Objective To investigate the suitable habitats of Phlebotomus chinensis in Gansu Province, so as provide insights into effective management of mountain-type zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (MT-ZVL). Methods The geographical coordinates of locations where MT-ZVL cases were reported were retrieved in Gansu Province from 2015 to 2023, and data pertaining to 26 environmental variables were captured, including 19 climatic variables (annual mean temperature, mean diurnal range, isothermality, temperature seasonality, maximum temperature of the warmest month, minimum temperature of the coldest month, temperature annual range, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, mean temperature of the driest quarter, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, annual precipitation, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the wettest quarter, precipitation of the driest quarter, precipitation of the warmest quarter, and precipitation of the coldest quarter), five geographical variables (elevation, annual normalized difference vegetation index, vegetation type, landform type and land use type), and two population and economic variables (population distribution and gross domestic product). Twelve species distribution models were built using the biomod2 package in R project, including surface range envelope (SRE) model, generalized linear model (GLM), generalized additive model (GAM), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) model, generalized boosted model (GBM), classification tree analysis (CTA) model, flexible discriminant analysis (FDA) model, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model, optimized maximum entropy (MAXNET) model, artificial neural network (ANN) model, random forest (RF) model, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBOOST) model. The performance of 12 models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), true skill statistics (TSS), and Kappa coefficient, and single models with high performance was selected to build the optimal ensemble models. Factors affecting the survival of Ph. chinensis were identified based on climatic, geographical, population and economic variables. In addition, the suitable distribution areas of Ph. chinensis were predicted in Gansu Province under shared socioeconomic pathway 126 (SSP126), SSP370 and SSP585 scenarios based on climatic data during the period from 1991 to 2020, from 2041 to 2060 (2050s), and from 2081 to 2100 (2090s) . Results A total of 11 species distribution models were successfully built for prediction of potential distribution areas of Ph. chinensis in Gansu Province, and the RF model had the highest predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.998). The ensemble model built based on the RF model, XGBOOST model, GLM, and MARS model had an increased predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.999) relative to single models. Among the 26 environmental factors, precipitation of the wettest quarter (12.00%), maximum temperature of the warmest month (11.58%), and annual normalized difference vegetation index (11.29%) had the greatest contributions to suitable habitats distribution of Ph. sinensis. Under the climatic conditions from 1991 to 2020, the potential suitable habitat area for Ph. chinensis in Gansu Province was approximately 5.80 × 10⁴ km², of which the highly suitable area was 1.42 × 10⁴ km², and primarily concentrated in the southernmost region of Gansu Province. By the 2050s, the unsuitable and lowly suitable areas for Ph. chinensis in Gansu Province had decreased by varying degrees compared to that of 1991 to 2020 period, while the moderately and highly suitable areas exhibited expansion and migration. By the 2090s, under the SSP126 scenario, the suitable habitat area for Ph. chinensis increased significantly, and under the SSP585 scenario, the highly suitable areas transformed into extremely suitable areas, also showing substantial growth. Future global warming is conducive to the survival and reproduction of Ph. chinensis. From the 2050s to the 2090s, the highly suitable areas for Ph. chinensis in Gansu Province will be projected to expand northward. Under the SSP126 scenario, the suitable habitat area for Ph. chinensis in Gansu Province is expected to increase by 194.75% and 204.79% in the 2050s and 2090s, respectively, compared to that of the 1991 to 2020 period. Under the SSP370 scenario, the moderately and highly suitable areas will be projected to increase by 164.40% and 209.03% in the 2050s and 2090s, respectively, while under the SSP585 scenario, they are expected to increase by 195.98% and 211.66%, respectively. Conclusions The distribution of potential suitable habitats of Ph. sinensis gradually shifts with climatic changes. Intensified surveillance and management of Ph. sinensis is recommended in central and eastern parts of Gansu Province to support early warning of MT-ZVL.

In order to promote the construction of a multi-point trigger intelligent surveillance and early warning system of the plague in China, the development process, application practice, advantages, and limitations of the plague surveillance and early warning system in China and its role in plague prevention and control are reviewed and analyzed. It is suggested to include multiple departments, carry out a multi-channel monitoring mechanism for plague from different perspectives, further improve the plague surveillance and early warning system, and enhance surveillance and early warning capability.

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of adult patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in Gansu Province, and provide guidance for rational and effective treatment of KBD patients.Methods:The KBD patients who participated in the "2021 Basic Public Health Service Subsidy Key Endemic Disease Prevention and Control Project" in Gansu Province were selected as the research subjects. Gender, age, clinical grading characteristics, and treatment plan selection of all subjects were analyzed, and the treatment effectiveness of KBD patients in different regions was evaluated.Results:A total of 6 711 KBD patients were included in the treatment program, including 3 139 males (46.8%) and 3 572 females (53.2%), 3 157 cases (47.0%) of patients aged 60 and 3 554 cases (53.0%) over 60 years old. There were 3 921, 2 166, and 624 patients with grades Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ, respectively, accounting for 58.4%, 32.3%, and 9.3%, respectively. The gender, age composition, and clinical grading among KBD patients included in different regions were compared, and the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 = 194.34, 47.44, 408.61, P < 0.001). In the distribution of treatment schemes, the number of patients who selected "drug treatment", "drug treatment combined with physical therapy", "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage", "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage combined with physical therapy", and "other treatment schemes" were 4 084 (60.9%), 726 (10.8%), 672 (10.0%), 443 (6.6%), and 786 (11.7%), respectively. The distribution of treatment plans in different regions was compared, and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 1 088.38, P < 0.001). The total effective rate of KBD patients was 84.5% (5 668/6 711). The total effective rates of KBD patients with different clinical grades were ranked from high to low as grade Ⅲ (87.3%, 545/624), grade Ⅱ (86.4%, 1 871/2 166), and grade Ⅰ (82.9%, 3 252/3 921). The total effective rate of KBD patients with different treatment schemes from high to low was "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage combined with physical therapy" (91.0%, 403/443), "drug treatment combined with physical therapy" (87.1%, 632/726), "drug treatment" (86.7%, 3 539/4 084), "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage" (82.3%, 553/672), and "other treatment schemes" (68.8%, 541/786). The total effective rate of KBD patients in different regions, from high to low, was as follows: Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (100%, 144/144), Qingyang City (88.7%, 3 562/4 017), Pingliang City (85.0%, 1 327/1 562), Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (83.9%, 78/93), Dingxi City (70.9%, 151/213), Tianshui City (62.5%, 125/200), and Longnan City (58.3%, 281/482). The total effective rate of KBD patients in different clinical grades, treatment schemes, and regions was compared, and the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 = 16.95, 181.72, 435.80, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The overall effective rate of treatment for KBD patients in Gansu Province is relatively high, but there are significant differences in therapeutic outcomes among cities (prefectures); it is related to the treatment scheme and the clinical grading of patients. The scheme of "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage combined with physical therapy" has better efficacy.

Objective To investigate the global burden of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) from 1990 to 2021 and predict the trends in the burden of VL from 2022 to 2035, so as to provide insights into global VL prevention and control. Methods The global age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates of VL and their 95% uncertainty intervals (UI) were captured from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021) data resources. The trends in the global burden of VL were evaluated with average annual percent change (AAPC) and 95% confidence interval (CI) from 1990 to 2021, and gender-, age-, country-, geographical area- and socio-demographic index (SDI)-stratified burdens of VL were analyzed. The trends in the global burden of VL were projected with a Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model from 2022 to 2035, and the associations of age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs rates of VL with SDI levels were examined with a smoothing spline model. Results The global age-standardized incidence [AAPC = -0.25%, 95% CI: (-0.25%, -0.24%)], prevalence [AAPC = -0.06%, 95% CI: (-0.06%, -0.06%)], mortality [AAPC = -0.25%, 95% CI: (-0.25%, -0.24%)] and DALYs rates of VL [AAPC = -2.38%, 95% CI: (-2.44%, -2.33%)] all appeared a tendency towards a decline from 1990 to 2021, and the highest age-standardized incidence [2.55/10⁵, 95% UI: (1.49/10⁵, 4.07/10⁵)], prevalence [0.64/10⁵, 95% UI: (0.37/10⁵, 1.02/10⁵)], mortality [0.51/10⁵, 95% UI: (0, 1.80/10⁵)] and DALYs rates of VL [33.81/10⁵, 95% UI: (0.06/10⁵, 124.09/10⁵)] were seen in tropical Latin America in 2021. The global age-standardized incidence and prevalence of VL were both higher among men [0.57/10⁵, 95% UI: (0.45/10⁵, 0.72/10⁵); 0.14/10⁵, 95% UI: (0.11/10⁵, 0.18/10⁵)] than among women [0.27/10⁵, 95% UI: (0.21/10⁵, 0.33/10⁵); 0.06/10⁵, 95% UI: (0.05/10⁵, 0.08/10⁵)], and the highest mortality of VL was found among children under 5 years of age [0.24/10⁵, 95% UI: (0.08/10⁵, 0.66/10⁵)]. The age-standardized incidence (r = -0.483, P < 0.001), prevalence (r = -0.483, P < 0.001), mortality (r = -0.511, P < 0.001) and DALYs rates of VL (r = -0.514, P < 0.001) correlated negatively with SDI levels from 1990 to 2021. In addition, the global burden of VL was projected with the BAPC model to appear a tendency towards a decline from 2022 to 2035, and the age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality and DALYs rates were projected to be reduced to 0.11/10⁵, 0.03/10⁵, 0.02/10⁵ and 1.44/10⁵ in 2035, respectively. Conclusions Although the global burden of VL appeared an overall tendency towards a decline from 1990 to 2021, the burden of VL showed a tendency towards a rise in Central Asia and western sub-Saharan African areas. The age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of VL were relatively higher among men, and the age-standardized mortality of VL was relatively higher among children under 5 years of age. The global burden of VL was projected to continue to decline from 2022 to 2035.

Objective To identify potential serum metabolic biomarkers in colorectal cancer(CRC)patients using untargeted metabolomics and to evaluate their diagnostic and staging value.Methods Serum samples from 100 healthy controls and 100 CRC patients were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS).After data normalization,differential metabolites were screened using multivariate statistical analyses(PCA,OPLS-DA)and subjected to pathway enrichment analysis.Diagnostic performance was assessed via univari-ate and multivariate regression,while Mfuzz clustering was applied to analyze stage-related metabolites(Ⅰ-Ⅳ).Results A total of 432 metabolites were identified with 59 showing significant alterations.Starch and sucrose me-tabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways were significantly enriched.A three-metabolite panel(4,8-dimethylnonanoyl carnitine,9,13-dihydroxy-4-megastigmen-3-one 9-glucoside and C17 sphingosine-1-phosphate)achieved a diagnostic AUC of 0.907,while L-Carnitine and L-Norleucine showed an AUC of 0.776 in staging anal-ysis.Conclusions Specific serum metabolite panel exhibit high diagnostic accuracy,and dysregulated metabolic pathways are associated with CRC progression,suggesting their potential value as biomarkers.

Tibetan sheep,the main domestic animal raised in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region,are a source of human plague transmission.In the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region,Tibetan sheep are considered valuable breeding resources,because of their large body size and high adaptability to high-altitude environments.In recent years,many pastoral areas,particularly those with marmot plague sources,have improved the structure of sheep breeds through pure breeding of Tibetan sheep or hybridization with Tibetan sheep to improve breed quality.The scale of breeding of Tibetan sheep or hybrid sheep is increasing,and their participation in the spread of plague poses a severe challenge to plague prevention and control.This article provides a comprehensive review of the current status of Tibetan sheep plague and related research progress,to provide a theoretical basis for further exploration and research on plague infection and transmission in Tibetan sheep and hybrid sheep.The findings will be critical for conducting risk assessment of Ti-betan sheep plague in marmot plague source areas,enhancing monitoring and early warning capabilities,formulating and implement-ing risk control measures,and strictly preventing the occurrence and spread of human plague.

Tibetan sheep,the main domestic animal raised in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region,are a source of human plague transmission.In the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region,Tibetan sheep are considered valuable breeding resources,because of their large body size and high adaptability to high-altitude environments.In recent years,many pastoral areas,particularly those with marmot plague sources,have improved the structure of sheep breeds through pure breeding of Tibetan sheep or hybridization with Tibetan sheep to improve breed quality.The scale of breeding of Tibetan sheep or hybrid sheep is increasing,and their participation in the spread of plague poses a severe challenge to plague prevention and control.This article provides a comprehensive review of the current status of Tibetan sheep plague and related research progress,to provide a theoretical basis for further exploration and research on plague infection and transmission in Tibetan sheep and hybrid sheep.The findings will be critical for conducting risk assessment of Ti-betan sheep plague in marmot plague source areas,enhancing monitoring and early warning capabilities,formulating and implement-ing risk control measures,and strictly preventing the occurrence and spread of human plague.

In order to promote the construction of a multi-point trigger intelligent surveillance and early warning system of the plague in China, the development process, application practice, advantages, and limitations of the plague surveillance and early warning system in China and its role in plague prevention and control are reviewed and analyzed. It is suggested to include multiple departments, carry out a multi-channel monitoring mechanism for plague from different perspectives, further improve the plague surveillance and early warning system, and enhance surveillance and early warning capability.

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of adult patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in Gansu Province, and provide guidance for rational and effective treatment of KBD patients.Methods:The KBD patients who participated in the "2021 Basic Public Health Service Subsidy Key Endemic Disease Prevention and Control Project" in Gansu Province were selected as the research subjects. Gender, age, clinical grading characteristics, and treatment plan selection of all subjects were analyzed, and the treatment effectiveness of KBD patients in different regions was evaluated.Results:A total of 6 711 KBD patients were included in the treatment program, including 3 139 males (46.8%) and 3 572 females (53.2%), 3 157 cases (47.0%) of patients aged 60 and 3 554 cases (53.0%) over 60 years old. There were 3 921, 2 166, and 624 patients with grades Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ, respectively, accounting for 58.4%, 32.3%, and 9.3%, respectively. The gender, age composition, and clinical grading among KBD patients included in different regions were compared, and the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 = 194.34, 47.44, 408.61, P < 0.001). In the distribution of treatment schemes, the number of patients who selected "drug treatment", "drug treatment combined with physical therapy", "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage", "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage combined with physical therapy", and "other treatment schemes" were 4 084 (60.9%), 726 (10.8%), 672 (10.0%), 443 (6.6%), and 786 (11.7%), respectively. The distribution of treatment plans in different regions was compared, and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 1 088.38, P < 0.001). The total effective rate of KBD patients was 84.5% (5 668/6 711). The total effective rates of KBD patients with different clinical grades were ranked from high to low as grade Ⅲ (87.3%, 545/624), grade Ⅱ (86.4%, 1 871/2 166), and grade Ⅰ (82.9%, 3 252/3 921). The total effective rate of KBD patients with different treatment schemes from high to low was "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage combined with physical therapy" (91.0%, 403/443), "drug treatment combined with physical therapy" (87.1%, 632/726), "drug treatment" (86.7%, 3 539/4 084), "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage" (82.3%, 553/672), and "other treatment schemes" (68.8%, 541/786). The total effective rate of KBD patients in different regions, from high to low, was as follows: Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (100%, 144/144), Qingyang City (88.7%, 3 562/4 017), Pingliang City (85.0%, 1 327/1 562), Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (83.9%, 78/93), Dingxi City (70.9%, 151/213), Tianshui City (62.5%, 125/200), and Longnan City (58.3%, 281/482). The total effective rate of KBD patients in different clinical grades, treatment schemes, and regions was compared, and the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 = 16.95, 181.72, 435.80, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The overall effective rate of treatment for KBD patients in Gansu Province is relatively high, but there are significant differences in therapeutic outcomes among cities (prefectures); it is related to the treatment scheme and the clinical grading of patients. The scheme of "drug treatment combined with acupuncture and moxibustion/massage combined with physical therapy" has better efficacy.

Objective:To study the correlation between serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level and echocardiographic parameters in patients with chronic Keshan disease, providing reference for diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of chronic Keshan disease.Methods:Ninety-nine patients with chronic Keshan disease who received standardized treatment at Jingchuan County People's Hospital in Pingliang City, Gansu Province from January to December 2020 were selected. Among them, 16 patients were classified as cardiac function grade Ⅱ according to New York Heart Association (NYHA), 69 as grade Ⅲ and 14 as grade Ⅳ. The patients underwent echocardiography and their serum NT-proBNP level was measured using fluorescence immunochromatography. The differences in serum NT-proBNP levels among patients with different cardiac function grades were compared, and the correlation between cardiac function grades, serum NT-proBNP level and echocardiographic parameters was analyzed.Results:The serum NT-proBNP levels in patients with cardiac function grades Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ were (1 107.26 ± 268.03), (2 125.98 ± 293.02), and (8 268.59 ± 2 659.50) pg/ml, respectively. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant ( F = 13.94, P < 0.001). The serum NT-proBNP level was positively correlated with cardiac function grades ( r = 0.44, P < 0.001), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, and left atrial diameter ( r = 0.45, 0.52, 0.38, P < 0.001), and negatively correlated with fractional shortening and left ventricular ejection fraction ( r = - 0.39, - 0.46, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The serum NT-proBNP level in patients with chronic Keshan disease with different cardiac function grades is different, and is positively correlated with echocardiographic parameters reflecting the degree of cardiac structural and functional impairment. The NT-proBNP level may become an early diagnostic, grading, and prognostic indicator for chronic Keshan disease.