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.

Background Antibiotics are frequently detected in aquatic environments, posing potential threats to ecological systems and public health. Objective To characterize antibiotic contamination in source water in Wuhan, evaluate the removal efficiency of conventional drinking water treatment processes, identify potential pollution sources, and assess ecological risks, thereby providing evidence to support water safety management. Methods A total of 34 source water samples and paired finished water samples were collected. Twenty-seven target antibiotics were analyzed via solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Total antibiotic concentrations and the relative contributions of individual antibiotics were calculated for each sampling site. Differences in removal performance across seasons and waterworks scales were further assessed. Antibiotic pairs with co-occurrence frequencies of ≥ 10 were included in Spearman’s rank correlation analysis to explore co-occurrence patterns. Potential sources were inferred according to their approved clinic and veterinary uses. For ecological risk assessment, predicted no-effect concentrations were derived from chronic toxicity values for fish, Daphnia, green algae, and mysid obtained from the ECOSAR database. Risk quotients (RQ) were calculated using both the median and the 95th percentile concentrations to characterize typical and high-end ecological toxicity. Results Seventeen antibiotics were detected in the source water. Lincosamides, macrolides, and sulfonamides were frequently detected, with detection frequencies exceeding 50%. Although quinolones were detected less frequently (2.94%-38.24%), they exhibited episodic high concentrations; the 95th percentile concentration of cinoxacin (CNX) reached 365.73 ng·L⁻¹. The mean total antibiotic concentration was 1.79 times higher in the wet season (105.97 ng·L⁻¹) than in the dry season (59.21 ng·L⁻¹). The contribution of quinolones increased markedly from 0.87% in the dry season to 43.10% in the wet season. Except for flumequine (FQ), ofloxacin (OFX), enoxacin (ENX), and clarithromycin (CLR), the median removal rates of the remaining antibiotics by conventional treatment processes all exceeded 80%. Ten antibiotics achieved complete removal (100%) in the wet season, compared with 4 antibiotics in the dry season. The median removal rate of CLR declined with decreasing waterworks scale, from 67.92% in large-scale plants to –1.96% in medium-scale plants and –71.25% in small-scale plants. Apparent negative removal was observed for sulfadiazine (SDZ), FQ, OFX, and CLR, with OFX exhibiting the highest frequency of negative removal events (n=14). Correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between sulfonamides and macrolides (ρ=0.52-0.83), indicating mixed influences from livestock farming and domestic wastewater. Lincomycin (LIN) was positively correlated with sulfamethoxazole (SMX), but negatively correlated with the aforementioned antibiotic network, suggesting a predominantly human medical source. Based on median concentrations, the ecological risk of individual antibiotics was negligible. However, the cumulative risk to Daphnia reached a low level (RQ > 0.01), with sulfonamides contributing more than 70% of this risk. Based on the 95th percentile concentrations, bost individual and cumulative risks of quinolones to fish and Daphnia increased to low levels, with quinolones contributing more than 55% of the total risk. Conclusion Antibiotics are commonly detected in source water in Wuhan, and conventional drinking water treatment dose not completely eliminate all target compounds. Quinolones, despite their relatively low detection frequencies, occur at episodically high concentrations and pose low risks to fish and Daphnia under high-end exposure scenarios, warranting priority control. The coexistence of human-use and veterinary-use antibiotics reflects diverse pollution sources and highlights the need for coordinated multi-source pollution control.

Genomic imprinting refers to the phenomenon of differential expression of two alleles due to their different parental origins. Genes that produce genomic imprinting are usually called imprinted genes. The genetic effect caused by the presence of imprinted genes is called parent-of-origin effect. Parent-of-origin effect and genomic imprinting play important roles in the pathophysiological mechanism and occurrence and development of cardio-metabolic diseases. In-depth exploration of the law and potential roles of imprinted genes and parent-of-origin effects will help to better understand the mechanism of cardio-metabolic diseases, and also provide important theoretical basis for the precise treatment of diseases related to imprinted genes.

Objective:To analyze the key β-amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition in brain regions affecting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD).Methods:Based on the positron emission tomography data of Aβ in the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative database, the penalized generalized estimating equation (PGEE) and the mixed effects regression forest algorithm (MERF) were used to conduct dimensionality reduction analysis on 164 brain regions with Aβ deposition. Additionally, a multivariate longitudinal data joint model was used to screen the key Aβ deposition brain regions that influence the progression from MCI to AD.Results:Five key brain regions were commonly screened out by the PGEE and MERF models, they were the right prefrontal orbital cortex, the left superior temporal sulcus shore cortex, the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, the left putamen, and the right transverse temporal cortex, respectively. The results of the multivariate longitudinal data joint model based on these 5 Aβ deposition brain regions showed that, except the left superior temporal sulcus shore cortex, the longitudinal change trajectories of the other 4 Aβ deposition brain regions all affected the progression from MCI to AD ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The Aβ deposition in the right prefrontal orbital cortex, right medial orbitofrontal cortex, left putamen and right transverse temporal cortex affect the progression from MCI to AD.

Objective:To analyze the key β-amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition in brain regions affecting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD).Methods:Based on the positron emission tomography data of Aβ in the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative database, the penalized generalized estimating equation (PGEE) and the mixed effects regression forest algorithm (MERF) were used to conduct dimensionality reduction analysis on 164 brain regions with Aβ deposition. Additionally, a multivariate longitudinal data joint model was used to screen the key Aβ deposition brain regions that influence the progression from MCI to AD.Results:Five key brain regions were commonly screened out by the PGEE and MERF models, they were the right prefrontal orbital cortex, the left superior temporal sulcus shore cortex, the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, the left putamen, and the right transverse temporal cortex, respectively. The results of the multivariate longitudinal data joint model based on these 5 Aβ deposition brain regions showed that, except the left superior temporal sulcus shore cortex, the longitudinal change trajectories of the other 4 Aβ deposition brain regions all affected the progression from MCI to AD ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The Aβ deposition in the right prefrontal orbital cortex, right medial orbitofrontal cortex, left putamen and right transverse temporal cortex affect the progression from MCI to AD.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a technique that uses an array of electrodes to deliver safe stimulating currents and measures the boundary voltages between adjacent electrode pairs in the array in sequence. Subsequently, it reconstructs the impedance distribution in all or part of the tissue using reconstruction algorithms to achieve structural and functional imaging. Lung EIT technology features continuity, being radiation-free and non-invasive, and it can be used for real-time dynamic monitoring of the lungs in critically ill patients. This paper introduces the basic principles of lung EIT, analyzes the research progress and existing problems of the technology from the perspectives of hardware systems, imaging algorithms, and clinical applications (such as lung ventilation, lung perfusion, and lung function assessment), and discusses the development direction to provide ideas for expanding the clinical application of lung EIT.
Electric Impedance ; Humans ; Tomography/methods* ; Lung Diseases/therapy* ; Algorithms

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of amplification intervention with hearing aids for restoring binaural auditory function in patients with unilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Methods:This study selected 30 patients with normal hearing in one ear and moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss in the other ear. They were fitted with hearing aids for the worse ear and underwent more than half a year and one year of adaptation training. The Chinese translation of the Twelve-item version of SSQ（C-SSQ12）, angle identification test, speech recognition score（SRS） at different signal-to-noise ratios（SNR=5 and SNR=10） and audiometric thresholds were used to compare the results before and after hearing aid use to evaluate the effectiveness of the unilateral hearing loss intervention. Results:The results of the audiometric thresholds, C-SSQ12 scores, angle identification test, and SRS at SNR=5 and SNR=10 in the worse ear of the unilateral hearing loss patients after hearing aid use were all statistically significant compared to before hearing aid use（P<0.01）. Conclusion:Amplification intervention with hearing aids has significant effects on restoring binaural auditory function in patients with unilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss.
Humans ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss, Unilateral/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/rehabilitation* ; Adult ; Female ; Male ; Auditory Threshold ; Young Adult ; Aged

Given the increasing concern regarding antibacterial resistance, the antimicrobial properties of naphthoquinones have recently attracted significant attention. While 1,4-naphthoquinone and its derivatives have been extensively studied, the antibacterial properties of 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives remain relatively unexplored. This study presents a comprehensive in vitro and in vivo analysis of the antibacterial activity of 35 naturally sourced and chemically synthesized derivatives of 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone. Kirby-Bauer antibiotic testing identified three compounds with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with one compound (PNP-02) demonstrating activity comparable to vancomycin in minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time-kill assays. Microscopic and biochemical analyses revealed that PNP-02 adversely affects the cell wall and cell membrane of MRSA. Mechanistic investigations, including proteomic sequencing analyses, Western blotting, and RT-qPCR assays, indicated that PNP-02 compromises cell membrane integrity by inhibiting arginine biosynthesis and pyrimidine metabolism pathways, thereby increasing membrane permeability and inducing bacterial death. In an in vivo mouse model of skin wound healing, PNP-02 exhibited antibacterial efficacy similar to vancomycin. The compound demonstrated low toxicity to cultured human cells and in hemolysis assays and remained stable during serum incubation. These findings suggest that PNP-02 possesses promising bioactivity against MRSA and represents a potential novel antibacterial agent.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry* ; Naphthoquinones/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mice ; Humans ; Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology* ; Molecular Structure

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the current status and risk factors of oral health-related quality of life OHRQoL in patients with mental disorders and provide evidence for effective intervention measures. METHODS: A total of 397 patients diagnosed with mental illness were selected by convenience sampling, and investigation was carried out using general data questionnaire, health literacy in dentistry-14 (HeLD-14), oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14), and oral health status checklist. RESULTS: The total score of OHIP-14 in patients with mental disorders was 8(2, 14). The score of HeLD-14 was negatively correlated with the score of OHIP-14 (r=-0.142, P<0.01). The results of multiple linear regression showed that six variables including annual family income, schizophrenia, sweets, frequency of visits to the dentist, dental caries, and missing teeth affected OHRQoL of patients with mental disorders (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The poor OHRQoL of psychiatric patients is associated with many factors. Medical personnel should pay attention to their oral health problems and develop targeted oral care programs throughout the course of disease to improve oral health and related quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Oral Health ; Mental Disorders ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Male ; Female ; Dental Caries ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Schizophrenia