Objective To investigate occupational exposure levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium in the lead smelting plant of Hunan Shui Kou Shan Nonferrous Metals Group Co. Ltd., analyze their effects on health of employees, and compare the applicability of different occupational health risk assessment methods, and to provide a basis for prevention and control of occupational exposure risks in enterprises. Methods According to systematic sampling method, 380 employees with lead, arsenic and cadmium exposure (exposure group) and 100 non-exposure employees (non-exposure group) were selected from 2022 to 2024 for on-site investigation of occupational health [concentration time-weighted average (C_TWA)] and physical examination. The risk was evaluated by qualitative assessment method, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inhalation risk assessment method, and the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) semi-quantitative method. The consistency was analyzed by the Kappa test. Results C_TWA values of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in all positions were lower than the occupational exposure limit (OEL). The levels of blood lead, urine arsenic, and urine cadmium, as well as the prevalence of multiple systems in the exposure group were significantly higher than those in the non-exposure group (P<0.05). The proportions of chronic lead, arsenic, and cadmium poisoning were increasing year by year in the exposure group (P<0.05). The qualitative assessment method mainly indicated low and medium risk, while the EPA and MOM methods mainly indicated medium and high risk, with good agreement between the two methods (Kappa=0.676, P<0.05). Conclusion Although the enterprise meets the C_TWA standards, there are still occupational health risks of lead, arsenic, and cadmium. The EPA inhalation risk assessment method is more applicable.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the public health governance capacity in Jiangsu Province and provide an optimized pathway for the construction of a “strong, rich, beautiful, and high-quality” new Jiangsu. MethodsA total of 806 policy documents, 658 public information reports, and 148 research literatures related to public health governance capacity in Jiangsu Province from January 1995 to December 2023 were collected. The status of current public health goverance was assessed based on the evaluation criteria suitable for public health systems, and the strengths and the weaknesses of the system were identified. ResultsThe public health governance capability of Jiangsu Province was scored at 738.3 points, ranking 3rd nationally. Maternal health care and emergency response capacities achieved leading positions nationwide, both ranking 2nd. Jiangsu had exhibited a standardized guidance in the strategic level, a well-established management mechanism, an extensive coverage in information collection, and a scientifically established health targets setting. However, bottlenecks remained, including an unclear division of responsibilities across organizational departments, an insufficient public-health workforce, the absence of a stable growth mechanism for government funding investment, and difficulties in promptly identifying public needs. ConclusionJiangsu’s public-health system demonstrates leading nationally, yet several components remain underdeveloped. Future efforts should consolidate advantages while addressing weaknesses, further diversify content and forms, establish a stable funding increase mechanism, and clarify departmental functions, thereby providing solid health support for realizing the developmental goals of a “strong, rich, beautiful and high-quality” new Jiangsu.

ObjectiveTo systematically assess the public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province, to conduct an in-depth analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, so as to provide scientific basis and strategic recommendations for further enhancement. MethodsA systematic collection of policy documents, public information reports, and research literature related to public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province from 2002 to 2023 was conducted (encompassing a total of 1 263 policy documents, 138 pieces of information reports and 631 research articles). Based on the evaluation criteria suitable for public health systems previously developed by the research team, the basic status and magnitude of change in public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province was evaluated. Additionally, normative gap analyses were employed to identify the strengths and weaknesses. ResultsZhejiang Province ranked 4th nationwide in terms of public health governance capacity with a score of 733.4 points (1 000.0-point maximum). The province has effectively implemented the principle of health first (scoring 698.5 points in the assessment of health-first strategy implementation) and attached sufficient importance to health-related goals (scoring 658.2 points in the scientific rationality of goal setting). However, the implementation of inter-departmental coordination and incentive mechanisms only scored 178.7 points, the feasibility of management and monitoring mechanisms scored even lower at only 144.0 points, and the coverage of incentive mechanisms scored 286.0 points. ConclusionZhejiang Province has effectively implemented its health first strategy and attached great importance to health targets, but still needs to strengthen cross-departmental coordination mechanisms and health-oriented incentives.

Objective To explore the differences in clinical characteristics of sudden sensorineural hearing loss(SSNHL)between patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)and those without-COVID-19.Methods 31 SSNHL patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in a department during the COVID-19 epidemic period(from December 2022 to January 2023)were included as the study group,and 12 SSNHL patients without COVID-19 who received treatment during the non-COVID-19 epidemic period(from December 2021 to January 2022)were co-llected as the control group.Two groups of patients received standardized treatment,and their clinical characteristics and prognosis were compared.Clinical characteristics of SSNHL patients with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 epidemic period were analyzed.Results The time interval from patients developed COVID-19 to the onset of SSNHL in the study group was 3-30 days.The time interval from onset to consultation were 3(1,7)days and 5(4,6)days in the study group and the control group,respectively,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The average age of patients in the study group was(44.16±13.54)years,which was higher than that of the control group(35.23±9.24)years,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The hearing at damaged fre-quency of the study group improved by 6.5(0.5,24.5)dB after therapy,which was lower than that of the control group(36.0[27.0,38.0]dB),with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).There was a negative correlation of the interval of consultation with the average improvement level of hearing at damaged frequency(r=-0.318,P=0.033).The longer the interval,the less the hearing improvement and the worse the therapeutic effect.Corre-lation analysis was further conducted on the time interval from development of COVID-19 to SSNHL onset and the time interval of consultation in patients in the study group,which showed no correlation(r=-0.337,P=0.059).There was no statistically significant difference in the types and degree of SSNHL between two groups of patients(both P＞0.05).After standardized treatment,the rate of ineffective patients in the study group was 56.25％,which was higher than that in the control group(15.38％),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion After adjusting the COVID-19 prevention and control policies,there are more hospitalized COVID-19 patients with SSNHL,with a higher proportion in patients of older age,with poorer efficacy,and inef-fective treatment.The earlier the treatment for SSNHL patients,the better the effect can achieve.COVID-19 may be a potential inducement and/or etiological factor of SSNHL,and further research is needed.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of modified endoscopic autologous cartilage eustachian tube pharyngeal orifice tuboplasty(MEACETT)in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET).Meth-ods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 27 patients(30 ears)diagnosed with PET who underwent MEACETT.Autologous cartilage was used through the incision at the posterior end of the inferior turbi-nate and filled into the lateral wall of the pharyngeal orifice of the eustachian tube.Without affecting the movement function of the eustachian tube during swallowing,the collapse of the pharyngeal orifice was fully filled.Before and after the surgery,the visual analogue scale(VAS),the eustachian tube dysfunction questionnaire-7(ETDQ-7)and hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)was used for assessment to evaluate the surgical efficacy.Results There was no significant difference in depression scores before and after surgery(P＞0.05).However,postopera-tive anxiety scores,ETDQ-7 scores,and VAS scores were significantly lower than preoperative scores(P＜0.05).Among the 27 patients,9 showed significant symptom relief,13 exhibited partial relief,and 5 had no significant change compared to preoperative symptoms.The overall response rate of the treatment(significant relief and partial relief)was 81.48％(22/27).All surgeries were successfully performed.Except for secretory otitis media occurring in 2 cases,no major complications were observed.Conclusion MEACETT demonstrates significant symptom relief in PET patients,with high surgical safety and low complication rates,making it worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the R value in tubomanometry(TMM)for the di-agnosis of patulous eustachian tube(PET).Methods The clinical data of 58 patients with PET and 65 controls were retrospectively analyzed.TMM was performed on both groups under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar respectively.The diagnostic efficacy of the R value for PET was evaluated through receiver operating char-acteristic(ROC)curves.Results In the control group,the average R values under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 0.86±0.50,0.76±0.41,and 0.68±0.34 respectively.In contrast,the corresponding R values in the PET group were significantly lower,which were 0.56±0.38,0.50±0.36,and 0.46±0.38 respec-tively.According to the ROC curve analysis,the areas under the curve(AUC)at these pressures were 0.62,0.74,and 0.74 respectively.The specificity and sensitivity of the R value under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 76.90％and 54.30％,74.60％and 68.10％,86.90％and 54.30％,respectively.Under pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar,the incidence rates of R＞1 in the control group and the PET group were 29.23％(38/130)and 12.77％(12/94)(x2=8.69,P=0.003),20.00％(26/130)and 6.38％(6/94)(x2=7.20,P=0.007),10.00％(13/130)and 3.19％(3/94)(x2=2.87,P=0.09)respectively.Conclusion Although the low R value in TMM reflects the presence of PET to some extent,it does not provide adequate sensitivity and specificity to serve as an independent diagnostic criterion for PET.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of patients with congenital atresia of the oval window (CAOW).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 7 cases (8 ears) of surgically confirmed CAOW treated at our department from July 2018 to July 2024. Among the cases, 1 patient had bilateral CAOW, and 4 patients had unilateral CAOW combined with other types of ossicular chain malformations in the contralateral ear. We collected and analyzed the clinical data, audiological features, and temporal bone HRCT results of all patients.Results:The 7 patients were diagnosed at ages ranging from 8 to 19 years, with a mean age of (13.2±6.9) years. None of the patients exhibited significant auricular deformities. All presented with conductive hearing loss or mixed hearing loss predominantly of the conductive type, with an intact tympanic membrane. The diagnosis of CAOW was confirmed via endoscopic tympanotomy, revealing a concave oval window area on the medial wall of the tympanic cavity, sealed by a bony plate. All 8 ears exhibited additional ossicular chain deformities. Stapes absence was present in all 8 ears. Partial absence of the incus long process was observed in 3 ears, while, abnormal bony connections between the incus long process and the promontory were seen in 4 ears, 1 ear had a short malleolar handle, 1 ear had a smaller than normal malleus volume. In addition, facial nerve deformities were found in 6 ears, with 4 ears showing bifurcation of the facial nerve and 2 ears showing facial nerve obscuration of the oval window. Pure-tone audiometry revealed that 62.5% (5/8 ears) of patients had air conduction (AC) thresholds≥60 dB preoperatively, with a mean pure-tone average (PTA) of (69.0±11.8) dB HL and a mean air-bone gap (ABG) of (52.0±7.0) dB. The mean AC threshold and ABG were higher in the low-frequency (125-1 000 Hz) range compared to the high-frequency (2 000-8 000 Hz) range (both P<0.05). Preoperative HRCT showed abnormalities in all patients, with 7 ears being diagnosable as CAOW. Although the remaining 1 ear could not be diagnosed as CAOW, stapes and incus long process absence were detected. Conclusion:CAOW is rare in clinical, as the patients with non-progressive conductive hearing loss (AC≥60 dB, ABG≥50 dB) since childhood, intact tympanic membrane without malformations of auricle and external auditory canal, and thick bony plate covered the oval window of the HRCT imaging, CAOW should be highly suspected, which could be confirmed by the exploratory tympanotomy.

Objective To investigate the effects of chronic restraint stress for 28 days(day and night)on mood and cognitive-like behavior in male and female ICR mice,to provide a basis for the selection of sex and restraint period in chronic restraint stress model animals.Methods A total of 72 male and female(1∶1)ICR mice were divided into six groups:male control,daytime restraint,and nighttime restraint groups,and female control,daytime restraint,and nighttime restraint groups.Mice in all but the control groups were bound for 10 h/d and restrained continuously for 28 days to establish a chronic restraint stress model.The emotional and cognitive behaviors induced by restraint in male and female mice at different times were observed by open field,Y maze,novel inhibition feeding,elevated cross maze,tail suspension,forced swimming,and dark-avoidance experiments.Results In the tail suspension experiment,the immobility time of male mice in the daytime restraint group was significantly increased compared with that in the control group(P＜0.05),and the immobility times of male mice in the daytime and nighttime restraint groups were also significantly increased in the forced swimming experiment,compared with those in the control group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference between the female daytime restraint and female control groups in the novelty inhibition feeding experiment,but the feeding latency of the nighttime restraint group was significantly longer than that of the control group(P＜0.05)and the daytime restraint group(P＜0.05).The feeding latency of female mice was significantly longer than that of males during nighttime restraint(P＜0.05).In the open field test,compared with the male control group,the female control group showed a significant decrease in central area time and the ratio of central area time to peripheral area time(P＜0.05).Compared with the female control group,the female daytime restraint group exhibited a significant decrease in central area time and the ratio of central area time to peripheral area time(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference between the groups in the elevated cross maze and Y maze experiments.There was no significant difference in dark latency between the daytime restraint group and the control group,but darkness latency was significantly shorter in the nighttime restraint group compared with those in the control group(P＜0.05).When male and female mice were combined,the immobility time in the daytime restraint group was significantly increased in the tail suspension experiment(P＜0.05),the immobility times of mice in the daytime and nighttime restraint groups were significantly increased in the forced swimming experiment(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),and the central zone time and the ratio of central area time to peripheral area time of daytime restraint mice were significantly shorter compared with those in the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the central zone time and the ratio of central area time to peripheral area time in the nighttime restraint groups,and no significant difference in average speed or total distance between the daytime and nighttime restraint groups.Conclusions Male mice exhibited depression after 28 d of chronic restraint stress during the daytime,while female mice were prone to anxiety after 28 d of chronic restraint stress.Male mice experienced learning and memory impairment after 28 d of chronic restraint stress during the night.

Objective To explore the differences in clinical characteristics of sudden sensorineural hearing loss(SSNHL)between patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)and those without-COVID-19.Methods 31 SSNHL patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in a department during the COVID-19 epidemic period(from December 2022 to January 2023)were included as the study group,and 12 SSNHL patients without COVID-19 who received treatment during the non-COVID-19 epidemic period(from December 2021 to January 2022)were co-llected as the control group.Two groups of patients received standardized treatment,and their clinical characteristics and prognosis were compared.Clinical characteristics of SSNHL patients with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 epidemic period were analyzed.Results The time interval from patients developed COVID-19 to the onset of SSNHL in the study group was 3-30 days.The time interval from onset to consultation were 3(1,7)days and 5(4,6)days in the study group and the control group,respectively,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The average age of patients in the study group was(44.16±13.54)years,which was higher than that of the control group(35.23±9.24)years,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The hearing at damaged fre-quency of the study group improved by 6.5(0.5,24.5)dB after therapy,which was lower than that of the control group(36.0[27.0,38.0]dB),with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).There was a negative correlation of the interval of consultation with the average improvement level of hearing at damaged frequency(r=-0.318,P=0.033).The longer the interval,the less the hearing improvement and the worse the therapeutic effect.Corre-lation analysis was further conducted on the time interval from development of COVID-19 to SSNHL onset and the time interval of consultation in patients in the study group,which showed no correlation(r=-0.337,P=0.059).There was no statistically significant difference in the types and degree of SSNHL between two groups of patients(both P＞0.05).After standardized treatment,the rate of ineffective patients in the study group was 56.25％,which was higher than that in the control group(15.38％),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion After adjusting the COVID-19 prevention and control policies,there are more hospitalized COVID-19 patients with SSNHL,with a higher proportion in patients of older age,with poorer efficacy,and inef-fective treatment.The earlier the treatment for SSNHL patients,the better the effect can achieve.COVID-19 may be a potential inducement and/or etiological factor of SSNHL,and further research is needed.

Objective To investigate the impact of chronic observational social defeat stress on multidimensional behaviors in female mice,including social interaction,emotion,and cognition,as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods Adult female C57BL6N mice were divided into a stress group and a control group.Behavioral assessment were conducted through social interaction tests,anxiety-like behavior tests,and cognitive tests(novel object recognition and spatial memory).Synaptic plasticity-related proteins in the hippocampus were detected using Western blot.Results Behavioral tests revealed that the stress group showed reduced social interaction time compared to the control group[(106.2±9.31)s vs.(156.5±14.81)s,P<0.05].In a novel environment,the stress group consumed less food than the control group[(0.10±0.01)g vs.(0.16±0.02)g,P<0.05].Cognitive tests demonstrated that the stress group exhibited impaired novel object recognition[(52.17%%±2.67%)vs.(65.91%±5.23%)]and spatial memory[(61.84%±3.14%)vs.(74.13%±1.94%)]compared to the control group(P<0.05).Western blot analysis showed that the expression of hippocampal synaptic plasticity-related proteins,including the glutamate ionotropic receptor N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)receptor subunit NR2A[(0.66±0.05)vs.(0.89±0.08)]and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)[(0.81±0.05)vs.(1.14±0.06)],was significantly decreased in the stress group(P<0.05).Conclusion Chronic observational social defeat stress induces social withdrawal,anxiety-like behaviors,and cognitive deficits in female mice.These effects may be associated with reduced expression of NR2A and BDNF in the hippocampus.