1.Severity Assessment Parameters and Diagnostic Technologies of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Zhuo-Zhi FU ; Ya-Cen WU ; Mei-Xi LI ; Ping-Ping YIN ; Hai-Jun LIN ; Fu ZHANG ; Yu-Xiang YANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):147-161
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly widespread sleep-breathing disordered disease, and is an independent risk factor for many high-risk chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arrhythmias and diabetes, which is potentially fatal. The key to the prevention and treatment of OSA is early diagnosis and treatment, so the assessment and diagnostic technologies of OSA have become a research hotspot. This paper reviews the research progresses of severity assessment parameters and diagnostic technologies of OSA, and discusses their future development trends. In terms of severity assessment parameters of OSA, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), as the gold standard, together with the percentage of duration of apnea hypopnea (AH%), lowest oxygen saturation (LSpO2), heart rate variability (HRV), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and the emerging biomarkers, constitute a multi-dimensional evaluation system. Specifically, the AHI, which measures the frequency of sleep respiratory events per hour, does not fully reflect the patients’ overall sleep quality or the extent of their daytime functional impairments. To address this limitation, the AH%, which measures the proportion of the entire sleep cycle affected by apneas and hypopneas, deepens our understanding of the impact on sleep quality. The LSpO2 plays a critical role in highlighting the potential severe hypoxic episodes during sleep, while the HRV offers a different perspective by analyzing the fluctuations in heart rate thereby revealing the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The ODI provides a direct and objective measure of patients’ nocturnal oxygenation stability by calculating the number of desaturation events per hour, and the biomarkers offers novel insights into the diagnosis and management of OSA, and fosters the development of more precise and tailored OSA therapeutic strategies. In terms of diagnostic techniques of OSA, the standardized questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is a simple and effective method for preliminary screening of OSA, and the polysomnography (PSG) which is based on recording multiple physiological signals stands for gold standard, but it has limitations of complex operations, high costs and inconvenience. As a convenient alternative, the home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) allows patients to monitor their sleep with simplified equipment in the comfort of their own homes, and the cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) offers a minimal version that simply analyzes the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. As an emerging diagnostic technology of OSA, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) adeptly pinpoint respiratory incidents and expose delicate physiological changes, thus casting new light on the diagnostic approach to OSA. In addition, imaging examination utilizes detailed visual representations of the airway’s structure and assists in recognizing structural abnormalities that may result in obstructed airways, while sound monitoring technology records and analyzes snoring and breathing sounds to detect the condition subtly, and thus further expands our medical diagnostic toolkit. As for the future development directions, it can be predicted that interdisciplinary integrated researches, the construction of personalized diagnosis and treatment models, and the popularization of high-tech in clinical applications will become the development trends in the field of OSA evaluation and diagnosis.
2.Structure and Function of GPR126/ADGRG6
Ting-Ting WU ; Si-Qi JIA ; Shu-Zhu CAO ; De-Xin ZHU ; Guo-Chao TANG ; Zhi-Hua SUN ; Xing-Mei DENG ; Hui ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):299-309
GPR126, also known as ADGRG6, is one of the most deeply studied aGPCRs. Initially, GPR126 was thought to be a receptor associated with muscle development and was primarily expressed in the muscular and skeletal systems. With the deepening of research, it was found that GPR126 is expressed in multiple mammalian tissues and organs, and is involved in many biological processes such as embryonic development, nervous system development, and extracellular matrix interactions. Compared with other aGPCRs proteins, GPR126 has a longer N-terminal domain, which can bind to ligands one-to-one and one-to-many. Its N-terminus contains five domains, a CUB (complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domain, a PTX (Pentraxin) domain, a SEA (Sperm protein, Enterokinase, and Agrin) domain, a hormone binding (HormR) domain, and a conserved GAIN domain. The GAIN domain has a self-shearing function, which is essential for the maturation, stability, transport and function of aGPCRs. Different SEA domains constitute different GPR126 isomers, which can regulate the activation and closure of downstream signaling pathways through conformational changes. GPR126 has a typical aGPCRs seven-transmembrane helical structure, which can be coupled to Gs and Gi, causing cAMP to up- or down-regulation, mediating transmembrane signaling and participating in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. GPR126 is activated in a tethered-stalk peptide agonism or orthosteric agonism, which is mainly manifested by self-proteolysis or conformational changes in the GAIN domain, which mediates the rapid activation or closure of downstream pathways by tethered agonists. In addition to the tethered short stem peptide activation mode, GPR126 also has another allosteric agonism or tunable agonism mode, which is specifically expressed as the GAIN domain does not have self-shearing function in the physiological state, NTF and CTF always maintain the binding state, and the NTF binds to the ligand to cause conformational changes of the receptor, which somehow transmits signals to the GAIN domain in a spatial structure. The GAIN domain can cause the 7TM domain to produce an activated or inhibited signal for signal transduction, For example, type IV collagen interacts with the CUB and PTX domains of GPR126 to activate GPR126 downstream signal transduction. GPR126 has homology of 51.6%-86.9% among different species, with 10 conserved regions between different species, which can be traced back to the oldest metazoans as well as unicellular animals.In terms of diseases, GPR126 dysfunction involves the pathological process of bone, myelin, embryo and other related diseases, and is also closely related to the occurrence and development of malignant tumors such as breast cancer and colon cancer. However, the biological function of GPR126 in various diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target still needs further research. This paper focuses on the structure, interspecies differences and conservatism, signal transduction and biological functions of GPR126, which provides ideas and references for future research on GPR126.
3.Analysis of unhealthy listening habits and related factors on hearing impairment among primary and middle school students in Jilin Province
YANG Shuo, LIU Bing, ZHANG Yuting, WU Xiaogang, MEI Songli
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(2):215-218
Objective:
To understand the unhealthy listening habits and related factors hearing on impairment among primary and middle school students in Jilin Province, so as to provide a scientific basis for the prevention of hearing impairment in children and adolescents.
Methods:
From September to November 2021, a stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 12 847 primary and middle school students in nine cities of Jilin Province who use headphones for more than 0.5 hours daily for a questionnaire survey. Data on unhealthy listening habits, lifestyle habits and hearing impairment were collected. The data were analyzed using the χ 2 test and Logistic regression.
Results:
Totally 1 702 students(13.25%) experienced hearing impairment within the last month. There were statistical differences between the sexes with the average daily headphone use, the times of using headphones ≥1 h every day for one week use in all environment or noisy environment ( χ 2=47.86, 57.60, 66.31, P <0.01). Logistic regression analysis results showed that factors related to the occurrence of hearing impairment among primary and secondary school students included:average daily headphone use of 1-2 h and more than 2 h ( OR=1.74, 95%CI =1.60-1.90; OR=1.73, 95%CI =1.59-1.90), times of using headphones ≥1 h every day for one week were 1-2 times and >2 times ( OR=1.71, 95%CI =1.59- 1.84 ; OR=1.83, 95%CI =1.71-1.97), the times of using headphones≥1 h every day for one week being 1-2 times and >2 times in noisy environment per week ( OR=1.48, 95%CI =1.40-1.56; OR=1.72, 95%CI =1.61-1.86), economic underdevelopment ( OR=1.85, 95%CI =1.76-1.96), boarding (OR=1.78, 95%CI =1.69-1.89), single parent family ( OR=1.72, 95%CI =1.60- 1.87 ), daily activity duration less than 1 h ( OR=1.71, 95%CI =1.63-1.81), sedentary behavior duration more than 6 h per day ( OR=1.88, 95%CI =1.79-1.98) ( P <0.05).
Conclusions
The behavior of ear protection among primary and middle school students in Jilin Province needs to be enhanced, focusing on students in economically underdeveloped areas, boarding schools and single parent families. It is necessary to guide primary and middle school students to improve their bad ear habits, increase outdoor activities and reduce the time of sitting.
4.Molecular epidemiological characterization of influenza A(H3N2) virus in Fengxian District, Shanghai, in the surveillance year of 2023
Hongwei ZHAO ; Lixin TAO ; Xiaohong XIE ; Yi HU ; Xue ZHAO ; Meihua LIU ; Qingyuan ZHANG ; Lijie LU ; Chen’an LIU ; Mei WU
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(1):18-22
ObjectiveTo understand the epidemiological distribution and gene evolutionary variation of influenza A (H3N2) viruses in Fengxian District, Shanghai, in the surveillance year of 2023, and to provide a reference basis for influenza prevention and control. MethodsThe prevalence of influenza virus in Fengxian District in the 2023 influenza surveillance year (April 2023‒March 2024) was analyzed. The hemagglutinin (HA) gene, neuraminidase (NA) gene, and amino acid sequences of 75 strains of H3N2 influenza viruses were compared with the vaccine reference strain for similarity matching and phylogenetic evolutionary analysis, in addition to an analysis of gene characterization and variation. ResultsIn Fengxian District, there was a mixed epidemic of H3N2 and H1N1 in the spring of 2023, with H3N2 being the predominant subtype in the second half of the year, and Victoria B becoming the predominant subtype in the spring of 2024. A total of 75 influenza strains of H3N2 with HA and NA genes were distributed in the 3C.2a1b.2a.2a.2a.3a.1 and B.4 branches, with overall similarity to the reference strain of the 2024 vaccine higher than that of the reference strain of the 2022 and 2023 vaccine. Compared with the 2023 vaccine reference strain, three antigenic sites and one receptor binding site were changed in HA, with three glycosylation sites reduced and two glycosylation sites added; where as in NA seven antigenic sites and the 222nd resistance site changed with two glycosylation sites reduced. ConclusionThe risk of antigenic variation and drug resistance of H3N2 in this region is high, and it is necessary to strengthen the publicity and education on the 2024 influenza vaccine and long-term monitoring of influenza virus prevalence and variation levels.
5.Research on the self-assessment tool for medical professionalism
Yu WANG ; Mei YIN ; Xuesong WU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(3):370-377
ObjectiveTo develop a self-assessment tool for medical professionalism (MP), by comprehensively combing domestic and international definitions of the concept of MP and the core elements of MP, and based on several rounds of expert consultation and China’s medical realities. MethodsAn assessment scale of MP was developed using 1,626 valid physician survey data from 128 medical institutions of all levels in one province. ResultsThe scale of MP consisted of five factors, including patient-centered, integrity and sense of responsibility, altruism, fair and equitable distribution of limited resources, and pursuit of excellence. After testing, the scale has good reliability and validity. ConclusionThe self-evaluation tool of MP provides an effective means for fostering, assessing, and evaluating MP in practice, and has a certain degree of generalizability.
6.Retrospective analysis of adverse events associated with traditional Chinese medicine formula granules and decoction pieces in hospitalized patients using the global trigger tool
Yaxiong LI ; Fusang WANG ; Mei ZHANG ; Jiawei LIN ; Wenge CHEN ; Min HUANG ; Junyan WU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(5):606-611
OBJECTIVE To provide technical support for improving recognition rate of adverse drug events (ADEs) related to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula granules and decoction pieces among inpatient patients. METHODS By referencing the global trigger tool (GTT) whitepaper, literature on adverse reactions to TCM, and expert review opinions, ADE trigger items for TCM formula granules and decoction pieces used in the inpatients were established. GTT was applied to analyze ADEs in inpatients who had used TCM formula granules and decoction pieces in our hospital from August 2013 to August 2023, utilizing the Chinese Hospital Pharmacovigilance System. The effectiveness of GTT and the characteristics of these ADEs were analyzed. RESULTS A total of forty-eight triggers were established, including thirty-two laboratory test indexes, thirteen clinical symptoms, and three antidotes. Among the 1 682 patients included, GTT identified 652 potential ADEs, 284 true positive ADEs,with a trigger rate of 38.76% and a positive predictive value of 43.56%. After review by the auditor, 278 cases of ADEs were finally confirmed, with an incidence rate of 16.53%, significantly higher than the number of spontaneously reported ADEs during the same period (0). The 278 cases of ADEs were mostly grade 1 (223 cases), mainly involving hepatobiliary system, gastrointestinal system, blood- lymphatic system, etc;a total of 219 types of TCMs are involved,and the top five suspected TCMs used at a frequency higher than 1% were Poria cocos, Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, fried Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Scutellaria baicalensis. CONCLUSIONS The established GTT can improve the recognition rate of ADEs for hospitalized patients using traditional Chinese medicine formula granules and decoction pieces.
7.Association Between Abnormal Body Weight and Physical Fitness Levelsin Chinese Older Adults: Findings from the 5th National PhysicalFitness Surveillance in China
Chaoqun FAN ; Mei WANG ; Qiang FENG ; Jingjing WANG ; Dongming WU ; Zonghao SUN ; Jiarong ZHU ; Yini WU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(3):617-626
Based on the data from the 5th National Physical Fitness Surveillance in China, this study aimed to explore the relationship between abnormal body weight and physical fitness levels in older adults. The study included adults aged 60-79 years from the 5th National Physical Fitness Surveillance database. Body weight was categorized into four groups—underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity—based on body mass index (BMI), with underweight, overweight, and obesity classified as abnormal weight. Physical fitness indicators such as cardiorespiratory endurance (number of 2-minute high-knee steps), lower limb muscle strength (number of 30-second chair stands), flexibility (sit-and-reach test), balance ability (eyes-closed single-leg stance time), and reaction ability (choice reaction time) were collected. Each physical fitness indicator was divided into four levels (excellent, good, pass, and fail) based on quartile cutoffs. After adjusting for demographic factors (including age, sex, urban/rural residence, education level, pre-retirement occupation, marital status, exercise habits, smoking, sleep quality, and self-rated fitness), binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between physical fitness indicators and abnormal weight. A total of 39 927 older adults aged 60-79 years were included, comprising 19 777 men (49.5%) and 20 150 women (50.5%), with a mean age of 69.2±5.6 years. The prevalence rates of underweight, overweight, and obesity were 2.3%, 41.8%, and 16.7%, respectively, with underweight prevalence significantly increasing with age ( Chinese older adults aged 60-79 years face a dual burden of underweight and overweight/obesity. Poor cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle strength (in women) are significantly associated with abnormal weight. Maintaining good cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle strength may help improve abnormal weight status in older adults.
8.Combined anterior and posterior miniscrews increase apical root resorption of maxillary incisors in protrusion and premolar extraction cases
Zhizun WANG ; Li MEI ; Zhenxing TANG ; Dong WU ; Yue ZHOU ; Ehab A. ABDULGHANI ; Yuan LI ; Wei ZHENG ; Yu LI
The Korean Journal of Orthodontics 2025;55(1):26-36
Objective:
Miniscrews are commonly utilized as temporary anchorage devices (TADs) in cases of maxillary protrusion and premolar extraction. This study aimed to investigate the effects and potential side effects of two conventional miniscrew configurations on the maxillary incisors.
Methods:
Eighty-two adult patients with maxillary dentoalveolar protrusion who had undergone bilateral first premolar extraction were retrospectively divided into three groups: non-TAD, two posterior miniscrews only (P-TADs), and two anterior and two posterior miniscrews combined (AP-TADs). Cone-beam computed tomography was used to evaluate the maxillary central incisors (U1).
Results:
The APTADs group had significantly greater U1 intrusion (1.99 ± 2.37 mm, n = 50) and less retroclination (1.70° ± 8.80°) compared to the P-TADs (–0.07 ± 1.65 mm and 9.45° ± 10.68°, n = 60) and non-TAD group (0.30 ± 1.61 mm and 1.91° ± 9.39°, n = 54).However, the AP-TADs group suffered from significantly greater apical root resorption (ARR) of U1 (2.69 ± 1.38 mm) than the P-TADs (1.63 ± 1.46 mm) and non-TAD group (0.89 ± 0.97 mm). Notably, the incidence of grade IV ARR was 16.6% in the AP-TADs group, significantly higher than the rates observed in the P-TADs (6.7%) and non-TAD (1.9%) groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed that after excluding tooth movement factors, the AP-TADs configuration resulted in an additional 0.5 mm of ARR compared with the P-TADs group.
Conclusions
In cases of maxillary protrusion and premolar extraction, the use of combined anterior and posterior miniscrews enhances incisor intrusion and minimizes torque loss of the maxillary incisors. However, this approach results in more severe ARR, likely due to the increased apical movement and composite force exerted.
9.6-Gingerol Induced Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Glioma Cells via MnSOD and ERK Phosphorylation Modulation
Sher-Wei LIM ; Wei-Chung CHEN ; Huey-Jiun KO ; Yu-Feng SU ; Chieh-Hsin WU ; Fu-Long HUANG ; Chien-Feng LI ; Cheng Yu TSAI
Biomolecules & Therapeutics 2025;33(1):129-142
6-gingerol, a bioactive compound from ginger, has demonstrated promising anticancer properties across various cancer models by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation and invasion. In this study, we explore its mechanisms against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a notably aggressive and treatment-resistant brain tumor. We found that 6-gingerol crosses the blood-brain barrier more effectively than curcumin, enhancing its potential as a therapeutic agent for brain tumors. Our experiments show that 6-gingerol reduces cell proliferation and triggers apoptosis in GBM cell lines by disrupting cellular energy homeostasis. This process involves an increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, primarily due to the downregulation of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Additionally, 6-gingerol reduces ERK phosphorylation by inhibiting EGFR and RAF, leading to G1 phase cell cycle arrest. These findings indicate that 6-gingerol promotes cell death in GBM cells by modulating MnSOD and ROS levels and arresting the cell cycle through the ERFR-RAF-1/MEK/ ERK signaling pathway, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for GBM and setting the stage for future clinical research.
10.Combined anterior and posterior miniscrews increase apical root resorption of maxillary incisors in protrusion and premolar extraction cases
Zhizun WANG ; Li MEI ; Zhenxing TANG ; Dong WU ; Yue ZHOU ; Ehab A. ABDULGHANI ; Yuan LI ; Wei ZHENG ; Yu LI
The Korean Journal of Orthodontics 2025;55(1):26-36
Objective:
Miniscrews are commonly utilized as temporary anchorage devices (TADs) in cases of maxillary protrusion and premolar extraction. This study aimed to investigate the effects and potential side effects of two conventional miniscrew configurations on the maxillary incisors.
Methods:
Eighty-two adult patients with maxillary dentoalveolar protrusion who had undergone bilateral first premolar extraction were retrospectively divided into three groups: non-TAD, two posterior miniscrews only (P-TADs), and two anterior and two posterior miniscrews combined (AP-TADs). Cone-beam computed tomography was used to evaluate the maxillary central incisors (U1).
Results:
The APTADs group had significantly greater U1 intrusion (1.99 ± 2.37 mm, n = 50) and less retroclination (1.70° ± 8.80°) compared to the P-TADs (–0.07 ± 1.65 mm and 9.45° ± 10.68°, n = 60) and non-TAD group (0.30 ± 1.61 mm and 1.91° ± 9.39°, n = 54).However, the AP-TADs group suffered from significantly greater apical root resorption (ARR) of U1 (2.69 ± 1.38 mm) than the P-TADs (1.63 ± 1.46 mm) and non-TAD group (0.89 ± 0.97 mm). Notably, the incidence of grade IV ARR was 16.6% in the AP-TADs group, significantly higher than the rates observed in the P-TADs (6.7%) and non-TAD (1.9%) groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed that after excluding tooth movement factors, the AP-TADs configuration resulted in an additional 0.5 mm of ARR compared with the P-TADs group.
Conclusions
In cases of maxillary protrusion and premolar extraction, the use of combined anterior and posterior miniscrews enhances incisor intrusion and minimizes torque loss of the maxillary incisors. However, this approach results in more severe ARR, likely due to the increased apical movement and composite force exerted.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail