ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules （SBC） on sexual development in normal 3-week-old mice. MethodsThe experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part， mice were divided into four groups： The control group and the low， medium， and high-dose SBC groups （234.7， 469.4， 938.7 mg·kg^-1， respectively）. In the second part， mice were divided into four groups： Control group， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide （PRP） group， total flavonoids group， and SBC group， all receiving a dose of 469.4 mg·kg^-1. After 7 days of administration， the vaginal opening of female mice and the descent of testes and scrotum in male mice， as well as the ovarian and testicular organ indices， were observed. After 4 weeks of administration， female and male mice were housed together for 2 days， and the pregnancy rate of females was monitored. After delivery， the pregnant female mice continued receiving the treatment for 4 weeks， and the sexual development of their offspring， including vaginal opening， testicular descent， and organ indices of ovaries and testes， was observed. Serum sex hormones were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） and growth hormone （GH） proteins in the hypothalamus was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group， there was no significant effect on the vaginal opening of female mice or the descent of testes in male mice after 7 days of SBC administration. After 4 weeks of administration， the pregnancy rate in the low-dose group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）， but no significant effects were observed in the other groups. The three doses of SBC did not significantly affect the ovarian or testicular organ indices， and there was no significant upregulation in the expression of GnRH or GH in the hypothalamus. The primary component of SBC， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide， significantly reduced the vaginal opening in female mice after 7 days of administration （P<0.05）. After 4 weeks， the serum estradiol levels of non-pregnant female mice were decreased （P<0.05）， but there was no significant effect on the expression of GnRH or GH proteins in the hypothalamus of either male or female mice. Additionally， there were no significant effects on precocious puberty indicators， such as vaginal opening and testicular descent， in the offspring mice. ConclusionSBC does not significantly promote precocious puberty in young mice， and it does not have any noticeable effects on the pregnancy rate of adult mice or the sexual development of their offspring.

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among the elderly population in rural areas of Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, and to provide an evidence for the development of LTBI prevention and control measures. MethodsBetween January and May 2024, elderly individuals participating in urban and rural residents’ health checkups were screened for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection using a domestically produced interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) kit. Individuals tested positive by IGRA but without active tuberculosis were classified as LTBI cases. The prevalence of LTBI among the participants was subsequently analyzed. ResultsAmong the 6 765 subjects, 637 tested positive by IGRA, including one identified active tuberculosis patient, resulting in a LTBI prevalence rate of 9.40%. There was a statistically significant difference in positivity rates across different IGRA methodologies (χ²=35.530, P<0.001). Higher LTBI rate was observed in males, individuals with a history of diabetes mellitus, and those with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis, exhibiting statistically significant differences (χ²=32.401, P<0.001; χ²=5.789, P=0.020; χ²=39.248, P<0.001, respectively.) No statistically significant difference in LTBI rate was found across different age groups (χ²=0.238, P=0.971). ConclusionThe prevalence of LTBI among the elderly rural residents in Changxing County is relatively low. Male, individuals with a history of diabetes mellitus, and those with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis have an increased risk of LTBI, warranting targeted risk monitoring and timely interventions.

The prevalence of Class III malocclusion varies among different countries and regions. The populations from Southeast Asian countries (Chinese and Malaysian) showed the highest prevalence rate of 15.8%, which can seriously affect oral function, facial appearance, and mental health. As anterior crossbite tends to worsen with growth, early orthodontic treatment can harness growth potential to normalize maxillofacial development or reduce skeletal malformation severity, thereby reducing the difficulty and shortening the treatment cycle of later-stage treatment. This is beneficial for the physical and mental growth of children. Therefore, early orthodontic treatment for Class III malocclusion is particularly important. Determining the optimal timing for early orthodontic treatment requires a comprehensive assessment of clinical manifestations, dental age, and skeletal age, and can lead to better results with less effort. Currently, standardized treatment guidelines for early orthodontic treatment of Class III malocclusion are lacking. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the etiology, clinical manifestations, classification, and early orthodontic techniques for Class III malocclusion, along with systematic discussions on selecting early treatment plans. The purpose of this expert consensus is to standardize clinical practices and improve the treatment outcomes of Class III malocclusion through early orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Malocclusion, Angle Class III/classification* ; Orthodontics, Corrective/methods* ; Consensus ; Child

Objective:To analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of adult carotid body tumors (CBTs) in Northwest China to provide references for early diagnosis and treatment of CBTs.Methods:A multicenter, retrospective, non-intervention epidemiological investigation was conducted on adult CBTs patients who were hospitalized from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2023 in 7 Class A tertiary hospitals in Northwest China (Departments of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Lanzhou University, People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 940 th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistic Support Force, People's Hospital of Qinghai Province, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region). Medical records were collected in these patients, and they were divided into 2 groups according to their average altitude residence: high altitude group (≥1 500 m) and low altitude group (<1 500 m); meanwhile, these patients were divided into Shamblin type I, type II and type III groups according to Shamblin classification criteria; differences in general data and clinical features among patients from different altitude groups or Shamblin subgroups were compared. Independent influencing factors for Shamblin type III CBTs were analyzed by multivariate ordered Logistic regression. Results:(1) A total of 359 patients were enrolled in the study, including 276 females and 83 males, aged (48.80±12.07) years; 211 patients were into the high altitude group and 148 into the low altitude group; 165 patients were into Shamblin type I group, 146 into Shamblin type II group, and 48 into Shamblin type III group. (2) Compared with those in the low altitude group, patients in the high altitude group had higher proportion of females, older age, lower proportion of Han nationality, higher proportion of Shamblin type I, smaller tumor volume, lower platelet count, higher red blood cell count, hematocrit, hemoglobin level, platelet distribution width and mean platelet volume, and higher large platelet percentage, with significant differences ( P<0.05). (3) Compared with those in the Shamblin type I group, patients in the Shamblin type III group had younger age, lower resident altitude, larger tumor volume, longer time interval from onset to diagnosis, higher proportion of unintentional tumor discovery, larger volume of intraoperative blood loss, lower hemoglobin level, hematocrit, mean erythrocyte volume, and mean hemoglobin concentration, decreased erythrocyte distribution width variable coefficient, and increased platelet count, with significant differences ( P<0.05). Compared with those in the Shamblin type II group, patients in Shamblin type III group had younger age, larger tumor volume, longer time interval from onset to diagnosis, larger volume of intraoperative blood loss, lower hemoglobin, hematocrit and mean erythrocyte volume, higher erythrocyte distribution width variable coefficient and platelet count, with significant differences ( P<0.05). (4) Age ( OR=0.960, 95% CI: 0.942-0.977, P<0.001), residence altitude ( OR=0.992, 95% CI: 0.990-0.999, P=0.020) and time interval from onset to diagnosis ( OR=1.009, 95% CI: 1.005-1.014, P<0.001) were independent influencing factors for Shamblin type III CBTs. Conclusions:More females than males are noted in patients with adult CBTs in Northwest China, and more CBTs patients live at high altitude, with Shamblin type I enjoying the highest proportion. More female and old patients lived at high altitude is noted than those lived at low altitude; patients with Shamblin type III have the youngest age, lowest altitude, and longest time interval from onset to diagnosis. CBTs patients with young age, low residence altitude, and long time interval from onset to diagnosis are more likely to develop Shamblin type III.

Exposure to occupational noise and heavy metals are common occupational hazards in workplaces. Occupational noise exposure not only leads to noise-induced hearing loss but also cognitive dysfunction. Exposure to common heavy metals such as lead, manganese, and cadmium during work is closely related to cognitive dysfunction in workers. Combined exposure to noise and heavy metals is common in workplaces. However, current research on the combined effects of exposure to occupational noise with lead or manganese on workers' cognitive function is not comprehensive or systematic. The method for cognitive dysfunction identification varies, leading to a lack of comparability. And the causality between occupational exposure and cognitive dysfunction in workers has not been clarified. Therefore, studying the cognitive dysfunction due to combined exposure to noise and common heavy metals is of great significance for workers' occupational health. In the future, it is necessary to unify the method for cognitive dysfunction identification and conduct systematic and comprehensive research on the effects, mechanisms, and combined effects of exposure to occupational noise with lead, manganese, cadmium, and other heavy metals on workers' cognitive dysfunction, to ensure the occupational health rights and interests of workers.

DNA genetic markers have always played important roles in individual identification, kinship analysis, ancestry inference and phenotype characterization in the field of forensic medicine. DNA methylation has unique advantages in biological age inference, body fluid identification and prediction of phenotypes. The majority of current studies independently examine DNA and DNA methylation markers using various workflows, and they use various analytical procedures to interpret the biological information these two markers present. Integrated methods detect DNA and DNA methylation markers simultaneously through a single experimental workflow using the same preparation of sample. Therefore, they can effectively reduce consumption of time and cost, streamline experimental procedures, and preserve valuable DNA samples taken from crime scenes. In this paper, the integrated detection approaches of DNA and DNA methylation markers on different detection platforms were reviewed. In order to convert methylation modifications to detectable forms, several options were available for pretreatment of genomic DNA, including digestion with methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme, affinity enrichment of methylated fragments, conversion of methylated or unmethylated cytosine. Multiplexed primers can be designed for DNA markers and converted DNA methylation markers for co-amplification. The schemes of using capillary electrophoresis platform for integrated detection add the pretreatment of genomic DNA on the basis of detecting DNA genetic markers. DNA and DNA methylation markers are then integrated by co-amplification. But the limited number of fluorescent options available and the length of amplicons restrict the type and quantity of markers that can be integrated into a panel. Pyrophosphate sequencing also supports integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. On this platform, due to the conversion of unmethylated cytosine to thymine after treatment with bisulfite, the methylation level of CpG site can be directly calculated using the peak height ratio of cytosine bases and thymine bases. Therefore, the methylation levels and SNP typing can be simultaneously obtained. However, due to the limited read length of sequencing, the detection of markers with longer amplicons is restricted. It is not conducive to fully interpret the complete information of the target sequence. Next-generation sequencing also supports integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. A preliminary experimental process including DNA extraction, pretreatment of genomic DNA, co-preparation of DNA and DNA methylation library and co-sequencing, has been formed based on the next-generation sequencing platform. It confirmed the feasibility of next-generation sequencing technology for integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. In field of biomedicine, various integrated detection schemes and corresponding data analysis approaches of DNA and DNA genetic markers developed based on the above detection process.Co-analysis can simultaneously obtain the genomic genetic and epigenetic information through a single analytic process. These schemes suggest that next-generation sequencing may be an effective method for achieving more accurate and highly integrated detection, helping to explore the potential for application in forensic biological samples. We finally explore the impact of interactions between sites and different pretreatment methods on the integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers, and also propose the challenge of applying third-generation sequencing for integrated detection in forensic samples.

This paper summarized Professor LI Yueqing's clinical experience in treating prostate cancer by stages from the perspective of deficiency and stasis. It is believed that the onset of prostate cancer is due to kidney deficiency， while blood stasis is the core pathogenesis， and dampness-heat， phlegm-turbid， and cancer toxins are the key pathological factors in the progression of the disease. The pathogenesis in the early stage of the disease is kidney qi depletion and dampness， heat and phlegm coagulation； in the middle stage， it is spleen and kidney depletion， phlegm coagulation and blood stasis； and in the late stage， the pathogenesis changes into yin deficiency and essence depletion， and stasis-turbid toxin obstruction. For treatment， the basic principle is to supplement and boost kidney qi， enrich and nourish the kidney yin. The main treatment methods are draining dampness， dissolving phlegm， dispelling stasis， clearing heat and resolving toxins， and the method of invigorating blood and dispelling stasis runs through the whole course of treatment. In the early stage， radical treatment is mainly used， and Longshe Yangquan Decoction （龙蛇羊泉汤） with modifications is supplemented to clear and drain dampness and heat. In the middle stage， androgen deprivation therapy is the basic treatment， and Bushen Tongqiao Decoction （补肾通窍汤） with modifications is used in combination to nourish the spleen and kidney， dissolve phlegm and dispel stasis. In the late stage， Dabuyin Pills and Liuwei Dihuang Pills （大补阴丸合六味地黄丸） with modifications is mainly used to enrich yin and supplement essence， resolve toxins and dissolve stasis， and prevent cancer recurrence.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has become the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide,ranking 6th among all tumors.Due to the lack of obvious early symptoms,most patients are diagnosed in the advanced stage,and the clinical benefits of surgical resection and hepatic artery chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation are very limited.In recent years,the advent of immune-targeted therapies has revolutionized the systemic and systemic treatment of patients with advanced HCC,however,there is a lack of strong clinical evidence on the safety and efficacy of immune and targeted therapies for special populations,including patients with human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)infection,active autoimmune disease,decompensated cirrhosis(Child B or C),patients with diabetes-associated metabolic syndrome,patients with portal hypertension,vascular invasion,or portal vein thrombosis(PVT),and patients with liver transplantation(LT).This article reviews the current research progress of immune and targeted drugs in special populations.

Objective　To investigate the relationship between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and excess heart age (EHA), offering theoretical insights into the nutritional prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods Data for this cross-sectional analysis was derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2020, which included 16 442 participants aged 30 to 74 years without a history of CVD. The heart age was estimated using the Framingham risk score function, and EHA was subsequently calculated. The CDAI was formulated based on intake levels of vitamins A, C, E, zinc, selenium, and carotenoids to represent the overall level of antioxidants. The association between CDAI and EHA was evaluated using multivariate linear regression, multivariate logistic regression, and restricted cubic splines (RCS). Results Multiple regression analysis indicated that CDAI was negatively correlated with both EHA (β=-0.07, 95%CI: -0.14 to -0.01) and high CVD risk (defined as EHA≥10 years) (OR=0.98, 95%CI: 0.96 to 1.00), with RCS analysis suggesting that this relationship is a nonlinear and inverse L-shaped. In the female subgroup, significant negative, nonlinear associations were observed between CDAI and both EHA (β=-0.10, 95%CI: -0.12 to 0.00) and high CVD risk (OR=0.97, 95%CI: 0.94 to 0.99). Conversely, in males, these correlations did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions Our findings suggest that individuals with higher CDAI compliance had a lower risk of CVD, and this negative correlation was gender specific. This discovery offers new theoretical guidance for the nutritional prevention of CVD, underlining the necessity for more comprehensive clinical and foundational research to further explore this association.

Photon Counting Detector(PCD)is a device used to detect X-ray photons,which can directly convert the energy of photons into electrical signals to achieve photon counting and measurement.PCD-based energy spectrum computed tomography(PCD-CT)technology can provide additional energy spectral imaging information,and improve imaging quality while reducing radiation dose.Compared with energy integrating detectors(EID),PCD has advantages of high energy conversion efficiency,good imaging quality,exquisite structural design,and wide application range.It has broad application prospects in ultra-low-dose CT,specific disease diagnosis,and industrial inspection.The application of PCD-CT in spectral CT imaging was reviewed to provide a useful reference for its application in clinical medical diagnosis and industrial applications.