OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, steroid hormone profiles, and genetic variants in two female patients with Non-classic adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH). METHODS: Clinical data and samples were collected from two patients who had visited Huaian Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Yangzhou University on September 27, 2022 and June 25, 2023, respectively, with an initial diagnosis of Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and suspected NCAH. Seven steroid hormones in dried blood spots were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Single base variants and repeat/deletions in the CYP21A2 gene were analyzed by using a classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) gene assay, and 10 related genes were analyzed by third-generation sequencing (TGS) should the variants be unclear. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: 2025003). RESULTS: Patient 1 was a 14-year-old girl, and patient 2 was a 23-year-old woman with insulin resistance. Both patients had hirsutism, acne, bilateral polycystic ovarian morphology, in addition with significantly elevated serum testosterone by chemiluminescence. The steroid hormone profiles of both patients suggested a significant increase in 17-hydroxyproesterone, normal cortisol and 11-deoxycortisol. Patient 2 additionally showed a significant rise in 21-deoxycortisol. The presentation of both patients was indicative of NCAH, which was also evidenced by their respective medical histories. Sanger sequencing of long fragment PCR amplification combined with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) revealed that patient 1 harbored a mild c.92C>T (p.P31L) variant and a severe variant with a large segmental deletion in CYP21A2. Patient 2 was finally confirmed by TGS to carry mild CYP21A2 variants in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) promotor region (c.-126C>T, c.-113G>A, c.-110T>C) and a severe c.293-13C/A>G variant. The promotor region variants had resulted in decompression of the long fragment P1X/P2 amplification, leading to homozygous result of Sanger sequencing for c.293-13C/A>G, which in turn halved the amplification signal for the wt-113 SNP probe. In addition, the wtI2G-A probe was enhanced by interference in the MLPA assay. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that NCAH should be excluded when PCOS is accompanied by a significant increase in serum testosterone, that mass spectrometry of steroid hormone profiles containing 17-hydroxyprogesterone is useful for the detection of NCAH, and that TGS is advantageous in confirming the diagnosis of NCAH when compared with conventional genetic testing methods.
Humans ; Female ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/blood* ; Adolescent ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase/genetics* ; Young Adult ; Genetic Variation ; Adult

Objective: To identify early clinical predictors associated with dysphagia and delayed swallowing recovery in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled adult TBI patients admitted to the rehabilitation unit of a tertiary medical center between June 2019 and June 2023. Data on baseline characteristics, neurological status, imaging findings, and rehabilitation-related variables were collected. Swallowing function was assessed using two indicators: (1) nasogastric (NG) tube retention and (2) the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores at 1, 4, and 12 weeks post-injury. Regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors associated with dysphagia and swallowing recovery. Results: A total of 160 patients were included. At 1 week post-injury, longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay, poor initial sitting balance and use of sedative medication in ICU were associated with NG tube retention. At 4 weeks, lower initial Rancho Los Amigos Scale (RLAS) scores, immobility-related complications, longer hospitalization, and temporal lobe hematomas were associated with persistent NG tube dependence. By 12 weeks, older age, delayed ability to follow commands, and poor initial sitting balance remained associated with NG tube retention. FOIS outcomes were also associated with older age, delayed time to follow commands, impaired initial sitting balance, prolonged ICU stay, temporal lobe hematomas, lower initial RLAS scores, immobility-related complications, prolonged endotracheal tube placement and extended hospital stays. Conclusion Impaired cognitive status, poor physical function, immobility-related complications, and temporal lobe hematomas were key factors associated with dysphagia and delayed oral intake in individuals with TBI.

Malignant gastric outlet obstruction (MGOO) occurs in 2% to 25% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who do not undergo surgical intervention. Over the past decade, duodenal self-expandable metal stent (D-SEMS) has been widely used for MGOO and has demonstrated high technical (89.1% to 100%) and clinical (85.7% to 94.3%) success rates.Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) has emerged as a promising alternative with comparable technical (89.3% to 98.9%) and clinical (89.0% to 100%) success rates. Notably, EUS-GE reduces the 6-month reintervention rate by approximately 25% relative to D-SEMS in patients with MGOO, thus making it an increasingly popular treatment option. Despite its advantages, EUS-GE may not be suitable for patients with massive ascites, extensive peritoneal carcinomatosis, gastric linitis plastica, or an inaccessible small bowel. Moreover, EUSGE requires a longer procedure time and incurs higher overall costs, even when considering the increased reintervention rate associated with D-SEMS. While the risk of adverse events is similar between EUS-GE and D-SEMS, EUS-GE requires a higher level of operator expertise to ensure safety and may also require deeper levels of anesthesia than D-SEMS. Advancements in cancer therapy have prolonged survival in PDAC patients, but most do not require reintervention for MGOO, unlike those with other malignancies. Thus, EUS-GE may be suitable for patients with a longer life span who are willing to undergo deep anesthesia at a high-volume center with an experienced specialist. Given these considerations, more comprehensive studies are needed before EUS-GE can be recommended as a standard replacement for D-SEMS in the treatment of MGOO.

Prolonged standing work can lead to various lower limb health issues. Footwear, as a convenient and noninvasive intervention, plays a key role in foot protection. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the impact of footwear characteristics on foot comfort among workers engaged in prolonged standing occupations. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library was conducted until March 2025 for experimental and observational studies; the review is registered in International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD420251003253).Given the diversity of study designs, participant characteristics, and outcome measures, results were synthesized narratively, organizing findings by footwear design factors. The synthesis indicated that soft soles reduce foot impact and fatigue but offer limited support, whereas hard soles enhance stability but may cause localized pressure and discomfort. Sole hardness should balance cushioning and support based on activity: hard soles for standing and soft soles for walking. Insole hardness must be carefully considered as semirigid arch supports can cause discomfort. Most insoles improve pressure distribution by adjusting arch loading, and some enhance intrinsic foot muscles by promoting toe engagement, reducing leg swelling. Custom orthotic insoles outperform standard ones in comfort and balance. Future research should promote interdisciplinary collaboration with footwear designers to explore key design parameters and establish a scientific framework for protective footwear.

Objective: To investigate the association between injury prevention knowledge level and injury occurrence among primary and secondary school students in Dongguan, so as to provide scientific basis for formulating targeted and evidence based intervention strategies for child injury. Methods: From March to April 2024, stratified cluster random sampling method was applied to select 5 988 primary and secondary school students in grades 4-9 for a survey. The Revised Questionnaire for the 2016-2020 Child Injury Prevention Project (senior version) was used to collect demographic characteristics, family and caregiver information, injury event characteristics, and knowledge, attitude, and practice related to injury prevention. Mann-Whitney U test was used for inter group comparison. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance confounders, and conditional Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between injury prevention knowledge score and injury occurrence among primary and secondary school students, and a restricted cubic spline (RCS) model was employed to test the dose response relationship. Furthermore, interaction terms were introduced to examine the moderating effects of sex, grade level, and caregiver’s educational level. Results: The overall incidence of injuries among primary and secondary school students was 18.15%. The knowledge score of injury prevention was significantly lower in the injury group [20.0(18.0,22.0)] than in the non injury group [21.0(19.0,22.0)] ( Z = 8.24 , P <0.01). After PSM, 1 068 pairs were successfully matched, and the standardized mean difference for all covariates was <0.1. An increase in injury prevention awareness scores was associated with a reduced risk of injury occurrence among primary and secondary school students ( OR =0.92, P <0.05). The RCS analysis showed an approximately linear negative association between injury prevention knowledge score and injury risk among primary and secondary school students ( P non linear =0.72), with a decreased injury risk when score exceeded 24 ( OR = 0.69, P <0.05). Subgroup analyses indicated that the negative correlation between cognitive level and the risk of injury was common in different gender, grade and caregivers educational level groups ( OR =0.87- 0.93 , all P <0.05). Sensitivity analyses yielded results consistent with the primary analysis. Conclusions The incidence of injuries among primary and secondary school students in Dongguan City is relatively high. Injury prevention knowledge level is negatively associated with injury occurrence risk, exhibiting an approximately linear dose response relationship.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction against hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic model mice. METHODS Thirty-six male KM mice were randomly divided into four groups with 9 mice in each group： normal control group （normal saline）， epilepsy model group （normal saline）， Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group [7 g/（kg·d）] and carbamazepine group [positive control， 30 mg/（kg·d）]. Except for the normal control group， the acute epilepsy model was established in the other groups. After successful modeling， mice in each group were given corresponding drugs or normal saline by intragastric administration once a day for 2 consecutive weeks. After drug intervention， the ultrastructure and pathological morphology of hippocampal CA1 region were observed. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in hippocampus was detected， and the expression levels of protein kinase B （AKT）， Caspase-3， B-cell lymphoma-extra large （Bcl-xL）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， as well as the ratio of phosphorylated AKT（p-AKT） to AKT were determined. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group， severe ultrastructural and pathological damages were observed in the hippocampal CA1 region of epilepsy model group； the number of TUNEL-positive cells was significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. The expression levels of p-AKT and Bcl-xL were significantly down-regulated （ P ＜0.05）， while the Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly up-regulated （ P ＜0.05），accompanied by a remarkable decrease of p-AKT/AKT ratio （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the epilepsy model group， hippocampal tissue ultrastructure， pathological damage， and the aforementioned indicators were significantly improved in Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction can inhibit hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic mice， and its mechanism may be related to activating AKT phosphorylation， increasing p-AKT/AKT ratio， up-regulating Bcl-xL expression and down-regulating the expression of Bax and Caspase-3.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction against hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic model mice. METHODS Thirty-six male KM mice were randomly divided into four groups with 9 mice in each group： normal control group （normal saline）， epilepsy model group （normal saline）， Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group [7 g/（kg·d）] and carbamazepine group [positive control， 30 mg/（kg·d）]. Except for the normal control group， the acute epilepsy model was established in the other groups. After successful modeling， mice in each group were given corresponding drugs or normal saline by intragastric administration once a day for 2 consecutive weeks. After drug intervention， the ultrastructure and pathological morphology of hippocampal CA1 region were observed. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in hippocampus was detected， and the expression levels of protein kinase B （AKT）， Caspase-3， B-cell lymphoma-extra large （Bcl-xL）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， as well as the ratio of phosphorylated AKT（p-AKT） to AKT were determined. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group， severe ultrastructural and pathological damages were observed in the hippocampal CA1 region of epilepsy model group； the number of TUNEL-positive cells was significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. The expression levels of p-AKT and Bcl-xL were significantly down-regulated （ P ＜0.05）， while the Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly up-regulated （ P ＜0.05），accompanied by a remarkable decrease of p-AKT/AKT ratio （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the epilepsy model group， hippocampal tissue ultrastructure， pathological damage， and the aforementioned indicators were significantly improved in Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction can inhibit hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic mice， and its mechanism may be related to activating AKT phosphorylation， increasing p-AKT/AKT ratio， up-regulating Bcl-xL expression and down-regulating the expression of Bax and Caspase-3.

Objective: To investigate the association of sleep and circadian rhythm disruption indicators (including chronotype, sleep duration, and social jetlag) with co-occurring depressive and anxiety symptoms among primary and secondary school students, so as to provide a reference for promoting their mental health. Methods: In October 2023, a total of 15 944 primary and secondary school students were recruited from Nanjing, using a stratified cluster random sampling method. The Morning and Evening Questionnaire-5, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 were used for the survey. Chi-square test was employed for intergroup comparisons, and Logistic regression model was applied to analyze the independent and joint effects of sleep related factors on comorbid symptoms of depressive and anxiety among primary and middle school students. Results: The prevalence of co-occurring depressive and anxiety symptoms among primary and secondary school students in Nanjing was 16.9%. After adjusting for covariates, Logistic regression analysis revealed significant independent associations between evening chronotype ( OR=6.55, 95%CI =5.59-7.68), insufficient sleep duration ( OR=3.05, 95%CI =2.60-3.59), and social jetlag ≥2 h ( OR= 2.09 , 95%CI =1.85-2.37) with comorbid symptoms of depressive and anxiety among students (all P <0.05). Concurrent of evening chronotype and insufficient sleep ( OR=7.54, 95%CI =3.55-16.01), as well as evening chronotype and social jetlag ≥2 h ( OR=4.18, 95%CI =3.01-5.81), were associated with an increased risk of co-occurring depressive and anxiety symptoms (both P < 0.05 ). In the female and high school student subgroups, the combination of evening chronotype and insufficient sleep or social jetlag ≥2 h showed stronger joint effects on co-occurring depressive and anxiety symptoms [ OR (95% CI )=8.46(3.25-22.04) and 15.90(3.66-69.08); 7.87(4.90-12.65) and 4.85(3.10-7.59), respectively; all P <0.05]. Conclusions Evening chronotype, insufficient sleep, and social jetlag≥2 h may serve as risk factors for comorbid symptoms of depressive and anxiety in school aged populations. Paying attention to the coexistence of multiple sleep related risk factors may help mitigate the occurrence of emotional disorders in this demographic.

Objective: To investigate the association between the physical fitness index (PFI) and symptoms of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms among college students, providing a reference for mental health interventions. Methods: From June to September 2025, combined convenience and cluster random sampling approach was used to administer questionnaire surveys and perform physical fitness tests on 2 712 college students from Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 Items (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health status. Chi square test and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to determine the associations between the PFI and the PFI component indicators with depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms. Results: The prevalence of depressive, anxiety and stress among college students were 24.26%, 33.22% and 13.68%, respectively. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of these symptoms were detected across groups differing in sleep quality, physical activity, weekly breakfast frequency, and history of low back or neck pain ( χ 2=9.33-151.83, all P <0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, Logistic regression revealed that the moderate and high PFI groups had significantly reduced risks of depressive and anxiety compared to the low PFI group ( OR =0.73, 0.63; 0.61, 0.72, all P <0.05). Poor speed (50 m run) and lower body strength (standing long jump) emerged as common risk factors affecting anxiety and depressive symptoms in both male and female college students (all P <0.05). Increased muscle strength (sit up for 1 min) in female students reduced the risk of depressive ( OR =0.81), anxiety ( OR =0.85), and stress symptoms ( OR =0.79) (all P <0.05). Enhanced lung capacity in male students decreased the risk of depressive ( OR =0.84) and anxiety symptoms ( OR =0.85) (both P <0.05). Conclusions The PFI is negatively correlated with depressive and anxiety symptoms among college students with notable gender differences. Insufficient speed and lower body explosive power represent common risk factors for mental health among male and female college students.

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P  = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P  = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP. CONCLUSIONS The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Psoriasis/pathology* ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Child ; Young Adult ; Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People