ObjectiveTobacco-related diseases remain one of the leading preventable public health challenges worldwide and are among the primary causes of premature death. In recent years, accumulating evidence has supported the classification of nicotine addiction as a chronic brain disease, profoundly affecting both brain structure and function. Despite the urgency, effective diagnostic methods for smoking addiction remain lacking, posing significant challenges for early intervention and treatment. To address this issue and gain deeper insights into the neural mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence, this study proposes a novel graph neural network framework, termed TI-GNN. This model leverages functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify complex and subtle abnormalities in brain connectivity patterns associated with smoking addiction. MethodsThe study utilizes fMRI data to construct functional connectivity matrices that represent interaction patterns among brain regions. These matrices are interpreted as graphs, where brain regions are nodes and the strength of functional connectivity between them serves as edges. The proposed TI-GNN model integrates a Transformer module to effectively capture global interactions across the entire brain network, enabling a comprehensive understanding of high-level connectivity patterns. Additionally, a spatial attention mechanism is employed to selectively focus on informative inter-regional connections while filtering out irrelevant or noisy features. This design enhances the model’s ability to learn meaningful neural representations crucial for classification tasks. A key innovation of TI-GNN lies in its built-in causal interpretation module, which aims to infer directional and potentially causal relationships among brain regions. This not only improves predictive performance but also enhances model interpretability—an essential attribute for clinical applications. The identification of causal links provides valuable insights into the neuropathological basis of addiction and contributes to the development of biologically plausible and trustworthy diagnostic tools. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that the TI-GNN model achieves superior classification performance on the smoking addiction dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art baseline models. Specifically, TI-GNN attains an accuracy of 0.91, an F1-score of 0.91, and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.83, indicating strong robustness and reliability. Beyond performance metrics, TI-GNN identifies critical abnormal connectivity patterns in several brain regions implicated in addiction. Notably, it highlights dysregulations in the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, consistent with prior clinical and neuroimaging findings. These regions are well known for their roles in emotional regulation, reward processing, and impulse control—functions that are frequently disrupted in nicotine dependence. ConclusionThe TI-GNN framework offers a powerful and interpretable tool for the objective diagnosis of smoking addiction. By integrating advanced graph learning techniques with causal inference capabilities, the model not only achieves high diagnostic accuracy but also elucidates the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction. The identification of specific abnormal brain networks and their causal interactions deepens our understanding of addiction pathophysiology and lays the groundwork for developing targeted intervention strategies and personalized treatment approaches in the future.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the application of the colloidal gold method and chemiluminescence method in detecting gonadotropin (Gn) in morning urine for assessing pubertal development status in children. METHODS: A total of 132 children diagnosed with central precocious puberty (CPP), early and fast puberty (EFP), and premature thelarche (PT) at Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from November 2021 to December 2022 were included, along with 685 healthy children who underwent routine health examinations at the hospital's pediatric health care department during the same period. All 132 patients underwent a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test. Both patients and healthy children had their urinary Gn levels measured using the colloidal gold method and chemiluminescence method, including levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The correlation between serum Gn and urinary Gn detected by the two methods, as well as the correlation between Tanner stages of healthy children and urinary Gn, was analyzed. RESULTS: Urine Gn levels detected by both the colloidal gold method and chemiluminescence method showed a positive correlation with serum LH baseline values, LH peak values, baseline LH/FSH ratios, and peak LH/FSH ratios (P<0.05). In healthy children, urinary LH levels detected by the chemiluminescence method gradually increased from Tanner stage Ⅰ to Ⅳ (P<0.05), while urinary FSH levels were lower in Tanner stage I than in stages Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and IV (P<0.05). Urinary LH levels detected by the colloidal gold method were lower in Tanner stage I compared to stages Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and IV, with the highest levels observed in Tanner stage Ⅳ (P<0.05). Additionally, urinary FSH levels in Tanner stage Ⅲ were higher than in stages Ⅰ and Ⅱ (P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for evaluating Tanner stages I and II in healthy children using urinary LH and FSH levels by the chemiluminescence method and urinary LH levels by the colloidal gold method were 0.730, 0.699, and 0.783, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The colloidal gold method and chemiluminescence method for detecting Gn in morning urine show good correlation with serum Gn levels. As a non-invasive and convenient detection method, the colloidal gold method can serve as a useful tool for screening the onset of pubertal development in children.
Humans ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Gold Colloid ; Luminescent Measurements/methods* ; Gonadotropins/urine* ; Puberty ; Luteinizing Hormone/urine* ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/urine*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the whole-genome differential methylation profile of patients with high-altitude polycythemia (HAPC). METHODS: In this study, a total of 20 adult male patients with HAPC were included, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. The control group consisted of 20 healthy adult males, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. Peripheral blood was collected from each group for DNA extraction and quality inspection, and DNA libraries were constructed. The differential methylation regions (DMRs) between groups were detected using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, with enriched regions compared to those of the control group. The differential enrichment regions were selected, and the intersection of the enriched regions was associated with genes. The methylation enrichment regions that differed significantly between groups were filtered based on the number of enriched samples in the enriched regions between the groups. GO, KEGG functional, and pathway analysis were performed on the differentially associated gene sets to reveal significant differences between the patients and control groups at the functional and pathway levels. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, 17 152 sites with more than 25% difference and 15 558 sites with less than -25% difference were identified in Tibetan patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, RP3-399L15.3, ZNF621, RP11-394A14.2 and SLC39A10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was serotonergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 2 687 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 2 602 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in Han patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were NAA25, CORO2B, PDC, ZNF853, and MLLT10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway were glutamatergic synapse, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, Rap1 signaling pathway and cholinergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 3 895 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 3 969 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in HAPC patients. The maximum methylation difference between the two groups could reach 78.1%, while the minimum was -42.6%. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, ARSJ, CTNNA3, SLC39A10, and SWAP70. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells. CONCLUSION The occurrence of HAPC may be related to abnormal changes in DNA methylation, and methylation sites may be helpful for the early diagnosis of HAPC.
Humans ; DNA Methylation ; Altitude ; Polycythemia/genetics* ; Male ; Adult ; CpG Islands

OBJECTIVE: Baicalein has been reported to have wide therapeutic effects that act through its anti-inflammatory activity. This study examines the effect and mechanism of baicalein on sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC). METHODS: A thorough screening of a small library of natural products, comprising 100 diverse compounds, was conducted to identify the most effective drug against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated H9C2 cardiomyocytes. The core target proteins and their associated signaling pathways involved in baicalein's efficacy against LPS-induced myocardial injury were predicted by network pharmacology. RESULTS: Baicalein was identified as the most potent protective agent in LPS-exposed H9C2 cardiomyocytes. It exhibited a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on cell injury and inflammation. In the LPS-induced septic mouse model, baicalein demonstrated a significant capacity to mitigate LPS-triggered myocardial deficits, inflammatory responses, and ferroptosis. Network pharmacological analysis and experimental confirmation suggested that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit α (HIF1-α) is likely to be the crucial factor in mediating the impact of baicalein against LPS-induced myocardial ferroptosis and injury. By combining microRNA (miRNA) screening in LPS-treated myocardium with miRNA prediction targeting HIF1-α, we found that miR-299b-5p may serve as a regulator of HIF1-α. The reduction in miR-299b-5p levels in LPS-treated myocardium, compared to the control group, was reversed by baicalein treatment. The reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and dual-luciferase reporter gene analyses together identified HIF1-α as the target of miR-299b-5p in cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION Baicalein mitigates SIC at the miRNA level, suggesting the therapeutic potential of it in treating SIC through the regulation of miR-299b-5p/HIF1-α/ferroptosis pathway. Please cite this article as: Zhou WY, Du JK, Liu HH, Deng L, Ma K, Xiao J, Zhang S, Wang CN. Baicalein attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced myocardial injury by inhibiting ferroptosis via miR-299b-5p/HIF1-α pathway. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):560-575.
Flavanones/pharmacology* ; Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/genetics* ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Mice ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cardiomyopathies/etiology* ; Cell Line ; Sepsis/complications*

Improving the reproducibility of biomedical research results is a major challenge. Transparent and accurate reporting of the research process enables readers to evaluate the reliability of the research results and further explore the experiment by repeating it or building upon its findings. The ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines, released in 2019 by the UK National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), provide a checklist that is applicable to any in vivo animal research report. These guidelines aim to improve the standardization of experimental design, implementation, and reporting, as well as enhance the reliability, repeatability, and clinical translation of animal experimental results. The use of the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines not only enriches the details of animal experimental research reports, ensuring that information on animal experimental results is fully evaluated and utilized, but also enables readers to understand the content expressed by the author accurately and clearly, promoting the transparency and completeness of the fundamental research review process. At present, the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines have been widely adopted by international biomedical journals. This article is based on the best practices following the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines in international journals, and it interprets, explains, and elaborates in Chinese the fifth part of the comprehensive version of the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines published in PLoS Biology in 2020 (the original text can be found at https://arriveguidelines.org). This section includes the items 6-11 of Recommended 11 section, covering "Animal Care and Monitoring", "Interpretation/Scientific Implications", "Generalisability/Translation", "Protocol Registration", "Data Access" and "Declaration of Interests". Its aim is to promote a comprehensive understanding and use of the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines among domestic researchers, to enhance the standardization of experimental animal research and reporting, and to promote high-quality development of experimental animal sciences and comparative medicine research in China.

Background The serious air pollution of highway toll booths poses a high occupational exposure risk to toll collectors. It is urgent to develop purification methods suitable for airborne particles and microbial pathogens in highway toll booths. Objective To verify the purification effect of low temperature plasma air purifiers on airborne particles and microbes in highway toll booths. Methods Based on controlled-intervention design, we selected three toll booths in an expressway toll station as on-site experimental locations for 6 d (no-intervention period: the low-temperature plasma purifier was turned off in the first three days; intervention period: the purifier was turned on from 9:00 to 17:00 in the following three days). The indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations were continuously monitored during the study. At 9:00, 12:00, and 17:00 of every day during the experiment, indoor and outdoor air samples were collected to analyze the concentration of airborne culturable colonies with a plankton sampler. Airborne particle samples were collected in the outermost exit continuously from 9:00 to 17:00 every day during the experiment using a medium flow particulate sampler, and the species and relative abundance of fungi and bacteria contained in the samples were analyzed by gene sequencing. Independent-sample t test was used to compare the concentration of indoor PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and culturable colonies between the intervention period and the non-intervention period. α diversity analysis, β diversity analysis, and t test were used to compare the diversity and relative abundance of specific species of bacteria and fungi, as well as typical pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the samples between the non-intervention period and the intervention period to reflect the purification effect of low temperature plasma air purifier on airborne PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and microorganisms. Results During the intervention period, the mean indoor concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and culturable colonies were lower than those of the no-intervention period (P<0.01 or P<0.001). The ratios of indoor to outdoor concentration (I/O) of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ during the intervention period were significantly lower than those of the no-intervention period (P<0.001), except the I/O of culturable colonies. Compared with the average concentration at 9:00, the average cleaning rates at 12:00 and 17:00 for PM_2.5 were 49.0% and 46.1%, for PM₁₀ were 49.7% and 45.4%, for airborne culturable colonies were 50.8% and 49.9%, respectively. The β diversity analysis showed that there were significant differences in composition at the level of species of bacteria, and at the levels of genus and species of fungi between the intervention and the no-intervention periods. The relative abundances of 10 species of bacteria such as Lactobacillus and 7 species of fungi such as Torula in the intervention period were significantly lower than those in the non-intervention period, but the relative abundances of fungi such as unclassified_f_cladosporiaceae, trichomerium, and cercospora were higher (P<0.05). For typical pathogenic bacteria, the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 during the intervention period were 73.5% and 86.9% lower than those in the no-intervention period, and the relative abundance of Talaromyces was 53.5% lower (P<0.05). Conclusion Low temperature plasma air purifier has a good purification effect on indoor PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and culturable colonies in highway toll booths, and likely a limited effect on some fungi.

Objective:To explore the standardized performance of a FISH probe before clinical detection.Methods:The probe sensitivity and specificity of ETV6/RUNX1 were analyzed via interphase and metaphase FISH in 20 discarded healthy bone marrow samples. The threshold system of the probe was established using an inverse beta distribution, and an interpretation standard was established. Finally, a parallel-controlled polymerase chain reaction detection study was conducted on 286 bone marrow samples from patients at our hospital. The clinical sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic coincidence rate of ETV6/RUNX1 FISH detection were analyzed, and the diagnostic consistency of the two methods was analyzed by the kappa test.Results:The probe sensitivity and specificity of the ETV6/RUNX1 probe were 98.47% and 100%, respectively. When 50, 100, and 200 cells were counted, the typical positive signal pattern cutoffs were 5.81%, 2.95%, and 1.49%, respectively, and the atypical positive signal pattern cutoffs were 13.98%, 9.75%, and 6.26%, respectively. The clinical sensitivity of FISH was 96.1%, clinical specificity was 99.6%, diagnostic coincidence rate was 99.00%, diagnostic consistency test kappa value was 0.964, and P value was <0.001.Conclusion:For FISH probes without a national medical device registration certificate, standardized performance verification and methodology performance verification can be performed using laboratory developed test verification standards to ensure a reliable and accurate reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the roles of miR-155 and miR-23b in the differential diagnosis of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis(IGM)and breast cancer(BC).Methods A total of 32 patients with IGM(the ICM group)and 40 patients with BC(the BC group)admitted to our hospital from October 2018 to November 2021 were selected.All patients were confirmed by biopsy.In addition,33 healthy women were included as the control group.The clinical data of patients were compared.The expression levels of serum miRNAs were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The diagnostic value of serum miR-155 and miR-23b for IGM and BC was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The Pearson correlation coefficient method was used to evaluate the correlation.Results There were statistically significant differences in the levels of CRP,WBC,Hb,Hct,CA19-9,CA15-3 and CA125 among the three groups(P<0.05).The expression levels of serum miR-155,miR-16-5p,miR-21-5p,miR-210-3p,miR-222-3p and miR-29c-3p in the IGM group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.001),and the expression level of serum miR-23b was lower than that in the control group(P<0.001).The expression levels of the above miRNAs of serum in the BC group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.001).The expression level of serum miR-155 in the BC group was lower than that in the IGM group(P<0.001),and the expression level of serum miR-23b was higher than that in the IGM group(P<0.001).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for the differential diagnosis of IGM and BC by serum miR-155 and miR-23b levels were 0.722(95%CI:0.601 to 0.843)and 0.765(95%CI:0.657 to 0.874),respectively,with sensitivity of 81.00%and 77.50%,and specificity of 65.00%and 59.40%,respectively.The AUC of combined differential diagnosis was 0.869(95%CI:0.786 to 0.951),and the sensitivity and specificity were 84.10%and 92.50%,respectively.Serum miR-155 was positively correlated with WBC and CRP levels in the IGM group(P<0.05),while serum miR-23b was negatively correlated with WBC and CRP levels(P<0.05).Conclusion Serum miR-155 and miR-23b are helpful in distinguishing IGM from BC,and can be used as targets for early differential diagnosis of IGM and BC.

Background::Gastric cancer (GC), a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide; consequently, identifying novel therapeutic targets is crucial for its corresponding treatment. NUF2, a component of the NDC80 kinetochore complex, promotes cancer progression in multiple malignancies. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the potential of NUF2 as a therapeutic target to inhibit GC progression. Methods::Clinical samples were obtained from patients who underwent radical resection of GC at Lanzhou University Second Hospital from 2016 to 2021. Cell count assays, colony formation assays, and cell-derived xenotransplantation (CDX) models were used to determine the effects of NUF2 on GC progression. Flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of NUF2 or quercetin on cell cycle progression and apoptosis. A live-cell time-lapse imaging assay was performed to determine the effect of NUF2 on the regulation of mitotic progression. Transcriptomics was used to investigate the NUF2-associated molecular mechanisms. Virtual docking and microscale thermophoresis were used to identify NUF2 inhibitors. Finally, CDX, organoid, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were used to examine the efficacy of the NUF2 inhibitor in GC. Results::NUF2 expression was significantly increased in GC and was negatively correlated with prognosis. The deletion of NUF2 suppressed GC progression both in vivo and in vitro. NUF2 significantly regulated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, promoted G2/M phase transition, and inhibited apoptosis in GC cells. Additionally, quercetin was identified as a selective NUF2 inhibitor with low toxicity that significantly suppressed tumor growth in GC cells, organoids, CDX, and PDX models. Conclusions::Collectively, NUF2-mediated G2/M phase transition and apoptosis inhibition promoted GC progression; additionally, NUF2 inhibitors exhibited potent anti-GC activity. This study provides a new strategy for targeting NUF2 to suppress GC progression in clinical settings.

Objective:To investigate the protective effects of a sunscreen lotion containing Calendula extracts on children′s skin against sun exposure, as well as to evaluate its safety and tolerability when applied to children.Methods:A single-center, randomized, split-body/face study was conducted on 200 healthy children aged 3 - < 18 years, who were enrolled from Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from July to August 2022. The participants were randomly and equally divided into Group A (the left side of the body/face topically treated with the test sunscreen, and the right side with the control sunscreen) and Group B (the right side of the body/face topically treated with the test sunscreen, and the left side with the control sunscreen) at a ratio of 1∶1. After applying the sunscreen, they were engaged in outdoor activities under sunlight. Skin tests were conducted on the temporal area, the extensor aspect of the upper arm and forearm before and after sun exposure. The test product was a mild sunscreen lotion containing Calendula extracts with the sun protection factor (SPF) being 50+ and the long-wave ultraviolet protection factor (PA) being +++, and the control product was a baby sunscreen containing licorice extracts (SPF35, PA++). Bilateral differential scales were used to assess clinical symptoms after sun exposure, erythema values to clinically evaluate erythema after sun exposure, and the multifunctional skin testing platform MPA10 to measure melanin and erythema values, stratum corneum hydration, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) at the tested sites. Related adverse events were observed and recorded during the study. The paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for the comparison of quantitative data, and chi-square test (Fisher′s exact test) for the comparison of count data. Results:Totally, 198 children completed the study and visits, including 100 males (50.5%) and 98 females (49.5%), aged from 3 to 17 years (8.11 ± 0.23 years), and there were 99 cases each in the Group A and Group B. The numbers of participants with more obvious sunburn symptoms after sun exposure in the 3 tested areas were all higher on the control side than on the test side (the temporal area: 11 cases vs. 4 cases; the extensor aspect of the upper arm: 16 cases vs. 2 cases; the extensor aspect of the forearm: 33 cases vs. 3 cases), with significant differences between the bilateral sides (all P<0.001). No significant differences were observed in the erythema values between the test side and control side in the 3 tested areas (all P > 0.05). In the extensor aspect of the upper arm and forearm, the difference in the melanin value before and after sun exposure was significantly smaller on the test side (3.57 ± 2.41, 1.74 ± 1.68, respectively) than on the control side (9.50 ± 2.21, 8.13 ± 1.87, respectively, both P < 0.001) ; in the temporal region and the extensor aspect of the upper arm and forearm, the difference in the stratum corneum hydration level before and after sun exposure was significantly greater on the test side (7.72[-2.19, 19.44], 9.56 ± 1.37, 9.05 ± 1.37, respectively) than on the control side (-3.25[-13.54, 9.94], 3.63 ± 1.32, 3.73 ± 1.31, respectively, all P < 0.001) in the temporal region and the extensor aspect of the upper arm and forearm. However, there were no significant differences in the changes in the erythema or TEWL values before and after sun exposure between the test side and control side in either of the 3 tested areas (all P > 0.05). During this study, 1 case (0.51%) experienced transient urticaria on the control side, and no serious adverse events occurred. Conclusion:The mild sunscreen lotion containing Calendula extracts demonstrated superior efficacy to the control product in improving skin symptoms after sun exposure such as hyperpigmentation among healthy children aged 3 - < 18 years, with good tolerability and a relatively low incidence of adverse reactions.