Background During pregnancy, negative emotions such as anxiety and depression may induce cortisol disruption. Cortisol can be transmitted to the fetus through the placental barrier, thereby affecting the neurodevelopment of the offspring. Objective To investigate the relationship between placental cortisol, maternal depression during pregnancy, and neurodevelopment of 3-month-old infants. Methods From September 2022 to September 2023, 171 pregnant women ordered routine prenatal checks at the obstetrics outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Ningxia were selected using a prospective cohort design. After providing informed consent, these women participated in a questionnaire survey that covered general individual characteristics, prenatal depression, and sleep quality. At birth, placental samples were collected to measure cortisol levels using ELISA kits. Follow-up assessments on the neurodevelopmental of 3-month-old infants were conducted using the Warning Sign for Children Mental and Behavioral Development. LASSO regression analysis was conducted to screen the influencing factors of depression during pregnancy. Huber regression analysis was then applied to assess potential linear relationship between depression during pregnancy and placental cortisol levels. Log-binomial regression was used to analyze the linear relationships between cortisol levels and neurodevelopmental delay in 3-month-old infants. Additionally, a mediation effect model was fitted using R 4.3.3 to assess possible mediating role of cortisol in the association between prenatal depression and neurodevelopmental delay in 3-month-old infants. Results The positive rate of prenatal depression was 33.33%. Nine factors affecting prenatal depression were identified by LASSO regression, including rural residence, high school education or above, extroverted personality characteristics, moderate early pregnancy reactions, baby sex expectation, prenatal anxiety, family dysfunction, exposure to stressful life events during pregnancy, and moderate prenatal sleep quality. The Huber regression model showed a positive linear correlation between prenatal depression and placental cortisol (P<0.05). With or without controlling confounding factors, the results of log-binomial regression modeling showed that cortisol levels were associated with a reduced risk of neurodevelopmental delay in 3-month-old infants (crude model: RR=0.988, 95%CI: 0.9768, 0.9996, P＜0.05; adjusted model: RR=0.988, 95%CI: 0.9764, 0.9993, P＜0.05). A mediating effect of placental cortisol between prenatal depression and the risk of neurodevelopmental delay in 3-month-old offspring was found statistically significant (P=0.045), accounting for 67.0% of the total effect. Conclusion Prenatal depression is associated with elevated placental cortisol levels, and higher cortisol levels are found to be related to a lower risk of neurodevelopmental delay in infants. Placental cortisol mediates the relationship between prenatal depression and infant neurodevelopment.

Background With economic development and globalization, shift work has become prevalent across industries. Its relationship with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attracts increasing attention. Objective To thoroughly explore the relationship between shift work and T2DM, and analyze the impacts of specific shift patterns on T2DM, so as to provide a basis for formulating reasonable shift schedules. Methods We conducted a 1:2 matched case-control study among adults (20-60 years) who ordered occupational health examinations at the Wuxi No.8 People's Hospital from November to December 2023. The case group comprised 200 T2DM patients, while the controls were 400 age-stratified matched non-diabetic individuals. General demographic characteristics, behavioral habits, medical history, and shift work exposure data (including shift patterns, frequency, and length of service) 5 years prior to diagnosis were collected through standardized questionnaires. Logistic regression adjusted for selected confounders was employed to evaluate the association between shift work and T2DM. Results The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that shift work was associated with an increased risk of T2DM. After adjusting for confounding factors, shift workers had a 3.55 times higher risk of being diagnosed T2DM compared to non-shift workers (OR=3.55, 95%CI: 1.026, 12.263). The risk varied across different shift patterns, and the three-shift two-rotation system showed the highest risk (OR=4.17, 95%CI: 1.921, 9.035), followed by the two-shift system (OR=2.94, 95%CI: 2.016, 4.281) and four-shift three-rotation system (OR=2.66, 95%CI: 1.611, 6.093). Workers with more than 3 monthly shift days had a 2.74-fold increased risk (95%CI: 1.658, 4.512) compared to non-shift workers. Additionally, working more than 8 h daily (OR=1.74, 95%CI: 1.185, 2.562) and having more than 20 years of service (OR=2.51, 95%CI: 1.581, 3.976) were both significantly associated with a higher T2DM risk. The trend tests revealed that each incremental increase in monthly shift days and length of service elevated T2DM risk by 2.61 times (95%CI: 1.813, 3.765) and 1.49 times (95%CI: 1.147, 1.931), respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion Shift work is an independent risk factor for T2DM, with three-shift two-rotation system posing the highest risk. Shift frequency, daily working hours, and length of service are all significant factors affecting the risk of T2DM. These findings support industry-specific shift policy reform and targeted glucose monitoring and health interventions are recommended for workers engaged in high-risk shift patterns (e.g., three-shift two-rotation system, frequent shifts) and those with prolonged shift work history (>20 years).

Background Prenatal chronic psychological stress may increase the risk of allergic diseases in children, and eczema is the most common allergic disease in children, the pathogenesis of which is not yet fully understood. Objective To preliminarily clarify the changes in offspring intestinal flora after chronic stress exposure during pregnancy in rats that increases offspring immune imbalance and eczema susceptibility. Methods Thirty SPF-grade adult female SD rats were selected and randomly divided into a model group and a control group (n=15). Sixteen male rats were randomly divided into a model mating group and a control mating group (n=8). A 28-day chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model during pregnancy was established. On the 7th day of stress, male and female rats were caged in a ratio of 3:1. Blood samples were collected from female rats in each group via angular vein on the 1st day before stress, and on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days after stress. The content of plasma corticosterone during pregnancy was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For the offspring rats, an eczema model was constructed using 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). The number of scratching times of the offspring rats within 5 min was recorded. The offspring rats were divided into 4 groups: DNCB-CUMS group (MM), DNCB-control group (MC), solvent control-CUMS group (CM), and blank control group (CC), with 8 rats in each group. The eczema was induced once every 3 days, and the induction period was 12 d. The expression level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the serum of offspring rats after the eczema induction experiment were determined by ELISA. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-13 (IL-13) in the serum were quantified by multi-parameter flow cytometry. The composition and abundance of intestinal microbiota in the feces of offspring rats were detected by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology. Results The plasma corticosterone concentrations in the model group were higher than those in the control group on the 7th and 21st days of stress (P<0.05). On the 14th and 21st days of stress, the 1% sucrose preference percentages of female rats in the model group were lower than that in the control group. On the 7th, 14th, and 21st days of stress, the horizontal movement scores of female rats in the model group and the vertical movement scores on the 7th and 14th days were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After 6, 9, and 12 d of model building, the scratching frequencies in the MC group and MM group were significantly higher than those in the CC group and CM group (P<0.05). Moreover, there were differences in the contents of cytokines including IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-13, and IgE among the offspring rat groups (P<0.05). The CM group and MM group led to an increase in the contents of TNF-α, IL-4, IL-13, and IgE cytokines (P<0.05), while the MM group caused a decrease in the contents of IFN-γ and IL-2 (P<0.05). After the eczema induction experiment, the α-diversity analysis showed that the Simpson index and Shannon index in the CM were higher than those in the CC (P<0.05), indicating that CUMS during the pregnancy of female rats could increase the species abundance of their offspring. The abundances of Prevotella and Lactobacillus in the CM group decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion Intestinal dysbiosis in offspring due to chronic prenatal psychological stress, which may be one of the mechanisms linking maternal stress to immune imbalance and increased susceptibility to eczema in offspring.

Ceruloplasmin(Cp)is a crucial protein secreted by the liver and plays a vital role in regulating the distribution and transport of copper throughout the body,thereby maintaining copper homeostasis.Additionally,Cp functions as a significant enzyme known as ferroxidase,which is involved in iron metabolism within the body.Numerous studies have suggested a close relationship between Cp and metabolic disorders,such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.Recent research has also shed light on the involvement of Cp in the regulation of lipid metabolism.The various activities associated with lipid metabolism,including lipid synthesis,adipose hydrolysis,fatty acid oxidation,lipid transport,and absorption,collectively contribute to maintaining lipid homeostasis.Dysregulation of lipid metabolism can lead to metabolic disorders and cardiovascular complications.Cp regulates lipid metabolism through two main mechanisms.Firstly,Cp participates in the regulation of oxidative stress by modulating iron metabolism through its ferroxidase activity and involvement in redox reaction.Secondly,copper along with copper-dependent enzymes directly participates in the processes such as cholesterol metabolism,lipoprotein metabolism,and fatty acid synthesis.As a result,the role of Cp in maintaining the homeostasis of copper and iron allows it to regulate lipid metabolism by influencing copper or iron-dependent enzymes and related pathways.Although the correlation between Cp and lipid metabolism has been identified,an in-depth exploration of the precise mechanisms by which Cp governs lipid metabolism is warranted.This article provides an overview of the role of Cp in lipid metabolism and highlights the progress in related research,with the aim of providing new insights for the development and treatment of disorders related to lipid metabolism.

Objective: To investigate the factors affecting the development of malnutrition among the elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), so as to provide insights into the prevention of malnutrition among the elderly patients with T2DM. Methods: Elderly T2DM patients at ages of 60 years and older admitted to Hangzhou First People's Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine from June 2022 to June 2023 were recruited. Patients' demographics, number of medicines administered and comorbidities were collected using questionnaire surveys, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum albumin (ALB) and hemoglobin levels were collected from medical records. The nutrition status was assessed with the new version of the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF). Factors affecting the development of malnutrition were among the elderly T2DM patients identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 382 elderly T2DM patients were enrolled, including 226 men (59.16%) and 156 women (40.84%) and with a mean age of (70.06±8.41) years. The prevalence of malnutrition was 22.25% among participants. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified age (70 to 79 years, OR=1.261, 95%CI: 1.007-1.158; 80 years and older, OR=3.285, 95%CI: 1.618-6.662), three and more types of comorbidities (OR=2.790, 95%CI: 1.254-5.191), use of multiple medicines (OR=3.501, 95%CI: 1.841-6.658), sleep disorders (OR=1.613, 95%CI: 1.120-2.322), regular exercises (OR=0.280, 95%CI: 0.115-0.614), serum ALB of 35 g/L and greater (OR=0.272, 95%CI: 0.102-0.560) and HbA1c of 7% and higher (OR=2.914, 95%CI: 1.445-5.881) as factors affecting the development of malnutrition among elderly patients with T2DM. Conclusions The risk of malnutrition is associated with age, types of comorbidities, use of multiple medicines, sleep disorders, regular exercise, HbA1c and ALB among the elderly patients with T2DM. Periodical nutrition screening and intensified health education are recommended for T2DM patients.

AIM:To observe the anti-scarring effects and safety of triamcinolone acetonide(TA)-loaded hydrogel sustained-release sheeting on stab incision glaucoma surgery(SIGS)with “one-step tunnel method” in rabbit eyes.METHODS:A total of 48 healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomly selected and divided into 4 groups(12 rabbits in each group), trabeculectomy(Trab)group, SIGS group, polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel(PVAH)sheeting was implanted under the conjunctiva flap during SIGS(PVAH group), and hydrogel sustained-release sheeting loaded with TA was implanted under the conjunctiva flap during SIGS(TA/PVAH group). On the 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk after surgery, the intraocular pressure, filtering bubble morphology, anterior chamber reaction, and other complications were observed and recorded in each group. Then animals were euthanized, and the surgery area tissues of right eye were taken for pathological tissue paraffin section. Masson staining, picric acid-Sirius rose red staining, as well as α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and fibroblast growth factor 2(FGF2)immunohistochemistry staining was performed on every section. The infiltration of inflammatory cells, proliferation of fibroblasts and synthesis of type I and type III collagen fibers in local tissues were observed. The average positive area ratio of α-SMA and FGF2 antibody immunohistochemical staining in each group was calculated and compared.RESULTS: The TA/PVAH group maintained diffuse and elevated functional filtering blebs, while flat filtering blebs appeared in Trab, SIGS and PVAH groups at 2 wk after surgery. Functional filtering blebs were present in 1 eye(33%), 2 eyes(67%)in the PVAH and TA/PVAH group at 4 wk after surgery, respectively, while the other filtering blebs were flattened. Masson staining showed that the hydrogels in PVAH and TA/PVAH groups did not degrade at 4 wk after surgery. Compared with the Trab and SIGS groups, the filtration passages were more obvious, with less collagen fiber proliferation. Sirius red staining showed that the expression of type I collagen and type III collagen in the TA/PVAH group was less than that in the Trab group, SIGS group and PVAH group at 4 wk after surgery. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the α-SMA expression in the TA/PVAH group was significantly lower than that in the Trab and SIGS groups at 1 wk after surgery(P<0.01). The α-SMA expression was the highest in the Trab and SIGS groups at 2 wk after surgery, while the α-SMA expression in the PHAP and TA/PVAH groups was significantly lower than that in the first two groups(P<0.01). Compared with the Trab group, the expression of FGF2 in the PVAH and TA/PVAH group was significantly increased at 1, 2, 3 and 4 wk after surgery(P<0.05). Compared with the SIGS group, FGF2 expression in the TA/PVAH group was significantly increased at 4 wk after surgery(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:In SIGS surgery of rabbit eyes, implanting hydrogel sustained-release sheeting loaded with TA under conjunctival flap can effectively inhibit the scarring of the filtering bleb, which may be the interaction of the anti-scar effect of TA and the stent function of hydrogel.

Objective To investigate the gray matter volume(GMV)changes and molecular basis underlying antipsychotic-induced weight gain(AIWG).Methods One hundred twenty-nine first-episode schizophrenia patients from October 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study.Patients with≥7%weight gain(weight gain,WG)and patients with<3%weight changes(weight stable,WS)were studied.All patients underwent T1-weighted MRI scanning at baseline and after 8 week treatment.Transcriptome-neuroimaging correlations were used to investigate brain gene profiles from the Allen Human Brain Atlas and GMV changes induced by AIWG.Results Thirty-three patients with WG and 27 with WS completed the GMV measures.Compared with baseline,the WG group showed reduced GMV in right hippocampus,left basal ganglia,and right inferior parietal lobule,etc.and increased GMV in bilateral thalamus(P<0.05).The WS group showed reduced GMV in bilateral orbital gyrus,bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral hippocampus(P<0.05).These GMV changes in WG group were spatially correlated with expression levels of 354 genes,which were exclusively enriched in Cushing syndrome,neuroinflammation and glutamatergic signaling,and Pnoc+.Conclusion The study has demonstrated increased GMV in thalamus in schizophrenia patients with AIWG which may be associated with Cushing syndrome and Pnoc+.These findings may provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of AIWG.

Diabetic retinopathy （DR） is one of the most common chronic microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. It has a high rate of blindness， and the age of onset is gradually getting younger， which seriously affects the physical and mental health and quality of life of patients. The disease is retinal damage induced by diabetes mellitus， which is a kind of fundus disease with the main manifestations of fundus hemorrhage， hard exudation， microhemangioma， cotton-wool spots， neovascularization， etc. In traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， it is classified into the category of "diabetic cataracts" and other diseases. At present， there is no effective method to prevent the progress of the disease in modern medicine， so it is particularly important to choose a reasonable and effective intervention to prevent and treat DR. Studies have confirmed that TCM has unique advantages in the treatment of DR. It can use its advantages of multiple bioactive components， multiple targets， and multiple pathways to intervene in the development process of DR from various aspects. By searching for the relevant literature on the progress of the intervention of DR with TCM monomers and compounds， this paper mainly reviews the relevant research results of the treatment of DR with multiple signaling pathways such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， nuclear factor kappa-B（NF-κB）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor （Nrf2）/hemeoxygenase-1 （HO-1）， Hippo， advanced glycation end products （AGEs）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE）， and Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β （GSK-3β）， so as to provide more ideas and directions for the clinical prevention and treatment of DR.

ObjectiveTo describe the differences in imported malaria cases before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Pudong New Area， Shanghai， to explore the possible impact of isolation measures during the pandemic on malaria， and to provide a basis for formulation of malaria control strategies during the prevention and control of major infectious diseases in the future. MethodsInformation on malaria cases reported in Pudong New Area from 2017 to 2022 was collected and divided into two groups： cases before the COVID-19 pandemic （2017‒2019） and cases after the COVID-19 pandemic （2020‒2022）. Analysis was conducted on information such as gender， age， parasite species， country of infection， place of onset， time of onset， time of first diagnosis， time of confirmed diagnosis， hospitalization， and duration of treatment for both groups. ResultsThe pre-COVID group consisted of 21 cases， and post-COVID group consisted of 28 cases， with male and falciparum malaria predominating in both groups. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of Shanghai residency status， use of preventive measures， and adherence to standardized treatment （P<0.05）. The time interval from symptom onset to first diagnosis was longer in the pre-COVID group than that in the post-COVID group （Z=-2.617， P<0.05 ）. The interval from the first diagnosis to the confirmed diagnosis and duration of treatment were shorter in the pre-COVID group than that in the post-COVID group （Z=-3.381， P<0.05； Z=-4.148， P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in gender， age， malaria classification， source of infection， onset area， length of hospital stay， complications， severe cases， and interval between onset and diagnosis between the two groups （P>0.05）. ConclusionAfter the outbreak of COVID-19， the medical priority plan prolongs the treatment time of malaria patients， increasing the risk of severe illness and death.

Objective:To investigate the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in Qingdao and the effect of prevention and treatment of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), so as to provide a basis for residents to supplement iodine scientifically, and take targeted prevention measures and adjust intervention strategies.Methods:In accordance with the requirements of the "National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Surveillance Program (2016 edition)" and "Shandong Iodine Deficiency Disorders Surveillance Program", the cluster sampling method was adopted to select pregnant women from 10 districts (cities) in Qingdao from 2018 to 2020, to investigate their basic information and thyroid disease history. Meanwhile, household edible salt samples and random urine samples were collected to detect iodine content.Results:A total of 3 000 pregnant women were monitored from 2018 to 2020, the median age was 31 years, and the median gestational age was 18 weeks. There were significant differences in the distribution of age, gestational age, whether senile puerpera, and pregnancy in different years ( H/χ 2 = 29.35, 81.03, 65.62, 77.34, P < 0.001). The median salt iodine of edible salt ( n = 3 000) and iodized salt ( n = 2 700) in pregnant women's homes were 23.02 and 23.70 mg/kg, respectively. The qualified rate of iodized salt, the coverage rate of iodized salt and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt were 89.59% (2 419/2 700), 90.00% (2 700/3 000) and 80.63% (2 419/3 000). The comparison of qualified rate of iodized salt, coverage rate of iodized salt and consumption rate of qualified iodized salt among different years was statistically significant (χ 2 = 48.09, 36.62, 61.08, P < 0.001), the coverage rate of iodized salt and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt showed a downward trend year by year (χ 2trent = 35.54, 29.50, P < 0.001). A total of 3 000 urine samples were collected from pregnant women and the median urinary iodine of pregnant women was 147.85 μg/L. The urinary iodine level in the third trimester was lower than that in the first and second trimesters ( P < 0.001). The urinary iodine level in the non elderly group was higher than that in the elderly group ( Z = - 6.66, P < 0.001). The urinary iodine level in the group without thyroid disease was higher than that in the group with thyroid disease ( Z = - 1.99, P = 0.047). The urinary iodine level in iodized salt group was higher than that in non-iodized salt group ( Z = - 2.42, P = 0.015). Conclusions:The iodine nutrition of pregnant women in Qingdao is generally at an insufficient level, and the risk of iodine deficiency is high, which needs attention. In recent years, the coverage rate of iodized salt and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt in Qingdao have shown a downward trend, and have failed to meet the requirements of national standards. In the future, we should strengthen the monitoring and health education of IDD in pregnant women.