1.Olfactory Receptors Expressed in The Intestine and Their Functions
Pei-Wen YANG ; Meng-Meng YUAN ; Ying ZHOU ; Peng LI ; Gui-Hong QI ; Ying YANG ; Zhong-Yi MAO ; Meng-Sha ZHOU ; Xiao-Shuang MAO ; Jian-Ping XIE ; Yi-Nan YANG ; Shi-Hao SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):534-549
Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the largest superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Traditionally recognized for their role in the nasal olfactory epithelium, where they mediate the sense of smell, accumulating evidence has firmly established their ectopic expression in non-olfactory tissues, including the intestine, lungs, and kidneys. The intestine, as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, harbors a highly complex chemical environment. To adapt to this environment, the gut employs a sophisticated network of “chemosensors” to monitor luminal contents and maintain homeostasis. Among these sensors, intestinal ORs have emerged as crucial functional components, serving as a molecular bridge that connects environmental chemical signals—such as food-derived odorants—to specific physiological responses. This discovery has significantly deepened our understanding of how dietary flavors and compounds influence intestinal physiology at the molecular level. This review systematically summarizes the expression profiles, ligand classification, and biological functions of ORs within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies indicate that intestinal ORs exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns across different gut segments and display cell-type specificity, particularly within enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. These receptors function as versatile sensors capable of recognizing a wide variety of ligands, including exogenous dietary components, gut microbiota metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and endogenous small molecules like azelaic acid. Upon activation by specific ligands, intestinal ORs trigger intracellular signaling cascades, primarily involving the AC-cAMP-PKA pathway or calcium influx channels. A major focus of this review is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the secretion of gut hormones. Activation of specific ORs in enteroendocrine cells has been shown to stimulate the release of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and serotonin (5-HT), thereby modulating systemic energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical roles of ORs in immune regulation and pathology. Evidence suggests that specific ORs contribute to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and may offer protection against inflammation. Beyond their involvement in inflammatory responses, ORs such as Olfr78 have been shown to regulate the differentiation and function of intestinal endocrine cells. Similarly, Olfr544 has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by remodeling the gut microbiome and metabolome. These findings collectively suggest that specific ORs hold promise as therapeutic targets for mitigating intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut homeostasis. Additionally, the review explores the emerging role of ORs in cancer. Although OR expression is often downregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa, activation of specific ORs by certain ligands can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis via pathways such as MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK. Conversely, other receptors, such as OR7C1, may serve as biomarkers for cancer-initiating cells. In conclusion, intestinal ORs represent a vital component of the gut’s sensory network. The review also discusses the translational potential of these findings. By elucidating the precise pairing relationships between dietary components and specific ORs, novel therapeutic strategies could be developed. Intestinal ORs may thus emerge as promising targets for nutritional and pharmacological interventions in metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and malignancies.
2.Facilitators and barriers to work-related musculoskeletal disorder prevention behaviors among healthcare professionals: A comprehensive review
Haijing MA ; Su’e YUAN ; Hui ZHU ; Yujia CHEN ; Ping SONG ; Huiqin YU ; Yunxia LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(3):387-394
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) represent a significant occupational health challenge among healthcare professionals globally, posing substantial threats to physical and mental well-being as well as work sustainability. Adopting preventive behaviors—including ergonomic postural adjustments, optimized work-rest scheduling, proper use of protective and assistive equipment, and regular physical activity—is essential for mitigating the risk of WMSDs. Guided by the social ecological model, the review synthesized current evidence on the determinants of WMSDs preventive behaviors across four levels: intrapersonal characteristics, work environment conditions, interpersonal support, and policy/institutional factors. The findings suggest that higher educational attainment, favorable health-related behavioral patterns, optimized ergonomic work environments, adoption of supportive collaborative systems, strong organizational support, as well as policy safeguards facilitate preventive behavior adoption. Conversely, limited prevention-related knowledge, low risk perception, insufficient physical activity, excessive workload, lack of appropriate protective equipment, inadequate ergonomic training, a prevailing culture of presenteeism, and inadequate policy implementation constitute significant barriers. Multi-dimensional intervention strategies targeting these determinants are warranted to enhance preventive behaviors, reduce the risk of WMSDs, and strengthen occupational health protection for healthcare professionals.
3.Analysis of soil-borne nematode infection status among rural communities in Yubei, Chongqing
Dan JIANG ; Yong-dong HAO ; Sen-ping YANG ; Xiao-yuan SU ; Hua-jun BAI ; Bo LYU ; Ya-ling RAN ; He-yi GUAN ; Ling HU
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):85-89
Objective To analyze the infection status and epidemic trends of soil-borne nematode infections in Yubei, Chongqing City, in 2010,2021, and 2022. Methods The local populations from four survey sites of four towns in 2010 and five sites of five towns in 2021 and 2022 were surveyed regarding their basic information using a unified form. Fecal samples of the participants were collected and tested for soil-borne nematode infections using the modified Kato-Katz thick smear method. Results In 2010, 2 049 participants were surveyed, followed by 1 000 participants in 2021 and 2022. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections declined significantly from 3.86% to 0.20%. In 2010, soil-transmitted nematode included hookworms(3.81%) and roundworms(0.29%). In 2021, the infection rates of roundworms and hookworms were 1.70% and 0.10% respectively. Notably, only Ascaris was identified in 2022(0.20%). The≥60 age group consistently exhibited the highest infection rates across all surveys, followed by the 40-59 age group. The infection rates of males in the three surveys were 3.31%,1.92%, and 0.20% respectively, and those of females were 4.37%, 1.46%, and 0.20% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the infection rates between males and females. Educational attainment was inversely associated with infection; in 2010, the highest prevalence was observed among those with primary education or below, whereas in 2021, illiterate or semi-literate individuals showed the highest susceptibility. The occupational distribution of infections in 2010 indicated that retirees (8.33%), farmers(4.86%), and homemakers or unemployed individuals(3.45%)were the most affected. However, in 2021 and 2022, farmers emerged as the predominant occupational group with soil-transmitted nematode infections. Conclusions The infection rate of soil-borne nematodes showed a decreasing trend in Yubei, and the infection species changed from hookworms in 2010 to Ascaris in 2022. Farmers, the elderly, and people with low education levels should continue to be the focus of preventive and control efforts.
4.Technique and Application of Deep Learning-based EEG Denoising
Bao-Lian SHAN ; Hai-Qing YU ; Yong-Zhi HUANG ; Jia-Yuan MENG ; Min-Peng XU ; Tzyy-Ping JUNG ; Dong MING
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(8):2147-2160
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive neurophysiological monitoring technique. It records the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex using electrodes placed on the scalp surface. Owing to its high safety, portability, and millisecond-level temporal resolution, EEG has been widely utilized in a variety of fields, including clinical diagnosis, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and cognitive neuroscience research. However, due to its microvolt-level amplitude, EEG is highly susceptible to various artifacts, including electrooculographic (EOG), electrocardiographic (ECG), electromyographic (EMG), and power line interference (PLI). These artifacts can obscure genuine neural activity and introduce spurious electrophysiological features. Consequently, they may compromise EEG signal quality, thereby reducing the reliability of downstream analyses. To address this issue, numerous EEG artifact removal methods have been developed, including both traditional denoising techniques and deep learning-based approaches. Traditional EEG denoising methods have long served as the primary solutions for artifact removal. Representative approaches include filtering, regression, and blind source separation. Although these methods have demonstrated effectiveness in specific scenarios, they suffer from several inherent limitations. Filtering assumes that artifacts and EEG signals can be separated in the frequency domain, but many artifacts, such as EOG and EMG, overlap with EEG spectra, which may lead to the loss of valuable neural information. Regression methods require high-quality artifact references to estimate and subtract contaminations, limiting their effectiveness in reference-free scenarios. Blind source separation can remove artifacts without external references, but it typically requires the number of EEG channels to exceed the number of sources, restricting its application in single- or low-channel EEG recordings. Deep learning-based EEG denoising methods address these limitations effectively. First, they learn the nonlinear mapping between contaminated and clean EEG directly from data in an end-to-end manner. This approach does not rely on assumptions about spectral separability, thereby preserving neural activity more completely. Second, the reference information is incorporated during the training phase, allowing the trained model to perform artifact removal independently without external references. Third, deep learning models can be flexibly designed to accommodate various recording setups, achieving robust denoising for both high-density and single-channel EEG. Collectively, these advantages enable deep learning-based methods to overcome the main challenges of traditional approaches, providing more accurate and reliable EEG signal recovery. The superior denoising performance of deep learning-based EEG denoising methods has attracted increasing attention in EEG artifact removal research. As a result, many deep learning-based denoising methods have been developed and successfully applied in neural engineering areas. However, a systematic review of the techniques and applications in this field is still lacking. To address this gap, this paper reviews recent advances in deep learning-based EEG denoising from four perspectives: technical principle, benchmark dataset, denoising model, and evaluation method. Representative applications in neural signal analysis and BCI decoding are also summarized. Furthermore, the advantage, existing challenge, and future research direction of deep learning-based EEG denoising are discussed. This review aims to provide valuable theoretical insights and technical guidance for researchers. It is also expected to promote further advances and broader applications of deep learning-based EEG denoising techniques.
5.Key points of ethical governance in the clinical application of new biomedical technology
Ping YUAN ; Hongjuan LI ; Xiaojing LI ; Xiuying ZHANG ; Qiongge ZHANG ; Hongyu WANG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(1):89-94
Given the current ethical issues such as unknown high risks in the clinical application of new biomedical technology, thus, medical institutions need to establish new technology management systems, including clarifying the concept, the assessment and admission mechanism, and ethical management systems of new technology. According to the direction of the development of new technology in the medical institution, the ethics review committee should also perfect the management system of ethics committees and the professional composition of ethics review committee members, improve the ability of ethics committee members to evaluate new biomedical technology, increase the assessment of ethical risks of new technology in the preliminary review stage, strengthen the requirements for emergency plan formulation, as well as set the frequency of the follow-up review based on the risk level of new technology. The ethics review committee should work together with the medical management department to formulate an ethical standardization training system for the clinical application of medical technology in the institution, and regularly conduct training for all staff, to promote medical workers’ understanding of the management requirements of biomedical technologies. Different types of new biomedical technology have different ethical risks. Therefore, the medical management departments and ethics review committees of medical institutions should formulate specific management rules based on the characteristics of new technology types. However, it should be noted that when new biomedical technology generally is first introduced into clinical practice, there are often issues regarding fairness and justice in the use of the technology.
6.Zinc Finger Protein 639 Expression Is a Novel Prognostic Determinant in Breast Cancer
Fang LEE ; Shih-Ping CHENG ; Ming-Jen CHEN ; Wen-Chien HUANG ; Yi-Min LIU ; Shao-Chiang CHANG ; Yuan-Ching CHANG
Journal of Breast Cancer 2025;28(2):86-98
Purpose:
Zinc finger protein 639 (ZNF639) is often found within the overlapping amplicon of PIK3CA, and previous studies suggest its involvement in the pathogenesis of esophageal and oral squamous cell carcinomas. However, its expression and significance in breast cancer remain uncharacterized.
Methods:
Immunohistochemical analysis of ZNF639 was performed using tissue microarrays.Functional studies, including colony formation, Transwell cell migration, and in vivo metastasis, were conducted on breast tumor cells with ZNF639 knockdown via small interfering RNA transfection.
Results:
Reduced ZNF639 immunoreactivity was observed in 82% of the breast cancer samples, independent of hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, ZNF639 expression was associated with favorable survival outcomes, including recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14–0.89) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.16– 1.05). ZNF639 knockdown increased clonogenicity, cell motility, and lung metastasis in NOD/ SCID mice. Following the ZNF639 knockdown, the expression of Snail1, vimentin, and C-C chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) was upregulated, and the changes in cell phenotype mediated by ZNF639 were reversed by the subsequent knockdown of CCL20.
Conclusion
Low ZNF639 expression is a novel prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival in patients with breast cancer.
7.Textual Research on Key Information of Classic Formula Shengma Gegentang
Yuli LI ; Ping JIANG ; Zhenyi YUAN ; Yuanyuan HE ; Ya'nan MAO ; Shasha WANG ; Wenyan ZHU ; Zhouan YIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):187-197
Shengma Gegentang is one of the classic formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions (Second Batch). This study reviewed ancient and modern literature and used literature tracing and bibliometric methods to analyze the historical evolution, efficacy, indications, dosage decoctions, and modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang. The results indicated that the earliest record of Shengma Gegentang can be found in the Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang of the Song dynasty, but its origin can be traced back to the Shaoyao Siwu Jiejitang in the Beiji Qianjin Yaofang of the Tang dynasty. The composition dosage of Shengma Gegentang is 413 g of Cimicifugae Rhizoma, 619.5 g of Puerariae Lobatae Radix, 413 g of Paeoniae Radix Alba, and 413 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, which are ground into coarse powder. Each dose is 12.39 g, and the amount of water added is 300 mL. 100 mL of solution is decocted and taken at the right time. The four drugs in the formula play the role of relieving exterior syndrome, penetrating pathogenic factors, and detoxicating together. Its indications are widely involved in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, sexually transmitted diseases, and other diseases, such as measles, sores, acne, spots, surgical gangrene, red eyes, toothache, chancre, and fetal poison. The epidemic diseases treated by Shengma Gegentang are complicated, including rash, pox, macula, numbness, summer diarrhea, dysentery, sha disease, febrile symptoms, spring warmth, winter warmth, and cold pestilence. At the same time, it is a plague prevention formula. Although Shengma Gegentang has a wide range of indications, it cannot be separated from the pathogenic mechanism of evil Qi blocking the muscle surface and heat in the lungs and stomach. The modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang involves the ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology system, nervous system, pediatric-related diseases and syndromes, skin system, hepatobiliary system, and digestive system. It plays a key role in the treatment of epidemic diseases such as measles, chronic hepatitis B, dysentery, and tetanus.
8.Evaluation on the effectiveness of comprehensive control of a bedbug infestation incident in Jiading District, Shanghai
Ping WANG ; Jie LI ; Ruhua YU ; Qiaoyan WANG ; Peisong ZHONG ; Hong YUAN ; Dongsheng RENG
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(1):79-83
ObjectiveTo investigate the infestation of bedbugs in a staff dormitory in Jiading District, Shanghai, to explore the measures to dispose Cimex lectularius linnaeus, so as to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of bedbugs. MethodsThe infestation of bedbugs in the dormitory of the company was determined through field investigation, accompanied by scientific guidance under the comprehensive control measures and an effect evaluation of the control results. ResultsA total of 114 rooms distributed in 3 dormitory buildings were investigated, with an average infestation rate of 42.11%, of which building B has the highest infestation rate of 51.52%. Six bedbug specimens were collected by visual inspection in the room, and all of them were identified as Cimex lectularius linnaeus. After a series of comprehensive control measures including environmental cleanup, aerosol elimination, replacement of wooden beds with iron frame beds, and purchase of all-inclusive mattress, the bedbug infestation rate dropped to 5.26%. ConclusionComprehensive control can effectively prevent the breeding and spread of bedbugs. Dissemination and education effort should be strengthened in case of the occurrence of bedbug infestation, together with an implementation of long-term and continuous surveillance and monitoring.
9.Effect of Anti-reflux Mucosal Ablation on Esophageal Motility in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Study Based on High-resolution Impedance Manometry
Chien-Chuan CHEN ; Chu-Kuang CHOU ; Ming-Ching YUAN ; Kun-Feng TSAI ; Jia-Feng WU ; Wei-Chi LIAO ; Han-Mo CHIU ; Hsiu-Po WANG ; Ming-Shiang WU ; Ping-Huei TSENG
Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2025;31(1):75-85
Background/Aims:
Anti-reflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) is a promising endoscopic intervention for proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-dependent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the effect of ARMA on esophageal motility remains unclear.
Methods:
Twenty patients with PPI-dependent GERD receiving ARMA were prospectively enrolled. Comprehensive self-report symptom questionnaires, endoscopy, 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring, and high-resolution impedance manometry were performed and analyzed before and 3 months after ARMA.
Results:
All ARMA procedures were performed successfully. Symptom scores, including GerdQ (11.16 ± 2.67 to 9.11 ± 2.64, P = 0.026) and reflux symptom index (11.63 ± 5.62 to 6.11 ± 3.86, P = 0.001), improved significantly, while 13 patients (65%) reported discontinuation of PPI. Total acid exposure time (5.84 ± 4.63% to 2.83 ± 3.41%, P = 0.024) and number of reflux episodes (73.05 ± 19.34 to 37.55 ± 22.71, P < 0.001) decreased significantly after ARMA. Improved esophagogastric junction (EGJ) barrier function, including increased lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure (13.89 ± 10.78 mmHg to 21.68 ± 11.5 mmHg, P = 0.034), 4-second integrated relaxation pressure (5.75 ± 6.42 mmHg to 9.99 ± 5.89 mmHg, P = 0.020), and EGJ-contractile integral(16.42 ± 16.93 mmHg · cm to 31.95 ± 21.25 mmHg · cm, P = 0.016), were observed. Esophageal body contractility also increased significantly (distal contractile integral, 966.85 ± 845.84 mmHg · s · cm to 1198.8 ± 811.74 mmHg · s · cm, P = 0.023). Patients with symptom improvement had better pre-AMRA esophageal body contractility.
Conclusions
ARMA effectively improves symptoms and reflux burden, EGJ barrier function, and esophageal body contractility in patients with PPIdependent GERD during short-term evaluation. Longer follow-up to clarify the sustainability of ARMA is needed.
10.Optimization of extraction process for Bletillae Rhizoma and evaluation of its anti-oxidant,tyrosinase inhibitory activities
Shan-shan WANG ; Yi-yuan LUO ; Ye-fei XIE ; Xin-miao JIANG ; Ping PAN ; Kun-ming QIN ; Hong-jiang CHEN
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(7):2171-2177
AIM To optimize the extraction process for Bletillae Rhizoma,and to evaluate its anti-oxidant,tyrosinase inhibitory activities.METHODS With ultrasound time,ethanol concentration and solid-liquid ratio as influencing factors,the total extraction content of gastrodin,protocatechualdehyde,p-hydroxybenzaldehyde,1,4-bis[4-(gluconoxy)benzyl]-2-isobutylmalate-2-glucoside,1,4-bis[4-(gluconoxy)benzyl]-2-isobutylmalate,yam Ⅲ,dihydropinosin and 3'-O-methylyam Ⅲ as an evaluation index,the extraction process was optimized by Box-Behnken response surface method.Subsequently,the extract's scavenging effects on DPPH,ABTS+free radicals,and inhibitory ability on tyrosinase were determined.RESULTS The optimal conditions were determined to be 49 min for ultrasound time,55%for ethanol concentration,1∶30 for solid-liquid ratio,and 2 times for extraction frequency,the total extraction content was 13.18 mg/g.The extract demonstrated the IC50 of 10.12,314.07 and 1.70 μg/g on DPPH,ABTS+free radicals and tyrosinase,respectively.CONCLUSION This simple,reliable and stable method can be used for the extraction for Bletillae Rhizoma with strong anti-oxidant,tyrosinase inhibitory activities.


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