Background: Adrenocortical hormones, particularly 11-oxygenated androgens, are pivotal in female reproductive health and fertility. Standardized detection kits and population-specific reference intervals are lacking in China, hindering related clinical applications. Methods: A HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) pipeline was developed, rigorously validated, and applied to simultaneously quantify corticosterone, cortisone, cortisol, 18-OH cortisol, androstenedione (A4), 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11-OH A4), dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in serum samples from 455 reproductive-aged women (18–45 yrs) in Guangxi, China. Age-dependent concentration trends were analyzed, and reference intervals stratified by age (2.5th to 97.5th percentiles) were established. Correlations with body-composition metrics, ethnicity, and the menstrual cycle were investigated. Results: The HPLC-MS/MS method demonstrated high precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs < 15%), accuracy, and sensitivity. All eight hormones exhibited significant age-related declines (P < 0.001 for seven hormones; P = 0.001 for 11-OH A4). Notably, 11-OH A4 levels were significantly lower in the 35–45-yr (3.05 nmol/L) and 25–34-yr (3.09 nmol/L) age groups than in the 18–24-yr (3.57 nmol/L) age group, whereas no significant difference was observed between the 35–45-yr and 25–34-yr age groups. Weak negative correlations were observed between the body mass index and corticosterone and cortisone levels, whereas ethnicity and the menstrual cycle showed no significant associations with hormone levels. Conclusions We developed an HPLC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneously quantifying eight adrenocortical hormones, including 11-OH A4, and defined age-specific reference intervals for reproductive-aged Chinese women. These findings advance the clinical utility of adrenocortical hormones in diagnosing and managing reproductive disorders.

An analysis of 24 144 norovirus sequences from Asia and Russia deposited in GenBank between 1995 and 2023 was conducted,to understand the temporal and spatial variations in norovirus genotypes in these regions.Norovirus sequences from Asia and Russia were downloaded in FASTA format from GenBank for the years 1995-2023,and analyzed in Excel,R language,and GraphPad Prism for data visualization.The number of norovirus sequences submitted to GenBank increased annually from 2004 and peaked in 2015.Notably,China and Japan contributed 62.3％of all submitted norovirus sequences.These sequences encompassed 31 capsid genotypes(C-type),with GⅠ accounting for 9％and GⅡ accounting for 90％.Additionally,49 polymerase types(P-type)were identified,along with 68 combinations of CP types;among the analyzed recombinant sequences(4 460 entries in total),approxi-mately 41％belonged to three predominant recombinant strains:GⅡ.2[P16],GⅡ.4[P31],and GⅡ.4[P16].This analysis provides valuable insights into the distribution characteristics of norovirus genotypes across Asia and Russia over time,thereby supporting vac-cine design and evaluation efforts.

This study investigated the infection status,drug resistance,and molecular characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli(STEC)in domestic goats in Chengkou county,Chongqing.In August 2023,283 fecal samples were collected from households in Chengkou county.After enrichment with EC broth and inoculation onto selective media,samples that tested positive for stx1/stx2 were selected for further isolation.The positive strains were investigated with antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome sequencing.According to the whole genomic sequences,the stx subtypes,serotypes,multi-locus sequence types,virulence genes,drug resistance genes,and phylogenetic relationships of the STEC strains were analyzed.Forty-six strains of STEC were isolated from 283 goat fecal samples,thus resulting in a detection rate of 16.25%.The 46 STEC strains were categorized into 12 O∶H serotypes,among which O76∶H19 and O8∶H7 predominated,each represented by 9 strains.Five STEC strains were identified as serotype O157∶H7.The 46 STEC strains were categorized into 11 sequence types(STs),among which ST675 and ST196 predominated,each represented by nine strains,accounting for a 19.57%proportion.The strains were categorized into 7 stx subtypes,among which stx1c(26/46,56.52%),followed by stx2k(9/46,19.57%)predominated.All nine Stx2k-STEC strains were identified as serotype O8∶H7 and sequence type ST196.In antimicrobial susceptibility testing,2 STEC strains were resistant to ampicillin,one strain was resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam,one strain was resistant to cefazolin,and one strain was resistant to cefoxitin.Nine Stx2k-STEC strains were found to carry the beta-lactam resistance gene blaEC-18.Antimicrobial sensitivity tests revealed that the nine Stx2k-STEC strains were sensitive to all 15 tested antibiotics.Moreover,phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 9 Stx2k-STEC strains were remarkably similar but showed high genetic diversity with respect to that of the Stx2k-STEC strains isolated from other regions in China.Goatsare an important animal reservoir for STEC in theChengkou district of Chongqing,and novel sequence type Stx2k-STEC strains distinct from those found in other regions of China were identified in this region.

Objective:To explore the application value of part-cut jejunal transection in digestive tract reconstruction of totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy.Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 112 patients with gastric cancer who underwent totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2018 to September 2022 were collected. There were 81 males and 31 females, aged (70±8)years. Among the 112 patients, 60 patients undergoing diges-tive tract reconstruction by Roux-en-Y anastomosis with part-cut jejunum were set as the part-cut group, and 52 patients undergoing digestive tract reconstruction by traditional Roux-en-Y anasto-mosis were set as the traditional group. Observation indicators: (1) propensity score matching status and comparison of clinical data of patients between the two groups after matching; (2) intraopera-tive and postoperative conditions; (3) follow-up. Comparison of measurement data with normal dis-tribution between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Com-parison of ordinal data was conducted using the nonparametic rank sum test. Propensity score matching was performed using the 1∶1 nearest neighbor matching method, with the caliper value of 0.02. Results:(1) Propensity score matching status and comparison of clinical data of patients between the two groups after matching. Of the 112 patients, 90 patients were successfully matched, with 45 cases in each of the part-cut group and the traditional group. After propensity score matching, the elimination of body mass index, clinical TNM staging confounding bias ensured comparability. (2) Intraoperative and postoperative conditions. After propensity score matching, the total operation time and digestive tract reconstruction time of patients in the part-cut group were (217.0±15.1)minutes and (34.7±1.8)minutes, versus (252.6±21.9)minutes and (52.6±7.4)minutes in the traditional group, respectively, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=?8.97, ?15.66, P<0.05). (3) Follow-up. After propensity score matching, 90 patients were followed up postoperatively for (47±15)months. During the follow-up, no patient in either group received secondary surgery, and there was no death. There were 3 cases and 10 cases of Roux stasis syndrome in the part-cut group and the traditional group, respectively, showing a significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=4.41, P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with traditional Roux-en-Y anastomosis, the Roux-en-Y anastomosis with part-cut jejunum in totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy can signifi-cantly shorten the time for digestive tract reconstruction and reduce the incidence of postoperative Roux stasis syndrome.

Objective:To investigate the value of coronary CTA (CCTA)-based traditional features and radiomics of plaque in the identification of culprit lesions that caused acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods:This was a retrospective multicenter study. From July 2016 to November 2023, a total of 344 patients from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University (training cohort, n=184), Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University (validation cohort, n=88) and Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (test cohort, n=72) who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to AMI and underwent CCTA within 48 hours of AMI were enrolled. The culprit plaques and non-culprit plaques were identified using a combination of electrocardiogram, CCTA, and angiographic findings. The vessel, plaque location, plaque type, Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) score, high-risk plaque characteristics, plaque length, plaque volume, and burden were analyzed, and 1 904 radiomics features were extracted for each plaque. The traditional imaging model, the radiomics model, and the combined model were established by using multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of each model in identifying culprit lesions. The DeLong test was used for the comparison of AUC between every two models. The net reclassification index (NRI) was used to evaluate the incremental value of the combined model to the traditional imaging model and the radiomics model. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the clinical net benefit of these models. A correlation heatmap was used to evaluate the correlation between the radiomics score and traditional CCTA factors. The interpretable analysis of the decision process of the combined model was performed by the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results:In the validation cohort and the test cohort, the AUC of the traditional imaging model developed by the vessel, plaque type, positive remodeling and CAD-RADS score was 0.898 (95% CI 0.869-0.922) and 0.881 (95% CI 0.848-0.910), respectively. The radiomics model developed by six radiomics features was 0.863 (95% CI 0.831-0.891) and 0.863 (95% CI 0.827-0.864), respectively. The AUC of the combined model was 0.930 (95% CI 0.905-0.950)and 0.919 (95% CI 0.889-0.942), respectively. In the validation cohort and the test cohort, the AUC of the combined model was higher than that of the traditional imaging model ( Z=4.013, 4.272, P<0.001) and that of the radiomics model ( Z=4.819, 3.784, P<0.001), respectively. In the validation cohort, the combined model yielded an NRI of 20.43% (95% CI 10.43%-30.44%, P<0.001) and 20.21% (95% CI 9.62%-30.80%, P<0.001) for identifying culprit lesions compared with the traditional imaging model and the radiomics model, respectively. In the test cohort, the combined model yielded an NRI of 28.05% (95% CI 16.72%-39.38%, P<0.001) and 23.57% (95% CI 13.58%-33.56%, P<0.001) for identifying culprit lesions compared with the traditional imaging model and the radiomics model, respectively. DCA showed the combined model had the highest clinical net benefit. The correlation heatmap showed the radiomics score was not correlated or only weakly correlated with traditional CCTA factors. SHAP indicated the radiomics and CAD-RADS score contributed significantly to the model. Conclusion:The CCTA-based traditional features and radiomics of plaque have favorable performance for the identification of culprit plaques in patients with AMI.

BACKGROUND:It has been confirmed that ferroptosis is closely related to the mechanism of various nervous diseases.However,the pathological mechanisms of ferroptosis and peripheral nerve injury need to be further studied and clarified.OBJECTIVE:To review the role and mechanism of ferroptosis in the treatment of peripheral nerve injury.METHODS:The articles related to ferroptosis and nervous system injuries were searched in CNKI and PubMed databases from database inception to May 2024.The keywords were"ferroptosis,peripheral nerve injury,antioxidant defense system,Schwann cells,macrophage,neuroinflammation,neuropathic pain"in Chinese and English,respectively.Sixty eligible articles were finally included for review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The occurrence of ferroptosis is closely related to abnormal intracellular iron metabolism,reactive oxygen species accumulation and lipid peroxidation.Ferroptosis occurs in both Schwann cells and macrophages after peripheral nerve injury,leading to changes in the microenvironment and further inducing diseases such as neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain.Increasing studies have shown that nerve injury is closely related to ferroptosis,and inhibition of ferroptosis can promote tissue repair and functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury.Therefore,it is of great significance to study the mechanism underlying the occurrence and regulation of ferroptosis after peripheral nerve injury.Current research on the role and regulation of ferroptosis after peripheral nerve injury is still in its infancy,and more in-depth studies are needed to provide more strategies to promote repair after peripheral nerve injury.

This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of total flavonoids of hawthorn leaves(TFHL)on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammatory injury in rat intestinal epithelial(IEC-6)cells,as well as the underlying mechanisms.An in vitro inflam-mation model was first established by treating IEC-6 cells with lipopolysaccharide(LPS).IEC-6 cells were then incubated with three concentrations of TFHL for 24 h prior to a further 24 h LPS treatment.RT-qPCR was used to quantify mRNA levels of the inflammatory genes COX-2 and iN-OS,while Western blotting was used to assess protein levels of the apoptotic markers Bax,cleaved Caspase-3,Bcl-2,and the JNK/p-JNK signaling pathway.Finally,cells were pretreated with TFHL and/or the JNK inhibitor SP600125 for 24 h before LPS exposure for 24 h,in order to evaluate the combined effects of TFHL and SP600125 on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine expression and apoptotic protein levels in IEC-6 cells.The results showed that,compared with the LPS group,the mRNA level of COX-2 and iNOS in the 2.5,5.0,10.0 mg/L TFHL group and the Bax and Caspase-3 protein levels decreased significantly(P＜0.01),and the Bcl-2 protein level was significantly higher(P＜0.01),p-JNK protein level and p-JNK/JNK ratio decreased significantly(P＜0.01);compared with the LPS group,the COX-2 and iNOS mRNA levels of the TFHL+LPS group de-creased significantly(P＜0.01),Bax,and Caspase-3 protein levels decreased significantly(P＜0.01),and the level of Bcl-2 protein increased significantly(P＜0.05);compared with the LPS group,the COX-2 and iNOS mRNA levels of the TFHL+SP600125 group decreased significantly(P＜0.01),Bax and Caspase-3 protein levels decreased significantly(P＜0.01),and Bcl-2 protein level increased significantly(P＜0.01).These findings indicate that TFHL exerts anti-inflammato-ry and anti-apoptotic effects in LPS-challenged IEC-6 cells by inhibiting the JNK signaling path-way.

A mounting body of research suggests that circRNAs significantly contribute to the develop-ment of myocardial fibrosis.The microarray results of human circular RNA expression profile indicated that circHERC4_041 expression increased in the myocardium of patients with heart failure,RT-qPCR a-nalysis confirmed that the myocardial expression level of circHERC4_041 in individuals with heart failure were considerably elevated compared to that in healthy organ donors.Fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)confirmed that circHERC4_041 was abundant in the cytoplasm of human cardiomyocyte AC16.Overexpression of circHERC4_041 in mouse myocardial fibroblasts(mCFs)mediated by adenovirus in-hibited the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in mCFs.Experiments involving cell proliferation,wound healing,and Transwell assays demonstrated that overexpression of circHERC4_041 suppressed the growth and mobility of mCFs(P＜0.001).Sequence analysis results suggested that circHERC4_041 con-tains potential ribosome entry sequence(IRES)and open reading frame(ORF).Western blot confirmed that circHERC4_041 could translate the 516 amino acid HERC4-516aa protein,which was mainly located in the cytoplasm of the cell.Cell functional experiments confirmed that circHERC4_041 inhibited the fi-brotic phenotype of mCFs by specifically translating HERC4-516aa(P＜0.05).The specific interaction between HERC4-516aa and transglutaminase 2(TGM2)was confirmed by IP-MS screening and Co-IP i-dentification.Further results found that the degradation of TGM2 was promoted through proteasome path-way.The overexpression of TGM2 in mCFs facilitated by adenoviral vectors could counteract the suppres-sive effects of HERC4-516aa on the fibrotic phenotype of mCFs.Therefore,this study confirmed that the HERC4-516aa protein translated by circHERC4_041 can specifically bind to TGM2 to inhibit the fibrotic phenotype of myocardial fibroblasts.

Objective:To analyze the current policy design of outpatient benefit policies for patients with hypertension and diabetes(H&D)in urban and rural residents in China,and to provide references for optimizing the outpatient benefit mechanism for patients with H&D.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data on the basic features of General Outpatient Benefit(GOB),Outpatient Medication Guarantee Mechanisms for Hypertension and Diabetes(OMGM-H&D)and Outpatient Benefit for Patient with Chronic and Special Diseases(OB-C&S),focusing on deductibles,policy reimbursement ratios,and maximum payment limits.Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the data.Results:A total of 334 regions were surveyed,of which 253 regions(75.34％)had implemented all three policies.Regional analysis revealed significant differences(P<0.001)in reimbursement ratios for GOB and the OMGM-H&D between the eastern,central,and western regions,with the western region having notably higher ratios than the eastern and central regions.However,no significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in the reimbursement ratios for OB-C&S across regions. Regarding deductibles,no significant regional difference (P>0.05) was found for GOB,but significant differences (P<0.05) existed for the OMGM-H&D and OB-C&S. Additionally,the annual maximum payment limits for all three policies showed significant regional variations (P<0.001). Conclusions:The outpatient benefits policy for patients with H&D have achieved full coverage nationwide among urban and rural residents in China,but regional equity in benefit levels requires improvement. It is recommended to strengthen data feedback mechanisms and promote provincial-level pooling of medical insurance.

Aim To investigate the effect of linarin on improving cognitive behavior of APP/PS1 mice,and to explore the therapeutic effect of linarin on A β deposi-tion and neuroinflammation and its correlation.Meth-ods APP/PS1 transgenic mice were randomly divid-ed into the model group,high-dose group,medium-dose group,low-dose group and positive control group.C57BL/6J mice were set as the normal group.Morris water maze was used to evaluate the learning and mem-ory abilities of mice.TUNEL staining was used to de-tect the apoptosis of neurons in the CA1 region of mice.IHC was used to detect the expression levels of Aβ42 and GFAP.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of BACE1 and PS-1.Results Com-pared with the normal group,mice of the model group showed lower NCP,shorter target quadrant travel,less target quadrant residence time percentage(all P＜0.01),higher apoptosis rate of neurons in the CA1 re-gion(P＜0.01),significantly higher protein expres-sion levels of A β42 and GFAP(all P＜0.01),and significantly higher protein expression levels of BACE1 and PS-1(all P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the medium-dose group,high-dose group and positive control group showed higher NCP,longer tar-get quadrant travel,more target quadrant residence time percentage(all P＜0.05),lower apoptosis rate of neurons in the CA1 region(P＜0.01),significantly lower protein expression levels of A β42 and GFAP(all P＜0.01),and significantly lower protein expression levels of BACE1 and PS-1(all P＜0.01).Conclu-sions Linarin can inhibit two key enzymes to reduce the decomposition of APP and the generation of A β42,thereby inhibiting the activation of astrocytes,allevia-ting neuroinflammation,improving the core pathologi-cal features of AD,and thus significantly improving learning and memory impairment in APP/PS1 mice.