Objectives: . This study aimed to explore the role of the Pcdh15 gene in hearing maintenance and to examine the effects of its deficiency on cochlear structure, cochlear function, and hearing loss in mice. Methods: . CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to generate Pcdh15 knockout (KO) mice. Auditory function was evaluated using hearing tests, while histological approaches were employed to assess morphological changes in cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on cochlear tissue from postnatal day 18 (P18) wild-type (WT) and Pcdh15 KO mice to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). These DEGs were subjected to functional annotation and pathway analysis, with particular emphasis on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were quantified using flow cytometry and DCFH-DA assays. Results: . Pcdh15 KO mice exhibited progressive sensorineural hearing loss, which worsened to profound deafness by P18. Notably, cochlear hair cells and SGNs showed substantial loss and pronounced morphological abnormalities, particularly within the basal high-frequency region. RNA-seq analysis identified 1,359 DEGs, including 1,024 downregulated and 335 upregulated genes. Pathway analysis indicated that Pcdh15 deficiency was associated with inhibition of the OXPHOS pathway, potentially disrupting mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, III, IV, and V and thereby impairing energy production and ATP metabolism. In addition, early-stage cochleae from KO mice demonstrated elevated ROS levels and increased oxidative stress, suggesting that redox imbalance may contribute to hearing damage. Conclusion . Pcdh15 plays a critical role in hearing maintenance. Its deficiency is associated with severe hearing loss and marked cochlear abnormalities, which are linked to inhibition of OXPHOS, disruption of energy metabolism, and exacerbation of oxidative stress. Together, these findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying hearing loss and suggest potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound in treating pulmonary nodules, providing evidence-based medical evidence for TCM intervention in pulmonary nodules. Methods Computer search of PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed was conducted to select randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM compound intervention in pulmonary nodules, with the retrieval time from the inception to November 29, 2023. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and Review Manager 5.4 was used for Meta-analysis. Results A total of 18 RCTs were included, covering 8 provinces across the country, with a total sample size of 1301 patients. The TCM compounds used in the included studies all incorporated the method of dissolving phlegm and dissipating nodules. There was a high risk of bias uncertainty in the included studies. Meta-analysis results suggested that TCM compound could significantly reduce the diameter of pulmonary nodules [MD=−1.41, 95%CI (−1.70, −1.13), P<0.001], decrease the number of nodules [MD=−0.37, 95%CI (−0.73, −0.01), P=0.05], alleviate clinical symptoms [MD=−4.84, 95%CI (−6.04, −3.64), P<0.001], and improve lung function [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), MD=0.55, 95%CI (0.09, 1.01), P=0.02; FEV1/forced vital capacity, MD=6.12, 95%CI (4.47, 7.78), P<0.001]. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the probability of malignancy between the experimental group and the control group [MD=−0.01, 95%CI (−0.01, 0.00), P=0.09]. Conclusion TCM compound can significantly reduce the diameter of pulmonary nodules, decrease the number of nodules, alleviate clinical symptoms, and improve lung function, but future multicenter, large-sample, high-quality RCTs are still needed to further explore and verify this conclusion.

Lentiviral vectors(LVs)are key gene delivery tools for integrating target genes into the host genome,but they may also pose risks of insertional mutagenesis.The vector copy number(VCN)in cells is critical for determining the safety of gene modification.However,the reliability and accuracy of its quantification process are influenced by multiple factors.Developing cell reference materials with specific vector copy numbers represents a viable approach to enhance the reliability and consistency of measurement results,enabling quality control of the quantification process and traceability of outcomes.However,the preparation of such reference materials faces challenges in cell sample design,preparation protocols,and advanced quantification techniques.In this study,T lymphocyte cell line Jurkat-based reference materials with LV gene copy numbers of 1 and 2 copy/cell were developed.A high-precision duplex digital polymerase chain reaction(dPCR)method was established to quantify the LV gene and endogenous genes simultaneously.Additionally,the results of dPCR were cross-validated through next-generation sequencing and flow cytometric analysis.Ultimately,confocal microscopy characterization results showed that the developed cell reference materials had intact morphology.The quantification result of VCN-1 was(1.07±0.11)copy/cell,and that of VCN-2 was(2.09±0.21)copy/cell.These cell reference materials demonstrated compliance with stability and homogeneity requirements,and could be applied for quality control throughout the VCN measurement workflow and metrological traceability,improving the accuracy,comparability,and validity of copy number measurements.

Objective:To analyze the effects of parenting care map of premature infants on parenting competence and parenting stress of primipara, with a view to providing a theoretical basis for the development, implementation and modification of clinical interventions.Methods:Convenient sampling method was used to select primigravid women who gave birth in Lishui Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2023 to January 2024 for randomized controlled study, which was divided into the observation group and the control group according to the random number table. The control group received routine nursing, and the observation group guided the parents of premature infants to draw the child care map together on the basis of the control group. The scores of Chinese version of parenting sense of competence scale ( C-PSOC ) and Chinese version of Simplified Parenting Stress Index ( PSI-SF ) before and after intervention were compared.Results:A total of 120 cases of primiparous women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled, 60 cases in the control group and 60 cases in the observation group. The age of the control group was (26.25 ± 3.93) years, and the age of the observation group was (25.86 ± 4.22) years. Before the intervention, the difference between the C-PSOC dimension scores and total scores, PSI-SF dimension scores and total scores of the 2 groups was not statistically significant (all P>0.05). After the intervention, the maternal C-PSOC efficacy, satisfaction dimension scores and total scores of primiparous women in the observation group were (32.05 ± 6.27), (40.29 ± 8.19), and (72.23 ± 9.39) points, respectively, which were higher than those of the control group, which were (28.46 ± 6.47), (37.08 ± 8.06), and (65.53 ± 10.24) points, and the differences between the 2 groups were all statistically significant ( t = 3.09, 2.16, 3.74, all P<0.05). After the intervention, the PSI-SF scores and total scores of primiparous women in the observation group on the dimensions of parental distress, personal interaction disorder, and difficult child were (24.43 ± 5.44), (27.51 ± 6.53), (29.47 ± 5.82), and (81.54 ± 10.38) points, respectively, which were lower than those of the control group (28.57 ± 5.52), (30.19 ± 7.02), (32.78 ± 5.37), and (90.97 ± 10.12) points, and the differences between the 2 groups were all statistically significant ( t = 4.41, 2.17, 3.23, 5.04, all P<0.05). Conclusions:Premature child care map can effectively improve the parenting sense of competence of primiparas and reduce their parenting pressure. It is a convenient and effective nursing intervention tool.

Various researches have reported on the relationship between homocysteine levels and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Researchers are increasingly focusing on the impact of homocysteine on female reproductive health and figuring out the potential positive effects of lowering homocysteine levels on women fertility. Our review aims to systematically summarize the possible roles of homocysteine in female reproductive disorders based on relevant studies from the past 15 years and therapeutic prospects targeting homocysteine to improve the reproductive health of women.

Purpose To explore the feasibility and validity of radiomics combined with blind/referenceless image spatial quality evaluator(Brisque)for automated assessment of arterial-phase image quality in hepatic gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid(Gd-EOB-DTPA)dynamic enhanced MRI examinations.Materials and Methods A total of 326 arterial phase images from January 2020 to March 2024 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine for liver Gd-EOB-DTPA dynamic enhancement MRI examination were retrospectively collected.A 4-level(1-4 points)Likert scale was used for subjective image quality scoring,and then binary classification was used to divide the images into clinically acceptable group(166 images with a score of 2-4)and clinically unacceptable group(160 images with a score of 1).All images were randomly divided into a training set(227 images)and a test set(99 images)in a 7∶3 ratio.Brisque images were created based on arterial-phase images,and subsequently Brisque image features,image histologic features of the original arterial-phase images and combined features of the two were extracted.The extracted data were reduced in dimension and the optimal features of radiomics were selected.Based on the Logistic regression algorithm,radiomics models,Brisque models and combined models of the two were constructed.The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn for each subject,and the area under the curve(AUC),threshold,sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,negative predictive value and positive predictive value were calculated to analyze the diagnostic performance of each model,and the net benefit of the models was evaluated by decision curve analysis.Results The AUC values of the radiomics model,Brisque model and combined model in the training set were 0.942(95%CI 0.914-0.969),0.722(95%CI 0.655-0.788)and 0.967(95%CI 0.947-0.987),respectively.In the test set,the AUC values were 0.904(95%CI 0.848-0.960),0.684(95%CI 0.579-0.789)and 0.920(95%CI 0.866-0.972),respectively.There was statistically significant difference between two of the three models in the training set(Z=6.493,3.397,7.427;all P<0.05);in the test set,there was statistically significant difference between the combined model and the Brisque model,and between the radiomics model and the Brisque model(Z=4.137,3.740,both P<0.05),but no statistically significant difference between the combined model and the radiomics model(P>0.05).The diagnostic performance was higher in the combined model in both the training set and the test set.The decision curve analysis curve suggested that the net benefit of the combined model was greater than that of the other two models.Conclusion Radiomics combined with Brisque can be applied in the assessment of the quality of arterial-phase images in Gd-EOB-DTPA dynamic-enhanced MRI examinations of the liver to automatically detect clinically unacceptable arterial-phase images of the liver with high diagnostic efficacy,which contributes to the improvement of the quality of the images at the time of acquisition,leading to a reduction in the number of duplicate scans and an increase in the accuracy of the diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize fine particulate matter (PM _2.5)-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from different cooking fumes and their exposure routes and assess their health-associated impact to provide a reference for health risk prevention from PAH exposure across different age and sex groups. METHODS: Sixteen PM _2.5-bound PAHs emitted from 11 cooking styles were analyzed using GC-MS/MS. The health hazards of these PAHs in the Handan City population (stratified by age and sex) were predicted using the incremental lifetime cancer risk ( ILCR) model. The respiratory deposition doses ( RDDs) of the PAHs in children and adults were calculated using the PM _2.5 deposition rates in the upper airway, tracheobronchial, and alveolar regions. RESULTS: The total concentrations of PM _2.5-bound PAHs ranged from 61.10 to 403.80 ng/m ³. Regardless of cooking styles, the ILCR _total values for adults (1.23 × 10 ^-6 to 3.70 × 10 ^-6) and older adults (1.28 × 10 ^-6 to 3.88 × 10 ^-6) exceeded the acceptable limit of 1.00 × 10 ^-6. With increasing age, the ILCR _total value first declined and then increased, varying substantially among the population groups. Cancer risk exhibited particularly high sensitivity to short exposure to barbecue-derived PAHs under equivalent body weights. Furthermore, barbecue, Sichuan and Hunan cuisine, Chinese cuisine, and Chinese fast food were associated with higher RDDs for both adults and children. CONCLUSION ILCR _total values exceeded the acceptable limit for both females and males of adults, with all cooking styles showing a potentially high cancer risk. Our findings serve as an important reference for refining regulatory strategies related to catering emissions and mitigating health risks associated with cooking styles.
Humans ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/analysis* ; Cooking/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Adult ; Child ; Middle Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Adolescent ; Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis* ; Young Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Aged ; China ; Inhalation Exposure ; Age Factors ; Sex Factors ; Cities ; Infant

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Purpose To investigate the expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP)in placental tissues of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)and its role in lipid deposition in the placental trophoblast.Methods The pla-centa tissues of 16 GDM pregnant women and 25 women with normal glucose tolerance(NGT)were collected.Mean-while,in vitro models of high-glucose induced human chorionic trophoblast cells(HTR-8/SVneo)were established,which were divided into normal glucose control group(NG),high glucose group(HG),high glucose+si nonsense in-terference group(HG+siNC)and high glucose+TXNIP siRNA group(HG+siTXNIP).The pathological structure and morphological changes of placenta were observed by HE staining.Lipid droplet formation was detected by oil red O staining.The expression and localization of TXNIP in cells were detected by immunocytochemical EnVision method.The mRNA and protein expression levels of TXNIP and lipogenic protein SREBP1 were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot.The relationships between TXNIP expression and lipid droplet accumulation in-duced by high glucose was analyzed.Results High glucose results in abnormal placental structure of GDM.The area of human chorionic intervillous tissue in placenta of GDM group was decreased,the size of fetal capillaries was different and the lumen was dilated.Compared with those NGT group,the accumulation of lipid droplets and the expression of TXNIP mRNA and protein in placental tissue of GDM were increased(P＜0.05).The TXNIP and SREBP1 were up-regulated and the formation of droplets increased in high glucose induced HTR-8/SVneo cells(P＜0.05).On the con-trary,TXNIP siRNA transfection reversed the gene expression level and lipid deposition in high glucose induced cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion TXNIP is involved in abnormal lipid deposition in the placental trophoblast of GDM.