Hearing loss is the most prevalent disabling disease. Cochlear implantation（CI） serves as the primary intervention for severe to profound hearing loss. This consensus systematically explores the value of genetic diagnosis in the pre-operative assessment and efficacy prognosis for CI. Drawing upon domestic and international research and clinical experience, it proposes an evidence-based medicine three-tiered prognostic classification system（Favorable, Marginal, Poor）. The consensus focuses on common hereditary non-syndromic hearing loss（such as that caused by mutations in genes like GJB2, SLC26A4, OTOF, LOXHD1） and syndromic hereditary hearing loss（such as Jervell & Lange-Nielsen syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome）, which are closely associated with congenital hearing loss, analyzing the impact of their pathological mechanisms on CI outcomes. The consensus provides recommendations based on multiple round of expert discussion and voting. It emphasizes that genetic diagnosis can optimize patient selection, predict prognosis, guide post-operative rehabilitation, offer stratified management strategies for patients with different genotypes, and advance the application of precision medicine in the field of CI.
Humans ; Cochlear Implantation ; Prognosis ; Hearing Loss/surgery* ; Consensus ; Connexin 26 ; Mutation ; Sulfate Transporters ; Connexins/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the association between abdominal fat-related indicators derived from quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in middle-aged and elderly individuals, as well as the diagnostic value of these indicators.Methods:This cross-sectional study enrolled middle-aged and elderly participants who underwent health check-ups at Kaifeng Central Hospital between January and December 2024. Participants were divided into a CAC group and a non-CAC group based on the presence or absence of CAC. The CAC group was then stratified into mild, moderate, and severe subgroups according to CAC severity. General clinical data were collected for all participants. All subjects underwent one-stop QCT scanning of the chest and abdomen. An automated abdominal fat analysis system was used to identify fat distribution regions. If accurate identification was not possible, a semi-automated segmentation algorithm combined with manual correction was applied instead. Two physicians performed the measurements independently, and inter-observer consistency was assessed. The average values were calculated to obtain visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA). The ratio of visceral fat area to subcutaneous fat area (VFA/SFA) was also computed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with CAC in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of these indicators for CAC. DeLong′s test was used to compare the differences in the area under the curve ( AUC). Results:A total of 252 middle-aged and elderly individuals were included, with a median age of 61 (interquartile rang: 59, 69) years. Of these individuals, 188(74.6%) were males. Among them, 172 were classified into the CAC group and 80 into the non-CAC group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that VFA, VFA/SFA ratio, age, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), and hypertension were independently associated with CAC in middle-aged and elderly individuals (all P<0.05). The mild, moderate, and severe CAC subgroups comprised 78, 51, and 43 participants, respectively. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that VFA and VFA/SFA increased with CAC severity, and there were statistically significant differences between the subgroups (all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUCs of VFA and VFA/SFA for diagnosing CAC were 0.841 and 0.810, respectively, with no significant difference between them ( P>0.05). The optimal cutoff values were 177.45 cm2 for VFA (sensitivity: 83.1%, specificity: 72.5%) and 1.592 for VFA/SFA (sensitivity: 65.7%, specificity: 83.7%). For the diagnosis of moderate-to-severe CAC, the AUCs of VFA and VFA/SFA were 0.765 and 0.761, respectively ( P>0.05 for comparison), with cutoff values of 231.75 cm2 (sensitivity: 61.7%, specificity: 83.3%) and 1.962 (sensitivity: 64.9%, specificity: 80.8%). Conclusion:Abdominal VFA and VFA/SFA derived from QCT are independently associated with the presence of CAC in middle-aged and elderly individuals, demonstrating good diagnostic performance for both overall CAC and moderate-to-severe CAC.

The precision dosing of antimicrobial agents serves as a key strategy to improve effectiveness while minimizing adverse drug effects, thereby enhancing therapeutic outcomes. It also aims to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance and optimize the utilization of healthcare resource. This article reviews the key technical elements of antimicrobial precision dosing, including novel therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) methods, the concepts, modelling and stimulation approaches, and model evaluation of model-informed precision dosing (MIPD), and the implementation of MIPD with clinical decision support system (CDSS). Meanwhile, applications on how artificial intelligence (AI) techniques facilitate MIPD are discussed. We hope that the advances discussed and perspectives presented in this article will provide insights into the precision dosing and individualized therapy of antimicrobials in clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes(hUCMSCs-Exo)on bisphenol AF(BPAF)-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory factor release from endometrial stromal cells(hESCs).Methods:hESCs were divided into Control group,BPAF group(25 μmol/L BPAF treatment),BPAF+Exo group(25 μmol/L BPAF+hUCMSCs-Exo treatment),BPAF+Exo+LY group(25 μmol/L BPAF+hUCMSCs-Exo+10 μmol/L LY294002 treatment).Cell prolifera-tion was detected by MTT assay;apoptosis,intracellular ROS level,and mitochondrial membrane potential level were detected by flow cytometry;protein expressions of Bcl-2,Bax,Cleaved-caspase-3 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were detected by Western blot;mRNA expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β were detected by RT-qPCR.Results:Compared with Control group,hESCs survival rate was gradually decreased(P<0.01),apoptosis rate was gradually increased with the increased concentration of BPAF(≥25 μmol/L).Compared with Control group,BPAF group showed increased ROS level,decreased mitochondrial membrane potential level,increased Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 protein expressions,and decreased Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT protein expressions.Compared with BPAF group,cell survival rate of BPAF+Exo group was increased(P<0.01),ROS level decreased,mitochondrial membrane potential level increased,expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 proteins decreased,and expressions of Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT increased.Compared with BPAF+Exo group,expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 protein in cells of BPAF+Exo+LY group were increased,while expressions of Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT protein were decreased.Expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA were significantly up-regulated in BPAF group compared with Control group(P<0.01),and expressions of inflammatory factors mRNA were significantly down-regulated in BPAF+Exo group compared with BPAF group(P<0.05).Conclu-sion:BPAF(≥25 μmol/L)inhibits proliferation of hESCs and promoted apoptosis.hUCMSCs-Exo inhibits BPAF-induced oxidative dam-age and inflammatory factors expressions in hESCs through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes(hUCMSCs-Exo)on bisphenol AF(BPAF)-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory factor release from endometrial stromal cells(hESCs).Methods:hESCs were divided into Control group,BPAF group(25 μmol/L BPAF treatment),BPAF+Exo group(25 μmol/L BPAF+hUCMSCs-Exo treatment),BPAF+Exo+LY group(25 μmol/L BPAF+hUCMSCs-Exo+10 μmol/L LY294002 treatment).Cell prolifera-tion was detected by MTT assay;apoptosis,intracellular ROS level,and mitochondrial membrane potential level were detected by flow cytometry;protein expressions of Bcl-2,Bax,Cleaved-caspase-3 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were detected by Western blot;mRNA expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β were detected by RT-qPCR.Results:Compared with Control group,hESCs survival rate was gradually decreased(P<0.01),apoptosis rate was gradually increased with the increased concentration of BPAF(≥25 μmol/L).Compared with Control group,BPAF group showed increased ROS level,decreased mitochondrial membrane potential level,increased Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 protein expressions,and decreased Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT protein expressions.Compared with BPAF group,cell survival rate of BPAF+Exo group was increased(P<0.01),ROS level decreased,mitochondrial membrane potential level increased,expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 proteins decreased,and expressions of Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT increased.Compared with BPAF+Exo group,expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 protein in cells of BPAF+Exo+LY group were increased,while expressions of Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT protein were decreased.Expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA were significantly up-regulated in BPAF group compared with Control group(P<0.01),and expressions of inflammatory factors mRNA were significantly down-regulated in BPAF+Exo group compared with BPAF group(P<0.05).Conclu-sion:BPAF(≥25 μmol/L)inhibits proliferation of hESCs and promoted apoptosis.hUCMSCs-Exo inhibits BPAF-induced oxidative dam-age and inflammatory factors expressions in hESCs through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the association between abdominal fat-related indicators derived from quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in middle-aged and elderly individuals, as well as the diagnostic value of these indicators.Methods:This cross-sectional study enrolled middle-aged and elderly participants who underwent health check-ups at Kaifeng Central Hospital between January and December 2024. Participants were divided into a CAC group and a non-CAC group based on the presence or absence of CAC. The CAC group was then stratified into mild, moderate, and severe subgroups according to CAC severity. General clinical data were collected for all participants. All subjects underwent one-stop QCT scanning of the chest and abdomen. An automated abdominal fat analysis system was used to identify fat distribution regions. If accurate identification was not possible, a semi-automated segmentation algorithm combined with manual correction was applied instead. Two physicians performed the measurements independently, and inter-observer consistency was assessed. The average values were calculated to obtain visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA). The ratio of visceral fat area to subcutaneous fat area (VFA/SFA) was also computed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with CAC in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of these indicators for CAC. DeLong′s test was used to compare the differences in the area under the curve ( AUC). Results:A total of 252 middle-aged and elderly individuals were included, with a median age of 61 (interquartile rang: 59, 69) years. Of these individuals, 188(74.6%) were males. Among them, 172 were classified into the CAC group and 80 into the non-CAC group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that VFA, VFA/SFA ratio, age, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), and hypertension were independently associated with CAC in middle-aged and elderly individuals (all P<0.05). The mild, moderate, and severe CAC subgroups comprised 78, 51, and 43 participants, respectively. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that VFA and VFA/SFA increased with CAC severity, and there were statistically significant differences between the subgroups (all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUCs of VFA and VFA/SFA for diagnosing CAC were 0.841 and 0.810, respectively, with no significant difference between them ( P>0.05). The optimal cutoff values were 177.45 cm2 for VFA (sensitivity: 83.1%, specificity: 72.5%) and 1.592 for VFA/SFA (sensitivity: 65.7%, specificity: 83.7%). For the diagnosis of moderate-to-severe CAC, the AUCs of VFA and VFA/SFA were 0.765 and 0.761, respectively ( P>0.05 for comparison), with cutoff values of 231.75 cm2 (sensitivity: 61.7%, specificity: 83.3%) and 1.962 (sensitivity: 64.9%, specificity: 80.8%). Conclusion:Abdominal VFA and VFA/SFA derived from QCT are independently associated with the presence of CAC in middle-aged and elderly individuals, demonstrating good diagnostic performance for both overall CAC and moderate-to-severe CAC.

The precision dosing of antimicrobial agents serves as a key strategy to improve effectiveness while minimizing adverse drug effects, thereby enhancing therapeutic outcomes. It also aims to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance and optimize the utilization of healthcare resource. This article reviews the key technical elements of antimicrobial precision dosing, including novel therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) methods, the concepts, modelling and stimulation approaches, and model evaluation of model-informed precision dosing (MIPD), and the implementation of MIPD with clinical decision support system (CDSS). Meanwhile, applications on how artificial intelligence (AI) techniques facilitate MIPD are discussed. We hope that the advances discussed and perspectives presented in this article will provide insights into the precision dosing and individualized therapy of antimicrobials in clinical practice.

Objectives:To investigate the prognostic value of soluble growth stimulation expressed gene 2 protein(sST2)combined with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI). Methods:A total of 206 patients who were diagnosed with STEMI for the first time and underwent emergency PCI from August 2020 to February 2021 in the People's Hospital of Liaoning Province were enrolled.Patients were followed up for 3 years and divided into major adverse cardiac event(MACE,a composite endpoint event including cardiac death,stroke,heart failure,and ischemia-driven revascularization)group and MACE-free group.Multivariate cox analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors for the prognosis of primary PCI in STEMI patients;the predictive value of sST2 and NT-proBNP for the occurrence of MACE in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI was assessed by ROC analysis and the prediction of MACE by each factor by itself and the combined variables was analyzed with the Delong test. Results:There were 62 cases of MACE during the 3-year follow-up.Compared with the MACE-free group,patients in the MACE group had higher levels of sST2 and NT-proBNP,higher proportion of patients with left anterior descending branch lesions,anterior wall myocardial infarction,lower LVEF,and higher proportion of coronary artery slow flow(all P<0.05).Multivariate Cox analysis showed that sST2(HR=1.018,95%CI:1.012-1.024,P<0.001)and NT-proBNP(HR=1.001,95%CI:1.000-1.010,P<0.001)were independent predictors of MACE.According to the statistical analysis of ROC and Delong test,the AUC of combined sST2 and NT-proBNP in predicting MACE was 0.854,the sensitivity was 64.5%,the specificity was 93.1%,and the combined prediction of prognosis was better than that of individual prediction,with statistically significant difference(Z=2.119,P=0.034;Z=2.178,P=0.029). Conclusions:Serum sST2 and NT-proBNP are valuable predictors of MACE after emergency PCI in patients with STEMI,and the predictive efficacy increases with combined assessment of both sST2 and NT-proBNP.

Objective:To investigate the teaching effect of flipped classroom combined with problem-based learning (PBL) in the teaching of the Diagnostic Audiology course.Methods:A total of 72 undergraduate students majoring in audiology and speech rehabilitation in the classes of 2019 and 2020 in Chongqing Medical University were enrolled as subjects, and three chapters of the Diagnostic Audiology course were selected for teaching reform. The 34 students in the class of 2019 were enrolled as control group and received lecture-based learning (LBL), and the 38 students in the class of 2020 were enrolled as experimental group and received flipped classroom combined with PBL. The teaching effect was evaluated by comparing the two groups in terms of classroom test scores, classroom participation scores, degree of satisfaction with teaching effect, and overall satisfaction with teaching. SPSS 23.0 software was used to perform the t-test, the chi-square test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The experimental group had a significantly higher classroom test score than the control group (25.95±1.21 vs. 23.21±1.55, P<0.001). In terms of classroom participation scores, the experimental group had significantly higher scores of participation in class discussion, cooperative and collaborative abilities, and questioning skills than the control group (all P<0.001). In terms of the degree of satisfaction with teaching, compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly higher degrees of satisfaction in the dimensions such as interest in learning, mastery of theoretical knowledge, teamwork and collaboration abilities, self-learning ability, and self-presentation ( P=0.005, 0.009, 0.001, 0.016, and 0.005). In addition, the experimental group had a significantly higher degree of overall satisfaction with teaching than the control group ( P=0.006). Conclusion:Flipped classroom combined with PBL has a good teaching effect in the Diagnostic Audiology course and thus holds promise for further application.

Objective:To assess the susceptibility of gonococcal clinical isolates to gentamicin in Guangxi region, China, and to analyze the correlation between the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentamicin and MICs of 7 other antibiotics.Methods:From December 2020 to December 2021, 584 gonococcal clinical isolates were collected from 37 medical institutions in 14 prefecture-level cities in Guangxi region. The susceptibility of gonococcal clinical isolates to ceftriaxone, cefixime, azithromycin, spectinomycin, penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin was determined by using an agar dilution method. The MIC values of antibiotics were logarithmically transformed with base 2, and Spearman correlation analysis was carried out to evaluate the correlation between the MIC of gentamicin and MICs of the other 7 antibiotics.Results:The MIC of gentamicin ranged from 1 to 16 mg/L, and the MIC50 and MIC90 values were 4 and 8 mg/L, respectively; 361 strains (61.8%) were fully sensitive to gentamicin with the MIC ≤ 4 mg/L, 223 strains (38.2%) moderately sensitive with the MIC ranging from 8 to 16 mg/L, and no gentamicin-resistant strains were found. The number of strains resistant to azithromycin, penicillin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin was 136 (23.3%), 415 (71.1%), 339 (58.0%) and 574 (98.3%) respectively, the number of lowly sensitive strains to ceftriaxone and cefixime was 17 (2.9%) and 6 (1.0%) respectively, and no spectinomycin-resistant strains were found. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the MIC of gentamicin was weakly correlated with the MICs of azithromycin, spectinomycin, penicillin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin (all P < 0.05), but was uncorrelated with the MICs of ceftriaxone and cefixime (both P > 0.05) . Conclusion:All gonococcal clinical isolates tested in this study showed a certain degree of susceptibility to gentamicin, and cross-resistance between gentamicin and other antibiotics was less likely to occur.