Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial communities of biting midges and ticks collected from three sites in the Poyang Lake area,namely,Qunlu Practice Base,Peach Blossom Garden,and Huangtong Animal Husbandry,and whether vectors carry any bacterial pathogens that may cause diseases to humans,to provide scientific basis for prospective pathogen discovery and disease prevention and control. Methods Using a metataxonomics approach in concert with full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and operational phylogenetic unit(OPU)analysis,we characterized the species-level microbial community structure of two important vector species,biting midges and ticks,including 33 arthropod samples comprising 3,885 individuals,collected around Poyang Lake. Results A total of 662 OPUs were classified in biting midges,including 195 known species and 373 potentially new species,and 618 OPUs were classified in ticks,including 217 known species and 326 potentially new species.Surprisingly,OPUs with potentially pathogenicity were detected in both arthropod vectors,with 66 known species of biting midges reported to carry potential pathogens,including Asaia lannensis and Rickettsia bellii,compared to 50 in ticks,such as Acinetobacter lwoffii and Staphylococcus sciuri.We found that Proteobacteria was the most dominant group in both midges and ticks.Furthermore,the outcomes demonstrated that the microbiota of midges and ticks tend to be governed by a few highly abundant bacteria.Pantoea sp7 was predominant in biting midges,while Coxiella sp1 was enriched in ticks.Meanwhile,Coxiella spp.,which may be essential for the survival of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann,were detected in all tick samples.The identification of dominant species and pathogens of biting midges and ticks in this study serves to broaden our knowledge associated to microbes of arthropod vectors. Conclusion Biting midges and ticks carry large numbers of known and potentially novel bacteria,and carry a wide range of potentially pathogenic bacteria,which may pose a risk of infection to humans and animals.The microbial communities of midges and ticks tend to be dominated by a few highly abundant bacteria.

Objective:To explore the incidence and mortality of digestive system cancers, and the trend of the disease burden attributed to different risk factors in population in China.Methods:Data were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2020 and the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2019 databases and only the data from the Chinese population were included. Using Excel 2019 and R 4.2.1 software, indicators including age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), age-standardized disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate and its rate of change were used to illustrate the disease burden of digestive system cancers attributed to different factors and their trends.Results:In 2020, the ASIR of digestive system cancers in China was 83.00/100 000, and the ASMR was 63.80/100 000. The numbers of digestive system cancer cases and deaths increased with age, and more cases and deaths occurred in men than in women in all age groups. The age-standardized DALY rate of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and liver cancers showed decreasing trends in China from 1990 to 2019 (rate of change: -45.26%, -46.87%, and -65.63%, respectively), whereas the age-standardized DALY rate of pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer and gallbladder and biliary tract cancer showed increasing trends (rate of change: 67.61%, 30.52%, and 7.21%, respectively). The trend of the mortality rate was consistent with the DALY rate. Compared with the age-standardized DALY rate attributed to behavioral factors, the annual proportion of the age-standardized DALY rate attributed to metabolic factors to the total age-standardized DALY rate of esophageal cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer increased from 1990 to 2019. There was no significant change in the rank of age-standardized DALY rate of gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gallbladder and biliary tract cancer attributed to different risk factors in China from 1990 to 2019, but the rank of certain attributed risk factors for the age-standardized DALY rate of esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer moved ahead (esophageal cancer: high BMI; colorectal cancer: low milk intake, and low whole-grain intake).Conclusions:The incidence and mortality of digestive system cancers was serious in China in 2020, and the annual proportion of the disease burden of digestive system cancers attributed to metabolic factors increased from 1990 to 2019. The rank of attributed risk factors for several digestive system cancers changed significantly.

Objective:To evaluate efficacy of safflower polysaccharide in treatment of thymic atrophy induced by estradiol in mice.Methods:A total of 75 female ICR mice were divided into 5 groups:control group,model group,ubenimex group,SPS high dose group,SPS low dose group.Except for control group,each group was given intraperitoneal injection of estradiol benzoate every other day for 6 times.Treatment group began administration 24 h after the last parenteral administration,once a day for 10 days.Mice were sacrificed 24 hours after the last administration,and body weight,immune organ index,MDA and GST levels in plasma,periph-eral blood cells and T cells changes were observed,thymus tissue was stained by HE staining and TUNEL cell apoptosis staining,and thymus output capacity was detected.Results:Both high and low doses of safflower polysaccharide significantly improved thymus index(P<0.05)in mice,increased leukocytes level in peripheral blood(P<0.05),proportions of CD3+CD4+T,CD3+CD8+T cells(P<0.05)and CD4+T/CD8+T,improved thymus tissue damage.High dose of safflower polysaccharide could significantly reduce apoptosis in thymus tissue and enhance thymus output.Conclusion:Safflower polysaccharide has a certain therapeutic effect on estradiol-induced thymus atrophy in mice.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase-8-interacting protein 2 (MAPK8IP2) is a scaffold protein that modulates MAPK signal cascades. Although MAPK pathways were heavily implicated in prostate cancer progression, the regulation of MAPK8IP2 expression in prostate cancer is not yet reported. We assessed MAPK8IP2 gene expression in prostate cancer related to disease progression and patient survival outcomes. MAPK8IP2 expression was analyzed using multiple genome-wide gene expression datasets derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA-sequence project and complementary DNA (cDNA) microarrays. Multivariable Cox regressions and log-rank tests were used to analyze the overall survival outcome and progression-free interval. MAPK8IP2 protein expression was evaluated using the immunohistochemistry approach. The quantitative PCR and Western blot methods analyzed androgen-stimulated MAPK8IP2 expression in LNCaP cells. In primary prostate cancer tissues, MAPK8IP2 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher than those in the case-matched benign prostatic tissues. Increased MAPK8IP2 expression was strongly correlated with late tumor stages, lymph node invasion, residual tumors after surgery, higher Gleason scores, and preoperational serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. MAPK8IP2 upregulation was significantly associated with worse overall survival outcomes and progression-free intervals. In castration-resistant prostate cancers, MAPK8IP2 expression strongly correlated with androgen receptor (AR) signaling activity. In cell culture-based experiments, MAPK8IP2 expression was stimulated by androgens in AR-positive prostate cancer cells. However, MAPK8IP2 expression was blocked by AR antagonists only in androgen-sensitive LNCaP but not castration-resistant C4-2B and 22RV1 cells. These results indicate that MAPK8IP2 is a robust prognostic factor and therapeutic biomarker for prostate cancer. The potential role of MAPK8IP2 in the castration-resistant progression is under further investigation.
Male ; Humans ; Androgens/therapeutic use* ; Receptors, Androgen/genetics* ; Prognosis ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8/therapeutic use* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/drug therapy* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic

Aim To study the therapeutic effect of helicid on osteoarthritis (OA) of joint instability model, and explore the mechanism of helicid in the treatment of OA. Methods A rat knee model of OA was established by the medial meniscectomy (MMx) method. After treatment with helicid, HE and safranin O/fast green staining methods were used to observe the his-topathological changes of rat knee articular cartilage; Western blot was used to detect the protein expression level of Trpvl in rat synovial tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine the expression of Trpvl in rat knee articular cartilage and synovial tissues. Results Helicid significantly slowed down the degeneration of rat knee articular cartilage as shown by HE and safranin O/fast green staining. Western blot results showed that helicid down-regulated the expression of Trpvl in rat synovial tissue examined. Immunohistochemical results showed that helicid significantly reduced the expression of Trpvl in both of knee articular cartilage and synovial tissues. Conclusions Helicid prominently decreases MMx-induced articular cartilage damage and cartilage matrix loss, thereby exerting a therapeutic effect on OA.

Objective To compare the macular structure and microcirculation in both eyes of the patients with myopic anisometropia.Methods Optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)was employed to scan the macular areas in both eyes of 44 patients with myopic anisometropia.The patients were assigned into high and low groups based on the refractive diopter,and the parameters such as retinal thickness,choroidal thickness,vascular density,and perfusion density in the macular areas of both eyes were compared between the two groups.Results Other macular areas except the central and external nasal areas and the choroid of the fovea in the high group were thinner than those in the low group(all P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in retinal vascular density or perfusion density in different areas between the two groups(all P>0.05).Conclusion In the patients with myopic anisometropia,most areas of the retina in the case of high myopia is thinner than that in the case of low myopia,while there is no difference in retinal vascular density or perfusion density in both eyes.
Humans ; Anisometropia ; Choroid/blood supply* ; Microcirculation ; Myopia ; Retina ; Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods*

Objective To analyze the influence of different health-related indicators on the prognosis of elderly patients with diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease, and to provide theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease. Methods Among of 456 elderly patients with diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease admitted to our hospital from December 2018 to December 2020 were selected. According to the occurrence of Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) within 1 year after discharge, patients were divided into the control group (no MACE) and the observation group (MACE). The Clinical data of patients including age, gender, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes course, degree of coronary artery stenosis and number of lesions, were collected from the medical record system. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze the influence of health indicators such as systolic blood pressure, LEVF, HbA1c, LDL-C, LDH and ALP on the occurrence of MACE in patients with diabetes and coronary heart disease. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between different health-related indicators and the occurrence of MACE in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. Results A total of 456 elderly patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease, 122 cases (26.75%) developed MACE. There were no differences in age, male proportion, BMI, smoking and drinking of diabetes course between the two groups (P>0.05). The degree and number of coronary artery stenosis in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in HbA1c, LEVF, LDL-C, TC, TG and BUA between the two groups (P<0.05). HbA1c>7.0% (OR=2.617), LDL-C>2.6 mmol/L (OR=2.976) and BUA >420μmol/L (OR=2.341) were independent risk factors for MACE in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that HbA1c, LDL-C, BUA were positively correlated with MACE in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease (r=0.401,0.427,0.372, P<0.05). Conclusion Elderly patients with diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease have a higher risk of MACE, which is closely related to health-related indicators. For patients with HbA1c >7.0%, LDL-C >2.6 mmol/L and BUA >420 μmol/L, active treatment should be conducted to improve the prognosis of patients.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in the treatment of locally advanced olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), and to explore the factors related to the efficacy of NACT. Methods: A total of 25 patients with ONB who underwent NACT in Beijing TongRen Hospital from April 2017 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 16 males and 9 females, with an average age of 44.9 years (ranged 26-72 years). There were 22 cases of Kadish stage C and 3 cases of stage D. After multiple disciplinary team(MDT) discussion, all patients were treated sequentially with NACT-surgery-radiotherapy. Among them, 17 cases were treated with taxol, cis-platinum and etoposide (TEP), 4 cases with taxol, nedaplatin and ifosfamide (TPI), 3 cases with TP, while 1 case with EP. SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis, and survival analyses were calculated based on the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The overall response rate of NACT was 32% (8/25). Subsequently, 21 patients underwent extended endoscopic surgery and 4 patients underwent combined cranial-nasal approach. Three patients with stage D disease underwent cervical lymph node dissection. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 44.2 months (ranged 6-67 months). The 5-year overall survival rate was 100.0%, and the 5-year disease-free survival rates was 94.4%. Before NACT, Ki-67 index was 60% (50%, 90%), while Ki-67 index was 20% (3%, 30%) after chemotherapy [M (Q₁, Q₃)]. The change of Ki-67 before and after NACT was statistically significant (Z=-24.24, P<0.05). The effects of age, gender, history of surgery, Hyams grade, Ki-67 index and chemotherapy regimen to NACT were analyzed. Ki-67 index≥25% and high Hyams grade were related to the efficacy of NACT (all P<0.05). Conclusions: NACT could reduce Ki-67 index in ONBs. High Ki-67 index and Hyams grade are clinical indicators sensitive to the efficacy of NACT. NACT-surgery-radiotherapy is effective for patients with locally advanced ONB.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Esthesioneuroblastoma, Olfactory/etiology* ; Ki-67 Antigen ; Paclitaxel ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Nasal Cavity ; Nose Neoplasms/therapy* ; Neoplasm Staging

BackgroundElderly cataract patients with depressive symptoms have heavier self-perceived burden， and worse vision-related quality of life compared to patients without depressive symptoms， resulting in the increase of family burden. Most previous studies showed that family relationship and vision were the main factors leading to depression in elderly cataract patients， and ignored the effects of self-feeling and complicated diseases on the psychological state of elderly cataract patients. ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between depressive symptoms， self-perceived burden and postoperative vision-related quality of life in elderly cataract patients， and to analyze the risk factors of depressive symptoms. So as to provide references for targeted psychological intervention in this population. MethodsA total of 104 elderly cataract patients admitted to Jiangsu Province Hospital （The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University） from July 1， 2020 to December 31， 2022 were included. General information， self-perceived burden and postoperative vision-related quality of life were investigated by self-designed questionnaire， Patients' Health Questionnaire depressive Scale-9 item （PHQ-9）， Self-Perceived Burden Scale （SPBS） and National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 （NEI-VFQ-25）. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation among PHQ-9， SPBS and NEI-VFQ-25 scores. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of depressive symptoms in eldery cataract patients. ResultsA total of 100 elderly cataract patients completed an effective questionnaire survey. Among the participants， 31 cases （31.00%） were found to have depressive symptoms. The depressive group exhibited significantly higher SPBS score （t=11.062， P<0.01） and significantly lower NEI-VFQ-25 score （t=-5.235， P<0.01） than those of the non-depressive group. Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between PHQ-9 and SPBS score （r=0.485， P<0.01）， and a negative correlation between PHQ-9 and NEI-VFQ-25 score （r=-0.440， P<0.01）. Complicated with diabetes （OR=1.441， P<0.01）， osteoarthritis （OR=1.324， P<0.05） and high SPBS score （OR=1.340， P<0.05） were risk factors of depressive sympptoms in elderly cataract patients. ConclusionThe detection rate of depressive symptoms in elderly cataract patients is higher， and postoperative vision-related quality of life in elderly cataract patients complicated with depressive symptoms is poor. Risk factors include diabetes， osteoarthritis and high self-perceived burden. ［Funded by 2022 Jiangsu Province Elderly Health Scientific Research Project （number， LKM2022019）］

Objective To investigate the changes of blood related parameters and coagulation function indicators in patients with funge-mia during hospitalization,and analyze the clinical significance of these changes and their impact on the patients'prognosis.Methods The patients with positive fungus blood culture for the first time and diagnosed as fungal bloodstream infection during December 2018 and October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Their blood related parameters and coagulation function indicators at admission and the time of positive blood culture were collected,and the differences of these clinical parameters were analyzed.The patients were divided into the survival group and death group based on their prognosis,and the differences in clinical parameters between the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.The Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors related to death.Results A total of 87 patients were enrolled in the study.The patients'results of monocyte count,lymphocyte count,and platelet(PLT)at the time of positive blood culture were significantly lower than those at admission(P＜0.001),while the levels of platelet-associated pa-rameters MPV and PDW were significantly increased(P＜0.05).The levels of coagulation function indicators such as PT,APTT,and D-dimer at the time of positive blood culture were significantly higher than those at admission(P＜0.05).Compared with the the surviv-al group,the peripheral blood PLT count in the death group at the time of positive blood culture was significantly reduced(P=0.022),while the PT,APTT and TT levels were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that the death of patients was significantly correlated with the lower level of PLT(OR=1.46,95％CI:1.08-1.97,P=0.01).Conclusion The fungal infection in hospitalized patients can lead to a decrease in PLT count and the prolongation of PT and APTT.Low levels of PLT are associated with the patients'prognosis,and monitoring its changes can assist in assessing the patients'conditions and prognosis.