Neodymium, one of the important rare earth elements, is widely used in various fields such as industry, agriculture, and medicine. Neodymium and its compounds can accumulate in the human body through exposure to air, soil, food and so on, leading to various toxic effects. However, research on the toxicity effects and mechanisms of neodymium is still limited. This review summarized the toxic effects of neodymium on the liver, lung, and other organs, and discussed its genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and impacts on the endocrine system. The aim is to provide references for revealing the toxic effects of long-term low-dose exposure to neodymium in occupational exposure and environmental pollution scenarios.

ObjectiveTo investigate and analyze an outbreak of rotavirus infectious diarrhea in a prison in Chongqing Municipality, to provide a basis for adult rotavirus surveillance and prevention, and to explore the public health problems in special settings. MethodsA retrospective survey was conducted to collect and analyze data on individual cases with diarrheal disease on-site. The clinical characteristics, as well as the temporal, spatial and geographical distribution patterns of the epidemic were described. Multi-pathogen detection tests were conducted both on diarrhea cases and environmental samples, with viral genotyping performed on positive samples. A case-control analysis was performed to identify the causes of the outbreak, and an SEIR model was adopted to predict the outbreak trend and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. ResultsA total of 65 cases were found among the inmates, with an attack rate of 2.03%. The predominant clinical manifestations included diarrhea (89.23%), watery stool (73.85%), and dehydration (18.46%). The epidemic curve indicated a “human-to-human” transmission pattern, with an average incubation period of 5‒6 days. The attack rates among chefs in the main canteen (80.00%, 8/10) and caterers (28.33%, 17/60) were significantly higher than those of other inmates （P<0.05）. Multi-pathogen polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing detected positive for group A rotavirus, with the viral genotyping identified as G9P [8] strain. Factors such as unprotected "bare-handed" food distribution among cases with diarrhea (OR=9.512, 95%CI: 4.261‒21.234) and close contact with diarrhea cases (OR=3.656, 95%CI: 1.719‒7.778) were the possible cause of the outbreak. The SEIR model (r₀=5, α=0.3, β₁=0.08, β₂=0.04) was constructed using prison inmates as susceptible population, aiming at fitting the initial transmission trend of the outbreak, and the epidemic rate declined rapidly after intervention measures were implemented (r_t≈0). ConclusionThis rare rotavirus infection diarrhea outbreak among adults in confined settings suggests that the construction of public health prevention and control systems in prison may be overlooked. Cross infection during meal processing and distribution in the canteens of such settings is likely to be the cause of the outbreak. Given the potential neglect of public heath system construction in special settings, it is imperative to enhance the surveillance and monitoring of rotavirus and other intestinal multi-pathogens among adults, as well as the construction of public health prevention and control systems in these special settings.

Objective To observe the value of exercise for improving neuroplasticity in overweight and obese people using meta-analysis.Methods Articles of functional MRI(fMRI)studies about brain activation changes in overweight or obese people after exercise published in Web of Science,PubMed,PsycINFO and CNKI were searched from the establishment of database to August 1,2024.The data were analyzed with activation likelihood estimation(ALE),and the coordinates of brain activation clusters were obtained.Results A total of 11 articles were ultimately enrolled,including 186 overweight or obese subjects.After exercise,the activation of the right middle frontal gyrus increased in all subjects,while of the left anterior lobe of cerebellum,left precuneus and right cuneus decreased.Among them,activation of the right cingulate gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus in minors increased,while of the left anterior lobe of cerebellum and bilateral precentral gyrus decreased.And the activation of the bilateral lentiform nuclei,right middle frontal gyrus,right cingulate gyrus and right parahippocampal gyrus in adults increased,while of the bilateral precuneus decreased.Conclusion Exercise could improve activation level of brain regions related to executive function,working memory,attention and motor control in overweight or obese people,which were different between minors and adults.

AIM To compare total sugar,total protein,total phenol,total flavonoid,calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside,liquiritin,lobetyolin,quercetin,isoferulic acid,hesperidin,glycyrrhizic acid contents and their antioxidant activities,hypoglycemic activities of big honey pill,small honey pill,water pill,concentrated pill,granule,mixture and decoction of Buzhong Yiqi Recipe.METHODS Anthraquinone-sulfuric acid method,Coomassie brilliant blue method,Folin-phenol colorimetry method,sodium nitrite-aluminum nitrate method and HPLC were adopted in the content determination of total sugar,total protein,total phenol,total flavonoid and seven constituents,respectively,after which the scavenging capacities,reducing powers on DPPH·free radical,ABTS+free radical,hydroxyl free radical,and inhibition capacity on α-glucosidase activity were detected.Subsequently,correlation analysis was performed.RESULTS Total sugar,total protein,total phenol and total flavonoid contents demonstrated significant differences among different dosage forms(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside,glycyrrhizin,codonoside and quercetin displayed the highest contents in the decoction,while those of isoferulic acid,hesperidin and glycyrrhizin were observable in the mixture.The water pill exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity,while those of the concentrated pill and mixture were weak;the big honey pill exhibited the strongest hypoglycemic activity,while that of the decoction was the weakest.Total protein,total phenol,total flavonoid and liquiritin contents displayed significant positive correlations between antioxidant activity(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),while hesperidin content displayed significant negative correlation between the latter(P＜0.05);total protein,calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside,codonoside and quercetin contents displayed significant negative correlations between hypoglycemic activity(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Active constituent contents and their biological activities of Buzhong Yiqi Recipe with different dosage forms exist differences,total sugar,total protein,total flavonoids,calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside,licorice glycoside,hesperidin,codonoside and quercetin can be taken as quality control indices for this prescription.

The development status of innovative medical devices in China was analyzed with the related data released by the National Medical Products Administration.SLEPT model analysis method was used to investigate the favorable and unfavorable factors of the external environment for the development of innovative medical devices from 5 dimensions of social,legal,economic,political and technological.Some suggestions were put forward including clarifying the social requirements,enhancing the legal support,orienting the market demands,perfecting the policy system and developing the innovative industry.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(4):70-75]

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.

AIM To investigate the protective effects of Shuangyi Qushi Tongluo Capsules(Shuangyi Capsules)on Dexamethasone(Dex)induced osteoporosis in mice.METHODS The C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the control group,the model group,the Xianling Gubao Capsules group(1.5 g/kg),and the low-dose,moderate-dose,and high-dose Shuangyi Capsules groups(0.6,1.2,and 2.4 g/kg).The mouse model of osteoporosis was induced by 8-week intraperitoneal injection of Dex sodium phosphate injection(5 mg/kg).The mice had their femur osteogenesis observed with hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)staining;their serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and osteocalcin(BGP)activities detected by ELISA;their femoral mRNA expressions of Col-Ⅰ,OCN,and OPN detected by RT-qPCR;and their femoral protein expressions of OPG and RANKL detected by Western blot.Upon the MC3T3-E1 cells exposed to Dex and Shuangyi Capsules,their viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assay;their mineralization determined by alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining(ARS);and their intracellular ROS level detected using DCFH-DA probe.RESULTS Compared with the model group,Shuangyi Capsules groups demonstrated improved fracture of femoral trabeculae and reduced number of osteoclasts;increased serum ALP and BGP activities(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);increased femoral expressions of Col-Ⅰ mRNA and OPG protein(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and decreased RANKL protein expression(P＜0.05).Compared with the MC3T3-E1 cells stimulated by Dex,those underwent further treatment of Shuangyi Capsules demonstrated increased cell viability and ALP activity(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);increased mineralization and calcium nodule formation;increased expressions of Col-Ⅰ,OCN,OPN mRNA and OPG protein(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreased RANKL protein expression(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and reduced ROS levels.CONCLUSION Shuangyi Capsules ameliorate Dex-induced osteoporosis in mice by suppressing osteoclast overactivation,enhancing osteoblast activity,and stimulating bone formation through modulation of Col-Ⅰ,OCN,OPN mRNA and OPG/RANKL protein levels.

OBJECTIVE To explore the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir(SOF/VEL)combined with or without ribavirin(RBV)in treatment of the patients with genotype 3(GT3)chronic hepatitis C(CHC)and liver cirrhosis.METHODS Totally 230 patients with CT3 CHC and liver cirrhosis who were treated in Traditional Chi-nese Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,Xinjiang Hetian Specialized Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Xinjiang Manasi County People's Hospital from Jun.2018 to Mar.2023 were recruited as the research sub-jects.The clinical curative effects were observed after the subjects were treated with single SOF-VEL or the com-bination with RBV for 12 to 24 weeks.The indexes including high-sensitivity hepatitis C RNA(HCV RNA),blood routine indexes,liver function indexes and noninvasive diagnosis indexes for liver fibrosis were observed,and the sustained virological response 12 weeks after the treatment(SVR12)was analyzed.RESULTS The mean age of the enrolled patients was(42.31±11.18)years old,the male patients accounted for 66.52％,and there were 137 cases of GT3a and 93 cases of GT3b 93,there were 183 cases of CHC,44 cases of compensated cirrhosis(CC)and 3 cases of decompensated cirrhosis(DCC).There were 189 cases of single HCV infection,33 cases of mixed infections of HCV and HIV,6 cases of mixed infections of HBV/HCV and 2 cases of triple infections of HBV/HCV/HIV.The overall SVR12 of the 230 patients was 99.57％,the SVR12 of the GT3a type patients was 100.00％,the GT3b type patients 98.92％.The SVR12 of the patients with CHC,CC and DCC were 99.45％,100.00％and 100.00％,respectively.The SVR12 of the patients with single HCV infection,HCV/HIV infec-tion,HBV/HCV infection and HBV/HCV/HIV were 99.47％,100.00％,100.00％and 100.00％,respective-ly.No patient quit the direct-acting antivirals(DAAs)treatment due to the drug-induced adverse reactions.1 pa-tient had relapse due to irregular administration of DAAs.CONCLUSION The virological response rate is high a-mong the patients with GT3 CHC and liver cirrhosis who are treated with single SOF/VEL or the combination with RBV,with the safety favorable.

Objective To investigate the clinical features of chronic hepatitis C(CHC)patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 3(HCV GT3)infection and the risk factors for disease progression.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among 1 002 CHC patients from 11 clinical centers in Northwest China from December 2017 to November 2023,and according to their genotype,they were divided into GT1,GT2,GT3,and GT6 groups.Clinical features were compared between the patients with different genotypes.The one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups,and the Scheffe test was used for further comparison between two groups.The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of data with skewed distribution between groups;the chi-square test or Fisher test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors for the progression of CHC to liver cirrhosis.Results In terms of the genotype,there were 427 patients with GT1 infection,242 with GT2 infection,299 with GT3 infection(210 patients with GT3a infection,87 with GT3b infection,and 2 with unclassified genotype),and 34 with GT6 infection.The patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.2±0.6 years,P<0.05)or GT2 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.7±0.8 years,P<0.05),and for the patients with liver cirrhosis,the patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 59.4±0.9 years,P<0.001)or GT2 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 58.1±1.1 years,P<0.001).Among the patients with GT3 infection,male patients accounted for 77.9%and the patients with liver cirrhosis accounted for 46.2%,which were significantly higher than those among the patients with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection(all P<0.001).At baseline,the patients with GT3 infection had significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)than those with GT1 or GT2 infection,significantly higher aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI)and fibrosis-4(FIB4)than those with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly lower platelet count(PLT)than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly higher level of alpha-fetoprotein than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,and a significantly lower level of albumin(Alb)than those with GT6 infection(all P<0.05).There were no significant differences between the patients with GT3a infection and those with GT3b infection in age,sex,the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis,comorbidities,HCV RNA quantification,PLT,ALT,AST,alkaline phosphatase,Alb,APRI,and FIB-4(all P>0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PLT≤150×109/L(odds ratio[OR]=10.72,95%confidence interval[CI]:5.76-35.86,P<0.001)and Alb≤35 g/L(OR=3.74,95%CI:1.22-11.45,P=0.021)were risk factors for liver cirrhosis.Conclusion Most CHC patients with GT3 infection are male in Northwest China,and compared with the patients with other genotypes,such patients tend to have a younger age of onset and higher degrees of liver inflammation activity and fibrosis.Low PLT and a low level of Alb are risk factors for progression to liver cirrhosis in CHC patients with GT3 infection.

Male reproductive disorders have emerged as a global issue.Infertility affects 8％to 12％of couples of childbearing age.The sperm concentration and total sperm count of men have shown a significant downward trend over the past four decades,with a decrease of more than 50％.Male reproductive disorders are related to multiple factors.Circular RNA(circRNA)is a type of non-cod-ing RNA with covalently closed circular structures.It is involved in a variety of biological processes,including gene expression regula-tion,protein function regulation and epigenetic regulation.Studies have shown that there are differences in the expression of circRNA in the testicles and semen between infertile patients and healthy people,suggesting that circRNA is involved in the process of spermato-genesis,and its abnormal expression is associated with male infertility.This review takes the biological functions of circRNA as the starting point and summarizes the research progress of circRNA in male reproductive disorders.CircRNA has the potential to serve as a novel biomarker due to its conservative,special structure and tissue specificity,which provides a new strategy for the clinical diagnosis of male reproductive disorders.