1.Association between social jetlag and depressive symptoms among junior high school students in Chongqing
WAN Xiaoke, WEI Ke, WANG Zhouyan, CHEN Gen, PENG Chang, WANG Hong
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(1):55-59
Objective:
To explore the relationship between social jetlag and depressive symptoms in junior high school students, as well as the potential gender differences, so as to provide a reference for developing effective interventions for depressive symptoms and promoting adolescents mental health.
Methods:
In October 2024, a total of 3 516 students from grades 7 to 9 were recruited from 4 junior high schools in Chongqing Municipality using a combination of cluster sampling and convenience sampling. A questionnaire survey was conducted using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Statistical analyses included the χ 2 test, binary Logistic regression analysis, and stratified Logistic regression analysis.
Results:
The detection rate of depressive symptoms among the junior high school students was 34.3%. The number of students with social jetlag >2 h was 714 (20.3%), >1-2 h was 1 455(41.4%), and ≤1 h was 1 347(38.3%). Results from the binary Logistic regression analysis showed that compared to the group with social jetlag ≤1 h, the risk of depressive symptoms in the group with social jetlag >2 h was higher ( OR=1.59, 95%CI=1.28-1.98, P <0.01). Gender stratified analysis revealed that among females, the risk of depressive symptoms was higher in the groups with social jetlag of >1-2 h and >2 h compared to the ≤1 h group ( OR = 1.34 and 2.05, 95% CI =1.03-1.75 and 1.48-2.83, both P <0.05). However, among males, the associations were not statistically significant ( OR =1.11 and 1.29, 95% CI =0.86-1.43 and 0.95-1.77, both P >0.05).
Conclusions
Social jetlag is positively associated with depressive symptoms in junior high school students, demonstrating a threshold effect and gender differences. The findings suggest that reducing social jetlag may decrease the risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents, and targeted intervention measures should be developed considering different gender characteristics.
2.Engineered Bacteriophages for The Treatment of Multidrug-resistant Bacterial Infections
Yu-Ying CHEN ; Chun-Mei HUANG ; Jin-Zhi PAN ; De-Liang LIU ; Yang ZHOU ; Gui-Qin DAI ; Peng-Fei ZHAO ; Hong-Zhou LU ; Ming-Bin ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1581-1596
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections have emerged as a serious challenge of global public health crisis. The overuse and misuse of conventional antibiotics have dramatically accelerated the emergence, evolution and worldwide spread of drug-resistant bacterial strains, necessitating urgent exploration of novel antibacterial strategies. Bacteriophages serve as natural bacterial predators offering distinct advantages including high host specificity, autonomous self-replication capabilities and cost-effective large-scale production. However, wild-type phages present significant clinical limitations due to their narrow host ranges, susceptibility to rapid immune clearance and poor penetration of bacterial biofilms, which severely restrict their therapeutic applications. The convergence of synthetic biology, nanotechnology and advanced gene editing technologies has accelerated the development of engineered bacteriophage platforms, providing programmable, scalable and clinically translatable pathways to overcome these inherent biological constraints. Here, we systematically delineate four fundamental strategies for engineered bacteriophage development. Chemical modification utilizes reactive functional groups such as amino, carboxyl and thiol moieties on capsid proteins through esterification, amidation or click chemistry reactions to achieve precise drug conjugation and surface functionalization. In vivo editing encompasses ultraviolet or chemical mutagenesis for random mutation induction, homologous recombination for targeted genetic alterations, recombineering methodologies including electroporation-mediated bacteriophage recombination engineering, and CRISPR-Cas systems for precise genome editing to enable exact genetic reconstruction and host range reprogramming. In vitro synthesis leverages genome engineering platforms where intact phage genomes are transferred into yeast or host bacteria to facilitate highly efficient homologous recombination, enabling large DNA fragment assembly and cross-gene host range expansion without bacterial toxicity constraints. Directed evolution combines artificial selection through mutation library screening with rational design approaches involving chimeric receptor binding protein construction or site-specific mutagenesis, effectively balancing the discovery of unknown adaptive pathways with targeted host specificity modification. Moreover, we comprehensively discuss therapeutic applications across diverse clinical scenarios. Engineered bacteriophage effectively disrupt bacterial biofilms through sophisticated functionalized delivery platforms including nanozyme-conjugated phages, phage-liposome nanoconjugates and bio-responsive hydrogels, demonstrating significantly enhanced bactericidal efficiency compared to unmodified free phages. These bioengineered vectors attenuate bacterial virulence and resensitize pathogens to antibiotics by delivering CRISPR-Cas systems or base editors to disrupt critical virulence factors such as pili, capsule synthesis machineries and quorum sensing systems, or by inactivating antibiotic resistance determinants including beta-lactamase genes. As an intelligent nanomedicine delivery platform, engineered bacteriophage enable precise pathogen elimination an through photocatalytic reactive oxygen species generation, immunomodulatory interventions, or controlled release of antibacterial drugs. Furthermore, oral administration of engineered bacteriophage facilitates microbiota modulation, which selectively eliminate intestinal pathogens while preserve beneficial commensal microbiota, thereby restoring microbial community balance and preventing complications associated with dysbiosis. Finally, we critically analyze persistent challenges including host strain matching complexity, evolution of bacterial resistance mechanisms, pharmacokinetic optimization requirements, optimal administration route selection, large-scale production quality control standards and clinical dosing determination protocols. Through multidisciplinary integration of synthetic biology, infectious disease medicine and immunology, future translational medicine studies of bacteriophage should establish comprehensive technical platforms encompassing rapid phage screening, intelligent rational design, rigorous in vivo evaluation and standardized clinical validation processes, ultimately advancing engineered bacteriophage from laboratory innovations to clinically approved therapeutics for effectively combating MDR bacterial infections.
3.Reactive and Enzyme-activated Probe Strategies for Imaging Acute Kidney Injury
Ru-Long CHEN ; Ting-Fei XIE ; Jin-Xin ZHANG ; Jia-Ting CHEN ; Jie LI ; Peng-Fei ZHANG ; Ji-Hong CHEN ; Lin-Tao CAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1622-1637
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prevalent and life-threatening clinical syndrome characterised by a rapid decline in renal function and diverse pathological etiologies. The condition has been demonstrated to be associated with elevated mortality rates and an increased risk of progression to chronic kidney disease. At present, clinicians depend heavily on conventional functional markers, such as serum creatinine and urine output, for the diagnosis and staging of the disease. It is evident that these conventional indicators characteristically manifest a considerable temporal delay and only undergo modification subsequent to considerable tissue damage. This severely restricts the timeframe for early detection and timely therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, standard markers fail to provide specific biological information regarding the underlying cellular injury mechanisms. The utilisation of advanced probe technologies in molecular imaging offers a robust alternative to overcome these inherent diagnostic limitations.This comprehensive review systematically evaluates recent progress in the design and application of two primary categories of molecular imaging tools for acute kidney disease, specifically reactive probes and enzyme-activated probes. Reactive probes are engineered to specifically interact with redox-active chemical species, including hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite, hypochlorous acid, and sulfur dioxide. Because oxidative stress constitutes a primary early event in acute renal tubular damage, these probes enable researchers and clinicians to visualize early cellular injury and radical accumulation well before global renal functional decline becomes evident. We discuss the application of these reactive probes across multiple imaging modalities including fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and photoacoustic techniques. Photoacoustic imaging combines high spatial resolution with deep tissue penetration and has successfully demonstrated the ability to provide diagnostic alerts up to 12 h before any detectable rise in serum creatinine levels. Additionally, specific reactive probes have shown promising translational potential when tested by high-throughput screening in clinical human urine samples. Enzyme-activated probes target the specific catalytic activity of disease-relevant enzymes. These include well-documented renal tubular structural biomarkers such as NAG, GGT, and ALP, along with apoptosis-related caspases and specific nitroreductases. By responding only to enzymatic cleavage, these tools provide highly specific and pathology-directed imaging readouts. Recent structural design strategies in this field have advanced significantly beyond single-enzyme detection. Researchers are now focusing on sophisticated dual-target recognition to minimize background noise, multimodal integration to cross-validate imaging signals, and theranostic applications where probes simultaneously deliver diagnostic feedback and therapeutic agents to injured tissues. Nanotechnology serves as a fundamental enabler for realizing these advanced probe functions. By precisely optimizing nanoparticle parameters such as hydrodynamic size, surface charge, and targeting ligands, researchers can achieve amplified signal output, highly precise kidney delivery, and protection against premature degradation in the systemic circulation. For example, modifying surface charges can significantly enhance the active uptake of nanoprobes by damaged renal tubular epithelial cells.While preclinical probe development has progressed rapidly, moving these technologies into routine clinical practice remains a major challenge. We analyze the translational feasibility and current obstacles from biological, technological, and regulatory perspectives. Although biological targets such as KIM-1, FAP, and ALP have been validated in extensive patient cohorts, practical barriers severely limit their immediate clinical application. These obstacles involve complex changes in in vivo pharmacokinetics. During an acute injury episode, the extreme drop in the glomerular filtration rate alters probe clearance and can cause unwanted systemic accumulation or confusing background imaging signals. Other major hurdles include a lack of comprehensive long-term toxicity data and the absence of standardized manufacturing protocols to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. Future successful translation will require rigorous multi-center clinical studies to confirm the true diagnostic value of these probes over traditional markers. Researchers must also establish strict standardization of imaging procedures and comprehensive safety evaluations. Ultimately, this review provides a thorough reference framework for designing clinically translatable molecular probes and building a precision diagnostic imaging system for acute kidney injury.
4.Consideration of Health Economics Evidence in Clinical Practice Guidelines: Methods and Steps
Dongrui PENG ; Qi ZHOU ; Xufei LUO ; Zijun WANG ; Hui LIU ; Junxian ZHAO ; Jinghong HUANG ; Hongyu HU ; Xin XING ; Jing WU ; Shitong XIE ; Xiaohui WANG ; Yaolong CHEN
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(3):862-870
Health economics evidence plays an important role in linking clinical value evidence with health resource allocation decisions in the development of clinical practice guidelines. It can not only effectively balance clinical effectiveness and economic feasibility but also avoid forming "idealized" recommendations that are detached from the affordability of the healthcare system or the burden-bearing capacity of patients. To promote guideline developers to use health economics evidence more standardizedly and fully, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the current application status, existing challenges, access channels, and application processes of health economics evidence in current guidelines, and on this basis, puts forward considerations and suggestions for strengthening and standardizing the application of health economics evidence in China's clinical practice guidelines.
5.Current Status and Prospects of Artificial Intelligence Technologyin Minimally Invasive Gastric Cancer Surgery
Tao ZHANG ; Boer SU ; Guanxing LIANG ; Shiman DAI ; Jiawei CHEN ; Zhengjie LIU ; Cheng PENG ; Rong LIU ; Qinglan LIN ; Yidan WU ; Yuhui WU ; Jiaming WEN ; Hong WANG ; Hao CHEN ; Jiang YU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(4):933-942
Gastric cancer remains a highly prevalent malignancy worldwide, with surgical resection currently constituting the cornerstone of treatment aimed at improving long-term patient survival. Owing to their notable advantages, including reduced surgical trauma and accelerated postoperative recovery, minimally invasive procedures are progressively supplanting conventional open surgery and have become the mainstream approach in gastric cancer management. Concurrently, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has enabled real-time intraoperative monitoring of surgical scenes, thereby furnishing novel technical support for adjunctive decision-making, surgical navigation, and skill assessment during gastrectomy. This article provides a systematic review of the current status of AI applications in minimally invasive gastric cancer surgery, with a particular focus on research progress pertaining to instrument recognition, surgical phase identification, delineation of normal anatomical structures, detection of metastatic foci, and early warning of intraoperative adverse events. Furthermore, we discuss the potential value of AI in enhancing surgical efficiency, ensuring patient safety, and optimizing surgical education. On this basis, we further analyze the principal challenges and inherent risks confronting current AI systems, with the aim of informing future technological innovation and facilitating clinical translation.
6.Roles and Mechanisms of Inflammasomes in Aging and Age-related Diseases
Xin PENG ; Yan QIAN ; Long ZHANG ; Huan CHEN ; Hong-Wei HOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(10):2684-2702
Systemic chronic inflammation associated with advancing age is closely linked to the onset and progression of multiple age-related diseases. This persistent inflammatory state, commonly termed inflammaging, reflects complex interactions between accumulated cellular damage and dysregulated immune responses. Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes of the innate immune system that respond to cellular stress and damage and amplify inflammatory signaling. Their sustained or recurrent activation may contribute to the establishment and maintenance of inflammaging. This review focuses on the NLRP3 inflammasome and summarizes its activation mechanisms, regulatory pathways, and pathological significance within the aging microenvironment. Particular attention is given to neurodegenerative diseases, osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes, emphasizing shared activation mechanisms and tissue-specific effects. Although initiating stimuli differ among these conditions, several molecular events can contribute to NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Priming mediated by nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) promotes the expression of NLRP3 and pro-interleukin-1β, whereas lysosomal damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species accumulation, mitochondrial DNA release, and potassium efflux can participate in activation pathways. These events are interconnected rather than obligatory sequential steps in every setting. Inflammasome assembly promotes caspase-1 activation, which facilitates interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 maturation and gasdermin D cleavage, potentially leading to pyroptosis. The relative contributions of these processes depend on cell type, tissue context, and disease stage. Within aging tissues, persistent damage signals and impaired cellular homeostasis may favor repeated inflammasome activation, establishing a cycle of inflammatory amplification and further tissue injury. However, the pathological consequences vary across organs. In neurodegenerative diseases, inflammasome signaling is associated with neuroinflammation and neuronal vulnerability; in osteoarthritis, it may contribute to joint inflammation and cartilage degeneration. In atherosclerosis, it is implicated in vascular inflammation and plaque progression, whereas in type 2 diabetes, it is linked to metabolic inflammation and impaired glucose homeostasis. These distinctions underscore the importance of interpreting shared molecular mechanisms within specific tissue environments. The review further discusses the therapeutic potential of targeting inflammasomes to mitigate inflammaging and associated disease processes. Strategies include inhibiting NLRP3 activation, modulating upstream stress and priming pathways, and limiting downstream inflammatory signaling or pyroptotic cell death. By interrupting shared mechanisms of inflammatory amplification, these approaches may offer opportunities for coordinated intervention across multiple age-related disorders. Nevertheless, mechanistic overlap does not imply uniform therapeutic responses, and benefits observed in experimental models should not be equated with established clinical efficacy or evidence of delayed human aging.Successful clinical translation will require careful consideration of disease stage, tissue specificity, treatment timing, and the consequences of prolonged interference with innate immune defenses. Long-term safety is particularly important for older populations and preventive applications. The limited availability of validated biomarkers of inflammasome activity also complicates patient stratification, assessment of target engagement, and monitoring of therapeutic responses. Future research should clarify causal relationships, identify contexts in which inflammasome inhibition is most beneficial, and establish reliable translational endpoints. Overall, inflammasomes represent an important link between aging-associated damage and chronic inflammatory amplification, supporting their investigation as shared targets for early intervention in multiple age-related diseases, while highlighting the need for disease-specific evaluation and rigorous assessment of benefits and risks.
7.Predictive value of carotid plaque reporting and data system for the severity of coronary artery stenosis
Pei SUN ; Hong HAN ; Kailing CHEN ; Yaqin ZHANG ; Zitong CHEN ; Peng CONG ; Yikang SUN ; Beijian HUANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2026;33(5):872-879
Objective To explore the predictive value of the classification of carotid plaque reporting and data system (Plaque-RADS) and ultrasound features for the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Methods This was a single-center prospective observational study. Patients with suspected coronary artery disease or at high cardiovascular risk, who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from July 2023 to June 2024, were consecutively enrolled and divided into mild-to-moderate stenosis group and severe stenosis group according to the degree of coronary artery stenosis. Clinical parameters, carotid ultrasound features, and Plaque-RADS classification were compared between the two groups. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed, and its predictive performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve. Results A total of 271 patients were included, with age of (65.49±9.44) years. The proportion of males, patients with diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and smokers was significantly higher in the severe stenosis group, accompanied by greater plaque thickness as well as lower maximum elasticity (Emax) and mean elasticity (Emean; P<0.05). Statistically significant differences were also observed between the two groups in target plaque location, Plaque-RADS classification, and plaque stability distribution (P<0.05). Specifically, type Ⅱ plaques predominated in the mild-to-moderate stenosis group, whereas the severe stenosis group had a higher proportion of type Ⅲ plaques and vulnerable plaques. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that male, diabetes, and type Ⅲ–Ⅳ plaques were risk factors for severe coronary artery stenosis, while Emax served as a protective factor. The predictive model constructed by the above indicators exhibited favorable predictive performance (AUC=0.838). Conclusions The combination of Plaque-RADS classification, Emax, sex, and comorbid diabetes has certain predictive value for the severity of coronary artery stenosis.
8.Association of adverse childhood experiences with the co-occurrence of nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide attempts in junior high school students
WANG Zhouyan, YANG Siwei, WAN Xiaoke, CHEN Gen, LI Xia, PENG Chang, WANG Hong
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(9):1297-1302
Objective:
To explore the independent effects and gender differences of different types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the co-occurrence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SA), so as to provide a reference for the precise prevention and control of self-harm in junior high school students.
Methods:
From May to June 2023, a total of 7 360 junior high school students were selected from 12 schools in three districts/counties of Chongqing using a combination of stratified cluster sampling and convenience sampling methods. Information on NSSI, SA, ACEs, and depressive symptom, as well as other related data were collected through the Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSAQ), suicide related section of the Chinese Adolescent Health related Behavior Questionnaire (Junior High School Version), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form ( CTQ- SF), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Statistical analyses of the data were performed using the Chi-square test and multiple Logistic regression.
Results:
The detection rates of NSSI, SA, NSSI+SA and ACEs in junior high school students were 19.2%, 4.6%, 3.5% and 57.9% respectively. After controlling for factors such as gender, grade, family type, self rated family economic status, self rated academic performance, self rated academic pressure, number of close friends, and depressive symptom scores, results from the multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that junior high school students with physical abuse ( OR = 1.98, 95% CI =1.23-3.18), emotional abuse ( OR =2.83, 95% CI =1.92-4.19), sexual abuse ( OR = 1.70, 95% CI =1.07- 2.69 ), physical neglect ( OR =1.67, 95% CI =1.20-2.33) and witnessing domestic violence ( OR =2.10, 95% CI =1.41-2.87) in childhood had higher risks for the occurrence of NSSI+SA (all P <0.05). After stratification by gender, boys with sexual abuse in childhood had a high risk for the occurrence of NSSI+SA ( OR =2.17, 95% CI =1.06-4.43), whereas girls with emotional abuse ( OR =3.69, 95% CI =2.29-5.94), physical neglect ( OR =1.62, 95% CI =1.07-2.45) and witnessing domestic violence ( OR =2.17, 95% CI =1.41-3.34) in childhood had hgih risks for the occurrence of NSSI+SA (all P <0.05).
Conclusions
Different types of ACEs have different effects on the co-occurrence of self-harm in junior high school students and there are gender differences. When family interventions are conducted for the combined model, emphasis should be placed on aspects of emotional abuse and domestic violence while optimizing the interventions based on gender differences.
9.Association of balanced time perspective and social jetlag with depressive symptom among junior high school students
WAN Xiaoke, WEI Ke, WANG Zhouyan, CHEN Gen, PENG Chang, WANG Hong
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(10):1465-1468
Objective:
To explore the mediating role of balanced time perspective in the relationship between social jetlag and depressive symptom among junior high school students, so as to privide a basis for improving their mental health.
Methods:
In October 2024, a method of combining convenient sampling with cluster sampling was used to select 3 438 junior high school students from two districts(Yubei District and Kaizhou District) in Chongqing. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), and Balanced Time Perspective Inventory (BTPI) were administered for the survey. Statistical analyses included t-test, ANOVA, and Spearman correlation analysis, and conduct a mediation effect analysis using the Process program.
Results:
The mean score of depressive symptom among junior high school students was 15.00(9.00, 23.00 ), social jetlag was 1.18(0.72, 1.83) hours, and balanced time perspective score was -0.18(-2.82, 2.93). Social jetlag among junior high school students was positively correlated with depressive symptom score ( r =0.17), while balanced time perspective was negatively correlated with social jetlag ( r =-0.15) and depressive symptom score ( r =-0.68) (all P <0.01). Mediation analysis showed that balanced time perspective partially mediated the relationship between social jetlag and depressive symptom ( β=0.68, P <0.01) among junior high school students, accounting for 53.97% of the total effect.
Conclusions
Social jetlag of junior high school students influences depressive symptoms by affecting balanced time perspective. Efforts should be made to improve adolescents balanced time perspective for reducing the impact of social jetlag on depressive symptom.
10.Association between emotion regulation strategy and parental psychological control with depressive symptom among junior high school students
CHEN Gen, PENG Chang, YANG Lianjian, YANG Siwei, WANG Zhouyan, WAN Xiaoke, WANG Hong
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(11):1625-1629
Objective:
To explore the potential subgroups of emotion regulation strategies among junior high school students and their moderating role in the relationship between parental psychological control and depressive symptom, so as to provide basis for improving mental health among junior high school students.
Methods:
In October 2024, a cluster sampling method was used to select 3 389 junior high school students from 4 secondary schools across 2 districts in Chongqing. Surveys were conducted by using Center for Epidemiological Survey-Depression Scale (CES-D), Chinese Parental Psychological Control Scale (CPPCS), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Latent profile analysis was applied to identify subgroups based on emotion regulation strategies, and multiple linear regression model was used to test the moderating effect of emotion regulation strategies on the association between parental psychological control and depressive symptom among junior high school students.
Results:
According to the two dimensions of emotion regulation strategies-cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, three distinct subgroups were identified:the moderate cognitive reappraisal-moderate expressive suppression subgroup (moderate-moderate subgroup, 64.2%), the low cognitive reappraisal-moderate expressive suppression subgroup (low-moderate subgroup, 9.6%), and the high cognitive reappraisal low expressive suppression subgroup (high-low subgroup, 26.1%). Hierarchical regression results indicated that both parental psychological control ( β =0.70) and deficits in cognitive reappraisal (low moderate subgroup, β =5.38) were associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms, whereas the high-low subgroup appeared to mitigate depressive symptom ( β =-3.47) (all P < 0.01). Compared to the moderate-moderate subgroup, the low-moderate subgroup showed a statistically significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between parental psychological control and depressive symptom ( β =0.14, P <0.05), while the negative moderating effect of the high-low subgroup was not statistically significant ( β =-0.07, P >0.05).
Conclusions
The negative impact of parental psychological control on depressive symptom in junior high school students varies depending on the use of different emotion regulation strategies. For a majority of students, enhancing cognitive reappraisal training may help alleviate the adverse effects of parental psychological control and promote better mental health.


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