Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering of varicella in Lu'an City from 2005 to 2023, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing varicella prevention and control strategies. Methods Data on varicella cases were collected through the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Information System. Descriptive epidemiology, temporal trend analysis, seasonal analysis, spatiotemporal clustering analysis, and spatial autocorrelation analysis were conducted using QGIS, JoinPoint, SaTScan and GeoDa software. Results The average annual reported incidence rate of varicella in Lu'an City from 2005 to 2023 was 34.55/100,000, showing a trend of initial increase followed by a decrease. The peak incidence occurred from October to January of the following year (RR=1.97, LLR=1743.95, P=0.001). Students aged 0 to 19 was the primary affected group. Spatiotemporal scan analysis revealed four types of spatiotemporal clusters, with the cluster in Jin'an District from October 2017 to December 2023 being particularly prominent (RR=2.87，LLR=1734.15，P<0.001). Spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated significant clustering of varicella cases in the main urban area (Moran's I=0.216，Z=4.786，P=0.003). Conclusion The incidence of varicella in Lu'an City exhibits distinct seasonal and spatial clustering, and schools and kindergartens in the main urban area are the key to varicella prevention and control. It is necessary to enhance the monitoring of disease outbreaks during peak periods and in key areas, and to increase the two-dose vaccination rate for varicella in areas with case aggregation and among key populations.

BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Climate and land use changes may significantly impact the habitat distribution of Gastrodia elata, an endangered traditional medicinal plant. Accurately predicting its future potential suitable habitats is crucial for its conservation and sustainable development. This study integrates current distribution data of G. elata with 56 environmental variables and uses the MaxEnt model to predict changes in its suitable habitats under current climate conditions and four future climate scenarios(SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5). The results show that October precipitation and December minimum temperature are key environmental factors influencing its distribution. Under the current climate, optimal habitats for G. elata are concentrated in montane forest areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hubei, which meet the species' requirements for understory growth. Across all future scenarios, the suitable habitat of G. elata consistently shows a stable northward shift, with a steady increase in suitable areas, extending to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huang-Huai region, and even expanding into Liaoning, Jilin, and southern Heilongjiang. Land use analysis, taking into account the protection of arable land and the utilization of forest resources, indicates that by 2100, under future climate conditions, arable land in medium-to high-suitability areas is expected to increase by 30%-124%. While the conversion of non-suitable forest land into suitable habitats is projected to increase by 5%-52%, the growth of medium-to high-suitability areas within forests is relatively modest, ranging from 1% to 24%. These findings highlight the need to balance agricultural expansion with forest resource conservation to ensure the long-term sustainability of G. elata and provide scientific guidance for future suitable habitat management.
Ecosystem ; China ; Climate Change ; Gastrodia/growth & development* ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Plants, Medicinal/growth & development*

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Qigui Tongluo Oral Liquid(a hospital preparation developed by Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and being composed of Astragali Radix,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix,Spatholobi Caulis,Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Pheretima,etc.)combined with moxibustion for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS)of qi deficiency and blood stasis type on the basis of qi-collateral theory.Methods A retrospective study was conducted in 60 CFS patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis type.The patients were divided into an observation group and a control group,with 30 patients in each group according to the therapy.The control group was treated with mild moxibustion on Shenque(CV8)point with moxa sticks,and the observation group was treated with Qigui Tongluo Oral Liquid on the basis of treatment for the control group.The course of treatment lasted for 4 weeks.The changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,Fatigue Scale-14(FS-14)scores,serum immunoglobulin IgA,IgM,IgG levels,and cortisol(COR)level in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 96.67%(29/30),and that of the control group was 80.00%(24/30).The intergroup comparison showed that the clinical efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores and FS-14 scores of patients in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the effect on decreasing TCM syndrome scores and FS-14 scores in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the serum IgA and IgG levels of the two groups as well as the serum IgM and COR levels of the observation group were significantly increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the effect of the observation group on increasing serum IgA,IgM,IgG,and COR levels was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)During the treatment,there were no significant adverse reactions occurring in the two groups.Conclusion Healthy-qi deficiency and collateral obstruction contribute to the core pathogenesis of CFS.Based on the TCM qi-collateral theory and following the therapeutic principle of replenishing deficiency and unblocking collaterals,Qigui Tongluo Oral Liquid combined with moxibustion for the treatment of CFS patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis type can achieve certain efficacy.The combined therapy could significantly alleviate the clinical symptoms,improve the immunity level,and regulate the neuro-endocrine-immune(NEI)network of the patients.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.

Objective This study aimed to comprehensively analyze and compare the clinicopathological features and prognosis of Chinese patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-low early breast cancer(BC)and HER2-IHC0 BC. Methods Patients diagnosed with HER2-negative BC(N=999)at our institution between January 2011 and December 2015 formed our study population.Clinicopathological characteristics,association between estrogen receptor(ER)expression and HER2-low,and evolution of HER2 immunohistochemical(IHC)score were assessed.Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the long-term survival outcomes(5-year follow-up)between the HER2-IHC0 and HER2-low groups. Results HER2-low BC group tended to demonstrate high expression of ER and more progesterone receptor(PgR)positivity than HER2-IHC0 BC group(P<0.001).The rate of HER2-low status increased with increasing ER expression levels(Mantel-Haenszel χ2 test,P<0.001,Pearson's R=0.159,P<0.001).Survival analysis revealed a significantly longer overall survival(OS)in HER2-low BC group than in HER2-IHC0 group(P=0.007)in the whole cohort and the hormone receptor(HR)-negative group.There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of disease-free survival(DFS).The discordance rate of HER2 IHC scores between primary and metastatic sites was 36.84%. Conclusion HER2-low BC may not be regarded as a unique BC group in this population-based study due to similar clinicopathological features and prognostic roles.

Unlike chemosynthetic drugs designed for specific molecular and disease targets,active small-molecule natural products typically have a wide range of bioactivities and multiple targets,necessitating extensive screening and development.To address this issue,we propose a strategy for the direct in situ micro-dynamic examination of potential drug candidates to rapidly identify their effects and mechanisms of action.As a proof-of-concept,we investigated the behavior of mussel oligosaccharide(MOS-1)by tracking the subcellular dynamics of fluorescently labeled MOS-1 in cultured cells.We recorded the entire dynamic process of the localization of fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC)-MOS-1 to the lysosomes and visualized the distribution of the drug within the cell.Remarkably,lysosomes containing FITC-MOS-1 actively recruited lipid droplets,leading to fusion events and increased cellular lipid consumption.These drug behaviors confirmed MOS-1 is a candidate for the treatment of lipid-related diseases.Furthermore,in a high-fat HepG2 cell model and in high-fat diet-fed apolipoprotein E(ApoE)-/-mice,MOS-1 significantly promoted triglyceride degradation,reduced lipid droplet accumulation,lowered serum triglyceride levels,and mitigated liver damage and steatosis.Overall,our work supports the prioritization of in situ visual monitoring of drug location and distribution in subcellular compartments during the drug development phase,as this methodology contributes to the rapid identification of drug indications.Collectively,this methodology is significant for the screening and development of selective small-molecule drugs,and is expected to expedite the identification of candidate molecules with me-dicinal effects.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia(T-ALL)in children and explore the prognostic risk factors.Methods:The clinical data of 127 newly diagnosed children with T-ALL admitted to five hospitals in Fujian province from April 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed,and compared with children with newly diagnosed acute precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia(B-ALL)in the same period.Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the overall survival(OS)and event-free survival(EFS),and COX proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the prognostic factors.Among 116 children with T-ALL who received standard treatment,78 cases received the Chinese Childhood Leukemia Collaborative Group(CCLG)-ALL 2008 protocol(CCLG-ALL 2008 group),and 38 cases received the China Childhood Cancer Collaborative Group(CCCG)-ALL 2015 protocol(CCCG-ALL 2015 group).The efficacy and serious adverse event(SAE)incidence of the two groups were compared.Results:Proportion of male,age ≥ 10 years old,white blood cell count(WBC)≥ 50 × 109/L,central nervous system leukemia,minimal residual disease(MRD)≥ 1％during induction therapy,and MRD ≥ 0.01％at the end of induction in T-ALL children were significantly higher than those in B-ALL children(P＜0.05).The expected 10-year EFS and OS of T-ALL were 59.7％and 66.0％,respectively,which were significantly lower than those of B-ALL(P＜0.001).COX analysis showed that WBC ≥ 100 x 109/L at initial diagnosis and failure to achieve complete remission(CR)after induction were independent risk factors for poor prognosis.Compared with CCLG-ALL 2008 group,CCCG-ALL 2015 group had lower incidence of infection-related SAE(15.8％vs 34.6％,P=0.042),but higher EFS and OS(73.9％vs 57.2％,PEFS=0.090;86.5％vs 62.3％,PoS=0.023).Conclusions:The prognosis of children with T-ALL is worse than children with B-ALL.WBC ≥ 100 × 109/L at initial diagnosis and non-CR after induction(especially mediastinal mass has not disappeared)are the risk factors for poor prognosis.CCCG-ALL 2015 regimen may reduce infection-related SAE and improve efficacy.