Rotor syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder of bilirubin metabolism， and it is difficult to diagnose and differentiate due to its extreme rarity and a lack of specific clinical manifestations. In recent years， the development of genetic testing technology has enabled the early diagnosis of atypical patients. Literature search shows that only 19 cases with detailed clinical and genetic data have been reported. This article reports a case of a pregnant woman with an increase in direct bilirubin during pregnancy who was diagnosed with Rotor syndrome based on a bi-allelic mutation in the SLCO1B1 and SLCO1B3 genes and delivered successfully at last， and a retrospective analysis was performed for related articles， in order to facilitate the early accurate diagnosis of patients with Rotor syndrome and guide medications from the perspective of genetic mechanisms.

Objective:To investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and 24-h urinary calcium excretion (24-h UCaE) and hypercalciuria in Chinese adults.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2022 to March 2023 in nine cities in China and included 1 239 residents. Demographic characteristics were collected through questionnaires and physical examinations, fasting blood samples were assessed for bone metabolism indicators, and 24-h urine samples were used to determine the 24-h UCaE. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between serum 25(OH)D and 24-h UCaE and bone metabolism indexes. The relationship between serum 25(OH)D and hypercalciuria was analyzed using a multiple logistic regression model combined with restricted cubic spline modeling.Results:The mean participant age was (47.9±18.1) years, of which 453 (36.6%) were male. The percentages of vitamin D sufficiency, insufficiency, and deficiency were 7.6% (94/1 239), 29.0% (359/1 239), and 63.4% (786/1 239), respectively. The multiple linear regression model showed that after adjusting for the covariates the 24-h UCaE gradually increased with higher levels of 25(OH)D ( P overall <0.001, P nonlinear <0.001). The logistic regression analysis revealed that compared with the vitamin D deficient group, the OR for the prevalence of hypercalciuria in the vitamin D sufficient and vitamin D insufficient groups were 3.290 (95% CI 1.745 to 6.202) and 3.742 (95% CI 2.458 to 5.697), respectively. The results of the restricted cubic spline modeling showed a positive nonlinear relationship between 25(OH)D and the prevalence of hypercalciuria ( P overall <0.001, P nonlinear <0.001). The prevalence of hypercalciuria increased when 25(OH)D was >17.00 μg/L and peaked at 26.71 μg/L, after which there was a decreasing trend in the prevalence of hypercalciuria with increasing 25(OH)D. Conclusion:Associations between serum 25(OH)D levels and urinary calcium excretion and the prevalence of hypercalciuria were observed in the Chinese adult population.

This study investigated the prevalence and potential mechanisms of gentamicin heterore-sistance in Streptococcus isolates from dairy cows.In this study,A total of 39 Streptococcus isola-ted from raw milk were collected,and the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of gentamicin and other drugs on the isolates was determined by micro broth dilution method,and the K-B paper diffusion method,colony analysis profile(PAP),and resistance stability test were used to investigate the heteroresistance characteristics of Streptococcus,and the mechanism of heteroresis-tance was analyzed based on whole genome sequencing and resequencing.Seven suspected heterore-sistance strains were identified by K-B paper diffusion method,accounting for 17.95％(7/39)of the total number of suspected strains.PAP confirmed that the MIC to MNIC ratio of L147,L108 and L174 was greater than 8,and the frequency of resistant subgroups ranged from 1.38×10-5 to 8.18 × 10-5,which was greater than 1 × 10-7,confirming that they were heteroresistance strains.Resistance stability tests revealed that the resistant subpopulations of all three strains were not stably inherited.Whole-genome sequencing revealed mutations in the ribosomal target genes of aminoglycoside antibiotics,rsmA,rsmB and rsmE,compared with the reference genome,which may lead to heteroresistance to gentamicin in Streptococcus.The occurrence of heteroresistance of Streptococcus to gentamicin is high in dairy sources,so more attention should be paid to the occur-rence of heteroresistance when using gentamicin for clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and 24-h urinary calcium excretion (24-h UCaE) and hypercalciuria in Chinese adults.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2022 to March 2023 in nine cities in China and included 1 239 residents. Demographic characteristics were collected through questionnaires and physical examinations, fasting blood samples were assessed for bone metabolism indicators, and 24-h urine samples were used to determine the 24-h UCaE. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between serum 25(OH)D and 24-h UCaE and bone metabolism indexes. The relationship between serum 25(OH)D and hypercalciuria was analyzed using a multiple logistic regression model combined with restricted cubic spline modeling.Results:The mean participant age was (47.9±18.1) years, of which 453 (36.6%) were male. The percentages of vitamin D sufficiency, insufficiency, and deficiency were 7.6% (94/1 239), 29.0% (359/1 239), and 63.4% (786/1 239), respectively. The multiple linear regression model showed that after adjusting for the covariates the 24-h UCaE gradually increased with higher levels of 25(OH)D ( P overall <0.001, P nonlinear <0.001). The logistic regression analysis revealed that compared with the vitamin D deficient group, the OR for the prevalence of hypercalciuria in the vitamin D sufficient and vitamin D insufficient groups were 3.290 (95% CI 1.745 to 6.202) and 3.742 (95% CI 2.458 to 5.697), respectively. The results of the restricted cubic spline modeling showed a positive nonlinear relationship between 25(OH)D and the prevalence of hypercalciuria ( P overall <0.001, P nonlinear <0.001). The prevalence of hypercalciuria increased when 25(OH)D was >17.00 μg/L and peaked at 26.71 μg/L, after which there was a decreasing trend in the prevalence of hypercalciuria with increasing 25(OH)D. Conclusion:Associations between serum 25(OH)D levels and urinary calcium excretion and the prevalence of hypercalciuria were observed in the Chinese adult population.

Objective:This study aimed to explore the utility of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combined with skin sympathetic response (SSR) in assessing the effectiveness of perigastric autonomic nerve preservation during radical gastrectomy.Methods:A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted involving 221 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy at the Department of Gastric Surgery, Taizhou People's Hospital, affiliated with Nanjing Medical University, between June 2022 and September 2024. The cohort comprised 109 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy without autonomic nerve preservation (total gastrectomy without nerve preservation group). Additionally, 112 patients underwent laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy, including 34 patients who received autonomic nerve preservation (nerve preservation group) and 78 patients who did not (without nerve preservation group). TEAS was administered at the Zusanli and Tianshu acupoints one day before and one day after surgery, during which SSR latency and voltage amplitudes in the upper and lower extremities were recorded and compared across groups. Differences in SSR latency and voltage amplitude between the nerve preservation and non-nerve preservation groups of the distal gastrectomy cohort were also analyzed. Further, TEAS was applied at the same acupoints for 15 minutes on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd postoperative days, and changes in intestinal sounds and intestinal functional recovery time were monitored. Surgical parameters, including operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, and harvested lymph node, were documented. Postoperative inflammatory indicators, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and the incidence of anastomotic leakage, were evaluated. At three months postoperatively, gastroscopy was performed to assess residual gastric food and bile reflux. Additionally, the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was evaluated across all patient groups.Results:Following total gastrectomy, TEAS of Zusanli combined with arms' SSR revealed a latency of (23 59.71±410.55) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.43±1.67) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 596.88±369.01) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.25±0.08) mV. TEAS of Tianshu combined with arms' SSR demonstrated a latency of (2 746.47±224.37) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.31±0.14) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 891.90±193.61) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.19±0.72) mV. Postoperative latency was significantly prolonged, and voltage amplitude was markedly reduced (all P < 0.01). In the distal gastrectomy with nerve preservation group, TEAS of Zusanli combined with arms' SSR showed a latency of (1 668.04±261.91) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.78±0.26) mV; for the legs, latency was (1 568.86±220.09) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.61±0.24) mV. TEAS of Tianshu combined with arms' SSR demonstrated a latency of (1 519.36±206.99) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.66±0.34) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 004.80±508.53) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.55±0.28) mV. In the distal gastrectomy without nerve preservation group, TEAS of Zusanli combined with arms' SSR revealed a latency of (2 385.95±710.27) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.23±0.11) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 506.81±779.37) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.26±1.29) mV. TEAS of Tianshu combined with arms' SSR indicated a latency of (2 697.78±385.55) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.21±0.14) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 949.14±506.61) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.17±0.11) mV. The group without nerve preservation exhibited significantly prolonged latencies and reduced voltage amplitudes (all P<0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in operative time, intraoperative bleeding, the number of dissected lymph nodes, inflammatory indicators (IL-6, CRP, PCT) at 3 days postoperatively, or anastomotic leakage rates (all P>0.05). In the group without nerve preservation, bowel sounds on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3 were (0.36±0.58), (1.04±0.97), and (1.74±1.10) times/min, respectively, with bowel function recovery time of (62.24±9.91) hours. The PNI at 3 months postoperatively was (37.42±3.01). Incidences of food residue in the residual stomach and bile reflux were 21.79% (17/78) and 29.49% (23/78), respectively. In the group with nerve preservation, bowel sounds on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3 were (0.76±0.82), (2.03±1.34), and (3.71±1.27) times/min, respectively, with bowel function recovery time of (44.94±8.05) hours. The PNI at 3 months postoperatively was (41.34±3.40). Incidences of food residue and bile reflux were 5.88% (2/34) and 11.76% (4/34), respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:TEAS of Zusanli and Tianshu combined with SSR provides an objective measure for assessing the preservation of perigastric autonomic nerves during radical gastrectomy.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the pharmacological effects of verbenalin on both in vitro and in vivo infection models of human coronavirus 229E （HCoV-229E） and to preliminarily explore the antiviral mechanism of verbenalin through proteomic analysis. MethodsIn vitro， the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） for cell proliferation and viability assessment was used to establish a model of HCoV-229E-induced injury in human lung adenocarcinoma cells（A549）. A549 cells were divided into five groups： normal group， model group， and three verbenalin treatment groups （125， 62.5， and 31.25 μmol·L^-1）. The cell protective activity of verbenalin was evaluated through cell viability assay and immunofluorescence staining. In vivo， 30 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， chloroquine group， and high-dose， low-dose verbenalin groups （40 and 20 mg·kg^-1）， with six mice per group. An HCoV-229E-induced mouse lung injury model was established to evaluate the therapeutic effects of verbenalin. Lung injury was assessed by detecting the lung index and lung inhibition rate. The severity of pulmonary inflammation cytokines was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， while the lung morphology and structure were analyzed by micro-computed tomography （Micro-CT）. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was used to assess histopathological changes in lung tissue. Additionally， four-dimensional data-independent acquisition （4D-DIA） proteomics was employed to preliminarily explore the potential mechanisms of verbenalin in treating HCoV-229E-induced lung injury in mice， through differential protein expression screening， functional annotation， enrichment analysis， and protein-protein interaction network analysis. ResultsThe A549 cells were infected with HCoV-229E at the original viral titer for 36 hours to establish an in vitro infection model. The maximum non-toxic concentration of verbenalin was 125 μmol·L^-1， and the half-maximal cytotoxic concentration （CC₅₀） was 288.8 μmol·L^-1. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant decrease in cell viability （P<0.01）， a significant increase in the proportion of dead cells （P<0.01）， mitochondrial damage， and a significant reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.01）. After treatment with different concentrations of verbenalin （125， 62.5， and 31.25 μmol·L^-1）， cell viability was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the proportion of dead cells was reduced （P<0.01）， with mitochondrial membrane potential restored （P<0.01）. In vivo experiments further confirmed the therapeutic effect of verbenalin on HCoV-229E-infected mice. Compared to the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in the lung index （P<0.01）， severe lung tissue injury， lung volume enlargement， and a significant increase in the expression of inflammatory cytokines， including interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） （P<0.01）. In contrast， in the verbenalin treatment groups， these pathological changes were significantly improved， with a reduction in the lung index （P<0.01）， alleviation of lung tissue injury， reduced lung volume enlargement， and a significant decrease in inflammatory cytokine expression （P<0.01）. Proteomics analysis revealed that， compared to the normal group， the model group showed enrichment in several antiviral immune-related signaling pathways， including the nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway （P<0.05）. Compared to the model group， the verbenalin treatment group showed enrichment in several signaling pathways related to inflammatory response and autophagy （P<0.05）， suggesting that verbenalin may exert its antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects by regulating these pathways. ConclusionVerbenalin demonstrates significant therapeutic effects in both in vitro and in vivo HCoV-229E infection models， with its mechanism likely related to the NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome pathway and mitochondrial autophagy.

This study investigated the prevalence and potential mechanisms of gentamicin heterore-sistance in Streptococcus isolates from dairy cows.In this study,A total of 39 Streptococcus isola-ted from raw milk were collected,and the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of gentamicin and other drugs on the isolates was determined by micro broth dilution method,and the K-B paper diffusion method,colony analysis profile(PAP),and resistance stability test were used to investigate the heteroresistance characteristics of Streptococcus,and the mechanism of heteroresis-tance was analyzed based on whole genome sequencing and resequencing.Seven suspected heterore-sistance strains were identified by K-B paper diffusion method,accounting for 17.95％(7/39)of the total number of suspected strains.PAP confirmed that the MIC to MNIC ratio of L147,L108 and L174 was greater than 8,and the frequency of resistant subgroups ranged from 1.38×10-5 to 8.18 × 10-5,which was greater than 1 × 10-7,confirming that they were heteroresistance strains.Resistance stability tests revealed that the resistant subpopulations of all three strains were not stably inherited.Whole-genome sequencing revealed mutations in the ribosomal target genes of aminoglycoside antibiotics,rsmA,rsmB and rsmE,compared with the reference genome,which may lead to heteroresistance to gentamicin in Streptococcus.The occurrence of heteroresistance of Streptococcus to gentamicin is high in dairy sources,so more attention should be paid to the occur-rence of heteroresistance when using gentamicin for clinical treatment.

Objective:This study aimed to explore the utility of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combined with skin sympathetic response (SSR) in assessing the effectiveness of perigastric autonomic nerve preservation during radical gastrectomy.Methods:A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted involving 221 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy at the Department of Gastric Surgery, Taizhou People's Hospital, affiliated with Nanjing Medical University, between June 2022 and September 2024. The cohort comprised 109 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy without autonomic nerve preservation (total gastrectomy without nerve preservation group). Additionally, 112 patients underwent laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy, including 34 patients who received autonomic nerve preservation (nerve preservation group) and 78 patients who did not (without nerve preservation group). TEAS was administered at the Zusanli and Tianshu acupoints one day before and one day after surgery, during which SSR latency and voltage amplitudes in the upper and lower extremities were recorded and compared across groups. Differences in SSR latency and voltage amplitude between the nerve preservation and non-nerve preservation groups of the distal gastrectomy cohort were also analyzed. Further, TEAS was applied at the same acupoints for 15 minutes on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd postoperative days, and changes in intestinal sounds and intestinal functional recovery time were monitored. Surgical parameters, including operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, and harvested lymph node, were documented. Postoperative inflammatory indicators, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and the incidence of anastomotic leakage, were evaluated. At three months postoperatively, gastroscopy was performed to assess residual gastric food and bile reflux. Additionally, the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was evaluated across all patient groups.Results:Following total gastrectomy, TEAS of Zusanli combined with arms' SSR revealed a latency of (23 59.71±410.55) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.43±1.67) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 596.88±369.01) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.25±0.08) mV. TEAS of Tianshu combined with arms' SSR demonstrated a latency of (2 746.47±224.37) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.31±0.14) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 891.90±193.61) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.19±0.72) mV. Postoperative latency was significantly prolonged, and voltage amplitude was markedly reduced (all P < 0.01). In the distal gastrectomy with nerve preservation group, TEAS of Zusanli combined with arms' SSR showed a latency of (1 668.04±261.91) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.78±0.26) mV; for the legs, latency was (1 568.86±220.09) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.61±0.24) mV. TEAS of Tianshu combined with arms' SSR demonstrated a latency of (1 519.36±206.99) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.66±0.34) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 004.80±508.53) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.55±0.28) mV. In the distal gastrectomy without nerve preservation group, TEAS of Zusanli combined with arms' SSR revealed a latency of (2 385.95±710.27) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.23±0.11) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 506.81±779.37) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.26±1.29) mV. TEAS of Tianshu combined with arms' SSR indicated a latency of (2 697.78±385.55) ms and a voltage amplitude of (0.21±0.14) mV; for the legs, latency was (2 949.14±506.61) ms and voltage amplitude was (0.17±0.11) mV. The group without nerve preservation exhibited significantly prolonged latencies and reduced voltage amplitudes (all P<0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in operative time, intraoperative bleeding, the number of dissected lymph nodes, inflammatory indicators (IL-6, CRP, PCT) at 3 days postoperatively, or anastomotic leakage rates (all P>0.05). In the group without nerve preservation, bowel sounds on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3 were (0.36±0.58), (1.04±0.97), and (1.74±1.10) times/min, respectively, with bowel function recovery time of (62.24±9.91) hours. The PNI at 3 months postoperatively was (37.42±3.01). Incidences of food residue in the residual stomach and bile reflux were 21.79% (17/78) and 29.49% (23/78), respectively. In the group with nerve preservation, bowel sounds on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3 were (0.76±0.82), (2.03±1.34), and (3.71±1.27) times/min, respectively, with bowel function recovery time of (44.94±8.05) hours. The PNI at 3 months postoperatively was (41.34±3.40). Incidences of food residue and bile reflux were 5.88% (2/34) and 11.76% (4/34), respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:TEAS of Zusanli and Tianshu combined with SSR provides an objective measure for assessing the preservation of perigastric autonomic nerves during radical gastrectomy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the pharmacological action and mechanism of Shuangshenling granules in treating chronic renal failure in rats，providing laboratory data to support clinical application of Shuangshenling granules. MethodSD rats （150-180 g），half males and half females in number，were used，with ten rats designated as the normal group，ten as the sham operation group，and the remaining rats undergoing chronic renal failure modeling induced by 5/6 nephrectomy. Two weeks after operation，serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） levels were measured via orbital blood sampling to select successful model rats. Based on SCr values，the rats were evenly divided into the model group，Shenshuaining positive group （0.84 g·kg^-1·d^-1），and high，medium，and low dose groups of Shuangshenling granules （4.8，2.4，1.2 g·kg^-1·d^-1），with ten animals in each group. Each treatment group received drugs at 10 mL·kg^-1 via intragastric administration once daily for six weeks. At 2，4，6 weeks after administration，SCr，BUN，24-hour urine volume，total urinary protein （UTP），urinary creatinine （UCr），creatinine clearance rate （CCr），serum albumin （SAlb），and total serum protein （STP） were measured. Following the experiment，kidney tissues were dissected for pathological examination. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins，including PTEN-induced kinase 1 （PINK1），E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase parkin （Parkin），and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B （LC3B），were detected by immunofluorescence. ResultCompared with the normal group，the model group exhibited significantly increased levels of SCr，BUN，24-hour urine volume，UTP，and UCr （P<0.01），and decreased levels of SAlb and STP （P<0.01）. CCr showed an initial increase followed by a decrease. Histopathological results revealed glomerular hyperplasia and atrophy，with varying degrees of mesangial cell reduction，blood stasis in the glomeruli，and significant widening of Bowman's capsule. Visceral parietal layer cells were displaced or absent，leading to incomplete and damaged glomeruli. A large number of protein casts were present in the proximal and distal convoluted tubules，with reduced and displaced cells，swelling in some tubules，and interstitial inflammatory exudation predominantly comprising lymphocytes and a small number of neutrophils. Compared with the model group，all dose groups of Shuangshenling granules significantly reduced levels of SCr，BUN，24-hour urine volume，UTP，and UCr （P<0.05，P<0.01） and increased SAlb and STP levels （P<0.01） at 2，4，and 6 weeks after administration. The three dose groups also improved CCr and alleviated renal pathological injury in varying degrees at 2-6 weeks after administration. Immunofluorescence results showed that the expression levels of PINK1，Parkin，and LC3B were significantly reduced in the model group compared with the normal group，whereas all dose groups of Shuangshenling granules significantly upregulated the expression levels of PINK1，Parkin，and LC3B compared with the model group. ConclusionShuangshenling granules significantly improved renal function and pathological injury in rats with chronic renal failure，likely through the upregulation of PINK1-mediated autophagy.

Objective:To compare the results of invasive prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:Clinical data of pregnant women undergoing PGT and invasive prenatal diagnosis at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2019 to December 2022 were collected. The results of PGT and invasive prenatal diagnosis were compared, and the outcomes of pregnancies were followed up. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (No. 2022SLYEC-491).Results:A total of 172 couples were included in this study, and 26 non-targeted variants were discovered upon prenatal diagnosis, including 10 cases (38.5%) by chromosomal karyotyping, 15 (57.7%) by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), and 1 (3.8%) by whole exome sequencing. The 10 karyotypic anomalies had included 6 chromosomal polymorphisms, 2 chromosomal mosaicisms, 1 paternally derived translocation, and 1 missed maternal chromosomal inversion. CMA has identified 15 copy number variations (CNVs), which included 11 microdeletions and microduplications, 3 loss of heterozygosity, and 1 low-level mosaicism of paternal uniparental disomy. One CNV was classified as pathogenic, and another one was likely pathogenic, whilst the remaining 13 were classified as variants of uncertain significance. Therefore, 8.7% of CNVs was detected by invasive prenatal diagnosis after PGT. 92.3% (24/26) of the non-targeted variants have been due to technological limitations of next-generation sequencing (NGS).Conclusion:Invasive prenatal diagnosis after PGT can detect non-targeted variants, which may further reduce the incidence of birth defects.