Objective To investigate the causal relationship between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer by using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for metabolic syndrome and breast cancer were acquired from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit GWAS database and the GWAS Catalog, with populations encompassing the United States and East Asia. A bidirectional causal design was employed: a forward analysis with metabolic syndrome as the exposure and breast cancer as the outcome, followed by a reverse analysis wherein their roles were interchanged. The inverse-variance weighting (IVW) method was primarily used for effect estimation, supplemented by MR-Egger regression, the weighted median method, the simple mode method, and the weighted mode method. Instrument variable strength was screened using the F-statistic (F>10). Robustness of the results was assessed through heterogeneity tests, horizontal pleiotropy tests, forest plots, and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses. Results The IVW analysis indicated no significant causal relationship between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer (OR=1.00, 95%CI: 0.97-1.03), P>0.05). Sensitivity analyses yielded consistent results, suggesting the good robustness of the study findings. Conclusion This study found no evidence to support a causal relationship, either positive or negative, between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer.

An integrated extraction-purification process was established in this work for efficient phycocyanin production from dried Spirulina platensispowder.Initially,phycocyanin was extracted from algal biomass using a combined swelling-enzymatic lysis strategy.Single-factor experiments were carried out to systematically evaluate the effects of critical parameters,including system pH,enzymatic hydrolysis duration,and temperature,on phycocyanin extraction yield.Subsequently,a three-factor,three-level Box-Behnken response surface methodology design was employed to optimize the extraction process,with phycocyanin concentration and purity in the extract serving as response variables.A predictive regression model identified optimal conditions as follows:pH 6.4,hydrolysis time 3.2 h,and temperature 35.4℃.Experimental validation under these conditions yielded a phycocyanin recovery of 26.6%.Following extraction,purification was achieved via a polyethylene glycol-phosphate aqueous two-phase extraction system,which elevated the final purity to 4.21.Results demonstrated that the swelling-enzymatic lysis approach effectively disrupted algal cellular structures,significantly enhancing phycocyanin release efficiency.Concurrently,the aqueous two-phase system enabled selective partitioning and enrichment of the target protein under mild conditions.The integrated process exhibited high extraction efficiency,gentle purification,and robust operability,rendering it suitable for the scalable production of natural phycocyanin.This work provided both methodological foundations and technical support for advancing phycocyanin applications in natural pigments,biomedicine,and analytical detection.

Objective To investigate the genetic differences among different populations based on 13 autosomal STR loci in CODIS core.Methods Data of 13 autosomal STR loci(CSF1PO,FGA,THO1,TPOX,vWA,D3S1358,D5S818,D7S820,D8S1179,D13S317,D16S539,D18S51,D21S11)were collected from 95 populations in scientific journals between 1999 and 2021,soursed from the PubMed database,which had been published.Allele frequencies of loci were sorted out and forensic genetic parameters including gene differentiation coefficient(Gst),total heterozygosity(Ht),subpopula-tion heterozygosity(Hs)values,and Nei's DA genetic distance were calculated.Principal component analysis,phylogenetic tree,and multidimensional scale analysis were conducted to assess population ge-netic structure.Results A total of 265 alleles were detected at the 13 STR loci in these 95 popula-tions.The mean values of Gst,Ht,and Hs were 0.023 247,0.797 915 and 0.779 365.Population genetic analyses reflected significant differences among populations from Asia,Africa and Europe.In Asian populations,there was a certain degree of distinction between mainland and island populations;the Han population showed a certain degree of distinction with surrounding populations in mainland;while within the Han population,there were two distinct clusters formed by the northern Han and the south-ern Han.Conclusion The 13 autosomal STR loci in CODIS core demonstrate potential value for popu-lation identification across different groups,and may be used for the differentiation of ethnic groups,among different continental populations.

Objective:To evaluate the levels and source of cadmium exposure by dietary pathway among middle-aged and elderly people ≥40 in cadmium-contaminated areas of China.Methods:A total of 7 193 people aged 40-89 years from four typical cadmium-contaminated areas in China were selected as the study subjects. Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), Total Diet Study (TDS) and a 3-day-24-hour dietary recall survey were conducted. Dietary cadmium intake and food sources through dietary pathways were assessed based on cadmium content in foods, consumption amounts and intake frequencies.Results:The mean age of the participants was 63.39±12.21 years, with 50.05% being males. The average monthly dietary cadmium intake was 7.39 μg/(kg·BW). Staple foods and vegetables were the primary sources of dietary cadmium intake, accounting for 57.51% and 32.48%, respectively. The monthly dietary cadmium intake in all surveyed regions did not exceed the Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).Conclusion:The monthly dietary cadmium intake among middle-aged and elderly people in cadmium-contaminated areas of China is relatively low, with the risk remaining at an acceptable level. Staple foods and vegetables are the most significant contributors to dietary cadmium intake.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and cytokines expression characteristics in infants with mild and severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.Methods:From May 2023 to December 2023, plasma samples and clinical information were collected from 16 infants with RSV infection and 14 control infants. Cytek Aurora flow cytometry (Cytek, America) and Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the expression levels of 25 cytokines after mild and severe RSV infection.Results:Cough and nasal obstruction were the main clinical manifestations in infants with mild RSV infection, accompanied by polypnea, wheezing and other symptoms. The main symptoms of severe RSV infection were cough and rales, accompanied by fever and polypnea. In comparison with the control group, the expression levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-13, IL-22, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-β, MIP-1β, I-TAC, ENA-78, GROα, Eotaxin, and MCP-1 in the RSV infection group all exhibited an upregulation trend. Both IP-10 and MIP-3α demonstrated a downward trend in the RSV infection group; however, there was no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). The levels of IL-10, IFN-γ, MIP-1α, and IL-8 in the RSV infection group were significantly higher than those in the control group, whereas the levels of MIG, TARC, and RANTES in the RSV infection group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-22, IFN-β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-8, I-TAC, MIP-1β, Eotaxin, and MCP-1 in the mild RSV infection group were significantly higher than those in the severe RSV infection group ( P>0.05). Among these, the levels of MIG, RANTES, TARC, MIP-3α, and ENA-78 in the mild infection group were all lower than those in the severe infection group. The expressions of ENA-78 and MIP-1α in the severe infection group were significantly higher than those in the mild infection group and also higher than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in IP-10 and GROα between the mild and severe RSV infection groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The differences in clinical features and cytokines between infants with mild and severe RSV infection provide important data support for the prevention and treatment of RSV infection in infants.

Objective:Based on the background of high-quality development,we analyze the operational efficiency of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)hospitals in China's Yangtze River Economic Belt in 2021 and explore the impact of external environmental factors on operational efficiency,so as to provide a reference for promoting the high-quality development of TCM hospitals in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.Methods:The three-stage DEA model was used to analyze the operational efficiency of TCM hospitals in 11 provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone in China in 2021.Results:After three-stage DEA analysis,the values of comprehensive efficiency,pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency of TCM hospitals in China's Yangtze River Economic Belt are 0.976,0.986 and 0.990,respectively.5 provinces and cities,Shanghai,Jiangsu,Hunan,Chongqing and Guizhou,are efficient before and after the adjustment,and the comprehensive efficiency of Zhejiang,Anhui,Hubei,Jiangxi,Sichuan and Yunnan have increased compared with that before the adjustment.Ranking of the average value of the comprehensive efficiency of TCM hospitals operation in the three major city clusters of the Yangtze River Economic Belt after adjustment:Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster(0.998)>city cluster in the Yangtze River Delta(0.964)>city cluster in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River(0.962).Conclusion:The operational efficiency of TCM hospitals in the Yangtze River Economic Zone has been underestimated,and the comprehensive efficiency is mainly affected by scale efficiency;there are differences in the operational efficiency of TCM hospitals in the three major urban agglomerations,and balanced development is needed between regions;the operational efficiency of TCM hospitals is affected by the external environment,and it is necessary to improve the external environment;it is necessary to strengthen the construction of digital and informatization of TCM,and to pay attention to the role of talents in TCM,so as to promote the high-quality development of TCM hospitals.

A 21-year-old unmarried female visited Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Fudan University with the chief complaint,memory decline for more than 20 days and discovery of a pelvic mass for more than 10 days.Through systematic examination,she was diagnosed with teratoma-associated anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)encephalitis.The patient underwent bilateral ovarian teratoma enucleation,and postoperative pathology revealed immature teratoma grade Ⅰ in the left ovary and mature teratoma in the right ovary.Perioperative combined immunotherapy significantly improved her neuropsychiatric symptoms.The diagnosis and treatment of ovarian teratoma-associated anti-NMDAR encephalitis require multidisciplinary collaboration,with accurate diagnosis,timely surgical resection within 1 month,and early initiation of immunotherapy being critical factors for improving prognosis.Clinicians should remain vigilant to avoid missed or misdiagnosed cases,as this condition can lead to severe outcomes.

ObjectiveTo establish a model that can quickly identify the aroma components in different parts of Nardostachys jatamansi， so as to provide a quality control basis for the market circulation and clinical use of N. jatamansi. MethodsHeadspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-SPME-GC-MS） combined with Smart aroma database and National Institute of Standards and Technology（NIST） database were used to characterize the aroma components in different parts of N. jatamansi， and the aroma components were quantified according to relative response factor（RRF） and three internal standards， and the markers of aroma differences in different parts of N. jatamansi were identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） and cluster thermal analysis based on variable importance in the projection（VIP） value >1 and P<0.01. The odor data of different parts of N. jatamansi were collected by Heracles Ⅱ Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose， and the correlation between compound types of aroma components collected by the ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose and the detection results of HS-SPME-GC-MS was investigated by drawing odor fingerprints and odor response radargrams. Chromatographic peak information with distinguishing ability≥0.700 and peak area≥200 was selected as sensor data， and the rapid identification model of different parts of N. jatamansi was established by principal component analysis（PCA）， discriminant factor alysis（DFA）， soft independent modeling of class analogies（SIMCA） and statistical quality control analysis（SQCA）. ResultsThe HS-SPME-GC-MS results showed that there were 28 common components in the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi， of which 22 could be quantified and 12 significantly different components were screened out. Among these 12 components， the contents of five components（ethyl isovalerate， 2-pentylfuran， benzyl alcohol， nonanal and glacial acetic acid，） in the aboveground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the underground part（P<0.01）， the contents of β-ionone， patchouli alcohol， α-caryophyllene， linalyl butyrate， valencene， 1，8-cineole and p-cymene in the underground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the aboveground part（P<0.01）. Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose results showed that the PCA discrimination index of the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi was 82， and the contribution rates of the principal component factors were 99.94% and 99.89% when 2 and 3 principal components were extracted， respectively. The contribution rate of the discriminant factor 1 of the DFA model constructed on the basis of PCA was 100%， the validation score of the SIMCA model for discrimination of the two parts was 99， and SQCA could clearly distinguish different parts of N. jatamansi. ConclusionHS-SPME-GC-MS can clarify the differential markers of underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi. The four analytical models provided by Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose（PCA， DFA， SIMCA and SQCA） can realize the rapid identification of different parts of N. jatamansi. Combining the two results， it is speculated that terpenes and carboxylic acids may be the main factors contributing to the difference in aroma between the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive, high temporal-resolution technique for monitoring brain activity. However, affected by the volume conduction effect, EEG has a low spatial resolution and is difficult to locate brain neuronal activity precisely. The surface Laplacian (SL) technique obtains the Laplacian EEG (LEEG) by estimating the second-order spatial derivative of the scalp potential. LEEG can reflect the radial current activity under the scalp, with positive values indicating current flow from the brain to the scalp (“source”) and negative values indicating current flow from the scalp to the brain (“sink”). It attenuates signals from volume conduction, effectively improving the spatial resolution of EEG, and is expected to contribute to breakthroughs in neural engineering. This paper provides a systematic overview of the principles and development of SL technology. Currently, there are two implementation paths for SL technology: current source density algorithms (CSD) and concentric ring electrodes (CRE). CSD performs the Laplace transform of the EEG signals acquired by conventional disc electrodes to indirectly estimate the LEEG. It can be mainly classified into local methods, global methods, and realistic Laplacian methods. The global method is the most commonly used approach in CSD, which can achieve more accurate estimation compared with the local method, and it does not require additional imaging equipment compared with the realistic Laplacian method. CRE employs new concentric ring electrodes instead of the traditional disc electrodes, and measures the LEEG directly by differential acquisition of the multi-ring signals. Depending on the structure, it can be divided into bipolar CRE, quasi-bipolar CRE, tripolar CRE, and multi-pole CRE. The tripolar CRE is widely used due to its optimal detection performance. While ensuring the quality of signal acquisition, the complexity of its preamplifier is relatively acceptable. Here, this paper introduces the study of the SL technique in resting rhythms, visual-related potentials, movement-related potentials, and sensorimotor rhythms. These studies demonstrate that SL technology can improve signal quality and enhance signal characteristics, confirming its potential applications in neuroscientific research, disease diagnosis, visual pathway detection, and brain-computer interfaces. CSD is frequently utilized in applications such as neuroscientific research and disease detection, where high-precision estimation of LEEG is required. And CRE tends to be used in brain-computer interfaces, that have stringent requirements for real-time data processing. Finally, this paper summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of SL technology and envisages its future development. SL technology boasts advantages such as reference independence, high spatial resolution, high temporal resolution, enhanced source connectivity analysis, and noise suppression. However, it also has shortcomings that can be further improved. Theoretically, simulation experiments should be conducted to investigate the theoretical characteristics of SL technology. For CSD methods, the algorithm needs to be optimized to improve the precision of LEEG estimation, reduce dependence on the number of channels, and decrease computational complexity and time consumption. For CRE methods, the electrodes need to be designed with appropriate structures and sizes, and the low-noise, high common-mode rejection ratio preamplifier should be developed. We hope that this paper can promote the in-depth research and wide application of SL technology.