement model established by this model could find the similar cases which highly matched experts'subjective simi-larity scoring.The study could be further used for similar cases retrieval in skeletal Ⅲ malocclusion patients.
10.Construction and identification of cDNA expression library of 3rd day larva of Echinococcus granulosus
Xiaoxia WU ; Xiaolei LIU ; Mingyuan LIU ; Shumin SUN ; Yongjun ZHAO ; Jing DING
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(2):305-311
This study aims to construct and identify the cDNA expression library of 3rd day larva of Echinococcus granulosus.Echinococcus granulosus protoscolex was isolated and collected from the liver of a fresh infected sheep with cysts,and the experimental dogs were infected manually by mouth.On the 3rd day,approximately 1.5 meters of the duodenal jejunum was taken during the au-topsy,and the worm body was dislodged by swinging it in 38-40 ℃ physiological saline,and then the 3-day larvae of Echinococcus granulosus were collected.Total RNA was extracted by TRIzol reagent,mRNA was isolated and purified using PolyATtract? mRNA Isolation Systems.The cD-NA was synthesized by reverse transcription,ligated with pBluescript sk-vector after addition of a 5'junction and introduced into E.coli by electrotransformation to construct a cDNA expression li-brary for 3-day-old larvae of Echinococcus granulosus.The average length of insert cDNA frag-ments was 1.0-1.2 kb.The initial capacity of constructed library was 1.15×107 CFU/mL,titer of amplified library was 1× 1010 CFU/mL,recombination rate was 100%.The constructed cDNA ex-pression library and the inserted fragment size were suitable.This library is expected to be used for screening candidate genes and diagnostic antigen molecules of definitive hosts canine vaccines of Echinococcus granulosus.

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