Objective To construct an aptamer-functionalized carboxylated graphene oxide(CGO)fluo-rescent sensor to achieve highly sensitive and specific detection of ketamine(KET)and its metabolite norketamine(NK)using an aptamer capable of simultaneously recognizing KET and NK.Methods A specific aptamer for simultaneous recognition of KET and NK was screened using graphene oxide-sys-tematic evolution of ligand by exponential enrichment(GO-SELEX)and molecular docking tech-niques.The aptamer,labeled with Cy5 fluorescence,was chemically conjugated to CGO to construct an aptamer-functionalized CGO fluorescent sensor.By optimizing detection conditions,including the mass concentration of CGO,aptamer concentration,reaction temperature,and incubation time,quantita-tive analysis of the target analytes was achieved using the ratio of fluorescence intensity changes be-fore and after target addition.The stability of the sensor in biological matrices was evaluated by moni-toring fluorescence intensity changes over incubation time in blank blood and urine,in comparison with the traditional physical adsorption-based CGO fluorescent sensor.Spiked recovery experiments in blank blood and urine were conducted to compare performance with that of HPLC-MS/MS.Results A specific aptamer A5 was selected and chemically conjugated with CGO to construct the aptamer-functionalized CGO fluorescent sensor.Under optimized conditions,the proposed fluorescent sensor ex-hibited a linear detection range of 1.0-5.0 ng/mL for KET,with a limit of detection(LOD)of 0.86 ng/mL;while for NK,the linear detection range was 1.0-5.0 ng/mL,with an LOD of 0.70 ng/mL.Com-pared with the CGO fluorescent sensor constructed via physical adsorption,this sensor demonstrated greater stability in blood and urine.The spiked recovery rates of KET and NK in blank blood and urine ranged from 81.50%to 110.03%,exhibiting detection performance comparable to that of HPLC-MS/MS.Conclusion The aptamer screening method offers a novel approach for selecting aptamers tar-geting drugs and their metabolites.The constructed aptamer-functionalized CGO fluorescent sensor pro-vides an efficient and reliable strategy for the high-performance detection of KET and NK.

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

As global greenhouse gases continue rising, the urgency of more ambitious action is clearer than ever before. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and one of the countries affected most by climate change. The evidence about the impacts of climate change on the environment and human health may encourage China to take more decisive action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. This article aimed to review the evidence of environmental damages and health risks posed by climate change and to provide a new science-based perspective for the delivery of sustainable development goals. Over recent decades, China has experienced a strong warming pattern with a growing frequency of extreme weather events, and the impacts of climate change on China's environment and human health have been consistently observed, with increasing O ₃ air pollution, decreases in water resources and availability, land degradation, and increased risks for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, China's climate policy should target the key factors driving climate change and scale up strategic measures to curb carbon emissions and adapt to inevitable increasing climate impacts. It provides new insights for not only China but also other countries, particularly developing and emerging economies, to ensure climate and environmental sustainability whilst pursuing economic growth.
Climate Change ; China ; Humans ; Greenhouse Gases ; Air Pollution ; Sustainable Development ; Environment

OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to investigate the effects of exposure to multiple environmental organic pollutants on cardiopulmonary health with a focus on the potential mediating role of oxidative stress. METHODS: A repeated-measures randomized crossover study involving healthy college students in Beijing was conducted. Biological samples, including morning urine and venous blood, were collected to measure concentrations of 29 typical organic pollutants, including hydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs), bisphenol A and its substitutes, phthalates and their metabolites, parabens, and five biomarkers of oxidative stress. Health assessments included blood pressure measurements and lung function indicators. RESULTS: Urinary concentrations of 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OH-PHE) ( β = 4.35% [95% confidence interval ( CI): 0.85%, 7.97%]), 3-hydroxyphenanthrene ( β = 3.44% [95% CI: 0.19%, 6.79%]), and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-PHE) ( β = 5.78% [95% CI: 1.27%, 10.5%]) were significantly and positively associated with systolic blood pressure. Exposures to 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-PYR) ( β = 3.05% [95% CI: -4.66%, -1.41%]), 2-OH-PHE ( β = 2.68% [95% CI: -4%, -1.34%]), and 4-OH-PHE ( β = 3% [95% CI: -4.68%, -1.29%]) were negatively associated with the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity. These findings highlight the adverse effects of exposure to multiple pollutants on cardiopulmonary health. Biomarkers of oxidative stress, including 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and extracellular superoxide dismutase, mediated the effects of multiple OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function. CONCLUSION Exposure to multiple organic pollutants can adversely affect cardiopulmonary health. Oxidative stress is a key mediator of the effects of OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function.
Humans ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Cross-Over Studies ; Female ; Young Adult ; Environmental Pollutants/toxicity* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/urine* ; Beijing

CRM 197(cross-reacting material 197),a naturally occurring mutant of diphtheria toxin,is a safe and effective vaccine vector and extensively used on developing conjugate or combined vaccines.The mutant loses its enzymatic activity,but fully retains its receptor-binding ability and immunogenicity.In current work,the diphtheria toxin mutant CRM 197 and its fusion proteins with the receptor-binding do-main of botulinum neurotoxin serotype E(EHc)were developed using genetic engineering technology.These recombinant proteins were confirmed by Western blotting and SDS-PAGE.BALB/c mice were im-munized with the CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197 fusion proteins,and their immunogenicity was evalua-ted.These two fusion protein molecules,CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197,as subunit vaccines,elicited a robust humoral immune response targeting both CRM197 and EHc antigens in the immunized mice.Compared to the mixture of CRM197 and EHc,the mice vaccinated with the fusion proteins(CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197)induced higher levels of anti-CRM197 antibodies,and the mice vaccinated with EHc-CRM197 also generated strongest anti-EHc antibodies.Consequently,as a carrier molecule in the fusion protein vaccine,EHc enhances the immunogenicity of CRM197 molecules.Likewise,CRM197 boosts the immunogenicity of EHc in the EHc-CRM197 fusion protein.

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.

Objective To investigate the incidence and types of patient-ventilator asynchrony(PVA)in mechanically ventilated patients within the intensive care unit(ICU),and to identify associated high-risk factors,thereby providing a basis for reducing PVA,enhancing mechanical ventilation efficiency,and refining ventilation strategies.Methods A prospective observational study was conducted among patients admitted to the general ICU of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from October to December 2024 who were receiving mechanical ventilation.Inclusion criteria were as follows:age ≥18 years and mechanical ventilation duration ≥12 hours.Exclusion criteria included complete controlled mechanical ventilation,palliative care or do-not-resuscitate status,and lack of informed consent.Senior respiratory therapists performed daily bedside observations of ventilator waveforms for 10～15 minutes between 08:00 and 12:00.PVA was diagnosed based on pressure-time and flow-time waveforms,with the types of PVA being recorded.Demographic and clinical data,including age,sex,body mass index(BMI),primary diagnosis,comorbidities,APACHEⅡ score at ICU admission,blood gas analysis,ventila-tion mode and parameters,analgesia and sedation status,duration of mechanical ventilation,and length of ICU stay,were collected.The incidence and types of PVA during the observation period were analyzed.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify high-risk factors for PVA.Clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without PVA.Results A total of 105 patients and 453 episodes of assisted mechanical ventilation waveforms were analyzed.Among these,60.95％(64/105)experienced at least one episode of PVA.Of the 453 ventilation waveforms assessed,35.76％(162/453)demonstrated PVA.The types of PVA,ranked by incidence,were as follows:cycling mismatch(12.58％,57/453),double triggering(11.92％,54/453),ineffective triggering(9.49％,43/453),flow starvation(5.30％,24/453),and exhalation flow limitation(1.77％,8/453).The incidence of PVA varied significantly across different ventilation modes:45.7％in volume-assist/control ventilation(V-A/C),38.1％in pressure-assist/control ventilation(P-A/C),42.9％in synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation(SIMV),and 16.7％in pressure support ventilation(PSV)(P<0.001).Multi-variate logistic regression analysis revealed that the mechanical ventilation mode[reference:PSV;V-A/C:OR=4.687,95％CI:2.140～10.263,P<0.001;P-A/C:OR=2.922,95％CI:1.489～5.734,P=0.002;SIMV:OR=4.682,95％CI:1.758～12.466,P=0.002]and actual respiratory rate(OR=1.07,95％CI:1.016～1.127,P=0.011)were significant high-risk factors for PVA.Patients with PVA had a significantly longer duration of mechanical ventilation[8.21(5.35,13.91)days vs.3.00(1.96,5.71)days,P<0.001]compared to those without PVA.Conclusions PVA is commonly observed in ICU patients receiving assisted invasive mechanical ventilation,with cycling mismatch,double triggering,and ineffective triggering being the most prevalent types.The incidence of PVA tends to be lower when using the PSV mode.Clinically,real-time monitoring of patient-ventilator synchrony via ventilator waveforms,along with the optimization of ventilator modes and parameters,should be employed to minimize the occurrence of PVA and enhance the efficiency of mechanical ventilation.

Objective:To evaluate the value of spectral CT quantitative parameters in predicting microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:A total of 100 HCC patients who underwent surgical resection and were pathologically diagnosed in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical College of Central South University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. According to pathological grading, the patients were divided into the microvascular invasion group (invasion group, n=60) and the non-vascular invasion group (non-invasion group, n=40). Serological indicators and spectral CT quantitative parameters were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of spectral CT quantitative parameters in predicting MVI of HCC. Results:The serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level in the invasion group was higher than that in the non-invasion group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA-199) levels between the two groups (all P>0.05). In the invasion group, arterial phase iodine concentration, arterial phase normalized iodine concentration, venous phase iodine uptake reduction rate, arterial phase effective atomic number, and energy spectrum curve slope were all higher than those in the non-invasion group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05); there were no statistically significant differences in venous phase iodine concentration, venous phase normalized iodine concentration, and venous phase effective atomic number between the two groups (all P>0.05). The rates of peritumoral enhancement in the arterial phase and irregular tumor margin in the invasion group were higher than those in the non-invasion group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05); there was no statistically significant difference in tumor capsule between the two groups ( P>0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve (AUC) of arterial phase iodine concentration, arterial phase normalized iodine concentration, venous phase iodine uptake reduction rate, arterial phase effective atomic number, and energy spectrum curve slope for predicting MVI in HCC were 0.812, 0.885, 0.726, 0.823, and 0.788, respectively. Conclusions:Spectral CT quantitative parameters are helpful to improve the preoperative diagnostic efficiency of MVI in HCC and can effectively predict MVI in HCC. Especially, arterial phase normalized iodine concentration has high application value in judging whether there is MVI in HCC.

Objective To investigate the association of endometrial thickness(EMT)with obstetric and neonatal outcomes of monoparous pregnancy in fresh cleavage embryos transfer.Methods A total of 1 845 patients of monoparous pregnancy after fresh cleavage embryos transfer cycles from Jan 2016 to Mar 2022 at Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital,Tongji Universtiy were analyzed retrospectively.Patients were categorized into three groups by EMT on transferation day:≤8 mm(group A),8-14 mm(group B)and≥14 mm(group C).The primary outcomes were preterm birth(PTB),birth weight and birth weight z-score,small-for-gestation age,large-for-gestation age,very low birth weight,low birth weight and macrosomia.The second outcomes were pregnancy and perinatal complications.The relationship between EMT and adverse neonatal outcomes was estimated by Logistic regression analysis.Results The rate of ectopic pregnancy was increased significantly in group A.No significant differences were found among the three groups in gestation age,birth weight,birth weight z-score,PTB,small for gestation age,large for gestation age,low birth weight,very low birth weight and macrosomia.Compared with group B,the odds of adverse neonatal outcomes did not show significant differences before and after adjustment in both group A and group C by Logistic regression analysis.Conclusion Thinner EMT in fresh cleavage embryos transfer is associated with higher rate of ectopic pregnancy,while it is not independently associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.

Advances in genomics,biochemistry,and genetics have deepened our understanding of epigenetic mechanisms.These mechanisms play a crucial role in life,heredity,and evo-lution.Their growing significance is driving biomedical research toward personalized and precise medicine.Renal diseases,par-ticularly chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury,require new treatment strategies.Their subtle clinical symptoms and challenges in early diagnosis limit current therapeutic options.Research on epigenetic modifications in renal diseases is expan-ding rapidly.This field is emerging as a promising approach for kidney disease treatment.The transition from basic mechanistic studies to clinical applications is underway.Epigenetic modifica-tions hold great potential for improving early diagnosis,enabling personalized treatment,and advancing precision medicine in re-nal diseases.