Objective: To investigate the timing of puberty onset among primary school students, so as to provide the reference data for early identification of children with suspected precocious puberty. Methods: A study was conducted from October 23 to November 7, 2023, involving 10 225 students(5 412 boys, 4 813 girls) from grade 1 to 6 of four campuses in Meiling Primary School in Yangzhou. Breast development in girls and external genitalia in boys was assessed via visual inspection and palpation, with pubertal stages classified using the Tanner staging method. Puberty onset timing was determined based on age/sex reference values from Chinese Han children s pubertal milestone indicators. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Results: The median age for testicular volume reaching 4 mL in boys was 10.49 years, while the median age for breast development onset in girls was 9.70 years. Among boys with testicular volume ≥4 mL, 16.6%( n =217) were identified as suspected early puberty cases; among girls with Tanner stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ, 123(9.4%) and 165(18.5%) showed earlier breast development than the reference range. Overall, 14.4% of students exhibited suspected precocious puberty. Conclusion The onset age of puberty for girls in primary schools of Yangzhou aligns with findings from other regions, while boys show earlier pubertal initiation.

Objective:To develop a perinatal depression screening scale for Chinese urban version and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Naturally conceived women who were≥12 weeks of gestation and had regular prenatal examinations or delivered within four weeks in Xi'an and Foshan were recruited using convenience sampling. Initial entries were created through clinical interviews and expert validation of 50 of these pregnancies. Further item screening and testing for reliability and validity using correlation analysis, critical ratio method, homogeneity test, and factor analysis were performed. The final questionnaire was formed and then used to test the subjects. Fifty women who had completed the questionnaire effectively were selected for retesting 10 to 15 days after the initial evaluation. A structural equation model was constructed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) as the reference criterion to conduct the scale's exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The receiver operating characters curve was used to determine the cut-off point of the scale.Results:(1) 1 300 questionnaires were issued, and 1 049 valid questionnaires were received with a recovery rate of 80.7%. Among them, 601 were used for exploratory and correlation analysis, and 448 were used for confirmatory factor analysis. (2) The initial entries of the scale totaled 63. After eliminating indicators that did not meet the requirements for item analysis, the final scale consisted of 22 entries in total. The final scale consisted of six dimensions, including "abnormal mood", "loss of interest and pleasure," "sleep disorder," "self-blame and guilt," "decline in conscious thought ability," and "lack of energy". (3) The correlation coefficients between the above six dimensions and EPDS were 0.609, 0.322, 0.423, 0.522, 0.545, and 0.516, respectively. The one between the total scale and EPDS was 0.715 (all P<0.01). (4) The confirmatory factor analysis of each model and the scale showed an acceptable fit and a stable factor structure with indices Chi-square/degrees of freedom =2.504, square root of approximation error=0.058, standardized root mean square residual=0.048, comparative fit index=0.925, Tueker-Lewis index=0.911. After retaining 22 items, the Cronbach's coefficients of the six dimensions ranged from 0.708 to 0.870. (5) The test-retest reliability of the total scale, six dimensions, and 22 items were 0.936, 0.786-0.846, and 0.720-0.886, respectively. (6) The receiver operating characteristic curve of the scale was drawn with EPDS≥13 as the cut-off value, and the area under the curve (AUC) of EPDS was 0.808 (95% CI: 0.744-0.872). When the original cut-off point was 21, the Youden index was the max (0.561), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.952 and 0.609, respectively. The Kappa value was 0.691, indicating that the scale was consistent with EPDS. Conclusion:This study preliminarily established a Chinese urban version of the perinatal depression screening scale with a stable factor structure and good reliability and validity.

Objective:To develop a perinatal depression screening scale for Chinese urban version and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Naturally conceived women who were≥12 weeks of gestation and had regular prenatal examinations or delivered within four weeks in Xi'an and Foshan were recruited using convenience sampling. Initial entries were created through clinical interviews and expert validation of 50 of these pregnancies. Further item screening and testing for reliability and validity using correlation analysis, critical ratio method, homogeneity test, and factor analysis were performed. The final questionnaire was formed and then used to test the subjects. Fifty women who had completed the questionnaire effectively were selected for retesting 10 to 15 days after the initial evaluation. A structural equation model was constructed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) as the reference criterion to conduct the scale's exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The receiver operating characters curve was used to determine the cut-off point of the scale.Results:(1) 1 300 questionnaires were issued, and 1 049 valid questionnaires were received with a recovery rate of 80.7%. Among them, 601 were used for exploratory and correlation analysis, and 448 were used for confirmatory factor analysis. (2) The initial entries of the scale totaled 63. After eliminating indicators that did not meet the requirements for item analysis, the final scale consisted of 22 entries in total. The final scale consisted of six dimensions, including "abnormal mood", "loss of interest and pleasure," "sleep disorder," "self-blame and guilt," "decline in conscious thought ability," and "lack of energy". (3) The correlation coefficients between the above six dimensions and EPDS were 0.609, 0.322, 0.423, 0.522, 0.545, and 0.516, respectively. The one between the total scale and EPDS was 0.715 (all P<0.01). (4) The confirmatory factor analysis of each model and the scale showed an acceptable fit and a stable factor structure with indices Chi-square/degrees of freedom =2.504, square root of approximation error=0.058, standardized root mean square residual=0.048, comparative fit index=0.925, Tueker-Lewis index=0.911. After retaining 22 items, the Cronbach's coefficients of the six dimensions ranged from 0.708 to 0.870. (5) The test-retest reliability of the total scale, six dimensions, and 22 items were 0.936, 0.786-0.846, and 0.720-0.886, respectively. (6) The receiver operating characteristic curve of the scale was drawn with EPDS≥13 as the cut-off value, and the area under the curve (AUC) of EPDS was 0.808 (95% CI: 0.744-0.872). When the original cut-off point was 21, the Youden index was the max (0.561), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.952 and 0.609, respectively. The Kappa value was 0.691, indicating that the scale was consistent with EPDS. Conclusion:This study preliminarily established a Chinese urban version of the perinatal depression screening scale with a stable factor structure and good reliability and validity.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of 57 patients diagnosed with anti-glycyl tRNA synthetase(anti-EJ)positive antisynthetase syndrome(ASS),a subtype of anti-glycyl tRNA positive ASS,complicated by interstitial lung disease(ILD),and to investigate the factors asso-ciated with ILD recurrence.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 57 anti-EJ positive ASS patientswho were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical Universi-ty from January 1,2020 to June 30,2024.The data collected included demographic information,clinical characteristics,laboratory test results,chest CT findings,and pulmonary function tests.The characteris-tics of ILD recurrence were also analyzed.Results:All the 57 patients with anti-EJ positive ASS were diagnosed with ILD.The mean age at disease onset was(58.18±10.27)years,with a mean disease duration of 3.00(2.00,16.00)months.Among the patients,70.18％were female,87.72％experi-enced a cough,70.18％had expectoration,89.47％reported respiratory difficulties,and 14.04％de-veloped respiratory failure.The results of pulmonary function test showed that the percentage of forced vi-tal capacity(FVC)in the normal predicted value(FVC％),the percentage of forced expiratory volume in the first second(FEV1)in the normal predicted value(FEV1％)and the percentage of diffusion lung carbon monoxide(DLCO)in the normal predicted value(DLCO％)were 59.36±21.41,58.34±19.46 and 58.17±27.95,respectively.The oxygenation index was(363.24±99.42)mmHg.Chest CT imaging showed that nonspecific interstitial pneumonia(NSIP)was the most common radiographic pattern.Among the 46 patients who completed a follow-up of more than 12 months,21 cases(45.65％)showed recurrence of ILD.The average age of onset for the recurrence group was(61.38±8.63)years,while that for the non-recurrence group was(55.28±11.85)years,with a difference approaching statis-tical significance(P=0.056).Further analysis showed that the ESR(erythrocyte sedimentation rate)level was significantly higher in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group[(50.48±29.64)mm/h vs.30.28±23.97)mm/h,P=0.025],and the IgM(immune globulin M)level was also significantly higher in the recurrence group(P=0.042).Moreover,the CD8+T proportion was significantly higher in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group(25.48±11.81 vs.18.59±8.53,P=0.027).Despite the fact that the recurrence group had a higher baseline age,higher ESR,IgM,and CD8+T proportion,multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that these indicators were not independent risk factors for ILD recurrence.Conclusion:ILD is the most common clinical manifestation in patients with anti-EJ positive ASS,with a significant impact on pulmonary function.Al-though the patients responded well to a combination of glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive therapies,the recurrence rate remains high,particularly in those with increased sputum production,and elevated ESR.Close monitoring and early intervention for high-risk patients are essential to improving long-term outcomes.

Radiotherapy uses high-energy X-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells and medical practitioners have used this approach extensively for cancer treatment (Hachadorian et al., 2020). However, it is accompanied by risks because it seriously harms normal cells while killing cancer cells. The side effects can lower cancer patients' quality of life and are very unpredictable due to individual differences (Bentzen, 2006). Therefore, it is essential to assess a patient's body damage after radiotherapy to formulate an individualized recovery treatment plan. Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be changed by radiotherapy and thus used for medical diagnosis (Vaks et al., 2012). During treatment, high-energy X-rays can induce apoptosis; meanwhile, cell membranes are damaged due to lipid peroxidation, converting unsaturated fatty acids into volatile metabolites (Losada-Barreiro and Bravo-Díaz, 2017). At the same time, radiotherapy oxidizes water, resulting in reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can increase the epithelial permeability of pulmonary alveoli, enabling the respiratory system to exhale volatile metabolites (Davidovich et al., 2013; Popa et al., 2020). These exhaled VOCs can be used to monitor body damage caused by radiotherapy.
Breath Tests/methods* ; Exhalation ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Respiratory System/chemistry* ; Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis*

Objective:To investigate the effect of ultrasound measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in adult patients with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP).Method:From June 2017 to March 2020, A total of 64 patients (32 patients with elevated ICP and 32 patients with normal ICP) were placed with invasive intracranial pressure monitoring probe in Beijing Pinggu Hospital. Their ICP and ONSD were continuously monitored. Thirty-two healthy volunteers were recruited as control group to check ONSD. The correlation between ONSD and ICP, and the changes of ICP and ONSD after osmotic therapy were observed.Results:The ONSD in ICP increased group was significantly higher than that in normal ICP group: (5.77 ± 0.3) mm vs. (5.01 ± 0.1) mm, with statistical difference ( P<0.05), and there was a positive correlation between ONSD and ICP. There was no significant difference in ONSD between normal ICP group and control group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Ultrasound monitoring ONSD can reflect the level of ICP and evaluate the effect of osmotic therapy and the prognosis of patients. Bedside ultrasound examination of optic nerve sheath diameter could be used to judge ICP and to evaluate the curative effect of osmotic therapy, with high clinical application value.

Objective:To investigate the role of HIS (hyperinflammatory syndrome) score in predicting the prognosis of anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5(MDA5) antibody-positive dermatomyositis (DM) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD).Methods:A total of 43 patients with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis and 228 connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with ILD hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to April 2021 were enrolled into this study. All patients were complicated with ILD and their HIS score were assessed. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-squared test, Fisher exact probability and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for data analysis. Results:The HIS score of 43 patients with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermat-omyositis were collected. Among 228 CTD-ILD patients in the control groups, the primary disease consisted of 33(14.5%) anti-synthetase antibody syndrome (ASS), 44(19.3%) rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 65(28.5%) Sj?gren's syndromes (SS), 43 (18.9%) systemic sclerosis (SSc) and 43 (18.9%) systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). The HIS score of anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD patients [2(1, 3)] was higher than those in ASS patients [1(0, 2), Z=-2.06, P<0.05] and significantly higher than those in RA-ILD [1(0, 2), Z=-2.87, P<0.01], SS-ILD [0(0,1), Z=-5.78, P<0.01], SSC-ILD [1(0, 1), Z=-3.84, P<0.01] and SLE-ILD [1(0, 2), Z=-3.81, P<0.01]. Comparing HIS score of anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD patients, the 3-months mortality rate in the low, medium and high groups was 0(0/15), 38.1%(8/21) and 85.7%(6/7). The area under ROC curve (95% CI) was 0.857[(0.747, 0.967), P<0.001] for HIS score in predicting 3-months mortality probability of anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD. Conclusion:HIS score of anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD is higher than that in CTD-ILD patients and the baseline level is related to the 3-months mortality rate.

Objective To investigate the dependency of thermal expansion coefficient of DNA adsorption film on environmental conditions. Methods By treating DNA adsorption film as a macroscopic continuum film with prestrain, an equivalent composite beam model of DNA film-substrate was established to calculate the deflection of DNA-microcantilever beam under temperature loading. By adopting Parsegian’s empirical potential which described the mesoscopic free energy of DNA adsorption film, the DNA liquid crystal-substrate multi-scale deflection model, the thought experiment method and the equivalent deformation method were combined to establish the trans-scale relationship between the microstructure of DNA adsorption film and its macro-scale mechanical properties. The thermal expansion coefficient of DNA adsorption film was predicted. ResultsGiven the ionic strength, the thermal expansion coefficient of double-stranded DNA adsorption film ranged from 0.3×10-4/K to 8.05×10-4/K, and that of single-stranded DNA adsorption film ranged from 1.28×10-4/K to 9.33×10-4/K. Conclusions As a leading role in the competition of micro-interactions, the change of configurational entropy determines the dependency of thermal expansion coefficient of DNA adsorption film on environmental conditions; the thermal expansion coefficient of DNA adsorption film decreases with the increase of temperature or ion concentration or DNA packing density. These results are useful for gene detection and its regulation, and provide reference for the evaluation of tissue organ performance in tissue engineering.

BACKGROUNDTraditional Chinese medical treatment of primary Sjögren's syndrome has advantages over Western medicine in terms of fewer side effects and improved patient conditions. This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the efficacy and safety of ShengJinRunZaoYangXue granules for the treatment of primary Sjögren's syndrome, including the symptoms of dry mouth and dry eye.

METHODSWe undertook a 6-week, double-blind, randomized trial involving 240 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome at five centers in East China. A computer-generated randomization schedule assigned patients at a 2:1 ratio to receive either ShengJinRunZaoYangXue granules or placebo once daily. Patients and investigators were blinded to treatment allocation. The primary endpoints were the salivary flow rate, Schirmer test results, and sugar test results. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were performed.

RESULTSAll 240 patients were randomly allocated to either the treatment group (n = 160, ShengJinRunZaoYangXue granules) or placebo group (n = 80) and were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. After program violation and loss to follow-up, a total of 199 patients were included in the per-protocol analysis. At six week, intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses of the left-eye Schirmer I test results showed an improved difference of 1.36 mm/5 min (95% CI: 0.03 to 2.69 mm/5 min) and 1.35 mm/5 min (95% CI: 0.04 to 2.73 mm/5 min), respectively, and those of the right-eye Schirmer I test results showed an improved difference of 1.12 mm/5 min (95% CI: 0.02 to 2.22 mm/5 min) and 1.12 mm/5 min (95% CI: -0.02 to 2.27 mm/5 min), respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups before treatment. After treatment, the between-group and within-group before-and-after paired comparison results were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses showed an improved salivary flow rate by 0.04 ml/15 min (95% CI: -0.49 to 0.58 ml/15 min) and 0.04 ml/15 min (95% CI: -0.52 to 0.60 ml/15 min), respectively, but the differences were not significant. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses showed that the sugar test results were improved by 1.77 minutes (95% CI: 0.11 to 3.44 minutes) and 1.84 minutes (95% CI: 0.12 to 3.55 minutes), respectively, but the differences were not significant. For the secondary endpoint, intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses showed significant improvement in the integrated evaluation of treated patients with dry eye and dry mouth after six weeks of treatment. The incidence of adverse events was 15.6% in the treatment group and 10.0% in the placebo group. Most (94%) adverse events were mild to moderate in the two groups, and only two cases of serious adverse events occurred in the treatment group; both were caused by autoimmune liver disease.

CONCLUSIONSSix-week treatment with ShengJinRun ZaoYangXue granules for primary Sjögren's syndrome in this large-scale study improved the symptoms of dry mouth, dry eyes, and low tear flow rate with minimal adverse events.

China ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Models, Theoretical ; Sjogren's Syndrome ; drug therapy

A simple, reliable and sensitive liquid chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (LC-ID/MS) was developed and validated for quantification of olanzapine in human plasma. Plasma samples (50 microL) were extracted with tert-butyl methyl ether and isotope-labeled internal standard (olanzapine-D3) was used. The chromatographic separation was performed on XBridge Shield RP 18 (100 mm x 2.1 mm, 3.5 microm, Waters). An isocratic program was used at a flow rate of 0.4 m x min(-1) with mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and ammonium buffer (pH 8). The protonated ions of analytes were detected in positive ionization by multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode. The plasma method, with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.1 ng x mL(-1), demonstrated good linearity over a range of 0.1 - 30 ng x mL(-1) of olanzapine. Specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effect and stability were evaluated during method validation. The validated method was successfully applied to analyzing human plasma samples in bioavailability study.