Objective To analyze the effect of residual cholesterol (RC) on hearing loss in noise-exposed workers. Methods A total of 3 412 workers engaged in noise operation work in an underground railway enterprise were selected as the research subjects using the judgment sampling method. Their occupational health examination data were collected to analyze the relationship between RC and hearing loss. Results The noise intensity of workplace in the underground rail enterprise was 80.0-85.0 (81.4±3.2) dB(A). The detection rate of hearing loss was 20.2% (691/3 412). The rates of abnormal total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were 35.6%, 25.7%, 9.5% and 42.4%, respectively. The median and the 25th and 75th percentiles [M(P₂₅,P₇₅)] of RC level were 0.24 (0.15, 0.37) mmol/L. The levels of total cholesterol, triacylglycerol and RC of workers in hearing loss group were higher than those in normal hearing group [M(P₂₅,P₇₅): 4.91(4.37, 5.58) vs 4.84(4.30, 5.46) mmol/L, 1.29(0.91, 1.93) vs 1.16(0.82, 1.67) mmol/L, 0.26(0.16, 0.41) vs 0.24(0.14, 0.37) mmol/L, all P<0.05]. The detection rate of hearing loss in abnormal triglyceride group was higher than that in normal triglyceride group (24.8% vs 18.7%, P<0.01), and the detection rate of hearing loss in abnormal HDL-C group was higher than that in normal HDL-C group (25.0% vs 19.8%, P<0.05). The higher the serum RC level, the higher the detection rate of hearing loss (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression result showed that individual with older age, longer work time and higher serum RC level had higher risk of hearing abnormality (all P<0.05), and the risk of hearing abnormality was higher in patients with abnormal fasting blood glucose than patients with normal faseing blood glucose (P<0.05) after controlling for confounding factors such as gender, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and elevated blood pressure. However, abnormal triacylglycerol and HDL-C levels were not significantly related to the risk of hearing abnormality (both P>0.05). Conclusion Serum RC levels are an independent risk factor for hearing loss among noise-exposed workers exposed to noise level of 80.0-85.0 dB(A) in the workplace.

Background Hypertension is one of the chronic diseases with the highest prevalence in China, and a history of hypertension may potentially exacerbate hearing loss. Investigating the association between long-term blood pressure trends and hearing thresholds could contribute to hearing protection efforts for occupationally noise-exposed populations. Objective By investigating hearing thresholds and blood pressure levels among occupationally noise-exposed workers in an urban rail transit enterprise, and conducting a comprehensive analysis of the association between long-term blood pressure changes and hearing thresholds, to provide data references for health management strategies targeting occupationally noise-exposed workers. Methods Workers exposed to occupational noise at a rail transit enterprise were enrolled as study subjects and underwent pure-tone audiometry. Group-based trajectory modeling was employed to identify blood pressure trajectories. Categorical data were compared using chi-square tests, while normally distributed continuous variables were analyzed via t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were subsequently applied toexamine associations between these trajectory groups and high-frequency hearing thresholds. Results Among 2 002 occupationally noise-exposed workers, the median (P₂₅, P₇₅) age was 32 (28, 35) years, with a median (P₂₅, P₇₅) working tenure of 7 (3, 10) years. In 2019, the positive hypertension rate was 9.04%, with a mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) of (122.97±11.60) mmHg and a mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of (76.37±9.02) mmHg. The hearing loss prevalence was 10.1%, showing bilateral high-frequency average hearing thresholds of (17.18±8.71) dB and speech-frequency average thresholds of (13.79±3.46) dB. Three distinct trajectory groups were identified for both SBP and DBP. Compared with other trajectory groups, the high-stable DBP group exhibited significantly higher hearing loss prevalence (χ²=6.34, P=0.042) and elevated high-frequency hearing thresholds (all Ps<0.05). Specifically, within the 30-39 age subgroup, the moderate-stable DBP group demonstrated 1.96 dB lower high-frequency thresholds than the high-stable group [β(95%CI): −1.96 (−3.61, −0.32), P=0.020]. Conclusion Among occupationally noise-exposed workers in a municipal rail transit enterprise, DBP trajectories demonstrated a positive association with high-frequency hearing thresholds. Notably, in young and middle-aged occupationally noise-exposed populations, DBP may exert a more critical influence than SBP on the progression of hearing loss.

Chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG)is a precancerous lesion of gastric cancer,and its pathogenesis is complicated,with recurrent and prolonged symptoms.Starting from the view of stomach collaterals and sweat pores,the paper analyzed the pathogenesis of CAG,i.e.,stagnation and obstruction of sweat pores,and blood stasis obstructing stomach collaterals.Furthermore,this paper explored the efficacy of wind medicines in treating CAG by opening sweat pores and unblocking stomach collaterals.It is believed that wind medicines are pungent with warm nature,and have the actions of relieving exterior syndrome,regulating qi,elevating yang,unblocking collaterals and dissipating masses,which enable their efficacy on opening sweat pores and unblocking stomach collaterals.In the treatment of CAG,wind medicines are able to open the sweat pores,and the opening of sweat pores promotes the recovery of spleen-stomach function in lifting lucid yang and lowering turbid yin;wind medicines have the actions of directing herbs to the affected meridian or site,and assisting the other Chinese medicines to achieve satisfactory efficacies;wind medicines can also be used for drying dampness,and enhance the efficacy of removing dampness with the help of their actions of opening sweat pores.During the treatment of CAG,the combination of wind medicines can enhance the therapeutic effect of Chinese herbal medicine,and the exploration in this paper will provide reference for traditional Chinese medicine treatment of CAG in clinic.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of GJB2 gene c.109G>A (p.V37I) variant among infants with congenital hearing loss and analyze the initial audiological characteristics of children harboring the variant, compare the audiometric difference among individuals with various genotypes, and explore genetic and audiological manifestations of the affected families. METHODS: One hundred twenty six infants diagnosed with congenital hearing loss at the Neonate Screening Center of Ningbo City from June 2021 to December 2024 were selected as the study subjects. The neonates, in addition with members from 16 of their families, had undergone genetic screening for variants of 208 hotspot sites within 24 deafness-associated genes. For cases identified with monoallelic variants and concurrent hearing loss, the full GJB2 gene was sequenced. Meanwhile, a retrospective analysis was carried out on 23 children whom were confirmed to have hearing loss and the c.109G>A variant by whole exome sequencing from March 2022 to December 2024. And 102 children who were excluded to have hearing loss and pathogenic variants by whole exome sequencing were selected as normal controls. Audiological features of individuals harboring the c.109G>A variant were compared. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of The Affiliated Women and Children's Hospital of Ningbo University (Ethics No.: EC2023-009). RESULTS: For the 126 infants with congenital hearing loss, prospective screening has identified 58 (46.03%) to harbor the c.109G>A variant. These included 38 homozygotes and 16 compound heterozygotes. Retrospective review of the 23 c.109G>A positive children has identified 15 as homozygotes and 8 as compound heterozygotes. Genetic testing of the 16 pedigrees has identified 7 homozygotes and 1 compound heterozygote. For the homozygotes combined (n = 53), 96.2% exhibited bilateral symmetric hearing loss, with 78.3% showing high-frequency sloping patterns, and 98.1% having a hearing threshold ranging from 20 to 65 dB. For the compound heterozygotes combined (n = 24), 95.8% showed symmetric loss, with 59.4% having high-frequency sloping, and 97.9% had a hearing threshold ranging from 20 to 65 dB. Both groups showed significantly elevated ABR/PTA thresholds compared with the normal controls (P = 0.000). The compound heterozygous group had higher ABR thresholds (43.3 ± 15.0 dB nHL) compared with the homozygous group (39.1 ± 12.0 dB nHL, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION Infants harboring the GJB2 c.109G>A variant primarily manifest as mild-to-moderate, symmetric, high-frequency sloping hearing loss. Nearly one-third of affected children have thresholds between 20 to 35 dB nHL, suggesting that ABR > 35 dB nHL alone may underestimate the hearing impairment in this population. Compared with homozygotes, compound heterozygotes with the the GJB2 c.109G>A variant can confer a more severe hearing loss.
Humans ; Connexin 26/genetics* ; Female ; Male ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Hearing Loss/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Genotype ; Connexins/genetics* ; Mutation

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of genetic screening by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) for the early diagnosis of neonatal diseases. METHODS: A total of 2 060 neonates born at Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital from March to September 2021 were selected as the study subjects. All neonates had undergone conventional tandem mass spectrometry metabolite analysis and fluorescent immunoassay analysis. HTS was carried out to detect the definite pathogenic variant sites with high-frequency of 135 disease-related genes. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing or multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). RESULTS: Among the 2 060 newborns, 31 were diagnosed with genetic diseases, 557 were found to be carriers, and 1 472 were negative. Among the 31 neonates, 5 had G6PD, 19 had hereditary non-syndromic deafness due to variants of GJB2, GJB3 and MT-RNR1 genes, 2 had PAH gene variants, 1 had GAA gene variants, 1 had SMN1 gene variants, 2 had MTTL1 gene variants, and 1 had GH1 gene variants. Clinically, 1 child had Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), 1 had Glycogen storage disease II, 2 had congenital deafness, and 5 had G6PD deficiency. One mother was diagnosed with SMA. No patient was detected by conventional tandem mass spectrometry. Conventional fluorescence immunoassay had revealed 5 cases of G6PD deficiency (all positive by genetic screening) and 2 cases of hypothyroidism (identified as carriers). The most common variants identified in this region have involved DUOX2 (3.93%), ATP7B (2.48%), SLC26A4 (2.38%), GJB2 (2.33%), PAH (2.09%) and SLC22A5 genes (2.09%). CONCLUSION Neonatal genetic screening has a wide range of detection and high detection rate, which can significantly improve the efficacy of newborn screening when combined with conventional screening and facilitate secondary prevention for the affected children, diagnosis of family members and genetic counseling for the carriers.
Child ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Connexins/genetics* ; Connexin 26/genetics* ; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency ; Mutation ; Sulfate Transporters/genetics* ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Genetic Testing/methods* ; Deafness/genetics* ; Neonatal Screening/methods* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Solute Carrier Family 22 Member 5/genetics*

Objective The identification of Santali Albi Lignum and its common counterfeits Osyris lanceolata Lignum,Santalum spicatum Lignum was studied to provide experimental basis for the authenticity of this medicinal herb.Methods The identification was carried out using morphological,microscopic,and thin-layer identification methods.The volatile oil of Santali Albi Lignum and its counterfeits were extracted by steam distillation and the volatile oil components were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The differences of volatile oil components among the three were compared.Results Santali Albi Lignum and its common counterfeits all possessed a sandalwood aroma,but Santali Albi Lignum has abundant oiliness and strong aroma.Osyris lanceolata Lignum aroma exhibits slightly strong odor and slightly camphor flavor,and the smell of Santalum spicatum Lignum is sweet and fragrant.Santali Albi Lignum is greyish-yellow to yellowish-brown in color,while Osyris lanceolata Lignum is generally reddish brown in color,Santalum spicatum Lignum is light yellow to light yellowish-brown,but its surface shows reddish-brown when exposed to air for a long time.In the transection section,the ray width of Santali Albi Lignum is more than 1-2 rows of cells,with occasional 3 rows of cells.The ray width of Osyris lanceolata Lignum is 1-3 rows of cells,while the ray width of Santalum spicatum Lignum is 1-2 rows of cells,mostly uniseriate.In the tangential section,the wood ray of Santali Albi Lignum has a height of 5-15 cells,the wood ray of Osyris lanceolata Lignum has a height of 4-10 cells,while the wood ray of Santalum spicatum Lignum has a height of 4-16 cells.In the radial section,fewer calcium oxalate crystal was found in Santali Albi Lignum,more calcium oxalate crystal was appeared in Osyris lanceolata Lignum,more and larger calcium oxalate crystal was identified in Santalum spicatum Lignum.Genuine and fake sandalwood can be distinguished using sandalwood oil as the thin-layer chromatographic reference.And the volatile oil content of fake Osyris lanceolata Lignum and Santalum spicatum Lignum is lower than that of Santali Albi Lignum.The main components of Santali Albi Lignum are α-santalol and β-santalol.The low content of santalol has been found in Osyris lanceolata Lignum,while α-santalol is extremely low in Santalum spicatum Lignum oil and β-santalol has not been found.Conclusion There are small differences among Santali Albi Lignum and its adulterants in characteristics,microscopical characteristics.But the differences have been found in three-way cross section,thin layer chromatography,volatile oil content and composition characteristics,which can be used for identification of Santali Albi Lignum and its counterfeits.

Escherichia coli is a highly adaptable opportunistic pathogen bacterium that can form biofilms on the surface of implants and generates persistent cells,leading to life-threatening infections that are difficult to treat with antibiotics alone.Therefore,there is a need for an effective E.coli biofilm inhibitor to combat this public health threat.Indole is a novel quorum-sensing signaling molecule of E.coli discovered in recent years,which is of great significance in regulating bacterial growth and biofilm formation,and is a potential target for future research on new anti-biofilm preparations.This article reviews the research progress on the formation of Escherichia coli biofilms,the microbial metabolism of indole and its regulation of Escherichia coli biofilm formation,in order to provide information for clinical treatment and drug development.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral anisodine hydrobromide tablets in the treatment of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).Methods:A multicenter nonrandomized controlled trial was conducted.A total of 282 acute NAION patients (282 eyes) were recruited from 16 hospitals in China from July 2020 to May 2021.Patients were divided into two groups according to treatment methods, which were control group (124 cases, 124 eyes) receiving regular treatment including citicoline sodium plus Ginkgo biloba leaf liquid extract or Ginkgo biloba leaf extract tablets plus mecobalamin, and experimental group (158 cases, 158 eyes) receiving treatment in control group plus oral anisodine hydrobromide tablets 1 mg, twice daily for 2 to 3 months.Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual field index (VFI), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and radial peripapillary capillary vessel density (RPC) were assessed at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after enrollment using the standard decimal visual acuity chart, 750i Humphery visual field analyzer, Cirrus HD-OCT 4000/Cirrus HD-OCT 5000, RTVue-XR optical coherence tomography respectively.The primary outcomes were BCVA and VFI, and the secondary outcomes were pRNFL, RPC, and the side effects during the follow-up.The study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.All patients were fully informed about the treatment and purpose of this study and voluntarily signed the informed consent form.The study protocol was approved by Chinese PLA General Hospital (No.S2020-021-01). Results:In all, 242 patients (242 eyes) completed the follow-up of BCVA, and 98 patients (98 eyes) completed the VFI follow-up.In terms of visual function, BCVA and VFI improved significantly over time in the two groups, and BCVA and VFI were better in experimental group than in control group at various follow-up time points (all at P<0.05). In terms of structure, pRNFL gradually decreased in both groups with the extension of treatment, and pRNFL was significanthy thinner in experimental group than in control group at various follow-up time points (all at P<0.05). There was no significant difference in RPC between the two groups at the last follow-up ( P>0.05). There were two cases with side effects and one case was discontinued due to side effects 25 days after enrollment. Conclusions:Oral anisodine hydrobromide can improve visual acuity and visual field in NAION and accelerate the regression of optic disc edema, with good safety.

Objective:To investigate the incidence and risk factors of renal injury in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with poor immune reconstitution.Methods:The HIV infection/AIDS patients with poor immune reconstitution who were visited Second Department of Infection of Hangzhou Xixi Hospital from January to December 2021 were enrolled. The clinical data and laboratory examinations of the patients were collected, and the relevant risk factors were analyzed by logistic regression.Results:Among 303 HIV infection/AIDS patients with poor immune reconstitution, 59(19.5%) patients had renal injury. Logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension (odds ratio ( OR)=0.200, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.065 to 0.618, P=0.005), taking tenofovir ( OR=0.275, 95% CI 0.130 to 0.580, P=0.001), hypoproteinemia ( OR=1.045, 95% CI 1.006 to 1.086, P=0.022), and low CD4 + T lymphocytes level ( OR=1.009, 95% CI 1.003 to 1.014, P=0.001) were risk factors for renal injury. Conclusions:The incidence of renal injury in HIV infection/AIDS patients with poor immune reconstitution is high. Hypertension, taking tenofovir, hypoproteinemia, and low CD4 + T lymphocytes level are risk factors for renal injury in patients.

Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been used worldwide to treat spinal cord injury, but their therapeutic mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, BMSCs were transplanted to aneurysm clip-injured rats to demonstrate their protective effect. We observed myelin sheaths through Luxol fast blue (LFB) staining, osmic acid staining, TUNEL and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We performed Western blotting to analyze the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and caspase 3. BMSCs were transplanted at 1, 7 and 14 days after spinal cord injury. Hindlimb movement (Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan; BBB) score, CNPase (2', 3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase), myelin basic protein (MBP) and caspase 3 protein levels were detected. Immunofluorescence was used to test the differentiation of BMSCs after implanted into damaged spinal cord and co-expression of CNPase-caspase 3+. At 7 days after BMSCs transplantation, some injected BMSCs expressed neuronal and oligodendrocyte markers. And both locomotor skills and ultra-structural features of myelin sheaths were significantly improved. The expressions of BDNF were clearly increased by BMSCs transplantation, the expression of caspase 3 was the opposite. Compared with the 1 and 14 days transplantation after spinal cord injury, MBP and CNPase expressions were highest, caspase 3 expression was lowest in 7 days BMSCs transplantation. After BMSCs transplantation, CNPase-caspase 3+ cells scattered in the white matter of the spinal cord. Therefore, BMSCs had a tendency to differentiate into neurons and oligodendrocytes after transplantation, which could promote the secretion of BDNF. BMSCs protected neural myelin sheaths by inhibiting oligodendrocyte apoptosis via increased secretion of BDNF after SCI. The best therapeutic time was 7 days after spinal cord injury.