Background Air pollution exposure has a significant impact on maternal and child health. However, the research on the association between ambient ozone (O₃) exposure during pregnancy and the risk of premature birth in newborns is limited, and the conclusions are inconsistent. Objective To investigate the association of ambient O₃ exposure during pregnancy with the risk of preterm birth in Guangdong Province. Methods Data of pregnant women in Guangzhou from 2013 to 2019 and Foshan from 2018 to 2023 were collected, and O₃ concentrations during different trimesters were assessed according to maternal residential addresses. Bilinear interpolation was used to evaluate the concentrations of air pollution. A cohort study design was adopted in our study. Restricted cubic spline curves were used to evaluate the exposure-response relationship between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk and explore potential exposure threshold of O₃. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of O₃ exposure with preterm birth. Results A total of 702 924 pregnant women were included in this study, of whom 43 051 (6.12%) were preterm. The average O₃ exposure concentrations of pregnant women during the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 95.51, 97.51, 100.60, and 97.87 μg·m⁻³, respectively. We observed J-shaped associations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy using restricted cubic spline curves. This study found that there were threshold concentrations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during different gestational periods, and the threshold concentrations in the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 112.32, 99.83, 111.74, and 112.46 μg·m⁻³, respectively. During the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy, after adjusting for maternal age, baby sex, pre-pregnancy body mass index, mode of delivery, baby birth weight, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension, the odds ratios (OR) of preterm birth were 1.02 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.04), 1.02 (95%CI: 1.00, 1.03), and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.13, 1.21) for each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in O₃ concentration above the O₃ threshold. No significant association was found between O₃ exposure and the risk of preterm birth during the first trimester. Conclusion There is a nonlinear association between the risk of preterm birth and O₃ exposure during pregnancy, and higher concentrations of O₃ exposure during pregnancy are associated with the risk of preterm birth. Above the O₃ threshold concentration during pregnancy, especially during the second, third, and whole trimesters, the risk of preterm birth elevates with the increase of O₃ exposure concentrations.

Objective To investigate the clinical diagnostic value of extra-spindle pole-like protein 1(ESPL1)in the progression of hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related liver fibrosis.Methods A total of 228 patients with HBV infection who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from June 2017 to August 2023 were enrolled.The transient elastography system FibroScan was used to determine liver stiffness measurement(LSM)for all patients,and according to the LSM value,they were divided into non-liver fibrosis group with 80 patients,mild liver fibrosis group with 83 patients,advanced liver fibrosis group with 30 patients,and liver cirrhosis group with 35 patients.ELISA was used to measure the serum level of ESPL1.The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of the serum level of ESPL1 between the four groups;the Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between ESPL1 and LSM;the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value of serum ESPL1 in predicting the progression of liver fibrosis.Results The liver cirrhosis group had a significantly higher serum level of ESPL1 than the non-liver fibrosis group and the mild liver fibrosis group(both P<0.05),and the advanced liver fibrosis group and the mild liver fibrosis group had a significantly higher serum level of ESPL1 than the non-liver fibrosis group(both P<0.05).The correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between serum ESPL1 and LSM in the patients with HBV infection and varying degrees of liver fibrosis(r=0.515,P<0.001).Serum ESPL1 had an area under the ROC curve(AUC)of 0.809 in predicting liver cirrhosis and an AUC of 0.638 in predicting advanced liver fibrosis,with a sensitivity of 87.5%and 100%,respectively,and a specificity of 59.7%and 31.3%,respectively.Conclusion There is a certain correlation between serum ESPL1 and HBV-related liver fibrosis,and higher serum ESPL1 may indicate a higher degree of liver fibrosis.Serum ESPL1 is expected to become one of the serum markers for assisting in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and an important clinical method for dynamically monitoring the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with HBV infection.

Objective: This study examined the gut bacterial communities of dogs from different breeds, all kept under identical domestication conditions. Methods: Noninvasive sampling and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing were used to compare the composition and function of the gut microbiota of three dog breeds: the Chinese Kunming dog (CKD), German Shepherd dog (GSD), and Belgian Malinois dog (BMD). Results: The gut microbiota of the three dog breeds consisted of 257 species across 146 genera, 60 families, 35 orders, 15 classes, and 10 phyla. The dominant bacterial phyla across the three breeds were Firmicutes (57.44%), Fusobacteriota (28.86%), and Bacteroidota (7.63%), while the dominant bacterial genera across the three breeds were Peptostreptococcus (21.08%), Fusobacterium (18.50%), Lactobacillus (12.37%), and Cetobacter (10.29%). Further analysis revealed significant differences in the intestinal flora of the three breeds at the phylum and genus levels. The intestinal flora of BMD was significantly richer than that of CKD and GSD. The functional prediction and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the primary functions of the gut microbiota in these breeds were similar, with significant enrichment in various metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and microbial metabolism in different environments. The intestinal flora of these breeds also played a crucial role in genetic information processing, including transcription, translation, replication, and material transport. Conclusions and Relevance: These results provide novel insights into the intestinal flora of intervention dogs and suggest novel methods to improve their health status, which help increase microbial diversity and normalize metabolite production in diseased dogs.

Objective: This study examined the gut bacterial communities of dogs from different breeds, all kept under identical domestication conditions. Methods: Noninvasive sampling and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing were used to compare the composition and function of the gut microbiota of three dog breeds: the Chinese Kunming dog (CKD), German Shepherd dog (GSD), and Belgian Malinois dog (BMD). Results: The gut microbiota of the three dog breeds consisted of 257 species across 146 genera, 60 families, 35 orders, 15 classes, and 10 phyla. The dominant bacterial phyla across the three breeds were Firmicutes (57.44%), Fusobacteriota (28.86%), and Bacteroidota (7.63%), while the dominant bacterial genera across the three breeds were Peptostreptococcus (21.08%), Fusobacterium (18.50%), Lactobacillus (12.37%), and Cetobacter (10.29%). Further analysis revealed significant differences in the intestinal flora of the three breeds at the phylum and genus levels. The intestinal flora of BMD was significantly richer than that of CKD and GSD. The functional prediction and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the primary functions of the gut microbiota in these breeds were similar, with significant enrichment in various metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and microbial metabolism in different environments. The intestinal flora of these breeds also played a crucial role in genetic information processing, including transcription, translation, replication, and material transport. Conclusions and Relevance: These results provide novel insights into the intestinal flora of intervention dogs and suggest novel methods to improve their health status, which help increase microbial diversity and normalize metabolite production in diseased dogs.

Objective: This study examined the gut bacterial communities of dogs from different breeds, all kept under identical domestication conditions. Methods: Noninvasive sampling and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing were used to compare the composition and function of the gut microbiota of three dog breeds: the Chinese Kunming dog (CKD), German Shepherd dog (GSD), and Belgian Malinois dog (BMD). Results: The gut microbiota of the three dog breeds consisted of 257 species across 146 genera, 60 families, 35 orders, 15 classes, and 10 phyla. The dominant bacterial phyla across the three breeds were Firmicutes (57.44%), Fusobacteriota (28.86%), and Bacteroidota (7.63%), while the dominant bacterial genera across the three breeds were Peptostreptococcus (21.08%), Fusobacterium (18.50%), Lactobacillus (12.37%), and Cetobacter (10.29%). Further analysis revealed significant differences in the intestinal flora of the three breeds at the phylum and genus levels. The intestinal flora of BMD was significantly richer than that of CKD and GSD. The functional prediction and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the primary functions of the gut microbiota in these breeds were similar, with significant enrichment in various metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and microbial metabolism in different environments. The intestinal flora of these breeds also played a crucial role in genetic information processing, including transcription, translation, replication, and material transport. Conclusions and Relevance: These results provide novel insights into the intestinal flora of intervention dogs and suggest novel methods to improve their health status, which help increase microbial diversity and normalize metabolite production in diseased dogs.

Objective: This study examined the gut bacterial communities of dogs from different breeds, all kept under identical domestication conditions. Methods: Noninvasive sampling and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing were used to compare the composition and function of the gut microbiota of three dog breeds: the Chinese Kunming dog (CKD), German Shepherd dog (GSD), and Belgian Malinois dog (BMD). Results: The gut microbiota of the three dog breeds consisted of 257 species across 146 genera, 60 families, 35 orders, 15 classes, and 10 phyla. The dominant bacterial phyla across the three breeds were Firmicutes (57.44%), Fusobacteriota (28.86%), and Bacteroidota (7.63%), while the dominant bacterial genera across the three breeds were Peptostreptococcus (21.08%), Fusobacterium (18.50%), Lactobacillus (12.37%), and Cetobacter (10.29%). Further analysis revealed significant differences in the intestinal flora of the three breeds at the phylum and genus levels. The intestinal flora of BMD was significantly richer than that of CKD and GSD. The functional prediction and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the primary functions of the gut microbiota in these breeds were similar, with significant enrichment in various metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and microbial metabolism in different environments. The intestinal flora of these breeds also played a crucial role in genetic information processing, including transcription, translation, replication, and material transport. Conclusions and Relevance: These results provide novel insights into the intestinal flora of intervention dogs and suggest novel methods to improve their health status, which help increase microbial diversity and normalize metabolite production in diseased dogs.

The clinical features, examination findings and genetic testing results of a newborn with neurobehavioral developmental abnormality caused by the PAK3 gene mutation in the Department of Neonatology, Anhui Provincial Children′s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed in November 11, 2021.The male 9-day-old newborn presented with the difficult-to-wean for 9 days after birth.The child had repeated startle reflexes, decreased muscle tension in the extremities, and partial primitive reflexes.Amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) showed the lower and upper boundary voltage of 10 μV and 40 μV, respectively.Obvious mature sleep-wake cycles were not found, and 2 electric seizures were recorded.The aEEG suggested the moderate-to-severe abnormal aEEG.Magnetic resonance imaging showed that the corpus callosum was slightly thinner.The family-centered diagnostic exosome sequencing showed a missense mutation of the PAK3 gene[c.1327 (exon18) G>A, p.G443R], which has not been previously reported at home and abroad.This case enriched the clinical phenotype of the PAK3 gene mutation and suggested the potential value of whole genome sequencing in clinical diagnosis and genetic guidance.

Objective:To present the clinical characteristics and treatment on patients with ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) syndrome (EAS) caused by the retroperitoneal paraganglioma.Methods:The clinical data of a case of EAS caused by retroperitoneal paraganglioma were analyzed retrospectively, and the related literature at home and abroad was reviewed.Results:The 53-year-old female patient was admitted to endocrinology department due to a fifteen-year history of hypertension, accompanied by fatigue for three months, headache and dizziness for one month. The laboratory data demonstrated severe hypokalemia, high level of serum and urinary cortisol, while the ACTH level remained unsuppressed. The 24 h urinary vanillyl mandelic acid (VMA) and serum free methoxyepinephrine (MNs) level were elevated. The abdominal computed tomographic scan suggested a retroperitoneal mass next to the abdominal aorta. After the retroperitoneal tumor resection was performed, immunohistochemical staining of the tumor revealed Syn (+ ), CgA (+ ), ACTH (focal + ). By the retrospective analysis of 22 similar cases from 16 papers and the case summarized above, we found that most patients with EAS caused by the paraganglioma could demonstrate the typical clinical features of Cushing′s syndrome, while lack of the manifestation of paraganglioma. Therefore, preoperative preparations for paraganglioma were usually neglected.Conclusions:Ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS) originating from paraganglioma is very rare. To improve the diagnosis rate, examination for catecholamine, MNs and 24 h urinary VMA before surgery in patients with EAS is suggested. Considering surgical resection as the optimal treatment, comprehensive preoperative preparations for both paraganglioma and Cushing′s syndrome are significant. A genetic test for pheochromocytoma/ paraganglioma and lifelong postoperative follow-up are also recommend.

Objective: Understanding mental health status of students with learning disabilities in Beijing to provide a basis for mental health promotion of students with learning disabilities. Methods: By means of random cluster sampling, 5 787 enrolled students in grade one and grade two of 11 public junior middle schools in Beijing were selected as the survey subjects. A self designed questionnaire was used to investigate the students’ learning disabilities and mental health status through anonymous self filling. Results: About 11.6% students self reported learning disabilities. The proportions of students with learning difficulty in mathematical reasoning and calculation were higher, 44.1% and 40.7% respectively. The reported rate of mental health problems was 38.3%. The top four of the 10 symptoms were obsessive compulsive symptoms, learning pressure, emotional instability and anxiety(2.19±0.77)(2.17±0.99)(2.09±0.90)(2.07±1.08). Compared with students without learning disabilities, students with self reported learning disabilities had poorer mental health status(OR=1.47), and learning disabilities were related to most factors of mental health. Different types of learning disabilities were associated with different mental health factors. Conclusion Mental health problems of students with learning disabilities are higher than that of students without learning disabilities. It is necessary to strengthen the mental health support for students with learning disabilities and improve their mental health.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of calponin-1 (CNN1) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its pathogenic role in fibrosis. METHODS: Skin biopsy samples were collected from 19 patients with SSc and 21 healthy subjects. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of and mRNAs in the samples, and the protein expression of CNN1 was detected using immunohistochemistry. In cultured primary human dermal fibroblasts, expression was knocked down RNA interference, and the mRNA expression levels of and the fibrosis-related genes , , , , and were detected using real-time PCR; the proliferation of the cells was assessed using a real-time cell proliferation detection system. RESULTS: Compared with that in samples from normal subjects, the expression of mRNA was significantly increased in the skin tissue of patients with SSc ( < 0.05) with a positive correlation with α-SMA (=0.7219, < 0.0001); the protein expression of CNN1 was also significantly increased in the skin tissue of patients with SSc. In cultured primary skin fibroblasts, the expression of CNN1 mRNA was positively correlated with and mRNA expressions (=0.6547, < 0.05; =0.6438, < 0.05). knockdown in the fibroblasts significantly inhibited the cell proliferation, obviously lowered the expressions of fibrosis-related genes, and reduced the protein expression of collagen. CONCLUSIONS The expression of is increased in the skin tissues of patients with SSc, and knockdown can reduce the activity of dermal fibroblasts, suggesting the close correlation of CNN1 with fibrosis in SSc.
Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Microfilament Proteins ; Scleroderma, Systemic ; Skin