Background Air pollution exposure has a significant impact on maternal and child health. However, the research on the association between ambient ozone (O₃) exposure during pregnancy and the risk of premature birth in newborns is limited, and the conclusions are inconsistent. Objective To investigate the association of ambient O₃ exposure during pregnancy with the risk of preterm birth in Guangdong Province. Methods Data of pregnant women in Guangzhou from 2013 to 2019 and Foshan from 2018 to 2023 were collected, and O₃ concentrations during different trimesters were assessed according to maternal residential addresses. Bilinear interpolation was used to evaluate the concentrations of air pollution. A cohort study design was adopted in our study. Restricted cubic spline curves were used to evaluate the exposure-response relationship between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk and explore potential exposure threshold of O₃. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of O₃ exposure with preterm birth. Results A total of 702 924 pregnant women were included in this study, of whom 43 051 (6.12%) were preterm. The average O₃ exposure concentrations of pregnant women during the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 95.51, 97.51, 100.60, and 97.87 μg·m⁻³, respectively. We observed J-shaped associations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy using restricted cubic spline curves. This study found that there were threshold concentrations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during different gestational periods, and the threshold concentrations in the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 112.32, 99.83, 111.74, and 112.46 μg·m⁻³, respectively. During the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy, after adjusting for maternal age, baby sex, pre-pregnancy body mass index, mode of delivery, baby birth weight, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension, the odds ratios (OR) of preterm birth were 1.02 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.04), 1.02 (95%CI: 1.00, 1.03), and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.13, 1.21) for each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in O₃ concentration above the O₃ threshold. No significant association was found between O₃ exposure and the risk of preterm birth during the first trimester. Conclusion There is a nonlinear association between the risk of preterm birth and O₃ exposure during pregnancy, and higher concentrations of O₃ exposure during pregnancy are associated with the risk of preterm birth. Above the O₃ threshold concentration during pregnancy, especially during the second, third, and whole trimesters, the risk of preterm birth elevates with the increase of O₃ exposure concentrations.

Trillions of microbes inhabit the human intestinal tract as a complex ecological community.They impact the host's normal physiological activities and disease susceptibility through their collective metabolic activities and interactions with the host.Gut microbes participate in immune regulation and nutrient metabolism and are closely related to aging.In recent years,the role of gut microbes in ophthalmic diseases has received much attention.This paper reviews the relation-ship between gut microbes and various ophthalmic diseases,aiming to provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic diseases.

Objective:To develop a task-oriented exercise(TOE)program suitable for hospitalized elderly frailty patients, and to evaluate its effects on patients' upper and lower limb mobility and activities of daily living.Methods:Using the convenience sampling method, 60 elderly frailty patients admitted to Beijing Hospital between August and December 2019 were selected and randomly divided into a TOE group and a conventional care group, with 30 in each group.In addition to conventional treatment and care, the TOE group performed task-oriented training(turning to fetch objects and multidirectional stepping), while the conventional care group performed aerobic training and resistance training.Both groups completed 10 training sessions.Baseline data of patients in both groups were assessed before intervention.Grip strength(as a measure of upper limb motor function), the motor component of the World Health Organization disability assessment schedule(WHODAS)2.0(as a measure of lower limb motor function), and the modified Barthel index(as measure of the ability to perform activities of daily living)were assessed after intervention.Results:Before intervention, the grip strength values of the TOE group and the conventional care group were(20.21±6.39)kg and(17.61±10.59)kg, and the scores of the motor component of WHODAS 2.0 were(16.07±6.64)and(20.23±1.18), respectively.After intervention, the grip strength value and the score of the motor component of WHODAS 2.0 of the TOE group were(22.13±5.97)kg and(12.86±5.17)kg, respectively, with statistically significant differences compared with those of the conventional care group, which were(19.05±9.16)kg for grip strength and(15.67±1.11)for the motor component of WHODAS 2.0( t=2.005, P=0.049; t=-18.210, P<0.001).The value of grip strength and the score of the motor component of WHODAS 2.0 were higher post-intervention than pre-intervention in the TOE group( t=5.005、-5.291, P<0.001 for both), but they showed no statistical differences in the conventional care group( t=0.247、1.614, P=0.806, 0.112).After intervention, the total modified Barthel index scores of the TOE and conventional care groups were (55.27±37.12)and(57.27±33.39), respectively, higher than the pre-intervention scores, which were(42.27±29.92)and(40.54±20.55), respectively(both P<0.05).There was no statistical difference in total Barthel score between the two groups after intervention( t=1.042, P=0.303). Conclusions:For hospitalized elderly frailty patients, the TOE program is simple, easy to implement, safe and effective, and can not only achieve the same purpose of improving the ability to perform activities of daily living as the conventional exercise program, but also improve the performance of upper and lower limb motor function more quickly.

Objective:To understand the characteristics of the HIV-1 molecular networks in injected drug users (IDUs) in Guangzhou from 2008 to 2017, and provide reference for the prevention and control of AIDS in this population.Methods:The serum samples of newly diagnosed HIV-1 positive IDUs in Guangzhou from 2008 to 2017 were collected, HIV-1 RNA was extracted for pol gene amplification and sequencing. The molecular cluster in the phylogenetic tree was identified by Cluster Picker 1.2.3 for cluster analysis. TN93 model in HyPhy2.2.4 was used to calculate the gene distance between the cluster sequences. Software Cytoscape3.8.2 was used to visualize the molecular network, and χ2 test or exact probability method was used for cluster analysis and centrality analysis. Results:A total of 586 sequences were successfully amplified (73.9%, 586/793), and 80 molecular clusters were produced, with a clustering rate of 46.6% (273/586). In molecular clusters, the proportions of the strains from IDUs in Han ethnic group (48.4%, 260/537), IDUs who were local residents in Guangdong (52.7%, 146/277) and IDUs whose strain sequence subtype was CRF55_01B (93.3%, 14/15) were higher. In the molecular network, the degree range was 1-7, and nodes with degree ≥3 accounted for 12.8% (24/187), which was associated with another 81 nodes in the molecular network (43.3%, 81/187). The centrality analysis showed that the proportions of housework/unemployed with high degree centrality (19.0%, 19/100), high intermediary (22.0%, 22/100), and high proximity centrality (32.0%, 32/100) were higher in IDUs infected with HIV-1.Conclusion:The risk of HIV-1 clustering in IDUs in Guangzhou was high, suggesting that IDUs who were from both Guangdong and Guangxi and were house workers or unemployed should be viewed as the key targets, and precise intervention should be implemented to reduce the HIV-1 infection rate in this population.

Objective:To investigate the association between oxygen saturation (SpO 2) and risk of 3-year all-cause mortality among Chinese older adults aged 65 or over. Methods:The participants were enrolled from Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study in year of 2012 to 2014 in 9 longevity areas in China. In this prospective cohort study, 2 287 participants aged 65 or over were enrolled. Data on SpO 2 and body measurements were collected at baseline in 2012, and data on survival outcome and time of mortality were collected at the follow-up in 2014. Participants were divided into two groups according to whether SpO 2 was abnormal (SpO 2<94% was defined as abnormal). Results:The 2 287 participants were (86.5±12.2) years old, 1 006 were males (44.0%), and 315 (13.8%) were abnormal in SpO 2. During follow-up in 2014, 452 were died, 1 434 were survived, and 401 were lost to follow-up. The all-cause mortality rate was 19.8%, and the follow-up rate was 82.5%. The mortality rate of SpO 2 in normal group was 21.1%, and that of abnormal group was 41.6% ( P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, compared to participants with normal SpO 2, participants with abnormal SpO 2 had increased risk of all-cause mortality with HR (95% CI) of 1.62 (1.31-2.02); HR (95 % CI) was 1.49 (0.98-2.26) for males and 1.71 (1.30-2.26) for females in abnormal SpO 2group, respectively; HR (95% CI) was 2.70 (0.98-7.44) for aged 65-79 years old, 1.22 (0.63-2.38) for aged 80-89 years old, and 1.72 (1.35-2.19) for aged over 90 years old in abnormal SpO 2 group, respectively. Conclusion:Abnormal SpO 2 was responsible for increased risk of 3-year all-cause mortality among Chinese elderly adults.

Objective:To investigate the association between oxygen saturation (SpO 2) and risk of 3-year all-cause mortality among Chinese older adults aged 65 or over. Methods:The participants were enrolled from Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study in year of 2012 to 2014 in 9 longevity areas in China. In this prospective cohort study, 2 287 participants aged 65 or over were enrolled. Data on SpO 2 and body measurements were collected at baseline in 2012, and data on survival outcome and time of mortality were collected at the follow-up in 2014. Participants were divided into two groups according to whether SpO 2 was abnormal (SpO 2<94% was defined as abnormal). Results:The 2 287 participants were (86.5±12.2) years old, 1 006 were males (44.0%), and 315 (13.8%) were abnormal in SpO 2. During follow-up in 2014, 452 were died, 1 434 were survived, and 401 were lost to follow-up. The all-cause mortality rate was 19.8%, and the follow-up rate was 82.5%. The mortality rate of SpO 2 in normal group was 21.1%, and that of abnormal group was 41.6% ( P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, compared to participants with normal SpO 2, participants with abnormal SpO 2 had increased risk of all-cause mortality with HR (95% CI) of 1.62 (1.31-2.02); HR (95 % CI) was 1.49 (0.98-2.26) for males and 1.71 (1.30-2.26) for females in abnormal SpO 2group, respectively; HR (95% CI) was 2.70 (0.98-7.44) for aged 65-79 years old, 1.22 (0.63-2.38) for aged 80-89 years old, and 1.72 (1.35-2.19) for aged over 90 years old in abnormal SpO 2 group, respectively. Conclusion:Abnormal SpO 2 was responsible for increased risk of 3-year all-cause mortality among Chinese elderly adults.

Objective: To investigate the association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and all-cause mortality in the elderly aged 65 years and older in longevity areas in China. Methods: Data used in this study were obtained from Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study, a sub-cohort of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, 1 802 elderly adults were collected in the study during 2012-2017/2018. In this study, the elderly were classified into 4 groups, moderate-to-severe group [<45 ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1], mild-to-moderate group [45- ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1], mild group [60- ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1] and normal group [≥90 ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1] according to their eGFR levels. Results: After 6 years of follow-up, 852 participants died, with a mortality rate of 47.3%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the levels of eGFR were negatively correlated with all-cause mortality risk in the elderly (the HR of elderly was 0.993 and the 95%CI was 0.989-0.997 for every unit of eGFR increased, P=0.001), while compared with the group with normal eGFR, the HRs (95%CI) of the elderly in the moderate-to-severe group, mild-to-moderate group, and mild group were 1.690 (1.224-2.332, P=0.001), 1.312 (0.978-1.758, P=0.070), 1.349 (1.047-1.737, P=0.020) respectively [trend test P<0.001]. Conclusion The decrease in eGFR was associated with higher mortality risk among the elderly in longevity areas in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of calponin-1 (CNN1) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its pathogenic role in fibrosis. METHODS: Skin biopsy samples were collected from 19 patients with SSc and 21 healthy subjects. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of and mRNAs in the samples, and the protein expression of CNN1 was detected using immunohistochemistry. In cultured primary human dermal fibroblasts, expression was knocked down RNA interference, and the mRNA expression levels of and the fibrosis-related genes , , , , and were detected using real-time PCR; the proliferation of the cells was assessed using a real-time cell proliferation detection system. RESULTS: Compared with that in samples from normal subjects, the expression of mRNA was significantly increased in the skin tissue of patients with SSc ( < 0.05) with a positive correlation with α-SMA (=0.7219, < 0.0001); the protein expression of CNN1 was also significantly increased in the skin tissue of patients with SSc. In cultured primary skin fibroblasts, the expression of CNN1 mRNA was positively correlated with and mRNA expressions (=0.6547, < 0.05; =0.6438, < 0.05). knockdown in the fibroblasts significantly inhibited the cell proliferation, obviously lowered the expressions of fibrosis-related genes, and reduced the protein expression of collagen. CONCLUSIONS The expression of is increased in the skin tissues of patients with SSc, and knockdown can reduce the activity of dermal fibroblasts, suggesting the close correlation of CNN1 with fibrosis in SSc.
Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Microfilament Proteins ; Scleroderma, Systemic ; Skin

Objective To explore the effectof cognitive behavioral Intervention on the quality of life and cognitive lever of patients with venous thrombus embolism. Methods 164 patients with Venous Thrombus Embolism were randomly divided into control group and research group, the control group received routine care, The study group received cognitive behavior intervention. The cognitive lever and quality of life score was measured between before and after the intervention. Results Before the intervention, the difference score of living quality and cognitive lever in the two groups has no statistical significance (P > 0.05), and after intervention, the cognition lever and the three aspects of risk factors, anticoagulant knowledge and treatment methods of research group scored (28.47 ± 7.63), (7.38 ± 2.48), (6.82±2.73), (3.64±1.59) points which were significantly higher than the control group scored (20.54±5.49), (4.31±2.14), (3.72±1.62), (2.18±1.36) points (t=7.635, 8.469, 8.822, 6.299, P<0.01),the quality of life and four dimensions of daily life ability, pain, social activities, mental scored ( 37.04 ± 7.08), [9.00 (5.00, 11.00)],(9.04 ± 1.55),(5.52 ± 1.59),(14.00 ± 3.06) points which showed great improvement than the control group scored [49.50(39.75-59.25)], [11.50 (6.75, 16.00)], (10.05 ± 1.65), (7.95 ± 2.19), (19.18 ± 3.88) points. There were significant difference in the quality of life and four dimensions between the two groups. (Z=-3.558,-2.143, t=2.102, 4.274, 4.991, P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions The quality of life for the venous thrombus embolism patients were in lower level. The cognitive behavioral intervention could correcting their bad behavior and negative emotions, eventually improve the quality of life of venous thrombus embolism patients.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of RSPO1 in osteoblasts differentiation.Methods The xCELLigence system was used to study the toxicity and role of RSPO1 on the C2C12 cells proliferation.Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured by using a phosphatase detection kit.The expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Wnt/β-catenin signaling was evaluated using the TOPflash T cell factor (TCF) luciferase reporter assay.Western blotting assay was performed to confirm the accumulation of β-catenin protein.T test was used for statistical analysis.Results RSPO1 had no effect on the C2C12 cells proliferation,and it produced no toxicity to C2C12 cells.RSPO1 alone resulted in a slight increase in the activity of ALP (2.85±0.08 vs 1.74±0.21,t=3.014,P＜0.05) and the expression of OPG (1.29±0.13 vs 1.00±0.21,t=3.348,P＜0.05),whereas the combination of RSPO1 and Wnt3A significantly amplified ALP activity (81.37±5.08 vs 1.74±0.21,t=31.31,P＜0.01) and OPG protein expression (5.26±0.60 vs 1.00±0.21,t=6.99,P＜0.01).RSPO1 synergized with Wnt3A to activate TCF activity and induce accumulation of β-catenin (3.28±0.18 vs 1.00±0.21,t=10.94,P＜0.05).However,RSPO1 alone had no effect on the TCF activity and β-catenin accumulation (1.25±0.08 vs 1.00±0.21,t=2.225,P＞0.05).Conclusion Our study has revealed that RSPO1 synergized with Wnt3A in activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to induce osteoblasts differentiation,which demonstrate the therapeutic potential of RSPO1 for RA.