The aim of this study was to understand the internal genetic diversity and population history dynamics of ticks in Inner Mongolia,to provide data for designing effective vector control programs and revealing ticks'transmission mechanisms.From 2022 to 2023,the manual collection method was used to collect samples in Inner Mongolia.The 16S rDNA and COI gene sequences of ticks were used to identify Hyalomma marginatum,Haemaphysalis concinna,and Argas persicus,and analyze the sequence characteristics and genetic diversity within the populations.Base composition analysis indicated that the average A+T content of the 16S rDNA gene and CO I gene in the three ticks was significantly higher than that of C+G.Moreover,22 haplotypes of the COI gene and 12 haplotypes of the 16S rDNA sequence were identified in Hyalomma marginatum.Eleven haplotypes were identified according to the COI gene,and nine haplotypes were identified according to the16S rDNA sequence of Haemaphysalis concinna.Two haplotypes were identified on the basis of the COI gene,and six haplotypes were identified on the basis of the 16S rDNA sequence of Ar gas persicus.The minimum 16S rDNA haplotype diversity was 0.264 for Ar gas persicus and 0.579 for the other two species.The nucleotide diversity of the three tick species was less than 0.05.Tajima's val-ue and Fu's Fs value of the neutrality test were negative.Base saturation substitution analysis indicated that neither of the two genes in the three tick species reached saturation.The phylogenetic tree revealed that Hyalomma marginatum,Haema physalis concinna,and Ar gas persicus in Inner Mongolia independently aggregated into branches.In conclusion,the base content of Hyalomma marginatum,Haemaphysalis concinna,and Argas persicus genes in Inner Mongolia was consist-ent with the characteristics of insect mitochondrial DNA content.Furthermore,the three tick populations showed rapid evolu-tionary population expansion,and the phylogeny of three tick species showed independent aggregation into clades,with no pop-ulation isolation.

The aim of this study was to understand the internal genetic diversity and population history dynamics of ticks in Inner Mongolia,to provide data for designing effective vector control programs and revealing ticks'transmission mechanisms.From 2022 to 2023,the manual collection method was used to collect samples in Inner Mongolia.The 16S rDNA and COI gene sequences of ticks were used to identify Hyalomma marginatum,Haemaphysalis concinna,and Argas persicus,and analyze the sequence characteristics and genetic diversity within the populations.Base composition analysis indicated that the average A+T content of the 16S rDNA gene and CO I gene in the three ticks was significantly higher than that of C+G.Moreover,22 haplotypes of the COI gene and 12 haplotypes of the 16S rDNA sequence were identified in Hyalomma marginatum.Eleven haplotypes were identified according to the COI gene,and nine haplotypes were identified according to the16S rDNA sequence of Haemaphysalis concinna.Two haplotypes were identified on the basis of the COI gene,and six haplotypes were identified on the basis of the 16S rDNA sequence of Ar gas persicus.The minimum 16S rDNA haplotype diversity was 0.264 for Ar gas persicus and 0.579 for the other two species.The nucleotide diversity of the three tick species was less than 0.05.Tajima's val-ue and Fu's Fs value of the neutrality test were negative.Base saturation substitution analysis indicated that neither of the two genes in the three tick species reached saturation.The phylogenetic tree revealed that Hyalomma marginatum,Haema physalis concinna,and Ar gas persicus in Inner Mongolia independently aggregated into branches.In conclusion,the base content of Hyalomma marginatum,Haemaphysalis concinna,and Argas persicus genes in Inner Mongolia was consist-ent with the characteristics of insect mitochondrial DNA content.Furthermore,the three tick populations showed rapid evolu-tionary population expansion,and the phylogeny of three tick species showed independent aggregation into clades,with no pop-ulation isolation.

Objective To explore the incidence of long CO VID symptoms in patients infected with Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).Methods According to the inclusion and exclu-sion criteria of literatures,relevant studies without language restrictions published up to 2024 were retrieved from both Chinese and English databases.The Chinese databases were China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang Database,and VIP databases,and the foreign databases were PubMed,Embase,and Web of Science.Three-step screening was used to select literatures,and Stata 17.0 software was used for analysis.Results The incidence of at least one sequelae in patients infected with Omicron variant was 29.62％.The most common symptoms included fatigue(19.10％),joint or muscle pain(11.06％),memory loss(9.71％),brain fog(8.80％),cough(8.42％),headache(7.26％),and sore throat(6.68％).Subgroup analysis results showed that with the extension of follow-up(3 months vs 6 months),the incidence of smell or taste changes was significantly re-duced(7.22％vs 0.78％).The higher the proportion of women(＜50％vs 50％-65％vs＞65％),the higher the incidence of joint or muscle pain(1.09％vs 4.62％vs 19.53％);the greater the median age(≥45 years vs＜45 years),the higher the incidence of chest pain or chest distress(0.90％vs 3.86％),all with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Incidence of long COVID in Omicron-infected patients is high and can cause various symptoms.Follow-up time,median age and gender proportion have significant impacts on the incidence of some symptoms.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the modulating effect of neotropics on form deprivation myopia(FDM)in guinea pigs.METHODS Tricolour guinea pigs were randomly divided into normal control group,FDM model group,FDM+saline group,FDM+atropine group,and FDM+neotropine group,with eight animals in each group.Except for the normal control group,the right eyes of the guinea pigs were covered for 14 d to establish a guinea pig FDM model.The drug administration groups were injected with 10 μL of saline,1%atropine,or 1%neotropine into the vitreous cavity once every other day.The changes in the refractive error and axial length of both eyes were recorded for 1 d before the intervention and for 14 d after the intervention.Then,the eyeballs of guinea pigs were taken from the right eyes.HE staining was used to evaluate the histopathological structure of the sclera while sirius red staining was used to detect the collagen protein content in the sclera.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),matrix metalloproteinase(MMP-2)and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP-2)in guinea pigs'sclera.The protein expression levels of collagen type Ⅰ(Col-Ⅰ)and TGF-β1 in guinea pig sclera were detected by Western blotting while those of MMP-2,TIMP-2 and Ki-67 were detected by immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS Compared with the nor-mal control group,eyes of guinea pig in the FDM model group showed a significantly lower refractive error(P<0.01),significant elongation of the ocular axis(P<0.01),scattered distribution of scleral fibre bundles,sparse collagen cells,reduced scleral thickness(P<0.01),and a significantly lower collagen protein content(P<0.01).The mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-2 and TGF-β1 were lower(P<0.05,P<0.01),and MMP-2 was higher(P<0.01)in scleral tissue.The protein expression level of Col-Ⅰwas lower(P<0.05)while that of Ki-67 was elevated(P<0.01)in scleral tissue.Compared with the FDM model group,there were no significant changes in any of the indexes in the FDM+saline group.The refractive error of the right eyes of guinea pigs in the FDM+neotropium group and the FDM+atropium group were significantly higher(P<0.05),the length of the ocular axis was significantly shorter(P<0.05),the collagen fibres were arranged more tightly,the fibre bundles were distributed more orderly,the distribution of the collagen cells was more uniform,and the thickness of the sclera was significantly increased(P<0.01).Collagen protein contents were significantly higher(P<0.05,P<0.01),the mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-2 and TGF-β1 were significantly higher(P<0.01),MMP-2 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly lower(P<0.05,P<0.01).The protein expression level of Col-Ⅰwas higher(P<0.05,P<0.01),and that of Ki-67 was lower(P<0.05,P<0.01)in scleral tissue.CONCLU-SION The muscarinic antagonist neotropine inhibits the development of myopia in guinea pigs in the FDM model by reversing both the down-regulation of TGF-β1 and the up-regulation of MMP-2 in scleral tissues and inhibiting the remodeling of the scleral extracellular matrix.

A field experiment was conducted to measure the physiological characteristics, yield, active ingredient content, and other indicators of Carthamus tinctorius leaves undergoing 13 sowing date treatments. The principal component analysis(PCA) and redundancy analysis were used to analyze the correlation between these indicators to explore the effect of sowing date on the yield and active ingredient content of C. tinctorius in Liupanshan of Ningxia. The results illustrated that the early sowing in autumn and spring had significant effects on leaf photosynthetic parameters, SPAD value, antioxidant enzyme activity, nitrogen metabolism enzyme activity, filament yield, grain yield, and hydroxy safflower yellow A(HYSA) of C. tinctorius. Sowing in mid-November and late March had the best effect. Leaf transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, and glutamate synthase increased by 44.9%, 52.4%, 15.9%, 60.8%, 10.3%, and 38.3%, respectively. The activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase decreased by 10.8%, 4.1%, and 20.9%, respectively. The improvement of photosynthetic physiological characteristics promoted the dry matter accumulation and reproductive growth of C. tinctorius. The yield of filaments and seeds increased by 15.5% and 11.7%, and the yield of HYSA and kaempferol increased by 17.9% and 20.0%. In short, the suitable sowing date can promote the growth and development of C. tinctorius in Liupanshan of Ningxia, and significantly improve the yield and quality, which is conducive to the high quality and efficient production of C. tinctorius.
Carthamus tinctorius ; Seeds ; Peroxidase/metabolism* ; Plant Leaves/metabolism* ; Antioxidants

Cinnamomum camphora is an important economic tree species in China. According to the type and content of main components in the volatile oil of leaf, C. camphora were divided into five chemotypes, including borneol-type, camphor-type, linalool-type, cineole-type, and nerolidol-type. Terpene synthase(TPS) is the key enzyme for the formation of these compounds. Although several key enzyme genes have been identified, the biosynthetic pathway of(+)-borneol, which has the most economic value, has not been reported. In this study, nine terpenoid synthase genes CcTPS1-CcTPS9 were cloned through transcriptome analysis of four chemical-type leaves. After the recombinant protein was induced by Escherichia coli, geranyl pyrophosphate(GPP) and farnesyl pyrophosphate(FPP) were used as substrates for enzymatic reaction, respectively. Both CcTPS1 and CcTPS9 could catalyze GPP to produce bornyl pyrophosphate, which could be hydrolyzed by phosphohydrolase to obtain(+)-borneol, and the product of(+)-borneol accounted for 0.4% and 89.3%, respectively. Both CcTPS3 and CcTPS6 could catalyze GPP to generate a single product linalool, and CcTPS6 could also react with FPP to generate nerolidol. CcTPS8 reacted with GPP to produce 1,8-cineol(30.71%). Nine terpene synthases produced 9 monoterpene and 6 sesquiterpenes. The study has identified the key enzyme genes responsible for borneol biosynthesis in C. camphora for the first time, laying a foundation for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of chemical type formation and cultivating new varieties of borneol with high yield by using bioengineering technology.
Cinnamomum camphora/enzymology* ; Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/chemistry*

Objective: To assess the prevalence, risk factors and treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: A descriptive method was used to analyze the prevalence and treatment of anemia in CKD patients based on regional health data in Yinzhou District of Ningbo during 2012-2018. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influence factors of anemia in the CKD patients. Results: In 52 619 CKD patients, 15 639 suffered from by anemia (29.72%), in whom 5 461 were men (26.41%) and 10 178 were women (31.87%), and anemia prevalence was higher in women than in men, the difference was significant (P<0.001). The prevalence of anemia increased with stage of CKD (24.77% in stage 1 vs. 69.42% in stage 5, trend χ² test P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that being women (aOR=1.57, 95%CI: 1.50-1.63), CKD stage (stage 2: aOR=1.10, 95%CI: 1.04-1.16;stage 3: aOR=2.28,95%CI: 2.12-2.44;stage 4: aOR=4.49,95%CI :3.79-5.32;stage 5: aOR=6.31,95%CI: 4.74-8.39), age (18-30 years old: aOR=2.40,95%CI: 2.24-2.57, 61-75 years old: aOR=1.35,95%CI:1.28-1.42, ≥76 years old: aOR=2.37,95%CI:2.20-2.55), BMI (<18.5 kg/m²:aOR=1.29,95%CI: 1.18-1.41;23.0-24.9 kg/m²:aOR=0.79,95%CI: 0.75-0.83;≥25.0 kg/m²:aOR=0.70,95%CI: 0.66-0.74), abdominal obesity (aOR=0.91, 95%CI: 0.86-0.96), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (aOR=1.15, 95%CI: 1.09-1.22), cancer (aOR=3.03, 95%CI: 2.84-3.23), heart failure (aOR=1.44, 95%CI: 1.35-1.54) and myocardial infarction (aOR=1.54, 95%CI:1.16-2.04) were independent risk factors of anemia in CKD patients. Among stage 3-5 CKD patients with anemia, 12.03% received iron therapy, and 4.78% received treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) within 12 months after anemia was diagnosed. Conclusions: The prevalence of anemia in CKD patients was high in Yinzhou. However, the treatment rate of iron therapy and ESA were low. More attention should be paid to the anemia management and treatment in CKD patients.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of children with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to summarize the mid-term efficacy of China Net Childhood Lymphoma-mature B-cell lymphoma 2017 (CNCL-B-NHL-2017) regimen. Methods: Clinical features of 436 BL patients who were ≤18 years old and treated with the CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen from May 2017 to April 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical characteristics of patients at disease onset were analyzed and the therapeutic effects of patients with different clinical stages and risk groups were compared. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression was used to identify the prognostic factors. Results: Among 436 patients, there were 368 (84.4%) males and 68 (15.6%) females, the age of disease onset was 6.0 (4.0, 9.0) years old. According to the St. Jude staging system, there were 4 patients (0.9%) with stage Ⅰ, 30 patients (6.9%) with stage Ⅱ, 217 patients (49.8%) with stage Ⅲ, and 185 patients (42.4%) with stage Ⅳ. All patients were stratified into following risk groups: group A (n=1, 0.2%), group B1 (n=46, 10.6%), group B2 (n=19, 4.4%), group C1 (n=285, 65.4%), group C2 (n=85, 19.5%). Sixty-three patients (14.4%) were treated with chemotherapy only and 373 patients (85.6%) were treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab. Twenty-one patients (4.8%) suffered from progressive disease, 3 patients (0.7%) relapsed, and 13 patients (3.0%) died of treatment-related complications. The follow-up time of all patients was 24.0 (13.0, 35.0) months, the 2-year event free survival (EFS) rate of all patients was (90.9±1.4) %. The 2-year EFS rates of group A, B1, B2, C1 and C2 were 100.0%, 100.0%, (94.7±5.1) %, (90.7±1.7) % and (85.9±4.0) %, respectively. The 2-year EFS rates was higher in group A, B1, and B2 than those in group C1 (χ²=4.16, P=0.041) and group C2 (χ²=7.21, P=0.007). The 2-year EFS rates of the patients treated with chemotherapy alone and those treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab were (79.3±5.1)% and (92.9±1.4)% (χ²=14.23, P<0.001) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that stage Ⅳ (including leukemia stage), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)>4-fold normal value, and with residual tumor in the mid-term evaluation were risk factors for poor prognosis (HR=1.38,1.23,8.52,95%CI 1.05-1.82,1.05-1.43,3.96-18.30). Conclusions: The CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen show significant effect in the treatment of pediatric BL. The combination of rituximab improve the efficacy further.
Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Burkitt Lymphoma/drug therapy* ; Child ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; Lymphoma, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To summarize the management and short-term outcomes of neonates delivered by mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 158 neonates born to mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant admitted to the isolation ward of Children's Hospital of Fudan University from March 15^th, 2022 to May 30^th, 2022. The postnatal infection control measures for these neonates, and their clinical characteristics and short-term outcomes were analyzed. They were divided into maternal symptomatic group and maternal asymptomatic group according to whether their mothers had SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. The clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups using Rank sum test and Chi-square test. Results: All neonates were under strict infection control measures at birth and after birth. Of the 158 neonates, 75 (47.5%) were male. The gestational age was (38⁺³±1⁺³) weeks and the birth weight was (3 201±463)g. Of the neonates included, ten were preterm (6.3%) and the minimum gestational age was 30⁺¹ weeks. Six neonates (3.8%) had respiratory difficulty and 4 of them were premature and required mechanical ventilation. All 158 neonates were tested negative for SARS-COV-2 nucleic acid by daily nasal swabs for the first 7 days. A total of 156 mothers (2 cases of twin pregnancy) infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, the time from confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection to delivery was 7 (3, 12) days. Among them, 88 cases (56.4%) showed clinical symptoms, but none needed intensive care treatment. The peripheral white blood cell count of the neonates in maternal symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in maternal symptomatic group (23.0 (18.7, 28.0) × 10⁹ vs. 19.6 (15.4, 36.6) × 10⁹/L, Z=2.44, P<0.05). Conclusions: Neonates of mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant during third trimester have benign short-term outcomes, without intrauterine infection through vertical transmission. Strict infection control measures at birth and after birth can effectively protect these neonates from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy ; COVID-19 ; Mothers ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/prevention & control* ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2

Objective : To establish the liver conditional knockout mouse model ofNod2gene infected byKlebsiella pneumoniae(K.pneumoniae),and to explore the role and mechanism ofNod2gene in the process of liver abscess caused byK.pneumoniaeinfections. Methods : Nod2flox/floxmice were obtained by self-crossing ofNod2flox/+mice, andAlb-Cre+mice were hybridized withNod2flox/+to obtainNod2flox/+;Alb-Cre+mice, then the above two genotypes mice were crossed to obtain liver conditional knockout mice ofNod2gene(Nod2flox/flox;Alb-Cre+) and negative control mice in the same litter(Nod2flox/flox).The genomic DNA of mice toe was extracted and amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR).The genotypes of offspring were identified by agar-gel electrophoresis and the livers of mice were extracted.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) and Western blot were used to verify the knockout efficiency ofNod2gene in the liver.Both experimental group and control group mice were infected withK.pneumoniae,and the survival rate and pathological changes of livers were observed at different time points, and mRNA expression levels of Tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),interleukin 1β(IL-1β) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1(CXCL1) in the livers of experimental group and control group were detected by RT-qPCR 24 h postK.pneumoniaeinfections. Results : The expression of NOD2 mRNA in the liver ofNod2flox/flox;Alb-Cre+mice decreased, and the Western blot results showed that the expression of NOD2 protein decreased.Compared with the control group, the survival rate of mice infected withK.pneumoniaein the experimental group decreased(median survival time=60.5 h,P=0.046 9) and the liver tissue showed more serious pathological damage, furthermore the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and CXCL1 in the livers of experimental group were lower than those of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusion NOD2 plays a protective role in the process of liver abscess induced byK.pneumoniaeinfections.