Objective: To explore the association of physical activity and sugar sweetened beverage consumption with psychological sub health among middle school students in Bao an District, Shenzhen, so as to provide a reference for adolescent mental health promotion. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in November 2024 by a stratified cluster random sampling method to select 6 926 junior and senior middle school students from 5 middle schools in Shenzhen. The questionnaire from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System was used to assess the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, and physical activity Rating Scale was used to assess the level of physical activity, and Brief Instrument on Psychological Health of Youths was used to evaluate the psychological sub health status. The Chi -square test was used to analyze the differences in the detection rates of psychological sub health among different groups of middle school students, and a multivariate Logistic regression model was established to analyze the effects of physical activity and sugar sweetened beverage consumption and their combined effects on the psychological sub health of middle school students. Results: The detection rate of psychological sub health among middle school students in Bao an District, Shenzhen was 18.93%. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, after controlling for confounding factors such as gender, school stage, family residence, family economic status, parental literacy, academic stress and number of friends, lack of physical activity or excessive sugar sweetened beverage consumption were associated with increased risks of psychological sub health among middle school students ( OR =1.36, 1.45); and the highest risk of psychological sub health was found in middle school students who were lack of physical activity and excessive sugar sweetened beverage consumption ( OR =2.59) ( P <0.01). Further analysis by school stages showed that junior high school students with sufficient physical activity and excessive intake of sugary drinks ( ROR =2.10), lack of physical activity and excessive intake of sugary drinks ( ROR =2.31) were at higher risks of psychological sub health than senior high school students( P <0.05). Conclusions Insufficient physical activity and excessive sugar sweetened beverage consumption are closely associated with an increased risk of psychological sub health among middle school students. Effective interventions should be targeted to reduce the risk of psychological sub health problems among middle school students.

Objectives: Vertebral fractures are associated with disability and mortality, but most vertebral fractures are asymptomatic. The present study aimed to determine the incidence of and develop a predictive nomogram for asymptomatic vertebral fractures in Vietnamese adults. Methods: This cohort study as a part of the Vietnam Osteoporosis Study involved 168 men and 287 women aged 50 years and older without a clinically diagnosed vertebral fracture. Their spine x-rays were taken at the recruitment and subsequent 2-year visit. Vertebral fractures were ascertained using the Genant’s semiquantitative method. We employed the Bayesian Model Averaging method to search for the optimal model for predicting asymptomatic vertebral fractures. A predictive nomogram was also developed to facilitate risk prediction. Results: During a median of 2.38 years of follow-up, 13 men and 16 women developed an asymptomatic vertebral fracture, yielding the overall incidence rate of 28 fractures per 1000 person-years, or 33 fractures/1000 personyears in men and 24 fractures/1000 person-years in women, respectively. Most asymptomatic vertebral fractures were moderate, almost 1.5 times more common than mild fractures. The optimal model for predicting incident asymptomatic vertebral fractures included age, male sex and lower femoral neck T-score. The area under the receiver’s operating characteristic curve was 0.91, with 95% CI ranging from 0.86 to 0.96. Conclusions Asymptomatic vertebral fractures were relatively common among adults in Vietnam. A simple model with sex, age and femoral neck T-score is helpful for selective screening of asymptomatic vertebral fractures in Vietnamese individuals.

Objectives: Vertebral fractures are associated with disability and mortality, but most vertebral fractures are asymptomatic. The present study aimed to determine the incidence of and develop a predictive nomogram for asymptomatic vertebral fractures in Vietnamese adults. Methods: This cohort study as a part of the Vietnam Osteoporosis Study involved 168 men and 287 women aged 50 years and older without a clinically diagnosed vertebral fracture. Their spine x-rays were taken at the recruitment and subsequent 2-year visit. Vertebral fractures were ascertained using the Genant’s semiquantitative method. We employed the Bayesian Model Averaging method to search for the optimal model for predicting asymptomatic vertebral fractures. A predictive nomogram was also developed to facilitate risk prediction. Results: During a median of 2.38 years of follow-up, 13 men and 16 women developed an asymptomatic vertebral fracture, yielding the overall incidence rate of 28 fractures per 1000 person-years, or 33 fractures/1000 personyears in men and 24 fractures/1000 person-years in women, respectively. Most asymptomatic vertebral fractures were moderate, almost 1.5 times more common than mild fractures. The optimal model for predicting incident asymptomatic vertebral fractures included age, male sex and lower femoral neck T-score. The area under the receiver’s operating characteristic curve was 0.91, with 95% CI ranging from 0.86 to 0.96. Conclusions Asymptomatic vertebral fractures were relatively common among adults in Vietnam. A simple model with sex, age and femoral neck T-score is helpful for selective screening of asymptomatic vertebral fractures in Vietnamese individuals.

Objective To investigate the screening results and factors affecting abnormal detection rates among high-risk groups of esophageal cancer and to explore effective intervention measures. Methods We investigated and collected the information on gender, education level, age, marital status, symptoms of reflux esophagitis (heartburn, acid reflux, belching, hiccup, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, and difficulty swallowing), consumption of pickled vegetables, salt use, and esophageal cancer incidence of villagers in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Changes in reflux esophagitis symptoms in the high-incidence area of esophageal cancer before and after 16 years were observed, and the relationship of such changes with esophageal cancer was analyzed. Results In 2008, 711 cases were epidemiologically investigated, including 213 cases with one of the symptoms of reflux esophagitis such as heartburn, acid reflux, belching, hiccups, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, and difficulty swallowing (sorted in accordance with the abovementioned symptoms; if there are multiple symptoms, then the former is taken); 55 cases with at least two related symptoms, among which the most symptom was heartburn in 108 cases (15.1%); followed by acid reflux, belching, etc. In 2024, the same group of people was investigated, and eight people were missing because of relocation. A total of 703 people were successfully investigated, of which 189 cases (26.8%) had one of the symptoms of reflux esophagitis, such as heartburn (sorted in accordance with relevant symptoms, if there are multiple symptoms, then the former will be selected); 167 cases (23.7%) had at least two related symptoms, among which the most symptom was heartburn in 139 cases (19.7%); followed by acid reflux. Over 16 years, among the 703 people investigated, 45 cases had esophageal cancer and they had one or more of the abovementioned symptoms. No significant differences in the reflux esophagitis-like symptoms were found between 2008 and 2024 (P=0.26); no significant differences in the composition of reflux esophagitis-like symptoms were found between 2008 and 2024 (P=0.299). Conclusion The detection rate of reflux esophagitis-related symptoms in the population in a high-risk area of esophageal cancer has not decreased in the past 16 years, and the high-risk factors still exist. Esophageal cancer is closely related to reflux esophagitis, and clinical practice can provide early diagnosis and treatment for high-risk population.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of 4-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in modulating the metabolic homeostasis of the pyruvate-lactate axis in the hippocampus of rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to improve their depressive-like behavior. MethodsForty-eight SPF-grade 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the normal quiet group (C), the CUMS quiet group (M), the normal exercise group (HC), and the CUMS exercise group (HM). The M and HM groups received 8 weeks of CUMS modeling, while the HC and HM groups were exposed to 4 weeks of HIIT starting from the 5th week (3 min (85%-90%) S_max+1 min (50%-55%) S_max, 3-5 cycles, S_max is the maximum movement speed). A lactate analyzer was used to detect the blood lactate concentration in the quiet state of rats in the HC and HM groups at week 4 and in the 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after exercise, as well as in the quiet state of rats in each group at week 8. Behavioral indexes such as sucrose preference rate, number of times of uprightness and number of traversing frames in the absenteeism experiment, and other behavioral indexes were used to assess the depressive-like behavior of the rats at week 4 and week 8. The rats were anesthetized on the next day after the behavioral test in week 8, and hippocampal tissues were taken for assay. LC-MS non-targeted metabolomics, target quantification, ELISA and Western blot were used to detect the changes in metabolite content, lactate and pyruvate concentration, the content of key metabolic enzymes in the pyruvate-lactate axis, and the protein expression levels of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). Results4-week HIIT intervention significantly increased the sucrose preference rate, the number of uprights and the number of traversed frames in the absent field experiment in CUMS rats; non-targeted metabolomics assay found that 21 metabolites were significantly changed in group M compared to group C, and 14 and 11 differential metabolites were significantly dialed back in the HC and HM groups, respectively, after the 4-week HIIT intervention; the quantitative results of the targeting showed that, compared to group C, lactate concentration in the hippocampal tissues of M group, compared with group C, lactate concentration in hippocampal tissue was significantly reduced and pyruvate concentration was significantly increased, and 4-week HIIT intervention significantly increased the concentration of lactate and pyruvate in hippocampal tissue of HM group; the trend of changes in blood lactate concentration was consistent with the change in lactate concentration in hippocampal tissue; compared with group C, the LDHB content of group M was significantly increased, the content of PKM2 and PDH, as well as the protein expression level of MCT2 and MCT4 were significantly reduced. The 4-week HIIT intervention upregulated the PKM2 and PDH content as well as the protein expression levels of MCT2 and MCT4 in the HM group. ConclusionThe 4-week HIIT intervention upregulated blood lactate concentration and PKM2 and PDH metabolizing enzymes in hippocampal tissues of CUMS rats, and upregulated the expression of MCT2 and MCT4 transport carrier proteins to promote central lactate uptake and utilization, which regulated metabolic homeostasis of the pyruvate-lactate axis and improved depressive-like behaviors.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of 4-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and to explore its potential mechanisms. MethodsA total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control (C), model (M), control plus HIIT (HC), and model plus HIIT (HM). Rats in groups M and HM underwent 8 weeks of CUMS to establish depression-like behaviors, while groups HC and HM received HIIT intervention beginning from the 5th week for 4 consecutive weeks. The HIIT protocol consisted of repeated intervals of 3 min at high speed (85%-90% maximal training speed, S_max) alternated with one minute at low speed (50%-55% S_max), with 3 to 5 sets per session, conducted 5 d per week. Behavioral assessments and tail-vein blood lactate levels were measured at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks. After the intervention, rat PFC tissues were collected for Golgi staining to analyze synaptic morphology. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were employed to detect brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), lactate, and glutamate levels in the PFC, as well as serotonin (5-HT) levels in serum. Additionally, Western blot analysis was conducted to quantify the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, including c-Fos, activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1). ResultsCompared to the control group (C), the CUMS-exposed rats (group M) exhibited significant reductions in sucrose preference rates, number of grid crossings, frequency of upright postures, and entries into and duration spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating marked depressive-like behaviors. Additionally, the group M showed significantly reduced dendritic spine density in the PFC, along with elevated levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1 protein expression, and increased concentrations of lactate and glutamate. Conversely, BDNF and MCT1 contents in the PFC and 5-HT levels in serum were significantly decreased. Following HIIT intervention, rats in the group HM displayed considerable improvement in behavioral indicators compared with the group M, accompanied by significant elevations in PFC MCT1 and lactate concentrations. Furthermore, HIIT notably normalized the expression levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1, as well as glutamate and BDNF contents in the PFC. Synaptic spine density also exhibited significant recovery. ConclusionFour weeks of HIIT intervention may alleviate depressive-like behaviors in CUMS rats by increasing lactate levels and reducing glutamate concentration in the PFC, thereby downregulating the overexpression of NMDAR, attenuating excitotoxicity, and enhancing synaptic plasticity.

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of the serum levels of aminotransferases and their ratios with liver inflammation activity in pediatric chronic hepatitis B （pCHB） patients， and to provide a basis for selecting the dominant population for treatment. MethodsThis study was conducted among 1 267 pCHB patients who were admitted to The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2010 to August 2022 and these patients did not receive antiviral therapy. The patients were analyzed in terms of demographic features， blood routine， blood biochemistry， HBV serological markers， and liver biopsy data. According to liver inflammation activity based on liver biopsy， the patients were divided into no or mild inflammation activity （G0‍ ‍—‍ ‍G1） group and significant inflammation activity （G2‍ ‍—‍ ‍G4） group. The serum levels of aminotransferases and their ratios were compared between groups， and their correlation with liver inflammation activity in pCHB patients was analyzed. Additionally， the patients were stratified by the age， and the relationship between serum aminotransferase levels and liver inflammation activity was analyzed in each age group. For comparison of continuous data between two groups， the independent samples t-test was used when the data were normally distributed， while the Mann-Whitney U test was used when the data were not normally distributed； the chi-square test was employed for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman’s correlation analysis was performed for correlation assessment. ResultsAmong the 1 267 pCHB patients， there were 468 （36.9%） in the G0‍ ‍—‍ ‍G1 group and 799 （63.1%） in the G2‍ ‍—‍ ‍G4 group， and there were significant differences between the two groups in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， AST/ALT ratio， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT）， total bilirubin， direct bilirubin， HBeAg quantification， low-density lipoprotein， and platelet count （PLT） （all P<0.05）. The correlation analysis showed that liver inflammation activity was negatively correlated with PLT and low-density lipoprotein （both P<0.05） and was positively correlated with GGT， total bilirubin， direct bilirubin， and HBeAg titer （all P<0.05）， while it was not significantly correlated with ALT， AST， and AST/ALT ratio （all P>0.05）. In the 0‍ ‍—‍ ‍12 years group， the 13‍ ‍—‍ ‍18 years male group， and the 13‍ ‍—‍ ‍18 years female group， liver inflammation activity aggravated with the increases in the serum levels of ALT and AST， and there were significant differences between groups （all P<0.05）. In the 0‍ ‍—‍ ‍12 years group， there was a significant difference in significant liver inflammation activity between the AST/ALT ratio >1 group and the AST/ALT ratio ≤1 group （P<0.001）. Among the 1 267 patients， 447 （35.28%） had an ALT level of <2×upper limit of normal （ULN）， among whom 196 （43.85%） had G≥2 liver inflammation， accounting for 15.47% of all children enrolled. ConclusionLiver inflammation activity is not significantly correlated with ALT， AST， and AST/ALT ratio in pCHB patients， suggesting that the serum levels of aminotransferases cannot truly reflect liver inflammation activity in pCHB patients with an aminotransferase level of <2×ULN. In clinical practice， liver biopsy should be performed for children with an aminotransferase level of <2×ULN to clarify whether antiviral therapy should be performed.

Objective: To explore the association between preoperative aspartate transaminase to alanine transaminase (AST/ALT) ratio and the outcomes of urothelial cancers. Methods: After a systematic search of Web of Science，PubMed and Embase before Aug.2024，14 studies were included in the Meta-analysis.The hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for overall survival (OS)，cancer-specific survival (CSS)，and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed using STATA 15.0 software. Results: The Meta-analysis included a total of 8190 patients.Urothelial cancer patients with an elevated preoperative AST/ALT ratio had worse OS (HR=1.92，95% CI：1.38-2.67，P<0.001)，CSS (HR=2.12，95% CI：1.48-3.05，P<0.001)，and RFS (HR=1.63，95% CI：1.27-2.10，P<0.001).In subgroup analyses，preoperative AST/ALT ratio had a better predictive value for OS，CSS，and RFS in patients with bladder cancer than in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma，and a better predictive value in Asian population than in Caucasian population (P<0.001). Conclusion: A high preoperative AST/ALT ratio is associated with poor OS，CSS and RFS in urothelial cancers，particularly among the Asian population.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between peripheral blood CD4 T lymphocyte subsets and delayed graft function (DGF) and short-term prognosis in kidney transplant recipients, so as to help optimize preoperative assessment for kidney transplantation and provide insights into the immune mechanisms of DGF. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 103 kidney transplant recipients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University during Jun.2022 and Oct.2023. A total of 61 recipients were finally included in this study, and were categorized into two groups based on postoperative renal function recovery：the DGF group (n=20) and the immediate graft function (IGF) group (n=41).Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportions and absolute counts of various CD4 T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood on postoperative day 7.The clinical data and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets between the two groups were compared.For the subsets that exhibited significant differences, the correlation between their proportions and absolute counts and serum creatinine (Scr) levels on postoperative day 7 was further analyzed in the DGF group.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the predictive performance of the most strongly correlated CD4 T lymphocyte subset in terms of proportion and absolute count for short-term renal function. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the proportions and absolute counts of Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T cells (Treg) between the DGF and IGF groups (P>0.05).The proportions and absolute counts of follicular helper T cells (Tfh) and PD-1 Tfh cells were significantly higher in the DGF group than in the IGF group (P＜0.000 1). The Scr levels at 1 month and 1 year postoperatively were significantly higher in the DGF group than in the IGF group (P＜0.01), while the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower in the DGF group compared with the IGF group (P＜0.01, P=0.02).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the proportions and absolute counts of Tfh and PD-1 Tfh cell subsets were positively correlated with the Scr level on post-operative day 7 in the DGF group (P＜0.05).The ROC curve demonstrated that the AUC for the proportion of PD-1 Tfh cells in predicting Scr and eGFR at 1 month after surgery was 0.73(95%CI:0.61-0.86) and 0.75 (95%CI:0.62-0.88), respectively.Additionally, the AUC for predicting Scr and eGFR at 1 year was 0.72(95%CI:0.59-0.86) and 0.70(95%CI:0.58-0.83), respectively. Conclusion: The increase in the proportions and absolute counts of Tfh and PD-1 Tfh cells is associated with postoperative DGF of renal transplant recipients, and the proportion of PD-1 Tfh cells may help predict the short-term renal function of recipients.

Brain organoids are three-dimensional (3D) neural cultures that self-organize from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) cultured in vitro. Compared with traditional two-dimensional (2D) neural cell culture systems, brain organoids demonstrate a significantly enhanced capacity to faithfully replicate key aspects of the human brain, including cellular diversity, 3D tissue architecture, and functional neural network activity. Importantly, they also overcome the inherent limitations of animal models, which often differ from human biology in terms of genetic background and brain structure. Owing to these advantages, brain organoids have emerged as a powerful tool for recapitulating human-specific developmental processes, disease mechanisms, and pharmacological responses, thereby providing an indispensable model for advancing our understanding of human brain development and neurological disorders. Despite their considerable potential, conventional brain organoids face a critical limitation: the absence of a functional vascular system. This deficiency results in inadequate oxygen and nutrient delivery to the core regions of the organoid, ultimately constraining long-term viability and functional maturation. Moreover, the lack of early neurovascular interactions prevents these models from fully recapitulating the human brain microenvironment. In recent years, the introduction of vascularization strategies has significantly enhanced the physiological relevance of brain organoid models. Researchers have successfully developed various vascularized brain organoid models through multiple innovative approaches. Biological methods, for example, involve co-culturing brain organoids with endothelial cells to induce the formation of static vascular networks. Alternatively, co-differentiation strategies direct both mesodermal and ectodermal lineages to generate vascularized tissues, while fusion techniques combine pre-formed vascular organoids with brain organoids. Beyond biological approaches, tissue engineering techniques have played a pivotal role in promoting vascularization. Microfluidic systems enable the creation of dynamic, perfusable vascular networks that mimic blood flow, while 3D printing technologies allow for the precise fabrication of artificial vascular scaffolds tailored to the organoid’s architecture. Additionally, in vivo transplantation strategies facilitate the formation of functional, blood-perfused vascular networks through host-derived vascular infiltration. The incorporation of vascularization has yielded multiple benefits for brain organoid models. It alleviates hypoxia within the organoid core, thereby improving cell survival and supporting long-term culture and maturation. Furthermore, vascularized organoids recapitulate critical features of the neurovascular unit, including the early structural and functional characteristics of the blood-brain barrier. These advancements have established vascularized brain organoids as a highly relevant platform for studying neurovascular disorders, drug screening, and other applications. However, achieving sustained, long-term functional perfusion while preserving vascular structural integrity and promoting vascular maturation remains a major challenge in the field. In this review, we systematically outline the key stages of human neurovascular development and provide a comprehensive analysis of the various strategies employed to construct vascularized brain organoids. We further present a detailed comparative assessment of different vascularization techniques, highlighting their respective strengths and limitations. Additionally, we summarize the principal challenges currently faced in brain organoid vascularization and discuss the specific technical obstacles that persist. Finally, in the outlook section, we elaborate on the promising applications of vascularized brain organoids in disease modeling and drug testing, address the main controversies and unresolved questions in the field, and propose potential directions for future research.