Childhood obesity has become a global public health issue. Current research indicates that early life obesogen exposure has emerged as a significant risk factor for childhood obesity. While obesogens have been confirmed to influence the development and progression of childhood obesity through mechanisms such as endocrine disruption and epigenetic programming, controversies remain regarding the establishment of causal relationships, assessment of combined exposures, and validation of transgenerational effects in humans. In recent years, novel approaches including multi-omics technologies, exposome-based analysis, and multigenerational cohort studies have integrated dynamic biomarker monitoring with analyses of social-environmental interactions, offering new perspectives and methodologies for constructing a systematic "exposure-mechanism-outcome" research framework. This article reviews literature from PubMed and Web of Science up to August 2025 on the association between early life obesogen exposure and childhood obesity, summarizing evidence on the health effects of early life obesogen exposure, major exposure pathways and internal exposure assessment, interactions and amplifying effects of social and environmental factors, as well as the biological mechanisms underlying obesogen action. It further examines current research frontiers and challenges, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for early prevention and precision intervention of childhood obesity.

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate alterations in white matter microstructure and spontaneous neural activity in male college smokers, and to further explore their associations with nicotine dependence. Given that adolescence and early adulthood represent critical periods for brain maturation, particularly for white matter development, understanding the neural correlates of smoking behavior during this stage is of substantial importance for both neuroscience and public health. MethodsA total of 115 male undergraduate students were initially recruited for this study. After quality control and exclusion procedures, 52 male college smokers and 42 demographically matched healthy non-smokers were included in the final analysis. All participants underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). White matter fiber tracts were reconstructed using the automated fiber quantification (AFQ) method, which enables precise identification and quantification of major fiber bundles. Eighteen major white matter tracts were segmented for each participant. Along the core trajectory of each tract, 100 equidistant nodes were sampled. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated at each node to assess white matter microstructural integrity, while amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was computed to evaluate spontaneous neural activity within white matter tracts. Between-group differences in FA and ALFF were assessed using two-sample t-tests, with appropriate corrections applied for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between imaging-derived metrics (FA and ALFF values in regions showing significant group differences) and nicotine dependence severity, as measured by the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND). ResultsCompared with healthy non-smokers, male college smokers exhibited significantly increased FA values in several white matter tracts, including the left thalamic radiation, right corticospinal tract, forceps major of the corpus callosum, left uncinate fasciculus, and right arcuate fasciculus. These findings suggest altered microstructural organization or increased directional coherence within these pathways. In addition, smokers demonstrated significantly elevated ALFF values in the forceps major, right uncinate fasciculus, and left arcuate fasciculus, indicating enhanced spontaneous neural activity in these white matter regions. Correlation analyses revealed that FA values in the left thalamic radiation and right corticospinal tract were negatively correlated with FTND scores, suggesting that higher levels of nicotine dependence were associated with reduced microstructural integrity or altered fiber organization in these regions. In contrast, ALFF values in the forceps major and right uncinate fasciculus were positively correlated with FTND scores, indicating that greater nicotine dependence was associated with increased spontaneous neural activity in specific white matter pathways. ConclusionThe present study provides evidence that male college smokers exhibit distinct alterations in both white matter microstructure and functional activity. These abnormalities are not uniformly distributed but rather localized to specific fiber tracts implicated in sensorimotor processing, interhemispheric communication, and higher-order cognitive and emotional regulation. Importantly, the observed associations between imaging metrics and nicotine dependence severity suggest that these structural and functional alterations may reflect neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction. The combination of AFQ-based tract profiling and multimodal MRI offers a sensitive approach for detecting subtle changes along white matter pathways, highlighting its potential utility in identifying neuroimaging biomarkers of nicotine dependence. Overall, these findings indicate that smoking during early adulthood may disrupt ongoing white matter maturation, potentially leading to long-term consequences for brain function. This study provides novel insights into the neural basis of nicotine dependence and underscores the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies targeting young smokers.

Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.

ObjectiveTranscranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) has emerged as a promising noninvasive neuromodulation technique capable of modulating neural activity with high spatial specificity. However, whether tFUS stimulation of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) can reliably evoke conscious tactile perception without external peripheral sensory input remains unclear. Therefore, this study examined the feasibility of inducing hand-related tactile perception through targeted S1 stimulation and further investigated how sonication duration (SD), a key temporal parameter, influences the consistency of this perceptual response. The findings may provide empirical evidence for optimizing tFUS parameters in human somatosensory modulation. MethodsForty-eight healthy adults participated in the study and were assigned to two experiments. Experiment 1 included 24 participants and was designed to preliminarily examine whether S1-targeted tFUS could evoke hand-related tactile sensations. This experiment comprised two sub-experiments, Experiment 1a and Experiment 1b, with 12 participants in each. Specifically, Experiment 1a used a randomized active stimulation protocol targeting the bilateral S1 to assess the initial feasibility of inducing contralateral tactile perception, whereas Experiment 1b employed an alternating hemispheric design incorporating both active and sham stimulation to verify the specificity of the tFUS-induced sensations. Experiment 2 enrolled another 24 participants and used a real-sham dual-probe design to control for spatial tactile cues that might arise from probe-scalp contact. Five SD levels, including 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1 000 ms, were systematically tested to evaluate how stimulation duration influenced the behavioral response. The primary behavioral outcome was the perceptual consistency rate, quantified according to the accuracy of contralateral tactile localization. ResultsIn Experiment 1, 91.7% of participants reported reliable hand-related tactile sensations during active tFUS stimulation, including numbness, tingling, or similar sensory experiences. Contralateral localization accuracy under active stimulation was significantly higher than the0.50 chance level (P<0.05). In contrast, localization performance under sham stimulation did not differ from chance, suggesting that the observed tactile responses were mainly induced by active S1-targeted tFUS stimulation rather than nonspecific stimulation cues. In Experiment 2, perceptual consistency rates significantly exceeded the chance level under the 400 and 1 000 ms SD conditions(P<0.05), whereas no significant effect was observed at 200, 600, or 800 ms. Pairwise comparisons further showed that the 400 and 1 000 ms conditions produced significantly higher perceptual consistency rates than the 200 ms condition (P<0.05). ConclusiontFUS stimulation of S1 can elicit distinct hand-related tactile sensations without peripheral sensory input, demonstrating the feasibility of using targeted cortical ultrasound stimulation to induce conscious somatosensory perception. The reliability of this perceptual effect was modulated by sonication duration, indicating that temporal stimulation parameters play an important role in shaping both the occurrence and consistency of behavioral responses. Among the tested conditions, 400 ms appeared to provide a favorable temporal window for generating stable tactile perception, whereas excessively short stimulation may be insufficient to produce consistent responses. These findings highlight the sensitivity of somatosensory networks to ultrasonic modulation and provide useful parameter guidance for the application of tFUS in noninvasive sensory enhancement and cortical functional mapping.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of vertebral cement augmentation (VCA) at upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) and UIV+1 in preventing proximal junction complications in correction surgery for adult spinal deformity patients. Methods: A literature search was conducted on Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for comparative studies published before December 30th, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened eligible articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed study quality with Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and extracted data like study characteristics, surgical details, primary and secondary outcomes. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata software. Results: Of all 513 papers screened, a meta-analysis was conducted on 7 articles, which included 333 cases in the VCA group and 827 cases in the control group. Patients in the VCA group had significantly older age and lower T score than patients in the control group. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of proximal junctional failure between the 2 groups, the results of the meta-analysis showed that the incidence of proximal junctional failure and the need for revision surgery were reduced by 36% and 71%, respectively, in the VCA group. One study reported 2 clinically silent pulmonary cement embolism and 1 patient requiring surgical decompression for cement leak into the spinal canal. Conclusion This meta-analysis supported the use of VCA in corrective surgery for spinal deformities patients, especially in patients with advanced age and osteoporosis.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of vertebral cement augmentation (VCA) at upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) and UIV+1 in preventing proximal junction complications in correction surgery for adult spinal deformity patients. Methods: A literature search was conducted on Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for comparative studies published before December 30th, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened eligible articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed study quality with Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and extracted data like study characteristics, surgical details, primary and secondary outcomes. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata software. Results: Of all 513 papers screened, a meta-analysis was conducted on 7 articles, which included 333 cases in the VCA group and 827 cases in the control group. Patients in the VCA group had significantly older age and lower T score than patients in the control group. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of proximal junctional failure between the 2 groups, the results of the meta-analysis showed that the incidence of proximal junctional failure and the need for revision surgery were reduced by 36% and 71%, respectively, in the VCA group. One study reported 2 clinically silent pulmonary cement embolism and 1 patient requiring surgical decompression for cement leak into the spinal canal. Conclusion This meta-analysis supported the use of VCA in corrective surgery for spinal deformities patients, especially in patients with advanced age and osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND:Total knee arthroplasty serves as an effective intervention for the treatment of late-stage knee joint disorders.However,prosthetic liners are prone to wear and failure due to internal stress variations,resulting in limited lifespan and decreased postoperative patient activity.Addressing how to enhance prosthetic design to meet a broader range of patient needs constitutes a significant focus in prosthesis research. OBJECTIVE:Based on the morphological design of the meniscus,we propose an asymmetric design prosthesis and compare it with a symmetric posterior stabilized prosthesis.The stress distribution patterns and variations in the contact area of the liners for both prostheses were analyzed to explore whether the asymmetric prosthesis design offers advantages over the symmetric design. METHODS:Using the finite element method,we simulated the osteotomy and prosthesis assembly in a knee osteoarthritis patient.Two different prostheses(asymmetric design and posterior stabilized)were employed to establish post-total knee arthroplasty knee joint models.Under flexion conditions at 0°,10°,20°,and 30°,we investigated the Mises stress on the femoral and tibial components as well as the liner.Additionally,by comparing the contact area on the inner and outer sides of the liner,we aimed to explore the changes in biomechanics and alterations in motion behavior in the post-total knee arthroplasty knee joint. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Throughout the flexion range from 0 to 30 degrees,the Mises stress peak on the liner exhibited a trend of initial decrease followed by an increase,with the stress on the medial side consistently surpassing that on the lateral side.(2)In comparison to the posterior stabilized prosthesis,the asymmetrically designed prosthesis demonstrated smaller stress peaks.At a flexion angle of 30 degrees,the Mises stress peak values of the medial and lateral parts of the asymmetric prosthesis were 15.81 MPa and 11.95 MPa,and those of the posterior stabilization prosthesis were 16.70 MPa and 13.76 MPa.The difference of Mises stress on the medial part was 5.33%,and the difference of Mises stress on the lateral part was 13.15%.Comparing the peak Mises stress on the femoral and tibial components,the asymmetric component was always lower than the posterior stable component during knee flexion.(3)In the upright position at 0 degrees,the medial contact area of the posterior stabilization prosthesis was 17.96 mm2,and the lateral contact area was 34.10 mm2.The contact area on the inner and outer sides of the asymmetric design prosthesis liner was 105.47 mm2 and 107.80 mm2,respectively,indicating a larger contact area with a smaller difference between the inner and outer sides.(4)These results suggest that the biomechanical performance of the asymmetric prosthesis is superior,contributing to the maintenance of knee joint stability and improved joint mobility.This design,to a certain extent,mimics the rotational motion mechanism of the knee joint about the medial condyle as an axis,making it a more effective choice for knee joint prosthesis selection.

BACKGROUND:The regeneration and remodeling of Achilles tendon rupture after surgery are difficulties in clinical treatment.Tissue engineering hydrogels afford the possibility on the healing of postoperative Achilles tendon. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of tannic acid modified interpenetrating network hydrogel on tissue regeneration and remodeling of ruptured Achilles tendon in rats. METHODS:(1)The interpenetrating network hydrogel was prepared under the blue light and the immersion of CaSO4 solution.The micromorphology,mechanical properties,adhesion properties,in vitro drug release properties,and biocompatibility of hydrogels were characterized.(2)Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,operation group,and hydrogel group,with 10 rats in each group.The animal model of Achilles tendon rupture was established in the latter two groups.In the operation group,the ruptured Achilles tendon was sutured using the modified Kessler method.In the hydrogel group,the ruptured Achilles tendon was repaired by the same method,and the tannic acid modified interpenetrating network hydrogel patch was completely wrapped around the joint of the broken end.Four weeks after the operation,imaging examination,histological evaluation,biomechanical test,and the level test of inflammatory factors were performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Scanning electron microscope showed that tannic acid modified interpenetrating network hydrogels had porous microstructure with pore size of 3-10 μm,and the hydrogels had good in vitro drug release properties,adhesion strength and tensile strength.CCK-8 assay and live/dead staining showed that the hydrogel had no significant effect on the proliferation activity of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,and had good biocompatibility.(2)MRI imaging showed that compared with the operation group,the Achilles tendon in the hydrogel group showed uniform low signal,the thickness of the anteroposterior diameter of the Achilles tendon was reduced,and the boundary between the Achilles tendon and the surrounding tissue was more clear,and the performance was more similar to that of the sham operation group.Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining showed that the tendon fibers in the operation group were arranged in a loose and chaotic manner,with increased cell density and disordered arrangement,accompanied by obvious inflammatory cell infiltration,and intratendinous ossification appeared in some areas.In the hydrogel group,the tendon fibers were arranged in an orderly manner;the cell density was reduced and arranged orderly;the inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly reduced.The tensile strength of Achilles tendon in the operation group was lower than that in the sham operation group(P<0.05).The tensile strength of Achilles tendon in the hydrogel group was higher than that in the operation group(P<0.05).Compared with sham operation group,the mass concentration and mRNA expression of interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor α in Achilles tendon of rats were increased in the operation group(P<0.05).Compared with the operation group,the level and mRNA expression of three inflammatory factors were decreased in the hydrogel group.(3)It is concluded that tannic acid modified interpenetrating network hydrogel can inhibit the local inflammatory response and promote the tendon remodeling.

Objective To investigate the incidence of functional bowel disease(FBD)and its relationship with depression,anxiety and sleep in navy submarine forces.Methods A questionnaire survey on the incidence of FBD was conducted on 364 naval soldiers who were enrolled according to Rome Ⅳ classification and diagnostic criteria.The risk factors of FBD were analyzed.The incidence of specific diseases of FBD was compared among soldiers with different jobs.The depression,anxiety,and sleep quality were investigated in FBD patients.Results In the 364 participants,132(36.3%)were diagnosed with FBD according to Roman Ⅳcriteria.Military rank and marital status might be risk factors for FBD.There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of FBD among the participants with various jobs(P>0.05).The incidence of functional constipation in the submariners was significantly higher than that in the land soldiers,while the incidence of functional diarrhea in the land soldiers was higher than that in the submariners(all P<0.05).The incidences of depression,anxiety and sleep disorder in the participants with FBD were higher than those in the participants without FBD.Conclusion There is a high incidence of FBD in submariners,which may be related to their psychological states.

Optical imaging is highly valued for its superior temporal and spatial resolution. This is particularly important in near-infrared II (NIR-II, 1 000-3 000 nm) imaging, which offers advantages such as reduced tissue absorption, minimal scattering, and low autofluorescence. These characteristics make NIR-II imaging especially suitable for deep tissue visualization, where high contrast and minimal background interference are critical for accurate diagnosis and monitoring. Currently, inorganic fluorescent probes—such as carbon nanotubes, rare earth nanoparticles, and quantum dots—offer high brightness and stability. However, they are hindered by ambiguous structures, larger sizes, and potential accumulation toxicity in vivo. In contrast, organic fluorescent probes, including small molecules and polymers, demonstrate higher biocompatibility but are limited by shorter emission wavelengths, lower quantum yields, and reduced stability. Recently, gold clusters have emerged as a promising class of nanomaterials with potential applications in biocatalysis, fluorescence sensing, biological imaging, and more. Water-soluble gold clusters are particularly attractive as fluorescent probes due to their remarkable optical properties, including strong photoluminescence, large Stokes shifts, and excellent photostability. Furthermore, their outstanding biocompatibility—attributed to good aqueous stability, ultra-small hydrodynamic size, and high renal clearance efficiency—makes them especially suitable for biomedical applications. Gold clusters hold significant potential for NIR-II fluorescence imaging. Atomic-precision gold clusters, typically composed of tens to hundreds of gold atoms and measuring only a few nanometers in diameter, possess well-defined three-dimensional structures and clear spatial coordination. This atomic-level precision enables fine-tuned structural regulation, further enhancing their fluorescence properties. Variations in cluster size, surface ligands, and alloying elements can result in distinct physicochemical characteristics. The incorporation of different atoms can modulate the atomic and electronic structures of gold clusters, while diverse ligands can influence surface polarity and steric hindrance. As such, strategies like alloying and ligand engineering are effective in enhancing both fluorescence and catalytic performance, thereby meeting a broader range of clinical needs. In recent years, gold clusters have attracted growing attention in the biomedical field. Their application in NIR-II imaging has led to significant progress in vascular, organ, and tumor imaging. The resulting high-resolution, high signal-to-noise imaging provides powerful tools for clinical diagnostics. Moreover, biologically active gold clusters can aid in drug delivery and disease diagnosis and treatment, offering new opportunities for clinical therapeutics. Despite the notable achievements in fundamental research and clinical translation, further studies are required to address challenges related to the standardized synthesis and complex metabolic behavior of gold clusters. Resolving these issues will help accelerate their clinical adoption and broaden their biomedical applications.