Objective: To explore the relationship between related factors of non-suicidal self-injury behavior (NSSI) among middle school students in Guizhou Province, so as to provide the evidence for preventing high risk behaviors in adolescents. Methods: A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 1 034 junior and senior middle school students from Zunyi City, Qiannan Prefecture and Tongren City in Guizhou Province from April to October in 2023. Questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information including Adolescent Self injury Scale and Family Assessment Device. The R 4.4.1 software was employed for network analysis visualization, centrality indicators, and result stability assessment. Results: The detection rate of NSSI behavior among middle school students in Guizhou province was 29.6%, with a detection rate of 25.5% for boys and 33.1% for girls, showing a statistically significant difference ( χ 2=7.07, P <0.05). There were statistically significant differences in scores of emotional communication, egoism, family rules, positive communication, problem solving, expression of positive emotions and management of negative emotions self-efficacy, and bullying victimization in various dimensions between middle school students with and without NSSI ( Z =-13.66 to -7.05, P <0.01). NSSI among middle school students was positively correlated with social/relational bullying, depression and anxiety, and there were relatively close connections in the network ( r =0.35, 0.43, 0.42, P <0.01). Centrality indicators showed that the highest in strength and closeness centrality were stress ( Z =1.29, 1.58), the highest in betweenness centrality was for emotional communication ( Z =1.91), and the highest in expected influence index was for physical bullying ( Z =1.44)( P < 0.05). Conclusions Stress, emotional communication and physical bullying have significant impacts in the network of factors related to NSSI. Social/relational bullying, depression and anxiety have strong direct correlations with NSSI behavior among middle school students.

BACKGROUND:Small diameter artificial vessels are urgently needed to treat coronary artery and peripheral artery diseases in clinical practice.At present,vascular tissue engineering has become the main method for preparing small diameter artificial vessels.Selecting suitable biomaterials and cell sources is the key factor for successful construction of small diameter tissue engineered vessels. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of four kinds of electrospinning membrane materials on proliferation,adhesion and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into vascular smooth muscle cells. METHODS:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and extracted from SD rats.The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were inoculated separately on polycaprolactone(PCL),polycaprolactone-hyaluronic acid(PCL-HA),polycaprolactone-silk-filament proteins(PCL-SF),and polycaprolactone-gelatin(PCL-GEL)electrospinning membrane materials.After 1,3,and 7 days of culture,the cell arrangement on the material was observed under scanning electron microscope.The proliferation and adhesion of the material were observed by phalloidin staining.The mRNA expressions of CD90,Meflin,and transforming growth factor β were detected by qRT-PCR.After 7 days of induced differentiation into vascular smooth muscle cells,the mRNA expression ofɑ-smooth muscle actin on the material was detected by qRT-PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were arranged along the fibers of the four kinds of electrospinning membranes under scanning electron microscopy.(2)Phalloidin staining showed the regular distribution of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on the four kinds of electrospinning membranes and parallel distribution along the fiber direction.Moreover,PCL-HA,PCL-SF,and PCL-GEL electrospinning membranes were more conducive to the proliferation and adhesion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells than PCL electrospinning membranes.Compared with PCL-HA and PCL-GEL electrospinning membranes,PCL-SF electrospinning membranes were more conducive to the proliferation and adhesion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(3)qRT-PCR showed that the four kinds of electrospun membrane materials could maintain the mRNA expression of CD90 and Meflin in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,but there was no significant difference between groups(P>0.05).The mRNA expression of transforming growth factor β in PCL-HA,PCL-SF,and PCL-GEL groups was higher than that in PCL group on days 1 and 7(P<0.05),and the mRNA expression of transforming growth factor β in PCL-SF group was higher than that in the other three groups on days 3 and 7(P<0.05).The mRNA expression of transforming growth factor β in PCL-HA group was higher than that in PCL-GEL group on day 7(P<0.05).(4)qRT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression of ɑ-smooth muscle actin in PCL-SF group was higher than that in the other three groups(P<0.05),and that in PCL-HA group was higher than that in PCL group(P<0.05).(5)The results indicate that compared with PCL,PCL-HA and PCL-GEL electrospinning membranes,PCL-SF electrospinning membranes combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are more suitable for the preparation of small diameter tissue engineered vessels.

Environmentally-induced reproductive toxicity is one of the important causes of fertility declines and has become a significant global public health challenge.Elucidating the causal links between exposure to environmental hazards and reproductive damage,unraveling the underlying molecular mechanisms,and establishing precise reproductive injury assessment systems are crucial for development of targeted interventions and safeguarding human reproductive health.In this article,we systematically review the research progress on reproductive toxicity caused by emerging environmental chemical pollutants,common physical factors,and biological factors in the recent 3 years.We summarize the new technologies in the field of toxicology,including novel experimental models,exposomics,and artificial intelligence.We also discuss the potential research directions in risk assessment,prevention and intervention of environmental factors-induced reproductive damage.

Objective To analyze the detrimental effects of exposure to environmental noise alone and combined with carbon monoxide(CO)on spermatogenesis in male rats,investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in such damage,and evaluate the protective role of pterostilbene(PTE)against these adverse effects.Methods Sixty male SD rats(6～8 weeks old,weighing 200±10 g)were randomly divided normal control group(standard housing),sham-exposure control group(restraint stress only),noise exposure(85 dB),CO exposure(460 mg/m3),combined exposure(simultaneous exposure),and PTE intervention(80 mg/kg pretreatment),with 10 animals in each group.The rats were exposed daily for 2 h via a nose-only inhalation exposure system within a multifactorial environmental simulation chamber for 60 consecutive days.Sperm count and viability were measured after exposure.Histopathological changes of testicular tissues were observed with HE staining.qRT-PCR was used to measure stage-specific mRNA levels in germ cells.Serum sex hormone levels and adenosine triphosphate(ATP)concentrations in testes and sperm were detected.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)was applied to observe the ultrastructural damage in the spermatocytes.Additionally,transcriptome sequencing was performed on testicular tissue,followed by bioinformatics analysis.Results Compared with the negative control group,the combined exposure group exhibited significant reductions in sperm viability and count(P<0.05),and developmental arrest of immature germ cells in the testicular tissue,with obviously less spermatogonia,spermatocytes,and round/elongated spermatids(P<0.01).Additionally,significantly reduced levels of reproductive-related hormones,such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone,follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone and testosterone,and ATP levels in testes and sperm were observed in the mice after combined exposure(P<0.01),accompanied by mitochondrial rupture and cristae disruption in spermatocytes.Conversely,the PTE intervention group showed marked alleviation of these impairments,with parameters recovering almost to normal levels.Transcriptome sequencing identified biological processes related to reproductive development and ATP-dependent pathways as potential contributors to testicular injury induced by noise and CO exposure,with key genes including Nppa,Adm,Gnrh1,Ptafr,Atp13a5,Atp8b1,and LOC102555469.Conclusion Noise and CO exposure induce spermatogenic damage in rats,which may be related with energy metabolism and hormonal regulation,while PTE demonstrates significant protective effects against such reproductive impairments.

Objective To investigate the transgenerational effects of paternal PM2.5 exposure on offspring growth and development,and to preliminarily elucidate the role of sperm DNA methylation modifications in mediating these effects.Methods Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into filtered air(FA),unfiltered air(UA),and concentrated PM2.5(CAP)groups,with 10 animals in each group.The exposure was conducted from November 2019 to April 2020,and then,these male mice were mated with unexposed females to generate F1 offspring,which were bred successively to produce F2 and F3 generations.All the offspring were living in PM2.5-free environment.The birth body weight,birth number,and sex ratio of the offspring were recorded,body weight growth was monitored,and organ coefficients of the heart,liver,lung,and brain were calculated.Whole-genome methylation sequencing was performed on the sperm DNA of the CAP group,FA group,and their F1 generation offspring to screen for differentially methylated regions,and the genes and pathways associated with these regions were analyzed.Results When compared with the F1～F3 offspring of the FA group,the CAP group had significantly reduced birth body weight in the F1 generation(P<0.05),no statistical differences were observed in the birth body weight in the F2 and F3 generations(P>0.05),or either in the sex ratio and birth number among the F1,F2 and F3 generations.Compared with the FA group offspring,the F1～F3 offspring of CAP group exhibited delayed body weight gain,especially in the males(P<0.05),the CAP-F1 male generation had obviously elevated liver organ coefficient(P<0.01),but no statistical changes were observed in the heart,lung,or brain coefficients among the F1～F3 generations.Between the FA group and the CAP group,37 997 differentially methylated regions were detected,with a reduction of approximately 50%in the number of differentially methylated regions in the F1 generation.Differentially methylated genes in F0 and F1 sperm were potentially related to developmental processes,including imprinting genes(Gnas,Igf2)and metabolic genes(Ppard,Rps6kb1).Conclusion Paternal exposure to PM2.5 leads to reduced birth weight and intergenerational growth retardation in offspring.Its impact on phenotypic effects is gradually weakened during intergenerational transmission.Changes in the methylation of development-related genes in sperm may be one of the mechanisms mediating this intergenerational effect.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the duration of folic acid supplementation,gesta-tional diabetes mellitus(GDM)and adverse perinatal outcomes based on generalized linear mixed model.Meth-ods:Clinical data was collected of 759 pairs of mothers and children who delivered at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2021 to December 2022.The adverse perinatal outcomes of this study in-cluded cesarean section,premature birth,macrosomia,low birth weight(LBW),large for gestational age(LGA),and small for gestational age infant(SGA).Generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the impact of GDM and supplementation with folic acid for a duration of ≥3 months on the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes.A stratified analysis of the duration of folic acid supplementation was conducted to determine whether it was a con-founding factor or influencing factor of GDM and adverse birth outcomes.Results:A total of 748 patients(98.55％)received folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy,with a total of 743 patients(97.89％)receiving folic acid supplementation during pregnancy and 496 patients(65.35％)receiving folic acid supplementation before pregnancy.77 mothers were diagnosed with GDM,with an incidence rate of 10.14％.Compared with those who received folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for＜3 months,those who re-ceived folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for ≥ 3 months were associated with an increased risk of GDM.The adjusted RR(aRR)was 1.72(95％CI 1.17-2.53).The GDM patients who received folic acid sup-plementation for≥3 months before pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of SGA,with an aRR of 0.40(95％CI 0.18-0.89).In the subgroup of pregnant women who received folic acid supplementation for≥3 months,GDM was associated with an increased risk of cesarean section(aRR 1.36,95％CI 1.06-1.75))and macrosomia(aRR2.11,95％CI 1.06-4.20),but both aRR were lower than fixed effect RR of 1.53(95％CI 1.01-2.34)and 2.43(95％CI 12.7-4.66),respectively.and the above differences were statistically signifi-cant(P＜0.01).Conclusions:Supplementing folic acid for≥3 months before pregnancy increases the risk of GDM,but reduces the risk of SGA birth in patients with GDM.Supplementing folic acid during pregnancy for≥3 months has a reducing effect on the risk of adverse perinataloutcomes of cesarean section and macrosomia in women with GDM.

Secondary metabolites of medicinal plants are extremely important to human health because of their special pharmacological activities or efficacy. They are the main source of drugs, health care products, and cosmetics. As human beings continue to pursue health and longevity, the demand in the pharmaceutical market continues to grow. It becomes especially important to improve the production and quality of secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. Plant secondary metabolites are a kind of adaptation of plants to their environment and are the result of the interaction between plants and biotic and abiotic factors during the long-term evolution process. The production and accumulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants are mainly affected by plant genetic factors and environmental factors. Among them, light environment is extremely important for their synthesis. Therefore, light regulation has long been a research focus for many scholars in China and abroad. In this article, we the recent research progress on the effects of light regulation on the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants were reviewed, mainly focusing on the effects of light quality, light intensity and photoperiod, in order to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for the efficient production of secondary metabolites with important pharmacological activities.

Objective To preliminarily investigate the anti-tumor effects of phytosphingosine(PHS)and the involvement of inducing apoptosis of leukemia cells.Methods Cellular model of leukemia was established in leukemia cell lines K562 and SUP-B15.CCK-8 assay and EdU assay were used to measure the viability and DNA synthesis of K562 and SUP-B15 cells.RNA-seq was carried out to verify the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)after PHS treatment.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were applied to analyze the involved functions and signaling pathways.Comparative Toxicogenomics Database(CTD)and Discovery Studio software were employed to predict the underlying targets of PHS and molecular docking.Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry,mitochondrial membrane potential was evaluated by JC-1 probe,and protein expression of key molecules was validated by Western blotting.Results PHS inhibited the proliferation of K562 and SUP-B15 cells in a time-and dose-dependent manner.The half-maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)of K562 cells was 17.67 and 12.52 pmol/L for 24 and 48 h,respectively,and the IC50 value of SUP-B15 cells was 17.58 and 14.86 μmol/L for 24 and 48 h,respectively.PHS treatment at a dose of 20 μmol/L for 48 h resulted in significant inhibition of DNA synthesis.GO enrichment analysis of the K562 cells showed that PHS might be involved in positive regulation of apoptotic process,plasma membrane and its integral components,and protein kinase binding and activity.Reverse predictive analysis showed that BCL-2 protein was the most likely target of PHS.PHS significantly increased the apoptotic rate of leukemia cells(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner,reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential,and down-regulated BCL-2 level(P＜0.05)and up-regulated the levels of Cleaved caspase-3 and Cleaved caspase-9(P＜0.05).Conclusion PHS may inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cells by inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis,possibly through PHS and BCL-2 interaction.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the duration of folic acid supplementation,gesta-tional diabetes mellitus(GDM)and adverse perinatal outcomes based on generalized linear mixed model.Meth-ods:Clinical data was collected of 759 pairs of mothers and children who delivered at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2021 to December 2022.The adverse perinatal outcomes of this study in-cluded cesarean section,premature birth,macrosomia,low birth weight(LBW),large for gestational age(LGA),and small for gestational age infant(SGA).Generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the impact of GDM and supplementation with folic acid for a duration of ≥3 months on the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes.A stratified analysis of the duration of folic acid supplementation was conducted to determine whether it was a con-founding factor or influencing factor of GDM and adverse birth outcomes.Results:A total of 748 patients(98.55％)received folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy,with a total of 743 patients(97.89％)receiving folic acid supplementation during pregnancy and 496 patients(65.35％)receiving folic acid supplementation before pregnancy.77 mothers were diagnosed with GDM,with an incidence rate of 10.14％.Compared with those who received folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for＜3 months,those who re-ceived folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for ≥ 3 months were associated with an increased risk of GDM.The adjusted RR(aRR)was 1.72(95％CI 1.17-2.53).The GDM patients who received folic acid sup-plementation for≥3 months before pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of SGA,with an aRR of 0.40(95％CI 0.18-0.89).In the subgroup of pregnant women who received folic acid supplementation for≥3 months,GDM was associated with an increased risk of cesarean section(aRR 1.36,95％CI 1.06-1.75))and macrosomia(aRR2.11,95％CI 1.06-4.20),but both aRR were lower than fixed effect RR of 1.53(95％CI 1.01-2.34)and 2.43(95％CI 12.7-4.66),respectively.and the above differences were statistically signifi-cant(P＜0.01).Conclusions:Supplementing folic acid for≥3 months before pregnancy increases the risk of GDM,but reduces the risk of SGA birth in patients with GDM.Supplementing folic acid during pregnancy for≥3 months has a reducing effect on the risk of adverse perinataloutcomes of cesarean section and macrosomia in women with GDM.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the duration of folic acid supplementation,gesta-tional diabetes mellitus(GDM)and adverse perinatal outcomes based on generalized linear mixed model.Meth-ods:Clinical data was collected of 759 pairs of mothers and children who delivered at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2021 to December 2022.The adverse perinatal outcomes of this study in-cluded cesarean section,premature birth,macrosomia,low birth weight(LBW),large for gestational age(LGA),and small for gestational age infant(SGA).Generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the impact of GDM and supplementation with folic acid for a duration of ≥3 months on the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes.A stratified analysis of the duration of folic acid supplementation was conducted to determine whether it was a con-founding factor or influencing factor of GDM and adverse birth outcomes.Results:A total of 748 patients(98.55％)received folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy,with a total of 743 patients(97.89％)receiving folic acid supplementation during pregnancy and 496 patients(65.35％)receiving folic acid supplementation before pregnancy.77 mothers were diagnosed with GDM,with an incidence rate of 10.14％.Compared with those who received folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for＜3 months,those who re-ceived folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for ≥ 3 months were associated with an increased risk of GDM.The adjusted RR(aRR)was 1.72(95％CI 1.17-2.53).The GDM patients who received folic acid sup-plementation for≥3 months before pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of SGA,with an aRR of 0.40(95％CI 0.18-0.89).In the subgroup of pregnant women who received folic acid supplementation for≥3 months,GDM was associated with an increased risk of cesarean section(aRR 1.36,95％CI 1.06-1.75))and macrosomia(aRR2.11,95％CI 1.06-4.20),but both aRR were lower than fixed effect RR of 1.53(95％CI 1.01-2.34)and 2.43(95％CI 12.7-4.66),respectively.and the above differences were statistically signifi-cant(P＜0.01).Conclusions:Supplementing folic acid for≥3 months before pregnancy increases the risk of GDM,but reduces the risk of SGA birth in patients with GDM.Supplementing folic acid during pregnancy for≥3 months has a reducing effect on the risk of adverse perinataloutcomes of cesarean section and macrosomia in women with GDM.