Background Perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a large group of emerging pollutants, are ubiquitous in the ecological environment. Their multiple organ toxic effects on human body are reported. Understanding the exposure level of PFAS in cord serum and associated influencing factors can provide scientific evidence for studying maternal and newborn health effects and risk regulation. Objective To explore the exposure levels of PFAS in cord serum and potential impact factors. Methods This study was based on the maternal and infant database and the cord serum sample bank of the Sheyang Mini Birth Cohort Study (SMBCS) established in 2009. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, living environment, and lifestyle of mothers during pregnancy. A total of 1097 cord serum samples were measured utilizing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. Multiple linear regression models were used to identify influencing factors related to PFAS exposure level in cord serum. Results A total of 38 types of PFAS were detected in the cord serum samples, including 20 perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCA), 14 perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSA), and 4 other types of PFAS. The detection rates of 14 PFAS compounds were above 50%. The detection rates of perfluoro-1-hexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoro-1-octanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA) were in the range of 99.18%-100.00%. The median concentrations of PFOA and 6∶2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (6∶2CI-PFESA) were higher than those of the other compounds, which were 3.76 µg·L⁻¹ and 2.61 µg·L⁻¹, respectively. The correlation coefficients among cord serum PFAS were in the wide range of 0.0911-0.8429 (P < 0.05). The associations between PFHxS and perfluoro-1-heptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) (r=0.8429, P < 0.05), PFOS and PFHpS (r=0.7012, P < 0.05), and PFUdA and perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) (r=0.7875, P < 0.05) were positive. The proportions of PFCA and PFSA in the cord serum samples were 60.1% and 38.4%, respectively. PFOA and 6∶2 Cl-PFESA were the predominant compounds in the cord serum samples, whose proportions were 37.8% and 19.3%, respectively. The concentrations of specific types of cord serum PFAS had varied associations with the following demographic variables of pregnant women: age, parity, education level, gestational age, and occupation. The multiple linear regression analysis found that the concentrations of 8 PFAS (PFHxS, PFHpS, PFNA, PFOS, PFDA, PFUdA, PFDoA, and 6∶2 CI-PFESA) in umbilical cord serum were lower in pregnant women aged 25 years and older than in those under the age of 25 years; compared to pregnant women with education levels at or below junior middle school, those with education levels at or above high school had lower concentrations of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA); the concentration of PFHpA in cord serum was negatively correlated with household annual income; multiparous women had higher concentrations of PFNA, PFUdA, and PFDoA than primiparous women; compared to mothers engaged in manual labor, the concentration of perfluoro-1-butanesulfonic acid (PFBS) in umbilical cord serum was lower in mothers engaged in mental labor, while the concentrations of PFBS and PFOA were lower and the concentrations of perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) and 8∶2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (8∶2CI-PFESA) were higher in mothers of other occupational types; the concentrations of umbilical cord serum PFOA, PFOS, PFUdA, and PFDoA were positively correlated with the gestational age of pregnant women, while N-methylperfluoro-1-octanesulfonamido acetic acid (N-MeFOSAA) was negatively correlated with the gestational age of pregnant women; PFTrDA was negatively correlated with the birth weight of newborns; compared with those with insufficient gestational weight gain, those with adequate gestational weight gain had lower PFDoA, while those with excess gestational weight gain had higher N-MeFOSAA. Conclusion PFAS compounds exposure is common in the mothers and infants in the study area. PFOA and 6∶2 CI-PFESA are the two main compounds in cord serum. Cord serum PFAS are associated with several demographic characteristics of the pregnant women. Future research needs to pay more attention to PFAS alternatives and other emerging contaminants.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of a dose-surface histogram (DSH) for radiation cystitis (RC) in patients with cervical cancer. Methods We retrospectively included 190 patients with cervical cancer who underwent image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) from the HIS system of The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from May 2013 to May 2023. The patients were divided into test group (n = 100) and control group (n = 90). The dose distribution in the bladder was evaluated by using a DSH for the test group and using a dose-volume histogram (DVH) for the control group. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the predictive value of DSH for RC in comparison with DVH. Results There were no significant differences in baseline data and RC incidence between the two groups (all P＞0.05). All evaluation indicators were significantly different between DSH and DVH (all P＜0.05). The predictive value of S₄₅ and V₄₅ for the incidence of grade-I, -II, and -III RC was low (all P＜0.05). The predictive value of S₅₀ and V₅₀ for the incidence of grade-I, -II, and -III RC was moderate (all P＜0.05). S₅₅−S₅₇ and V₅₅−V₅₇ showed high value for predicting the incidence of grade-I, -II, and -III RC (all P＜0.05). Conclusion DSH shows basically the same predictive value for the incidence of RC caused by IGRT in cervical cancer as DVH, which is expected to become a new tool for evaluating radiotherapy plans.

Objective:To design a specialized ultrasound therapeutic device for rabbit urethral scars and to verify its applicability and effectiveness.Methods:New Zealand male rabbits were used as the experimental objects, and the ultrasound therapeutic instrument was customized according to the structure and size of the rabbit penises. The ultrasound therapeutic instrument included the ultrasound pulse emission and control system, the final-stage amplifier, and the ultrasound probe. Firstly, the ultrasound probe was designed according to the size and structure of rabbit penises, and the parameters of the ultrasound probe were determined by COMSOL finite element simulation and actual testing of the sound field distribution. Secondly, the driving circuit of the ultrasound probe was designed according to the parameters of the elements. Then the ultrasound pulse emission and control system based on the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and the serial screen were designed. Subsequently, the ultrasound therapeutic instrument was subjected to a performance test and a safety test. The ultrasound therapeutic instrument was constructed to include the ultrasound amplifier and the ultrasound probe. Finally, a rabbit urethra reconstruction model was constructed, and eight white rabbits were randomly divided into a model group and an experimental group. The rabbits in the experimental group received the ultrasound therapeutic instrument for treatment of the urethra immediately, with an ultrasound frequency of 2 MHz, a pulse interval of 10 ms, and an output sound intensity of 0.73 W/cm 2. The treatment was performed twice a week (on Tuesday and Thursday), with 10 min of irradiation each time, lasting for four weeks. The rabbits in the model group did not receive any treatment. The area percentage of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) staining-positive areas in rabbit urethral tissues were quantitatively analyzed, and the urethral circumference was calculated using Image J software. Results:Due to the addition of sound-absorbing materials, the sound pressure distribution in the treatment chamber was more uniform, and the average value of the standing wave ratio was 1.11, indicating that the structural design met the design requirements. In the overall performance test, the natural focal position of the three ultrasonic transducers was 10 mm, and the consistency of the sound field distribution meet the experimental requirements. The relationship between the peak sound pressure of each transducer and the power supply voltage was close to linear. The output sound intensity ranged from 0.35 to 0.74 W/cm 2, which met the experimental requirements. With the ultrasound output, the temperature of the test point increased slowly, and this experiment could increase the temperature of the tissue by up to 3.3 ℃, which would not lead to thermal damage to the tissue. Animal experiment results showed that the immunopositive area fraction of TGF-β1 in the urethral tissues of rabbits in the experimental group [(4.21 ± 1.32)%] was smaller than that of the model group [(8.53 ± 3.43)%] ( t = ?4.24, P < 0.001). The immunopositive area fraction of TNF-α in the urethral tissues of rabbits in the experimental group [(5.14 ± 2.72)%] was smaller than that of the model group [(7.23 ± 1.57)%] ( t = ?3.37, P < 0.05). The MMP-2 level in the urethral tissue of rabbits in the experimental group [(10.65 ± 2.24)%] was higher than that of the model group[(6.98 ± 2.74)%] ( t = 2.19, P < 0.05). The urethral circumference [(12 209 ± 2 743) μm] was higher than that of the model group [(10 127 ± 2 237) μm] ( t = 15.46, P < 0.05). Conclusions:An ultrasound therapeutic instrument dedicated to rabbit urethral scars has been successfully designed and can be used for the study of ultrasound treatment of rabbit urethral scars.

Objective To identify the latent profile of physical and psychological symptoms in postpartum women and examine the associations of the latent class membership with individual characteristics,based on a latent profile analysis.Methods A cross-sectional survey study was conducted.With convenience sampling,157 postpartum women who had delivered at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Fudan University from Dec 2023 to Mar 2024 were selected.The participants were surveyed with patient-reported outcomes measurement information system(PROMIS)Anxiety,Depression,Fatigue,Sleep Disturbance,and Pain interference short forms.LPA and multinomial Logistic regression model were performed to identify subgroups based on physical and psychological symptoms in postpartum women and population heterogeneity.Results LPA results suggested that there existed three distinct classes of postpartum physical and psychological symptoms:severe symptoms distress class(10.2%),moderate symptoms distress class(50.3%),and mild symptoms distress class(39.5%).Postpartum women's age,living arrangements,newborn's birthweight,newborn's feeding method,newborn's medical background,prenatal pregnancy risk assessment,mode of delivery,and postpartum complications had significant associations with the latent class membership(P<0.05).Conclusion There are 3 latent profiles of postpartum physical and psychological symptoms.Healthcare providers could provide targeted intervention to postpartum women according to the characteristics of different subgroup population characteristics,so as to improve the postpartum experience of women.

Objective To investigate the expression of Nanog and its regulatory relationship with MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods We detected Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 protein expressions in 127 ESCC tissues and 82 adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry and explored their correlations with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the patients.GEO database was utilized to analyze the pathways enriched with the stemness-related molecules including Nanog,and TIMER online tool was used to analyze the correlations among TβR1,MMP-2,and MMP-9 in esophageal cancer.Results Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins were significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and positively intercorrelated.Their expression levels were closely correlated with infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis of ESCC but not with age,gender,or tumor differentiation.The patients with high expressions of Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 had significantly shorter survival time.Bioinformatics analysis showed enrichment of stemness-associated molecules in the TGF-β signaling pathway,and the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 and TβR1 were positively correlated.In cultured ESCC cells,Nanog knockdown significantly decreased the expression of TβR1,p-Smad2/3,MMP-2,and MMP-9 and strongly inhibited cell migration.Conclusion The high expressions of Nanog,MMP-2,and MMP-9,which are positively correlated,are closely related with invasion depth,lymph node metastasis,and prognosis of ESCC.Nanog regulates the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins through the TGF-β signaling pathway,and its high expression promotes migration of ESCC cells.

Objective:To select chest CT image patterns for the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis and establish a method for determining the profusion of circular small shadows in chest CT.Methods:In April 2021, 66 cases of occupational pneumoconiosis patients with digital radiography (DR) chest radiographs and chest CT imaging data with circular small shadow as the main manifestations were selected as the study objects. 1.5 mm and 5 mm chest CT axial images, 1 mm and 5 mm chest CT coronal multi-plane recombination (MPR) images, and 5 mm chest CT coronal maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were used to observe the different characteristics of pneumoconiosis patients, and were compared and analyzed with DR chest radiographs to establish the experimental chest CT standards. The consistency of the profusion results between the experimental chest CT standards and GBZ 70-2015 Diagnosis of Occupational Pneumoconiosis was verified.Results:All the 66 objects were male, including 33 cases of stage Ⅰ pneumoconiosis, 17 cases of stage Ⅱ pneumoconiosis and 16 cases of stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis. By observing five chest CT images of 66 objects, we found that chest CT images of different modes could clearly display and identify abnormal images such as small circular shadow, large shadow, small shadow aggregation, honeycomb glass shadow, flake glass shadow, uniform low-profusion glass shadow, mesh glass shadow, cable shadow, linear shadow, subpleural spinous shadow, subpleural nodules, various kinds of emphysema and lung texture distortion and fracture. Small shadow aggregation was usually accompanied by the appearance of large shadow. The vascular shadows in 5 mm CT images had good ductility, and small nodules were easy to distinguish. The coronal MIP image of 5 mm chest CT used edge enhancement technology, which was prone to small shadow fusion and fibrotic shadow fusion. The coronal MPR image of 5 mm chest CT was highly consistent with the DR chest radiographs in terms of the integrity of film reading. GBZ 70-2015 standard was used to compare the profusion of DR chest radiographs and 5 mm chest CT coronal MPR images of 66 objects, and the consistency test Kappa=0.64. GBZ 70-2015 standard and experimental chest CT standard were used to compare the profusion results of DR chest radiographs and 5 mm chest CT coronal MPR images of 66 objects, respectively, and the consistency test Kappa=0.80, with high consistency.Conclusion:5 mm coronal MPR image is suitable for chest CT imaging in the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis. Following the selection path and method of GBZ 70-2015 profusion criterion, the established experimental chest CT standard in determining the profusion of small circular shadows in 5 mm coronal MPR images of chest CT with pneumoconiosis has a high consistency with GBZ 70-2015 standard.

Objective:To select chest CT image patterns for the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis and establish a method for determining the profusion of circular small shadows in chest CT.Methods:In April 2021, 66 cases of occupational pneumoconiosis patients with digital radiography (DR) chest radiographs and chest CT imaging data with circular small shadow as the main manifestations were selected as the study objects. 1.5 mm and 5 mm chest CT axial images, 1 mm and 5 mm chest CT coronal multi-plane recombination (MPR) images, and 5 mm chest CT coronal maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were used to observe the different characteristics of pneumoconiosis patients, and were compared and analyzed with DR chest radiographs to establish the experimental chest CT standards. The consistency of the profusion results between the experimental chest CT standards and GBZ 70-2015 Diagnosis of Occupational Pneumoconiosis was verified.Results:All the 66 objects were male, including 33 cases of stage Ⅰ pneumoconiosis, 17 cases of stage Ⅱ pneumoconiosis and 16 cases of stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis. By observing five chest CT images of 66 objects, we found that chest CT images of different modes could clearly display and identify abnormal images such as small circular shadow, large shadow, small shadow aggregation, honeycomb glass shadow, flake glass shadow, uniform low-profusion glass shadow, mesh glass shadow, cable shadow, linear shadow, subpleural spinous shadow, subpleural nodules, various kinds of emphysema and lung texture distortion and fracture. Small shadow aggregation was usually accompanied by the appearance of large shadow. The vascular shadows in 5 mm CT images had good ductility, and small nodules were easy to distinguish. The coronal MIP image of 5 mm chest CT used edge enhancement technology, which was prone to small shadow fusion and fibrotic shadow fusion. The coronal MPR image of 5 mm chest CT was highly consistent with the DR chest radiographs in terms of the integrity of film reading. GBZ 70-2015 standard was used to compare the profusion of DR chest radiographs and 5 mm chest CT coronal MPR images of 66 objects, and the consistency test Kappa=0.64. GBZ 70-2015 standard and experimental chest CT standard were used to compare the profusion results of DR chest radiographs and 5 mm chest CT coronal MPR images of 66 objects, respectively, and the consistency test Kappa=0.80, with high consistency.Conclusion:5 mm coronal MPR image is suitable for chest CT imaging in the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis. Following the selection path and method of GBZ 70-2015 profusion criterion, the established experimental chest CT standard in determining the profusion of small circular shadows in 5 mm coronal MPR images of chest CT with pneumoconiosis has a high consistency with GBZ 70-2015 standard.

Following the principles of evidence-based medicine,in accordance with the structure and drafting rules of standardized documents,based on literature research,according to the characteristics of chronic cough in children and issues that need to form a consensus,the TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children was formulated based on the Delphi method,expert discussion meetings,and public solicitation of opinions.The guideline includes scope of application,terms and definitions,eti-ology and diagnosis,auxiliary examination,treatment,prevention and care.The aim is to clarify the optimal treatment plan of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease,and to provide guidance for improving the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in children with Chinese medicine.

  Objective  To establish a model that can predict the occurrence of acute kidney disease (AKD) in liver cirrhotic patients and evaluate its performance.  Methods  Liver cirrhotic patients who hospitalized in the department of gastroenterology of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2017 to January 2022 were retrospectively included. They were divided into AKD and non-AKD groups according to whether they were combined with AKD during hospitalization, and were randomized into training and validation sets in a 7∶3 ratio. The clinical data of patients in the two groups were collected, and LASSO regression and multifactorial Logistic regression were used to screen the influencing factors for the occurrence of AKD in patients with liver cirrhosis and to establish a prediction model. The model was then evaluated by using the receiver operating characteristic curve, the calibration curve and the clinical decision curve.  Results  A total of 796 cases of liver cirrhotic patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. Among them, 103 cases were in the AKD group and 693 cases were in the non-AKD group; 561 cases were in the training set and 235 cases were in the validation set. The results of LASSO regression and multifactorial Logistic regression showed that a history of diabetes (OR=2.922, 95% CI: 1.290-6.564, P=0.009), hepatic encephalopathy (OR=6.210, 95% CI: 2.278-17.479, P < 0.001), gastrointestinal bleeding (OR=2.501, 95% CI: 1.236-5.073, P=0.011), ascites (OR=3.219, 95% CI: 1.664-6.539, P < 0.001), male (OR=0.477, 95% CI: 0.254-0.879, P=0.019), hemoglobin (OR=0.987, 95% CI: 0.975-0.999, P=0.044), albumin (OR=0.952, 95% CI: 0.911-0.991, P=0.023), and prothrombin time (OR=0.865, 95% CI: 0.779-0.920, P < 0.001) were the independent influences on the occurrence of AKD in liver cirrhotic patients, and were used to construct a prediction model. The area under the curve of the model in the training set and validation set for predicting the occurrence of AKD in liver cirrhotic patients was 0.895 (95% CI: 0.865-0.925) and 0.869 (95% CI: 0.807-0.930), respectively. The calibration curves showed that the model had good fit and consistency and the clinical decision curves showed that the use of the model for predicting the risk of AKD could benefit liver cirrhotic patients overall.  Conclusions  A prediction model for the occurrence of AKD in liver cirrhotic patients was established based on eight influencing factors, including gender, history of diabetes, and hepatic encephalopathy. It was validated to have good discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility, and is expected to assist in the clinical early screening and identification of liver cirrhosis-associated AKD.

Objective To investigate the expression of Nanog and its regulatory relationship with MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods We detected Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 protein expressions in 127 ESCC tissues and 82 adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry and explored their correlations with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the patients.GEO database was utilized to analyze the pathways enriched with the stemness-related molecules including Nanog,and TIMER online tool was used to analyze the correlations among TβR1,MMP-2,and MMP-9 in esophageal cancer.Results Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins were significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and positively intercorrelated.Their expression levels were closely correlated with infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis of ESCC but not with age,gender,or tumor differentiation.The patients with high expressions of Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 had significantly shorter survival time.Bioinformatics analysis showed enrichment of stemness-associated molecules in the TGF-β signaling pathway,and the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 and TβR1 were positively correlated.In cultured ESCC cells,Nanog knockdown significantly decreased the expression of TβR1,p-Smad2/3,MMP-2,and MMP-9 and strongly inhibited cell migration.Conclusion The high expressions of Nanog,MMP-2,and MMP-9,which are positively correlated,are closely related with invasion depth,lymph node metastasis,and prognosis of ESCC.Nanog regulates the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins through the TGF-β signaling pathway,and its high expression promotes migration of ESCC cells.